[Updated] How To Revert To Previous Versions of the Game

[[TA] Trance]

Previously you were able to revert back to earlier versions of Paradox Development Studios (PDS) games at will on Steam. These specific versions predate the enactment of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - hence they are not compliant with the new policy.

In order to continue our endeavor to reach full GDPR compliance, we have designed a new system regarding the access to earlier versions of PDS titles: from the 1st of October 2018 onward all previous versions of PDS titles will be locked under a Steam password.

After 1st October, you will need to log into the Paradox Plaza website with your Paradox Account to access the codes for previous branches of each game that you own. This will, however, require you to link your Steam account to your Paradox Account. In an effort to comply with the GDPR, this is something we need to put behind the Paradox logins as it requires agreement to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use to adhere to the GDPR guidelines.

To get the codes for previous versions:
Go to https://accounts.paradoxplaza.com/games and log in (or create) your Paradox Account.
You will have to link your Steam and Paradox accounts to see your games - where your codes will be listed.
To link your Steam and Paradox Accounts: simply go to the Settings tab. Under Steam account click connect (you will then be redirected to Steam to confirm your action).
With that done the Games tab on Paradox Plaza will show the list of codes needed to revert to previous versions.
See below to revert to older versions under passlock.

How to switch to old branch versions:
Go to your Steam Library and select your game of choice.
Right-click and select Properties.
Under the “BETAS” tab.
Enter the relevant code retrieved from Paradox Plaza and click “CHECK CODE”.
Select the version you wish to play and wait for Steam launcher to finalize the switch.
If the previous step fails, exit the game, right click properties, local files, Verify integrity of game files and wait for all files to be verified.

For FAQs and further discussion on this subject, please visit the main thread for these changes on our forum at this link: https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/1120883/

If you don't have a Paradox forum account yet, or need help with anything, feel free to post. I'm going to leave this thread unlocked so that we can help each other out.

Do NOT use this thread to complain about GDPR or argue about 1.9 vs 2.0+ etc.

[StarJack]

HI, so I linked my Steam account to your forum successfully. When I go to the game tab on your forum it only shows 1 game, Stellaris, but does not show EUIV or HOI which I also own. I also do not see any codes anywhere around the stellaris icon?

So two Q's, will the game codes only show up after Oct 1? And how do I get the other games I own to show up?

[Athmet]

Originally posted by StarJack:

HI, so I linked my Steam account to your forum successfully. When I go to the game tab on your forum it only shows 1 game, Stellaris, but does not show EUIV or HOI which I also own. I also do not see any codes anywhere around the stellaris icon?

So two Q's, will the game codes only show up after Oct 1? And how do I get the other games I own to show up?

I believe they said the game tab is different from the actual code tab. It should be ok and showing correctly starting Oct 1st.

[Donut Steel]

Well this is an interesting interpretation of the GDPR.

What if I consent to the older Stellaris versions but not to the conditions of a Paradox account? Not only is this way of interpreting the GDPR interesting, it seems to be quite convenient.

[Joshua Norton]

this is a very strange approach to the GDPR and while i appreciate that i'm at least able to play an version of the game i actually bought(up until 1.9), i dont think forcing people to create a paradox account is the right way to handle the GDPR(even *if* i already had a paradox account for other reasons).

dont continue on this path of customer threatment paradox, please.

[KilledJoy]

Originally posted by gl0ryh0und:

I figured out a solution.. just uninstall.. actually, this works for all paradox products.. I feel better already.

Thanks! this was a great help ill move onto the rest of paradox's games now this cured my buyers remose and my cancer from updating Stellaris!

Originally posted by Joshua Norton:

Dont continue on this path of customer threatment paradox

[Satoru]

You're free to go scream at your EU representative as to why this is required. But GDPR compliance is not optional and the fines for violations are staggering.

If I wanted to screw Paradox, and they did not have this system in place

1) I coudl buy the game on steam
2) install it
3) go to the 1.0 version
4) launch the game

At this point, because I was not presented with the GDPR compliant privacy policy, PDX is in violation of the GDPR. I can then report this violation to an EU commission resulting in fines that would make your head spin.

The creation of a PDX account ensure you have absolutely positively seen the new GDPR compliant privacy policy. Then when you load up the game, because you were already informed of the privacy policy, it is not a GDPR violation.


An equivalent scenario is another EU mandated fiasco cookie warnings. It would be like if I had archived web pages that did not prompt for the cookie warnings (this is silly but roll with me here). Thus a user could, in theory, go to this page directly and not be presented with a cookie warning. This would be a violation of that directive. Obviously on web pages its much easier to embed the warning regardless of the page you view. But if that wasn't possible, then you'd have to take that archived page offline because it fundamentally is a violation of the Eu cookie directive if someone hit it by accident somehow.

[Satoru]

For anyone having issues finding your beta codes

1) Log into your Paradox Account
2) Go to https://accounts.paradoxplaza.com/games
3) SCROLL DOWN
4) Find "Access earlier versions"
5) Click "SHOW"

From there you will get the codes required to input into the BETAS tab in steam for various games. After which you can then select the appropriate version

This only applies to HISTORICAL buidls

Builds going forward will not require beta codes to access because these versions are GDPR compliant

[Joshua Norton]

Originally posted by Satoru:

...

there is no need to have people create a paradox account for that though, they could have just have it on an official page where you have the GDPR written and then, at the buttom of it, have a "spoiler" that you could click to reveal the beta-access codes.
simple webdesign and just as effective as having those codes "locked" behind a paradox account registration.

like, the code for the stellaris beta isnt even a specific code per person but just two very likely words put together.
that being said, the code for Battletech for example, doesnt even work last i checked so yeah.

EDIT:
oh and other devs managed to do all that without forcing you to create a account on their website, i wonder why it was possible there.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Joshua Norton:

There is no need to have people create a paradox account for that though, they could have just have it on an official page where you have the GDPR written and then, at the buttom of it, have a "spoiler" that you could click to reveal the beta-access codes.

Do not confuse 'I do not want' with 'there is no need'

If you would read the notification

t. In an effort to comply with the GDPR, this is something we need to put behind the Paradox logins as it requires agreement to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use to adhere to the GDPR guidelines.

So no, you cannot do what you said as doing so is not GDPR compliant.

simple webdesign and jus as effective as having those codes "locked" behind a paradox account registration.

If GDPR compliance was just 'simple web design' people wouldn't be making a zillion dollars on GDPR compliance policies.

like, the code for the stellaris beta isnt even a specific code per person but just two very likely words put together.

Beta codes on steam cannot be unique per user. The point isn't about the uniqueness of the codes.

that being said, the code for Battletech for example, doesnt even work last i checked so yeah.

Unless you checked liked 2 hours ago the Battletech one works fine.

EDIT:
oh and other devs managed to do all that without forcing you to create a account on their website, i wonder why it was possible there.

Oh wow you mean different companies, that collect and store different kinds of data, have entirely different methodologies on being GDPR compliant because they do business differently? Hooray for ignorance.

[Astasia]

Anyone making a Paradox account to get access to these codes, be aware that by default their system flags you for all of their mailing lists. They then send you an email titled "Please Confirm Your Account" which is actually very misleading and has nothing to do with your account status, instead if you click on the button in said email you are agreeing to recieve all of said mailing lists.

[gl0ryh0und]

Satoru - In short, I don't care about Paradox's problems. When you make compliance painful, its' just another coal on the fire of poor choices, myself like others have mentioned have wasted enough time and money on Paradox, but not only has it soured me on this title, but it is obvious that all titles Paradox publish are likewise hobbled. So I will save my self the head ache of wondering.. gee will I have that game tomorrow? When I spent in some cases well over $100 on a title and its' expansions, radically changing the game or adding hoops to jump through is not acceptable in my books. This type of publisher is to be avoided, not supported.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by gl0ryh0und:

Satoru - In short, I don't care about Paradox's problems.

Really? You don't care if a company ignores the GDPR, gets fined out of existence? Or if they you know decided to just remove all previous versions because that would be a hell of a lot easier. The idea of "i dont care about paradox problems" is just shortsighted nonsense.

When you make compliance painful, its' just another coal on the fire of poor choices,

You can complain all you want about GDPR compliance to yoru EU representative. Would you prefer they just removed all previous versions to be GDPR compliant? Because yuou know that's an option too. Again the EU MANDATES this stuff. Companies have to comply or face immense fines. That's not Paradox's fault.

gee will I have that game tomorrow?

Isnt that the point of you know PROVIDING PREVIOUS VERSIONS. Stellaris has like a DOZEN of them so you can play whatever version of the game you want.

When I spent in some cases well over $100 on a title and its' expansions, radically changing the game or adding hoops to jump through is not acceptable in my books.

You're functionaly blaming a company for having to comply with the law. That's not the company's fault. That's the law.

Do you think Paradox woke up one day and thought "You know we should make gl0ryh0und's life miserable by making previous patches only accessable via linking an account"

This type of publisher is to be avoided, not supported.

You mean companies that violate EU law should be supported? And that those who violate the GDPR should be supported instead? Because THAT makes sense?

[MinionJoe]

I'm not signing up for a Paradox account to restore the game I purchased.

Give me a Steam-only option.

I would be willing to e-mail Paradox support for the 1.9.1 BETA code. I am not willing to create a Paradox account.

Originally posted by Satoru:

You mean companies that violate EU law should be supported?

So the other 300+ companies from which I've purchased Steam games are all in violation of EA law? Because none of them have required me to sign up for a third-party account to maintain GDPR compliance.

[Peter]

It amazes me that people are still complaining about this. It's pretty clear from various Dev Diaries that Paradox tracks game telemetry. Versions released prior to GPDR going into effect probably still have the telemetry components in. This means the games are sending data back to Paradox. Which means GPDR comes into effect. Which means Paradox needs to have people opt-in.

It's not rocket surgery here folks. It's an aspect of living in a global society.

[The Invisible Hand]

Thanks Trance, this solution worked perfectly.

(But seriously, the EU is the worst. Forget Brexit, we need Everyonexit.)