Edit - A common saying round here is 'ask a silly question and get a silly answer'. Clearly Brexit wasn't enough for me to learn that also applies to public votes, but here you go.

OK, obviously I know how to do that. But I'm going to have a bunch of games to giveaway soon and I find it stressful to decide the best way to do it (or at least the way that will get me into the least trouble). And I thought; "You know what, I'll just leave it up to other people. I'll have a poll and go along with what other people think is best for at least the next several months and then if anybody moans it'll be the fault of democracy." I'll add the train here in a few days if that is what is people voted for. The options are;

Public giveaways for level 2+ users

I started off doing public giveaways. I started trying other things because of the winners who didn't mark their games as received, the winners who complained they had won crap games, the winners who already owned the game, etc. But level 2+ isn't so bad, I guess because people at that level have had to run a bunch of giveaways of their own and understand what is involved, and I'd still be prepared to do that.

Pros

  • It's easy
  • It gets the best results if I feel like promoting my art
  • No blacklist drama
  • Fewer angry people abusing me in broken English for only making private giveaways and being a big leech

Cons

  • Most troublesome winners
  • I feel slightly bad for the hypothetical level 0-1 users who aren't complete dicks

Poorly hidden trains in discussions for users of all levels

This felt like an upgrade to me in terms of winners - it seems people who are paying enough attention to notice a train in discussions also generally pay enough attention to mark their games as received. And also meant I could have some fun with simple puzzles, choose-your-own adventure trains and themed trains. But did also come with a few drawbacks.

Pros

  • The most entertaining for me - especially when people get abusive without realising that something posted in 'puzzles' might be a puzzle
  • Most other people seem to like it also

Cons

  • Annoying blacklist drama from people who appear to have forgotten that they blacklisted me first
  • The worst leeches using alt accounts, leaked giveaway links, etc, to farm low entry giveaways
  • People complaining that It's an inefficient method of entering giveaways and I'm wasting their time
  • People complaining about elitist high level users flaunting their wealth and thinking low level users will be happy with bundle trash

SGTools protected train with lax rules

After a few bad experiences I recently experimented with an SGTools giveaway with rules of no unactivated wins and a minimum games given ratio of 0.2 - which I didn't think was unreasonable and overall seemed to work quite well.

Pros

  • Least troublesome winners

Cons

  • Many people appear to be of the opinion that SGTools is the elitist, exclusionary cancer that is killing Steam Gifts
7 years ago*

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What giveaways should I make in the future?

View Results
Public giveaways
Poorly hidden trains in discussions
SGTools protected train with lax rules
All of those ideas suck, let me tell you what you should be doing instead...
Are you mental? Just keep the games and farm the cards
If you have games then give them to me! I'll comment below so I can be blacklisted/suspended!

Another vote for the SGTools protected giveaways here.
I often use them as I think it's a good way to share games with people who follow the rules and give something back to the community.

7 years ago
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I voted for SGTools. Seems to be the most effective tool ever created here, beside levels.

I also agree with the cons because region lock rule that gives me no chance most of the times (I don't even try anymore).

About the other rules (any) it is an awesome idea, because, in the end, it always will be something around "give to win" + "don't be a selfish" (which I totally agree).

Although, I'm very lazy to create rules and think about the range of gibs... I simply choose a high level to share something that must be shared...

Edit*: poor english being fixed. Still poor I know, but at least I tried.

7 years ago*
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75% of your GAs are not region restricted. Why do you feel you have "no chance most of the time"? I think the vast majority of SGTools-protected GAs don't define region restricted CV with a limit that would be problematic for you.

7 years ago
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I feel that way because most of region lock rules was denied at first. It was something like 7 out of 10 and most of times was mixed with simple rules like vac ban or something like... The last one that I tried (2 or 3 months ago) was in the Love Thread from cucooo. Same result: denied. Since then I take denial as general rule when I see region rules. I don't even analyse what rule is anymore, I just skip...

7 years ago
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That's too bad, because I think you'd be pleasantly surprised if you tried to actually go through. For sure you'd be able to access the hundreds of SGTools-protected GAs that I created (though most of them are for bundle leftovers so maybe not worth your effort).

7 years ago
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Sorry to hear that Vini. I have since my testing thread adopted a custom region restriction of at least 50% free CV and you have 75%, that's the halve more than required and that will make you a valid entry without any problem in this and all my future SGTools trains.

I can understand that it's not fun for you that you can't enter a portion off the region restricted SGTools giveaways but you really should try to enter as 3/4 of your giveaways are region free.

You can enter mine and Yirg's and a lot of others, please just try.

7 years ago
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Make a 40k miniatures painting and crafting related puzzle that requires people to look up 5+ year old posts on dakkadakka,belloflostsouls and warseer. Totally legit.Especially that last one...

Seriously though, even though it's got problems, SGTools might be the best option.

7 years ago
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I am now tempted to make a quiz based entirely on Warhammer rules supplements from 1980s White Dwarf magazines...

7 years ago
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I'd fail, I didn't pick up a copy of WD until the mid-'90s:P

7 years ago
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Fuck SGTools. Tired of seeing idiot region restriction requirements, ratio, etc in giveaways. Either people want to give away games or they don't. SGTools is, IMHO, ruining the "spirit of giving" on this site

I vote for using the tools right here on the site to make giveaways. XD

7 years ago
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You don't care if people with multiple wins,non-activated games, or VAC bans win games then? I do think that some people get overzealous using SGtools, but the original intent is something SG badly needed imho.

7 years ago
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  1. I check my winners manually now for SG rule breaking
  2. I don't care if someone has a VAC ban. It has nothing to do with SG and is not against the rules here.
  3. Many SGTools giveaways go directly against the level system implemented on SG itself.
  4. Region restriction ratio, group ratio, sent/won ratio, etc all overstep the bounds of SG's own rule/design system IMHO.
  5. I don't give a crap about "leeches" (and in fact despise that word now).
  6. If they added a filter for "SGTools Giveaways/Non SGTools Giveaways ratio, I might consider using it. ;) Just kidding, I'll never use it again. :P

Keep in mind, I used to fully support the use of SGTools for giveaways, but seeing now how far they've overstepped the boundaries of the site CG created (and pays for), and yet still use the resources he provides to make their giveaways, along with how much more they fragment an already fragmented community, I can't get behind it anymore

7 years ago
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SGTools is usefull.

7 years ago
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Thusfar i havent had to use sg tools myself and not planning either but i can understand why people would and its up to the person how to giveaway their games in my opinion. as for myself i do prefer to give steamgifts for lower levels than bundle links [although level doesnt say much per se but in my mind i think it reduces the risk a bit of losing a bundle game wich is silly i know ;p] as i can restore them to inventory or worst case i can see where it ended up [or maybe i have just been lucky thusfar ] and makes it easier i geuss to proof to support. But if i ever would loose a game to a scammer or such once or twice u can ask me again if i would still not use sg tools ;p.

View attached image.
7 years ago
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choo-chooooo :3

7 years ago
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Have a bump!
Thanks!

7 years ago
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bumpety bump

7 years ago
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here we go again

7 years ago
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I use SGTools to check for multiple wins and non-activated games ... thanks & bump!

7 years ago
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Bump, thank you!

7 years ago
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bump

7 years ago
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Bump.

7 years ago
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Bump!

7 years ago
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Deleted

This comment was deleted 3 years ago.

7 years ago
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bump!

7 years ago
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Bump Thanks for the Chances.

7 years ago
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Bump, thank you!

7 years ago
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Bump!

7 years ago
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Come at late but thks for GA

7 years ago
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dwnq

7 years ago
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Bump!

7 years ago
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Congrats on a win - I've now sent your key!

7 years ago
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bumps

7 years ago
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Just do whatever you feel best with. Our opinions are just that :)

7 years ago
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