Merry Christmas - And Happy New Year, from The Game Tips And More Blog [Wallpaper Greetings]

I just wanted to take a moment to say, no matter what you are celebrating at this time of year (or not), no matter what games you are playing (or not), no matter what you believe or who you are (or aren't), I want to wish you, my dear reader, a heartfelt Merry Christmas and All The Best in the New Year.

To celebrate at this time, I am going to share a Desktop Wallpaper I threw together last year [due to ongoing illness, not having much energy at the moment to create a new one, sorry]. It was captured in Planet Coaster, after taking some time to festively decorate King Coaster's 'Festive Funlands' Park (Gingerbread Night Scene with added Lights, Decorations and Greetings). Take care all - and See You In The New Year!

Sincerely,

Troy from The Game Tips And More Blog


~ P.S.
Don't forget to check out some Game Sales going on all over (Steam, Origin, Good Old Games (GOG), HumbleBundle, and more - even local stores/retailers - gaming is a great little break from any stresses at this time of year)! Have fun out there!

And More: 'Should I have the "Turn on 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound" checkbox selected (checked) in Windows..?

I just wanted to share with you all, what seems like "The Official Answer" from Dolby Labs themselves - the answer to the question:

In the Spatial Sound tab of the Properties of my Headset/Headphones, should I have the "Turn on 7.1 Virtual Surround Sound checkbox selected ('checked'), or not..?

I found this question asked in a Steam Discussion earlier in the year, about whether or not the checkbox for "7.1 virtual surround sound" should be selected or not. At the time, I was sending emails back and forth with Dolby Support a bit, and got the answer of 'use whatever sounds better for your headset' - which does make sense; each model in each brand of every set of headphones has different capabilities and manufacturing limitations and can indeed sound different from the next.

While helpful advice, I had submitted a Feedback Comment at their website, that said that the Dolby App did not specifically address this checkbox in Windows 10 (and whether or not it should be 'ticked'). I looked recently at the Dolby App again just a couple of days ago [as of the time of this posting, which is near the end of 2018] and found that a diagram, showing the answer to whether the 7.1 Surround Sound checkbox should be selected/ticked or not, was now present; and wanted to share it with you all, here. 

Below then, is the Screenshot from the Official Dolby App in Windows 10 [and the "Spatial Sound" Tab of my Headset, how it was at the time, shown on the Right]:

The Dolby Atmos App in Windows 10, showing the "Turn on 7.1 virtual surround sound" checkbox suggested as "Checked", with my Windows 10 Sound Properties panel shown on the right (showing the checkbox unselected at the time)

It seems then, that 'the final answer' to whether or not this checkbox should be selected or not, is "Yes", as suggested by Dolby Labs themselves. 

[Edit: After returning to do more Testing with Dolby Atmos in Windows 10, I have found that the checkbox for "Turn on 7.1 virtual surround sound" now automatically becomes selected ('checked') when SPATIAL SOUND > DOLBY ATMOS is chosen/enabled (eg. when right-clicking on the Speaker icon [Sound] in the System Tray / Notification area of the Taskbar to enable it [near the Clock on the taskbar in Windows])]

If I may still add, 'juuuust in case', to try both ways still, with whatever headphones you are utilizing, taking a moment to listen to something with it checked then unchecked, to 'make sure' that you are getting what sounds the best, to YOU - as suggested by Dolby themselves [to me directly through emails with them]. Regardless, I hope this helps to clear things up a bit. 

Addendum:

While a Review of Dolby's Atmos surround sound for Windows 10 is out of the scope of this specific posting, I am slowly working on a short "Review" of the function/app, comparing it to other '7.1 Surround Sound' sources, such as Razer's "Surround Pro" and others, with some examples/recordings of the differences as well. 

Until then, to help, I will state a very brief 'first impressions' of this audio functionality/app [that Santa saw fit to give me as an early Present for Xmas] - that is, a point-form of my own 'first impressions' of Dolby Atmos in Windows 10: 

- It does sound good' overall, with the expected "Dolby Quality" that their products produce. Clear and Crisp and Boom-y

- The surround sound works very well, moreso in movies than games though; as in some games it can seem a bit 'muddled', where the surround directionals 'leak' a bit into each other [to my ears]

- Overall though, it has clear, crisp highs and nice booming/pounding lows
[the high end seems to be a bit over-accentuated to me, but it may just be that my ears are a bit more sensitive to that range. it is a common practice to enhance Treble slightly to increase perceptive audio clarity to humans]

- The only thing missing from the App is a configurable Equalizer (sliders that can adjust the strength of each frequency range, so that users can increase/decrease ones that they wish to adjust), but then, it is suggested in the app itself, that it actually adjusts automatically, based on the source and frequencies within the media itself (as their proprietary Dolby algorithms/functions do in movies,etc).

- If you don't have a Surround sound option with your headphones already
[a 7.1/8channel dongle/plug or option somewhere - for example, my Headphones from Santa one Xmas has a little box on the USB cable that has a '7.1 Button' on it, which works surprisingly well for emulating Surround Sound]the sound quality of Dolby's Atmos really does seem worth the $15 so far in my limited testing; however don't worry if you can't purchase it, Windows 10 now comes with its' own "Windows Sonic for Headphones" 7.1 Surround Sound emulation.

Fallout 76 - Stuck In Power Armor? Here's One Way To Get Out Again... [Tutorial]

[Text-Only Mode: This post is initially being Uploaded as Text Only, to speed up posting time and enabling it to reach people faster. I may return to this post and add some Screenshots for it... Soon™]

I personally ran into the issue of "not being able to exit my Power Armour" earlier this week - then saw that literally dozens and dozens of players have run into this in Fallout 76, after looking around online. Now, the game just officially launched Online only a couple weeks ago almost to the day, so I expect there to be some issues and/or bugs (not many Online game launches are 100% Bug-Free and Problem-Free). Bethesda does helpfully have a method posted at their Support Site for 76, but sadly, that method did not work for me personally. Here then, is my method that got me free of my 'Starcraft2-like-mobile-prison' of Armour - hopefully it can work for you too, friends:


(Taken from my original posting at the Official Bethesda Game Forums, reworded slightly)


If I may help, with something to do when this happens:

• Stash or otherwise get rid of all Fusion Cores, except the one in the Armour
• Deplete the FC until Zero (Power Attacks in the PA help)
• DO NOT EXIT THE POWER ARMOUR once it reads "Zero, get the hell out"
• Restart Game
• Upon entering a new game, you should be able to Exit the PA by holding the key used to enter it

That's it! Now you should be free of your metal moving tomb and able to utilize Workbenches in the world, once again...

Initially, I had not found a solution that worked for me anywhere online (in Forums, etc) - and as those who are experiencing this know, being 'stuck in your Power Armour' impedes the game quite severely actually, as you cannot use Workbenches/Workshops at all and cannot even Repair your Power Armour (as you cannot Exit it, to Repair it in a Power Armour Station) - so, I opened a Ticket with Bethesda about it, a week ago. They were actually quite speedy to Reply, pointing me to their online Support Site, at their Knowledge Base, where there was an Article stating two things to try (one of 'just logout' and another of 'unequip pieces of armor and wait two minutes'), found at: 

https://help.bethesda.net/app/answers/detail/a_id/43986/kw/stuck%20power/

As of the time of this writing, I see that they have also Updated the Article (just today), adding a slightly-modified version of my method above, that I submitted to them as a Reply (where I "found out a way that worked for me, which was not one of the other two helpfully-suggested methods") - that's fine with me if they found a repeatable method of their own; as long as others are helped in escaping their 'mobile prisons of steel', out there! 

Hopefully, the incoming December 4th Update of 76, will help with this issue, clearing it up for everyone. Until then, try out my method above - perhaps it will be the one that works for you, dear reader - and See You In Appalachia!

Fallout 76 - One Way To Enjoy This 'Odd Fallout Game' More... [Editorial / Mini-Review]

[This post is currently Text-Only Mode, for now. I will be returning and adding some Screenshots gradually, 

but I wanted to quickly get this Posted, to help others that were initially disappointed, like me, possibly enjoy 76.] 

Before I even finish a 'First Impressions, From The B.E.T.A. And Beyond' post I am working on, I wanted to quickly post something here that might help those that are feeling 'frustrated' with Fallout 76... 'Disappointed' perhaps, as I was at first - although I couldn't put words to the feeling right away - all I knew is I was looking forward to this 'next fallout game' and thinking it was going to be "bigger and better than Fallout 4", only to feel... well, 'disappointed' is about the best word I can utilize really. All other words I would say, would come out of that feeling. The feeling that Fallout 76 gave me - a long-time player of Fallout games - having played every one in the series, spending over 2000+ hours in the Commonwealth of Fallout 4, building up Settlements and ignoring the Main Questline... it wasn't initially a good feeling, this game; and so I wanted to help other Gamers, here. Others that felt like I did. Gamers that enjoyed past Fallout games and really wanted to enjoy this one... #ReallyWantToEnjoyFallout76

While trying not to repeat too much of what I am putting into my 'First Impressions' posting, in progress, let me summarize what I went through - see if it is the same as you, my fellow Appalachian Vault Dweller [no big spoilers, some Game Concepts and Tips included]:

• Start the game with wide eyes, big smile, drink nearby, ready to start exploring a huge, new Fallout world!

• See the models/meshes are mostly the same as Fallout 4. That's fine, I guess. They are allowed to use their own assets over again. 

• See the controls are odd, different for every 'category' of gameplay (such as Building vs Combat). Oh it was designed for Console first. That's fine, I guess. I'll get used to the controls over time. [I personally don't want to bash Consoles, I like them as well. Although it makes game developing companies 'hold back' a bit, to try to stay within the limits of consoles (as opposed to pushing the limits of what PCs can do these days); I think we should all try, as Gamers, to get along #GamersNoMatterWhat ]

• See that there is not much to interact with in Vault 76. It seems not only 'abandoned' but 'dead'... That's fine, I guess. They want to push you out into the big world quickly. Here we go!

• See that the world looks beautiful... even if a 'dated' still. Some aspects are fantastic, so pretty; but some seems to be rehashes of Fallout 4 capability. That's fine, I guess. Is it a new engine that can't fully utilize yet? Or is it the old game engine with a bunch of tape and gum and Band-Aid™'s on it - enough to make it look almost like a new game engine?

• See that the animations and movement and combat are a bit... 'clunky'. V.A.T.S. is odd and doesn't slow down the game. That's fine, I guess. It can't slow down other players, due to there being some kind of PvP in this game, I heard, so that's fair I suppose. It's like a weird Aimbot really, one that only works if you have enough Action Points. That's ok.

• See that 80% of the models/meshes are the same as Fallout 4 - along with the issue of "many Textures 'loading in low-rez versions' sometimes" - just like Fallout 4. That's fine, I guess. If it's their old engine, with the old texture problems... Maybe they'll solve that someday. It doesn't look bad on HIGH Textures Setting, even though it makes it 'choppy' or 'stutter' for me.

• See that there are literally no other Humans, other than a few Players you bump into - but you don't see many, often. How many people are on this world? Oh, it's just one Server out of many? Oh, it's only about 20 people? That's fine, I guess. They can't put thousands of players on one server, I suppose. Still, I'm not seeing people that often. That one guy tried to kill me. That one person tried to Trade but it didn't work. Oh well, I'm going to play more 'solo' style anyway - I usually play that way.

• See that the 'no Human NPCs anywhere' takes a lot of the 'fun' out of the game. There is no longer a purpose or reason to do all of these things, it feels like. It's fun for a while, but soon gets 'dull'... That's fine, I guess. They are trying to make it more of a desolate, isolated world I suppose. Trying to really make it feel 'dead' and sad... Aren't they? That has to be why. 

• See that you don't seem to bump into other Players very often, other than at the very start, and when you do they either try to kill you or help you with one Quest then run off on their own. That's fine, I guess. I was going to play more 'solo' anyway. Oh, this House I can build (the C.A.M.P.) is cool. Maybe I'll leave these benches out in the open so others can use them. Oh, I can lock the door? Nah, I'll leave it open, so other Vault Dwellers can use my stuff and maybe have a pick through my garden!

• See that you can only hold 400 'pounds' of items in your Bank/Inventory (called a Stash). What? It's already full and I'm not even Level 10! How the heck am I supposed to collect anything for Building, Crafting, Maintenance of Armor, Maintenance of Weapons, I have to Plant Food and collect Water... This 400 'things' limit is going to be rough...

• See that the Quests are all given by Robots or Holotapes. See that the world is large, but it also takes a long time to get anywhere - unless you want to spend Caps to Fast Travel. That's fine, I guess. I'll sell some of all this Scrap and stuff I have, I'll get lots of Caps soon. Especially since I have to Sell so much, due to the '400 Stash Limit'.

• See that the Vendors/Merchants are all limited to 200 Caps. What? That's fine, I guess. Fallout 4 had Vendor cash limits too, I'll just hop between different Vendors and clean them all out, which will also allow me to see what they all have for sale...

• See that almost all the Vendors are 'linked' [by Faction] where you can't just 'go to a different Vendor and Sell more stuff'. What?? Only 200 Caps? And these guys are LINKED? How the heck am I supposed to get rid of all this Scrap and Ammo and things, without being able to Sell to different Vendors? This is getting wacked...

• See that you can go far across the Map, to find different Vendors of different Factions, that will have more Caps to Sell to - but find that they too, are limited to 200 Caps. Also, see that it costs Caps to Fast Travel - and you can't Fast Travel while Overencumbered anyway. That's fine, I guess. You couldn't Fast Travel in Fallout 4 while Overencumbered. But I really want to Sell all this stuff I'm not using. Hell, I Scrapped those 16 Weapons from that last Quest alone...

• See that your Stash is Full, you can't Sell to Vendors, everything takes up Space, while everything still has Value (to Build, or Craft, etc etc). What the heck?? I basically have to stop Looting...  Have to stop picking up things... in a Fallout game... this doesn't make any sense...

• See that it is possible, that they are trying to force Players to interact. Make you Trade with others, selling or giving your stuff away, instead of Collecting to Build/Craft with and/or Selling to Vendors for money. That's fine, I guess. I also see that you can only build 'ONE HOUSE', which is mine (the C.A.M.P.), so that's ok I guess. I suppose I don't need all this building material. But still... this is crazy that I already feel like I 'can't pick anything up' as often. In a Fallout  game!

It was at this point, that I realized that this game is so different ('yet so much the same') that it required a change of state of mind. I was playing Fallout 76, 'like Fallout 4' - and was coming up against walls and limits and differences - and becoming more and more disappointed...

The world does seem huge, that's good. It doesn't look 'bad' but it looks 'wierd'. The graphics aren't too bad, but if I turn them down just one notch, they start to look 'ugly' really fast. That's a bit wierd. Also, things seem to be 'lumped together' somewhat. For example, Bump Mapping and Ambient Occlusion seem to be controlled as part of the "Shadows" Setting ('bumps on things made by shading' and 'shadows that objects cast on nearby objects', respectively). If I turn down "Shadows" even one notch (from ULTRA to HIGH), these elements look 'bad' quickly...[I'm not a Developer or Programmer, so maybe that's how those things are supposed to work - personally, I thought those elements fall more under "Lighting", etc].

As of the time of starting this Posting, if I turn everything up with the ULTRA Setting, it looks pretty good actually, but it's 'choppy' and 'stutter' is there, for me [kind of like how it ran for me when I tried the High Resolution Texture Pack in Fallout 4 - yet some Textures still load in 'low rez' (like Fallout 4 did) lol]. Oh well, I'll put up with that, for now. Maybe someday I'll be able to Upgrade and enjoy it with the ULTRA Setting all over again [I often do this with older games, going back to them and 'maxing them out', enjoying them all over again at their highest settings]. Since I play more 'solo' style anyway, I don't have to worry about it leaving me open to dying to other players nearby as much, or ruining other teammates' experience with my 'lag' (by being affected by the stuttering/lag due to graphical settings).

There are other players in this Fallout iteration - one of their main Selling Points - but I don't seem them too often... In the Screenshot above, there are actually a couple other Players in Vault 76, during the B.E.T.A. when this image was taken; but I seem to be the only one interested in exploring the Vault itself, playing with things and actually watching the Training Video [lol]. I don't mind that I rarely saw people in the game, especially when some of them are just trying to fight or kill me anyway. Come to think of it, why don't they make PvP servers and PvE servers? ARK, another 'open world, survival game' does this - heck, one of the most successful MMO games of all time, did this - World Of Warcraft. If they made different servers for each game type, both parties would be happier, I think. PvP'ers can attack and fight anyone at any time, something I think they wanted to do in this game (my personal idea is to have PvP Servers be "Always On PVP" - that means no Pacifist Mode! Isn't that what PvP is about?). PvE'ers can Explore and Quest on PVE Servers to their heart's content, not  having to worry about getting killed or their C.A.M.P. vandalized while they are away [I personally had some of my house destroyed by vandals already - oh, animals can attack your home? Maybe it was them, too - either way, in a fully-PVE Server, you won't have to worry about others wrecking your home].

I also notice that I am constantly stuck at 400 Stash Limit and opening my Pip-Boy everywhere I go, to play "Inventory Management 76" after doing anything... You can see just above, my Weight Capacity (carrying items on person) is 230 units at the moment, and the Stash is shown on the right (the 'bank'), and it is almost topped out at 400; and this happens very easily and is like that almost all the time afterward. It's getting pretty annoying, frankly. I am seriously feeling like I am 'not wanting to pick things up' - and that's bad, for a Fallout game... Doesn't everything have Value, even Junk, since Fallout 4?

Maybe, I thought, I have to change my approach this game... 

Playing Fallout 76 'like it was Fallout 4' is just getting me more annoyed and disappointed every game session. So, I took a moment to step back and look at how Fallout 76 operates (and how it is different than Fallout 4 - remember, it is a 'side step' or 'spinoff' of the Fallout Series - they even stated specifically that it is not to be considered "Fallout 5").

In Fallout 76, you don't build up Houses on end, entire Towns like you do with Fallout 4 (the Settlements, something I had a ton of fun building up for my little Settlers, keeping them happy). OK. Then I don't really need all this Building material/Scrap for that, now that my C.A.M.P. is pretty much complete.

I have a little Cabin, Water, some Food growing, some Turrets up on the roof, all the Crafting Workbenches I could build, my Stash and a Bed to Rest in. I'll leave my Door open/unlocked so others can use my C.A.M.P.; I'm pretty much set, anyway. I'll just try to collect less of Building mats now then. Maybe I'll Sell what I can to Vendors [that 200 Caps limit, ugh] and I guess... I'll have to Drop the rest. That makes me sad, but I guess that's the way it is in Fo76.

In Fallout 76, the game limits how much you can Carry (which is the same as Fallout 4, limited by your Strength) but 76 also limits your 'bank' or 'workshop inventory' (the "Stash" mentioned above). It is no longer 'Unlimited' like in Fallout 4 Workbenches, but capped at "400"... That's crazy to me, but maybe it's to force people to interact with other Players more. Sell stuff to them, or give it away to new players. Hmmm. I guess this means, I'll be 'dropping' a lot of stuff, since I still need Materials for Ammo, Armor and Weapon upkeep, Food and Drink crafting, etc. Literally just throwing stuff away will take some getting used to (since in Fallout 4 I could eventually Sell it all, somewhere or another..). Maybe I'll drop it near the Starting Areas, to help others out! That will help make dropping all that stuff feel better [to me, heh].

The world is huge. Not 'absolutely immense', but it does seem larger than Fallout 4 so far [I personally have seen less than half of the Map, but more than 1/4 of it, so far]. Fast Travel costs Caps, the farther away, the more it costs. I'm paying about 30 to get horizontally across the map, crossing two large areas... Okay, I'll have to walk more, instead of Fast Travelling (especially since I'm Overburdened after clearing out an area, or doing a Quest).

Capture by Bethesda

The world is also 'empty' feeling. I mean, it looks pretty good actually - the architecture, the surroundings, the visual effects - but this "No Human NPCs" thing makes the world feel pretty depressing... Why even do Quests? Who am I helping, doing them, since everyone is dead? I rarely run into Players, so it can't be them. There really is something psychological, to 'picking up' and 'turning in' Quests/Missions to human beings in games... Maybe they'll increase the number of Players on a Server someday. I dunno.

You know what? The huge, open world. The lack of NPCs - the only 'mobs' (mobile NPCs) are enemies, and they are kind of spread out a bit. The game seems to be more 'exploring' and less 'interacting with others' (as a 'Solo' style player). You know what this reminds me of? Minecraft.

With Fallout 76's huge, open world, the ability to 'fight' with other players if you really wanted to; but mainly the goals seeming to be Explore and Experience the world, 'open but barren' as it is - to me, this is indeed much like Minecraft, or even more apt perhaps, No Man's Sky [Now Including "Game Release Disappointment"™! lol BTW, No Man's Sky is more fun now, with Base Building and more NPCs and Missions and Shortcuts put in it]. Maybe I'll play 76 that way... Explore. Quest. Survive. [don't make Metal Gear: Survive joke... don't make Metal Gear: Survive joke...] Less like Fallout 4 and more like Single Player Minecraft, or No Man's Sky, yeah. A huge world to explore, mostly barren of other NPCs, save for Enemies. Think: MC or NMS...

You know what? After playing a while with this mindset; I am really enjoying the game more! 

It's weird, the less I play the game like 'Fallout 4' and the more I play it like Minecraft, more like a "Fallout Metal Gear: Survive" [sorry I couldn't resist] - the more I am finding I am actually enjoying Fallout 76! The more I play the game like 'No Man's Sky' [trying not to make the 'game release disappointment' joke again...], the more that I just Explore and Quest and kill the Enemies I run into along the way - and try not to think of Fallout 4 - the more I am actually enjoying this game.

Note: this thought concept (line of thinking) is probably geared more for a Solo-style player of the game. A PvP'er might have more fun thinking/playing it like Planetside 2 or even more so, Ark or Rust. I personally still think they should have separate PvP and PvE servers though - as it is, both parties are not happy with how they play together. PvPers can't start proper fights and PvE'ers are annoyed at the ones that want to fight... Beth, wouldn't separate servers that allow both parties to experience the game how they want, solve that?

Anyway, I've stated my point and now I'm rambling [well I guess I did call this an 'editorial' so it's sort of allowed, heh]: the less that I approached the game like Fallout 4 and the more I played the game like it was Minecraft or No Man's Sky, the more I enjoyed Fallout 76... They did say it was 'different', they did say they were 'trying something new'... So maybe we shouldn't approach this game like it was "Fallout 4.5"...

There are a lot of issues with the game, a bunch of bugs (insert Bugthesda joke here), a lot of changes that can happen to improve the game; but as it stands, it is not a total loss, even though the game does 'feel' quite despondent (lonely)... This is a different 'branch' of Fallout, a different experience. They've even stated that "this is not Fallout 5" and "the next Fallout 5, which will be Single Player" is going to come - which is fantastic and awesome for us Fallout Fans - but that also means that this is not it. The more I keep this in mind, the more I play this game like the open-world, exploration, survival game that it seems to be; the more I am enjoying it. At least, it has helped me. Perhaps it will help you, too. 

See You In Appalachia!

~Troy from The Game Tips And More Blog

The 2018 Extra Life 24-Hour Gaming Marathon, In Support of The Children's Miracle Network Hospitals [Post Updated All Weekend, Extended Due To Illness]

It's that time again - time to try to play some games for a cause! In my case, due to being disabled by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (an infection of the brain and spine causing Chronic Fatigue and body pain), I cannot play for 24 Hours 'straight' - therefore I play as much as I can through the weekend, totally up my Hours overall, playing through Saturday and Sunday - but playing as much as I really can - after all, it's a Marathon! As always, I will be playing for the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation (part of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals), not only because I was born and raised in the province of Alberta, Canada; but also because I was treated at these hospitals when I was an infant... so this Foundation, and the children they help, are close to my heart.

Every year seems to 'spring up' on me, heh. I've had to go to the Doctor a few times lately, eventually getting assigned my own Cardiologist, after they found an arrhythmia ('non-regular heartbeat') and some damaged heart muscle that "doesn't seem to be moving right" (it's being investigated)... I've been more tired [than 'my normal'] - but am still fighting and trying to help others, all along the way - perhaps it's because I have my own personal illnesses, that playing for this charity every year is special to me, and it's something I have tried to do every year since I heard of Extra Life and joined it, back in 2015.

If you would like to Donate to the Marathon - all proceeds going towards The Children's Hospital Foundation - you can Pledge/Donate directly to the Extra Life charity via Link just below:

https://www.extra-life.org/participant/340932

And whether you pledge anything or not, feel free to just return to this posting for gameplay time Updates, Screenshots, some Video Clips from the weekend - and more!


As has occurred in past years - and stated above - I do not have the ability/energy to set up and maintain a constant Stream of some sort (through Twitch, YouTube and other streaming services); but what I do, is I share some details and Screenshots (and Videos if I can) of what I am able to play over the Weekend, in this post, right here at The Blog - an ongoing and updated post - one that I will be adding to as the weekend progresses (including Sunday Night, with a Grand Gameplay Total Of Hours Played), right here! Follow Along, checking back once in a while - and maybe See You In The Game!

This clickable image will take you to https://www.extra-life.org/ - the main Extra Life
Marathon Homepage of the Charity that I am playing for All Weekend

Update, Saturday 10:30 AM MST: Beginning The Marathon, with the initial post above and gathering snacks and drinks to start Playing For The Kids™!


Update, Saturday 1:00 PM MST: Started out with some Minecraft - oh, and as always, all Weekend I will play all games as "Just One Life" - that is, I will not be able to continue if I 'die' in any of the games I play [Lobby/Arena games exempt; for example League Of Legends, Heroes Of The Storm, Team Fortress 2, and similar games where it is based on 'maps/areas' instead of 'lives'].

I was happy to see that I started in a Forest Biome - which usually has lots of Trees and easier-to-collect Seeds (via the little tufts of Grass around). I even saw a few Animals, but they were in 'singles' so I didn't try to Eat any (yet); I usually wait until I bump into 2+ of any Animal, so I can Breed them later on.

I quickly got to work on a Garden [pictured above] so I can have some incoming Food. It didn't take long, but I had to stop playing for the moment. I also realize that I didn't start it in Hardcore Mode, haha - well, I will still only play my 'Just One Life' mode - and I'll start a Hardcore Mode later on this Marathon Weekend!

Total Gameplay Time: ~ 1.0 hrs

Update, Saturday 4:30 PM MST: Played some Rollercoaster Tycoon World - a game that was lamented and lashed when it was released, heh. Personally, I find it enjoyable, even though it seems more simplified, compared to earlier renditions of the series (my personal favourite being Rollercoaster Tycoon 3). That doesn't mean it is 'easier' mind you, as I have already run out of Money in the Story Mode level "Crash Course"...

Above, after doing the Tutorials for the Level, I laid out a nice, large Wooden Coaster; giving riders a bit of a 'tour' of the Park - but it tells me I do not have enough money to Open the Coaster! lol
I wish it would have told me as I went along, although I suppose this lets people 'build' what they want as they go and not be 'constantly interrupted' by the game. At least I managed to start up a little 'eatery' area (known as a "Food Court" in the area I live in, in Canada, eh) where my Peeps are seen gettin' Hungry and gettin' fed... [below]

I haven't played the game long enough to decide whether I 'love' it yet - I plan on writing a Review of it after putting many more Hours in... So far, I put in a couple more!

Total Gameplay Time: ~ 3.0 hrs

Update, Saturday 8:00 PM MST: Played some Friday The 13th, recently acquired during a Halloween Sale [although I felt a little odd, playing a scary/gore-y game for a Children's Marathon lol, so I might not play that type of game again during this].

The game isn't too complicated and kind of neat, seeing things from the actual movies (Licensed, currently in some kind of dispute, even). I was never 'into' Horror movies, I prefer just 'suspenseful' ones, or 'thrillers' maybe.

Anyway, I played a while, learning the ropes and either being the Big Scary Guy himself, or trying to help the Camp Counsellors escape from the Big Scary Bad Guy as he was...chasing them. It is pretty fun actually, running around trying to find items that will help you, as the Thunder and Lightning booms and the rain pours down around you. It's constantly Nighttime and the scary music that plays just makes everything together, well, pretty scary.

It is not a bad looking game too, if you can turn things up a bit. I mean, take a look at this 'scary looking house' below - isn't that scary just to look at..? I'm totally going to have nightmares, aren't I..?

Total Gameplay Time: ~ 5.0 hrs

Update, Saturday 10:30 PM MST: Played some more Rollercoaster Tycoon World, choosing to switch to Sandbox Mode, after running out of money repeatedly (yet not being able to take out a loan??) on a Story Mode Level - I'm not a quitter, I'll return to it later! heh

I created a long, flourishing Flying Coaster, with multiple hills, banks and even overturns - apparently though, this causes the Nausea Rating to go too high - so I tamed it down a bit and took out some banks and the multiple rolls. I still had one, long, slowly-spinning roll-over in it after re-working it some though; and that apparently kept the Nausea too high (it was 'workable' and Passed, but it was 9+ and I feared that noone would ride it, so I plan to keep whittling it down more, then Open it later on).

Below, is a small collage of some Screenshots of the roll-overs, some of the Ratings I went through so far; and interestingly, I have never 'zoomed in' on a Store before (Information Booth), so here's what I saw, as well, just in case you may not have ever done the same. Time for a break, but I might play more yet tonight - after all, it's a Marathon! Woot!

Total Gameplay Time: ~ 7.0 hrs

Update, Sunday 10:00 PM MST: Unfortunately, I woke up today with a Fever and am very sore all over... I have been sleeping off an on all day and have not had a chance to play any games yet today (Sunday). I plan on trying to consider tomorrow to be 'Sunday' and play games tomorrow, to try build up to 24 Hours, for the Gaming Marathon. I sincerely apologize to readers/followers of this Posting and I will continue tomorrow. Take care. ~Troy from The Game Tips And More Blog


Update, Friday, November 9th, 2:00 PM MST: Sadly, this entire Week was a Loss, as I was battling some sort of bug/sickness the entire time... Therefore, I would like to try Continue the Marathon THIS WEEKEND (Sat. Nov. 10th and Sun. Nov. 11th) - trying to 'gather up together' the entire 24 Hours of the Gaming Marathon! Please forgive me, my dear readers, as I continue what I started; playing as much as I can this weekend for the Extra  Life Gaming Marathon - hopefully seen in the spirit of the event and what it represents - pushing onward through personal illnesses, trying to not lose spirit or hope, through gaming; never giving up and staying filled with the positivity of looking towards the future... [wow that sounded good! lol]. Yes, I will try again, starting Saturday Morning; seeing if I can get up to the promised 24 Hours total - join me here again, if you wish, for little Updates and Screenshots and maybe even some Gameplay Clips, all Weekend!

Update, Saturday, November 10th, 11:59 PM MST: Sigh, again today I did not feel well enough to play very long at all. I tried to pop into Fortnite and played some Poker Night At The Inventory, but that's about it... Will try tomorrow

Update, Monday, November 19th, 5:00 PM MST: I played more, through the entire past Weekend! Slowly feeling better, even though I had a Dentist appointment, heh. Grand Total, Screenshots And More, to come...

Update, Friday, November 23rd, 6:00 PM MST: I apologize, I have not posted the Total Hours yet... I will try to get to this, this Weekend... However, as seen with the fact there is a Fallout 76 post; I did manage to play more and make it finally, to 24 Hours Total! Woot

[THIS POST WILL BE UPDATED CONSTANTLY, AS I CONTINUE TO PLAY 'IN MARATHON MODE', ALL WEEKEND]

Deals And Sales - Hitman Series Publisher 20th Anniversary and Humble Fallout Franchise Sale [Notification]

Just a quick Notification that there is a fantastic Sale going on this weekend that you don't want to miss before it's over, concerning two of my personal favourite Franchises: Hitman and Fallout.

For Hitman, it is the Publisher's 20th Anniversary (Happy Anniversary, IOI!) and they are celebrating with us all, offering a whopping 75% OFF at Steam.

This includes all past Hitman games and even the newer Hitman 2016 - for example, you can get the "Hitman Collection" (shown above) for less than $10 USD, which includes all of these past Hitman titles:

• Hitman: Codename 47
• Hitman 2: Silent Assassin
• Hitman 3: Contracts
• Hitman: Blood Money
• Hitman: Absolution Elite Edition

Even the newer Hitman 2016 - Game Of The Year Edition(!) is on for less than $20 USD!

For Fallout, Steam is calling it a Weekend Deal; but at HumbleBundle, it is called a "Bombs Dropping Sale" [hopefully not 'really' in real life - we need more time to play these great games! lol]. Want to play the Original "Fallout 1" or finally own "Fallout New Vegas"? They are less than 5 bucks each, right now!

Example of Sale Prices at HumbleBundle for the Fallout franchise

So, if you have been waiting patiently for Hitman 2016 or Fallout 4 to go on Sale, this is it! Now is the time! GOGOGO!

Question: Will I like Hitman 2016, if I liked previous Hitman games (other than Absolution)..?

If I may sum up the Hitman series so far (even though some of you might already know parts of this), the Hitman series was never really a 'play through a long storyline linearly through, a level at a time' game, like other games. That is why so many people liked Hitman. You had to figure out what to do by observing, exploring, finding things out on your own. That is also why some people didn't like Hitman - it was too difficult for many, not knowing where to go or what to do, at first. Overall though, Hitman games didn't have a linear level direction and one-directional-storyline to play through, one map at a time, like most games.

Hitman always was more of a 'play in a sandbox with some story plots around, non-linearly through an area at a time, figuring out all of the ways you can get a mission done, finding out which is the best for your playstyle (or what is required for a mission)'. Absolution wasn't like this as much as previous games; Absolution was more linear, like a traditional game, with one long Storyline and the areas had more of a linear playthrough style (only 'one large way to go' overall, in the levels).

Hitman2016 has both elements, it does actually have a bit of an over-arcing Storyline; but each area is its' own 'sandbox of puzzles and death' to play in. There are so many ways to get through a level - and the guidance/radar isn't as 'hand-holding' as it was in Absolution (one aspect many didn't like in Absolution). There are tons of Challenges ('special ways to do things') and lots of Unlocks (weapons, disguises, locations) per area.

My favourite part of Hitman2016 is the dynamic music - it changes on-the-fly to suit what you are doing - from sneaking, to exploring, to combat; it changes its' dynamic/pace/theme based on what you are doing, or even going to do... If you ever wanted to be in a 'Bond/spy' type of movie, sneaking around and interacting with people to music that changes as you do it all - this is it.


[I think that HITMAN2016 is one of THE most Polished versions yet... While it has only a few 'levels', they are huge and have literally dozens of play-throughs for each and every one (missions, escalations, contracts by players, etc). The graphics are great, the twists and turns of the [smallish] plot(s) are interesting, there is a good handful of weapons/toys to choose from; everything is great in HITMAN, imo!]



Note: I am not affiliated with, or partnered with, the above game publishers or developers or websites, in any way; and I have not, and will not, receive any compensation in any form, for mentioning them here. There are no Affiliate Links or other connections herein, to follow. I am merely an enthusiastic gamer that likes to share helpful information to other gamers, when I can. 

It's Not Just You™ - NVIDIA Drivers Released Today Seem To 'Reset' Notifications Back To Default (ON)

Just a quick post to say that, if you Updated your NVIDIA GPU Drivers today (2018.09.19) and think that the Notifications (Pop-Up Messages) are 'resetting' themselves back to 'ON', if you set them to 'OFF', after rebooting, etc - that It's Not Just You™...

I personally prefer them all 'OFF' (sometimes I leave the Screenshot Notification 'ON') - and so I noticed right away, that after setting them to 'OFF' and then rebooting - they appear to have 'reset' themselves automatically to 'ON' again.

Highlighting the very-helpful 'toggle all' slider, this is how the Notifications look when they are all turned OFF

(GeForce Experience, NVIDIA GPU Software)

I thought maybe I just didn't properly Disable them, so I brought up the GFx In-Game Overlay (formerly SHARE, formerly SHADOWPLAY, etc) and turned off the Notifications (there is a great one-click 'disable all' shortcut-type toggle, wtg NVIDIA!). Then I rebooted.

Restart'in Windaz (Windows 10 Power/Restart Interface)

Upon startup, I hit the Screenshot key configured and 'BLOWP', there was the pop-up Notification ["Blowp" is the sound an NVIDIA Notification makes on this Timeline].

"BLOWP! I SAVE A SCREEN THING!"
(Oh and this is what My Desktop looks like at the moment... The background Wallpaper I made from a Fallout 4 Screenshot. Some icons are made by me as well - if people start asking for them, I will release them, either as a "Pack" or separately, sometime)

I opened up the configuration for the In-Game Overlay (SHARE...SHADOWPLAY...etc) just to see if it was 'reset' back to 'ON' - and it was.

The Notifications in GeForce Experience's In-Game Overlay seem to have automagically 'reset' themselves to the 'ON' setting, after Rebooting the system (GeForce Experience, NVIDIA GPU Software)

Not a huge deal - many of us don't even turn off our systems or need to Reboot near as much anymore these days - and although there is the possibility that NVIDIA intended it to be 'resetting/defaulting to ON', as some sort of "Hey, I'm Runnin' Here" notification to Users after Restarting/Rebooting/etc; I still wanted to try help improve GFx [my abbrev.] and keep it 'free of issues' (as much as I can assist) and 'just in case' went to inform NVIDIA's Support Team that this is occurring with their latest iteration, so I opened up the Feedback and typed this in:

This seemed a lot funnier late at night and really tired... I totally thought I was going to 'cheer up someone's day' with a semi-silly little "complaint", heh (Feedback, GeForce Experience, NVIDIA GPU Software)

Then, I came to Share [pun originally not intended] with my dear readers, or Searchers of this issue/popup occurrence, that this indeed happens - hopefully making the world a little safer and happier, letting others know that if you run into this issue of the notifications 'resetting themselves' with this latest Update of NVIDIA's Drivers - that It's Not Just You™...

Quick Tip: Fallout 4 - The Achievement "Benevolent Leader" Can Be Obtained At A Raider Outpost

Just a Quick Tip that the Achievement "Benevolent Leader" in Fallout 4 can be achieved at a Raider Outpost (which are kind of like Settlements... but for Raiders... and they don't Farm... or like to Work at all... or do anything really... lol).


I have not been feeling well lately ['fighting something' heh], but I've been having fun playing Fallout 4 again, when I can. One of the many aspects I like about Fallout 4 is that, it is a game that I can play 'Slow' if I need to (Exploring, Scavenging, or listening to Diamond City Radio while Building Up some Settlements) or play it 'Fast' if I have the energy and/or feel a bit better (Questing, Fighting, Looting Enemies and cleaning out Locations), it's great; I love that I can play this game fast-and-hard like it was a "Just Cause" game or slow-and-sneaky like it was a "Hitman" game, heh.

Just the other day, I got my first-ever '100% Happiness Settlement' and Notification in the game - only it wasn't a Settlement per se - it was a Raider Outpost [Nuka-World DLC]! I was so surprised - I didn't even know those were eligible for that Achievement, woot! Thus, I wanted to share, both my Achievement/Celebration and the information that it can indeed be obtained with a Raider Outpost:

from https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1509782683

In my case, it was achieved at the Kingsport Lighthouse Settlement/Area, converted [taken over] into a Raider Outpost...

[Going to end this here, keeping it 'short and sweet', so that I can post more often (versus longer posts less often), if I can] 

GL to all those going for the achieve!

~T

Personal Log: Sorry I haven't posted in a while... [Editorial/Personal]

Personal Log, Stardate 201809.9 [I have no idea how that works heh]:


Just a quick Personal Note to say that I apologize to my dear readers for not posting much for the past couple months... I have been experiencing a slight worsening of my bodily symptoms - but this happens once in a while, and it all may go back down as it seems to be once again, slowly (back to "sick normal", heh). As always, I have many Project 'irons I have in the fire', but have not been able to work on them much and/or Post about them much lately... Thankfully, I have been able to sit up and play games - mainly playing Fallout 4 (getting distracted from the Main Questline and having too much fun building up Settlements and doing Side Missions, heh). I have also been helping out fellow/new players of Fallout 4 on the Steam Forums "if I may" say so, which I enjoy doing... Hopefully I've given some helpful advice to some of you.

Don't worry, I'll be back to posting again Soon™... but I think I may have to change a couple of things at The Blog here.
Nothing 'big' I don't think, but for one, I can't keep up with the Monthly "Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From" (where I post a Screenshot and my dear readers can guess what game it is from, to win Gifted Games from me). I have literally over 50,000 Screenshots and really want to share/edit most of them, but I can't seem to get around to it often (due to illness/tiredness).
So, I've decided to not make it a 'monthly' thing - but instead have it 'whenever I can' heh - which might result in it happening multiple times in one month, then not again for a few months, etc. This will also allow me to post Multiple Screenshots for the game, sharing more of my many collection, and giving my dear readers more chances to win a Free Game! heh

I might also try posting smaller, 'Tip' posts. Things that I am finding in games that might help others out - an idea mainly coming from repeating questions I see in Forums. I will continue to work on the Longer Postings in the Background - the ones with a lot of information/data, don't worry - but by doing this as well, Posts can be short (easier for me to do due to my illness) and I can get Tips out there about Games that I have been playing, to help others - what I wanted this entire Blog to be about!

I also plan on ZIPping up my Wallpapers and Windows Icons I've been creating for Games over the last few years, and sharing those, too. The Wallpapers I'll put up here and/or at Flickr [which has been 'bought out' I think?] at maybe at Imgur, since that seems to have become a popular/larger place over the years. I've also made my own Windows Icons, which I will show examples of in "MyDesktop" Screenshots I'll post once in a while (my Desktop changes often, with different Wallpaper and Icons, so I'll post what it looks like and share Icons and take Requests for Icons seen, as well).

I have started a couple of Twitter Accounts, one for The Blog here, and one for General Help and questions people can ask - but I haven't been able to get on the one about Help since, so I may let that one lay still for a while longer (until my personal illness can improve some).

Overall though, I will try to 'get back into it' here, Posting about games I am playing and Tips I am finding, as well as little Clips and Screenshots here and there (The Blog has a YouTube Account and an Imgur Account already..). Again, I am sorry that I haven't been able to keep up with Posting of late, other than a slight worsening of the body pain portion of my illness, I have also had some heart trouble - nothing serious, but irregular heartrate changes, that are currently being investigated (to make sure they aren't 'serious').

For those wondering, below is a 'pasted-and-lightly-updated' portion of the 'Personal Log' posting I made back in 2016 - explaining my illness and what it is - it is the same as the post from then for the most part, so if you already read it, just skip that section if you already know about my personal illness, heh:


< Potentially Sad Talking About Sicknesses Follows, In Case Of Feels, Stop Reading, Play Game >


I've mentioned what I have or what I go through once before, in an earlier Personal Log posting a couple of years ago, since starting this Blog five years ago.. I didn't really want to trouble people or put those thoughts/feelings on them, but I have had a few people ask me personally what it was - and I was looking something up recently about my condition (it's a condition I (and Doctors as well) are constantly having to learn about) and I read quite a bit about other similar stories, where other suffers were in much worse condition than me... They were literally bed-ridden... And while I was also like that for the first couple of years, I have improved slowly over time to the point where I can sit up, and sometimes even play games, and on good days work on an article and do things around the house...

My condition is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, which is an infection of the brain and spinal column, which gives components of Chronic Fatigue (getting tired easily with a slow recovery rate (as in days) if I go to the store, etc) and Fibromyalgia (inflammation and pain in all areas of the body, like - you know when you get a 'flu' and are sore all over, how it feels like 'the pain is coming from deep inside of you'? it's that, all the time...heck, many of your Aunts or Mothers may have Fibromyalgia, so you may have heard about it..). It is not a well-known disorder, despite millions of Americans having it.

Every year I learn something new about it or studies that have found out something new about it; but nothing is ever concrete on 'how to get rid of it', unfortunately. The only good part about that is, is that all Doctors I have seen have concluded that it is "something that goes away on it's own, but noone knows when"... Some people have it for a year or so and some have it the remainder of their lives. I am in my 10th year now, but as I have said in the past, I try to always see the positive in things and I have been slowly improving overall, slowly over the years...

I don't want to make anyone feel sad, I am sorry if this information does... I merely wanted to inform my readers that I may not be able to post some of the larger things I have been working on for a while longer... Some of the things I was working on are: more/newer GPU-Accelerated Game Recorder Comparisons (Playclaw, Bandicam, Mirillis Action, D3Dgear, NVIDIA's SHARE, AMD's ReLive, Plays.tv and more), First Impressions of some games that I started work on already (The Elder Scrolls Legends Closed Beta, Dropzone Closed Beta, A Return To The Elder Scrolls Online (I was in the Beta for it), Battlefield V Closed Beta and others), bringing back the "Can You Guess Where The Screenshot Below Is From" [but off of the Monthly Schedule and on to a 'whenever I can' (but which may be multiple times in one month)] and even more projects that I don't want to mention yet - to keep them a 'surprise', heh.

I enjoy writing my articles and posts here, helping others with the information I have figured out, found or collected, doing testing, giving tips of games and even Video Editing and showing effects of settings in both, including also creating the Headers and graphics utilized here (they are all done by me)…
I plan to continue doing this for a long time to come... I just realized there has not been much the past little while and wanted to let you all know there may not be some yet for just a little bit longer ('recovering' from a Cold or "doing too much" takes about a week or more each time I do something or get a cold, to get back to where I was, with this illness, everything takes far longer..).

Once again - thank you for your patience, my wonderful readers - and I hope that I can contribute helpful information again for you soon, in the near future and for some time to come...

Sincerely,

~Troy from The Game Tips And More Blog

Steam: Newest Update = How To Be In "Offline" Mode In The Friends List (Like It Used To Be) Is it Gone? [Notification, Tutorial]

Update 2018.08.01: Steam has recently been Updated to include "Do Not Disturb" and "Offline" settings, which coincides with many of the below concepts [as users have asked for them - wtg Valve!]. More details at the Official Steam News Posting, here.

For those using Steam (the gaming/client/launcher interface by Valve - creators of games like the Half-Life, Team Fortress 2 and DOTA 2), you may have had an update recently that made your Friends List appear without you asking it to - and where you seemed to be immediately ONLINE - a virtual version of waking up in a classroom with no clothes on [not ready for it, as in a bad dream..].

Within minutes, I saw a Discussion Thread in the Steam Forums asking how to "be in offline mode" - which is how it used to be; you could set in the Options/Settings, "Appear In Offline Mode" when starting the Friends portion of the Steam client [I was going to the forum to ask myself, as I have an illness that makes me tired easily, preventing me from chatting with friends as much as I would like - and I don't want to appear cold or ignoring of them, so I usually utilize any 'Offline Mode' options in Friends clients].

I looked around in the Settings and configuration of the new Friends List and quickly figured out how to make the Friends portion of the interface 'act' like it used to - that is, how to 'appear offline' to friends in the list, when running Steam [and not get gameplay interrupted with any notifications, that is found further below]. Here is all you have to do:

» Set to INVISIBLE (pull-down menu "v" next to name)

[Stays through Steam restart, when restarting your PC/Steam, it will start up in Invisible Mode]

[Tutorial GIF] Showing where and how to use the pull-down menu option in the new Friends List
in Steam to appear 'offline' (termed "Invisible" in the new Friends List version)

That's it!

Now you can still enjoy your games and 'not be forced to interact' with your Friends on your List [no matter what your personal reason(s) may be..]. HTH



Addendum I:
I wanted to add that although the terminology has changed, the functionality remains the same; that is, you can still 'hide' yourself from everyone and not see any messages or notifications, until you specifically want to, opening the Friends portion of the Steam Client, and looking at your Messages. Here, for example, is the Notification Settings to apply, if you do NOT want to be notified when Friends come Online or send you Messages - combined with the above "Invisible" setting, it will function exactly as before - you will be 'greyed out' on their end(s) and it will just show when you were "Last Online", and if they send you Messages, they will be kept on your end but nothing will pop-up/sound to let you know that the Message arrived:

Example of the settings for the Notifications, where with the settings above, you will not have anything interrupting you as you play (no sounds, no pop-ups, nothing). Together with setting yourself as "Invisible", it is functionally the same as "Offline Mode" before, in the older Steam Client. Access the Friends List Settings by clicking on the Gear icon in the main Friends List window (Click to see Full Size)

Addendum II:
Doing some further testing, I wanted to add that the Website/Browser functionality operates in the same manner as the stand-alone Steam client. That is, you can set yourself to "Invisible" and it will act as "Offline" did in the past (you will be 'greyed out' on your Friends' Lists). You have the same Notification options as the above example image as well (minus the Steam-Client-specific 'window flashing' buttons) - the interface even looks the same (colour and button/link locations), which is always good for user-friendliness...

Note: You will be set to "Online" the very first time that you open the Web/Browser version of the Friends List (eg. clicking on the Envelope>XunreadChatMessage at a Steam webpage) - but once you set yourself to "Invisible" in the Browser portion/window, it remains that way if you close the Friends window and open it up again. I even tested closing the browser (Chrome) entirely, waiting a while, then opening up a Steam website, then the browser-based Friends List - although I remained 'logged in', I was still 'Invisible' in the Friends List window/page when I restarted Chrome.





I want to say a quick Thank You to Steam/Valve for allowing those that don't wish to be Visible all the time [and/or those that have illnesses that prevent them from using this portion of the client well/properly/astheydesireto], to still remain "offline" to Friends - not all companies would maintain this level of user option/satisfaction.
I realize it is more difficult these days, as studies have shown that if customers/players can have multiple facets of interaction (text, chat, voice, etc) it 'solidifies' them as players/customers, maintaining them longer [than if there were not these channels of interaction]. This correlation is so pervasive, that Live Voice Chat seems to be 'making a comeback' from the abandoned, garbage-filled-alleyways of the 1990's, with Stand-Alone clients and chat-only options popping up recently [as of the time of this post].
Anyway, Thank You, Valve. Thank you for continuing to allow these options to your users/players.
~T