Over at the spam-infested official forum I saw somebody write that using mods, any mods, might disable achievements. Is this correct?
So far I just had a go with some minor mods, besides the one that allows you to remove mines and quarries (which also in effect makes them un-depletable btw), but as I've got a new computer since I last played Banished, it would be nice to get some of the achievements filled out, as they are pretty well done in Banished, as opposed to just about any other game out there you care to mention :D Would be a little unfortunate if that means I can't play with mods at all, even the one that just changes "Season" to "Year".
yup asap you have 1 minor mod... cant get achievements. the game cant make the difference with a season-to-year mod than a real cheating mod.
Hmm, that's unfortunate. Now I need to decide whether to use mods or throw them in the bin :(
I liked the few I tried out though, so will probably keep going with that, even if no achievements can ever be unlocked.
I think a lot of us who have played from the beginning have achieved all the achievements so they don't hold any special significance like they do for those new to the game.
Play a few of the earlier challenges we had over the summer and you will knock out most of those!
I got most of the achievements as well with the first functioning village from months back, just from playing normally, but I know a fair few were missing as well. Suppose I could try some non-mod maps later and see how that goes, or of course some of the challenges. I'll check them out.
If true, it should go on the fix list for the next patch. What we have here is a new "undocumented feature" [a.k.a. bug]. Some little switch or queue has been stepped on.
What makes you think Luke didn't intend for this to be the case? After all, he set up the achievements based on the standard game conditions.
I'm certain it's intentional that mods disable achievements while active.
Think about the mountain man achievement and how worthless it would be if it worked with the debug menu mod (debug menu can add citizens i saw from the SS)
Can see it from both sides really. Some mods make some achievements easier to achieve, but at the end of the day it's the player's game and if he (or she) wants to effectively cheat to get them all, so be it. But all mods aren't cheats, or making the game easier either. It can be a translation to German or whatever, there is that tiny mod I use that just change "Season" in the buildings to "Year". And on the flipside, seemingly everybody and their dog are using firewood to trade tons and tons of food, so they can grow quickly to population levels unsustainable on their own.
Luke probably can't get the game to recognise whether mod X or Y makes the game easier or not (and they can make it harder too), so can see that he has made the call to disable all achievements if any mod is active. Not sure I like the decision, though.
Achievements are nice, I suppose. :-\ I don't miss them if the mods make the game more fun.
It's odd really, because usually I can't stand achievements. They tend to be very tacky.
"Congratulations, you have opened the game" -> ACHIEVEMENT!
"Congratulations, you have started a new game" -> ACHIEVEMENT!
"Congratulations, you have played for one minute and are still alive" -> ACHIEVEMENT!
"Congratulations, you have played for two min..."
However, the achievements in Banished are pretty well-made, and flow naturally in the gameplay. It's not something you have to go hunting for really, apart from a few perhaps. It's more fun to play with mods than get the odd achievement though, so if Luke wants to keep it this way, then I can have no complaints really. At the end of the day achievements are pretty unimportant stuff, and won't change how I play anyway. But as mentioned above, some mods such as translations and string changes don't affect the gameplay at all, so it would be nice if there was some kind of way for the game to recognise that instead of a blanket ban on achievements if any mod is used.
Quote from: Pangaea on September 16, 2014, 07:32:18 AM
It's odd really, because usually I can't stand achievements. They tend to be very tacky.
"Congratulations, you have opened the game" -> ACHIEVEMENT!
"Congratulations, you have started a new game" -> ACHIEVEMENT!
"Congratulations, you have played for one minute and are still alive" -> ACHIEVEMENT!
"Congratulations, you have played for two min..."
In a couple of games from Steam I've actually "won" achievements when I very first began playing the game and was in the middle of screwing up badly. :o Very embarrassing! I would never want anyone to actually see such "achievements." :'(
I used to teach a course on the history of the Protestant Work Ethic. I guess that turned me into a cynic about achievements. (Is there an emoticon for a cynic?)
Nobody has really introduced 'Luke' but I assume he is our one and only programmer. I don't think he should do things like turning off a feature without a notice, even if it is a beta. Good way to P.O. the end users.
However, if mods are now working, and I haven't really tried any, just put in the patch and note that I can get the mods panel now, then well done.
There is a general problem with wine/Linux at the moment, at least on my machine, where I have to run the game flat out (10x) to get anything done at all. The threading method seems to be the problem.
Quoteerr:ole:CoGetClassObject class {5a508685-a254-4fba-9b82-9a24b00306af} not registered
err:ole:CoGetClassObject no class object {5a508685-a254-4fba-9b82-9a24b00306af} could be created for context 0x1
err:ole:CoInitializeEx Attempt to change threading model of this apartment from multi-threaded to apartment threaded
From my wine console log.
Quote from: A Nonny Moose on September 16, 2014, 09:41:06 AM
Nobody has really introduced 'Luke' but I assume he is our one and only programmer.
http://www.shiningrocksoftware.com/2011-06-01-the-story-so-far/
Quote from: PangaeaCan see it from both sides really.
But all mods aren't cheats, or making the game easier either. It can be a translation to German or whatever, there is that tiny mod I use that just change "Season" in the buildings to "Year". And on the flipside, seemingly everybody and their dog are using firewood to trade tons and tons of food, so they can grow quickly to population levels unsustainable on their own.
The only way i could see luke letting mods that don't affect achievements in any way to allow achievements is if luke sets up a submissions proccess for said mods where he looks at them and if they are acceptable the author gives him the legal rights to them and then he puts them in as official add-ons.
Another idea would be if luke added to the modkit an alternate achievements matrix modders could make their own achievements (achievement progress data would be stored inside the modded folder)
Is there a game out there where using mods does not disable achievements? I know it does on Civ 5, the only Steam game I have where I use mods. It only seems to make sense: Go for achievements or have fun with mods. I guess the way I worded the choice shows where my preference is at. One could do what many here have done: Get all the achievements and then have fun with mods.
I think that I'm a bit odd in that I have always loved just building. I don't even want scenario goals (though they are pretty much unavoidable nowadays) because just when you're getting things running nicely and planning your next expansion the game informs you that you've achieved the goal and ends the scenario. >:( I just want to plan and build and watch the results of my efforts play out. That's one reason I like Banished: I can keep a settlement running along until I am ready to try a different approach and move on.
After more thought, you are probably right rkelly. It would be too difficult to code some way to recognise what mods do what, and thus which to 'accept', so it's easier to just disable achievements when mods are used. I've no idea how this is done in other games, as I play next to no 'modern' games and stay as far away from steam (spit) as possible.
I simply recall from when I originally played the game, that achievements were mostly done very well in this game, and with a new computer and new installation of the game, everything is cleared now, so it would have been nice to gradually untick them as I played normally, just like before. But no big deal. Achievements isn't something I'll go chasing anyway, and people can always go for them with an unmodded game. Right now it's more fun to play with a few mods :)
I think the simplest thing would be to make "achievements" an option. Perhaps the default should be "off" when mods are used and "on" otherwise.
Quote from: Pangaea on September 17, 2014, 07:12:46 AMso it would have been nice to gradually untick them as I played normally
Well, do it the old-fashioned way... the goals are very simple, sth. like "Keep a village of 300 souls alive for 30 years".
Just put them in a spreadsheet and "tick them off" while playing... the only thing you'll miss is that little red star that pops up for a few seconds... and your spreadsheet will work with or without mods ;)
*
Plus you can note down your own ideas for future challenges in it...
Quote from: Pangaea on September 17, 2014, 07:12:46 AM
. . . stay as far away from steam (spit) as possible.
That was my attitude in the beginning. When I first bought Civ 5 (I really am addicted to the Civ series) I was madder than hops that even buying the CD and installing from there automatically set you up on Steam. I don't want games to require me to be on line and I really don't want to "chat" with my friends while playing. I love you all, but not when I'm in the middle of building a city or creating a civilization. But Steam is sort of like Psoriasis. When I first learned I had it I was really bummed. Then it caused me to flunk my draft board physical in 1968, so it didn't seem quite so bad. Now it's a minor irritation that I've learned mostly to ignore.
I don't think the mods in Skyrim affect the achievements.