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August 02, 2025, 08:04:21 PM

we're back, baby

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=162953&site=pcg

Quote

So how do these hedonistic game gurus want to change the way we play games online? They want to make it more sociable. Right now most players double-click a server and play with strangers for an hour or two, then never see them again. Valve's latest big announcement, The Steam Community, will encourage you to play with friends, and make new ones.

The headline feature is one-click matchmaking, both for new games and existing ones such as Counter-Strike. You'll be able to jump straight into a game with players of your skill level, with no history of griefing, by pressing a single button. It also lets you form a party with your friends, and automatically find a game that you can all jump into and play together. There are parallels to Microsoft's Live service, obviously, but the differences are heavily in Steam's favour. You need the £40-a-year Gold subscription to get Live's matchmaking, whereas Steam's is free, and it'll be supported by masses of our favourite games from day one.

The 'Community' part comes in when you form or join groups, like the PC Gamer UK Group we'll be setting up. Members can see when others are playing a game, join them, or schedule a match for a specific date and time. They'll also have a dedicated chat channel to talk to each other on regardless of what game they're playing, even between rounds.

Lastly, but perhaps most visibly, Steam Community gives you a personal gamer page that's accessible via the web, with embarrassingly detailed stats about what you play, how much you play it, and what kind of player you are. It even highlights noteworthy trends - the example we saw told the user "You like playing as a Boomer. Sometimes you (accidentally?) shoot your fellow Survivors."

I expect to see an F13 group.

Hah. That was fast.

I can't make fun of him though... This may or may not be mine.

This is good stuff. (The Steam stuff, not the squatter stuff). Playing with friends or even associates regularly is one of the big things that MMOGs have over FPS type games on PC right now.

Quote from: Azazel on June 18, 2007, 10:34:03 PM

This is good stuff. (The Steam stuff, not the squatter stuff). Playing with friends or even associates regularly is one of the big things that MMOGs have over FPS type games on PC right now.

How'd you mean? Most fps players beyond pub level tend to congregate in clans/teams/groups anyway. I'm am somewhat bemused by their claim that one will "be able to play with players of your own skill level". I wonder how they invision this to work.

I mean I'm certainly decent at FPS games, but treat them totally as pick up and play games, so I'm not interested in joining a clan with set play times/league games/matches or any of that shit any more than I am in raiding in WoW. Being able to log into steam and see on my friend list if anyone I like is on anything I wouldnt mind playing will be nice.

I haven't had ASE installed for years now, did that pick up players you tagged as friends even if they weren't also running ASE?

Lol, Valve just can't help but twist that knife into the back of Games for Windows Live. I think this is pretty awesome, count me in on the f13 group.

Quote from: Azazel on June 18, 2007, 11:48:00 PM

Being able to log into steam and see on my friend list if anyone I like is on anything I wouldnt mind playing will be nice.

Steam's had that feature for a while, actually. If someone on your Friends list is playing a multiplayer game in Steam (at least one of the Valve titles, I don't remember if it works for third-party stuff like Defcon), it'll show up in your friends list, and you can click to join their server. You can also send a Steam IM to them inside the game (no alt-tabbing), which is tremendously useful.

The matchmaking and reputation tracking stuff is new, though. I'm curious to see how that turns out.

Quote from: Azazel on June 18, 2007, 11:48:00 PM

This was the basic idea behind X-fire. It's how several of us found and fought against each other in BF2

I'd wondered long ago whether they were planning something like this. Sounds like a great service and I hope they get it running before TF2 is released. I'd love a nice F13 group.

Quote from: Megrim on June 18, 2007, 11:27:35 PM

I'm am somewhat bemused by their claim that one will "be able to play with players of your own skill level". I wonder how they invision this to work.

I'd assume they use the data that's being sent to the webpage of your stats and some crafty algorithm to figure out what your skill level is.

"Hey, the guys in this game all suck. That algorithm must be buggy!" :-D

Somebody PM me or hit me when the orange box comes out I dont even have steam atm.

Sure, I'd be in the f13 group. Not like it's a hassle or anything.

I'm happy it won't interfere with your schedule.