Doesn't it periodically demand that you re-authenticate though? I thought that was a major sticking point that most people had with it

Does Steam let you play offline? And even though you have to tag your copy of #FEAR 2, you don'e need to use their multiplayer thing.
FYI: You see that hashtag? I think that if enough people tag their posts at the bottom of their post with a preceding #, we can search topics via the # in the search box.

A lot of complaints are levelled at the fact the retail boxed copy you purchased becomes locked to your steam account, and hence, unable to sell (Or with a great amount of difficulty and some cost).
This is fine, if it's a game purchased via steam, it's buying a service/lease, but I think I pushes its bounds when this turns retail.
Steam is the friendliest activation system out there, but I can understand why people don't like it. The amount of region locking and price gouging also is a turn off.
*note despite this, I do use it and like it for what it is.
In most cases, yes.
If you go buy a cheap legitimate copy for say, $3 in some part of the world, and try and activate it where the cost is 10/20/30 etc that much, it will lock you out.
I think buying a retail game when it's not available in your area on steam should still work. It would be similar to the gifting system that lets people gain games they normally cant get. (but don't take this as absolute fact here)

My personal opinion, feel free to disagree, but I feel Stardocks Impulse is 100 times better on this, as you only need to run Impulse for Installing and for Updates, and dont need to run it for playing your game.

I view Steam and its ilk as being very similar to the anti-piracy adverts you get on DVDs.
I paid good money for these DVDs/games, and I get no trust back. It makes me quite angry that I get treated like scum because the industry has a problem.
No DRM is good DRM, which is why I am such a big fan of GoG.

Ooh subtle!

You missed a "t" :-p
If there's a bi-torrent, is there also a homo-torrent and a hetero-torrent?

well I've downloaded plenty of things that claim to be bi, its why I'm so short of hard drive space

Uh, OK...

I can really imagine your face right now :)

If i were you, I'd be careful of whats a metre or so below his face...

I think you should re-evaluate your views. It seems like you made up your mind ages ago, and are refusing to give steam a chance.
Its an awesome service, and valve definitely goes out of their way to make it worthwhile for players to use it. they are continually updating it. Its INCREDIBLY convenient to be able to instantly download any of your games to any pc to play. Its really convenient to have them automatically patched to the latest version and with continual free DLC. (though you can turn this off if you want).
I never play multiplayer, and i don't take part in the community, but i still find it a really useful service.
I dont have the fastest PC, but i don't find steam remotely troublesome. It only starts when i play a steam game. It runs quietly in the background. It logs in automatically. I can still play games WITHOUT an internet connection. It closes when i quit.
PS/ You're the only person i've heard from who didn't like the SHOGO unit they added to FEAR2... everyone else has been waiting for a new SHOGO for years... ;-)
*wants SHOGO2*

yet steam DOESN'T treat you like scum. It provides an awesome service, with lots of free content and constant free updates. Its value outweighs its drawbacks... i'd probably use it even if it wasn't required. (and a lot of people register all their games on steam... so i'm not alone).
I DO hate those adds on DVDs though. I remember that before EVERY episode of 24 (season 5?) it played one of those at HIGH volume... It kept scaring the crap out of me every time i started to watch it late at night.
(i don't see how they compare to steam though...)

Valve actually helped develop the multi player for Empire: Total War. :)
Certain games require online authorization (namely valve games actually), and even offline mode needs to be set whilst online (or at least MINE does).
Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts did a similar thing, as did Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. You need an online account to play. The beauty about having a distribution platform like Steam is that you can organise all your games into one account. That said, if you bought CoH or ET:QW on Steam you need to have a second account for the game anyway. I'd take DRM free (Stardock's Impulse is FANTASTIC) over DRM any day, but for those insecure developers I think Steam is the best way to go.
Because I'm sick to death of needing to find no cd cracks for my games, and also needing to input serials.

The new Prince of Persia on PC was the way to do it if you ask me. The game wasn't bad, but overall I'm left with an overwhelming sense of awesomeness due to the way the product was released. Buy game. Insert disc. Install. Take out disc. Play. End of.
It was top stuff, no faffing with activations, no cd key, nothing. Buy, install, play. Sure the pirates did Download, install, play but that's what they do on every other securom infested piece of crap. Why make paying customers suffer? Any other games that come out like this that I'm even vaguely interested in, I'm buying. Take note developers!