An update on recent technical problems and more from the admin: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/250292/on-technical-difficulties-mod-coverage-and-other-things/p1?new=1
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This is the old and busted [STEAM] thread
TychoCelchuuu
PIGEONRegistered User regular
PIGEONRegistered User regular
Most Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I register this __Insert Game Here__ on Steam?
Here's a list of games you can register on Steam. You can always add a non-Steam game to your Steam games list, so that people can see you playing it.
2. If I buy a game pack that already includes a game I own, can I gift that game?
No, this was a one-time thing for people who already owned Half-Life 2 and bought the Orange Box. Additional copies you own are lost forever to the ether.
3. Why isn't __Insert Game Here__ available in my region?
Many Steam games might be unavailable in your country if you have the temerity to live outside of the United States. This is not Steam's fault. Regional game availability is determined solely by the publisher, who should be the source of your ire. Gifting works regardless of region so you might find some helpful person in North America who can gift you the game.
Here's a list of games you can register on Steam. You can always add a non-Steam game to your Steam games list, so that people can see you playing it.
2. If I buy a game pack that already includes a game I own, can I gift that game?
No, this was a one-time thing for people who already owned Half-Life 2 and bought the Orange Box. Additional copies you own are lost forever to the ether.
3. Why isn't __Insert Game Here__ available in my region?
Many Steam games might be unavailable in your country if you have the temerity to live outside of the United States. This is not Steam's fault. Regional game availability is determined solely by the publisher, who should be the source of your ire. Gifting works regardless of region so you might find some helpful person in North America who can gift you the game.
Helpful Stuff
electricitylikesme wrote: »AUSTRALIANS!!!!
You need this program.
It reconfigures your Windows IPSEC settings (run it as an admin) to block out all but the servers which don't count towards your download quota on Steam. Now supports a bunch of ISPs through a graphical interface.
Basically guarantees you won't add to your download quota with Steam.
150KB/s
Download TCPview: TCPView
Then, use TCPview (run as admin if you're on Vista) to close all Steam TCP servers (this is important, NOT the UDP ones, just the TCP ones). Steam will then reconnect to a different server, which will hopefully get you a better speed. If you don't go faster in a couple of seconds, retry until you get a speed you like.
This shit totally needs to go into the OP, I've tipped this to so many people already.
Cool Community Add-Ons
Steam Signatures
With such a cool service, someone must have done some extra things to build on it. The forums have one such man, who made some super cool Steam signatures. Suds is his name and killing is his game. Except for the killing. The signatures automatically use backgrounds for the games and the correct icon. Pretty neat, and they're 100% free!
Sample signature:
Steam Calculator
You can also use a script on his Steam Calculator page to see how much your Steam account would be worth if you had taken advantage of some obscure, arcane combination of special deals that nobody could ever have taken advantage of. Or something sort of like that.
Steam Sales Tracker
This is apparently a sortable list of all the cool stuff on Steam that you can narrow down via categories (like "on sale") but it may have cased to work.
With such a cool service, someone must have done some extra things to build on it. The forums have one such man, who made some super cool Steam signatures. Suds is his name and killing is his game. Except for the killing. The signatures automatically use backgrounds for the games and the correct icon. Pretty neat, and they're 100% free!
Sample signature:
Steam Calculator
You can also use a script on his Steam Calculator page to see how much your Steam account would be worth if you had taken advantage of some obscure, arcane combination of special deals that nobody could ever have taken advantage of. Or something sort of like that.
Steam Sales Tracker
This is apparently a sortable list of all the cool stuff on Steam that you can narrow down via categories (like "on sale") but it may have cased to work.
The Mis-Adventures of LewieP
As funny as the following comic is, LewieP does spend a lot of time looking for bargains, for us.
The Steam Circle of Life
This image is from the SomethingAwful forums Steam thread. Hilariously enough it basically describes out Steam thread too:
Steam iPhone App
You have an iPhone? That money could easily have been spent on Steam games. If you want to make the best of your shiny gadget, however, check out this Steam iPhone app. For less than the price of a grande mocha frappacino or whatever, you can buy an unofficial program (which appears to have been created by a PA guy who has not stepped forward if the Armadeaddon screengrab means anything) which does all sorts of Steam shit.
TychoCelchuuu on
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Just bought a gamepad, and am digging playing through Psychonauts again.
Will have to experiment and see what other games in my list play well with a controller as opposed to kbam.
Robots Will Be Our Superiors (Blog)
http://michaelhermes.com
Braid is much, much better with a controller.
Robots Will Be Our Superiors (Blog)
http://michaelhermes.com
Most anything that came from a console that isn't a shooter is probably going to feel pretty comfortable with a gamepad. I actually found myself playing Defense Grid with one.
All right, people. It is not a gerbil. It is not a hamster. It is not a guinea pig. It is a death rabbit. Death. Rabbit. Say it with me, now.
Unfortunately, I didn't get the achievement.
My Backloggery
While I haven't tried it with keyboard, I'd think it wouldn't be too bad. I'm okay with playing 2D platformers with keyboard. I guess that might come from playing stuff like Jazz Jackrabbit as a kid.
I moved this weekend, I've been spending all my time unpacking.
It already dropped in price, and it was on sale not that long ago if i remember correctly.
I moved this weekend too, although I beat you by a day plus all of the things I own fit into about 6 boxes. In any case the Steam thread was mine for a while too so really it's just trading monarchs at this point more than it is some sort of usurpation.
I think there's something wrong with this boy.
So, I got annoyed by the default skin and decided to try some others. I'm currently using this:
For comparison, this is what Steam v3 looks like by default.
It has the somewhat dubious name of "Enhanced Steam by TDD" but it works pretty well... relatively minor changes, but I like the better-defined menubars and button image changes. are there any other good replacements?
Most people I know of that have Macs ethier have a PC separate from the Mac with which to play games or they do like I do and use Bootcamp to halve their Core Duo Macs into 2 parts, a Mac part and a PC part, and use the PC part for games. I didn't use Steam much to get my games or use them on the PC side of my computer until recently, but now that my Mac can use Steam and Valve's expanding their games into Mac territory, chances are high I'll be using it alot more, and I'm sure i'm not the only one. Most people have Steam anyways on their PC, so now they just have it on their Mac as well.
I have this one. If you have a PS2 or PS3, this will obviously feel very comfortable. For $20, you can't beat it.
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/gaming/controllers/devices/288
Robots Will Be Our Superiors (Blog)
http://michaelhermes.com
Too busy playing Civ and wondering how Portal went from being really easy to WTFHARD in like 5 seconds
I've heard single player is pretty solid. Should I grab the gold edition? For $20 doesn't seem like I can go wrong.
All right, people. It is not a gerbil. It is not a hamster. It is not a guinea pig. It is a death rabbit. Death. Rabbit. Say it with me, now.
Yeah, many games nowadays support only the 360 controller, and that's that. I guess it's a combination of lazy (cheap and easy console ports) and even more lazy -- instead of enumerating devices and handling all these numerous input combinations, buffering, interpreting data, etc., you literally use one function call to the XInput API to grab a controller state. Two if you wanna send force feedback data. Done.
I picked it up and have been having a blast with it.
The Pipe Vault|Twitter|Steam|Backloggery|3DS:1332-7703-1083
This is what I picked up, although I bought mine at retail for $25. I'm currently wondering whether or not I should have just dropped the extra $15 and picked up a 360 controller (and gotten rumble), but this controller is pretty solid so far.
The programmable buttons (including the L3/R3 style analog sub-buttons) and the ability to create a profile for each individual game are pretty awesome.
You know what I'm talking about.
All right, people. It is not a gerbil. It is not a hamster. It is not a guinea pig. It is a death rabbit. Death. Rabbit. Say it with me, now.
I agree that the system requirements were silly, but the DRM even more so. Steam, Securom, and a 5-machine activation limit. For a retro 8-bit game. That costs 3,99€.
The only thing missing is the need for a constant internet connection and a codewheel.
Yeah, I got the original DoW2 for $25 and had a great time with it. I haven't touched the multiplayer. Even played a few missions in co-op with a friend, although the downside to doing that is you get used to controlling only 2 dudes instead of all 4.
My Backloggery
On Windows XP, if it matters any. I just want to know I'm not alone on this.
I used to get an error similar to this on XP all the time. Did the actual bar for loading your account when you sign in start? Mine would start get about 1/3 of the way through then vanish and Steam would crash (no crash warning or error message it would just be as though I never started steam). I would have to delete steam and redownload it (saving the steam folder so I only have to dl the client) to get it working. It since has stopped doing this completely. I'm not sure if it's because of the new version of steam or my switch to Vista.
I would buy it from the actual place right now, but I like having everything on steam.
Damnit, Ive become a steam whore
Wait, it has SecuRom and an install limit?
On a five dollar game that is digitally distributed?
Well fuck that then.
And I can't see why the devs and programmers are lazy. There is a great pad with lots of great features and it's easy to implement. Why the hell would they have more trouble with that?
Interesting. I'll have to give this a try later.
What is it with anti-DRM people and install limits. I don't ever see myself owning more then five computers in the next ten years.
Unlike you, I guess I don't consider games to be a disposable form of entertainment.
edit: What RBach said