AFK downloads

[Tic-toc26]

I'm not sure how many people have the 'problem' (really its a lazy thing but convinaince is everything)

So you got a lot of games, your also a idiot like myself and leave a game open and don't actually get back it hours latter. Because of this now all the download that were scheduled are now stacking up and it could take hours (might be an exaggeration for most people).

So steam has a idle detection for when someone is online, maybe that could be expanded on into a AFK system (I think there could be other uses for this). The "allow downloads during gameplay" option could be turned into a drop down menu and add "allow downloads wile AFK/idle"

Additionally 'stopping' a download (at least for me) isn't always the smoothest so maybe make sure this isn't the default option, but I think it would be a cool option.

[BJWyler]

Downloads are scheduled, and if you enable the download while playing option, it makes an afk option redundant. You can also manually que up all the downloads as well and start them running at any time (which I usually do before walking away from the PC)

[Tic-toc26]

Publicado originalmente por BJWyler:

Downloads are scheduled, and if you enable the download while playing option, it makes an afk option redundant. You can also manually que up all the downloads as well and start them running at any time (which I usually do before walking away from the PC)

Yes but if your internet isn't good (like mine) it really affects the game your currently playing.
If you can have the games download while your afk, then it really wouldn't affect you, cause your not really playing the game.

[Yujah]

Sounds fine as a concept, but I don't think it's generally an option: supposedly unless you'd to at least some degree mandate Steam Input, how is Steam supposed to detect an idle condition with a game in direct ("Direct...") control of the input ("...Input") device(s)?

It's different for e.g. Steam Chat (which I'm not familiar with but which I suppose you refer to with the idle-detection thing) since what it'd then detect is something being input to the Steam Chat window, rather than to a game it's not in control of.

Supposedly, I should again say, since if I'm wrong that the idle-condition you speak of is not just "Steam-idle" but also "game-idle" then apparently it could be done -- but I'd think not...

[Ben Lubar]

If you have a specific time of day where you're AFK, like when you're usually sleeping, you can just set your Steam Client to download updates on a schedule.

[JacquesPatat]

Publicado originalmente por Tic-toc26:

Publicado originalmente por BJWyler:

Downloads are scheduled, and if you enable the download while playing option, it makes an afk option redundant. You can also manually que up all the downloads as well and start them running at any time (which I usually do before walking away from the PC)

Yes but if your internet isn't good (like mine) it really affects the game your currently playing.
If you can have the games download while your afk, then it really wouldn't affect you, cause your not really playing the game.

there is also an option to limit download speed and schedule auto-updates. But the idea of being afk from PC (no input while game runs) then download speed increase until you start playing again sounds like a idea,

[Brian9824]

Don't really see a need TBH for steam to add features to circumvent someone forgetting stuff. Could easily impact people who go afk for instance, then a download starts and they come back and have issues because they didn't realize it.

Its such a niche thing that is self inflicted the better resolution is if your going afk to just queue up your downloads if you know your gone for a while and not planning to be back, or actually exiting the game

[Tic-toc26]

Publicado originalmente por Brian9824:

Don't really see a need TBH for steam to add features to circumvent someone forgetting stuff. Could easily impact people who go afk for instance, then a download starts and they come back and have issues because they didn't realize it.

Its such a niche thing that is self inflicted the better resolution is if your going afk to just queue up your downloads if you know your gone for a while and not planning to be back, or actually exiting the game

Yeah, I agree what everything you say (mainly the self inflicted part). This would just be a tool to make life easier. As far as issues go, nothing is perfect or even ideal the first time. I don't think it should be default, but nothing gets improvements unless your start.

[Yujah]

Publicado originalmente por Tic-toc26:

(...) but nothing gets improvements unless your start.

You may I believe however not want to ignore the reply indicating that it might simply not be a possibility (well, without an explicit AFK-switch in any case...)