# Steam treasure hunt & holiday sales **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 7, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254 "2010-12-07T07:59:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/61 "2010-12-13T22:23:53Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > I was playing on normal and I’m pretty sure I was almost through the Hotel campaign. I just played the other campaigns long enough to get the achievements. I’m probably going to give it another go tomorrow and see if I can’t at least beat them on my own. > > Still need a mic though. I wonder if I should just order off amazon. > > Edit: Oh and even not knowing much about the game I knew you were supposed to leave the witches alone. Too bad nobody told the stupid AI. Three times they set her off. Morons. Can the bots do that? They’re programed to never friendly fire or shoot cans or boomers that are near you. I’m not sure how they behave around witches though. Flashlights can startle her too. Maybe you got her with your light? ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/62 "2010-12-13T23:25:02Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > For some reason, I’m particularly terrible at the L4D games. I mean, I’m not very good at shooters in general, but I mostly get by okay. I tried playing some single-player L4D2 last night, trying to get Crass Menagerie for the treasure hunt, and sucked so hard that Electrolux would have bowed down in awe. I had to get rescued a couple of times by the AI, even on easy mode (chargers got me both times). > > Then the game crashed repeatedly, and I gave up for the night. It’s not really a sign that you’re doing badly if you get hit by one of the special infected - that’s just how the game works. You need to rely on your team to respond to you when you get taken down. It’d be unusual to go a map without being pounced/charged/etc at least once. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/63 "2010-12-14T00:26:58Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > It’s not really a sign that you’re doing badly if you get hit by one of the special infected - that’s just how the game works. You need to rely on your team to respond to you when you get taken down. It’d be unusual to go a map without being pounced/charged/etc at least once. Well, yes…but I was also generally killing the least infected, doing the least damage, and otherwise doing poorly. Part of it is that my usual approach to games is relatively slow and methodical. I aim carefully, I pick enemies off from range, I hoard useful stuff, I sneak around…I’m a sniper/rogue type, by inclination. All of which, I gather, is precisely how _not_ to play this game. Intellectually, I get that you’re supposed to stay on the move, use whatever you find, and so forth, but my habits trip me up. “I could throw the pipe bomb now, but the next horde will probably be much worse.” With practice, I will likely do better; I haven’t played the game enough to develop the proper mindset. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/64 "2010-12-14T01:29:35Z")
Apparently my steam account email is my two-ISPs ago email. No wonder I haven’t been winning any of these contests. They can’t even notify me. Too bad to change it I need to get a confirmation code that is sent to the old email address, even through there is a password verification. Hiyo! ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/65 "2010-12-14T01:32:22Z")
Isn’t there a secret question way to change your e-mail address? Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/66 "2010-12-14T01:46:26Z")
Yeah, but you have to email support. Steam Support: What CD-key did you use to create your Steam account? Palooka: ¯(o\_º)/¯ Steam Support: Eh, close enough. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/67 "2010-12-14T07:09:57Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > Can the bots do that? They’re programed to never friendly fire or shoot cans or boomers that are near you. I’m not sure how they behave around witches though. > > Flashlights can startle her too. Maybe you got her with your light? Twice I was completely past her when I got the message ‘Ellis has startled the witch’ and he was instantly mauled. The third time I saw him straight up shoot her while I was walking past. Out of the 8 witches or so I saw I startled one and the AI set her off three times. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/68 "2010-12-14T18:03:46Z")
-Download and watch a trailer from each of the following games [see site] -Become a Nosalis Hunter in Metro 2033 -Create a Destruction Frenzy in Just Cause 2 -Set a leaderboard score of at least 3,770,488 for ‘Survival Best Score’ in Beat Hazard Not looking good for the cheapskates like me to qualify. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/69 "2010-12-14T18:28:50Z")
Well… good. I’d actually be pretty dissapointed if they created a completely free path so that they had the audacity to ask for people to be customers to be eligible for a customer rewards program. I’d rather people who were unwilling to spend a cent and didn’t own any of the games didn’t have a chance at winning the contest - gives a higher chance for people who actually buy stuff from them a chance at the reward. And even so, that’s just the main drawing - people have been eligible for the giveaways every other day just from the stuff like selecting an avatar or playing a demo. I still think they’re going to introduce 10 free objectives though. Even if they only end up with 8 free objectives, then you’d have to spend a max of $3.75 ($1.25 and $2.50 games so far) to qualify, which, considering you get some cool games with that $3.75, is pretty fucking cheap. Anyway, Metro 2033 is $10, Just Cause 2 is $7.50, and Beat Hazard is $2.50 for the next two days. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/70 "2010-12-14T18:51:29Z")
Sweepstakes Rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited by law. Though I don’t know if that means the notecard entry way or if they’re going to have 10 free objectives. I guess I better fire up Metro 2033 never did give that game a good chance. Kinda annoying you have to download the trailers (just watching them in the store screen doesn’t seem to count). ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/71 "2010-12-14T18:52:29Z")
There’s small print on the page about how you can mail a post card in for every objective you want. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/72 "2010-12-14T18:52:34Z")
I’d like to shill for Metro 2033. It’s really enjoyable, and incredibly atmospheric. Only reason I don’t have it myself is I played it on a friend’s computer to completion, and even then i’m considering picking it up for myself. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/73 "2010-12-14T19:28:49Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > There’s small print on the page about how you can mail a post card in for every objective you want. That’s pretty standard for these kinds of contests - I remember that those back-of-the-cereal-box mail-in things had the same kind of rule. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/74 "2010-12-14T19:30:42Z")
Yeah, it’s a federal law that’s pretty much necesary for running these sorts of things. Anyway, today’s freebie is a minor pain in the ass - you can’t just watch the trailesr from the game page but you have to actually download them and then watch them from your library-\>media center. ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/75 "2010-12-14T19:33:42Z")
> [@Palooka](#): > > Not looking good for the cheapskates like me to qualify. I’m a cheapskate ( **SenorBeef** will attest to my frugality), and will have 8 objectives done as soon as all these trailers finish downloading. So far I’ve only spent $2.50 on a game I was probably going to buy anyway. The other not-free one was from L4D2. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/76 "2010-12-14T19:46:47Z")
Yes, I can confirm he is the cheapest motherfucker on the planet. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/77 "2010-12-14T21:23:34Z")
I can confirm that **Beat Hazard** nearly made my brain explode. It is kinda funny how my scores on that went. 1st try 75,000 no way I’ll get this achievement. 2nd try 50,000 damn even worse 3rd try 120,000 how on earth do people even do this? 4th try 1,000,000 I think I nearly had a heart attack 5th try 4,500,000 zen like state. I played the demo ages ago and enjoyed it. It just wasn’t worth the money until this sale. I’ve also picked up Just Cause 2 which I’ve always wanted but I was always put off by the fact I could get it on amazon cheaper (even with previous steam sales) but wanted the steam copy. This sale has finally made them equal in price. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/78 "2010-12-14T21:46:24Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > I can confirm that **Beat Hazard** nearly made my brain explode. It is kinda funny how my scores on that went. > > 1st try 75,000 no way I’ll get this achievement. > 2nd try 50,000 damn even worse > 3rd try 120,000 how on earth do people even do this? > 4th try 1,000,000 I think I nearly had a heart attack > 5th try 4,500,000 zen like state. > > I played the demo ages ago and enjoyed it. It just wasn’t worth the money until this sale. I’ve also picked up Just Cause 2 which I’ve always wanted but I was always put off by the fact I could get it on amazon cheaper (even with previous steam sales) but wanted the steam copy. This sale has finally made them equal in price. It’s easier to get on the harder difficulties. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/79 "2010-12-14T22:12:14Z")
> [@tr0psn4j](#): > > It’s easier to get on the harder difficulties. 🙂 I don’t think survival had a difficulty setting. I think I’m going to hit 15 points before the end of this thing. Thank god I’m going to get my second hat. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2010, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254/80 "2010-12-14T22:57:47Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > I don’t think survival had a difficulty setting. > > I think I’m going to hit 15 points before the end of this thing. Thank god I’m going to get my second hat. Just tried it now and it didn’t I was able to complete it on my first try though playing to Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. It’s slow and silent moments made it hard but the 23 minute length helped. I just saved up dare devil points during those parts then either set off bombs right as I was going to crash, or unloaded on them during the louder and faster parts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/steam-treasure-hunt-holiday-sales/563254.md?page=5)