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STEAM- Announcements & Updates 2011 Edition

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C

coopolon

Member
Dungeon Siege 3 is available for pre-order from Amazon Download for $39.99. Since it is Steamworks you can just get the key and register on on Steam.

I actually think the Steam pre-order is better - getting the first two games, but figured I'd mention it anyway. It'll be interesting if it goes on sale during the hypothetical summer sale, having only been out for ~a week at that hypothetical time.
 
D

Dog Problems

Banned
Yeah, I read about that in the official thread and bought it. With the Summer sale possibly coming up I want to save as much as I can. Plus I'm holding out on GOG getting the complete versions of the first two games.
 
D

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
Someone made a decent point that could stop hackers from making and endless amount of accounts in a F2P TF2, and that is only allow non-Limited User Accounts to play the game. Valve right now has any account that owns no games a Limited User Accounts (IE, buy any game on Steam, you can now get TF2 for free): https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=3330-IAGK-7663

I mean, sure, Fortix would likely just become one of Steam's best selling games then, but it could cut down issues. Valve could also add a "Super Vac" ban and ban a Mac Address for to many infractions.
 
D

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
markot said:
I mean with the model they currently have. Like lowering drop rates, stopping trades... etc...
Click to expand...
To be honest, if Valve makes it so only an account that owns at least one game can play the F2P TF2, I don't think Valve will change anything at the start. What you will get is people who hord accounts at $1 a pop (Cheapest Steam game is Fortix at $.99), which will crash the trade economy (Just slower), BUT, this doesn't actually effect your normal players.

I could still see Valve playing with Hat drop rates of newly released hats and their availability and such though.
 
G

gdt

Member
I can only see myself picking up BG I and II from GOG, not really interested in too many super old PC games.

But I'll probably be spending like crazy on Steam. Hoping for Crysis, Crysis 2 (if it's back up, of course), and whatever else they throw at me.

........My body is ready.
 
C

Campster

Do you like my tight white sweater? STOP STARING
Drkirby said:
To be honest, if Valve makes it so only an account that owns at least one game can play the F2P TF2, I don't think Valve will change anything at the start. What you will get is people who hord accounts at $1 a pop (Cheapest Steam game is Fortix at $.99), which will crash the trade economy (Just slower), BUT, this doesn't actually effect your normal players.

I could still see Valve playing with Hat drop rates of newly released hats and their availability and such though.
Click to expand...

There are tons of people who have multiple accounts already, so I can't imagine this breaking the TF2 economy that badly. Really, even if you have multiple accounts it takes so long to extract your weekly total that at most you're getting 4-5 times the amount of random drops someone else gets. Which sounds like a lot, but realistically most of that is just crafting fodder - maybe two or three paints and once a month maybe a random hat.

Truly rare items require investment of cash - either by purchasing keys or ponying up for some Max's Heads/Unusuals/Bill's Hats/etc. And since it's all aesthetic anyways it's not like the guys grinding four accounts a week while they're at work are getting some sort of leg up on anyone else; they're just going to get their stupid neon green afro before the next guy.

Honestly the game's item system is functionally built like a free-to-play game as it stands. Get the stuff you want for a price or wait patiently over time. People who don't pay can never get high-end stuff. That's sort of the core of the free-to-play model.
 
B

Blizzard

Banned
markot said:
Cant valve just stop drops for people who idle?
Click to expand...
That would require detecting idling, which ultimately escalates and they would be fighting their own players. I don't know that it's worth their while.

If they prevented command-line idling, people could idle with custom servers (like has been happening for ages, I think). If they prevented that, people could idle in legitimate-looking servers. If they prevented that, people could idle in servers with killbox scripts etc., I'd imagine. Ultimately Valve would have to use some sort of magic system that detected when a human was actually controlling a player, I guess.
 
L

LocoMrPollock

Banned
Couldn't that testapp440 be the TF2 beta? I know it's still in the registry, because it's still on my list of games.

I just don't see the upside to Valve making TF2 FTP right now. It seems more likely that it will be something new at first to get more attention.
 
M

markot

Banned
LocoMrPollock said:
Couldn't that testapp440 be the TF2 beta? I know it's still in the registry, because it's still on my list of games.

I just don't see the upside to Valve making TF2 FTP right now. It seems more likely that it will be something new at first to get more attention.
Click to expand...
They want to test out the system, figure out the basics and see what impact it has, for their 'real' f2p game before it releases, dota2.
 
C

Campster

Do you like my tight white sweater? STOP STARING
Blizzard said:
That would require detecting idling, which ultimately escalates and they would be fighting their own players. I don't know that it's worth their while.

If they prevented command-line idling, people could idle with custom servers (like has been happening for ages, I think). If they prevented that, people could idle in legitimate-looking servers. If they prevented that, people could idle in servers with killbox scripts etc., I'd imagine. Ultimately Valve would have to use some sort of magic system that detected when a human was actually controlling a player, I guess.
Click to expand...

Basically. The only method for idling they've outright banned is the 'run a client to connect to Steam and make Steam think your account is playing TF2.' Which they banned for obvious reasons.

But it's hard to stop players otherwise. If you start banning people for not putting in input, then people will just run scripts to randomly simulate mouse input. If you ban people who are putting in input but not getting points or dying you can just idle on a map where the spawn point also happens to be a cap point that gives players points. You'd need some sort of algorithm to detect 'proper' play - systemize what input from a 'real game' looks like and determine somehow if the player's input matches that.

That's not only really, really hard but it just isn't worth it. Idlers in the current TF2 economy really don't impact things that badly. They get more metal every week, sure, but aside from some slight metal inflation it isn't doing anything regular playing doesn't do. It would be a crazy complicated solution to a problem that isn't really hurting anyone.
 
D

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
Yeah, people could likely make it so bots just play the game for them after enough time.

Really, I think the best solution is to go with "Don't really care!", I think the non-key related markets have already neared their final resting places. Hats should have a value averaging at roughly 1.5 refined (A little less for crappy hats, a little more for popular hats, ect), and they more or less already do.

The problem comes from hackers now possibly having unlimited accounts. But if Valve makes any F2P, they are going to have to face it anyway, and trail by fire with a non-new game is a good way to figure out way to make the anti-hacking system better.


Also, how else could Valve possibly compete with that very compelling looking Chinese Class Based combat game. I mean, did you see the Rocket, how Zany of a Fireman to have a Rocket Launcher!
 
C

Campster

Do you like my tight white sweater? STOP STARING
QuantumBro said:
Couldn't Valve also make it so that FTP TF2 does not allow item drops, and to get that feature you need to upgrade, buy the game, for $10?
Click to expand...

They could, but I don't think they'd ever do that for a few reasons - first, the weapon drops actually are critical to the game at this point (unlike hats). I doubt they'd put things like the GRU behind a paywall.

Second, that's not the usual free to play model (and not how TF2 has been set up to work). Occasionally you'll see a game like Global Agenda that has a one-time-purchase fee to get upgraded to 'awesome mode' that lets you get access to things free players don't. Generally, though, the idea is to treat games more as a service than as a singular purchase. With that in mind the idea is to make playing the game super fun, but progress CRAZY SLOW unless you pony up. See: Zynga/Facebook games, etc. Same idea here - getting weapons is great and all, but if you want that one specific hat you've been looking for it will take literally months of grinding. Or you could drop $7.25 for that hat right now on the store! Or try your luck with a key for $2.50!
 
S

Sober

Member
I think you guys are overthinking it. Just charge 10$ for the trading system and leave it all as is. You can't trade your items, you can't be traded items. Store still works for microtransaction purposes. Then there they can adjust item drop rates on "free" accounts if they're really in dire needs for the money, or also add hat drops to the 10$ fee.
 
C

Campster

Do you like my tight white sweater? STOP STARING
Sober said:
I think you guys are overthinking it. Just charge 10$ for the trading system and leave it all as is. You can't trade your items, you can't be traded items. Store still works for microtransaction purposes. Then there they can adjust item drop rates on "free" accounts if they're really in dire needs for the money, or also add hat drops to the 10$ fee.
Click to expand...

Hat drops are so, so rare that the $10 fee would never be worth it. No one in their right mind would pay $10 for the chance to get maybe three hats a year if they maxed out their drop rates every week.
 
F

Forkball

Member
F2P TF2 should be stock weapons only, no drops, no trades, 2fort and Hydro only.

I'm always up for more people getting into TF2, but F2P games open the flood gates for annoying kids and hackers to hop in.
 
C

CornBurrito

Member
I'm thinking of getting Psychonauts (I've played it once before but I kind of want to replay it), and it is only 9.99. Should I buy it now, or wait for a potential summer sale?
 
A

Aselith

Member
Campster said:
They could, but I don't think they'd ever do that for a few reasons - first, the weapon drops actually are critical to the game at this point (unlike hats). I doubt they'd put things like the GRU behind a paywall.

Second, that's not the usual free to play model (and not how TF2 has been set up to work). Occasionally you'll see a game like Global Agenda that has a one-time-purchase fee to get upgraded to 'awesome mode' that lets you get access to things free players don't. Generally, though, the idea is to treat games more as a service than as a singular purchase. With that in mind the idea is to make playing the game super fun, but progress CRAZY SLOW unless you pony up. See: Zynga/Facebook games, etc. Same idea here - getting weapons is great and all, but if you want that one specific hat you've been looking for it will take literally months of grinding. Or you could drop $7.25 for that hat right now on the store! Or try your luck with a key for $2.50!
Click to expand...

That in mind, they'd most likely severely handicap drop rates for people playing on free accounts. That's how you'd make progress slow and then they'd offer to sell you the upgraded weapons and drop rate adjustment items if you didn't upgrade to the full game.
 
C

ClovingWestbrook

Banned
Amazing, I was actually thinking of preordering BF3 from Origin. I attempted to make the purchase from within the client using paypal, unfortunately it says that to use paypal I need to pay with euro's. I AM IN THE U.S.!
 
D

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
LovingSteam said:
Amazing, I was actually thinking of preordering BF3 from Origin. I attempted to make the purchase from within the client using paypal, unfortunately it says that to use paypal I need to pay with euro's. I AM IN THE U.S.!
Click to expand...
It is a sign.
 
D

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
LovingSteam said:
EA 'support' is transferring me to senior support via live chat. this should be interesting.
Click to expand...
Try to get a free game out of it!

I personally couldn't get BC2 to launch the last time I tried Origin, I uninstalled it before leaving, but didn't get around to the reinstalling part. I am right now making use of my ability to connect to torrent protocalls to download that copy of Sonic and Sega All Star Racers that Dixon company gave me for free, once done I'll figure out a way to get it to work on my main PC.
 
A

Aselith

Member
LovingSteam said:
EA 'support' is transferring me to senior support via live chat. this should be interesting.
Click to expand...

Demand that they make it available via Steam so that you can buy it with REAL AMERICAN DOLLARS. Call them Communists for added effect. You can add that they are traitors if appropriate after you demand to know if you are speaking to an american or one of them foreigners.
 
C

ClovingWestbrook

Banned
Wow... I am in shock. EA support was magical! Seriously. Not only did they try to help wtih paypal, they added the keys from Steam for Dead Space, Mirrors Edge, and Battlefield 2, and others. Just tell them they are retail keys.
 
B

Blizzard

Banned
LovingSteam said:
Wow... I am in shock. EA support was magical! Seriously. Not only did they try to help wtih paypal, they added the keys from Steam for Dead Space, Mirrors Edge, and Battlefield 2. Just tell them they are retail keys.
Click to expand...
What if I'm honest and tell them they are Steam keys though? Will they yell at me over EA support and kick me off of Origin so I can't use the DLC?
 
C

ClovingWestbrook

Banned
Blizzard said:
What if I'm honest and tell them they are Steam keys though? Will they yell at me over EA support and kick me off of Origin so I can't use the DLC?
Click to expand...

probably. Just say you are trying to use your game keys to add your games to Origin. They won't ask if they are retail most likely. Just have the keys ready.
 
XeroSauce

XeroSauce

Member
InfectedZero said:
So I sold my Portal 2 360 copy so I can transfer over to my new PC, you think P2 will be hitting half off during the sell?
Click to expand...

Maybe half, most likely 25%, since it's still a "new" game.
 
C

coopolon

Member
LovingSteam said:
Wow... I am in shock. EA support was magical! Seriously. Not only did they try to help wtih paypal, they added the keys from Steam for Dead Space, Mirrors Edge, and Battlefield 2, and others. Just tell them they are retail keys.
Click to expand...

Woh, this is actually a pretty big deal since the dlc doesn't work with steam but it will work with origin.

I am going to have to do a support ticket to try to get them to add mirrors edge. While I'm at it I'll try to get them to add Crysis and Crysis Warhead, which are actually retail copies, but won't register I think because they are too old.
 
D

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
So what EA lacks in a good client, they make up in far better customer service. Nice that they got something down pact.

Wonder if they could make Merc 2 work with Origin.
 
C

ClovingWestbrook

Banned
coopolon said:
Woh, this is actually a pretty big deal since the dlc doesn't work with steam but it will work with origin.

I am going to have to do a support ticket to try to get them to add mirrors edge. While I'm at it I'll try to get them to add Crysis and Crysis Warhead, which are actually retail copies, but won't register I think because they are too old.
Click to expand...

Fuck me! Ok. I am having like bizarro world right now. She offered me a $20 coupon due to the paypal issue. $40 BF3 here I come.
 
C

coopolon

Member
LovingSteam said:
Fuck me! Ok. I am having like bizarro world right now. She offered me a $20 coupon due to the paypal issue. $40 BF3 here I come.
Click to expand...

Fucking EA, ruining PC gaming one $20 coupon at a time. I think if you put in your birthday they also send out birthay coupons for some percentage off any game in store (which included preorders at one point I think.)
 
D

Drkirby

Corporate Apologist
LovingSteam said:
Fuck me! Ok. I am having like bizarro world right now. She offered me a $20 coupon due to the paypal issue. $40 BF3 here I come.
Click to expand...
Yep, this here is Amazon like Customer Service. EA has likely stumbled upon the one aspect they could easily out do valve in, and I bet you they may not even be aware of it.

How do I open one of these tickets, I am going to going to hit them up for every EA game I still have a physical copy of. Heck, lets see if they can do anything about my scratched up copies of the Sims 1.
 
C

coopolon

Member
Drkirby said:
Yep, this here is Amazon like Customer Service. EA has likely stumbled upon the one aspect they could easily out do valve in, and I bet you they may not even be aware of it.
Click to expand...

To be fair, reading the EA forums, their customer service may be wildly variable. Some people report talking to one person who adamantly refused the notion that it is possible to register certain cd keys on Origin, so they leave and come back and talk to another person who just registers the cd keys no questions asked. Their forum mods are also pretty proactive in helping people out, but they say things that then their customer service reps contradic. It kind of sounds like a wild west, which is good in a way because it allows things like this to happen, but bad in that worse outcomes can also result.
 
T

The Broken Ska Record

Member
The Broken Ska Record said:
I'm getting a weird issue with L4D2 after I upgraded my card. Steam says that it cannot recognize my card, AMD Radeon HD 6800 series, and that there may be issues with the game. So I start it anyway, and it crashes when I hit a button on the Valve logo. I've made sure my drivers are up to date, so I don't know what else could be the cause. Every other game has run fine, so far.
Click to expand...

Anyone? :(

I may just reformat my PC in the next day or so, and hopefully that fixes it.
 
Dice

Dice

Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Played more Champions Online... The game looks waaaay better with the "comic" filter turned off. Theoretically it is possible do to it well, but if it's just a black outline that is not the comic look and all you're doing is killing detail, depth, and congruency between the characters and the world they're fighting in. However, with it off, the soft smooth look reminds me of those amazing, classy, colored pencil covers Alex Ross did for DC.

The RPG aspect throws me off because it feels so much like an action game. Enemies basically have perfect aim for miles, so there is no dodging aside from that which is statistically counted as a dodge. It feels kind of silly if you're like me and picked superspeed but man do I hate running back and forth, so it was definitely the right choice.
 
C

ClovingWestbrook

Banned
Drkirby said:
Yep, this here is Amazon like Customer Service. EA has likely stumbled upon the one aspect they could easily out do valve in, and I bet you they may not even be aware of it.

How do I open one of these tickets, I am going to going to hit them up for every EA game I still have a physical copy of. Heck, lets see if they can do anything about my scratched up copies of the Sims 1.
Click to expand...

No ticket. Live support. Go here.
 
T

The Broken Ska Record

Member
Well it seems like something has to be up with L4D2, since Portal 2 ran just fine without any issues. Hell, I can't even delete the game off my HDD through Steam without it hanging on me. :/
 
Nabs

Nabs

Member
Have you tried

-verifying cache
-adding -novid to launch options
-a clean install of your drivers (driver sweeper in safe mode)

*shrug*
 
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