steam offline problem

[JSt0rm]

The point is that if your connection goes down you should still be able to play the SP games that you own. That Steam doesn't allow this is a gaping hole in their system in my view.

Did you try disabling your nic like the poster above suggested? I'm just wondering incase I'm in this situation.

 

[Anteaus]

The point is that if your connection goes down you should still be able to play the SP games that you own. That Steam doesn't allow this is a gaping hole in their system in my view.

Your description implies that there is no way to play online, which isn't correct. The truth is that you can play offline, but for whatever reason it's broken, bugged or just poorly implimented. I concede that however it may have worked for me in the past, it is obvious it isn't working today. What has changed? I doubt they removed the ability. I'm more inclined to say that it's screwed up atm.

It's absurb to claim functionality isn't there when it is. When your connection goes down, the software does in fact allow you to play your SP games offline. Broken isn't the same thing as non-existant.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Just want to point out that the offline mode restrictions may not be entirely because of Steam/Valve. They may have had to give some concessions to the other game publishers.

This is speculative and irrelevant. Even if this is the case (and I don't see any reason to believe it is) it doesn't change the flawed functionality of the software.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Your description implies that there is no way to play online, which isn't correct. The truth is that you can play offline, but for whatever reason it's broken, bugged or just poorly implimented. I concede that however it may have worked for me in the past, it is obvious it isn't working today. What has changed? I doubt they removed the ability. I'm more inclined to say that it's screwed up atm.

It's absurb to claim functionality isn't there when it is. When your connection goes down, the software does in fact allow you to play your SP games offline. Broken isn't the same thing as non-existant.

I never said that Offline mode doesn't work at all - read my post above. Offline mode works where it's activated while you're still online. Offline mode doesn't work where you connection stops working suddenly. This is broken functionality in my view. Moreover, this has been a problem with Steam for as long as I can remember - this isn't a sudden change, Steam Offline mode has been broken since inception.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Did you try disabling your nic like the poster above suggested? I'm just wondering incase I'm in this situation.

I'll try that later when I'm not downloading something.

edit: Actually ah heck it, I'll try it right now. BRB.
edit2: This actually works. Interesting.

 

[Jovec]

This is speculative and irrelevant. Even if this is the case (and I don't see any reason to believe it is) it doesn't change the flawed functionality of the software.

You really can't see a reason why a game publisher would require certain restrictions in order to offer their products digitally?

Disabled my NIC in Device Manager, restarted Steam in offline mode, and successfully launched Torchlight, Plants vs Zombies, and L4D2.

Steam offers it's own DRM, but games are free to use other DRM systems also. It's possible that some games might not work in offline mode if their DRM requires Internet.

 

[KaOTiK]

Weird, everytime my net has went out, Steam detects no net connection and goes straight into offline mode for me. I've known of the problem as I've seen others with it, but thankfully it works like it is suppose to for me.

 

[Anteaus]

The point is that if your connection goes down you should still be able to play the SP games that you own.

That sentence directly states that if your connection goes down you should be able to play the SP games you own. Should...as in can't. In this it's not that it can't, it's that it won't...for whatever reason. The functionality exists....broken as it is . I guess i'm arguing semantics so I apologize.

Anyways, I agree that Steam needs to get on the ball here. This is a serious thing to not have working. I'm going to play with it when I get home and see what happens.

 

[JSt0rm]

I'll try that later when I'm not downloading something.

edit: Actually ah heck it, I'll try it right now. BRB.
edit2: This actually works. Interesting.

Thanks for doing that. Seems like a pos work around lololol

 

[CU]

Thanks for all the testing guys. Unfortunately I didn't get to test disabling my wireless nic in the device manager last night. I will try and test that tonight since that has seemed to work for some people here. Really strange that that works. If that is the case for enough people is it a bug in Steam and this is a hack to make it work correctly or a work around that is circumventing Steams online check somehow and it should not work.

 

[CU]

You really can't see a reason why a game publisher would require certain restrictions in order to offer their products digitally?

Disabled my NIC in Device Manager, restarted Steam in offline mode, and successfully launched Torchlight, Plants vs Zombies, and L4D2.

Steam offers it's own DRM, but games are free to use other DRM systems also. It's possible that some games might not work in offline mode if their DRM requires Internet.

I am glad that works but that is not really what we are testing here. Don't restart Steam in offline and try it without a disabled NIC. Then try it with a disabled NIC. Actually I would like to see alot of people test this even if it has worked in the past. I am sure game publishers see a reason for DRM, just as I see a reason to only buy games that don't require overbearing DRM like a live internet connection. Also I get my error when I try and start Steam, or launch Witcher, Ultimate Flatout, and I think I tried Episode 1 or 2.

 

[Anteaus]

Thanks for all the testing guys. Unfortunately I didn't get to test disabling my wireless nic in the device manager last night. I will try and test that tonight since that has seemed to work for some people here. Really strange that that works. If that is the case for enough people is it a bug in Steam and this is a hack to make it work correctly or a work around that is circumventing Steams online check somehow and it should not work.

The Steam client has to somehow determine that connecting to the server isn't possible. You would think that if the client couldn't communicate with the server for whatever the reason it would trigger offline mode, but it seems in this case that it is determining connectivity via the status of your network interface and not the server. I think it is probably working as intended, however that doesn't excuse it from being a horrible design.

 

[Rifter]

I dont know what your guys problem is, I play on my laptop all the time with no net connection and never have an issue. I just turn off wireless NIC and launch steam and it works great. Been doing this for over 2 years now, over 200 games, dozens of client versions and it always works fine. As a matter of fact i have burnout paradise paused on my laptop right now beside me and i have no wireless net connection here at work.

 

[CU]

I dont know what your guys problem is, I play on my laptop all the time with no net connection and never have an issue. I just turn off wireless NIC and launch steam and it works great. Been doing this for over 2 years now, over 200 games, dozens of client versions and it always works fine. As a matter of fact i have burnout paradise paused on my laptop right now beside me and i have no wireless net connection here at work.

Does it work if you don't turn off your wireless connection and just not connect to a wireless connection?

 

[CU]

The Steam client has to somehow determine that connecting to the server isn't possible. You would think that if the client couldn't communicate with the server for whatever the reason it would trigger offline mode, but it seems in this case that it is determining connectivity via the status of your network interface and not the server. I think it is probably working as intended, however that doesn't excuse it from being a horrible design.

Well it seems for me atleast that some of the code does trigger if it can't communicate with the server because it asks to retry or run in offline mode. But, offline mode then errors saying it doesn't have a connection to steam because it needs it for something. Hopefully turning off or disabling my wireless NIC tonight will fix that last part.

 

[CU]

Well disabling my wireless NIC did not work. Maybe I should have tried disabling all my NICs including the VPN ones that show up as NICs, but I didn't think about that late last night. Did any of you that disabled your NIC have more than one NIC and did you disable all of them? Anyway my new router is suppose to come today, so I can reinstall Steam and do some more testing. I also noticed the disabling/enabling NICs from the device manager in my Windows 7 install required a reboot is that normal? If so that makes this work around even more annoying.

 

[magomago]

gah good luck.

you know what -- i made some steam purchases rationalizing it under "Well its all there, so its easy to access"...but i only have maybe 4-5 steam games now. I think i'll go for other places next time around because I realllly don't like how you have to be connected to the internet to switch to offline mode....and if you don't HVAE to be, atleast its inconsistent because some people have no issue, whereas others (like you) can't.

 

[simonizor]

I never had any problems with gaming offline in Steam. Your game has to be fully up to date and your password has to be saved, but other than that, it should just work.

 

[CU]

After I got my new router connected. I started steam and started looking at all the settings, and I found the magic setting for me atleast. Under File->Settings, Friends tab, the Automatically sign into Friends has to be unchecked. It is checked by default I think, because I don't remember ever checking it. I tested by exiting Steam, disconnected from my wireless network (note: I did NOT disable my nic) and then starting Steam. It prompts me to retry or go to offline mode. I click offline mode and it works fine.

Now my question is why doesn't Stream just start in offline mode no matter what that is set to. I think everyone knows if you are in offline mode Friends isn't going to work.

Also what do other people have that set to, and how does offline mode work for you?

 

[Rifter]

Does it work if you don't turn off your wireless connection and just not connect to a wireless connection?

Im not sure but will try and get back to you, i always disable wifi on my laptop when i dont have a wifi connection as it kills the batter very fast.