Topic: Steam users, help me gauge some interest

[Lumi Kløvstad]

I really wish Steam had a feature that would let users temporarily and irrevocably lock access to individual games in our libraries for adjustable lengths of time, like anything from a few days to a year.

I realized I wanted this because I have 165 games in my library but I keep getting obsessively called back to Skyrim and Fallout 4, no matter how many times I say "this time I'm gonna put these on hold and play something else"; it always ends up being a lie.

99.9% of my playtime goes into those two games, and I really wish I could say no to their sweet alluring siren song and go play Kingdoms of Amalur, or finish Life Is Strange, or finally actually get around to playing the first Half-Life or Fallout, or any of my OTHER amazing games (and even the not-so amazing ones). I'd uninstall them entirely, but to me that seems like using a bazooka to swat a mosquito; mostly I just want to be able to take some fun games and put them in a locker for a little while so I can play something else.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has an attention-obsessed game or two in his library. A little feature like this doesn't seem like it would be all that hard to implement on Valve's end and would help us get around to playing our other games instead of logging a gajillion hours on just a few.

And now that I think of it... "Steam Locker" is a great potential name for the feature.

[Shiroi Koumori]

There is no need for that application.
All of us really have games that we return to time and again. What you need more is mind over matter. If you say, you will not play this game, resist the temptation to even look at it.
Or another solution is simply, stop buying more games. Resist the sale.

[X]

I know that feeling. Bethesda games are just that kind of addictive. Despite all their flaws, bugs, and Bethesda's lazy-ass programming, we still go back to them. Can't win a lot of the time 

[Lumi Kløvstad]

There is no need for that application.
All of us really have games that we return to time and again. What you need more is mind over matter. If you say, you will not play this game, resist the temptation to even look at it.
Or another solution is simply, stop buying more games. Resist the sale

There is "coming back to a game from time to time" and then there is "addicted and can't leave at all because I have easy access to a fix".

Which is pretty much how Bethesda games are.

[Lelygax]

If you are lacking self-control you should use Steam built-in backup option to make a backup of the game and then uninstall it. You can also use the "hide this game" option on the client or give steam parental control a try and check if you can select with games will be locked. The main problem is that you will know how to undo all of this so the better option would be to uninstall the game or regain control over your actions like Shiroi said.

[DraculaCronqvist]

There is no need for that application.
All of us really have games that we return to time and again. What you need more is mind over matter. If you say, you will not play this game, resist the temptation to even look at it.
Or another solution is simply, stop buying more games. Resist the sale.

This. I rarely side with the camp of "it's your choice" because our minds are influenced by media and such, but in this case, I would have to agree. Use your own willpower to resist playing these games - or don't. Personally, I think if these games are all you need, you can stop buying new games and just focus on these and that is fine.

[Dracula9]

your will is weak

you shall make fine sustenance for the woodlord when he makes his triumphant return to the world, for he favors prey that cannot accost him



fine sustenance, indeed

[Lelygax]

your will is weak

you shall make fine sustenance for the woodlord when he makes his triumphant return to the world, for he favors prey that cannot accost him



fine sustenance, indeed

You did this art doesn't you?

[KaZudra]

I'd be happy with a simple "Buy From Wishlist" Feature, but I can see steam locker work for those desperately trying to tackle a backlog... or even set time for other things.

[Lumi Kløvstad]

I can see steam locker work for those desperately trying to tackle a backlog

This guy gets it. I don't want to be RID of these games, but I do want to be able to more or less literally set them aside somewhere so they don't distract me from other things. We do it all the time with everything else, from toys to mobile devices. I just think we should be able to do it with digital games.

[Dracula9]

I agree insofar as having a more intuitive organization system, rather than one big list.

But as far as needing to tell a program to tell you to put X or Y game down?

That's just poor self-control tbh.

[Lelygax]

I agree insofar as having a more intuitive organization system, rather than one big list.

Steam already have it since long ago, you can organize games in different custom groups and each game can even be in more than one. Then you can show all games or separated by group on grid mode (and big picture) or collapse/expand on list/detail mode. You also can hide a game from your library.

[piscesdreams]

I really wish Steam had a feature that would let users temporarily and irrevocably lock access to individual games in our libraries for adjustable lengths of time, like anything from a few days to a year.

You can always open the developer console and use "disable_license xxxx" (enter the app ID found in the game's URL where xxxx is) and this will hide it from your library. When you're ready to play again, just enter "enable_license xxxx"

[KaZudra]

Honestly, the sorting and categorizing system for steam is good.... if you have 20 games, but at 100+ it's unmanageable.
Why not have have a "New Category" button, which pops up a window, and simply Drag'n'Drop your games (made easier with Shift+Clicking) into that window, and then everything is in that Category, saving roughly hours to both the default and Depressurizer.

I mean a lock system wouldn't be hard, It would work as a category, which is your "locker" which shows you how long it's locked, or even take it a step further with a "self-ban" feature for those that need to eliminate to temptation to play in work hours.

I love steam, but the program itself really needs a ton of work, Big Picture needs an overhaul in terms of customization and performance.

Even Grid mode could use options such as a Categorized View which should sort it akin to list view, which breaks the grid at each category, even a tile mode could work too.

Still most of these problems stem from having a 100+ library (I'm inching in to 600 myself, and Fuck no I don't have the will to sort em all out).