Link Non Steam Games to a respective Steam Hub

[HolyLionBlack]

I know that this is likely not in your best interest since by having a lesser experience from a non steam game (nsg) we are more inclined to just get the actual Steam version. The whole "if you want Steam features then just get our version in the first place" But to that I would say there are more benefits to buying a Steam version over elsewhere anyway so this is just a small part of those benefits.

If you could allow us to specify what Steam game to associate a nsg with so that we can see the community hub when we click the game and directly access the discussions for it, that would be helpful. We would still not be able to post screenshots or get updates or use the workshop or anything, just simply have quick access to troubleshooting etc that discussions offer. We of course can already open the Steam overlay on nsg and through that access internet and then pull up steam and navigate to the community of the respective game but why not just make things smoother here. Would be a nice touch but again I understand why you wouldn't. That's why this is just a suggestion.

[Gwarsbane]

No, if you wanted to have stuff like that you should buy the game on Steam or at least a key that activates it on Steam. If its not on Steam then you shouldn't get any benefit, real or perceived, that would provide.

[HolyLionBlack]

Originally posted by Gwarsbane:

No, if you wanted to have stuff like that you should buy the game on Steam or at least a key that activates it on Steam. If its not on Steam then you shouldn't get any benefit, real or perceived, that would provide.

That's your opinion and I specifically stated that as a reason they may NOT want to so it is redundant to waste time commenting. This is merely a suggestion. If they read it and say no, nothing changes, no one is hurt. If they read it and say yes then yay we get one small thing added.

[Brian9824]

As already stated see no real reason for it, all the little QOL features are reserved as incentives to buy the game from steam

[HolyLionBlack]

Originally posted by brian9824:

As already stated see no real reason for it, all the little QOL features are reserved as incentives to buy the game from steam

I agree, but an open mouth doesn't get fed. So had to at least pitch it lol.

[VaLiuM]

Non-Steam games don't often share the same feature set as Steam games, they aren't the same thing, so linking to a game hub for a game that differs from the Steam version is just a waste of time and achieves nothing.

Use the store page of said games you added as non-Steam game and you can still get to guides, discussions etc., there must be incentives to use the store and buy stuff, if you decide to buy the games somewhere else, then you shouldn't have the same amount of features provided as people buying directly from Steam.

I have no idea how Steam would know that a non-Steam game belongs to a certain hub.

[HolyLionBlack]

Originally posted by VaLiuM:

Non-Steam games don't often share the same feature set as Steam games, they aren't the same thing, so linking to a game hub for a game that differs from the Steam version is just a waste of time and achieves nothing.

Use the store page of said games you added as non-Steam game and you can still get to guides, discussions etc., there must be incentives to use the store and buy stuff, if you decide to buy the games somewhere else, then you shouldn't have the same amount of features provided as people buying directly from Steam.

I have no idea how Steam would know that a non-Steam game belongs to a certain hub.

Because it wouldn't automatically attach it, just would let you choose a hub for it. Like a shortcut to a webpage but instead of that it is just linked to the game hub.

[Leonardo Da Pinchi]

I mean push comes to shove, you can make a community for the game via Steam Groups.

[VaLiuM]

Originally posted by HolyLionBlack:

Because it wouldn't automatically attach it, just would let you choose a hub for it. Like a shortcut to a webpage but instead of that it is just linked to the game hub.

But that's already an option in your regular web browser, opening it and clicking on the bookmark you saved earlier takes like what, 5 seconds? And that really is when your browser is from the slower category. I don't see this being a useful addition.

[Vann]

Not only communities, but also workshop. As barely anything is published in physical version these days, game developers don't often keep mod-sharing portals.

There's moddb and others, right, but as Steam is my main gaming platform that would be simply lovely to be able to make use of it to the fullest. I bought enough games here not to feel like it's a problem for older ones to get some love.

[VaLiuM]

Originally posted by Vann:

Not only communities, but also workshop. As barely anything is published in physical version these days, game developers don't often keep mod-sharing portals.

Steam is not a mod-sharing portal for games you don't own on Steam. It's a FEATURE of the game you bought, an extra and something the developers need to implement separately using SteamWorks.

Originally posted by Vann:

There's moddb and others, right, but as Steam is my main gaming platform that would be simply lovely to be able to make use of it to the fullest.

Then buy the games on Steam that support modding / Workshop. Traffic costs money or do you think VALVe pay's up in regards to server capacity and traffic for games you don't even own on Steam but want to mod? There is nothing to gain for VALVe doing that, it only costs them extra.

Originally posted by Vann:

I bought enough games here not to feel like it's a problem for older ones to get some love.

Then tell the developers or publishers of older games to release the games (if not already the case) on Steam and provide Workshop integration.

Also games released on Steam have the guides section, there you will also often find additional information on modding and their hosted mods if the games do not have native Workshop support.

It's not on VALVe to provide modding capabilities, it's purely on the developers / publishers of the games to implement what Steam offers, it's not a automatic thing and requires actual programming.

Edit: Just for the sake of providing information, here is the official guide:

https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/features/workshop/implementation

[Mad Scientist]

Originally posted by Vann:

Not only communities, but also workshop. As barely anything is published in physical version these days, game developers don't often keep mod-sharing portals.

There's moddb and others, right, but as Steam is my main gaming platform that would be simply lovely to be able to make use of it to the fullest. I bought enough games here not to feel like it's a problem for older ones to get some love.

Workshop access is intended for people that bought on Steam. You can still DL from moddb/nexus or other sites & install manually. Some things on Steam are to reward purchasing on their platform.

[VaLiuM]

Yup and newer games released on Steam are often made and programmed exclusively with full SteamWorks / Workshop integration in mind. It's not something you can slap on all games as a feature with a simple one-way-in button click. And games without available source code to developers or publishers will probably never have all the features Steam offers.

That's especially the case for old games.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Fun fact you can add anything, and I DO MEAN anything to steam as non-steam game. Steam wouldn't know if something you add is related, let alone a game to begin with which why make no senes Steam has to figure all that out as it's not their job to know what things you add as non-steam game, you can claim it's Half life, but it's actually just you playing videos from youtube, and so on, the other thing is that it doesn't make sense to count same features for games don't own on Steam either such as hours, achievements, family sharing, screenshots, workshop, and etc...

Originally posted by HolyLionBlack:

Originally posted by brian9824:

As already stated see no real reason for it, all the little QOL features are reserved as incentives to buy the game from steam

I agree, but an open mouth doesn't get fed. So had to at least pitch it lol.

The same can be said, what does Steam get of this for nothing in return? Remember they get nothing out of it, so it offers nothing, so why should they get treated same as games that people bought from Steam.


All that said, if you want to make a fan game group like a hub for said game, could make a custom group some people do this where they post videos, and artwork of their games on their group forum, and share with each other, and could always look for members that into said game. But as things stand, if want Steam features such as access to screenshots, workshop, guides, and etc, you have to get said game from Steam, not from somewhere else.

[WhoCian]

Originally posted by Brian9824:

As already stated see no real reason for it, all the little QOL features are reserved as incentives to buy the game from steam

In my situation, I legally bought pc cd roms years ago and would like to link these up to steam properly. Steam needs better optimisation for non steam games

[Spawn of Totoro]

Originally posted by WhoCian:

Originally posted by Brian9824:

As already stated see no real reason for it, all the little QOL features are reserved as incentives to buy the game from steam

In my situation, I legally bought pc cd roms years ago and would like to link these up to steam properly. Steam needs better optimisation for non steam games

If the game game with a game key, you can try and activate it on Steam and possibly get a Steam copy. If not, then Valve is under no obligation to provide you with the same features as a Steam copy would have.

As has been said, it is an incentive to get the game on Steam.

"optimisation" has nothing to do with it, when it can't be done to begin with.