Official Half-Life 2 discussion thread.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2004-11-16 05:54pm

Shinova wrote:

A Radeon 7500 is like....... soooooo old.... Well, seriously. It'd be hard to think there won't be problems.

Quiet, Space Cadet. It should be able to at least work, dammit.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-11-16 05:57pm

Damn, I'm glad I'm not into PC shooters. *Goes back to Dawn of War.*

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2004-11-16 05:59pm

I'll be finding out in about half an hour or so.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2004-11-16 06:28pm

Rogue 9 wrote:Damn, I'm glad I'm not into PC shooters. *Goes back to Dawn of War.*

HERTIC!

Enjoy the next ten years of your life knowing you've enjoyed the last RTS you'll ever enjoy during that time mwhahahah!

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2004-11-16 06:59pm

Well i finally got registered, but now it's not letting me in.

This must be proof that there isa god and that he's punishing me for being an atheist.

Pcm979 · Post by **Pcm979** » 2004-11-16 07:01pm

Odd. It worked just fine for me. What's your connection speed?

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2004-11-16 07:01pm

broadband of some sort

EDIT: tyhe all new Error message:

"Could not connect to the Steam network
This could be to do with your connection [since i'm posting here i'm guessing no] or witht he Steam network. visit steampowered.com for more info."

After all the delays you'd have thought they could actually release the game properly instead of screwinf over the gamers in all new ways!

EDIT2: apparently my connection is a T1, which is around 300k ish

Mlenk · Post by **Mlenk** » 2004-11-16 07:06pm

God damn it's taking forever to create my Steam account.

Sharp-kun · Post by **Sharp-kun** » 2004-11-16 07:07pm

2000AD wrote: After all the delays you'd have thought they could actually release the game properly instead of screwinf over the gamers in all new ways!

I had no problems. Its likely the amount of people all using the network at once.

2000AD · Post by **2000AD** » 2004-11-16 07:09pm

Sharp-kun wrote:
2000AD wrote: After all the delays you'd have thought they could actually release the game properly instead of screwinf over the gamers in all new ways!
I had no problems. Its likely the amount of people all using the network at once.

Then i'd have thought that they'd have been intelligent enough to get enough bandwitdth (or whatever), given that they've made a sequel to one of the best games ever and that it's been hyhpedup for the past year! You'd have thought they'd have realised there's going to be a fuckton of people wanting to play it!

mauldooku · Post by **mauldooku** » 2004-11-16 07:11pm

2000AD wrote:broadband of some sort

EDIT: tyhe all new Error message:

"Could not connect to the Steam network
This could be to do with your connection [since i'm posting here i'm guessing no] or witht he Steam network. visit steampowered.com for more info."

After all the delays you'd have thought they could actually release the game properly instead of screwinf over the gamers in all new ways!

EDIT2: apparently my connection is a T1, which is around 300k ish

This is a widespread problem; I'm having the exact same error when just trying to connect to Steam to play TFC or NS. It's the massive bandwidth that's being consumed by having all of those people download HL2 while trying to run the Steam network simultaneously. Since they're linked, the HL2 usage is just killing Steam everywhere. Thanks, Valve!

EDIT: Typos

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2004-11-16 07:11pm

Got my copy, it's installing as I type this.

I may be hard to get ahold of for the next little while.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2004-11-16 07:16pm

shiny....

It looks really astounding (especially on a nice X800XT...

).
The AI seems to be very good, some smart actions by the bad guys. The physics engine is really fun

But so far, I am thinking that it was over-hyped. It's really good, but from a subjective feeling, some other games seemed to be more inventive...

Mlenk · Post by **Mlenk** » 2004-11-16 07:26pm

All right, this is bullshit. Everytime I try to create an account it keeps saying that it's failed I get all the way up to right after the part that it asks you to choose a question/answer for extra security. After that it keeps giving me an error message.

Post by **weemadando** » 2004-11-16 07:29pm

OK. So at 9am today I was waiting outside my EB with about 7 other geeks all desperate to get in the door and grab our Collectors Edition HL2 boxes.

9am
Shane (local EB manager): Who has preorders?

Most geeks: Yeah.

Shane: Who has Collectors Edition preorders.

*All those who said yes before raise their hands*

Shane: So would you kill yourselves if I told you it wasn't in yet?

Geek in Suit: No we'd kill you.

Me: And burn down the store, no jury would ever convict.

Geek in Shirt: Damn straight, no jury at all.

Shane: *glances nervously at potential angry mob and ducks into back room and emerges with armful of Collectors Edition boxes*

Me: That is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen.

Geek in Shirt: Now I just have to go to work...

Me: You're going to work?

Geek in Shirt: Well actually I feel a cold coming on. *does horrendous fake cough*

*EB staff begin distributing boxes to those who have paid in full already (ME! YAY!)*

Shane: I have to tell you that due to security procedures you must have an internet connection to install.

Geeks: We know...

Geek in Jeans: I didn't preorder.

*shocked looks from assembled crowd*

Shane: Then you might be out of luck.

Geek in Jeans: What?

Shane: We are pretty much sold out in advance. Wait for everyone else to collect theirs and I'll see what I can do.

9:05am
*I exit the store with a hearty wave and smile and encouraging word and proceed to walk back to my car - straight through the middle of a street-fight in the Elizabeth Street Mall and to the carpark.*

9:20am
I drive home and turn on my computer which had been busy running self-maintenance all yesterday (scan disks, cleanups, defrags) and begin installing . . . Steam?

9:30am
OK, so I install steam. Now I wait for HL2 and associated bits to install. Send mocking SMS' to friends asking if they have HL2 yet.

9:45am
Great its installed. I connect my 56k modem to the interweb, double click on the HL2 icon and - Steam updating. I knew that there was a patch already out for HL2 due to the steam problems last night, but - AAAAARGH!

10:00am
As its still only 30% updated after several failed connections due to serverside errors with steam I decided to walk to the video store and return West Wing seasons 3&4 that I'd finished watching to distract myself from the fact I didn't have HL2. Send SMS' to friends explaining my hatred of steam.

10:15am
Steam is updated. All good. I doubleclick the HL2 icon again and am treated to a Steam Account Creation screen. I fill out the blanks and submit it. And fail. And re-submit it. And fail . . .

10:25am
And re-submit it. And fail. And re-submit it. And fail. And re-submit it. And fail. And re-submit it - and it goes through. Yay. So them I have to wait for Steam to load up its news and events screen (over 56k of course). And discover I have to register my CD-key, not entirely unsuspected, but - seriously - how long does it take for 20 characters to be transmitted and verified.

10:35am
Apparently 10minutes. For it to be transmitted, temporarily verified and then rejected due to server error. But apparently I can still play HL2 offline now. Eagerly anticipating a taste of gameplay I wait for steams next move. It tells me to click "next" to finish it all off. I click "next" and . . .

10:40am
"Unlocking HL2 gamefiles..." I BOUGHT THE FUCKING RETAIL COPY! YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME THAT I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THIS! Oh well, how long can it take to unlock.

10:55am
Becoming concerned by the apparent lack of progress, check online, see that according to most posters roughly half can get it to work and say its fucking brilliant, while the other half are calling for Gabe Newell and Valve software to commit seppuku. I seem to be swinging towards supporting the second bunch.

11:10am
Check G&C on SDnet, see this thread. Begin reading it. Detest with an indescribable fury those who have the game working already. Occassionally glance at the ever so slowly advancing "Unlocking HL2 gamefiles..." progress bar. Decide to start writing this post.

~11:25am
Still only about 75-80% unlocked. Decide that if I can't play HL2 before midday then I'm selling my car and buying plane tickets to the US so I can personally kick Gabe Newell and the rest of Valve in the balls. Repeatedly. Copy protection and security is one thing. This - this is fucking cruel and unusual...

Edit no.1:
11:30am
WHAT THE HELL! NOW ITS PRELOADING AND UNLOCKING THE CS: Source files on my system! I WANT HL2! GIVE ME MY HL2 YOU FUCKING ARSEHOLES!

Edit no.2:
11:35am
And now unlocking on a system near you: "HalfLife Source". Please, sweet and merciful God, Yahweh, Buddha, Allah, Mazda, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha and assorted animist spirits - LET ME PLAY HALFLIFE 2!

Edit no.3:
11:50am
10 minutes until I lodge my car for sale on EBay . . . Steam better fucking get a move on. Not even Far Cry took this long to install. Hell, not even a floppy disk version of Doom 3 would take this long!

Edit no.4:
12:00pm
Preparing auction post on EBay. May God, Yahweh, Buddha, Allah, Mazda, Shiva, Vishnu, Ganesha and assorted animist spirits have mercy on the soon to be dearly departed soul of Gabe Newell.

Edit no.5:
12:10pm
Auction post about to go up when I notice a "play games" window has appeared in steam? Will Gabe Newell's testicles be safe another day! Find out in a few more minutes/hours depending on whether or not it works now!

Edit no.6
7:50pm
Just pulled myself out of HL2. Towards the end of Ravenholm. Fuck yes baby oh. Gabe Newell may live another day - but only so long as he promises to bring me more happiness and goodness. And less steam. Lots less steam.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2004-11-16 07:32pm

Now that's a story, Ando.

*sniff* for that...I would happily pay for your ticket to beat Gabe Newell into a bloody pulp.

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2004-11-16 07:37pm

HL2 feels exactly like the first game.

Loving it so far!

When registering the Steam account, unlocking the files and the like, I was just basically staring at the screen and praying that the progress bar doesn't get stuck. It didn't, but funnily enough Steam informed me that connection to Steam had timed out while registering my account, yet it worked perfectly when I tried to sign in.

Can't complain, though.

*contemplates whether to go to sleep or continue playing*

Thanks for the story, weemadando.

Mlenk · Post by **Mlenk** » 2004-11-16 07:42pm

he, I finally got my account registered but now when I try to register the cd key, it keeps saying it isn't a valid one.

Spyder · Post by **Spyder** » 2004-11-16 07:42pm

Unlocking Half-Life: Source files....

Come on, come on, Daddy needs his medicine...

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2004-11-16 07:43pm

Folks friend of a friend just told me over three quater of a million people are trying to log in to Stream RIGHT NOW

Million and a quarter today today(New/Unique visters)

*Edit forgot to add this probably explains exactly why people are getting first day screwed over

Mlenk · Post by **Mlenk** » 2004-11-16 07:45pm

Does my failure to register my cd key have anything to do with that fact I wonder.

Oberleutnant · Post by **Oberleutnant** » 2004-11-16 07:53pm

Mlenk wrote:Does my failure to register my cd key have anything to do with that fact I wonder.

It's possible . . . or then you just got very unlucky.

McNum · Post by **McNum** » 2004-11-16 08:16pm

Does everyone have it that bad with the activation? Wow... guess I was lucky. Anyway I've been playing it for a good whiile now and so far it feels like Half-Life, only more of it. Which certainly isn't a bad thing.

The Gravity Gun is probably my favorite weapon, but it is a little too situational... Although it's useful when that heatlh pack is all the way across the room and the sniper is aiming between you and the health. The special effects in the game are good (I do like the "inver colors" effect they use at times.).

Favorite character as of Chapter 12? "Dog". No contest.

To those that don't know who Dog is... Let's just say he'll help you with the Gravity Gun training. "Beware of Dog" indeed...

Sharp-kun · Post by **Sharp-kun** » 2004-11-16 08:20pm

McNum wrote:Does everyone have it that bad with the activation? Wow... guess I was lucky.

As I said, mine went like a breeze. It'll just be the sudeen massive flood.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2004-11-16 09:39pm

I activated mines like three minutes after the activation date, was a piece of cake.

I think I'm pretty far into the game now.

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Official Half-Life 2 discussion thread.

HalfLife2 - One man's odyssey.