won served me well for many years i would continue to use it but alot of the good server are on steam now i got one tip for you once you install steam leave it alone for a while and let it update itself if you close it youll go through crash after crash which is annoying
<!--QuoteBegin-Omegaman!+Jun 17 2004, 12:55 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Omegaman! @ Jun 17 2004, 12:55 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Steam is teh evil. I'm sticking with my WON unless HL2 multiplayer doesnt use WON. That is the only condition I will change. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> yup there is no way they would use won for hl2 i think valve thinks its outdated =/ even tho it works fine
TalesinOur own little well of hateJoin Date: 2002-11-08Member: 7710NS1 Playtester, Forum Moderators
A) Steam is fine now. B) WON will be shut down in the foreseeable future. C) HL2 will not use WON. At all. You may even have to install Steam to *play* HL2, SP or MP. D) If you dislike steam, list reasons and stay calm. If this turns into a Steam-flame thread, it will be locked.
steam currently works better with my hardware configuration then WON half-life, is nearly as functional, and is the most stable it's ever been. I'd have to say yes.
well, steam in now days works fine. I had some few problems for some weeks ago. The idea of steam just great, but the idea is not working, becouse of those bugs and overloaded servers <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-Redford+Jun 17 2004, 11:41 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Redford @ Jun 17 2004, 11:41 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> steam currently works better with my hardware configuration then WON half-life, is nearly as functional, and is the most stable it's ever been. I'd have to say yes. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> I'd say it's more functional, with Friends and easier server browsing. Stability is ever-improving, so I have no problems with them shutting down WON.
steam seemed to like changing things around me so i have to go around and set it back <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin-chrono5454+Jun 17 2004, 09:05 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (chrono5454 @ Jun 17 2004, 09:05 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-Omegaman!+Jun 17 2004, 12:55 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Omegaman! @ Jun 17 2004, 12:55 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Steam is teh evil. I'm sticking with my WON unless HL2 multiplayer doesnt use WON. That is the only condition I will change. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> yup there is no way they would use won for hl2 i think valve thinks its outdated =/ even tho it works fine <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> HL2 will definately use Steam.
Also, it's not purely the case that WON is severely outdated, it's the fact that Valve don't own WON, it's owned by Sierra, i believe, and they wish to have their own independance, hence their own authentication process as opposed to relying on a third party.
When I first grabbed Steam, it was buggy as all heck and laggy. Now, it's still buggy, but not laggy, and I quite like it's in-game interface (I can alt-tab HL without it going nuts!).
A few days ago Steam ate my clock. Seriously; I went in and played a few games of NS, came back out and my clock was GONE. A reboot brought it back. Now that's obviously a bug, but it's not like the old days of Steam when it ate my desktop, taskbar and mouse. Steam is getting better and it improves with each patch.
Steam is staying, whether we like it or not. WON is going. You can either change and adapt, or you can try and hold back the tide
I think the general trend here is a good one, because Valve are dedicated (be it that they have two people serving millions, they are still dedicated), steam is going to become good. In the initial releases, a lot of people hated it, as it is getting better so is the general attitude. Things can only get better, and if they don't theres always other games <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Regardless of the neat friend list , chess/go minigames , and "better" interface , Steam is still much worse than WON. If you need a better server browser with a buddy list , just use the All Seeing Eye or something , you can join any server in one click with it. It is forgiveable that Steam takes ages to load ; but its useless ,clumsy interface eats at my framerate in game <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
With WON , I can alternate HLDM and Tribes 2 games in seconds. Steam restricts me to a few HL mods after playing NS.
<!--QuoteBegin-Stakhanov+Jun 17 2004, 08:51 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Stakhanov @ Jun 17 2004, 08:51 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> just use the All Seeing Eye or something <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> I'm not going to pay an additional fee just to find game servers.
I quite like Steam with the default colour scheme. The only problems I've ever had was laggy content servers on the <i>first day</i> only. Other than that, I absolutely love Steam. Especially the in-game interface.
Alcapwn"War is the science of destruction" - John AbbotJoin Date: 2003-06-21Member: 17590Members
<!--QuoteBegin-Ryo-Ohki+Jun 17 2004, 06:53 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Ryo-Ohki @ Jun 17 2004, 06:53 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> A few days ago Steam ate my clock. Seriously; I went in and played a few games of NS, came back out and my clock was GONE. A reboot brought it back. Now that's obviously a bug, but it's not like the old days of Steam when it ate my desktop, taskbar and mouse. Steam is getting better and it improves with each patch.
Steam is staying, whether we like it or not. WON is going. You can either change and adapt, or you can try and hold back the tide <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> LOL steam ate my clock too, i just logged out of xp though and it came back.
I love steam. for me, its faster than WON, has more features, lots of bug fixes. etc.
I havent had a prob with it since i installed it waaaaaaaaay back in september 03.
you can see the BIIIIIIIIG difference which i like ^_^ oh and hl2 will be based on steam servers and steam. this is because the steam can handle a lot of changes and updates DAILY where won only has the ability to change MONTHLY....
screw WON, go steam!! <in history, steam was used to power TRAINS!>
I don't understand people's adversary to steam really... They give insubstantial, wishy-washy pseudo-reasons as to why they don't like it. None of which stand up to scrutiny.
I've been a longtime stalwart defender of steam and I remain as such. There isn't a single time I change NS servers without quitting and <b>don't</b> think "God steam is great".
PulseTo create, to create and escape.Join Date: 2002-08-29Member: 1248Members, Constellation
*Somewhere, an older computer cries*
We and our newer computers don't have many problems with steam, but the rediculous system requirements alienate a lot of players. when the cpu required to make HL playable goes from 233mhz to 1ghz (and don't think you'll get a good framerate at 1ghz), something is wrong. If you use FAT32, Steam isn't even worth trying, you will have nothing but problems. 700mb files are not easy on 56k modems either.
Steam is actually decent now, but it's not ready to completely replace WON.
<!--QuoteBegin-Talesin+Jun 17 2004, 04:08 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Talesin @ Jun 17 2004, 04:08 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> D) If you dislike steam, list reasons and stay calm. If this turns into a Steam-flame thread, it will be locked.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Okay, I'll be good. I'll even preface it with good things about Steam, to show my level-headedness.
Reasons why I like Steam:
<b>Alt-tabbing</b> --Alt tabbing no longer causes sound issues with Half-Life for me. On Valve-released games, I have not had problems with alt-tabbing.
<b>Integrated Instant Messenger</b> --I can view player status, communicate with friends, all in-game. Very handy, especially to discuss players or game events in-game privately.
<b>Server browsing</b> --WON used to take ten to fifteen minutes to read all the servers. Steam takes less than a minute. Server filters are more intuitive.
<b>In-game options</b> --Resizing the screen no longer disconnects me from the server. Changing game options no longer requires hitting escape, and waiting for the menu to load. All the normally used options are easily reached, with no wait for resolution shifts.
<b>Uptime</b> --When Steam goes down, it's for updates, or it's simply Friends. When WON goes down, nobody can play.
I know some users said they noticed improved stability over WON not relating to platform reliability, but I haven't noticed it myself.
Reasons why I dislike Steam:
<b>Lack of cross-game companionship</b> --WON allowed me to start up Half-Life multiplayer, click on a Day of Defeat server, and connect without a restart. It simply switched to Day of Defeat while connecting. In fact, there was a screen that allowed the switching of modifications. Steam does not offer this, and requires a shutdown of the current modification to switch to a different server.
<b>Fragmented interface</b> --Imagine having a new page open with each click on a thread. Quoting? Opens a new page. Replying? New page. That would get old fast. Steam does this, breaking apart the navigational system. It causes screen clutter.
<b>"Bloated" waiting time</b> --I assume the time it takes to load the game is because of the load required to run future games like Half-Life 2. But Half-Life on WON loaded quite quickly. Now, Steam requires time to open its own interface, and <i>then</i> the individual modification. This can be quite a lengthy process, and it shouldn't be.
<b>Heavy system requirements</b> --Steam is handling Half-Life. The regular game runs fine, but on Steam, it takes a bigger footprint on the CPU. If the processor is going to work harder just to run the new interface, perhaps it would be best to retool it. And, after seeing the survey conducted by Steam, the majority of their user base has a similar build to my computer, meaning that the majority of the users are likely having the same CPU load.
<b>Preloading</b> --Valve shouldn't assume I want a game. Minor point, yes. But I felt "invaded" when Counter-Strike was uploading itself onto my PC.
<b>Friends List</b> --I can't view the in-game name of an in-game player until I actually join the game. Once again, minor quibble. I also can't add players to my Friends list unless I join the game. Once again, just a minor issue. But combine that with the rather poor uptime of the Friends network, and the Friends List seems a little pointless at times. Definitely not something one can rely upon for "official" communications.
The Steam team (both of them) are working on getting rid of the bugs, and it shows. When Valve said they were going to remove WON support, Steam was horrid. But as of now, I think WON can safely be shut down. Splitting the community with WON and Steam is doing just that - splitting the community. That certainly won't prolong the life of Half-Life on Steam.
QuaunautThe longest seven days in history...Join Date: 2003-03-21Member: 14759Members, Constellation, Reinforced - Shadow
<!--QuoteBegin-Pulse+Jun 17 2004, 07:20 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Pulse @ Jun 17 2004, 07:20 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Oh yeah, and making the game lock up when alt-tab is used, requiring a restart, does <i>not</i> count as "fixing the alt-tab bug" <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Never happened to me on steam.
I myself didn't have many problems with steam- I started out in the .6 version of the beta. It was GREAT- I loved the new interface, the way the thing performed, everything- I saw it as "Perfect". Then "beginning of final" came, the one everyone grabbed- bug ridden as hell, and something happened VALVe didn't bank on- almost every single HL/CS/TFC/OP4 user grabbing it. When that happened, all hell broke loose- they didn't have the serverpower, the manpower(did you know this whole time, steam has only been run by 2 guys? Yeah.), or the bandwidth at the time for that, and weren't expecting it(rightfully- when steam went open beta, it got d/led just as much as before. Then "official" comes out, BAM)
But once it was fixed, it went back to me loving it. I've always like VALVe- I don't like how they do release dates, but everything else I love about them.
I said it was time to switch over back in version .6.
Didn't the guy from Bit Torrent join the team of people working on Steam? If he did, that would explain why steam suddenly went from pure unadulterated animal feces to solid platinum in terms of how well it works on my computer. They certainly have made it so much better than it used to be. In the end, I guess if things keep going this way, it will be so good that people will forget that WON ever existed.
BTW it runs great on my trash compactor of a computer: 866 MHz Pentium II 384 MB SD-Ram Geforce II Pro 64Mb ASUS CUSL2 Mobo etc.
My machine is obviously dated (by about 5 years as it stands) and yet it now handles steam fine. So for those of you out there who say it is compatiblity issues and that steam requires a stronger-than-average machine to run, that is a horrible lie. Sure HL use to be able to run on a 200MHz (I believe), but if you still try to use a 200MHz (or whatever it was), then the fault is none other than yours.
We and our newer computers don't have many problems with steam, but the rediculous system requirements alienate a lot of players. when the cpu required to make HL playable goes from 233mhz to 1ghz (and don't think you'll get a good framerate at 1ghz), something is wrong. If you use FAT32, Steam isn't even worth trying, you will have nothing but problems. 700mb files are not easy on 56k modems either.
Steam is actually decent now, but it's not ready to completely replace WON. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd--> Its funny you sould say that, I reacently gave in and installed Steam (my favorite NS server switched, I held out a long time but eventually the urge to eat marines overwhelmed me). I don't hate it as much as I thought I would, and haven't had many problems, but its bloat is obvious. I run nearly the specs you described: Win98, 1.13ghz CPU, FAT32 FS, ect. and while it is still reasonably playable, there is a very noticable drop in performance relative to pre-steam HL (even in non-ms games). My framerate is nearly halved, I have to run in a lower resolution to to get near 30fps, and it gets inexcusably choppy displaying certain effects (smoke for instance). I am quite positive that I'd never be able to play TFC on the 166mhz system I first installed it on.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Preloading --Valve shouldn't assume I want a game. Minor point, yes. But I felt "invaded" when Counter-Strike was uploading itself onto my PC. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> Oh ****, is that still a problem? How can I tell if my system has been violated in such a manner? Will CS suddenly show up as installed in the Games menu?
Comments
i got one tip for you once you install steam leave it alone for a while and let it update itself if you close it youll go through crash after crash which is annoying
But then I realized that it was sombody who has yet to upgrade to Steam. You have been assimilated... congrats.
yup there is no way they would use won for hl2 i think valve thinks its outdated =/ even tho it works fine
B) WON will be shut down in the foreseeable future.
C) HL2 will not use WON. At all. You may even have to install Steam to *play* HL2, SP or MP.
D) If you dislike steam, list reasons and stay calm. If this turns into a Steam-flame thread, it will be locked.
I had some few problems for some weeks ago.
The idea of steam just great, but the idea is not working, becouse of those bugs and overloaded servers <!--emo&:(--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I'd say it's more functional, with Friends and easier server browsing. Stability is ever-improving, so I have no problems with them shutting down WON.
yup there is no way they would use won for hl2 i think valve thinks its outdated =/ even tho it works fine <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
HL2 will definately use Steam.
Also, it's not purely the case that WON is severely outdated, it's the fact that Valve don't own WON, it's owned by Sierra, i believe, and they wish to have their own independance, hence their own authentication process as opposed to relying on a third party.
A few days ago Steam ate my clock. Seriously; I went in and played a few games of NS, came back out and my clock was GONE. A reboot brought it back. Now that's obviously a bug, but it's not like the old days of Steam when it ate my desktop, taskbar and mouse. Steam is getting better and it improves with each patch.
Steam is staying, whether we like it or not. WON is going. You can either change and adapt, or you can try and hold back the tide
There's just an issue with System Restore which I hope Valve will fix. When you use System Restore Steam refuses to connect at all.
With WON , I can alternate HLDM and Tribes 2 games in seconds. Steam restricts me to a few HL mods after playing NS.
I'm not going to pay an additional fee just to find game servers.
I quite like Steam with the default colour scheme. The only problems I've ever had was laggy content servers on the <i>first day</i> only. Other than that, I absolutely love Steam. Especially the in-game interface.
A few days ago Steam ate my clock. Seriously; I went in and played a few games of NS, came back out and my clock was GONE. A reboot brought it back. Now that's obviously a bug, but it's not like the old days of Steam when it ate my desktop, taskbar and mouse. Steam is getting better and it improves with each patch.
Steam is staying, whether we like it or not. WON is going. You can either change and adapt, or you can try and hold back the tide <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
LOL steam ate my clock too, i just logged out of xp though and it came back.
I love steam. for me, its faster than WON, has more features, lots of bug fixes. etc.
I havent had a prob with it since i installed it waaaaaaaaay back in september 03.
You should definitely upgrade now!
To those saying WON was better, please remind me of what WON did.
It authenticated you and, erm, yeah...
WON- Hacker Percentage - 65%
Steam- Hacker Percentage - 5% !!!!
you can see the BIIIIIIIIG difference which i like ^_^ oh and hl2 will be based on steam servers and steam. this is because the steam can handle a lot of changes and updates DAILY where won only has the ability to change MONTHLY....
screw WON, go steam!! <in history, steam was used to power TRAINS!>
I've been a longtime stalwart defender of steam and I remain as such. There isn't a single time I change NS servers without quitting and <b>don't</b> think "God steam is great".
--Scythe--
We and our newer computers don't have many problems with steam, but the rediculous system requirements alienate a lot of players. when the cpu required to make HL playable goes from 233mhz to 1ghz (and don't think you'll get a good framerate at 1ghz), something is wrong. If you use FAT32, Steam isn't even worth trying, you will have nothing but problems. 700mb files are not easy on 56k modems either.
Steam is actually decent now, but it's not ready to completely replace WON.
D) If you dislike steam, list reasons and stay calm. If this turns into a Steam-flame thread, it will be locked.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Okay, I'll be good. I'll even preface it with good things about Steam, to show my level-headedness.
Reasons why I like Steam:
<b>Alt-tabbing</b>
--Alt tabbing no longer causes sound issues with Half-Life for me. On Valve-released games, I have not had problems with alt-tabbing.
<b>Integrated Instant Messenger</b>
--I can view player status, communicate with friends, all in-game. Very handy, especially to discuss players or game events in-game privately.
<b>Server browsing</b>
--WON used to take ten to fifteen minutes to read all the servers. Steam takes less than a minute. Server filters are more intuitive.
<b>In-game options</b>
--Resizing the screen no longer disconnects me from the server. Changing game options no longer requires hitting escape, and waiting for the menu to load. All the normally used options are easily reached, with no wait for resolution shifts.
<b>Uptime</b>
--When Steam goes down, it's for updates, or it's simply Friends. When WON goes down, nobody can play.
I know some users said they noticed improved stability over WON not relating to platform reliability, but I haven't noticed it myself.
Reasons why I dislike Steam:
<b>Lack of cross-game companionship</b>
--WON allowed me to start up Half-Life multiplayer, click on a Day of Defeat server, and connect without a restart. It simply switched to Day of Defeat while connecting. In fact, there was a screen that allowed the switching of modifications. Steam does not offer this, and requires a shutdown of the current modification to switch to a different server.
<b>Fragmented interface</b>
--Imagine having a new page open with each click on a thread. Quoting? Opens a new page. Replying? New page. That would get old fast. Steam does this, breaking apart the navigational system. It causes screen clutter.
<b>"Bloated" waiting time</b>
--I assume the time it takes to load the game is because of the load required to run future games like Half-Life 2. But Half-Life on WON loaded quite quickly. Now, Steam requires time to open its own interface, and <i>then</i> the individual modification. This can be quite a lengthy process, and it shouldn't be.
<b>Heavy system requirements</b>
--Steam is handling Half-Life. The regular game runs fine, but on Steam, it takes a bigger footprint on the CPU. If the processor is going to work harder just to run the new interface, perhaps it would be best to retool it. And, after seeing the survey conducted by Steam, the majority of their user base has a similar build to my computer, meaning that the majority of the users are likely having the same CPU load.
<b>Preloading</b>
--Valve shouldn't assume I want a game. Minor point, yes. But I felt "invaded" when Counter-Strike was uploading itself onto my PC.
<b>Friends List</b>
--I can't view the in-game name of an in-game player until I actually join the game. Once again, minor quibble. I also can't add players to my Friends list unless I join the game. Once again, just a minor issue. But combine that with the rather poor uptime of the Friends network, and the Friends List seems a little pointless at times. Definitely not something one can rely upon for "official" communications.
The Steam team (both of them) are working on getting rid of the bugs, and it shows. When Valve said they were going to remove WON support, Steam was horrid. But as of now, I think WON can safely be shut down. Splitting the community with WON and Steam is doing just that - splitting the community. That certainly won't prolong the life of Half-Life on Steam.
Never happened to me on steam.
I myself didn't have many problems with steam- I started out in the .6 version of the beta. It was GREAT- I loved the new interface, the way the thing performed, everything- I saw it as "Perfect". Then "beginning of final" came, the one everyone grabbed- bug ridden as hell, and something happened VALVe didn't bank on- almost every single HL/CS/TFC/OP4 user grabbing it. When that happened, all hell broke loose- they didn't have the serverpower, the manpower(did you know this whole time, steam has only been run by 2 guys? Yeah.), or the bandwidth at the time for that, and weren't expecting it(rightfully- when steam went open beta, it got d/led just as much as before. Then "official" comes out, BAM)
But once it was fixed, it went back to me loving it. I've always like VALVe- I don't like how they do release dates, but everything else I love about them.
I said it was time to switch over back in version .6.
BTW it runs great on my trash compactor of a computer:
866 MHz Pentium II
384 MB SD-Ram
Geforce II Pro 64Mb
ASUS CUSL2 Mobo
etc.
My machine is obviously dated (by about 5 years as it stands) and yet it now handles steam fine. So for those of you out there who say it is compatiblity issues and that steam requires a stronger-than-average machine to run, that is a horrible lie. Sure HL use to be able to run on a 200MHz (I believe), but if you still try to use a 200MHz (or whatever it was), then the fault is none other than yours.
We and our newer computers don't have many problems with steam, but the rediculous system requirements alienate a lot of players. when the cpu required to make HL playable goes from 233mhz to 1ghz (and don't think you'll get a good framerate at 1ghz), something is wrong. If you use FAT32, Steam isn't even worth trying, you will have nothing but problems. 700mb files are not easy on 56k modems either.
Steam is actually decent now, but it's not ready to completely replace WON. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Its funny you sould say that, I reacently gave in and installed Steam (my favorite NS server switched, I held out a long time but eventually the urge to eat marines overwhelmed me). I don't hate it as much as I thought I would, and haven't had many problems, but its bloat is obvious. I run nearly the specs you described: Win98, 1.13ghz CPU, FAT32 FS, ect. and while it is still reasonably playable, there is a very noticable drop in performance relative to pre-steam HL (even in non-ms games). My framerate is nearly halved, I have to run in a lower resolution to to get near 30fps, and it gets inexcusably choppy displaying certain effects (smoke for instance). I am quite positive that I'd never be able to play TFC on the 166mhz system I first installed it on.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Preloading
--Valve shouldn't assume I want a game. Minor point, yes. But I felt "invaded" when Counter-Strike was uploading itself onto my PC.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh ****, is that still a problem? How can I tell if my system has been violated in such a manner? Will CS suddenly show up as installed in the Games menu?