Steam Great Gift Pile Swaps and Giveaways.

[johnhughthom]

For anybody that hasn't seen it yet, Steam are offering gifts over the Steam Holiday sale period. You can win games, vouchers or coal (seven of which can be lumped together to get another gift).

You can get at least three gifts without even bothering to play a game, but most are won by gaining achievements in specific game. I have won a copy of Machinarium, a 50% off a Valve title voucher and a lump of coal, and that's without even trying any of the achievements. There's a lot of whinging that the vouchers are worthless as the games are all on sale presently for less than the price after the voucher deduction (vouchers can only be used after the Holiday Sale), but then there are a lot of people in the world who seem to expect something for nothing.

Anyhoo, I thought we could use this to swap things with other orgahs, some people might want a piece of coal to make seven, or other might win games they already have.

Speaking of which, I already have Machinarium, so let me know it you want it, first come first served.

[Kekvit Irae]

I won a copy of Gemini Rue, even though I never really wanted it, and I accidentally clicked on it in my steam inventory, so I am stuck with it now.

[Graphic]

I think of this thread first if I get something I already have (again) or don't want.

I agree about looking a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to whining about coupons, but when I get 7 coal I better not get a coupon.

[frogbeastegg]

I've got 3 coal and a -33% off Valve games coupon. The coupon is only valid after the sale ends and excludes any games released after 2/1/12. If someone can actually make use of it, let me know.

[johnhughthom]

Gah, that Spiral Knights game is horrible. Three tries to get the map for the achievement and no luck, I'm not grinding anymore to get tries at it. I'd probably have won some coal... Hopefully there'll be achievements for games I actually own soon, so far only Psychonauts.

edit: Seems I was wrong, time to find out what Defense Grid: The Awakening is like, sounds like a tough achievement to earn though.

[LeftEyeNine]

I am a coal goblin. \o/

[Hamata]

i entered but dont think it has no objectives for shogun 2 though


ps Changed my name :D

[johnhughthom]

i entered but dont think it has no objectives for shogun 2 though

It adds new achievements daily, there might a Shogun 2 objective before it ends.

Completed two achievements, 2 coal. Yay!

[frogbeastegg]

After 5 lumps of coal and that Valve voucher I won a game! A fairly expensive one too. Farming simulator 2011. Anyone?

This is a nice bonus on games which you already own but the people buying games specifically to get chances at the great gift pile must be insane.

[johnhughthom]

Ha ha, who's going to publicly admit to wanting to drive a virtual combine harvester? Froggy is probably inundated with pms!

A lot of the games with the achievements are relatively cheap, most under a fiver and quite a few under £2. It's a pretty good idea in that it gets people to actually install and play games that they may have had for ages without downloading, like I did with Psychonauts and Defence Grid. Then uninstall them after they get the achievement...

[frogbeastegg]

Ha ha, who's going to publicly admit to wanting to drive a virtual combine harvester? Froggy is probably inundated with pms!

Oddly enough, I saw a bunch of people expressing interest in this series of sims over on 2 other hardcore gaming forums. I couldn't believe my eyes and had to re-read it a few times to see if my sarcasm detector had broken. Nope. Turns out there is a subsect of hardcore gamer who wants to play street cleaning simulator, garbage truck simulator, and that lot. Winning that copy of farming sim is like some big karmic finger pointing at me and going "And you thought it was a joke!"

A lot of the games with the achievements are relatively cheap, most under a fiver and quite a few under £2.

If it's a game you are interested in anyway then it's fine, the achievement is just an added bonus. If you are not interested in the game you're throwing money away; by the time you've purchased a couple of cheap games for the achievements you could probably buy that copy of Portal 2 or whatever. While there are some good games on the reported prize list the chances of getting one are tiny.

It's a pretty good idea in that it gets people to actually install and play games that they may have had for ages without downloading, like I did with Psychonauts and Defence Grid. Then uninstall them after they get the achievement...

You publicly admit to uninstalling Psychonauts?

I've been revisiting games too. Just got Psychonauts left and then I've done all of the ones I can until the next set get revealed. I don't normally bother about steam achievements, with the exception of using them to track my campaign victories in Civ 5 and Shogun 2.

[Kekvit Irae]

I've been revisiting games too. Just got Psychonauts left and then I've done all of the ones I can until the next set get revealed. I don't normally bother about steam achievements, with the exception of using them to track my campaign victories in Civ 5 and Shogun 2.

Psychonauts is a good game, it's just that I don't have the time to play it with my workload and other, more important games (read: Dungeons of Dredmor). So I just looked on the wiki and downloaded a saved game. :)

[frogbeastegg]

I got a voucher for my Psychonauts efforts. For a game I already own. If anyone wants 50% off Recettear let me know. It's a good game.

That's me done until they put up a new list. Today's set are all on games I don't own and the freebie is for a multiplayer game.

Psychonauts is a good game, it's just that I don't have the time to play it with my workload and other, more important games (read: Dungeons of Dredmor). So I just looked on the wiki and downloaded a saved game. :)

I thought "It's the first power you get after you complete the tutorial. It'll take 30 minutes max." Heh, it's been years since I last played the game. An hour and a quarter later and I consulted a FAQ to see how much further I had to go before I got the necessary power. Then I downloaded the save and did it that way as it looked like at least another hour of play. Two or three hours is too much time for a playthrough I know I will abandon since I have my hands full with other games. Thanks for the link.

[Graphic]

The achievements are irritatingly hard compared to the summer special.

I've had Space Marine for months and I've never won game of Exterminatus. The Chaos round is impossible.

OMG @ the Toki Tori one. Screw this.

[Graphic]

and what do you know...got 7 coal, crafted it, and got a worthless garbage -10% id coupon

I'm displeased.

[johnhughthom]

Sorry, but I had to chuckle at that one. Not only a voucher, one of the lesser vouchers!

[Montmorency]

I have few games.

So far: 1 coal, 1 50% off Cliffs of Dover, and 1 50% off Valve.

[Graphic]

I have few games.

So far: 1 coal, 1 50% off Cliffs of Dover, and 1 50% off Valve.

I'll trade you all my coupons for your Cliffs of Dover coupon.

-33 valve, -25 valve, -50 kane and lynch dog days, -10 id

[Montmorency]

I don't want any of these, so I'll just give it to you. Let us transact with little delay.

[D3ATHXVXW1SH]

I'll go ahead and take Machinarium, looks interesting. My steam name is D3ATHXVXW1SH thanks :D

[Kekvit Irae]

Crafted 7 pieces of coal aaaaaand... 50% off Patrician IV. It's like Steam knows exactly what I want!
[/sarcasm]

[LeftEyeNine]

Who wants to trade something for an E.Y.E. or Audiosurf ?

[frogbeastegg]

Who wants to trade something for an E.Y.E. or Audiosurf ?

EYE sounds kind of interesting if overly-ambitious and buggy.

Do you know both of those games have achievements which give you a chance at another spectacular(!) prize?

[LeftEyeNine]

EYE sounds kind of interesting if overly-ambitious and buggy.

Do you know both of those games have achievements which give you a chance at another spectacular(!) prize?

Would you like one, missus ? If so, please deliver your Steam ID.

[frogbeastegg]

If there's no one with a keener interest in EYE I wouldn't mind indulging my curiosity, if you don't want the game yourself. Thank you.

[rajpoot]

I actually have E.Y.E Divine Cybermancy installed on my PC. But I haven't played it for more than 5 minutes up till now, due to there being so many other...'simpler' games on my PC. Plus I haven't found any walkthrough/guide to help me as yet.
TBH it's one of those games which I'd like to play but can't make the effort of playing....kind of like Europa Universalis III.


Edit:

@frogbeastegg

Just for the record, IMO Audiosurf is more fun than EYE. I've been riding my music for months now.

[frogbeastegg]

I've now got 50% off Sam and Max complete pack and 50% off AI War vouchers. You know, in case I decide I don't want them at 80% off and then change my mind ... forgetting that I already own the latter and can't stand the Telltale version of former.

Has anyone managed to get anything good? Or halfway decent?

Just for the record, IMO Audiosurf is more fun than EYE. I've been riding my music for months now.

The videos don't make it look very interesting. According to them you shift left and right to hit some coloured squares while coasting along a linear track. Maybe they are not very representative?

[rajpoot]

The videos don't make it look very interesting. According to them you shift left and right to hit some coloured squares while coasting along a linear track. Maybe they are not very representative?

That's the gist of it. The track itself is generated according to the beats of the song, it's intensity etc. The blocks are generated according to the notes.
But it's not so much as a game as a...well....a very fun, interactive visualisation.

Steam has a demo I think. Some limited number songs or something before it locks.

Demo on Fileplanet.

When you try it out, I suggest do it on some intense kind of music. Heavy with beats.....Like Hypnotize from SOAD.

[Beskar]

Crafted 7 pieces of coal aaaaaand... 50% off Patrician IV. It's like Steam knows exactly what I want!
[/sarcasm]

Why would you want to craft coal though, since every piece of coal allows you into a grand entry where you win every single game and DLC on Steam.

[johnhughthom]

Why would you want to craft coal though, since every piece of coal allows you into a grand entry where you win every single game and DLC on Steam.

Because there are many people out there using multiple accounts to get hundreds of lumps of coal, the chances of winning are remote when you consider how many Steam accounts there are out there. It's down to whether you want a reasonable chance of winning something small, or an infinitesimal chance of winning a complete Steam collection, most of which will be junk you'd never play in a million years. I struggled to put together ten things for my Steam wishlist...