Learning from Paradox: How Obsidian could improve mod support without much work!

[xxTheGoDxx]

Everybody that uses modifications like the omnipresent IEmod knows the dilemma: A new patch from Obsidian gets released which is great but at the same time it breaks many mods until they get updated to the new game version, which in turn renders anybody that relies on the features said mods provide unable to play. There is if course the workaround of keeping Steam in offline mode but that's hardly user friendly, especially when you need the online functionality for other games.

 

Paradox Interactive faced with the same problem for it's games like Europa Universalis or Crusader Kings came up with a very elegant solution. After a patch they just upload old stable versions onto Steam as beta versions. So when for example they patch Europa Universalis IV to version 3.11 a mod using gamer can just opt in to keep on using version 3.1 or 3.0 via the Steam beta tab (right click on the game in Steam -> Properties -> Beta) until the mods he uses get updated.

 

Obsidian, can you use the same system for future updates as well as for your coming games? 

[peko]

Then how would we access the beta patches?

[Lychnidos]

Steam allows setting up multiple beta branches. 

[peko]

Alright.

[xxTheGoDxx]

Exactly, none of both would interfere with the other.

 

Here is a picture of how it actually looks like in EU IV:

Edited March 30, 2016 by xxTheGoDxx

[hilfazer]

Excellent idea but thread's title could be improved.

 

OP if you could change it to something like "How could Obsidian bypass Steam's inability to rollback game version" it would be terrific.

 

This suggestion is much broader than just modding support. I've ignored this thread for a long time because i was not interested in mods and came here out of pure boredom.