Steam tests Achievement Sets in beta, grouping achievements
Valve splits the achievement list into groups with their own progress bars, separates DLC ones and lets developers archive achievements that can no longer be earned.
Valve has opened a beta of Achievement Sets, a Steam feature that groups a game's achievements into named collections. The company introduced it in an official announcement. It can be tried in the Steam client beta, and only in games whose developers have already added sets.
The problem Valve wants to fix is that games keep getting DLC, expansions and seasons for years. Achievements that arrive with that content are hard to find and can break the completion status of someone who already finished the game.
How they work
Each developer decides how many sets to create and what each is for. Valve imagines one game with single-player and multiplayer sets, or another with eight class-based sets. Achievements unlock by playing as before, and Steam splits the list into groups when you browse it, each with its own progress bar. Unlocking everything in a set earns a "set complete" trophy on the profile, and if achievements are later added to the set, earlier progress is preserved.
There are two types. Base game sets show in blue. DLC sets, in purple, do not count toward overall progress until the player has access to that content.
Archived achievements and a new page
Developers can also archive an individual achievement or a whole set. Players who already unlocked it keep seeing it on their profile. For players who missed it, it does not appear and does not block progress toward completing the set or the game. Valve suggests it for seasonal or time-limited achievements.
The achievements page was redesigned. It summarizes total progress, progress in each set and in each achievement, and global stats moved behind a toggle. It lets players compare with up to three friends, and each person's total is based on the achievements they can actually earn, so totals can differ from friend to friend. The "Perfect Games" tab is now called "Completed" and includes games with completed sets.
Which games have them
Valve lists 17 titles with sets, among them Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Portal 2, Team Fortress 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Forza Horizon 5, Crusader Kings III and Euro Truck Simulator 2. According to MIXED, the list is growing and Valve has not announced a date for the feature to leave beta.
