[aldo_14]

Fancy that, eh?

Anyways, I decided - despite previously vowing never to do so again - reinstall HL2 and hence steam.  Specifically, on my work laptop because it doesn't need the DVD in the drive.

So, I started about 8:00pm.  Steam installs and begins 'updating'; seemingly without me having the option to stop and just unlock the game.

About 45 minutes or so later, Steam freezes at 87%.  I am forced to restart.

10:10 or so; finally completes updating.  I am forced to remember my account details.  I have forgotten this, so ask to be emailed (twice) a reminder; as of 22:38 - over 25 mins later - no emails.  I manage to remember my password (left simple for exactly this purpose), so about 22:20 or so, log in.  I now have to wait for the game to unlock.

As of 22:30, it is at 40%; and appears to have frozen.  Thats - I believe - excluding patching the game.

In any case, it has taken over 2 hours to install a ****ing game.  A more ludicrous, insulting system I cannot imagine, except perhaps one authenticating the user via anal swabs.  And why do I have to jump through these ridiculous hoops?  Because Valve doesn't trust me and thinks I'm a criminal.

EDIT;  Finally.  Time; around 2 1/2 hours.

EDIT2; Tell a lie - it's at 95%, it just minimized  the window for no apparent reason.

EDIT3; Sweet jesus on a rusty jetski, it has reached 100% and is now downloading updates... another 10 minute wait (it says) before I can play.

EDIT4; 22:47 - 'ready to play'.  Almost 3 hours.

[Herra Tohtori]

Well, it seems it's not called "Steam" for nothing... I can almost see it rising from your ears, nostrils and skin pores.

Personally, I prefer sauna or some nice chili for the effect, but whatever floats your boat...

[Triple Ace]

Try it on dial-up, it will kill you. Just wait until all companys have their own Steam.

[NGTM-1R]

Try it on dial-up, it will kill you. Just wait until all companys have their own Steam.

You know what that kind of frustration gets you? The Army of the Revolution.

[ME$$ENGER]

Viva la revolucione!

Actually, the only steam game I play now is the original HL and TFC. I played HL2 with a...ahem...non-steam method.

[Ferret]

I dunno, Steam never has had any problems with me. I was aprehensive about installing it because of the horror stories, but there's nothing wrong with it at my end.
Maybe I'm lucky, but I seem to get the exact same deal with most games that people deem unstable or buggy. There must be something I'm constantly doing right.

[Mefustae]

I dunno, Steam never has had any problems with me. I was aprehensive about installing it because of the horror stories, but there's nothing wrong with it at my end.

Same here.

Works pretty much perfectly for me, and never gives me a lick of trouble. Honestly, whenever I want it to do something, it does it without too much hassle, and - while i'm not all that fond of having to connect to it just to play certain games - it's nice to have around sometimes.

Honestly, I don't know why people whine so much about it, it's just not all that bad.

[Fury]

I haven't had much problems with Steam and I certainly don't hate it. In fact I like it because then I don't need to keep physical medias with their "copy-protections" around, which I hate more than using Steam.

Anyways, yesterday I updated Steam and HL2 titles just because I hadn't done so in a long while. Steam had to update itself and that took a long time, maybe longest it has ever taken. Since this was an isolated case, I didn't think much of it as I assumed the servers were a bit overloaded at the time.

- You complain because you forgot your own account logins? Get a grip.
- Does your Steam account have valid and up-to-date email address? If not, that's why you did not get any emails.
- You don't have to wait for game updates to finish to play your games.

The only matter worth complaining about are Steam freezing during updates, but I have a hunch you were impatient and did not wait nearly enough for the updates to progress. The rest though I find ridiculous. Especially when your alternatives such as safedisc, securom and starforce and of course, using physical media in your drive while playing cause much more problems in daily basis than Steam and similar distribution methods do.

Just to make an example, I bought DarkStar One some time ago. The game uses new TARGAS copy protection which has not been cracked yet. This copy protection is so good that it makes my DVD-drive sprodically disappear mid-game, then when the game tries to access the game DVD next time, it freezes. I have to reboot my computer to get the drive working again.

[NGTM-1R]

This copy protection is so good that it makes my DVD-drive sprodically disappear mid-game, then when the game tries to access the game DVD next time, it freezes. I have to reboot my computer to get the drive working again.

I believe that's referred to as a "bug", not "good copy protection".

[aldo_14]

I haven't had much problems with Steam and I certainly don't hate it. In fact I like it because then I don't need to keep physical medias with their "copy-protections" around, which I hate more than using Steam.
Consider this - you have less legal protection (at least under British law) with software versus software-on-a-disk; owning the latter means you have rights under the Sale of Goods Act, etc because of that physical copy (vesus simple contractual/license obligations for a purely digital downloaded copy), and thus means the consumer has more protections regarding things such as quality.

Anyways, yesterday I updated Steam and HL2 titles just because I hadn't done so in a long while. Steam had to update itself and that took a long time, maybe longest it has ever taken. Since this was an isolated case, I didn't think much of it as I assumed the servers were a bit overloaded at the time.

- You complain because you forgot your own account logins? Get a grip.
No, I complain that I have to ****ing guess them because the reminder system has failed me abjectly. I thought that much was pretty. bloody. obvious.  It's basic courtesy to provide a working reminder system when people are paying about £40 not for a game, but in effect for your password authentication system.
- Does your Steam account have valid and up-to-date email address? If not, that's why you did not get any emails.
Yes, it does (what, do you think I'm some kind of idiot here who doesn't know his own email address?).  As of 08:30 the following day, no emails - and that includes sifting through my Bulk folder.
- You don't have to wait for game updates to finish to play your games.
Then you tell me why it refused to launch and grayed-out the launch button whilst displaying an 'updating' dialog, because I'd really like to know.

The only matter worth complaining about are Steam freezing during updates, but I have a hunch you were impatient and did not wait nearly enough for the updates to progress.
I think 20 minutes stuck at 87% is a rather good indicator of being frozen.

The rest though I find ridiculous. Especially when your alternatives such as safedisc, securom and starforce and of course, using physical media in your drive while playing cause much more problems in daily basis than Steam and similar distribution methods do.
How about implementing Steam in a non-half assed way?  Stardock seem to manage to treat the customer like an adult and yet make money.

Just to make an example, I bought DarkStar One some time ago. The game uses new TARGAS copy protection which has not been cracked yet. This copy protection is so good that it makes my DVD-drive sprodically disappear mid-game, then when the game tries to access the game DVD next time, it freezes. I have to reboot my computer to get the drive working again.
What has that got to do with the shoddiness of steam?  Are you saying we should just accept inherent mistrust?  Presumably if any other software is ****, we can't criticise it because, ooh, there's something ****ter on the market.  "I have adware" "Well, don't complain, because you could have worse adware!"

Oh, and I forgot to note; it seems that the Steam T&Cs allow Valve to cancel game unlockings at any time and for any reason with no obligation to refund you.

This is me omitting HL2s >10 minute loading screen following my almost-3-hour install, of course.

[karajorma]

10 minute loading screen? It's almost like the days of the 128k spectrum!

[aldo_14]

10 minute loading screen? It's almost like the days of the 128k spectrum!

I'm willing to guess it was an errant bug or something...... albeit I really wish they'd put in proper loading bars, or something to indicate it's loading and not frozen up.

[Turnsky]

sounds about par for the course, aldo


hell, during loading, i drew and inked an entire comic! 

[aldo_14]

Well, I tried again and it made it (to the menu) in a comparatively paltry 3 minutes.

[Turnsky]

Well, I tried again and it made it (to the menu) in a comparatively paltry 3 minutes.

wow, speedy.

[karajorma]

3 minute loading screen? It's almost like the days of the 48k spectrum!

[SadisticSid]

Especially when your alternatives such as safedisc, securom and starforce and of course, using physical media in your drive while playing cause much more problems in daily basis than Steam and similar distribution methods do.

Considering Safedisc and Securom are largely uninvasive, and check your disc only at loading time, I fail to see how a slow, unreliable and apparently bug-ridden (though I can only lay claim to the first two) memory-gobbling piece of junk is better. And what problems does the use of physical media in the drive cause? Unnecessary wear and tear on the drive motors? You might have a point with Starforce but the majority don't use it.

[Unknown Target]

After Steam and Half Life 2, I refused to buy anything else from Valve, or from Steam. And I've held to that.

By the way, about the main menu thing? Why the hell does it take SEVEN ****ING MINUTES to load the MAIN ****ING MENU just so I can take ten seconds to click new game and have to wait TEN ****ING MINUTES to load THIRTY ****ING SECONDS OF GAMEPLAY?!?!

[Fineus]

By the way, about the main menu thing? Why the hell does it take SEVEN ****ING MINUTES to load the MAIN ****ING MENU just so I can take ten seconds to click new game and have to wait TEN ****ING MINUTES to load THIRTY ****ING SECONDS OF GAMEPLAY?!?!

If you're talking about HL2.. there's a mod out for that. It's a static image so it takes far less time to load than an actual level would.

[vyper]

There is also a command line switch to turn it off.