Ahh, good old Steam/internet issues.

I'm part of a minority, but I have a massive issue with Steam requiring internet. I know you can play in offline mode, but when you install a game you can't play it for the first time until it downloads and installs all the newest updates. That's a massive problem when you have no internet or expensive mobile internet and the update is 1GB+.

What you need to do is configure Steam to use offline mode, but to the best of my knowledge that has to be done while in ONLINE mode; then you have to restart the client and only then will it be in offline mode.

It's completely ridiculous on both counts, since now I have a pile of games which I've bought on DVD, fair and square, yet I can't play them because it'll cost three times the price of the game in internet charges to download the updates. Offline mode is ostensibly for those with limited/no internet access, so why is internet required to use it!? It makes no sense and is the main reason I avoid Steam like the plague.