What's your take on a game like Ashen? An Epic exclusive that was never promised being anywhere else? R u ok with exclusives like that?
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Game News Phoenix Point now an Epic Store Exkloosive
- Thread starter Darth Roxor
- Start date
What's your take on a game like Ashen? An Epic exclusive that was never promised being anywhere else? R u ok with exclusives like that?
Cross
Arcane
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2017
- Messages
- 3,036
karoliner
Arcane
I just now got the time to read the thread is pretty funny.
Here's my findings on this topic, I also posted to ResetEra.
But I tried to replicate those and found out that Epic Games Launcher on start up searches for Steam install
and proceeds to get list of files in your Steam Cloud (this includes mostly game saves for every user that has logged in on your PC)
Steam Cloud is stored under userdata\[account id]\ if you wanna check
It will also create encrypted copy of config\localconfig.vdf.
This file contains your steam friends, their name history (groups you're part of, are considered "friends").
It seems friends might be used for friends suggestions, but I don't even use that feature and it collects more than that.
While it's called "localhistory" it is synced from cloud
It will read, encrypt and then write copy to: C:\ProgramData\Epic\SocialBackup\RANDOM HEX CODE_STEAM ACCOUNT ID.bak
It will also keep historical entries there.
As for contents of file:
Example of friends entry:
Play history, will contain last playtime
300 = Day of Defeat
Code:
"300"
{
"LastPlayed" "1384125348"
}
(1384125348 is unix timestamp near end of 2013). Apparently I have played this then.
To replicate these findings you can use Microsofts Process Explorer:
Process Explorer - Windows Sysinternals
Find out what files, registry keys and other objects processes have open, which DLLs they have loaded, and more.
docs.microsoft.com
It's recommended to add filter: "ProcessName is EpicGamesLauncher.exe" otherwise there will be tons of crap. Also you can set Drop Filtered events to save on memory.
First step is finding out where Steam is:
Then it will enumerate everything in Steam Cloud.
It doesn't seem to read anything, but just names of all your saves of games
Then it will read localconfig.vdf
after it's done:
42834588 = steam account id
76561197960265728 + account id = steam id = 76561198003100316 (this is my account)
HansDampf
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2015
- Messages
- 1,547
Selling HL2 exclusively on Steam was a shitty move back then. I refused to install Steam until 2007 when the Orange Box came out. And then it took another 3 years until I bought the first non-Valve game on Steam. They've turned it into a pretty good, customer-friendly service, though it's still DRM. I prefer to buy games on GOG, where I can download and archive installers like I actually own the games. In my ideal world every store would be DRM-free like GOG and not require me to install a client.
The Epic Store is a big step in the wrong direction, away from that ideal (yet another client, no user reviews, bribe tactics, Chinese conspiracy, etc.). Defending Epic with "Yeah, but STEAM DID IT TOO!!!1" is idotic. You'd also be okay with future upcoming competitors to use similar tactics? I want more GOGs, not more Epics.
The Epic Store is a big step in the wrong direction, away from that ideal (yet another client, no user reviews, bribe tactics, Chinese conspiracy, etc.). Defending Epic with "Yeah, but STEAM DID IT TOO!!!1" is idotic. You'd also be okay with future upcoming competitors to use similar tactics? I want more GOGs, not more Epics.
I still don't like them. The more platforms a game is released on, the better. That includes Steam and GoG as the two most important, but the best case scenario is also a DRM-free physical copy you can install directly from the DVD (sadly this almost never happens anymore), itch.io if it's a smaller indie game, Discord store now that it exists (even though I'll likely never use it), etc.
Zboj Lamignat
Arcane
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2012
- Messages
- 5,777
10/10 gaming history and a brilliant analysis of what actually happened
Classic lamignat post.
Crescent Hawk
Cipher
- Joined
- Jul 10, 2014
- Messages
- 664
Now that Playstation vs Xbox is essentially over, or over the hill. The fight is now on pc, its a brand new "console" war, this might be good honestly,
I would not care if China spies on my porn. But I am still not using epic for now.
Maybe steam will get out their asses, gibe more bucks to devs or even, I shudder, make videogames again.
I would not care if China spies on my porn. But I am still not using epic for now.
Maybe steam will get out their asses, gibe more bucks to devs or even, I shudder, make videogames again.
eXalted
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2014
- Messages
- 1,234
I think there is one. It's called The Internet.
Van-d-all
Erudite
Isn't codex supposed to be in pitchfork mode towards GOG over ditching Grimoire though?
Almost as if social perception towards digital media changed in those short 15 years...
Exactly. So don't worry, in 10 years Codex will get properly stockholm-syndromed by Epic too and will defend Sweeney just as furiously as it does Gaben today.
ArchAngel
Arcane
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2015
- Messages
- 21,299
They are still making videogames, just not the ones that interest you.
cosmicray
Savant
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2019
- Messages
- 436
Wouldn't that be overly stupid even for Codex?
Metro
Arcane
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2009
- Messages
- 27,792
Pretty sure no one (sane) here defends Gabe. And no one is in favor of Steam exclusives. In fact, in recent years you've had a lot of releases being on Steam and GOG simultaneously.
Epic exclusivity is a step backwards. Honestly, your only argument in this debate seems to be 'lol it makes Steam users mad' without any thought as to the actual purported benefit it has... *spoilers* ... the only benefit is to developers.
Well at least you're honest I was kindda worried you'd strawman the shit out of my argument.
I don't see how this is worse than the DRMed steam platform, but yeah the people who were expecting a release on GOG should take back their gold and wait for a DRM free release. Just play a pirated version until that happens. Then you can reward them when they finally do the right thing. The problem is not abandoning Steam. Steam sucks and should be abandoned and steampunks should be executed humanely with pentobarbital. The problem is the switch from no-DRM to DRM. That should prompt a switch from purchase to download-for-free. Bits are just information and information wants so badlly to be freed. Just let it go.
Zboj Lamignat
Arcane
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2012
- Messages
- 5,777
Indeed, if only we could possess skills that would allow us to come up with something. Like basic reading. Or basic thinking.
Fred
Learned
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2018
- Messages
- 128
I don't like Epic store simply because it's shilled non stop by the gaming press. "Steam is oppressive with all its freedom and consumer friendliness, and they let games I don't like be sold without political censorship, and that's a bad thing" is what they say. They even have forums, so basically they're nazis.
When the ennemies of the people shill something, it's not hard to know it's bad for you (no, it's not a quote from a certain president, I didn't wait for him to notice).
So well, I'll skip or pirate this one.
When the ennemies of the people shill something, it's not hard to know it's bad for you (no, it's not a quote from a certain president, I didn't wait for him to notice).
So well, I'll skip or pirate this one.
Fenix
Arcane
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters - this is a monster Fornite gave birth to.
Untell release and play piarated version further.
Untell release and play piarated version further.
Guy de Incognito
Ensit Media
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2015
- Messages
- 63
Forgive my ignorance, but (unrelated to the entire platform wars thing) why does anyone care about any other XCom spiritual successors when Xenonauts exists?
Fenix
Arcane
They had HORRIBRU fonts, I couldn't play with it, eyes were popping up from eyesockets.
ArchAngel
Arcane
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- Mar 16, 2015
- Messages
- 21,299
Because Xenonauts is an average game. I played it for one playthrough and went back to Open Xcom and Long War.
I like old UFO games and I like the new XCOM: Enemy Unknown (and EW add on and LW mod). I like tactical games. I like turn based games.
And I really tried to like Xenonauts. I tried to like it because in theory it's a great game and because I wanted to justify spending money on it.
But I couldn't.
EVERYTHING in this game is crappy. The first jarring thing is air combat. While in theory very good, it's just too bugged. About 5-10% of my air fights end up in my and enemy aircrafts circling around each other forever at the same spot, and if I try to move my plane it's an obvious suicide, so I can either do that or alt+F4. Other than this annoyance air combat is fine as it is, however, it's much better to just hit autoresolve and spare yourself some irritation from time to time.
The next extremely annoying thing is a field of vision of soldiers. It seems they are are incredibly shortsighted to a point they can't see anything over 10 meters away and miss targets that are five meters away by fvkking miles. The best tactic is to run at enemies to stand one meter away from them as in melee fight and then shoot them because otherwise your dumb fuck retarded soldier will miss or even perhaps kill one of the other squad members shooting in a wrong direction by a 90 degrees. In addition, while the player is walking around the maps almost blindly, aliens always know where the player's units are. Even if they are on the other side of the map they already see you. So screw you if you wanted to use a short vision against the enemy.
The next thing is that aliens just love "camping". A bunch of them will just sit in their aircraft with a closed door (so far I did not find a way to just blow upthe whole aircrafts with those t4rrds inside) and wait for you. If you run a soldier over there, they will murder him and close the door. In consequence you just put a bunch of soldiers around the door, run with one tw4t through the fvkken door and get him shredded due to aliens' reaction fire and then shoot everything inside with the rest of the squad. Every fight same tactics. It's repetitive and boring.
While your guys can't shoot anything 5 meters away, aliens seem to have better aim, but that's not even very noticeable. What is very noticeable is that sometimes they shoot from twice your vision or through walls which are impenetrable for your guys. Ultimate trolls.
It's also funny to see a fully armored combat vehicle to explode into pieces after a "bullet" from the enemy's gun hits it. It looks like a tank exploding after being shot by a gun. Why, what I don't even... either don't put such vehicles in the game if they seem too powerful or make them very expensive, but why put such a vehicle only to be as easily destroyed as a random soldier? Especially when the vehicle takes 6 slots, meaning you could put 6 soldiers on its place? Sure, it has a very powerful gun, but so what if it gets destroyed withing a few rounds.
The game also crashes like crazy on Linux. Loading new map... crash. Air combat... crash. New round... crash.
I do not recommend this game to anyone. It's a waste of money, time and nerves. If you like old XCOM/UFO, then just play them or go ahead with the modern casualized version that is XCOM: Enemy Unknown/Within, which is still a great game on its own. Try out the Long War for more fun. But for your own good stay the heck away from a tvrrd that is Xenonauts. I wasted money that would buy me a few sacks of potatoes or some burgers, do not make the same mistake. Actually, don't even buy it when this game will get cheap and hits -75% sales. It's just unplayable.
ArchAngel
Arcane
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2015
- Messages
- 21,299
You forgot to mention that art style is also bland, music is forgettable, there are only a few maps. Squads you can bring to missions are also small and you cannot lose more than 1-2 soldiers per mission without losing the campaign and just like new Xcom it does not feel like a horror game like the UFO did.
And then there is the whole thing about how enemy psionics works...
Only thing they did better than UFO is how in heaviest armor you can go through walls and fences.
And then there is the whole thing about how enemy psionics works...
Only thing they did better than UFO is how in heaviest armor you can go through walls and fences.
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