Eternity Pillars of Eternity + The White March Expansion Thread

[chuft]

Every time? LOL. That means no other Steam game would ever be updated again. Age of Wonders 4 for instance. Or Gladius.

 

[warralek]

https://forums.obsidian.net/topic/132873-patch-341340-in-public-beta/

Is some Obsidian programmer so bored that he decided to spend his free time fixing the last known remaining bugs in PoE?

From what I read on Reddit, seems this new update is getting Steam version in line with Epic version, Epic version had Unity Version 2019.4.11 update when released years ago, at least that's what I read. (as for the bugfixes I don't know if that's new)

 

[Roguey]

From what I read on Reddit, seems this new update is getting Steam version in line with Epic version, Epic version had Unity Version 2019.4.11 update when released years ago, at least that's what I read. (as for the bugfixes I don't know if that's new)

Sweeney paid Obsidian to make an extra special Epic exclusive patch? Seems like something he'd do, but Pillars isn't exactly a killer app and he didn't even advertise this fact.

 

[warralek]

From what I read on Reddit, seems this new update is getting Steam version in line with Epic version, Epic version had Unity Version 2019.4.11 update when released years ago, at least that's what I read. (as for the bugfixes I don't know if that's new)

Sweeney paid Obsidian to make an extra special Epic exclusive patch? Seems like something he'd do, but Pillars isn't exactly a killer app and he didn't even advertise this fact.

Not sure, but after reading it on Reddit I did little bit of search, seems folks (on Epic version) had PoE crashes with error messages POE-Unity 2019 or DX11 errors. Maybe they had to upgrade, even aritificially, so they could release PoE on newest consoles (I think newest Xbox only support DX11+ ?).
Also I was using sweetfx+opengl preset from Nexus, sadly it doesn't work with newest Steam PoE (beta) version (generally don't work with any non-opengl,non-dx9-10 game).

 

[warralek]

Did a quick reinstall of the game with newest beta patch, run it with OSD AF&Riva and it seems PoE is using DX11 now (screenshot in spoiler).

Spoiler

 

[Alienman]

I didn't know these bugs existed, but hey, free bug fixing.

All mods broken, yay. Good luck finding volunteers to ever fix them now, 10 years after they were made.

One of the reasons Steam shouldn't force updates. Jesus H.

 

[Lacrymas]

Does Steam force an update if the patch is uploaded to the beta branch? Is opting out of the beta not possible?

 

[Alienman]

Don't know about that, but once it's out, its out. Only way around from what I know, if they keep the older version as a beta or something.

 

[Sannom]

I don't think those people asking about opting out have realized that the patch is only in beta for now. It's an easy detail to miss.

 

[chuft]

I am trying to figure out how to protect my game from being updated before it goes live. Once it does, it's too late. I don't know how long this beta period will last/how long it's been going on already. For now I am changing its Steam property to "Only update this game when I launch it" and I can just never launch it while connected to the Internet once the patch goes live.

From Reddit it sounds like there is some way to hide a file Steam uses so it thinks the game is uninstalled and does not try to update it even if online. But you have to find another way to launch it. Not sure how that works since the game will want Steam running in order to run.

Someone who uses social media should tell Sawyer to make previous versions of the game an option on Steam for people who don't want to lose all their mods. I have seen that for other games. It is not there as a Steam property for POE1, but it is for Stellaris. Under Betas there is a long list of previous versions you can use instead of the latest.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

They removed the ability to prevent games from auto updating. GOG does have a rollback option, at least.

 

[Roguey]

Pillows doesn't use Steam DRM. You can just copy your current version into a different folder and try to keep that forever.

I have the disc version so I have a forever 3.03 copy. (until the disc breaks/rots anyway)

If Obsidian's aware and considerate enough, they'll create a branch of the old version for people who want to keep their mods.

 

[chuft]

I will try copying the POE1 folder elsewhere just in case. Thanks Roguey. I am not sure whether that would work though. Does it work if, say, Steam is uninstalled? In the POE1 game directory there are files like steam_api.dll and SteamworksNative.dll. Not just pure Pillars stuff.

I am also trying the "manifest trick" where you go into the Steamapps folder and right click on the file (this app id is for POE1)
appmanifest_291650.acf
and choose Properties, and then mark it Read Only and hit Apply.

Supposedly this will stop Steam from trying to update it. I also changed it to Update on Launch Only in the Steam properties so it is not constantly trying to update it and hitting permissions errors. I pinned a shortcut to PillarsOfEternity.exe from the game's folder to my task bar and will use that instead of Steam to launch the game so it won't even check for updates.

So far it still launches from Steam, but, there is no pending update. I suspect as soon as there is, the Steam launcher won't work because it will try to update and fail due to not being able to write to the manifest file. The shortcut on my taskbar should allow me to still run it, since I am not going through the Steam interface.

Will this work? I don't know. Supposedly it has worked for other games in the past. In the discussions I tend to see other, much more complicated methods and I am not sure why anyone would use them if the manifest read-only method works.

 

[Bester]

I will try copying the POE1 folder elsewhere just in case. Thanks Roguey. I am not sure whether that would work though. Does it work if, say, Steam is uninstalled? In the POE1 game directory there are files like steam_api.dll and SteamworksNative.dll. Not just pure Pillars stuff.

I am also trying the "manifest trick" where you go into the Steamapps folder and right click on the file (this app id is for POE1)
appmanifest_291650.acf
and choose Properties, and then mark it Read Only and hit Apply.

Supposedly this will stop Steam from trying to update it. I also changed it to Update on Launch Only in the Steam properties so it is not constantly trying to update it and hitting permissions errors. I pinned a shortcut to PillarsOfEternity.exe from the game's folder to my task bar and will use that instead of Steam to launch the game so it won't even check for updates.

So far it still launches from Steam, but, there is no pending update. I suspect as soon as there is, the Steam launcher won't work because it will try to update and fail due to not being able to write to the manifest file. The shortcut on my taskbar should allow me to still run it, since I am not going through the Steam interface.

Will this work? I don't know. Supposedly it has worked for other games in the past. In the discussions I tend to see other, much more complicated methods and I am not sure why anyone would use them if the manifest read-only method works.

Just download a gog version from torrents. Even if you're a copyrast, you can still do it, because you already bought it on Steam.

If you refuse to do it and the game doesn't launch without Steam, there's a Steam DRM removal project on Github. You'll have to compile it and run it.

 

[Roguey]

I will try copying the POE1 folder elsewhere just in case. Thanks Roguey. I am not sure whether that would work though. Does it work if, say, Steam is uninstalled? In the POE1 game directory there are files like steam_api.dll and SteamworksNative.dll. Not just pure Pillars stuff.

Yeah, you can even delete those if you want.

See https://steam.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games

 

[chuft]

Just download a gog version from torrents. Even if you're a copyrast, you can still do it, because you already bought it on Steam.

If you refuse to do it and the game doesn't launch without Steam, there's a Steam DRM removal project on Github. You'll have to compile it and run it.

I generally avoid torrents due to malware. Interesting that there's a Steam removal project.

Yeah, you can even delete those if you want.


See https://steam.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games

Thanks, bookmarked.

 

[Cat Headed Eagle]

Removing Steam's DRM is relatively easy... Gog makes it better for pirates due to not needing anything at all, just the installer.

 

[Bester]

I generally avoid torrents due to malware.

I've never even heard of anyone getting malware from torrents. You're not judging the risks adequately.

 

[cretin]

Just download a gog version from torrents. Even if you're a copyrast, you can still do it, because you already bought it on Steam.

If you refuse to do it and the game doesn't launch without Steam, there's a Steam DRM removal project on Github. You'll have to compile it and run it.

I generally avoid torrents due to malware. Interesting that there's a Steam removal project.

Yeah, you can even delete those if you want.


See https://steam.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_DRM-free_games

Thanks, bookmarked.

Theres places that publish the gog installers, literally identical. No drm no malware. Probably some of the torrents are using the gog installers too.

 

[Justinian]

Not probably, GOG is a pirate's wet dream.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I generally avoid torrents due to malware.

I've never even heard of anyone getting malware from torrents. You're not judging the risks adequately.

Someone somewhere must have torrented a copy of Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor and got their C: drive wiped though.

 

[Just Locus]

Why did Obsidian opt to keep this update to the beta branch of PoE? looking at the patch notes it mostly seems to be bugs and the only substantial change was the engine update. I don't see why this was necessary to keep in the beta branch outside of not wanting to do QA on what the fixes might've broken/worsened, but then that raises the question of why publish it at all.

 

[Technomancer]

Why did Obsidian opt to keep this update to the beta branch of PoE?

Coz its not over. They are collecting reports from community to fix most annoying bugs left and voiced desire to incorporate bug fix-mods. They also said there will be several patches and the fixing will last for a while.

The bored Obsidian employee who did this could go over the mods and fix them himself, but that'd be so surreal, we'd have to be in an alternative Marvel universe.

Saw dev mentioning they want to do exactly that.

Someone who uses social media should tell Sawyer to make previous versions of the game an option on Steam for people who don't want to lose all their mods. I have seen that for other games. It is not there as a Steam property for POE1, but it is for Stellaris. Under Betas there is a long list of previous versions you can use instead of the latest.

That's the plan.

For those that are concerned about your favorite mods that may become invalidated on Steam after the patch goes live, we are investigating moving the current live version to a legacy branch when the new patch goes live. This should allow those that wish to continue their existing playthrough with their current mods to do so. And will give some runway for any popular mods to be updated down the line. More on this as we get closer to release.

 

[cretin]

So heres the question then, given the awful shit that has released post POE, does this game look more favorably in anyone's retrospective view? Its sort of lol that the "based eastern euros" released an incredibly pozzed game full of smut writing for redditors, while a californian marxist produced what is probably now looking like the least gay and least woke of the new wave crpgs.

 

[Axel_am]

So heres the question then, given the awful shit that has released post POE, does this game look more favorably in anyone's retrospective view?

The more I play newer titles the more I appreciate Pillars.