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Any way to play HL2: Deathmatch over LAN with a "visitor"?

MugenmidgetMugenmidget Registered User regular
edited July 2007 in Games and Technology
Recently we've been playing some HL2: DM over our home LAN, but yesterday one of our friends asked if he could join us. As far as I know, hosting a dedicated server with our Steam account means we can't log in to it (it gives an error message about the account being in use even if you connect through the LAN tab).

Is there any way to accomplish this, or is this something that Steam explicitly doesn't allow? It used to be a staple of our time with Quake 3, it'd be a shame if that's just a thing of the past.

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Mugenmidget on

Posts

  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited July 2007
    Is there an option for a "listen" server? That's what you'd need to run to host and play on one computer.

    FyreWulff on
  • MugenmidgetMugenmidget Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    The problem (more or less) is that we can't have other computers on the LAN connect to that server from a single Steam account.

    I've only heard (from baseless conjecture on other forums) that you can host a dedicated server with another Steam account that has no games under its belt, allowing your other Steam account to connect to it. However, even if this works, I don't know if it'll allow multiple computers to use the "paid" Steam account to connect to that dedicated server.

    Basically what I want to know is if I can I host a game where one Steam account is used for a LAN and other people with their own account can join in from the Internet, something we used to do all the time with other FPS games.

    Mugenmidget on
    e3ORbfq.png
  • PeewiPeewi Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    I think it's possible to get a dedicated server that doesn't use Steam. If there is, you could use that and let your friend use the account that was used for running the server.

    Peewi on
    Switch: SW-6132-4331-5349 | Steam profile | I made a small video game. It's free on itch.io
    0hK3V5P.png
  • MugenmidgetMugenmidget Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Peewi wrote: »
    I think it's possible to get a dedicated server that doesn't use Steam. If there is, you could use that and let your friend use the account that was used for running the server.
    What exactly would that be?

    I'm not attached to Steam or anything, I just figured that was the only way the game would work.

    Mugenmidget on
    e3ORbfq.png
  • RaslinRaslin Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Check your PMs

    Raslin on
    I cant url good so add me on steam anyways steamcommunity.com/id/Raslin

    3ds friend code: 2981-6032-4118
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited July 2007
    I think any steam account can download the dedicated servers for any Source/HL1 game.

    Failing that, the last resort method would be to log in each computer once, then send it into offline mode.

    edit: yep, I can download the Source dedicated server and I don't own any Source games.

    FyreWulff on
  • MugenmidgetMugenmidget Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    I think any steam account can download the dedicated servers for any Source/HL1 game.

    Failing that, the last resort method would be to log in each computer once, then send it into offline mode.

    edit: yep, I can download the Source dedicated server and I don't own any Source games.
    Once the Steam clients are in offline mode and running the game, can they still join LAN games?

    EDIT: Never mind, HL2: DM won't even launch in offline mode.

    Mugenmidget on
    e3ORbfq.png
  • FyreWulffFyreWulff YouRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited July 2007
    They should be able to. I did that one time to use Sven Coop over the LAN with another computer.

    FyreWulff on
  • MugenmidgetMugenmidget Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    They should be able to. I did that one time to use Sven Coop over the LAN with another computer.
    Well unfortunately for whatever reason HL2: DM doesn't want to launch in offline mode.

    However, if another Steam account really can be the dedicated server, then perhaps things will function and the error won't come up as it normally would. The only obstacle I can see now is that Steam may consider joining a dedicated server, even though the LAN tab, to be "multiple uses" of the Steam account and block it much like they do with other servers.

    Mugenmidget on
    e3ORbfq.png
  • PeewiPeewi Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Mugenmidget wrote: »
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    They should be able to. I did that one time to use Sven Coop over the LAN with another computer.
    Well unfortunately for whatever reason HL2: DM doesn't want to launch in offline mode.

    However, if another Steam account really can be the dedicated server, then perhaps things will function and the error won't come up as it normally would. The only obstacle I can see now is that Steam may consider joining a dedicated server, even though the LAN tab, to be "multiple uses" of the Steam account and block it much like they do with other servers.

    You could create a Steam account without any games on it and have the server run using that.

    Peewi on
    Switch: SW-6132-4331-5349 | Steam profile | I made a small video game. It's free on itch.io
    0hK3V5P.png
  • MugenmidgetMugenmidget Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Peewi wrote: »
    Mugenmidget wrote: »
    FyreWulff wrote: »
    They should be able to. I did that one time to use Sven Coop over the LAN with another computer.
    Well unfortunately for whatever reason HL2: DM doesn't want to launch in offline mode.

    However, if another Steam account really can be the dedicated server, then perhaps things will function and the error won't come up as it normally would. The only obstacle I can see now is that Steam may consider joining a dedicated server, even though the LAN tab, to be "multiple uses" of the Steam account and block it much like they do with other servers.

    You could create a Steam account without any games on it and have the server run using that.
    Right, that's the next step. The only problem is I can't test it at this late hour (even though it is bugging me) without access to the other computers and my friend (who I'm sure is long past asleep).

    The real remaining question is whether or not it'll yell at us for using the same account to log in to the dedicated server. The game doesn't care if we host a LAN game and have everyone join that through the same account, but that of course doesn't allow for external connections.

    Mugenmidget on
    e3ORbfq.png
  • MugenmidgetMugenmidget Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    Yeah well, Steam apparently doesn't think it's too "hip" that we all wanna log into a game hosted on our network that's listening for open connections. Bummer.

    Maybe if I didn't make it dedicated, but hosted and forwarded ports, that would work? Does anyone know if that's even feasible?

    Mugenmidget on
    e3ORbfq.png
  • DratatooDratatoo Registered User regular
    edited July 2007
    If you can't redirect ports over a public network ( = teh internet) the only fix would be using an VPN (virtual private network) solution. This means you are creating a "tunnel" through a unsecure public network. The other computer (your friend's PC) becomes part of your local network, even with a local IP. HL2DM now detects your friend's computer as a part of your network and allows him to join a LAN game.

    The easiest solution to establish a VPN is Hamachi: https://secure.logmein.com/products/hamachi/vpn.asp

    Dratatoo on
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