The amazing power :S Yea sometimes I would also check the achievement of my friends as I needed help but realised that they used Idle Master :l
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I generally agree... I didn't want to use Idle Master just because of this for a very long time, and wanted to manually idle (and try) all the games... But, so many bundles and so many games with cards made it almost impossible to try everything (with everyday real life responsibilities), so... Idle Master had to do it...
I still get mad at myself for doing it... But... :(
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Depending on the country you live in and whether you have free electricity or not, it is even possible to lose money on idling :)
For me it's almost €0.2 per kWh. If my computer is around 80W when idling, that means that idling a game for 8 hours would have to give at least €0.13 when selling the cards dropped during those eight hours for it to be profitable.
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However, if you idle while you are using the computer (which means that you already are consuming electricity) it's a win situation :D
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True, true. Just thinking about the people who seem to be idling 24/7.
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Or, you can have a low-power mini-PC and use only about 4-10 W on idling while also using it as a NAS/server/HTPC/whatever.
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And that's why I'm still idling my cards after months of using Idle Master, because I don't idle when I'm not doing anything on my PC.
312 card drops remaining :(
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That'strue if you only turn on your computer to idle games. If it's turned on anyway, because you're doing work with it, you might as well run idlemaster in the background.
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As people already said... I usually leave my PC running during day, so it's not really important...
Also, kWh in my country during day is about €0.08 (during nights, it's about 0.02)... And that is after spent 300 kW during month... Under 300 kW, it's about 60% of that price...
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Agree with this, took me a long time to convince myself that Idle master was no cheating. It's such an useful tool
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+1
I fought it for a long time. "No, this game is special, I will 100% play it soon, I want to have legit playtime!". So I add a bunch of games to the IdleMaster blacklist and only idle the free ones, the cheap I bought for cards (I dunno if its like that in other countries store, but in Brazil the most cheap steam games actually pays themselves and you even profit from the card drops) etc.
But then other games get released, I find games I want to play just a bit more than that one, I win a game here on SG that I want to play right away, or its a game from a style I'm not easily in the mood, or I don't have time, or I'm stuck in an addicting multiplayer game or a game with a lot of replay value, so it gets delayed... then the last time I checked my blacklist on IdleMaster had 40+ games. From my blacklist, in a couple of months, only 2 games I had time to play and get the drops naturally.
So I just removed everything from blacklist and idled all. But at least got more money from cards to buy more games that I will only play in a distant future. ;p
Other thing that made me decide to idle everything is that I also worry about some of the games getting bundled (or free when its already bundled) so I want to sell cards for the best I can fast. :<
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I use it because backlog...
The value goes down day after day :C
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when have dozens and dozens of games its impossible to install all
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Well, my opinion still is, that my playtime is none of anyone's business, I don't like it when Valve collects that kind of information and I like it even less if it's presented to my friends. People nowadays are much too nosy for their own good. Bearing that in mind, it's I'm quite content when idlemaster screws up the data :-)
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That's an interesting take on it. If you combine it with that software that lets you add achievements, and add a few each time you have idled a game it would be impossible to know if you're really playing anything ;)
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Actually, I'm using SAM instead of idlemaster anyway, because Iit's easier to run in a virtual machine on an old winxp.
I just refrained from adding any achievements with it so far, beause there's a warning that it might get me a VAC ban and
because I don't care about achievements anyway. Then again, I don't have most achievements even on the games that
I play for real, because I often play them in offline mode ;-)
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Yeah, and sometimes I even don't want to know that myself.
I spent over 5000 hours on Arma 2 and 3 combined in the last two years, I didn't want to know that!
raises clenched fist at Valve
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Friends are probably the best to stalk. Show up outside a friend's window and you might get a laugh. Show up outside a stranger's window and you might get a court date :(
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Hehe, who knows, I regularly sue my friends.
Just kidding, hehe
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Problem is when one need to play 8 hours with a 2 hour long game to get the card drops :\ one would need to idle it later anyways
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I completely agree with you...
until I discovered I had 350 game cards waiting to be plucked up. and most of them hidden behind games I don't even want on my account. I've been running idlemaster all week since.
Down to 250 cards now, once I get them. I won't do it for any of the future games I buy >.<
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Lol, I have like 600+ drops waiting for me... I probably should start running IdleMaster again, but...
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tso184: I like it when I find people who only have "real" gametime, it's nice to see what people are actually playing.
Well easy. Just adjust your personal "rules". A game time of x hours (for e.g. 5) shall from now on be considered a game time of 0.
PS: I just randomly checked The Book of Unwritten Tales on this matter:
Of 100 friends 24 own it.
Only 2 actually played it (similar game time to what I needed to play through it).
5 at least started it once (but maybe didn't like it).
21 didn't start it once - 0.0 hours (game has no cards btw).
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I usually idle cards first with idlemaster even if I'm going to play the game, because the "You have a new item!!!" usually breaks immersion in the game. (Maybe I'm weird).
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Almost all the games in my library that I have "played" for 2-5 hours are from Idle Master - some extreme cases go up to 8 hours, but it's mostly 2-5. So I suggest you don't consider your friends' play time as "real" unless it's not within that range. :)
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I never idle a game/game cards.
If I start a game is for play it.
I'm the only one?
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Nope. I only get cards when I play, so I still have quite a few drops left, waiting to play the actual games once I get around it.
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Same here. Using games just to get card drops just feels wrong to me and unfair towards the developer who created the game for people to play and enjoy it. x:
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I think a developer won't mind when ppl buy his game for the cards and otherwise wouldn't buy it at all.
Most bundle games with cards aren't necessarily fun to play too. And once you have many games there's no real chance in life to play them all.
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Devs will be happy that they are getting more money (when you sell the cards), although little.
Also, what if you don't like the game. Do you never get the cards for it? :3
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Would you believe that in my case the answer is "yes, I don't even get the cards for it"?
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It is believable for those who don't care about the cards or the money from the cards.
cenilec was talking about it being fair/unfair towards the devs. So i was wondering what cenilec would do.
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I don't get games that I don't intend to invest at least 3 hours in. + Like talgaby, I don't care about cards that much either.
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I see, what if you don't get the cards in three hours? Would you leave it and deprive the devs of some money or get the cards anyway? =o
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They do, well.. probably the publishers.
Edit: The "fees" is split between Valve and the Publisher, I don't remember the cut though.
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Ah, right. No, I don't get the cards in that case.
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I see, well... I just get the cards for my own advantage not for the developers or publishers. Extra money from the games I already have :3
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That's great then! It's all a matter of perspective. The idea of playing games for profit instead of pleasure doesn't appeal to me, but obviously that's only my individual opinion.
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There are too many games to play and too little time, When i am playing a game. I am playing to have fun :D
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10%/10%/80% (minimum 1 cent/penny if you have a good currency), for publisher/Valve/seller.
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Well, I care about cards, but in the sense that if I finish a game, then I'll get a level 5 badge (and foil, if affordable) for it. So in this regard, not finishing the game makes me uninterested in the card as well. And the first sentence also means I'm among the buyers, not the many sellers when it comes to cards, so profit is not something I look for since I'll always be in the negative.
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I see, I stopped making badges after I realized it's better (for me) if I just sell the cards :D
I am actually lazy to Idle (although i have done it) and probably still have some card drops (or not) =x
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Think of it as a hobby in my case. I don't hoard Steam games, I just craft badges. At least this way I don't have a product that is meant to be used untouched in a collection: I only have decorative things in the collection. Plus I show some form of appreciation towards the game and to a degree towards the creators.
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You'll be happy to hear that you're probably no unique in most of the things you can imagine. There are after all several billions of people on this planet and we are pretty similar psychologically.
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Am I the only one on SG who doesn't care about cards? I don't even bother to get the cards, not even with a program like that. I just care to play a game.
It's funny, every time I see on steam that a game with cards has been played by 80 friends and another one with no cards and/or without achievements played by no one but me.
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I don't really care about cards. A game I own/want has them? Yeah, I'll take them as I play. A game I might like doesn't have them? I'll buy regardless. A game I won't play is free and has cards? Not getting it.
So no, you're not alone. :)
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Exactly the same goes for me. Also, have you played Caesar III (for hundreds of hours like me), or you just liked CaesarIA? :)
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No, no I haven't.
I've only played it for about 2,5 thousand hours. Give or take a few. So I'm a bit terrified but excited CaesarIA will be just like CIII but without the walker limit. My bf laughed about this. Then he saw me play CeasarIA in its buggy glory for 18 hours straight.
He laughs no more.
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Citizen! This game needs more players ;)
Just.. wow. Awe, to you. I had such playing sessions with Caesar III, from morning till night, unforgettable times! Also with Civilization III and Age of Empires II!
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Ah, AoE3! Having a friend over who was (is) an even bigger fan and reminded me of the llamas and sheep! Might have to dust off my disc and try it this weekend...
Yet to try CIV III, been hoping to win it from here, but if CIV IV is anything to go by... I might need a sabbatical when I finally get it.
You don't happen to have any recommendations on good modern alternatives in the same genre? Might want to take up something after I finish my current GIP.
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I wrote age of empires 2, maybe due to the exclamation point it seemed as 3.
Civ III was on a recent humble bundle first tier along with many others, although it was amazing back then now that Civ IV and V exists I doubt that someone is still playing it. Spent countless hours on it though.
Endless Legend is certainly a pretty decent choice for anyone who's enjoying the Civilization series.
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No, I read you right but it reminded me of AoE3's existence. xD Never was that big of a fan of AoE2.
I'm still a bit miffed I didn't buy the HB thingy, but since I didn't want anything but the CIV V DLC and CIV III... Oh well. And all my h/c gamer acquaintances say CIV III is the best of the bunch. Will def buy at some point!
Thanks, Endless Legend is on my wishlist, great to hear it's worth checking out. Maybe from the next sale. :B
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That is strange, since usually AoE2 is the liked one and AoE3 is the one which is considered as if it never existed.
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W00t I didnt know theres a remake.
I hope it comes with a path stopper like Pharao had. It's the only missing feature I terribly cursed Caesar III for. Have it on my GOG account and surely the original cd somewhere in my basement xD Somewhere having fun in a box with The Settlers II and III (which I also own in GOG by now since those old games wouldn't run properly on my Win 7 otherwise).
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^^ Welcome to CeasarIA addiction! I personally don't like the roadblock trick. I think Emperor had it too(?) and... it's just so easy! :D
Oh, the C3+Pharaoh+Zeus bundle on GOG... That's seriously tempting but I'm glad I've kept my hands off. Almost bought The Settlers from the last sale too, I love them! Don't think I ever could beat one or the other, I'd still like to give it a try. And Warcraft, that was just precious. Still have a PC just for playing that and a certain modded version of Doom2.
Yes, when I'm in, I'm in.
Do you have any recommendations for acceptable modern replacements on Steam? I feel like no good RTS RM/CB game has been made in a decade...
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There seems to be a few of us, I'm the same.
That is quite a good indication of whether a game has cards or not :)
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I don't care for cards, I just care for the free money I get selling said cards.
Idling makes it simpler so I do not really care if my "friends" notice I did not really play Crappy the Videogame. XD
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You didn't really play Crappy the Videogame? I feel lied to... Please tell me you at least tried the sequel, "Crappy the Videogame II: Crappy's Revenge"? I really liked that one, except for the Mother's story line, that was pretty boring...
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I should still add that whenever I "try" a game then I'm absolutely determined to 100% it, so my playtime is 50% true.
It's not that because someone slacks some games for cards they do it for all games.
Now I'm curious to try Crappy's Revenge tho =)
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It's 'free' money, which is why peeps care about it so much. :D
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Like it has been pointed out by another person earlier, it could be even more expensive in terms of electricity cost in order to get cards. Let alone the time you have to spend checking values, listing on the market, confirming emails etc.. I'd rather spend this time to actually play a game :)
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I assume a lot of us have our computers on most of the day anyway so running it in the background won't make a difference electricity wise. Also there are some add ons that enable you to sell items with a single click at current market value or even higher/lower.
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All of your arguments have valid points, also I wasn't aware of that add on, from that perspective it sounds more appealing indeed.
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Besides that, time consuming or not, I prefer idling the games I don't like and get the money to buy ones I like and are effectively worth to "actually play a game".
Also you can play other stuff while idling so it's not that the PC stops doing other stuff as well... elctricity, AH!
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I didn't, then realized how many I could get, ran idle master over the last 2 months, sold all the cards and made over $40 from em
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That's another valid point, if you can gather that much and buy games that you actually want to play. Ok, you got me there. But I need to mention another side of it. I like how steam is keeping the time of every game you ever played, these are some interesting stats for myself. It's needless to mention how idling games is messing with it.
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Kind of agree on that. I also idle some games, but there are games that I won't idle, because I want to see the real time I spent on it (for whatever reason). But I have some games I'll never play (or not anytime soon) and I usually idle those.
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I run idle master when I'm afk and when I get back, I face my backlog
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Well even if you don't sell all the cards, one of the reasons to idle the cards is because you're not eligible for a booster pack drop till you have idled all the cards for any particular game....
But I get where you are coming from :D
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Probably one of the reasons why I've never gotten a booster pack drop ;)
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Wow, have many games can you get them from. I can get them from about 80 or so games and only got 1 ever (it was from Just Cause 3, so it had a pretty high value).
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I don't know how many of my games have TCs but I've typically only got 10-20 odd games to left to idle... so however many I've finished idling out of the 1700 odd games I'm eligible for a booster pack :)
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Some achievements even make fun of this:
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And even then it now has a mere 68% of achievers anyway XD
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I have alot of fake game time , but I never use idle master, I manually idle a game IF I already finished the game and have most/all the achievements but I didn't get all my card drops yet, then I idle it to get the cards :P
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I run idle master when I've finished the game and there are still cards to drop - sadly it gives some playtime to other games too. And once I accidentally left it for two hours, so I have bunch of games I didn't play with 2 hours playtime D:
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Most of my 'games played' are actually just idles :P. I do keep a list of all the games that I've finished on my profile, which is horribly short considering my backlog ;_;.
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Keep at it, you're almost at one percent finished ;)
I also have a list of finished games for easier stalking.
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Perhaps understandable, but I don't have glasses, so at least that thing sets us apart ;)
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Idle master is a good thing. I have some games that I would never ever play, but why not farm their cards?
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I only started idling cards a month or two ago. I refused to do it for a long time but in the end it is basically money lying around, and the longer you wait, the less money you will actually get from these cards.
I absolutely understand you in that matter; it is kinda sad actually :/
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Money lying around only for some. For people like me, who collect them for badges, they are money sink waiting for another Euro infusion. ^.^
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Well, I mean, I craft badges too but only certain ones; so the cards for badges I don't want land on the market to be sold.. to then use that money to buy the remaining cards for other badges :b
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This is one of those things that would be very hard to explain to one's grandparents (or similar non-tech-interested person) :D
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Same here. I just sell most cards I get, but from games I'm really interested in I keep them to make badges (atm only XCOM 2 and Skyrim (apparently, didn't even know : / ) cards in my inventory)
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Well, with ASF and my offline farming mode I solved at least one of those problems - my steamcommunity profile is never again showing "Playing" status on games being idled - when I show as playing, I'm indeed playing, and not farming. It helps.
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That's pretty nice. If I was more into multiplayer games I would probably be tempted to join in when I saw friends starting to play a game I like. Hard to join a game when someone idles :D
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All my close friends have direct order from me to use ASF for farming instead of idle master - if anybody from them show to me as playing while it turns out he's just farming - I remove him from my friendlist :3.
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I go offline from steam chat while idling. Not useful for everyone though!
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Farming offline is not equal to being offline. You can't reproduce what ASF is doing without ASF. The whole point is to show to your friends as "Online" instead of "Playing game" when you're farming, and you can't do that without going offline in your steam client (unless you use ASF).
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I am not even talking about ASF (whatever that stands for).
I was referring to "my steamcommunity profile is never again showing "Playing" status on games being idled - when I show as playing"
Edit: I see you have editted. I don't really have friends I usually talk to on steam. There is one, but we don't use steam to chat xP
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So, I'm playing a game.
"Ah, cool, 22 of my friends on Steam also play/have played this game! I wonder how many managed to get that achievement that seems a bit tricky."
Starts checking achievements for my friends with gametime
Turns out no one actually played the game (no one even has the achievement that's super easy to get, that you basically get just by playing the game for 5 minutes), everyone just idled for 3-8 hours :(
I understand that people run it to get all cards, and that it can make a nice addition to your Steam wallet if you have lots of games and sell all the cards... but it messes with some of the otherwise nice community features on Steam. I like it when I find people who only have "real" gametime, it's nice to see what people are actually playing.
It isn't really a big issue, just wanted to vent :)
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