non steam patches for dialup users?

[deevee]

I am on VERY slow dialup and there is no choice for broadband in my area. So, I am wondering if patches for HL2 and the mods on steam will have patches that you can download somewhere other than steam? I download most stuff at my college and just stick it on my 1gig flash drive. There is no way Im going to leave steam open for a week just to download a new patch at home. Will they accomidate people like me? Or will I have to wait for 3rd partys to hack together patches for people like me.

 

[Rocketman9mm]

nope, you are screwed.

New updates shouldn't take THAT long even on 56k. they are just small superficial stuff. but you are indeed screwed on getting the big, actual games. if you want to download the games or whatever, make a friend who has a broadband connection and a cd-burner and pay em to ship the updates burned on cds.

 

[deevee]

Well im buying the standard edition retail so I want to be able to play CS with bots when they release the update to activate them. I just hope that update isnt huge.

 

[Chris D]

Well you could download Steam at college. Take your cache files from home to college. Use the Steam client at college to update your cache files, then put the on your drive and copy them to your home drive.

Bit long winded but if you must download them quickly, that will help.

Most updates shouldn't be too big anyway.


Though there is a feature in Steam called "trickle" which will eventually slowly download the updates in the background before they're fully released. A bit like a pre-load I suppose. As far as I know they're not using it yet, but they might use it in the future. They haven't said much about it.

 

[switch]

Start buying gaming mags. Lots of gaming mags have CD's with the latest patches and even have mods on.

But most of the patches wont be big at all so dont panic.

 

[Edcrab]

As a 56ker I can say that patching is a real bugger... it'll never take more than an hour for any given patch, however. Not as bad as third party mods and their refusal to make updates (I'm looking at you, Natural "download 150 megs you dialupping scum" Selection!).

 

[Cole]

He said VERY SLOW DIALUP. Most likly means 28.8ker. IM a 56ker, and steam patchs...go quickly...

Plus 150megs aint alot to me...
300 is nothing..
400 is somewhat alot..
600 is alot..

Trust me, a true 56ker will meet those specifications and some even above
(I play nautral selection, i update natural selection.. as long as it dosn't reach 600megs im happy)

 

[Edcrab]

He said VERY SLOW DIALUP. Most likly means 28.8ker. IM a 56ker, and steam patchs...go quickly...

And I said I'M ON 56K and I'm sure he can do the math himself; I don't have "VERY SLOW DIALUP" but as I do have dialup I can at least give him a representation of what'll happen more accurately than our broadband-using friends who are purely speculating.

...ARE WE ANNOYING PEOPLE YET DO YOU THINK? Capital letters rule!

 

[Tiddalick]

They don't make stand alone EXE patches?
You must be joking.
How absolutly stupid

 

[deevee]

Yes, doesnt seem like it would be to hard to make a standalone file.