[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.

[Elitewrecker PT]

Originally posted by 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.

it's not like You have to do anything if you're playing the latest release

[Elitewrecker PT]

Originally posted by 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.

If they didn't have an update to give you a popup about it then it might actually be possible.
Just try asking for the code, maybe it works without making the account.

[Sobaos Martinez]

Aparently programming an steam app to ask for the beta code via Steam is far beyond 2018's state of the art.
Anyway, my beta code doesnt look like a customized, personal, code, in fact paradox info:
"My friend gave me a code to access an older version of the game, can I use it?
Yes, but please understand that by using the code you agree with our Privacy Policy and understand what it means."
But I'm not sure if the code works for a person that hasn't linked the steam and paradox accounts already, gotta try, it would save a lot of headaches to friends.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Sobaos Martinez:

Aparently programming an steam app to ask for the beta code via Steam is far beyond 2018's state of the art.

In order to do that requires recompiling the older executables to do so since they have no capacity to do so as they exist. This would need to be done for every single beta branch available for every game. CK2 has like a dozen older versions. EU4 has like 2 dozen. All with the risk of potentially breaking the executables, game code, etc.

Anyway, my beta code doesnt look like a customized, personal, code,

Beta codes cannot be personalize by account. The requirement of creating an account is to ensure that a specific user has in fact been presented with and looked at the privacy policy to be GDRP compliant.

[Kataru]

Originally posted by 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.

oldstellaris

[Elitewrecker PT]

Originally posted by Sobaos Martinez:

Aparently programming an steam app to ask for the beta code via Steam is far beyond 2018's state of the art.
Anyway, my beta code doesnt look like a customized, personal, code, in fact paradox info:
"My friend gave me a code to access an older version of the game, can I use it?
Yes, but please understand that by using the code you agree with our Privacy Policy and understand what it means."
But I'm not sure if the code works for a person that hasn't linked the steam and paradox accounts already, gotta try, it would save a lot of headaches to friends.

Should work. You have to understand the point of this is so they can say that everyone playing the old versions is AWARE of the altered privacy policy, and by using that code you are agreeing to whatever information was being collected at that time.

[gl0ryh0und]

Originally posted by Elitewrecker PT:

it's not like You have to do anything if you're playing the latest release

The latest versions of the game are trash in my humble opinion, after 1.9.1 there is nothing.. and now nothing at all..

There was no need to force accounts to enforce the newest EU law.. simply adding a bit of code to available versions for a confirmation of the new privacy agreement would have sufficed. Many other software vendors have done just that. This is just lazy on Paradox's part.

[Joshua Norton]

Originally posted by 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.

which comes down to the main problem, that is that paradox was tracking that data in the first place.
and please, dont tell me "but it was written in the EULA! didnt you read it!?", EULA's (especially in the past) are specifically written in a way that they are articifially long and overcomplicated.

both, the usage of such forms of EULA's and the tracking of said game telemetry data in a way that its not opt-in, is already a form of bad customer threatment, and that from a game company that has a very dedicated community behind their titles/franchises, which is already putting up with the an often overpriced and overboarding DLC policy, still sinking 100's of *money* into the games.

dont get me wrong, i love most paradox games, i love stellaris(up to its 1.9 form), i really enjoy cities:skylines and i also quite enjoy battletech but the way paradox is handling its community particularly friendly threatment.

i mean, why would you have your customers, that are ready to put up such large sums of money for your games, additionally "pay" with their data on top of that?

@gl0ryh0und
use "oldstellaris" as beta code for previous versions, 1.9 doesnt deserve to be lost to beaurocracy just like this ;)

[Sobaos Martinez]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Originally posted by Sobaos Martinez:

Aparently programming an steam app to ask for the beta code via Steam is far beyond 2018's state of the art.

In order to do that requires recompiling the older executables to do so since they have no capacity to do so as they exist. This would need to be done for every single beta branch available for every game. CK2 has like a dozen older versions. EU4 has like 2 dozen. All with the risk of potentially breaking the executables, game code, etc.

Anyway, my beta code doesnt look like a customized, personal, code,

Beta codes cannot be personalize by account. The requirement of creating an account is to ensure that a specific user has in fact been presented with and looked at the privacy policy to be GDRP compliant.

I mean programing an independent form that would offer the steam user to read the new terms if they want to get their beta code and send the proper info to a DB run by Paradox, that doesnt require recompiling everything but tinkering with the steam app that allows the selection of multiple execs (as the games that prompt a steam menu where you choose whether to run the editor exe or the game exe, ie)
The current solution worries me, people is posting the codes in websites, folks that havent read the new terms gonna use them (as it is WAY faster than the legit method) and thus Paradox wont have a register of consent of many people that are actually playing the old versions. Guys that wont register will be happy, but I hope the effort is enough to comply and it doesnt end with a fine and/or blocked access to old versions.

[Marc_C]

I understand why you do that but still don't like it. There must be another way that doesn't involve creating a Paradox Account, I don't need and I don't want more redundant accounts, I'm fine with the steam one.
I love Stellaris but I love it in version 1.9, not the ♥♥♥♥♥ version 2.x

[Donut Steel]

This is Paradox using the GDPR to get around the GDPR.

Expect it to catch on with every company doing it and it having to be amended or the EU launching prosecutions to put a stop to it. Companies won't stop until that happens, which does tell you something about them and why a horrible over-bearing law like the GDPR became necessary in the first place.

[Kataru]

Originally posted by Marc_C:

I understand why you do that but still don't like it. There must be another way that doesn't involve creating a Paradox Account, I don't need and I don't want more redundant accounts, I'm fine with the steam one.
I love Stellaris but I love it in version 1.9, not the ♥♥♥♥♥ version 2.x

oldstellaris

[Marc_C]

Originally posted by Kataru:

Originally posted by Marc_C:

I understand why you do that but still don't like it. There must be another way that doesn't involve creating a Paradox Account, I don't need and I don't want more redundant accounts, I'm fine with the steam one.
I love Stellaris but I love it in version 1.9, not the ♥♥♥♥♥ version 2.x

oldstellaris

Thanks!

[Toby]

OMG thank you!

[tiberiansun371alexw]

I'm a bit confused why GPDR requires a link of steam and PI accounts. It is supposed to offer privacy protection right? If PI doesn't have infomation on its customers it can't invade privacy because they have no data, so why wasn't the old policy GPDR compliant?