FUCK YOU GABE NEWELL!!!!

[weemadando]

Why not just use a direct shortcut to the game? You're not forced to go through Steam's menus every time you want to run the game.

Because it still goes through the steam infrastructure in order to launch. And that - tada! Didn't work!

Though today - thank FUCKING CHRIST - steam appears to be working in offline mode.

And you can play all the Steam games offline. You all know that, right?

Yeah. When steam decides that offline mode exists...

[InnocentBystander]

Vavle is a company like any other, just trying to make a buck. Steam allows them to make something like 5 times the money per copy sold. If that means screw over even a considerable number of people (which really isn't the case), they still come out with more money.
Sorry it doesn't work for you, but that's life.