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 :)

9 years ago*

Comment has been collapsed.

I get this regularly. First I'll feel good because I got an achievement nobody else got, or set the high score among my friends. Then I'll notice the telltale card-gathering pattern. They never played at all. I'm comparing my performance to an idling script.

9 years ago*
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

That's a nice quote right there:
"I'm comparing my performance to an idling script."
:D

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

At least I'm winning. Usually.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I do use idlemaster because of my backlog, but I wholeheartedly agree. I also have an issue with leaving a game running minimized while doing other tasks, and that can really rack up the hours too, which I find disappointing.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

the idlemaster is just a tool to farm cards. if idlemaster don't exist, the games will remain waiting for be played.

so, basically, idlemaster has nothing to do with nothing. this ONLY happens because steam separate cards from achievements.

since steam don't even plan to integrate cards with achievements, the cards farming will still mean nothing besides that the game will be waiting for be played when the owner have time to do it... steam knows that happens and they don't care. why we should...?

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Pretty sure I'm one of the 22, sorry about that ;)

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Then whats the point in having the game?

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Happens all the time.

Some guy messages me "Hey how is that game ? I heard great things about it , should I buy it ?" and they get angry when I say I was just idling for cards :(

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I know what you mean.
I get really excited when a game I've given to a winner gets played immediately.
A few of them have been idled ;-;
But I do the same thing, so I am in no position to judge. Hopefully it gets played to completion. :)

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

They should make a real time and a idle time, and Steam should make his own idle programme for cards.
People spend money on a game so they have rights to get cards of it for free or in any way.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Steam can't differentiate between the two though. Idling is just keeping the game open. If you actually play you can get achievements or whatever, but for games with cards but no achieves or no gimme achieves there would be no way to tell the difference between idling and playing

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I do that achievement checking thing too, except I ignore those with playtime less than 6 hours. Never liked Idle Master.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

890 cards not found yet.... better run it for a while.
I still intend to play the games, but the cards are growing and growing...
Also now it is frustrating to have to play a game for 4 hours just to get all the cards. I don't like some games but still want the cards.

9 years ago*
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Idle Master is what you need.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

You'll finish just in time for the summer sale :)

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Not sure, un-droped cards are piling up with more and more bundles, lol

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Lol no kidding. I started farming almost 24/7 for two or three straight weeks before the winter sale. By the time it started I was down to maybe 4 games (from somewhere in the 60s IIRC. By winter sales end I was over 10 and I think now I'm back up to 30-40 -.-

Makes me almost hate these deals lol. But hey! All that farming paid for my entire winter purchase and like $10 worth of gifts to friends, so it all worked out pretty well

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Nice, saving for summer then, hehehe.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I don't care about achievements.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

i use it only when a game i have already finished gets cards afterwards.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

it is valve's fault by implementing such a tedious way to get your cards

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I wouldn't say it's tedious but I have too many games and I'd rather not idle for the cards :p

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I still avoid using it so that I don't mess up my playtime...
But lately I've been asking myself, is it worth it? I'd rather have the wallet I could earn through idling than have an "impeccable" playtime.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

catch!

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I am beyond guilty of this but I agree. It's definitely a fun aspect of the community to compare achievements, especially if one is particularly easy or difficult. But hey, it's a balance. I get why people idle. I mean heck before IdleMaster when I would download any game I wanted to idle, I'd try it for a bit. But most of the time I didn't really want to try it so I'd minimize it after five minutes and go watch something on Netflix. But hey, what can you do. If it's a game you particularly enjoy you should suggest your friends actually play it. Double so if it's a co-op game!

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Welcome to the PC community mane, I read in MGS: Phantom Pain Pc players had unlocked a bunch ton of nukes and had like military supremacy or something, but big buzz killer most players claimed they discovered the nukes by cheating.
here is the note:

http://www.pcgamer.com/pc-players-have-nearly-all-the-nukes-in-metal-gear-solid-v/

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I dont use idle master but i am guilty for running a game on the backround just to farm the cards i do that with all of the games once i activate them or buy them to farm the quick after that some i dont play cause it was bundle trash i bought just for the cards and the rest are completed or going to the backlog i hope to finish one day

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

This vent would be better if people didn't farm cards before idling programs.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

To me I really wish there was a way to make idle master NOT add to the game time, because I myself like to see how long I've played a game, but seeing as I have 400 games, many of which have cards... :,)

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Deleted

This comment was deleted 4 years ago.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

I agree, it's disgraceful

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Totally agree... Looked up some friends: "Playtime last 2 weeks 200h in 100 different games...". Have like 1400 Card Drops left. Not worth it. Only idle manually if Cards are added to a game I already finished.

9 years ago
Permalink

Comment has been collapsed.

Closed 9 years ago by tso184.