What's SAM and how do we detect it among players?

[Mike Oxmaul]

I only recently heard of it and kinda thought poorly of it ... What is the point and how do we see if people are using it?...

[lightdevourer]

Steam Achievment Manager. It's a program that unlocks achievments :). I don't think that there is a way to detect it except for the old way. Check the stats of the player. If he has 3h of gameplay and all the achievments then he's using SAM. Or if two achievments for two opposites actions are unlocked at the same time then SAM has been used.

[❃ Galiäna Krüger ❃]

Them fake trolls claims themselves are achievement hunters. TOTAL LIE. Using SAM and uncloks multiple achievements at same time or have incoherant unlocking sequence.

For instance, there's a couple achievements that one cannot simply unlock without obtaining another achievement OR purchase said DLCs to unlocks. However there are plenty hacks and people use SAM to get them done so they don't have to spend an additional $20 to DLCs.

Also there are alot 100% and 90% + retards on Steam proclaim to be achievement hunters. BUT when you look into it they all used SAM at one point, to amass achievements. Especially those 100% They are fucking hacks and somehow their acts led me to believe they are those entitled shitheads with shit tons of money because all are level 1500 ~ 2000+ and have more than 2000 games.

[Hamstersex]

Originally posted by ☫ Iréné Aüra Pulvér ☫:

have more than 2000 games.

I laughed so hard.

[Mike Oxmaul]

It seems to be a bit of a sore spot with some people, and I can understand why...

[pnott]

Another issue is, in TF2 there are server plugins that give you certain achievements because they give you items. I didn't know what the command did (thought it just farmed item drops or something), and accidentally unlocked ~7 achievements. Not much, considering game has 520 achievements, but still...

[Marius]

I think Steam should rework their achievement-policy a bit. I mean:

Lets say certain game is heavily focused on SP, but also has a MP section with MP achievements. You finish the SP achievements, but the MP community is dead. Is it then justified to use SAM to get it to 100%? I say yes. Why? The first argument is that such game do not need MP achievements or even a MP section. My second argument is that someone should never relay on other people to get achievements when it's a dead MP game. It can take months to get a group if you're lucky.

In the end I do feel Valve/Steam should also change their behavior into franchise games like Football Manager which poops the 'same' game year after year with literally the same achievements. Similar to developers who release a game and then release a 'remake' a year after, which will then be added for free in your library. I feel those franchise and 'remake' games should have linked achievements. Have completed it in a previous game or a better version then you should gain it also for all other versions. This exclude franchise games which host the same name but are sequels, who have different achievements, ofcourse.

I do admit I've 'Sammed' all the remaining achievements in the older/Touch versions of Football Manager today, because I finally got that last achievement in Football Manager 2018. Saving me 1000 hours of frustration cause that franchise is totally RNG. (Without save scumming)

TLDR: I think it's ok to SAM achievements in dead MP games, free 'remake games that add in your libary if you own a 'classic' version, and franchise games like FM which host the same achievements year after year. But.. Until Valve change how achievements works.

[Ryuu]

No it's not OK to unlock any achievements because you did not fulfill their task. Even if you feel you've done it but it bugged out - it's not okay because you might be mistaken and did it the wrong way, but might be happy to jump to conclusions.

Originally posted by Ivysaur:

free 'remake games that add in your libary if you own a 'classic' version

This is allowed, at least on astats. And even transfer of your saves from another platform, though this case is harder to verify.

[¤ βℓооđч ¤ Nico-Kun!]

Originally posted by Ivysaur:

I think Steam should rework their achievement-policy a bit. I mean:

Lets say certain game is heavily focused on SP, but also has a MP section with MP achievements. You finish the SP achievements, but the MP community is dead. Is it then justified to use SAM to get it to 100%? I say yes. Why? The first argument is that such game do not need MP achievements or even a MP section. My second argument is that someone should never relay on other people to get achievements when it's a dead MP game. It can take months to get a group if you're lucky.

In the end I do feel Valve/Steam should also change their behavior into franchise games like Football Manager which poops the 'same' game year after year with literally the same achievements. Similar to developers who release a game and then release a 'remake' a year after, which will then be added for free in your library. I feel those franchise and 'remake' games should have linked achievements. Have completed it in a previous game or a better version then you should gain it also for all other versions. This exclude franchise games which host the same name but are sequels, who have different achievements, ofcourse.

I do admit I've 'Sammed' all the remaining achievements in the older/Touch versions of Football Manager today, because I finally got that last achievement in Football Manager 2018. Saving me 1000 hours of frustration cause that franchise is totally RNG. (Without save scumming)

TLDR: I think it's ok to SAM achievements in dead MP games, free 'remake games that add in your libary if you own a 'classic' version, and franchise games like FM which host the same achievements year after year. But.. Until Valve change how achievements works.

First, Valve/Steam doesn't have an "achievement policy". It's groups like this that don't condone (or do) the use of SAM and the like.

As for achievements, they're supposed to be... Well, achievements. Sure, it sucks when an SP game has a tacked on dead MP and you can't get those achievements, but unlocking them with SAM is dishonest. You didn't really earn them. Back when the Arkham Origins MP was getting removed, this group organized several events to help people unlock its MP achievements, and I even took part in them. I know it sucks for those who can't get them now, but if they just used SAM, they wouldn't be "earning" them, unlike those of us who took part in the events and helped each other.

As for franchise games like Football Manager, that's very common in the sports genre, and it has to do with the fact that there's yearly changes in those things. New rosters in football games, maybe new rules in racing, and so on. Also, they're still different games, again you're not earning the achievements just because you did in a previous game of the franchise. I don't really mind when a remaster comes out and has the same achievements as the original. In fact, it gives me a chance to replay the game while getting the achievements at the same time, kind of a "do-over". As an achievement hunter, I like that.

You make it sound like you just want the achievements to inflate your total number, and don't really care about earning them. Me, personally? I'll keep playing Metro 2033 Redux to perfect it, and then I'll go back to the original version.

[Marius]

"You make it sound like you just want the achievements to inflate your total number, and don't really care about earning them"

I do love getting achievements. Easy ones, normal ones, the hard ones. Back in days when I had a PS3 I did love to get games platinumed, etc. I do like earning them in Steam too. But I since my account is 12 years old and I've games all over the place. Since a half year or so I do really like getting them and 'completing' my library. Because I never was a 'achievementhunter' before I do not have such a clean and tidy libary as the real die-hards, so I make my way though completing my library with a view I think is legit.

If I had the chance to create a clean and tidy account without bugged/dead/same achievement games etc. Yeah I wish not to use SAM on SP with dead MP, FM, and 'free' remake games.

[Ryuu]

Originally posted by ¤ βℓооđч ¤ Nico-Kun!:

You make it sound like you just want the achievements to inflate your total number, and don't really care about earning them.

Yeah, achievements are not a e-peen that i like waving in front of others, i don't care much for my rank or points, i just do it for myself and i like feeling that i'm good at the game because i got some rare and difficult achievement. Having "perfect" game feels good and some principles of Astats don't sound justified, but i have my own internal "moral meter" for that matter and it's still quite close to Astats rules.

[Reaper]

It's posts like this that illustrate how far we've fallen from what video games used to be. Achievements, mods, trainers, everyone is going to have their own standard for using any of those things. What everyone needs to realize is that we are all faceless nameless people on the internet. None of us have any opinions that should hold any weight in real life and if you're letting people on the internet tell you how to enjoy playing games (aside from cheating in MP because that actually ruins the game for others), then that's kinda missing the point.