Launching free-to-play games shouldn't kick family-share users off my library

[saint]

So I'm family sharing a game (Inscryption) with someone, so my library is "in-use".

All good, but if I want to launch a FREE game (Counter Strike 2) it will boot the other user off of my library. I don't want to boot them off just to play a publicly free game.

I understand that my library is technically in use, but this is silly for 3 reasons:

1. The other user HAS THE FREE GAME added to their library, and they share with me as well. So in theory, why can't I "borrow" their copy while they use my library?
2. It implies I would try to family share a free-to-play game, which is pointless.
3. I might as well just make a smurf account to play said free game while my library is in use, but smurfing is prohibited under Valve's conduct rules.

TLDR- Let people launch free-to-play games even if someone's else is using their library through family share, or else you're pushing them to make a smurf account.

[Wolf Knight]

only 1 account can access a library at any given time. the game being free to play does not matter, you still have to access the library. if you want to avoid someone you are sharing with getting kicked, you simply need to have steam in OFFLINE mode, then you can play your free to play game and the person you are sharing with will not be kicked.

just because a system does not work the way you want does not mean they are pushing anyone to make a smurf account. keep in mind, that games developer made the decision to allow the game to be shared, they can remove it from family share at any time they want without notice.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Do you have Prime?

[Tyogenes]

on xbox you can buy a game once and play on 2 accounts at the same time with their family share system.

[HikariLight]

Originally posted by Der Honkster:

on xbox you can buy a game once and play on 2 accounts at the same time with their family share system.

Steam is not Xbox.

[[N]ebsun]

Each game needs to be tied to a single license - make a new Steam account for each game you buy.. that's the only legal way to do it that complies with all of Steam's agreements

[Sleepy Yoshi]

I don't really see an issue with this. That being game's excluded from family sharing remaining playable without kicking the other user accessing the shared library. However, the intention behind family sharing wasn't built around that design, so I would not count on it ever changing.

[Pierce Dalton]

Originally posted by HikariLight:

Originally posted by Der Honkster:

on xbox you can buy a game once and play on 2 accounts at the same time with their family share system.

Steam is not Xbox.

Clearly not, it's much inferior in this regard.