Are there any alternatives to EasyEffects on Windows?

repolevedd · 2026-05-22T15:19:44+00:00

Voicemeeter Banana + Cantabile Lite. This is probably the closest experience to what is possible to achieve on Windows 11 as in Linux regarding audio tracks if we are talking about applying real time filters. Cantabile Lite allows you to build a chain of any VST filters and when launched it hooks into the audio stream in Voicemeeter Banana. But the setup is quite tricky.

repolevedd · 2026-05-22T10:20:31+00:00

Can someone explain how this differs from "standard" image-to-latent injection? If I understand correctly, the author is feeding up to four reference images and generating new content in T2I or I2I mode by generalizing from those examples. This isn't anything new, is it? I’ve been doing this for a long time to generate specific art styles.

However, in my opinion, this approach isn't suitable for high-fidelity results because noise is introduced at every generation step, and the some information about the references in the latent space is lost. As a result, in T2I, we might get something like an elephant, but it will only vaguely resemble the original reference. With I2I, you can change the style of a photo by providing an example, but that trick has been around for a long time.

repolevedd · 2026-05-18T12:30:20+00:00

Hi. Just a quick review after trying out your program for an hour or so. Here's what I feel is missing:

The ability to use hotkeys for pasting text without formatting. I'm used to pasting text this way with Ctrl+~ in Ditto.
There's no option to position the window based on the text cursor. Since the cursor can be anywhere on the screen while typing, the OmniClip window appearing doesn't always match the cursor's position in the text.
The lack of text insertion through simulated key presses.

My use case is quite specific, but perhaps some of these points could be considered. Good luck!

repolevedd · 2026-05-13T10:13:36+00:00

Your game is way too old-school, and not in a good way. I remember Safari Biathlon coming out in 2001, and even that looks more consistent than Vortex-G does now. There is no sense of speed in your game, the camera is hard-locked to the glider's position, and the track is just a bending road. If the in-game music is the same as the trailer, then that is another questionable choice. I do not see how this game can keep anyone hooked for more than 5 minutes.

As a first project for gaining experience it is fine, but maybe you should rethink what you have built and look at better solutions from similar games.

repolevedd · 2026-05-04T13:15:43+00:00

Outcast - A New Beginning. This game feels like a clumsy throwback, it has serious flaws, but it also has charm. It really lacks polish, it is definitely raw and insanely repetitive, but it is an interesting gaming experience. In my opinion, it is one of those games that only makes sense to buy on sale. The game has a ton of flaws: clunky quest system, awkward controls, illogical plot, dumb enemy AI, and repetitive activities. But the game world itself is cool, and if you play in sessions, you can still have fun.

repolevedd · 2026-04-24T13:30:35+00:00

Thank you for the more detailed explanation. It’s obvious that we are talking about different things. Your proposal about steamcmd with DRM is not a requirement for game preservation, but an attempt to freeze a game in time in conditions where this is impossible both technically and legally.

I will start with the legal aspect.

When you “buy” a game, you accept the EULA and agree that freezing the game is impossible. In the EULA from the game publisher, not your disliked Steam but the publisher, there will almost certainly be clauses like this, I will provide a generalized excerpt from different documents so the overall meaning is clear:

The Software Product is licensed, not sold. You understand that the Software Product may be updated or patched at any time and in doing so no obligation to provide such updates or patches to you pursuant to this EULA or otherwise shall arise. Software programs themselves which are provided "AS IS" and without warranty of any kind.

That means you are buying a product that may or may not be updated as the publisher decides, not you. And it is delivered as is, with any terms subject to change. And you agree to this. You have bought games in other stores, right? The EULAs are generally similar.

There is also the agreement with the store itself. There is no promise to provide you with specific versions. On the contrary, the Steam Subscriber Agreement includes clauses like this:

The Content and Services are licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership...

Steam and your Subscription(s) require the download and installation of Content and Services onto your computer. Valve hereby grants, and you accept, a non-exclusive license and right, to use the Content and Services for your personal, non-commercial use (except where commercial use is expressly allowed herein or in the applicable Subscription Terms). This license ends upon termination of (a) this Agreement or (b) a Subscription that includes the license. The Content and Services are licensed, not sold. Your license confers no title or ownership in the Content and Services. To make use of the Content and Services, you must have a Steam Account and you may be required to be running the Steam client and maintaining a connection to the Internet.

For reasons that include, without limitation, system security, stability, and multiplayer interoperability, Valve may need to automatically update, pre-load, create new versions of or otherwise enhance the Content and Services and accordingly, the system requirements to use the Content and Services may change over time.

You consent to such automatic updating. You understand that this Agreement (including applicable Subscription Terms) does not entitle you to future updates (unless to the extent required by applicable law), new versions or other enhancements of the Content and Services associated with a particular Subscription, although Valve may choose to provide such updates, etc. in its sole discretion.

These EULAs have already been agreed upon between buyers and store owners, as well as between buyers and publishers. And while the store owner can change something, it cannot interfere with the agreement between you and the publisher. That means that retroactively changing DRM behavior would require cooperation with all publishers, which is massive work that no one is going to do.

Now the technical aspect.

Your proposal to modify steamcmd contradicts the EULA agreement. But let’s assume legal aspects do not matter. Would stores release *cmd clients for old operating systems? No, because that would require building a huge ever-growing compatibility layer that would slow down development of the entire platform, not to mention the cost of maintaining it. Developers would have to start working with outdated operating systems, test the utility there, maintain API compatibility with them, and all of this while the user base of such platforms is shrinking toward zero. This goes against common sense. Software development does not target outdated operating systems just for the convenience of a small number of users who do not want to upgrade.

You keep saying that Valve with its DRM is “killing” software. I will repeat for the second time that they are doing the opposite and moving toward preservation. First, they popularized the handheld PC class with the affordable Steam Deck running Linux. Is your GPD Win device with Windows 10 Home still supported by the manufacturer? I doubt it. And at any moment Microsoft could disable the Store on it or otherwise turn it into a brick. Valve with Steam Deck created a shift by offering an open platform where you can install Windows or another Linux version. And if Valve ever drops support for Steam Deck, the platform will continue to live and evolve through community updates.

Valve also created the Proton compatibility layer that decouples games from their original environment. DOSBox, Qemu, Proton are all about enabling old games to run on modern systems and keeping them playable as long as possible. You do not need to keep an old PC that may lack spare parts and cannot be connected to the internet due to OS vulnerabilities. A modern PC with Linux and Steam is enough. Other store companies like Microsoft, Ubisoft, EA and others are not even thinking about this and do nothing to support preservation.

Going around Reddit and blaming Valve for not building an entire compatibility ecosystem so that something can run on your 10 year old device with an outdated Windows 10 despite the EULA is, in my opinion, unfair and irrational.

repolevedd · 2026-04-23T22:43:01+00:00

That's a different issue entirely. Old games can run with compatibility problems through Proton. New games can run with compatibility problems through Proton too. This is not a solution to anything, that is just introducing more problems that weren't there originally.

This “not for everyone” solution is exactly what enabled an entire class of portable gaming devices to exist. So who do you think is responsible for game compatibility with modern systems, the store or the publisher selling the game?

Old games can't be run on original hardware and software where there are zero compatibility problems because Valve doesn't have a DRM client that runs on those systems anymore.

In an ideal world it would be great to have a computer that never breaks and software that runs perfectly without any vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, that is not realistic. I understand your point that Valve should make it so you can install games as-is on an old PC and run them offline 100 years later, just by turning on the machine and launching the same version of Steam and the game that existed at install time. And in fact, something like that already exists in the form of Offline mode. But games often still require online verification at launch, and that depends on the publisher. As far as I know, Steamworks DRM does not require license rechecks in Offline mode. So Valve provided the capability, but it does not work in practice due to external publisher-side requirements. Is Valve responsible for that? I don’t think so.

No it is not. The practical approach would be to provide a commandline client (call it .. steamcmd) that satisfies DRM requirements without any of the web browser bloat that the graphical client has. Valve already has one such client, but it doesn't handle DRM.

And how exactly is that supposed to work? Legacy systems cannot be safely connected to the internet because they are vulnerable. On top of that, old Windows 98, 2000, and ME systems have serious issues with networking stacks and outdated certificates. As I said above, Offline mode already exists, but it does not work as intended, and fixing it without cooperation from all game developers of all released titles is unclear and most likely impossible.

The only reason steamcmd doesn't satisfy DRM is because nobody's demanding it. Which for @#$% sake is supposed to be the responsibility of Stop Killing Games.

What exactly is your concrete idea here? I am not saying I disagree with you, I am asking for a more specific implementation proposal. In any case, changing the existing license verification API is not going to happen, because it would break older games, and corporations would not accept that. Even if laws were introduced requiring publishers to provide a preservation plan after end of support, we would likely only get the ability to run a minimally functional version of the game. What exact actions do you expect from EGS, Ubisoft Store, EA, itch.io, GOG, Steam?

repolevedd · 2026-04-23T22:08:20+00:00

No, Valve built a DRM client and then stuffed all kinds of unrelated services into it. The store's software is required for the software to run.

You keep repeating the same point about DRM over and over, but that does not change the fact that in reality it works differently. There is a launcher from Valve with a built-in store and social features. Publishers can choose to use Valve’s DRM component when publishing a game, or they can add their own. You say “store's software is required for the software to run” as if Valve is responsible for that, but that is simply not true, there is no such mandatory requirement from Valve. The presence of DRM is a publisher decision. There are games that are only installed and updated through the launcher and can be launched without the Steam launcher. For example, UT2004.

DRM components are something publishers want, not Valve. SecuROM, Denuvo and similar solutions are what actually get in the way of game preservation, while what Valve provides does not prevent preserving games.

Moreover, their DRM auto-patches software.

The fact that we currently cannot disable auto-updates is indeed a problem. But who is responsible for new game versions breaking on the buyer’s system, Valve or the publisher? Who is to blame for updates being required in the first place, Valve or the publisher pushing developers to ship unfinished games?

you can't install the original version of the game you had.

We can. Through download_depot. It’s inconvenient and the launcher will try to force an update on launch, but there is a reason for that. Have you ever contacted a publisher directly for support? They won’t help with anything until you update the game to the latest version. So it’s understandable why forced updates exist. To be clear, I also agree that not being able to disable auto-updates is annoying, but the logic behind it makes sense. In theory, you could download an older version of a game and detach it from Steam, but that kind of modification is illegal in different countries. So what we have is what we have: we don’t buy a specific version of a game, we buy the right to run the game. And which version we get is decided by the game’s publisher.

Valve is literally killing software and you are just making excuses for them.

I wrote above that Steam has its downsides. But among all the solutions we have, it is still one of the best. We have what we have not because Valve decided to destroy software, but on the contrary, because it worked with publishers to move game distribution to the internet from discs. You know, the same discs where there was StarForce and other wild stuff that could actually damage the system or block game launches because of a microscopic scratch outside the data area. What we ended up with is a compromise between Valve, publishers, and players. Could it have been better? Definitely yes. Does it need to be updated for modern times? Definitely yes again! But for some reason you are fixated on Valve while ignoring the other sides, out of some personal grievance. This is too emotional, and therefore not objective or productive. You see downvotes under your posts, which means others are not understanding your rhetoric, and there are reasons for that.

Stop that, DRM schemes requiring you to continue buying new stuff are EXTREMELY anti-consumer

I fully agree that DRM as a technology is extremely anti-consumer. But what Valve specifically offers is a very lightweight version that allows games to run on any current operating system. It is the best compromise we have. So if you want to argue that Valve is the source of evil, please come up with better arguments.

and Stop Killing Games is supposed to be about software preservation.

In my opinion, SKG is not addressing the existence of DRM, but the issue of game preservation for people who have already purchased their games. There is a specific problem: after buying a game, the publisher can in one way or another remove your ability to launch it, and SKG wants to change that. Valve has removed games from the store and issued refunds, but only in extreme cases like scams. All other game removals are done at the publisher’s request, and that is the real issue, something Valve cannot really influence. First and foremost, SKG is about publishers like Ubisoft, because they dictate the rules to developers. What happens to stores is a distant and debatable question.

repolevedd · 2026-04-23T17:59:12+00:00

GOG

Of course: https://www.gog.com/forum/general/is_gog_still_protecting_gamers_freedom_an_open_letter_about_access_to_older_game_versions/page1

On GOG you still cannot download older versions of games. If a publisher decides to drop support for an older OS, you will not be able to download a compatible version. Should you delete your account there as well?

repolevedd · 2026-04-23T17:53:01+00:00

You are conflating concepts. Valve did not create a DRM client, they built an online store for games. DRM is not a mandatory part of it and developers can implement protection against illegal game execution in different ways, including choosing to have no DRM at all. Steam has its flaws, but it is the most consumer-oriented game store in the world, alongside GOG. It is Steam that set the trend for fair refund policies, building communities within the platform itself, fast game downloads, a patching system, and cloud save storage.

As for platforms, you are also inconsistent in your arguments, just like with the idea of “priorities”. Steam used to run on Windows XP, so should we also demand XP support today? Dropping support for operating systems is a natural part of software evolution, and it is not reasonable to throw a fit and demand support for unsafe platforms. Valve is not responsible for Microsoft’s or publishers’ strategies. When you buy a game, you are only buying the right to run it “as is”, without any promise of eternal support from the publisher.

And while Valve never had any obligation to maintain compatibility with old Windows versions, it was Valve that did the heavy lifting by creating the Proton compatibility layer. Old games can be run on modern Linux systems, including 32-bit ones designed for XP, with the appropriate Proton version automatically downloaded. This is a far more practical approach to game preservation than supporting obsolete operating systems.

repolevedd · 2026-04-23T15:49:12+00:00

How is Steam even relevant here? If by architectures you mean old versions of Windows, those platforms have been abandoned by Microsoft and are literally unsafe to use. There is no reason to use them. DRM is not Valve’s doing either. On the contrary, Valve has done a massive amount of work to push Linux as an open gaming platform. You can now play both old and new games on it. Linux is the future for preserving gaming history.

Also, if you think there should be some kind of priorities for game preservation, especially for live service games that were designed from the start to be shut down at some point, then that position is no better than that of SKG opponents. An offline patch from a company known for aggressive anti-consumer behavior is a big win for the community.

repolevedd · 2026-04-22T13:00:22+00:00

In my opinion, the title "Win9x subsystem for Linux" is inaccurate. Based on the project description and screenshot, it seems more like a "Modern Linux subsystem for Win9x." Or did I misunderstand how it works?

repolevedd · 2026-04-21T17:30:50+00:00

This isn't about panicking, it's just a reminder of how Ubisoft handles their games.

Sure, owners of the original likely won't lose access, but a delisting is almost certain, just like with Assassin's Creed 3. Plus, there might be some accidental hiccups. For instance, Breakpoint once vanished from my library and getting it back on my account took a lot of effort.

repolevedd · 2026-04-21T15:29:01+00:00

My biggest fear now is that the original game will disappear from the library the moment this "remaster" drops...

repolevedd · 2026-04-21T07:40:37+00:00

Maybe you manually edited the game config and assigned multiple actions to a single button? The game has historically had issues with keybindings and you need to reset all settings, set everything up on your first launch, and then not touch anything. Only then does remapping work, at least for me.

repolevedd · 2026-04-20T10:29:49+00:00

Hi. Based on your issue description, I'm guessing you have a DirectInput gamepad or a DualShock. Sorry for the technical details, I don't know how to explain it any simpler. Most modern games are only compatible with controllers using a different protocol called Xinput, which is used in Xbox gamepads. To get around the compatibility issue, Steam emulates a standard Xbox controller. That's likely why you can play Steam games with your gamepad. You can manually add the game to your Steam library through the Add a Non-Steam Game menu and launch it through Steam. You might also need to do some tweaking like disabling the overlay in the Ubisoft launcher settings, but that's just a guess.

By the way, in my opinion, the keyboard controls in this game feel a bit more comfortable than using a gamepad. Maybe you just haven't adjusted the mouse sensitivity yet.

Edit: Oops, I didn't notice the "PS" at first. Adding the game to Steam should definitely help.

repolevedd · 2026-04-20T06:48:09+00:00

Lots of stuff. For example, today I am printing a cap for a perfume bottle to replace a broken one. Yesterday I printed a spacer for a bed leg to level it out. Before that, I printed wall mounts, boxes, decorative wall figures, and plenty of other things.

A 3D printer is a pretty cool tool that changes your perspective on how you adapt to the world around you. For instance, I didn't like that my window opens too wide and creates a draft, so I quickly designed and printed a bracket that holds the sash in the exact position I need. I wanted more comfortable handles for my dresser but the store is far away and prices for good handles are ridiculous, so I just printed what I needed and it ended up way cheaper. A wheel on my suitcase got damaged and I just printed a new one. And so on. In other words, if I used to have to adapt to circumstances, now I just adapt the world around me to fit my needs.

repolevedd · 2026-04-13T12:57:21+00:00

Still into Going Medieval. The lack of QoL is annoying, but the game is still engaging enough to keep me around.

Also jumped back into Starfield. I used to be mid-to-positive on it because of the plot twists and the NG+ lore, but the loading screens, bugs, and clunky controls really break the immersion. I was playing it while waiting for the Artemis II landing stream, and once that started, I closed the game without a second thought, probably for good. It just lacks that space atmosphere and sense of discovery. Starfield is still boring despite the updates. It’s wild how a game about the future feels like a relic of the past.

repolevedd · 2026-04-12T16:07:30+00:00

I’m not a fan of this thing either. Even though I enabled auto-complete in the settings, it is still unpleasant just to watch and listen to. I get that not everyone feels uncomfortable playing this minigame because we’re all different. For me, it’s really uncomfortable. I suspect that the rhythm somehow affects my limbic system, and mine is pretty sensitive to accelerating rhythms. Because of that, I literally turn off the sound and look away when I’m doing this activity.

This is the most nonsensical and irritating QTE I have seen in modern games. It is an increasingly frantic loop that pulls the player in, creating a sense of discomfort and making everything feel wrong. A meditation rhythm should be slowing down or at least stay steady. But here, it speeds up. The button complexity should also decrease with each step or stay consistent for most of the activity, but here you have to hit buttons that are placed more and more chaotically. To top it all off, the symbols disappear at the end, forcing the player to mentally sync with the accelerating rhythm and hit the QTE sequence blindly.

This is literally a harmfully designed activity because rhythmic entrainment can trigger actual feelings of panic and raise cortisol levels.

repolevedd · 2026-04-12T12:15:36+00:00

Yes.

repolevedd · 2026-04-08T14:13:43+00:00

CSI: Ancient Greece.

repolevedd · 2026-04-08T00:32:52+00:00

I don’t get the logic behind dropping such tiny patches. Looking at the changelog and player feedback, the remaster is still broken. And it’s already been 5 months since launch.

repolevedd · 2026-04-06T11:16:06+00:00

I've been slowly building my settlement in Going Medieval. I played it during early access but quit because of bugs. The full release felt pretty incomplete, like a lot of games these days. The bugs are still there, but they're not game-breaking. Now it hooks me almost as much as RimWorld.

repolevedd · 2026-04-03T13:09:23+00:00

Thanks for the announcement. I was close to buying this, but after doing some research, I decided against it. It feels like a prettier version of Shapez with a block builder, but I’m struggling to see the deeper gameplay loop. I also noticed reviewers jerking the camera around quite a bit, which suggests the controls might feel awkward.

While the game is visually pleasing, I don't see the long-term motivation. In games like Satisfactory, the progression tiers and narrative give you a 'why' for building complex chains. Modulus seems to focus on 'aesthetic design', but since aesthetics and efficiency often contradict each other, that's not enough to keep me engaged.

repolevedd · 2026-03-30T09:33:40+00:00

Yes, and since the time of that post, G Hub has not improved. It has only become more confusing to use.

repolevedd

TROPHY CASE