Steam To Work Offline

Red_Squirrel · February 2004

<div class="IPBDescription">...shorty</div> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=news)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>There will be a number of significant Steam events in the coming days.

The first will be a long-awaited Steam client release. The highlights from this release will be:

Offline Play
Account validation (via e-mail)
A new Half-Life 2 hardware survey
Support for purchasing games through Steam

There are a number of other small changes along with the ones listed above, as well as a number of changes planned out past the launch of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero.</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

All good things come to those who wait...

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (BlueNovember)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Steam does intend to allow LAN play without all of the client PCs having internet access. However, ATM, it is not available. No date given yet, but I would pressume sometime in June-ish</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

So June-ish is now March or even February-ish, sorry, just had to quote you since you posted only yesturday <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' />.

RaVe · February 2004

OMG WIN FOR OFFLINE PLAY!

project_demon · February 2004

waiiiit , can we or can we not play LAN on steam right now?

OG17 · February 2004

Valve is so innovative.

RaVe · February 2004

Not now, unless you stat steam and close your internet connection.

Those updates in a few days....I hope this won't turn bad like that whole button-changed-into-var-name bug last time <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' />

XPDave · February 2004

yay finally

Delphi · February 2004

You've always been able to play LAN with steam. The PROBLEM most LAN organizers had was getting steamID accounts set up for the event. Even then, it's just "Type in your email, and the cache file will install the game you want to play."

But apparently, not every LAN event has connectivity to the 'net.. and since authorization to play steam (at all) is internet based, they were raising a fuss. A simple 56k connection for 20 minutes while the players connected, signed on, and started up would have been all that was needed, really..

MrMojo · February 2004

Nice. I'm hoping for a better friends list that actually works though :O

Hybridclaw · February 2004

yay new things
(i like new things... <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /> )

Crono5 · February 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Red Squirrel @ Feb 25 2004, 05:52 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Support for purchasing games through Steam  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
HUZZAH! I can still have my HL2 and CS:CZ the day it comes out (And, for the record, I love CS. I just absoloutely friggin' <b>HATE</b> it's hacking community. And it <i>could</i> use respawn...)

Palin · February 2004

Offline play is referring to the fact that in order for steam to even start up it has to communicate with valve servers. This means that if you wanted to play single-player half-life, you would first have to connect to the internet, open steam, play your game, close steam, disconnect from the internet. This issue is largely for 56kers and those behind restrictive LANs that don't allow that sort of outgoing net traffic (many smaller universities). Now you will be able to play your games without having to have the internet connection.

BigMadSteve · February 2004

I'm glad I played through Half Life before Steam came. I would go insane having to connect to the net all the time (56k when I played it).

smokingwreckage · February 2004

I can't even get 56K; it doesn't matter WHO I sleep with. Bloody infrastructure means all those sleepless nights and penicilin injections were for nothing.

Tobold · February 2004

i can use steam on lan while connected to the internet.

Kayomani · February 2004

I think offline play will come out when HL2 comes out mind you that might be about the same time as Duke nukem forever................. I dont think valve will actually release offline play any time soon.

Palin · February 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Kayomani @ Feb 26 2004, 03:58 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> I think offline play will come out when HL2 comes out mind you that might be about the same time as Duke nukem forever................. I dont think valve will actually release offline play any time soon.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
<a href='http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=news' target='_blank'>http://www.steampowered.com/index.php?area=news</a>

please read the news for February 25

typical_skeleton · February 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>A simple 56k connection for 20 minutes while the players connected, signed on, and started up would have been all that was needed, really.. </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

Wow, it REALLY is not that easy... in huge LANs, like 20+ computers, getting them all internet access through one central hub is considerably more difficult. If even one person is configured in a weird way, he could be knocked off the LAN, or it could take lots of time trying to make it work.

Computers are finicky and so is the internet, having all those computers auth over a LAN connection through a 56k would be ridiculous.

I think you're over-simplifying it immensly.

Jabba_The_Hunt · February 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (typical skeleton @ Feb 28 2004, 08:21 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>A simple 56k connection for 20 minutes while the players connected, signed on, and started up would have been all that was needed, really.. </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

Wow, it REALLY is not that easy... in huge LANs, like 20+ computers, getting them all internet access through one central hub is considerably more difficult. If even one person is configured in a weird way, he could be knocked off the LAN, or it could take lots of time trying to make it work.

Computers are finicky and so is the internet, having all those computers auth over a LAN connection through a 56k would be ridiculous.

I think you're over-simplifying it immensly.  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
If they were all running a UNIX based OS then it would be easy, though tbh if you configure windows to connect through a router it will work with any network configuration i've ever tried.

And a 56k internet connection would be enough to send the little bit of binary data for everyone logging in, but if any updates had been released you would be screwed <img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

Zek · February 2004

Some smaller LANs run in a room where, GASP, there is no easy connectivity to the internet at all. How can anyone possibly think that Offline Steam isn't necessary?

Sops · February 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Red Squirrel @ Feb 25 2004, 05:52 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> All good things come to those who wait...  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
Good things? It's still steam...

Red_Squirrel · February 2004

Steam is good...

Umbraed_Monkey · February 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (some guy in PlanetHalf-Life)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Only Steam could make "offline play" an actual accomplishment.</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />

Epidemic · February 2004

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Umbraed Monkey @ Feb 29 2004, 05:01 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> </div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (some guy in PlanetHalf-Life)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Only Steam could make "offline play" an actual accomplishment.</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

<img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' />  </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> 
He speaks ze truth!

Diablo_fx · February 2004

There is a hl, cs 1.6 and so on without steam out there, try google it and you might find it. I have it but i wont post a link here because i might get <span style='color:red'>***NUKED***</span>

Red_Squirrel · March 2004

Update:

</div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (Originally Posted on www.steampowered.com)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>
There will be an update to Steam this Wednesday beginning at approxamately 6:00am PST. Steam will be unavailable for the duration of the update, which is expected to last three hours.

This update will include the changes previously mentioned:

Offline Play
Account validation (via e-mail)
A new Half-Life 2 hardware survey
Support for purchasing games through Steam

The Steampowered.com website will be avilable during the downtime window, and will be updated as status changes.</td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'>

Things are coming along nicely then.

Steam To Work Offline

Comments