Oh god please remove the checksum

[Adonnus]

jk, I now fully comprehend the true value of this thing, the checksum....is......important.....

 

[Runite]

Tell your friends to get the same version of the game.

 

[Axe99]

I've had so many problems with the 'checksum' being 1% incorrect in the past, it's really the major obstacle these days to playing EUIV for instance with my friends, if there is any way to do this I hope it will be done. It's not present in any other developers' games that I know of and it really drives me nuts sometimes..

It is kind of relevant, in that most games will enforce version control for multiplayer. The checksum, as far as I know, is a nice, simple way of helping players communicate this with each other (instead of "I've got version 1.3.00.3481276, which version do you have?"). I haven't played multiplayer anything outside of console (consoles make life so, soooooo much easier when playing MP - less messing around, more game - although not so helpful for stuff like HoI4!) though, so PC games may have gotten their act together and made it more straightforward.

 

[safe-keeper]

Your problem seems to be you don't have the same versions of the game, which means you probably can't play together anyhow. If you tried, I would predict crashes and other issues.

 

[Adonnus]

Trust me, all too many times I've had the same version exactly, but the checksum is for some reason different. Mostly the only way that works is reinstalling the whole game, it just seems an insignificant issue that blocks the whole multiplayer process without good reason.

edit: goddamn it. I kinda knew this was inevitable, but maybe there is another solution? A file-checker for vanilla compatability. Or something that tells you what you need to do to get to the vanilla checksum.

 

[nAssailant]

A checksum is exactly what it sounds like: a sum of values taken from tiny chunks of relevant data in some software for the purposes of error control. In most pieces of software, it is used to make sure that each installation was completed successfully with no error that could cause instability or unwanted performance. In the case of Paradox, it is used as a way of enforcing version-unity across patches and in multiplayer games.

Every game you have ever played online, even on consoles, has some sort of checksum that makes sure your version is compatible with everyone else's. The difference with Paradox is that it is on display for you to see. This is to allow the player to make sure his version is the correct version, and that there are no problems with his installation (or with his mod installation, if s/he has a mod installed).

To put it another way, if your and your friend's checksum are different, that is your own fault. Not the software's, and certainly not the checksum's. Paradox's games are very complex in terms of assets (files, etc.), so the checksum is actually very important to maintain functionality.

It's a "Don't shoot the messenger" type thing. It is your responsibility to make sure that your base installation and any mods that you have are installed correctly. There are tons of resources on this forum that you are free to access that deal with patch support and each patchnotes comes with a checksum for you to cross-check with your own installation. Even most mods (all the good ones, anyway) post checksums that you should have if you have installed the mod correctly. If you truely find that you are having checksum issues, you should describe your problems in-detail on the support forums.

At any rate, the checksum won't be going away, and for very good reasons. You're just going to have to get used to it. :happy:

 

[zwatt08]

If your checksum is different it's for a reason. Your games are incompatible and have slightly different Data in there files. Just use the same version or inform your friend of changes you made so they can change to.

 

[SchwarzKatze]

Let Steam check the integrity of the cache, and don't touch a thing there after that.

If you never touched anything inside the game folder yet the checksum is different every time you start the game, then your PC is infected by some virus that damage your file systems, or your hard drive is physically wearing out.

 

[Liquid Sky]

I wish I could get rid of the check sum on my credit card.

 

[ringhloth]

It's your responsibility as a consumer to police what happens with your game files. Validate your game files through steam. It's easy and pretty quick, and should fix any checksum problems.

 

[mattyh1995]

It's your responsibility as a consumer to police what happens with your game files. Validate your game files through steam. It's easy and pretty quick, and should fix any checksum problems.

This. And if the Steam Validation doesn't work, backup your saves and completely remove all the game files from all locations (steamapps and your documents). As people have said above, a checksum is necessary for multiplayer and every game uses one.

 

[Mjarr]

Trust me, all too many times I've had the same version exactly, but the checksum is for some reason different. Mostly the only way that works is reinstalling the whole game, it just seems an insignificant issue that blocks the whole multiplayer process without good reason.

edit: goddamn it. I kinda knew this was inevitable, but maybe there is another solution? A file-checker for vanilla compatability. Or something that tells you what you need to do to get to the vanilla checksum.

Steam cache validation and\or fresh reinstall usually solves the problem. To parrot nAssailant in shorter form, checksum issue between two computers simply means some data is not matching up and thus they are incompatible, whether it is due other one running different\outdated mod or inadvertent vanilla data overwrite. Most graphical changes do not (AFAIK) affect checksum but even one altered number\event\scope of something in any database related is enough.

 

[varsovie]

It's also a small anti-cheat and usefull to avoid file corruption (had it once), more so nowadays with steam, since it doesn't seem they do on-the-fly checksum on downloads.

 

[unmerged(748229)]

Sometimes you need to update your game, start a fresh campaign, quit, then reload the game. This usually generates the correct checksum for me (assuming I updated it correctly.)

 

[podcat]

Sometimes you need to update your game, start a fresh campaign, quit, then reload the game. This usually generates the correct checksum for me (assuming I updated it correctly.)

yeah this could be true for older titles that generated map datafiles. I dont think it is anymore though.

The checksum is basically there to make sure the game is the same for everyone in MP. Otherwise anyone could cheat, or worse it would go out of sync very quickly or crash.

Remember this scene from Terminator 2:
[video=youtube;HmUc080H9Ug]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmUc080H9Ug[/video]
Thats why you checksum stuff.

 

[Concept2D]

Austrian national dog "Wolfie" confirmed

 

[adam_grif]

The checksum is altered after you play your first game for the session - I can't remember if this is HoI3, Eu, CK or all of the above. But at any rate, getting everyone to restart from desktop is usually what that encourages you to do. A bit annoying.

 

[Zombie Trotski]

All I remember is I couldn't play Eu3 with my buddy cus of checksum. Fuck it, and fuck all o yall

 

[fabius]

Of all the things we could aspire for HoI 4 and hope that's improved from 3, and we have checksum rants :rofl:

Please get the game done and on Steam.

 

[Darkath]

The checksum is altered after you play your first game for the session - I can't remember if this is HoI3, Eu, CK or all of the above. But at any rate, getting everyone to restart from desktop is usually what that encourages you to do. A bit annoying.

EU4 don't do that anymore, so i assume it will be the same for HOI4.