If you got your RW from Steam...

[DashingDan]

The other night my router died and that's when I discovered that in order to run RW in "offline" mode I first have to log on to Steam in order to elect to be "offline." I couldn't believe it, but I clicked the dialog boxes over and over and got the same result every time. Well, I said a few things I wouldn't repeat in front of my mother. And now that I have a new router installed I'm going to be permanently in "offline" mode unless I decide it's time to check for an update.

I don't know what it is with software designers. They seem to think they've been appointed by the Almighty to decide how I run my computer. I mean talk about Catch 22s. I need to be online to elect to be offline? Where do people even get stuff like this?

[LoneWolfDon]

Yeah, that's been an ongoing issue with Steam for a long time now is their "offline" mode doesn't always seem to work as intended, or to go offline, one must first connect with Steam online.

So, Steam's offline-mode usually works okay as intended if a User plans in advanced that they want to switch to Steam's offline mode. But if one suddenly loses internet ability and hadn't previously planned to be in offline-mode, then you're basically up-the-creek-without-a-paddle until you can find a way to again connect online again to Steam. I guess it's a part of Steam's DRM / anti-piracy they have in place.

[SMMDigital]

Found this out the hard way one time when I took the Railworks-loaded laptop on the road, anticipating a few minutes of playtime, only to find I couldn't play because I had not taken Steam offline before leaving the house. Now, I keep Steam offline and locked down with a firewall unless I know that an update is coming. This also gets around the annoying "Railworks is in use on another computer, here is a code for you to send us" scenario.

The online-to-go-offline requirement is gimped-up and is just one more excuse the anti-Steam naysayers have for not adopting Railworks.

[robbit]

This I find strange because when I went on the road and was using a laptop with no internet, steam came up and said could not connect to internet and gave me the choice to play offline.

[SMMDigital]

If you have logged into Steam and checked "remember login information" so Steam can automatically login, then it will allow you to play from the offline mode. If there is no login information, you will get "cannot play in offline mode because there is no login information on this computer". At the time I went on the road, I was logging in each time I started a session, so there was no remebered loging, therefore no offline mode.

[Toripony]

The online-to-go-offline requirement is gimped-up and is just one more excuse the anti-Steam naysayers have for not adopting Railworks.

Poor excuse, since they could buy the disc anywhere. I almost never play "online". And as far as an automatic updating system goes, I've had less trouble with Steam than Microsoft (which I keep turned OFF), Adobe, Oracle, Java, Flash, and hundreds of other apps and applets I've trashed over the years because their updating QOS stunk.

[Chessie8638]

Doesn't matter if you buy the boxed version. You'll still need Steam for the updates and whatnot. I've been using it since 2006 and have nothing but good things to say. Have had zero issues with it and support. I don't even buy games anymore if they are not on Steam (some exceptions included).

[DashingDan]

... was using a laptop with no internet, steam came up and said could not connect to internet and gave me the choice to play offline.

Same thing happened in my case, except when I clicked "play offline" it then gave me a message about not being able to play offline because I had no online connection. And, in all fairness, this is the only problem I've had with Steam, in my limited experience with it. I'm just a little miffed about their programming choices. Like the developers who think that, after I update something, I need to be reminded every five minutes that in order for my new update to work right my pc has to be rebooted. Well I figured that out the first they told me. And that's just nagging, and nobody likes to be nagged.

And I apologize if I'm ranting on a little too long about this, hehheh.

[arizonachris]

I have an old Alienware laptop (think P4D 3.2 single core) and it takes forever to boot, then another 5 to 10 minutes to connect to the LAN. Steam always pops up with that box about "we can't connect do you want to continue offline?" And it has worked since the first time when I did that stupid E-Mail thing because you are logging in from a different PC. Seems like once you have logged in to Steam on the "other PC" you can go to offline mode, like Jerry said. Yes, it is a PITA, but after having my Steam account hijacked once, and the PITA I had to go thru to get it back, I don't mind the extra inconvenience. Otherwise, I buy all my games thru Steam. Can't stand all those CD's on shelves. Cripes, I have about 70 games thru Steam.

[robbit]

I read on steams railworks website that to play off line make sure the "remember login information" was not checked and that you are up to date. either way I am just saying that i never had a problem playing off line when i found myself with no internet and without notice or setting it up off line in advance. Just my experience but no 2 seem to be the same

Steam offline mode
Using RailWorks2 Train Simulator without a connection

While an internet connection is required to activate and download updates to RailWorks2 Train Simulator, it is not required all the time. To activate this mode, please click https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3160-AGCB-2555 for the Steam Support Page.

this is if you are planning it but again

I just shut off all my internet on my desktop without setting it in offline mode and i started the game and played no problem