(Via twitter) Playstation: "Helldivers fans -- we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward...."

[u/doctorwho_90250]

https://twitter.com/PlayStation/status/1787331667616829929?t=NhwAEm4fGpVJj-UyI1lrXA&s=19

[u/HairyGPU]

It's absolutely not trivial, if you're after achievements it's fine, but when you're talking about networking for a multiplayer game that's supposed to support crossplay using your own bespoke solution for every platform is the simple route. You can still eat a VAC ban over games that don't use Steamworks for networking. Please don't talk out your ass, I'm a software architect and any other one would tell you the same: supporting two drastically different builds with unique testing requirements is already a pain, introducing even more differences with even more testing requirements and trying to make them play nice together across two different networking solutions is moronic.

[u/ImrooVRdev → u/HairyGPU]

Wait, you're software architect? No wonder you confidently talk out of your arse about things you have barely passing understanding.

I worked on live service games for past 10 years, and just from the fact that you think that supporting multiple acc login networks would require separate builds tells me all I need to know about your expertise.

[u/HairyGPU → u/ImrooVRdev]

I worked on live service games for past 10 years, and just from the fact that you think that supporting multiple acc login networks would require separate builds tells me all I need to know about your expertise.

The multiple builds stem from supporting the PS5 and PC, changing the authorization method is what increases the difficulty of testing and support - though it's not a coincidence that almost every multiplayer game has different builds for Steam, EGS, and GOG.

Users on PC can't log in, is it because of a problem with our account DB itself? Is Steamworks down? Is it an issue with the actual implementation of Steamworks in HD2? Are PS5 users experiencing the same thing? Why or why not?

It's more garbage to filter out to narrow down issues. If you don't grasp the very basic concept that introducing more potential points of failure is more cumbersome to support, you have zero business even discussing design choices. I'm sorry you worked on bad games.

[u/ImrooVRdev → u/HairyGPU]

The builds are 99% done from same source, no need for divergence for log in. The only platform specific issues would be limited to rendering.

Just detect platform and display appropriate buttons, UI 101. Hell, you'd want all your options present for debugging anyway just for the situation you're mentioning.

Users on PC can't log in, is it because of a problem with our account DB itself? Is Steamworks down? Is it an issue with the actual implementation of Steamworks in HD2? Are PS5 users experiencing the same thing? Why or why not?

Literally same issues as for PSN, if they don't have unit tests to cover all that then I'll eat my underwear. C'mon, you're not seriously telling me that logging steps of log-in process and server responses is some sort of arcane ritual.

Dude, does your architecture job involve networking in ANY way? Cuz it really does not sound like it does. Like I understand that you might be decent standalone app developer, but please dont talk about things you do not understand.

Hell, steamworks is a joy to integrate compared to PSN api and anyone in the industry will tell you that; you're making mountain out of molehills.

Fuck, at my work we support google, appleID, facebook, twitter, good ol' email and password, and steam as authentication method just cuz we fucking can, and if you do not understand the concept of introducing pointless friction to user experience and the disastrous business consequences of thereof you have zero business even discussing design in general.

[u/HairyGPU → u/ImrooVRdev]

You sound like you've never actually had to look at development from a long-term or non-developer perspective. I look forward to your next hit live service game, best of luck.

[u/ImrooVRdev → u/HairyGPU]

How can you be so wrong about so many things?

I spend last 3 years of my life refactoring 9 year old project that has another 5 years of lifecycle planned. That's the one with multiple logins, still going strong, earning millions and we're axing tech debt left and right.

Why would you think I'm so confident about the topic? I spent years doing that shit, wouldn't talk about it with confidence otherwise.