BASIC thing that i haven't understand pls help

[JKLZ14]

Question regarding GTA games, i need basic logic for this

 

I got both GTA IV and V on steam but the question works for both

 

So here's the thing :

 

• If i downgrade the latest version to mod (GTA IV), then i have to start from .exe not from steam right? (with assuming the "clean" gta folder still intact and the mod folder one just simply called GTA IV mod) does it keep track my achievement or the steam game time?

 

• I was downgrade and modding it but naming the folder as "normal" one so i can launch it via steam directly, but after an update it (obviously) make the game doesnt work anymore

 

i just want to make sure and know is it possible to play and keep track my modded gta iv treated as "normal" one

 

to be honest i was "yarred" the game back then like years ago, modded the heck out of it, but now i am able to purchase it i want to back to mod it, just confused with the steam tracking stuff

 

sry if it makes it looks complicated but my point is just this as my heart broke after playing it halfway and it just inacessible and after reinstall i thought gta iv got cloud or something so my savegame is all lost with my mods

 

1. keeping clean folder and never touch it

2. playing the modded game in separate folder so im safe from game updates

3. but keep my game hours tracked by point number 2

[runme0veralways]

I think I get what you're saying, so. You will need to run a downgraded GTA 4 from the PlayGTAIV.exe, unless you add this as a non-Steam game, there isn't any other way of playing it through Steam. This is due to Steam seeing the files as out of date and then updating the game back to the most recent version.

If you rename your modded directory folder and have another vanilla folder that isn't renamed, you can run that vanilla one from Steam without worrying that your modded one will get f*cked.

Regarding the achievements, there's a very helpful downgrader tool you can find here which does have an option to enable achievements. I've not tested this so I don't fully know how this works, but I'm going to fathom a guess that if you leave you modded GTA4 folder with it's vanilla directory name, the achievements will still go to Steam like normal.

 

This can be pretty much translated to GTA5 also.

 

Hope that answers you, if not, then soz, I'm a moron who can't read.

[JKLZ14]

 

On 7/30/2022 at 9:34 AM, runme0veralways said:

I think I get what you're saying, so. You will need to run a downgraded GTA 4 from the PlayGTAIV.exe, unless you add this as a non-Steam game, there isn't any other way of playing it through Steam. This is due to Steam seeing the files as out of date and then updating the game back to the most recent version.

If you rename your modded directory folder and have another vanilla folder that isn't renamed, you can run that vanilla one from Steam without worrying that your modded one will get f*cked.

Regarding the achievements, there's a very helpful downgrader tool you can find here which does have an option to enable achievements. I've not tested this so I don't fully know how this works, but I'm going to fathom a guess that if you leave you modded GTA4 folder with it's vanilla directory name, the achievements will still go to Steam like normal.

 

This can be pretty much translated to GTA5 also.

 

Hope that answers you, if not, then soz, I'm a moron who can't read.

 

hi, thanks for the answer! no you totally get my point, sorry if i'm explains it in a hard way.

 

I've been playing with modded gta iv with it as the main gta folder(same as well as gta v) and also i already use the downgrader stuff and the achievement works well i can confirm it..i can launch it via steam but always destroyed (obviously) when there's new updates. Some people suggest to just run it via the exe but im not sure if it still forces me to launch r* launcher first and then force me to launch steam to play the game.

 

For that reason i wondering if i can have 2 gta folder :

 

1 . one i keep as the vanilla and i wont play from that folder (keep update it as usual)

2. one modded folder that i will always play from here. (this is where i was confused, if i just launch it via the exe, will the steam track my gta iv game hours? and for example the vanilla game progress was 0% and the modded one was 100%. if i want to play the vanilla does it read as 100%? let's say it's gta v as downgraded gta iv will have different type of saves)

 

but from what you explained to me, i think i can't do that right? it will be always treated as different "games" ? So like streamers or youtubers that playing modded gta V for example (not online one as i know if we want to play online we need to play from the vanilla folder, but it still needed latest version to play online right?) , they actually plays it without tracked by steam? like basically we play it untracked like the p*rated version? 

Edited July 31 by JKLZ14

[runme0veralways]

22 hours ago, JKLZ14 said:

 

 

hi, thanks for the answer! no you totally get my point, sorry if i'm explains it in a hard way.

 

I've been playing with modded gta iv with it as the main gta folder(same as well as gta v) and also i already use the downgrader stuff and the achievement works well i can confirm it..i can launch it via steam but always destroyed (obviously) when there's new updates. Some people suggest to just run it via the exe but im not sure if it still forces me to launch r* launcher first and then force me to launch steam to play the game.

 

For that reason i wondering if i can have 2 gta folder :

 

1 . one i keep as the vanilla and i wont play from that folder (keep update it as usual)

2. one modded folder that i will always play from here. (this is where i was confused, if i just launch it via the exe, will the steam track my gta iv game hours? and for example the vanilla game progress was 0% and the modded one was 100%. if i want to play the vanilla does it read as 100%? let's say it's gta v as downgraded gta iv will have different type of saves)

 

but from what you explained to me, i think i can't do that right? it will be always treated as different "games" ? So like streamers or youtubers that playing modded gta V for example (not online one as i know if we want to play online we need to play from the vanilla folder, but it still needed latest version to play online right?) , they actually plays it without tracked by steam? like basically we play it untracked like the p*rated version? 

So if you run the game through the PlayGTAIV.exe it will bypass the Steam's autoupdate checker, and with the downgrader it patches out Rockstar's launcher with GFWL, so they won't appear when you run this version. Steam will still work within the game, but because you opened it from the exe, like I mentioned it sticks the updater.

So in conclusion, yes Steam should track your hours and everything, and the completions are the same regarding the achievements, game saves are not, as one is a downgrade the vanilla save wont work so you can play that fine on vanilla.

I think that's how it is, I've never really checked it to be perfectly honest, I know GTA V tracks its, because I have a lot of hours in that game and I play it modded a lot.

[JKLZ14]

4 hours ago, runme0veralways said:

So if you run the game through the PlayGTAIV.exe it will bypass the Steam's autoupdate checker, and with the downgrader it patches out Rockstar's launcher with GFWL, so they won't appear when you run this version. Steam will still work within the game, but because you opened it from the exe, like I mentioned it sticks the updater.

So in conclusion, yes Steam should track your hours and everything, and the completions are the same regarding the achievements, game saves are not, as one is a downgrade the vanilla save wont work so you can play that fine on vanilla.

I think that's how it is, I've never really checked it to be perfectly honest, I know GTA V tracks its, because I have a lot of hours in that game and I play it modded a lot.

 

yea man so i think i will do the second method then (sadly) keep the vanilla, maybe plays it until it finished and some achievment, and then downgrade it and mod it in free roam mode for the rest until there's update and crush my mods lmao

 

i wish the scripthook is always updated like GTA V so if there's update i just have to wait and switch it via openiv or something, but i didnt expect there's still update until now either for old game like IV

 

OR, or i just thought this while typing : as IV was always sticks to one version (ex 1.0.7.0) can i keep it/back it up? and if there's update i just update it, downgrade it again, and paste back the files so that way i can keep launching it without crush my mods..logically it works right but it basically same like GTA V but the scripthook is never updated

[runme0veralways]

Keeping a downgraded backed isn't the worst idea in the world - However, if you run the game through it's executable and rename the folder it's located in, you won't need to worry about updates, they won't affect it, Steam wouldn't be able to install them as with the renamed folder, it can't find the name. 

[JKLZ14]

On 8/3/2022 at 4:22 PM, runme0veralways said:

Keeping a downgraded backed isn't the worst idea in the world - However, if you run the game through it's executable and rename the folder it's located in, you won't need to worry about updates, they won't affect it, Steam wouldn't be able to install them as with the renamed folder, it can't find the name. 

 

got it man, much thanks!