Octopus Overlords

Hopefully there's not already a thread for this, but try searching on XBox or even Gamepass and see how many hits you get!

Anyway, MS is changing the way Gamepass works on 9/14, and thought it would be a good idea to remind everyone, since I have no idea what the plan or cost will look like after this date (probably not BETTER for the customer).

My son uses it mostly to play MP on his Xbox, but I do play some PC games (and plan to play Starfield and the new Cities Skylines when it launches) so for $57 for an almost year at the current conversion rate, I think that's a pretty good deal. It's around $8 for 50 days of Gamepass Ultimate (after you convert from Gold). I bought 7 which extends his subscrption for ALMOST another year (2 weeks shy).

This is for existing subscribers to Gamepass.

https://slickdeals.net/f/16911319-xbox- ... entsHeader

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Sep 01, 2023 1:40 pm Among Us
Descenders
Dishonored 2
DOOM Eternal Standard Edition
The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited
Fable Anniversary
Fallout 4
Fallout 76
Forza Horizon 4
Gears 5
Grounded
Halo 5: Guardians
Halo Wars 2
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Human Fall Flat
INSIDE
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Psychonauts 2
State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition

What is this list of games?

I grabbed 10 of those 3 month cards at about 7 bucks a pop with a promo code and then added them to my account on Xbox. Upgraded from gamepass console to gamepass ultimate and I’m good to August of 2025 now. Thanks for the reminder!

Alefroth wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 7:53 pm What is this list of games?

The ones on their page that they're advertising as the great benefit for the new service.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 9:48 pm

Alefroth wrote: ↑Sat Sep 09, 2023 7:53 pm What is this list of games?

The ones on their page that they're advertising as the great benefit for the new service.

Oh, I see. Those are the games you get with Core? I was worried they were being removed.

I don't really understand people buying Starfield separately...at all.. just because of this deal (unless you are playing on PS4/5 I guess).

I'm not judging, just legit curious why in the world you would pay MORE (a lot more) for ONE game on Steam or elsewhere (Starfield, in this case, but sub in whatever: Cities Skylines II, Age of Empires IV, Psychonauts 2, Forza Motorsport, Sea of Thieves, It Takes Two, etc) , that is included in this service that includes that game, plus a crapton of other, new great games as well? Is it just lack of realizing how many, good games are available on Gamepass Ultimate?

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 12:26 pm I don't really understand people buying Starfield separately...at all.. just because of this deal (unless you are playing on PS4/5 I guess).

I guarantee you they aren't playing on Playstation.

The gamepass service for pc kind of sucks (slow downloads, clunky interface, sketchy mod support, etc) and I want Starfield available when I am not subbed to gamepass.

Also, I have the benefit of being in a position where buying the premium edition of Starfield is not a meaningful expense.

Mods! (For Blackhawk)
MODS! (For Daehawk)

Also, previous Bethesda games are definitely ones that I will revisit. Sometimes many years later. I'd rather not have to keep the service, or sign up again. And the game may not even be available down the road.

TheMix wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 6:25 pm Mods! (For Blackhawk)
MODS! (For Daehawk)

Also, previous Bethesda games are definitely ones that I will revisit. Sometimes many years later. I'd rather not have to keep the service, or sign up again. And the game may not even be available down the road.

I see...was not aware you couldn't use mods with Gamepass...that's...not great. But the way I use the service is just for newer games really. The old ones that I would be more likely to mod, I already own (Skyrim for instance).

You may be able to do some limited modding now, with some games. But I think it will be a while (if ever) before you will be able to add 50+ mods to Starfield.

TheMix wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 7:30 pm You may be able to do some limited modding now, with some games. But I think it will be a while (if ever) before you will be able to add 50+ mods to Starfield.

You can easily add 50 mods to Starfield right now. There are around 1300 of them available. It's what kind of mods you can install that will change once the construction set is released. Right now, people can alter textures, effects, some game mechanics, the interface, etc. I wouldn't touch any mod that comes out that actually adds items to the world or in any other way alters the cells (spaces) in the game prior to the construction set unless you are a fan of corrupted saves.

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sun Sep 10, 2023 6:31 pm I see...was not aware you couldn't use mods with Gamepass...that's...not great.

To clarify Mix's answer, you can use mods with the Game Pass version, but it'll always be extremely limited. Any game acquired through Microsoft is subject to Microsoft's draconian policies, which include locking down many of the files so that they can't be altered or, in some cases, even accessed.

Bethesda games have a set number of things that their scripts (using a system called Papyrus) can do. They don't add any functionality to said scripting that they don't personally use themselves. That's extremely limiting when modders come along and want to change something Bethesda does or do something new that Bethesda never thought of. So the modders mod scripting language itself, giving other modders access to many, many more functions. Oblivion has OBSE (Oblivion Script Extender))< Skyrim has SKSE. Fallout 3 has FOSE. Fallout 4 has F4SE. Those script extenders are such powerful tools that probably 2/3 of all mods, and practically all mods that don't just tweak the textures or add new, basic quests/locations use them. They work by hooking into the game's executable when you run them (which is why you have to launch modded Bethesda games with the script extender .exe, not the game .exe or the launcher.)

Starfield has SFSE. Guess what executable Microsoft prevents outside programs from altering? FWIW, Fallout 4 on Game Pass is also only barely moddable. And not only does Microsoft not let you fiddle with the files, but some of the files are fundamentally different than the Steam versions. Net result? Once the modding tools get released, most of the important mods won't work with it, and most of the mod authors won't bother taking the GP version into account at all, since it'll be so limited.

Now, for the goodish news - the save files can be transferred from the GP to the Steam version. The downside is that the Game Pass version uses a completely different format for your saves, so you'll have to use a third party program to convert them. And the program is new, so there's no telling how well the saves get converted in the long-term. It'll probably be fine, but it'll take time for enough people to make it all the way through to the end with converted saves before we know if there are any issues with the process.

As a general rule, I avoid Microsoft Store/Game Pass for any game that I have any expectation of ever modding or even adding content to. It was such a pain in the ass adding aircraft to Flight Simulator (which I have from the MS store), as opposed to simply dragging and dropping in the Steam version, that I learned my lesson.

Thanks much for the nudge!

Speaking of Gamepass, does anyone know how to set up an account for a household where someone wants to play exclusively on PC (using Gamepass) and the other exclusively on Xbox?

I want to "cross play" (playing same game on two different platforms, right?) using one Gamepass Ultimate account, but not sure how to do that. I have to log in to Gamepass on my PC under my son's account to be able to DL and play the PC gamepass games. I assume I need to create a profile somewhere? Problem is MS has confused the process...there's a Gamepass app, an Xbox app, a MS Family Safety app, and no idea how the MS Store comes into it, but I have seen that mentioned as well in terms of just being able to play a game with my son!

Getting super frustrated...if anyone knows a solution, much appreciated (or even point me in the right direction on the net...I've seen so many different answers to this it's not even funnny).

Also, since he's 12, he has an age restricted account (which IMO is VERY restrictive for his age, so I bumped it up to 15), so I assume I can't even see some of the available games for PC Gamepass when I log in as him.

Thanks!