Topic: Steam Christmas Sale, log in now

[gpw11]

Split this off from the digital deals thread because I didn't see it mentioned (apart from the sale itself), but Steam is doing something a bit different this year where you can earn free gifts (games usually I guess).  You get a free one by just logging in today, clicking on "The Great Gift Pile", "getting started" and then checking your inventory.  I don't know if the prize is the same for everyone but I got "The X Superbox" which is basically all the X games (X2, etc).   You CAN fully gift these out it seems.

You all need to see what you got and then we can talk about trading if anyone wants.

[idolminds]

Ive got the..."achievement" thing for checking my inventory but I dont see anything actually in the inventory.

[gpw11]

Really?  I have never seen the screen before (not the games list, right?) and I had three things in there: one of which may have been pre-existing:

-Half Life 2 (pre-existing?)
-X Megapack
-33% off Valve games

[MysterD]

Ive got the..."achievement" thing for checking my inventory but I dont see anything actually in the inventory.

They've had issues w/ the "Inventory" showing.
They working on it.

[MysterD]

Really?  I have never seen the screen before (not the games list, right?) and I had three things in there: one of which may have been pre-existing:

-Half Life 2 (pre-existing?)
-X Megapack
-33% off Valve games

Did you buy HL2 and then later buy The Orange Box (which also has HL2 in it)?
That could net you an extra HL2.

EDIT:
I've also got the 33% off Valve games for Valve games released before Jan 2nd, 2012. Though, coupon takes effect for possible usage on Jan 2nd.

[gpw11]

Oh yeah, that was it.  I forgot because bundles after that wouldn't usually stack doubles as gifts.  Or at least the couple other doubles I had.

[MysterD]

Split this off from the digital deals thread because I didn't see it mentioned (apart from the sale itself), but Steam is doing something a bit different this year where you can earn free gifts (games usually I guess).  You get a free one by just logging in today, clicking on "The Great Gift Pile", "getting started" and then checking your inventory.  I don't know if the prize is the same for everyone but I got "The X Superbox" which is basically all the X games (X2, etc).   You CAN fully gift these out it seems.

You all need to see what you got and then we can talk about trading if anyone wants.

Nice @ getting the X Superbox.
That gets you a free copy of X3: Albion Prelude [the new stand-alone], right?

[gpw11]

Yeah, but it looks like it's an expansion pack rather than a stand alone


Also, I've never played any of these or really had a desire to.  Or really know anything about them at all.

[MysterD]

Also, I've never played any of these or really had a desire to.  Or really know anything about them at all.

If you want an open-world space-sim, then Egosoft's X series are the games for you.

[ren]

I got Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee

[idolminds]

Oh great, they gave me another copy of HL2. I couldn't even get rid of the one I got from the orange box.

[Pugnate]

hahah

[MysterD]

I got a piece of coal.

[idolminds]

One of those "This is why we can't have nice things" stories.

Steam holiday sale, big promo, earn achievements and get prizes...discounts or even entire games. Steam accounts are free, so whats to stop someone from making hundreds of accounts and gifting the items to himself? Ah, Valve thought of that. You can only earn the items if your account is legitimate and has at least one paid game on it. Smart thinking.

What they didn't think of was...the Humble Indie Bundle. People have been buying up hundreds of bundles for a penny each so they can then make a Steam account, add a "paid" game, and get the now nearly-free goodies.

HIB has now set a minimum payment of $1 on the bundle if you want Steam keys. But damn people, way to be dicks and abuse everything.

[MysterD]

Some game called Space Empires V wound up in my Inventory... 

EDIT:
It's a 4x strategy game.
I"ll keep it.

[gpw11]

I've been trying to do all the easy achievements for the games I already own or want to buy.  Won a copy of Hitman: Blood Money, which is actually probably something I'll play.

[idolminds]

So far Ive gotten a bunch of coal.

[idolminds]

Correction, today I got 50% off Disciples 3 franchise. Maybe I can trade it for something.

Hmm, one of the achievements for today is to make a trade. Anyone interested in trading one of these BS items in the hopes we earn another hopefully non-BS item?

[MysterD]

In my Inventory, I have:
33% off Valve game coupon;
1 lump of coal;
and also HL2: Ep 1 [b/c I owned HL2 Ep 1 when I bought Orange Box, years back].

My Inventory is NOT showing right now, though...
Valve got issues again w/ this shizz?

[MysterD]

Add 50% off Psychonauts coupon to my Inventory.
Worth noting - I already own this game on CD disc from retail box...

EDIT:
Add 50% off Hacker Evolution: Untold coupon to my Inventory.

[idolminds]

If you guys are indie bundle buyers you probably ended up with a copy of Sanctum on Steam. I finally downloaded it and gave it a whirl for the christmas achievement but its actually a really cool game. Totally check it out if you've got it. It was part of the first or second Indie Royale bundle I believe.

[idolminds]

Crafted 7 coal into....50% off Runespell. Which I already own. Thanks Steam, you're the best.

[MysterD]

Crafted 7 coal into....50% off Runespell. Which I already own. Thanks Steam, you're the best.

WTF?
 

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, Sanctum is pretty sweet.

[idolminds]

Got another coal for the wishlist achievement, but I did the Atom Zombie Smasher one and got Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee for my trouble. I've got a retail copy of it already so I'd be willing to trade. Well, once it lets me trade it which wont be until the 24th of next month.

[gpw11]

What?  There's a delay on trading?

[idolminds]

Only for me. Seems when they suspended my account it dropped it into the "not in good standing" mode. Its now in good standing but to trade games it has to be in good standing for the last 30 days, and mine hasn't. So I can't trade my games away for a month.

Also I was playing Bit Trip Runner for its achievements since I got it in a humble bundle. Two of them can be earned pretty easily but playing much more of the game is an exercise in frustration.

[MysterD]

Add 50% off Silent Hill: Homecoming to Inventory.
I already own this from Steam, BTW.

EDIT:
I forgot, I also got 2 GIFTS for The Ship in my Inventory, since I bought it A LONG TIME AGO and they've giving gifted copies away to long-time owners.

[idolminds]

Yeah they are trying to build up the community for The Ship. Seems the original creators got the rights to it back or something. So if you have The Ship you'll get 2 free copies to give away. And the people that get those will also get 2 to give away, so soon basically everyone should have it, heh.

There seems to be a problem for people with really, really old copies of the game not getting the gifts. Like me. Valve is working on a fix but it probably won't be ready until after the Christmas sale.

[idolminds]

Got my copies of The Ship so I can pass those out whenever. I also won a copy of Rock of Ages from the daily achievements, which I gave to Que because he was interested.

[Quemaqua]

I'll be happy to give out Ship copies also if they ever give them to me!

[MysterD]

Add to my list another piece of coal - got 5 in total now.
Add also to my Inventory a 50% off Sup Com 2 coupon...I already own Sup Com 2, BTW.

[MysterD]

So far, during this Steam X-Mas Ordeal...

So, my Inventory now holds:
8 pieces of coal;
33% off any one Valve game;
50% off Hacker Evolution: Untold;
50% off Psychonauts [already own this game from Retail];
50% off Silent Hill: Homecoming [already own this game from Steam];
50% off Supreme Commander 2 [already own this game from Steam];
2 gifts for The Ship [since I've owned The Ship game for a VERY long time];
and Half-Life 2: Episode 1 [since I already owned HL2: Ep 1 when I bought The Orange Box, some time ago].

I have unpacked and kept:
Space Empires V

[idolminds]

New additions to my inventory:

25% off Serious Sam 3
Virtua Fighter 2 (which is basically the Genesis port running in an emulator)

That last one I got by crafting my coal. Which hopefully tomorrow I get one more coal to be in the grand price running. I think there will be one steam client achievement (turn on Steam Guard, which I already have) so unless that ends up giving me a game or coupon, I should be good.

[W7RE]

Here's what I've managed to get:

5 coal
-33% Valve
-25% Valve
-10% Bethesda


The achievements are mostly in games I don't own. The ones that are in games I do own are too out of reach ot be bothered. I've worked a bit on trying to get the Bind of Isaac one, but fuck the randomization. I've seen like 3 Satan's rooms in 12 hours of play.

[MysterD]

New additions to my inventory:

25% off Serious Sam 3
Virtua Fighter 2 (which is basically the Genesis port running in an emulator)

That last one I got by crafting my coal. Which hopefully tomorrow I get one more coal to be in the grand price running. I think there will be one steam client achievement (turn on Steam Guard, which I already have) so unless that ends up giving me a game or coupon, I should be good.

They should've given you EXTRA stuff to your Inventory for all the crap you went through w/ trying to get your account back!

[idolminds]

No objectives for today, and the sale is just a greatest hits of previous sales. Though there is this:

If you unlock an achievement on or after 12/31 your prize will be a free Valve game, a coupon toward a Valve game, or Holiday Coal.

So no more 3rd party games or coupons. Its Valve stuff or coal.

[MysterD]

TruePCGaming -> Article On The Whole X-Mas Sale's Achievements, Coal, and Coupon Madness.

[W7RE]

TruePCGaming -> Article On The Whole X-Mas Sale's Achievements, Coal, and Coupon Madness.

I won nothing during the sale. I ended up with 6 coal and 3 useless coupons. After reading this though, I still feel like a winner, because I didn't get absorbed in the whole affair. I spent $3.23 total, and got Dungeons of Dredmor and The Witcher. I spent some time in The Binding of Isaac for the achievement but never got it and didn't fret over it.

[gpw11]

TruePCGaming -> Article On The Whole X-Mas Sale's Achievements, Coal, and Coupon Madness.

I got a bit caught up in it for sure, but I sure as hell didn't buy any games I otherwise wouldn't have or dedicate a huge amount of time to any of the achievements that sounded like they'd be a pain in the ass.  Actually, the only one I did get that I kind of forced myself through was playing And Yet It Moves for like 25 min.  I just wasn't having fun with it past the 15 or so minute mark, but it was already in my gameslist due to some indie bundle, so why not?

On the upside, the sale/gift pile did introduce me to both Sequence and Xotic, which I had a fair amount of fun with.