Slow connection shortcuts

[Adabiviak]

I'm trying to get a friend's Half Life 2 game working. New purchase with a fresh account. He's using NetZero for a dialup connection and gets most of the 56k speed. It took quite some time for the Steam platform to update, but his account has been (I think) validated. The game itself is trying to update however, and after several hours, it's only 2% done. If I tell Steam to not keep the game up to date, attempts to launch the game tell me that the Steam servers are too busy. I don't buy this, I think it has something to do with NetZero. Anyway, he's got a laptop with a decent connection (borrowed from one of a zillion unsecured access points) but I can't get it to share with this computer for a faster connection. Before I go and buy a cheap wireless modem for this computer to get the game updated, is there a way to do this 'manually' by way of the laptop?

 

[ríomhaire]

He could get a pirated copy until the update is finished*

*ríomhaire does not endorse the pirating of software, especially Half-Life 2
but it seems an approprate sollution since he does own the game legally​

 

[kupocake]

Couldn't you burn a DVD backup (or use a high capacity memory stick, or send the file over the network) of the latest version of the game and give it to him?

 

[ríomhaire]

Are backups account specific?

 

[kupocake]

Not to my knowledge. The backup created doesn't include stuff like saved games or unlocked chapters, so there's no reason for it to be account specific.

 

[Shasta]

Ahh, the joys and wisdom of Steam. He's screwed untill it finishes updating.

You'd think that by now the genius's at Steam would have thought to cache all updates into a temp folder untill they are fully downloaded, so that people can still play while it is downloading the updates...

 

[99.vikram]

You'd think that by now the genius's at Steam would have thought to cache all updates into a temp folder untill they are fully downloaded, so that people can still play while it is downloading the updates...

Instead of complaining about Steam here, why don't you just suggest it to them directly?

 

[Adabiviak]

Thanks guys. He had the game content already from the DVD. We bought a wireless antenna and mooched off the best unsecured access point available. It only took a few minutes with that thing.

 

[Shasta]

Instead of complaining about Steam here, why don't you just suggest it to them directly?

Because if they haven't already thought of it, they don't deserve to be called developers.

And if they have, they obviously have a bad but firm reason for pissing off so many customers. One guy suggesting an idea they have rejected before, isn't likely to change their minds. So I'll just complain about it.

 

[Operational]

Thanks guys. He had the game content already from the DVD. We bought a wireless antenna and mooched off the best unsecured access point available. It only took a few minutes with that thing.

Good Work.:thumbs: