Community MetaSteam | March 2022 - Try Finger But Hole

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Mivey

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Sep 20, 2018
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Unsurprisingly it looks very, very different from the first game. Is this even in the same canon?

I am currently halfway through the first Soul Hackers, and for it's age, the 3DS version is very fun to play. It even gives you a couple of "hacks" you can enable to simplify combat a bit. Nothing too major, just things that give you better info on the enemies and make combat into less of a guess work. The entire fusion system the old game has is just insane. It supports both binary fusion (combining two monsters), ternary fusions and even allows you to sacrifice your demons to fuse with your weapons to give you more strength. The sheer amount of systems it throws at you ( and keeps throwing at you) is crazy. Wonder if the new game will be as complex in that regard.
 

Tomasety

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Jun 8, 2020
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iFixit plans to start offering Steam Deck replacement parts this summer.

Valve first announced in February that the repair experts at iFixit would be one of the authorized sellers of replacement parts.
We’ve asked iFixit if it can share information about which parts you’ll be able to get and how much they’ll cost.
In Valve’s official Steam Deck teardown video from October, the company said “thumbsticks, SSDs, and possibly more” would be available, so it’s possible those will be listed at iFixit.
 

Dinjoralo

None shall remember those who do not fight.
Dec 6, 2018
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I actually tried this when it first appeared on Reddit (despite me saying I wouldn't, I have little self-control) as I'm really into 10ft UIs. Right now I have Playnite as my desktop launcher but I am really keen on getting a UI that is a bit more functional compared to Playnite, which is good but only really at launching games.

While the method to get into the Steam Deck UI actually works, it's far from being useful right now.

For starters, in the 20-30 minutes I played around with it, I couldn't find a way to get it to start in fullscreen, meaning I needed to get the keyboard out and press Alt + Enter when it loaded. This is far from ideal for a 10ft UI where you may be using a controller at first boot.

Secondly, it didn't really launch games properly. The main issue is that it retains focus when the game launches, and also forces certain games (like P4G) to launch in windowed mode, meaning I have to first Alt + Tab to the game and then press Alt + Enter to make it go full screen.

In short, it's clearly not ready for use on Windows at the very least.

But it's a great UI and otherwise works very well. It's very smooth, feels modern compared to Steam BPM and has a lot of very useful QOL features that were never implemented in BPM, like being able to pick where games are installed, manage storage devices from a Steam perspective and so on.

It is basically 95% of the desktop client functionality, just with a controller UI.

I can see a point in the future where this new Steam Deck UI, more catered for a general purpose HTPCs on Windows rather than the Steam Deck, will become my daily driver. Combined with set it and forget it software like Steam ROM Manager (for adding ROMs, GOG Galaxy and EGS games to the Steam client as non-Steam games) and UWP Hook or GloSC (for Game Pass games), with OSOL for the edge cases, and you can pretty much launch any game from any library via an excellent Steam 10ft UI that has your friends list, the Steam Store, and so on.
Yeeeeee. I'm chomping at the bit to use this on my living room Windows machine. Or heck, just for it to replace the Steam Input UI on my desktop. I'm assuming it's made in Electron like the desktop library is, meaning feature parity between the UI's won't be a problem anymore.
 
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Mivey

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pretty sure i already saw Valve folks say that the plan with Deck UI is to to at some point teplace BPM
while it will probably not be a focus of Valve, it would be rather nice if they could port some of the features of SteamOS to other systems via the DeckUI, like framerate limiting or system-wide enabling of FSR and of course the excellent gamescope performance UI
 

C-Dub

Makoto Niijima Fan Club President
Dec 23, 2018
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pretty sure i already saw Valve folks say that the plan with Deck UI is to to at some point teplace BPM
Yes, it will be replacing BPM. Still feels like it needs a bit of work though.

I expect once Valve has a set of drivers for Steam Deck they will also have the client and UI experience ready for Steam Decks running Windows too.

Presumably that’s when they’ll launch it for everyone, even if it’s only a beta.
 
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fantomena

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Dec 17, 2018
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Agreed:


I still remember playing Rage 2, was good the first 1-2 hours, then the game opened up to an open world and I quit, haven't touched it since that time (may 2020). Same thing with FC6, still not interested in it because I can't take the same regurgitated open world anymore. ER and BOTW is special in those regards, especially ER.
 

Shahem

R7 7800X3D I RTX 4080
Jan 26, 2020
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France
Forspoken has been delayed as many expected :

It looked pretty rough in the previews and unfortunately it still looks rather generic. It seems to follow the same tired AAA open world formula.

At least the world seems interesting.
 

Futaleufu

Laughing Chojin
Mar 14, 2019
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I must be in the minority here, I've enjoyed every Ubisoft open world game. I didn't like the optional augmented reality missions in Watch Dogs so I skipped them, maybe people should treat their OCD instead of blaming Ubisoft for putting too many icons on a map.
 

EdwardTivrusky

Good Morning, Weather Hackers!
Dec 8, 2018
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I must be in the minority here, I've enjoyed every Ubisoft open world game. I didn't like the optional augmented reality missions in Watch Dogs so I skipped them, maybe people should treat their OCD instead of blaming Ubisoft for putting too many icons on a map.
In the minority here and in places like this? Possibly, but i think many people just don't bother speaking up to say they like them though.
In the real world, nope. These games are very popular.

Many of the open world games that are scorned here are actually games i enjoy and i know people who replay the Far Cry games and enjoy them. They are just not as into metacommentary, sales and technical criticisms as people here and places like this so we just don't see them very often.
 

yuraya

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May 4, 2019
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The problem with some of those open world games is that there is too much hand holding. Your games don't have to be ER but just cut back like 75% of the hand holding and it would be much better received. Let people figure out your game and have fun...and not just follow text book instructions for 80hrs just to see the ending credits. An open world game has to be an adventure game first and foremost. There is no need to have a cluttered map with so much writing and text all over the place.

ER won't be matched for a while as the sense of adventure, danger and reward is incredible.

I'm hoping Starfield does some real good things and not just bunch of fetch quests like Skyrim. Its the next big open world game so fingers crossed.
 

fantomena

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Dec 17, 2018
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From Ubi, the open worlds I have liked the most is Odyssey and Immortals: Fenyx Rising. Turns out both are from the same main dev studio at Ubi. I like them because they reward exploration and doing things my own way.
 
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LEANIJA

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May 5, 2019
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I must be in the minority here, I've enjoyed every Ubisoft open world game. I didn't like the optional augmented reality missions in Watch Dogs so I skipped them, maybe people should treat their OCD instead of blaming Ubisoft for putting too many icons on a map.
I think thats absolutely fine :)

I liked several Ubi open world games too! Just the last few I've played felt too long and slow – but a shorter one thats a bit faster paced, sure!


In the minority here and in places like this? Possibly, but i think many people just don't bother speaking up to say they like them though.
In the real world, nope. These games are very popular.

Many of the open world games that are scorned here are actually games i enjoy and i know people who replay the Far Cry games and enjoy them. They are just not as into metacommentary, sales and technical criticisms as people here and places like this so we just don't see them very often.
Yep! I mean I did just watch that hbomberguy video dissecting and critiquing Deus Ex Human Revolution that goes on for 3 hours (see the Youtube thread), and while I agree with his critique, I still love the game to bits. I think those two dont necessarily cancel each other out. I can criticise any game for whatever flaw and still like it. Nothing is ever perfect.

And speaking of cancelling each other out: I also like linear and open world, and those games inbetween (linear but have semi-open spaces inbetween).
 
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Stone Ocean

Proud Degenerate
Apr 17, 2019
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I don't actively dislike the Ubisoft formula, they just release too many god damned games so burnout sets in almost instantly. Generic AAA romps would be a lot more tolerable for me if they were more spaced out instead of releasing several games in the same year using the same blueprint.
 

prudis

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Sep 19, 2018
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The Kingdom of Beer and Porn
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I must be in the minority here, I've enjoyed every Ubisoft open world game. I didn't like the optional augmented reality missions in Watch Dogs so I skipped them, maybe people should treat their OCD instead of blaming Ubisoft for putting too many icons on a map.
I don't actively dislike the Ubisoft formula, they just release too many god damned games so burnout sets in almost instantly. Generic AAA romps would be a lot more tolerable for me if they were more spaced out instead of releasing several games in the same year using the same blueprint.
like i dont mind the ubioopenworldTM formula by itself , its like the usual mindless fun , which sometimes is exactly what i need ... its just currently reached the level when its just too fucking much ... the ration of wortwhile vs copypaste contend is spreading further and further and the amount of worthwile content is lower and lower each game.... people blaming their own lack of control on OCD or FOMO is one thing .... its just oo much imo.

Like for example my current struggle with HZD (which is not even ubi game , but basically far cry formula ... and not as bloated like modernday ubi games
) , like i absolutely love the world , the theme and have quite fun with the actual story , but i am currently at such point in the game when there is little to no need for exploration , quests are super generic and just throw random numbers of stuff i already defeated numerous times and i just struggle to get through this dreaded section to find the fun meat of the game which is probably the next story mission i cant get myself to progress to
 

lashman

Dead & Forgotten
Sep 5, 2018
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Hello!

We’ve just sent out order emails to the second batch of of Q1 reservations in the queue. For more info on how exactly this order email cadence works, please see last week’s post. We're excited to get Steam Decks into the hands of more customers!

Along with today’s batch of order emails, we have two announcements about reservations and availability.
  • We have been working hard to increase the number of Steam Decks we can produce this year, and we now have more clarity on our longer term production schedule. As a result, in addition to Q1 and Q2, reservers can now see if they are in the Q3 order availability window. You can check the Steam Deck product page (while logged in) to see your reservation window.
  • We are also looking into making Steam Deck available in more countries, including Japan, by the end of the year. The team is continuing to push on all of these fronts, and will share updates as we get more info.

We’ve been excited to hear from customers as more and more get Steam Decks in-hand - it's been amazing to see the posts, videos, and impressions showing up online over the past week. We were also happy to read about the overwhelmingly positive experiences of folks with advanced review units in the press and beyond. Here are a few examples:

  • Forbes
    : “The Steam Deck is truly peerless, and exists in a class all its own.”
  • Gizmodo
    : “It’s not every day that I get to review a device so unique that it could revolutionize mobile gaming. But here it is, straight from the dreams of dedicated PC gamers who have long yearned for a handheld console.” And “…what Valve has achieved is undeniably impressive. So impressive that this once-skeptic is a full believer.”
  • PC Gamer
    : “It doesn't even make sense to call them competitors. The Steam Deck is in a class of its own.”
  • Polygon
    : “The Steam Deck is my new favorite console.”
  • Digital Foundry
    : “Console-quality handheld gaming: Believe it!”
  • Engadget
    : “The Steam Deck is what happens when the Vita and the Wii U get drunk on Linux and make a big baby together.”
  • Rock Paper Shotgun
    : “Even with some software snags, Steam Deck is an ambitious and impressive handheld PC.”
  • Tom’s Hardware
    : “Valve’s handheld has big PC energy.”
  • GamesBeat
    : “My favorite gaming PC ever made.”

That’s all for today, until next time!
 

LEANIJA

MetaMember
May 5, 2019
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Is...Ubisoft reading this forum?
by amazing timing, theres a Ubisoft "Midweek" (because thats what Monday is) Madness:


also a Womens Day Sale:


~

also also, dont sleep on this amazing —8 % deal

Spyro™ + Crash Remastered Game Bundle on Steam



:toucan:
 

Mivey

MetaMember
Sep 20, 2018
4,285
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Is...Ubisoft reading this forum?
by amazing timing, theres a Ubisoft "Midweek" (because thats what Monday is) Madness:


also a Womens Day Sale:


~

also also, dont sleep on this amazing —8 % deal

Spyro™ + Crash Remastered Game Bundle on Steam



:toucan:
Isn't Valve planning to forbid Steam Sales below like 10%? Maybe Activision wants to really enjoy their single digit percentage sale making abilities before it's all over.
 

fearthedawn

MetaMember
Apr 19, 2019
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Since the last Ubiworld game i kinda liked was HZD i played a bit of HFW before Elden RIng sucked up every minute of free time i have. The strongest memory i have is turning off some hud elements, following tracks in a quest and deciding to use my own eyes instead of the cheater vision that plays the game for you. They're perfectly visible but require a bit of, you know, tracking. Aloy wouldn't have it:

"I should use my focus"
"Maybe i should use my focus"
"I should really use my focus"
"Time for my focus"
"The focus would help here"
"I'm sure my focus would show me something"
...

I was stubborn and i think i completed the quest in under 100 mentions of the focus.
 

LEANIJA

MetaMember
May 5, 2019
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Since the last Ubiworld game i kinda liked was HZD i played a bit of HFW before Elden RIng sucked up every minute of free time i have. The strongest memory i have is turning off some hud elements, following tracks in a quest and deciding to use my own eyes instead of the cheater vision that plays the game for you. They're perfectly visible but require a bit of, you know, tracking. Aloy wouldn't have it:

"I should use my focus"
"Maybe i should use my focus"
"I should really use my focus"
"Time for my focus"
"The focus would help here"
"I'm sure my focus would show me something"
...

I was stubborn and i think i completed the quest in under 100 mentions of the focus.
have you tried using your focus, tho?
 

NarohDethan

There was a fish in the percolator!
Apr 6, 2019
9,122
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I must be in the minority here, I've enjoyed every Ubisoft open world game. I didn't like the optional augmented reality missions in Watch Dogs so I skipped them, maybe people should treat their OCD instead of blaming Ubisoft for putting too many icons on a map.
Ubisoft games are fine. They're like doing lines of cocaine, one every other year is fine.

Or not.

Maybe I should stop doing cocaine analogies.
 

Tomasety

MetaEyesMember
Jun 8, 2020
882
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Very long article so I won't be able to post relevant info because there's a lot on it. Feel free to read it and share your thoughts about it.

I talked to Archi (yes famous Archi from ASF) and he was as always helpful giving me insight on the topic.

It should be the devs that produce the configuration of how their game should be launched on deck which is what happens today with games where is the exe, how to launch it, where is saves location for cloud etc.

M;eanwhile valve decided "hey they all don't care so we do it for them"
And of course they ♥♥♥♥♥♥ it up greatly because you can't possibly dive into your game having library of I don't know how many, 40k games to test? out of which you want to AT LEAST grab a thousand of two?

This isn't a task for one person, two people, 10, a hundred even rather it should be "we want you to test your game on deck and let us know how to launch it in optimal manner for best experience" that would result in:

a) game patches for improved compat
b) dev-provided setting which would 9 out of 10 times would be just native > proton
c) perhaps custom proton version or additional fixes if game doesn't like proton, e.g. I had to disable FSYNC for my endzone world apart to not crash after 20 minutes of playtime.

Now tell me how the ♥♥♥♥ the "tester" is supposed to find out that endzone world apart crashes in proton in default setting without spending at least several hours testing it? let alone finding out how to fix it? So it was a mess.
It's like installing proton and then testing every single game out there. This is what those people did. Problem is, ask yourself how many games you can realistically test and tell me how well they work in proton.
If I give you a deadline of a month or two, even if I give you 8 hours daily only for that, quick math, if you were really super efficient, you could maybe get 120 at most.
Solution:
They could crowdsource it the same way protondb did. Send decks to people. Allow them to contribute. Pick the best. You'd NATURALLY have a base

Meanwhile we have the result of 10 interns crunching to meet the deadline and review as many games as possible.
People on steamdb discord server laugh they reviewed some hentai games
 
Reason: Added Archi input
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Line

meh
Dec 21, 2018
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If I can post similar thoughts to what we talk about with the Discord peeps, the biggest issue of open world games is not the abundance of icons or hand holding (well, you know, when it's in your quest log and not literal hand holding when you can't move your char or only walk for minutes because exposition, that stuff is bad) - Elden Ring has loads of stuff on the map, including permanent big bright yellow arrows to tell you where to go, and you can teleport at almost anytime anywhere in the world... that certainly isn't my definition of the wanderlust that you can find in some games.

No, the problem is progression: I always complain about that in many games and many genres, but if you have RPG elements, you really, REALLY need to make rewards worth it.
Not 10 healing grass and 50 rupees, and certainly not 7% of your XP bar toward the next +1% chance to get double pig leather or +0.7% crit damage with your green dagger of the whale+458796.

And Elden fixes that by giving you very tangible rewards in the form of new weapons, or spells, or extremely strong usable items like extra estus flasks (or well, whatever the name is).
Even if you can't use it now, it's a world of difference between getting a new crazy halberd and getting the equivalent of 5 beast bones and 1000 runes.
Open worlds games desperately need better rewards.

And I say having dropped Elden Ring, because I don't think the open world is remotely good, the verticality is great, being able to to different places is fantastic, but it's also excessively large, and extremely copy/paste with the same poor content that every game gets shat on: filled with awful camps, awful turtle "puzzles" and "dungeons" that make their chalice version in Bloodborne look better than they were... and those were terrible. Reusing bosses countless times to pad up the game is not 97 on Metacritic, it's "the Ubisoft formula gets stale" by another dev.
Elden Ring is just far too bloated with samey environments that end up diluting the Souls rewards that you would usually get in handmade content, which is still here and still great anyway. But they're also completely cut off from the open world and ignore new mechanics like Torrent... it's just Dark Souls 4 with an extra layer of open world because PLAYERS asked for it.
 
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