*** Steam / Half-Life 2 / Counter-Strike: Source FAQ ***
The Following information relates to Half-Life 1 and Half-Life 2 (Source) Engine based games and modifications.
Steam - What it is and what it does
www.steampowered.com
Q: What is Steam?
A: For those of you that have not heard of Steam, this is the content delivery system used to let you play a Half-Life 1 or Half-Life 2 based games and modifications. Without Steam, you cannot play the latest versions of Half-Life and its modifications. Half-Life 2 requires Steam, and cannot be run without it.
Steam requires each user to have an account. The account is free, but to play a game, you have to buy it in some way. If you own a copy of Half-Life or one of its retail variants, you can assosiate your CD-Key with the account you have created. Once you have registered your CD-Key with an account however, you can not re-use the CD-Key again.
Q: I have just tried to register my CD-Key on Steam, it says it already in use, but I have never registered it with steam!
A: Unfortunately, somebody somewhere has somehow generated your key and registered it to an account. You will need to get in contact with Valve over at the Steam Website. Support for this problem can be found here:
http://steampowered.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/entry.php
Q: Does Steam require the internet?
A: Unfortunately, you can not install Steam without connecting to the internet. When you install Steam and games to go with it, it has to download all of the up to date versions to work. Once everything is 100% downloaded, you can disconnect from the internet and play in Offline Mode, but only if the game you want to play says it is available and that you do not log out of your Steam Account.
Q: So if I buy Half-Life 2 from the shops, do I need the internet to play it?
A: Unfortunately, Yes. When you install Half-Life 2 retail, you have to register the CD-Key with a Steam Account and allow Steam to decode the installation files through the Internet. Without the Internet, you cannot even play the game. Once the game is 100% up to date, you can play the game in Offline Mode. There are no other ways to activate your copy of Half-Life 2, but Valve have some tips on getting set up if you do not have an internet connection, but does mean you have to move your computer about:
Full details can be found here.
Q: What ports does Steam use?
Taken from the Steam Support section from the Steam website:
The following ports must be open in your firewall and router for Steam and Steam Games to work:
UDP 1200 (used for friends service)
UDP 27000 to 27015 inclusive
TCP 27030 to 27039 inclusive
Computers running Dedicated Servers need these ports open:
UDP: 27015 and 27020 (default HLDS, SRCDS and HLTV port)
TCP: 27015 (SRCDS Rcon port)
If your server uses a different hostport then you will need to adjust the above accordingly.
Steam Games
Q: What games are available on Steam then, and what do I need to play them?
A: The following information is a list of Games that are playable on Steam and what CD-Keys give you what:
The following Games and modifications are available to anybody with any Half-Life Retail CD-Key.
Half-Life 1
Counter-Strike (CS)
Team Fortress Classic (TFC)
Day of Defeat (DoD)
Deathmatch Classic (DMC)
Opposing Force (OpFor)
Ricochet.
The Following games have to be bought separately to Half-Life 1.
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero & Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes.
The following come with Half-Life 2 Retail:
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
Counter-Strike: Source
If you purchase Half-Life 2: Collectors Edition, you also get:
Half-Life: Source
Q: What ways can I get hold of Half-Life 2 then?
A: There are 2 ways you can get Half-Life 2. The first, like any other game is from the shops/e-tailer. The second is by paying for the game through Steam.
Q: What options are available to me if I want to buy Half-Life 2 over Steam?
A: Valve have introduced three packages on the Steam system that you can choose from, called Bronze, Silver and Gold. Here are the prices and contents and Prices. Note that at this moment in time, Steam only accepts VISA and Mastercard:
Note: That with any version purchased, you will only be able to play CS:Source at this moment in time, as long as it is downloaded.
Bronze : $49.95 + VAT (Approx £33)
Q: So what do I get if I buy Half-Life 2 from a retailer?
A: In the UK, there are two versions of Half-Life 2 available. Standard retail, and Collectors Edition. Both are DVD-ROM based.
The Standard Retail comes with Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source. The Collectors edition comes in a special tin, with a T-Shirt, Strategy guide, and also a copy of Half-Life: Source, which is a conversion of the original Half-Life to the Source engine.
Q: I have an ATI Half-Life 2 voucher, can I use that to get a discount?
A: Yes. You will need to have the key registered with your account, and you should then qualify for a discount when purchasing Half-Life 2 through Steam. To do this, select the "Browse Games" option from the main menu of Steam. Then, select "Register a product I already Own", and then enter the CD-Key. The voucher is effectively worth $49.95. You can now upgrade to the Silver version of Half-Life 2 which has Half-Life 1:Source and DoD:Source for just $10.
Q: If I buy the Bronze edition or have Retail, will I be able somehow play Half-Life 1: Source and Day of Defeat: Source?
A: An upgrade option should be made available via Steam for Bronze edition owners and also basic Retail owners some time after the game release. This will likely cost around US$11.75 (~£6).
Q: If I do purchase Half-Life 2 through Steam, will I get a CD or DVD copy of it?
A: No. You only get the game through the downloading of the content.
Q: What do I do if I want to play these games on another computer, or if delete my Steam folder? Can I back this up somehow?
A: Steam recognises what games you are entitled to on your account. You can re-download the game as long as you are logged onto the account.
Q: I don't want to have to download everything again! Can I back up these games somehow?
A: Yes! Steam has a backup facility for all of the games. Simply Right-Click on a game and select Backup. It will then give you a list of games that you would like to back up. Simply follow the on screen instructions as to what to do with them.
To manually back up your downloaded games, locate your SteamApps folder, found in \Steam
Inside the SteamApps folder, there will a few, large files named after games, each being .gcf format. These store all of the base data for the games such as the engine textures, maps, sounds and other bits and bobs.
There will also be one or more folders in the SteamApps folder which holds your personal configs for your account, and will be named after your account in the format of an E-Mail address.
In here, are executables for the games, and other small files and extra downloaed content, such as custom maps and models but also your configs. I would recommend you back up your config files as it can be tedious resetting all of your settings.
Q: How much space does Half-Life 2 take up?
Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Counter-Strike: Source combined take up approximately 4.2GB of space.
Q: If I buy Half-Life 2 from the shops, do I need to keep the DVD in the drive now that it is registered to my account?
A: On previous version of Half-Life 2, yes, you did have to have the DVD in the drive if you had retail, but once you have the latest update, you can play the game without having the DVD in the drive.
Q: Does Half-Life 2 have any other multiplayer support?
A: Yes. There are two forms of Official multiplayer for Half-Life 2. Out of the box, you get Counter-Strike: Source, which is the team based counter-terrorism game. Upon installing Steam, you can now download Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, which is a basic deathmatch game with extras such as gravity gun.
Q: I heard that if I buy Counter-Strike:Condition Zero, I get Counter-Strike:Source, is that true?
A: No, this is not true any more. Back in mid 2004 there was a Beta test version of Counter-Strike:Source available to all owners of Condition Zero, but once the Beta had finished, only owners of Half-Life 2 could play Counter-Strike:Source.
Q: So what is this Counter-Strike: Source that everybody is talking about?
A: Counter-Strike: Source is basically a full conversion Counter-Strike onto the Half-Life 2 source engine. Valve have taken the original CS, and converted the code and some of the maps into the new Source engine. They have then updated the maps and models to make it look a lot nicer.
Q: I was caught cheating on a VAC server, and I am now banned! If I buy Half-Life 2, can I play it online?
A: No! When you are banned for cheating, your Steam account is banned. That means you can not play online on VAC secure servers with any Steam game until your ban has finished.
General Lag issues when playing a Steam based Game
Q: When playing online using a Steam based game, I get terrible lag, how can I stop it?
A: There are numerous things that will cause you to get lag in game. Here are the main ones, and what you can do to fix it.
The Following information relates to Half-Life 1 and Half-Life 2 (Source) Engine based games and modifications.
Steam - What it is and what it does
www.steampowered.com
Q: What is Steam?
A: For those of you that have not heard of Steam, this is the content delivery system used to let you play a Half-Life 1 or Half-Life 2 based games and modifications. Without Steam, you cannot play the latest versions of Half-Life and its modifications. Half-Life 2 requires Steam, and cannot be run without it.
Steam requires each user to have an account. The account is free, but to play a game, you have to buy it in some way. If you own a copy of Half-Life or one of its retail variants, you can assosiate your CD-Key with the account you have created. Once you have registered your CD-Key with an account however, you can not re-use the CD-Key again.
Q: I have just tried to register my CD-Key on Steam, it says it already in use, but I have never registered it with steam!
A: Unfortunately, somebody somewhere has somehow generated your key and registered it to an account. You will need to get in contact with Valve over at the Steam Website. Support for this problem can be found here:
http://steampowered.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/entry.php
Q: Does Steam require the internet?
A: Unfortunately, you can not install Steam without connecting to the internet. When you install Steam and games to go with it, it has to download all of the up to date versions to work. Once everything is 100% downloaded, you can disconnect from the internet and play in Offline Mode, but only if the game you want to play says it is available and that you do not log out of your Steam Account.
Q: So if I buy Half-Life 2 from the shops, do I need the internet to play it?
A: Unfortunately, Yes. When you install Half-Life 2 retail, you have to register the CD-Key with a Steam Account and allow Steam to decode the installation files through the Internet. Without the Internet, you cannot even play the game. Once the game is 100% up to date, you can play the game in Offline Mode. There are no other ways to activate your copy of Half-Life 2, but Valve have some tips on getting set up if you do not have an internet connection, but does mean you have to move your computer about:
Full details can be found here.
Q: What ports does Steam use?
Taken from the Steam Support section from the Steam website:
The following ports must be open in your firewall and router for Steam and Steam Games to work:
UDP 1200 (used for friends service)
UDP 27000 to 27015 inclusive
TCP 27030 to 27039 inclusive
Computers running Dedicated Servers need these ports open:
UDP: 27015 and 27020 (default HLDS, SRCDS and HLTV port)
TCP: 27015 (SRCDS Rcon port)
If your server uses a different hostport then you will need to adjust the above accordingly.
Steam Games
Q: What games are available on Steam then, and what do I need to play them?
A: The following information is a list of Games that are playable on Steam and what CD-Keys give you what:
The following Games and modifications are available to anybody with any Half-Life Retail CD-Key.
Half-Life 1
Counter-Strike (CS)
Team Fortress Classic (TFC)
Day of Defeat (DoD)
Deathmatch Classic (DMC)
Opposing Force (OpFor)
Ricochet.
The Following games have to be bought separately to Half-Life 1.
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero & Condition Zero: Deleted Scenes.
The following come with Half-Life 2 Retail:
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
Counter-Strike: Source
If you purchase Half-Life 2: Collectors Edition, you also get:
Half-Life: Source
Q: What ways can I get hold of Half-Life 2 then?
A: There are 2 ways you can get Half-Life 2. The first, like any other game is from the shops/e-tailer. The second is by paying for the game through Steam.
Q: What options are available to me if I want to buy Half-Life 2 over Steam?
A: Valve have introduced three packages on the Steam system that you can choose from, called Bronze, Silver and Gold. Here are the prices and contents and Prices. Note that at this moment in time, Steam only accepts VISA and Mastercard:
Note: That with any version purchased, you will only be able to play CS:Source at this moment in time, as long as it is downloaded.
Bronze : $49.95 + VAT (Approx £33)
- Half-Life 2
- Counter-Strike:Source
- Half-Life 2
- Counter-Strike:Source
- Half-Life 1:Source
- Day of Defeat:Source
- Valve Back Catalog:
Half-Life
Counter-Strike:Condition Zero
Counter-Strike:Condition Zero Deleted Scenes
Day of Defeat
Team Fortress Classic
Deathmatch Classic
Opposing Force
Ricochet
- Half-Life 2
- Counter-Strike:Source
- Half-Life 1:Source
- Day of Defeat:Source
- Valve Back Catalog:
Half-Life
Counter-Strike:Condition Zero
Counter-Strike:Condition Zero Deleted Scenes
Day of Defeat
Team Fortress Classic
Deathmatch Classic
Opposing Force
Ricochet - Half-Life 2 Posters (3 Total)
- Half-Life 2 Soundtrack
- Half-Life 2 hat
- Half-Life 2 Sticker
- City 17 Postcard
- Prima's Half-Life 2 Strategy Guide
- Special Collector's Box
- A chance to win a trip to valve!
Q: So what do I get if I buy Half-Life 2 from a retailer?
A: In the UK, there are two versions of Half-Life 2 available. Standard retail, and Collectors Edition. Both are DVD-ROM based.
The Standard Retail comes with Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source. The Collectors edition comes in a special tin, with a T-Shirt, Strategy guide, and also a copy of Half-Life: Source, which is a conversion of the original Half-Life to the Source engine.
Q: I have an ATI Half-Life 2 voucher, can I use that to get a discount?
A: Yes. You will need to have the key registered with your account, and you should then qualify for a discount when purchasing Half-Life 2 through Steam. To do this, select the "Browse Games" option from the main menu of Steam. Then, select "Register a product I already Own", and then enter the CD-Key. The voucher is effectively worth $49.95. You can now upgrade to the Silver version of Half-Life 2 which has Half-Life 1:Source and DoD:Source for just $10.
Q: If I buy the Bronze edition or have Retail, will I be able somehow play Half-Life 1: Source and Day of Defeat: Source?
A: An upgrade option should be made available via Steam for Bronze edition owners and also basic Retail owners some time after the game release. This will likely cost around US$11.75 (~£6).
Q: If I do purchase Half-Life 2 through Steam, will I get a CD or DVD copy of it?
A: No. You only get the game through the downloading of the content.
Q: What do I do if I want to play these games on another computer, or if delete my Steam folder? Can I back this up somehow?
A: Steam recognises what games you are entitled to on your account. You can re-download the game as long as you are logged onto the account.
Q: I don't want to have to download everything again! Can I back up these games somehow?
A: Yes! Steam has a backup facility for all of the games. Simply Right-Click on a game and select Backup. It will then give you a list of games that you would like to back up. Simply follow the on screen instructions as to what to do with them.
To manually back up your downloaded games, locate your SteamApps folder, found in \Steam
Inside the SteamApps folder, there will a few, large files named after games, each being .gcf format. These store all of the base data for the games such as the engine textures, maps, sounds and other bits and bobs.
There will also be one or more folders in the SteamApps folder which holds your personal configs for your account, and will be named after your account in the format of an E-Mail address.
In here, are executables for the games, and other small files and extra downloaed content, such as custom maps and models but also your configs. I would recommend you back up your config files as it can be tedious resetting all of your settings.
Q: How much space does Half-Life 2 take up?
Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch and Counter-Strike: Source combined take up approximately 4.2GB of space.
Q: If I buy Half-Life 2 from the shops, do I need to keep the DVD in the drive now that it is registered to my account?
A: On previous version of Half-Life 2, yes, you did have to have the DVD in the drive if you had retail, but once you have the latest update, you can play the game without having the DVD in the drive.
Q: Does Half-Life 2 have any other multiplayer support?
A: Yes. There are two forms of Official multiplayer for Half-Life 2. Out of the box, you get Counter-Strike: Source, which is the team based counter-terrorism game. Upon installing Steam, you can now download Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, which is a basic deathmatch game with extras such as gravity gun.
Q: I heard that if I buy Counter-Strike:Condition Zero, I get Counter-Strike:Source, is that true?
A: No, this is not true any more. Back in mid 2004 there was a Beta test version of Counter-Strike:Source available to all owners of Condition Zero, but once the Beta had finished, only owners of Half-Life 2 could play Counter-Strike:Source.
Q: So what is this Counter-Strike: Source that everybody is talking about?
A: Counter-Strike: Source is basically a full conversion Counter-Strike onto the Half-Life 2 source engine. Valve have taken the original CS, and converted the code and some of the maps into the new Source engine. They have then updated the maps and models to make it look a lot nicer.
Q: I was caught cheating on a VAC server, and I am now banned! If I buy Half-Life 2, can I play it online?
A: No! When you are banned for cheating, your Steam account is banned. That means you can not play online on VAC secure servers with any Steam game until your ban has finished.
General Lag issues when playing a Steam based Game
Q: When playing online using a Steam based game, I get terrible lag, how can I stop it?
A: There are numerous things that will cause you to get lag in game. Here are the main ones, and what you can do to fix it.
- Steam may be updating a game. Although annoying, it can happen, and will case a good bit of lag. To check if Steam is downloading game content, right click on the steam icon on your task bar, and select "Monitor". From here you will be displayed a list of any games that Steam is updating. You can stop these here.
- You may have something downloading in the background. Simply turn it off.
- You may not have the correct rates for your connection. See the next question to see what you should be using.
- Somebody else on your network may be downloading something. Kindly ask them to stop, or wait for them to finish, or just pull their network cable out.
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Q: What are rates, and what should I use for my connection?
A: There are three main rate settings. They are "rate" (default 7500), "cl_updaterate" (default 20) and "cl_cmdrate" (default 30). These defaults are not good generally, as they are too low.
Using the console (see below for console), set your rate to be 20,000 (simply type "rate 20000" without the quotes). Put your cl_updaterate and cl_cmdrate both up to 101. See how that feels. If that does not sort out lag issues, try lowering both the cl_cmdrate and cl_updaterate by about 5, and keep doing so until it feels more stable.
Q: How can I get into the console?
A: While in the game, goto Options, then click on the Keyboard Tab, and then Advanced. Select the checkbox to enable console. If this does not work, add to your autoexec.cfg file the line- bind "`" "toggleconsole"
Q: My framerate is rubbish on the lowest settings! What else can I do?
A: Check out the following link to IGN for a guide in optimising your Source engined games: Click Me
Q: I changed a setting in the console yesterday, but it has changed back today! How can I get the setting to stay without having to keep messing with the settings.
A: A simple solution to this would be putting any settings that you want kept in an autoexec.cfg file. This is found in the SteamApps\[email protected]\counter-strike source\cstrike\cfg\ folder. If it does not exist, create it. Within the file, you should then enter all of the settings that you want to load each time you load a Source based game.
Q: People seem to buy their guns so quickly! How do they do that?
A: To put it simply, they are most likely using buyscripts, which are perfectly legal. These basically will let the user buy weapons at the press of a single button, instead of using lots of keys. You can find more details on creating your own buyscripts here:
Try here for tips
Q: I am struggling to get into the game, I can't kill anything! Are there any cheats?
A: In a simple answer, no there are no cheats that can be entered to make you hit better available from valve. There are cheats which you shoul never, ever download though, which include wallhacks and aimbots. You will be detected, and you will have your account banned from secure servers, meaning you will have to buy another copy of HL2 so you can play Source anywhere decent. Plus you will be officially regarded as the biggest loser in the world.
Q: I want to create a dedicated server so players can connect to it, how can I do that?
A: Take a look over at this website for guides on setting up dedicated Servers: http://server.counter-strike.net/
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