Steam: Achievements, Cloud & Workshop

[TheBoozehammer]

I realize this would probably not work, but you you make converted ironman games work in EU4 ironman?

 

[A-D.]

Well, I think exactly the opposite: I do not like Steam, it annoys me to download the software, the way games are displayed, and many other things. I much prefer the flexibility of GG and the bluecoins system - and I think many other people think as I do. I do not see price differences. I would harldy back your claim that Steam would have become dominant anyhow, although I admit that the matter would deserve an academic analysis.

More importantly, whatever the path was, the fact that Steam has become a natural monopoly makes room for government regulation of the sector.

Monopoly. You keep using that word. I dont think it means what you think it means. A monopoly is not something that just happens naturally, in fact you actually have to work on it to make it a monopoly. For starters, you need a service, a product that you can not get anywhere else, that would be the easiest way. A second, slightly harder method is false scarcity methods, introducing and enforcing a system that limits the amount of items to a specific number, being that only X amount exist of any item, the price is either decided by the provider, or the customer.

The fact that you can get games everywhere else, GG, GOG, Uplay, Origin, Desura and so forth means that Steam does not have a monopoly. In fact the very reason it doesnt is because it is a Store, its like Gamestop, or whatever "gaming store" you have nearby. If no publisher or developer wants their games to be sold on steam, they dont have to and as such you couldnt buy it there. EA took most of their games off steam a while ago. Want to know what a attempted Monopoly is? DX10 Vista only. That was a attempted monopoly. Windows-specific hardware, that was attempted monopoly. GFWL, another attempt. A monopoly only exists when you are the only person who can provide a certain thing, it has nothing to do with where people buy their stuff.

 

[wickermoon]

Well, I think exactly the opposite: I do not like Steam, it annoys me to download the software, the way games are displayed, and many other things. I much prefer the flexibility of GG and the bluecoins system - and I think many other people think as I do. I do not see price differences. I would harldy back your claim that Steam would have become dominant anyhow, although I admit that the matter would deserve an academic analysis.

More importantly, whatever the path was, the fact that Steam has become a natural monopoly makes room for government regulation of the sector.

If you'd argue that Steam has become dominant, then how can you claim that it is a monopoly? I mean, come on, you contradict yourself in the same post.

 

[smeggy]

That technically, it's a network-externalities based natural monopoly. A platform of a two-sided market, more precisely. As such, it has excessive market power and most likely it earns profits that are consequence of an inefficient industry structure.

More than the Steam business model, I should have referred to the current state of the videogames distribution industrial structure. It's perhaps an industry that would need some sort of government regulation.

An economic lock-in, especially in the software industry, isnt that easy to regulate. How would you approach this? Like with MS Windows, you cant tell costumers to not use the operating system that comes with the largest selection of software. I can think of only one way: the enforce an open API for all digital platforms, but thats not something governments have any history of doing.

 

[Johan]

People, if you already have all the DLCs on GG but have a Steam copy (EUIV preorder) you can copy over the DLCs to the Steam CK2 DLC folder (same dlc_signature file). Not sure how legal it is though.

100% legal, and perfectly acceptable. Those DLC are verified to be owned by you on that machine.

 

[Johan]

5%

closer to 2.

 

[Jernquist]

I guess this is a bit of a stupid question but hey, worth a shot.

Let me just preface this by saying I actually bought all* of my Paradox titles through Gamers Gate because I believed PDS would get a bigger cut of the money I paid for the game. This despite me preferring to own my games on Steam as I like having all my stuff in one place rather than dividing it between different service providers. I thought I'd be a good consumer and support a company whose games I truly appreciate. I bought a ton of DLC that I've thoroughly enjoyed, and I've played most of the games for more hours than I care to think about. If I had money to spare I would just buy all my DLC for Crusader Kings II on steam seeing as I already have a Steam version of the game thanks to pre-ordering EU IV, but alas I don't have that kind of money to spend at the moment. I don't want to add to the voices that are angry with PDS, but I would also like to say I'm saddened to hear these features will be coming to a version of the game that I don't have access to the features I have paid for. I'll have to choose between achievements and ironman mode - which has been super good for my enjoyment of EU IV - and added gameplay depth and flavor thanks to the DLC I own.

So here's my question to PDS - is it in any way possible to transfer the DLC that I own from Gamers Gate to Steam? I'm guessing it's not going to be possible, but I'm ever the optimist.


*except Hearts of Iron III, which was the first PD game I bought which I found through Steam.

 

[SBolshevik]

closer to 2.

Ugh, even worse. I read somewhere that it was 5, and some people even claimed it to be 20.

 

[Arko]

100% legal, and perfectly acceptable. Those DLC are verified to be owned by you on that machine.

so, let's all convert to Steam faith and improve multi-player feature then

 

[JeffreyLXV]

Hello everyone.

We are aiming to have workshop, cloud-saves and achievements enabled in 1.12 for the Steam version.

Yes, this means that we can add in ironman mode with the cloud & achievements mechanics.

For achievements I'd prefer more subtle events than just self-evident grandiose accomplishments:

Become a spymaster, chaplain, etc for different level lieges.
Get imprisoned, blinded, castrated.
Get assassinated or survive attempt.
Die in battle, prison or from the plague.
Rule as a bastard.
Marry a king/queen/emperor.
Fall in love.
Get excommunicated.
..and so on.

Spotlight the story building events of CKII and RP elements, not just the paint the map stuff. ...and thanks again.

 

[Variton]

"People, if you already have all the DLCs on GG but have a Steam copy (EUIV preorder) you can copy over the DLCs to the Steam CK2 DLC folder (same dlc_signature file). Not sure how legal it is though."

There isn't any technical problems with this? Just copy/paste and the game works as you had bought the DLC's from steam?

 

[SBolshevik]

"People, if you already have all the DLCs on GG but have a Steam copy (EUIV preorder) you can copy over the DLCs to the Steam CK2 DLC folder (same dlc_signature file). Not sure how legal it is though."

There isn't any technical problems with this? Just copy/paste and the game works as you had bought the DLC's from steam?

Yup. Simply copy the DLCs from the GG DLC folder to the Steam DLC folder. And, according to Johan, it's 100% legal.

 

[wickermoon]

...
Get imprisoned, blinded, castrated.
Get assassinated or survive attempt.
Die in battle, prison or from the plague.
...
Fall in love.
Get excommunicated.

Those are not achievements. Those are things that happen to you. People seem to have lost the understanding of the word achievement ever since some ***** company thought it a good idea to reward running through a level with an achievement. The first achievement on this (edited) list is even counter productive and those achievements are part of the reason, TF2 became such a shitty game. Everyone and their mother played the game contrary to what they were supposed to.

 

[Lord Finnish]

Those are not achievements. Those are things that happen to you. People seem to have lost the understanding of the word achievement ever since some ***** company thought it a good idea to reward running through a level with an achievement. The first achievement on this (edited) list is even counter productive and those achievements are part of the reason, TF2 became such a shitty game. Everyone and their mother played the game contrary to what they were supposed to.

+1

 

[Arko]

"People, if you already have all the DLCs on GG but have a Steam copy (EUIV preorder) you can copy over the DLCs to the Steam CK2 DLC folder (same dlc_signature file). Not sure how legal it is though."

There isn't any technical problems with this? Just copy/paste and the game works as you had bought the DLC's from steam?

tested and approved so far.

 

[Kenthen]

100% legal, and perfectly acceptable. Those DLC are verified to be owned by you on that machine.

Fantastic, glad to hear that.

 

[Yazman]

I much prefer the flexibility of GG and the bluecoins system - and I think many other people think as I do.

The stats given by Paradox staff beg to differ. I think it was Johan who said that Steam sales have been more than 90% and Gamersgate, as Johan actually said IN THIS THREAD close to 2%.

If so many people prefer GG, then where are they?

I think the reality is that anti-Steam people like you are a very small but very vocal minority and certainly not representative of gamers at all, let alone Paradoxians.

 

[JeffreyLXV]

Those are not achievements. Those are things that happen to you. People seem to have lost the understanding of the word achievement ever since some ***** company thought it a good idea to reward running through a level with an achievement. The first achievement on this (edited) list is even counter productive and those achievements are part of the reason, TF2 became such a shitty game. Everyone and their mother played the game contrary to what they were supposed to.

The "things that happen to you" are not "counter productive" but are at the core of CKII's sublime vicariousness. Achieving those different experiences or failing to avoid them is entertaining and more memorable than just winning another war.

Watch the many trailers Paradox has made for CKII that highlight these flavorful events. In the very first one the player is possessed by the devil, fending off a brotherly assassination plot while sleeping with the spy-master's wife, among other "things that happen." http://www.crusaderkings.com/

"Everyone and their mother played the game contrary to what they were supposed to." - That is uncomfortably authoritative.

Perhaps if you ponder this little Roger Miller quote you can broaden your understandings. It came to mind while reading your comment:
"Some people walk in the rain. Others just get wet."

 

[Grombeard]

"People, if you already have all the DLCs on GG but have a Steam copy (EUIV preorder) you can copy over the DLCs to the Steam CK2 DLC folder (same dlc_signature file). Not sure how legal it is though."

There isn't any technical problems with this? Just copy/paste and the game works as you had bought the DLC's from steam?

What happens when the game gets updated by steam?

Or when DLC get upgraded like after the last big patch?

 

[SBolshevik]

What happens when the game gets updated by steam?

Or when DLC get upgraded like after the last big patch?

Nothing. However, if it happens like with the Portrait DLCs recently that you need to redownload them, you need to redownload them via GG if you bought them on GG.