Steam Adds Achievement Sets to Keep DLC From Breaking 100 Percent Completion
Valve has launched Achievement Sets in the Steam Client beta, grouping base game and DLC achievements into separate collections so later additions do not cut into a player's completion percentage.
The feature lets the platform group achievements into collections, each with a defined purpose. Developers have to update their games to add specific collections, and Steam says a growing number of games already support the feature. Collections can, for example, separate single-player achievements from multiplayer ones, or introduce seasonal sets such as one tied to a Halloween event.
When players browse everything they have unlocked on their profile, achievements now appear grouped into those collections. Each set carries a progress bar showing how far along the player is, and earning every achievement in a collection lets the player display a "set complete" trophy on their profile. Progress will still show 100 percent even if a developer adds more achievements to a set afterward, according to Engadget.
Steam divides collections into two types. Base Game Achievement Sets, along with their progress bars, appear in blue on the achievements page, while DLC achievements and their progress bars are shown in purple. DLC sets do not appear in overall game progress until the player has access to the specific downloadable content they are connected to, a design intended to keep them from affecting completion.
Steam has also redesigned the achievements page so the sets and a player's progress are easier to see. The new page allows players to compare progress with up to three friends, including rare achievements they have earned and the sets they have completed. Engadget framed the change as a way to stop DLC from ruining a player's 100 percent record.