cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/41334665

Steam adds support for branch-specific Workshop mod versions

This should save mod authors and users a huge headache due to not needing to worry about updates breaking everything*.

  • Provided the developer has enabled and set up the relevant feature set.
  • AstroLightz@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    That’s pretty cool. I wonder if some devs will use this in conjunction to the “Betas” system and have separate versions there that support mods for older versions.

    • Quetzalcutlass@lemmy.worldOP
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      3 days ago

      That’s how it works. A mod provides builds tied to specific beta branches, and a player is given whichever mod build is most closely tagged to the branch they have installed.

      The announcement mentions how confusing the nomenclature is, but Steam still refers to branches as “betas” because that’s what a lot of the existing documentation uses, even though it’s just as common these days for branches to be used to provide access to old game versions.

      • WalrusDragonOnABike [they/them]@reddthat.com
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        3 days ago

        Not all games make it easy for people to get access to old versions via the beta system. Some, you just have to go the appid for the specific version and access it via the steam console. It would be nice if this encourages more game devs to enable beta versions for at least the most commonly used versions for mods.

        • Kirp123@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          Yeah but that’s on game devs to enable it. A lot of devs don’t want to because they have deal with people complaining about bugs and issues on older versions that are already fixed in newer versions.

  • RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world
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    3 days ago

    As a Stellaris Mod Enjoyer, this is extremely helpful. No more game saves breaking because all my mods updated to the newest version of the games, hopefully.

    • arrowMace@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      You gotta assume paradox is fully capable of breaking your game saves without mods involved though!

  • radiouser@crazypeople.online
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    3 days ago

    Wish they did the same with SteamOS versions (like Proton). The background recording was broken for the better part of a year on the Stable, Beta and Testing branches of SteamOS and Valve dragged their feet for a fix.