Steam offline mode fails to work when it matters

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This is so great. Why is it that when you actually need Steam offline
mode, it simply refuses to work? A few months ago I could not play HL2
in offline mode after I moved to a new apartment with no internet
connection at first. I assume it tried to get new updates for
Steam/HL2, and failing that, refused to proceed. It claimed HL2 is
ready for offline play, but would not run it.

Yesterday I lost the internet connection during Steam use (playing
TFC, it may be there is a HW failure in the NIC), and now whenever I
try run Steam, it first complains it can't connect to Steam servers
and gives two choices: 1. Retry 2. Run Steam in offline mode.

Too bad that selecting offline mode does not work, it still complains
about not being able to connect to Steam servers (why should it
connect to them, when it is supposed to go to offline mode?!?), and
tells me to go to Steampowered forums (without a net connection?
DUH!).

Ah, I remember the time when Walter Mitty et al used to proclaim so
boldly that you don't need an internet connection in order to play HL2
single-player, you just use the offline mode. Ha ha, what a joke!
Steam offline mode has failed to work for me the both times I'd
actually need it. Great, just great. Just to think if I owned dozens
of Steam PC single-player games, they would now all be unplayable. No
wonder I am against online single-player validation systems like
Steam?
 

connor

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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 09:00:44 GMT, riku <riku@none.invalid.com> wrote:

>This is so great. Why is it that when you actually need Steam offline
>mode, it simply refuses to work? A few months ago I could not play HL2
>in offline mode after I moved to a new apartment with no internet
>connection at first. I assume it tried to get new updates for
>Steam/HL2, and failing that, refused to proceed. It claimed HL2 is
>ready for offline play, but would not run it.
>
>Yesterday I lost the internet connection during Steam use (playing
>TFC, it may be there is a HW failure in the NIC), and now whenever I
>try run Steam, it first complains it can't connect to Steam servers
>and gives two choices: 1. Retry 2. Run Steam in offline mode.
>
>Too bad that selecting offline mode does not work, it still complains
>about not being able to connect to Steam servers (why should it
>connect to them, when it is supposed to go to offline mode?!?), and
>tells me to go to Steampowered forums (without a net connection?
>DUH!).
>
>Ah, I remember the time when Walter Mitty et al used to proclaim so
>boldly that you don't need an internet connection in order to play HL2
>single-player, you just use the offline mode. Ha ha, what a joke!
>Steam offline mode has failed to work for me the both times I'd
>actually need it. Great, just great. Just to think if I owned dozens
>of Steam PC single-player games, they would now all be unplayable. No
>wonder I am against online single-player validation systems like
>Steam?

Thanks for confirmation of the No.1 reason I will *never* buy HL2.
 
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Never had a problem with it. So there's one bad, one good.
 

Andrew

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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:15:30 +0100, "One Punch Mickey"
<fantantiddlyspan@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Never had a problem with it. So there's one bad, one good.

Make that two good, one bad :)
--
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shawk

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"Andrew" <spamtrap@localhost.> wrote in message
news:v0kmf1lv6it79cp71eenhne21u30tlkquv@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:15:30 +0100, "One Punch Mickey"
> <fantantiddlyspan@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Never had a problem with it. So there's one bad, one good.
>
> Make that two good, one bad :)

3:1
 
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"Walter Mitty" <mitticus@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:3m17vlF14u7pbU1@uni-berlin.de...
> couldn't configure a dog to sniff an ass.

LMAO
 
G

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Shawk wrote:
> "Andrew" <spamtrap@localhost.> wrote in message
> news:v0kmf1lv6it79cp71eenhne21u30tlkquv@4ax.com...
>
>>On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:15:30 +0100, "One Punch Mickey"
>><fantantiddlyspan@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Never had a problem with it. So there's one bad, one good.
>>
>>Make that two good, one bad :)
>
>
> 3:1
>
>

4:1

--
Walter Mitty
-
Useless, waste of money research of the day : http://tinyurl.com/3tdeu
" Format wars could 'confuse users'"
http://www.tinyurl.com
 
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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 17:08:51 +0200, Walter Mitty <mitticus@gmail.com>
wrote:

>Shawk wrote:
>> "Andrew" <spamtrap@localhost.> wrote in message
>> news:v0kmf1lv6it79cp71eenhne21u30tlkquv@4ax.com...
>>
>>>On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:15:30 +0100, "One Punch Mickey"
>>><fantantiddlyspan@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Never had a problem with it. So there's one bad, one good.
>>>
>>>Make that two good, one bad :)
>>
>>
>> 3:1
>>
>>
>
>4:1

make that 5:1

toadie
 
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<toadie05@sbcglobal.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:9lrmf11m4s690silka87612a3abbv7qsgs@4ax.com...
> >> 3:1
> >>
> >>
> >
> >4:1
>
> make that 5:1

6:1
 
G

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"Alfred Pum" <mooskugerl@gmxDELETE.at> wrote in news:ddfscb$2dk$1
@paperboy.si.eunet.at:

>
> <toadie05@sbcglobal.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:9lrmf11m4s690silka87612a3abbv7qsgs@4ax.com...
>> >> 3:1
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >4:1
>>
>> make that 5:1
>
> 6:1
>
>
>
>

7:1
 

schrodinger

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"riku" <riku@none.invalid.com> wrote in message
news:rv3mf1trfhq3hkqpnpk5gv00m277j6fnq6@4ax.com...
> This is so great. Why is it that when you actually need Steam offline
> mode, it simply refuses to work? A few months ago I could not play HL2
> in offline mode after I moved to a new apartment with no internet
> connection at first. I assume it tried to get new updates for
> Steam/HL2, and failing that, refused to proceed. It claimed HL2 is
> ready for offline play, but would not run it.
>
> Yesterday I lost the internet connection during Steam use (playing
> TFC, it may be there is a HW failure in the NIC), and now whenever I
> try run Steam, it first complains it can't connect to Steam servers
> and gives two choices: 1. Retry 2. Run Steam in offline mode.
>
> Too bad that selecting offline mode does not work, it still complains
> about not being able to connect to Steam servers (why should it
> connect to them, when it is supposed to go to offline mode?!?), and
> tells me to go to Steampowered forums (without a net connection?
> DUH!).
>
> Ah, I remember the time when Walter Mitty et al used to proclaim so
> boldly that you don't need an internet connection in order to play HL2
> single-player, you just use the offline mode. Ha ha, what a joke!
> Steam offline mode has failed to work for me the both times I'd
> actually need it. Great, just great. Just to think if I owned dozens
> of Steam PC single-player games, they would now all be unplayable. No
> wonder I am against online single-player validation systems like
> Steam?

It doesn't seem to like going offline on my system either.

I just accept that I can't play it sometimes - if their servers are down or
if it decides it doesn't want to work in offline mode for me - and play
something else.

Despite this, I would rather put up with Steam than something like
Starforce. I guess there isn't a perfect answer.
 
G

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One Punch Mickey wrote:
> "Walter Mitty" <mitticus@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:3m17vlF14u7pbU1@uni-berlin.de...
>
>>couldn't configure a dog to sniff an ass.
>
>
> LMAO
>
>

I was quite proud of that one : one of those made up on the spur. Just
seemed to fit so well with Riku.
 
G

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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:18:54 +0100, Andrew <spamtrap@localhost.>
wrote:

>On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:15:30 +0100, "One Punch Mickey"
><fantantiddlyspan@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>Never had a problem with it. So there's one bad, one good.
>
>Make that two good, one bad :)

Andrew is the guy telling how he doesn't mind online validation
because he is connected to the net all the time, so it is not like he
has that much experience with Steam offline mode anyway. He just
_presumes_ it works.
 
G

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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 20:33:02 +0200, Walter Mitty <mitticus@gmail.com>
wrote:

>One Punch Mickey wrote:
>> "Walter Mitty" <mitticus@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:3m17vlF14u7pbU1@uni-berlin.de...
>>
>>>couldn't configure a dog to sniff an ass.
>>
>>
>> LMAO
>
>I was quite proud of that one : one of those made up on the spur. Just
>seemed to fit so well with Riku.

Ah yes, walter mitty, the guy who claimed WinRAR uses a lossy
compression algorithm. Still miffed about that, mitty boy?

Conveniently, in this thread the offline mode seems to have "worked"
for only the Steam fans who have never actually needed to use the
offline mode. No wonder.
 
G

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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 18:16:29 +0100, "Schrodinger" <no@way.com> wrote:

>It doesn't seem to like going offline on my system either.

Yes, the offline mode seems to work mostly only for the Valve fanboys
which never use the offline mode.

>I just accept that I can't play it sometimes - if their servers are down or
>if it decides it doesn't want to work in offline mode for me - and play
>something else.

Good thing that HL2 is the only Steam game, isn't it? Just think if it
was more widespread and you had e.g. dozen new Steam games. You would
not be able to play ANY of them if the Steam offline mode fails to
work (so there would go the option of "play something else instead),
like it seems to be prone for those of us who actually need to use the
offline mode time to time (walter mitty and Andrew The Confirmed Liar
don't count).
 

Andrew

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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 22:18:45 GMT, riku <riku@none.invalid.com> wrote:

>Andrew is the guy telling how he doesn't mind online validation
>because he is connected to the net all the time, so it is not like he
>has that much experience with Steam offline mode anyway. He just
>_presumes_ it works.

I, like the bulk of gamers today, am on broadband. Steam and its
applications have always worked for me. In the unlikely event my NIC
goes tits up, I will concentrate my efforts into fixing the connection
rather than your approach of:
Guess NIC has failed.
Immediately try to start HL2.
Fix your connection.
Post triumphant FUD on Usenet.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
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G

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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 23:33:26 +0100, Andrew <spamtrap@localhost.>
wrote:

>On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 22:18:45 GMT, riku <riku@none.invalid.com> wrote:
>
>>Andrew is the guy telling how he doesn't mind online validation
>>because he is connected to the net all the time, so it is not like he
>>has that much experience with Steam offline mode anyway. He just
>>_presumes_ it works.
>
>I, like the bulk of gamers today, am on broadband.

So am I. But even for broadband users, there may be times the net
connection is simply not available. Like after you have moved and the
new BB connection hasn't materialized yet (like was the case for the
last time Steam offline didn't work for me). Or if the Steam servers
or the ISP servers are down. Or if you use a laptop and wanted to play
with it somewhere where there is no net connection available.

>In the unlikely event my NIC
>goes tits up, I will concentrate my efforts into fixing the connection
>rather than your approach of:
>Guess NIC has failed.

Needed to buy a new NIC, stupid. It is not like I have spare NICs
lying around. By the way, I had other single-player games on the same
PC which worked without a working NIC. But they certainly were not
Steam games, that's for sure.

>Immediately try to start HL2.
>Fix your connection.
>Post triumphant FUD on Usenet.

The point, which you so vigorously try to miss, is that for some
reason Steam offline mode seems to be VERY prone NOT to work when you
actually needed it. The only people for which the offline mode seems
to "work" are people like you and mitty, who never use it. You just
ASSume it works, because you couldn't care less.

Apparently that is how Valve designed it, you should always be
connected to the net if you want to play their single-player games.
Remember the offline expiration timer they put into the Steam code?
 
G

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On 11 Aug 2005 17:03:23 GMT, Stone Monkey
<tenny2k@NOSPAMERSrtennant.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:

>"Alfred Pum" <mooskugerl@gmxDELETE.at> wrote in news:ddfscb$2dk$1
>@paperboy.si.eunet.at:
>
>>
>> <toadie05@sbcglobal.net> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
>> news:9lrmf11m4s690silka87612a3abbv7qsgs@4ax.com...
>>> >> 3:1
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >4:1
>>>
>>> make that 5:1
>>
>> 6:1
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>7:1

8:1.

Using a different WinXP account waxes ClientRegistry.blob.
 
G

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x-no-archive: yes

Stone Monkey wrote:

> 7:1

7!
seven?
is this a joke?
seven is a ridiculously irrelevant number!
seven in MINISCULE compared with the number of millions
of pc gamers out there out all over the world which have
been damaged and neglected by valve

you are all ridiculous... seven! SEVEN! hahahaha!!!!
didn't that movie have "seven" dwarfs? hahahahaha!!!!!

ps: wasn't there also a movie called the 7th monkey?

--
post made in a steam-free computer
i said "NO" to valve and steam
 
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On Thu, 11 Aug 2005 23:33:26 +0100, Andrew <spamtrap@localhost.>
wrote:


>I, like the bulk of gamers today, am on broadband. Steam and its
>applications have always worked for me.

You leave your connection flapping in the wind 24/7? I only play MP
games connected to the net all other gaming sessions I disco myself
from the net.
 

Andrew

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On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 06:24:20 GMT, Praxiteles Democritus
<no@email.here> wrote:

>>I, like the bulk of gamers today, am on broadband. Steam and its
>>applications have always worked for me.
>
>You leave your connection flapping in the wind 24/7?

My router is connected 24/7, and when my PC is on it connects to the
router with a firewall to keep things in check.

>I only play MP
>games connected to the net all other gaming sessions I disco myself
>from the net.

One day you will learn to embrace some of the great applications the
net has to offer which are much more practical if you don't
pointlessly disable your connection - in my case Email, Usenet, RSS,
Skype and other Internet telephony software, IM, VNC.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.
 
G

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All I know is I have Steam at home and work, both broadband, and I don't
have a problem using offline mode or playing DoD etc online. Maybe I'm just
lucky.
 

shawk

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"steamKILLER" <sayNO2steam@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1123833807.714545.160730@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> x-no-archive: yes
>

> with pc games becoming this way i'm out of here!
>

Watch the door doesn't hit your ass on the way out...
 
G

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On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 07:35:00 +0100, Andrew <spamtrap@localhost.>
wrote:


>One day you will learn to embrace some of the great applications the
>net has to offer which are much more practical if you don't
>pointlessly disable your connection - in my case Email, Usenet, RSS,
>Skype and other Internet telephony software, IM, VNC.

Hackers love always on machines. I have no use for RSS feeds, the
first thing I do when installing the latest version of Firefox is get
rid of the BBC RSS feed. I'm using usenet right now. Why do I need to
be always on to use usenet and email? The other stuff doesn't interest
me either. etho 0.
 

Andrew

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On Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:28:18 GMT, Praxiteles Democritus
<no@email.here> wrote:

>Hackers love always on machines.

That aren't secured. Mine is.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
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please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
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