First off, you never really need steam to launch games. Technically, you can just launch the HL2.exe in each game's directory, and depending on the situation, the right appendments (the stuff like '-game') And so, I figured if that's how STEAM media works. Go to: STEAM>steamapps>media> You can see the files are just .wmv's, with a SMP.exe. It works just like HL2.exe, except when you double click on it nothing happens. First, make a shortcut to "smp.exe" and put it anywhere. Now right-click (Windows Users) on the shortcut, and click properties. In the "Target" box, there is the path to the program. At the end, PAST the " , you can do what is called apending, where you add something with a - and words that give specific instructions to the program. [/B] Now try and append this: Code: -video tf.wmv to the command line. That is, IF you have downloaded the TF2 trailer from STEAM Media. Double-click the shortcut. A ha! You can also do this to games by making a shortcut to the HL2.exe in the directory of the game you choose. The appendments I use for HL2 Ep 1 are: Code: -steam -game episodic This means that it doesn't require STEAM to run (I don't think) and -game episodic loads HL2 Ep 1. It's actually a .bat file, and I just shortcut the .bat.
Have you tried the following? Turn off all Firewalls, Anti-Virus, or Ad-Blockers you may have installed and running. 1. Go to STEAM. 2. Click on "Media" on the left. 3. Click once on a media file. 4. Click "Add to My Media" 5. Click "Play" (This makes STEAM actually hurry up and donwload the file, sometimes it is useful for troubleshooting connections. 6. Click the box that says "Play when finished". Also, the SMP.exe blur thing from the desktop is so awesome, I wish I could have that on any fullscreen program.
Nope. Not ever, actually. STEAM only needs to run to download updates or use STEAM friends. Try it. Note: I'm not sure, but you might even be able to play Online without STEAM. You see now how easy it is for people to crack STEAM games? All you need is that folder in your STEAM>steamapps>(Account Name)> directory, and append the right stuff to HL2.exe. Lol, and they think they've decreased Piracy by using STEAM instead of CD-keys and copyright protection with CDS. The best protection against piracy will always be a physical thing required.
You're half right. Technically you don't need to launch steam to play any steam-games. But when launching one of these, the game will access steam-files to check, if you are allowed (owning the game) to play this game. Needed are at least the filesystem_steam.dll to to access the .gcf-files and the clientregistry.blob. Without this files you can't even play offline. You might extract the .gcfs to get along without the filesystem_steam.dll, but for playing a game you don't own, you will need to hack at least the clientregistry.blob. And be sure, with a hacked one, you can't play online, because trying to play online means first to contact the steam-authorisation-server, leading to a comparision of the clientregisty.blob and Valve's database...
Oh yeah... well, I guess the reason my Ep 1 works is because it has all the .dlls and STEAM files included next to the HL2.exe. Well, at least I know that the topic is right: STEAM Media works just like HL2.exe :D
Nice find Bojangle. Steam always annoys me when I have to start it up just so I can play a game and it ends up taking 5 minutes to load itself first!
Could be worse. You could be on 56k. (I love saying that!) To be truthful, there was a time when Steam would try to update things while I was trying to play a game. It sucked, horribly. Now, however, when I try to play a SINGLE player game, it doesn't patch, even though that'd be the perfect time to download patches.
When I had steam and 56k it said updating steam 0% and because my 56k was so slow it never changed from 0%. Now I have cable internet so I'm like those Taco Bell commericals, I'm good to go!
Yeah I remember buying HL2 from EB games and taking it home ready to play it. Just to find out I had to register it first, then it had to decrypt the files "over" the internet, AND THEN had to download like 50mb of patches. Now that may not sound so bad to you... However it was "all" done over a 56k connection. It took "if memory serves" 8-10 hours strait. Would have only taken 4-6 except someone picked up the phone. :mad: I was cursing at the game all night long. :p
