Steam Family Sharing Question

[Blueprint]

I setup steam family sharing recently and noticed that you can't play a friend's shared game if they are playing a game from that list of shared games. 

 

Here's a diagram to make things easier to explain:

 

 

Basically I want to play castle crashers (which I own) and my friend wants to play Trine 2 (from my shared library). As you can see on the left image I cannot play Castle crasher while my friend plays Trine 2 because they are both in the shared library. What would happen if I was to remove Castle crashers from the shared library so that it was only available in my personal library? Would we then both be able to play our separate games because both of our games are no longer in the shared library together? Normally, if the games are in the same shared library and we both want to play a game from the library it would prioritize me and kick the other person off the game. Does this method work? 

 

Thanks,

Blueprint

[Snickerzz]

you cant both play games at the same time

 

 

Can two users share a library and both play at the same time?

No, a shared library may only be accessed by one user at a time.

 

from: http://store.steampowered.com/sharing/

[ShadowCaptain]

You can only both play it if you BOTH have it in your OWN library

 

You cannot both play games using 1 steam account

[Blueprint]

you cant both play games at the same time

But the games are in separate libraries? That means neither person can play any game at the same time?

[Blueprint]

You can only both play it if you BOTH have it in your OWN library

 

You cannot both play games using 1 steam account

Yeah I understand that, but what about (from the example in my post) if my friend wants to play a different game to me but they are both in my shared library? Can I remove the game and then we can both play our separate games (me playing my game I personally own - castle crashers  and my friend playing Trine 2 from my shared library) ?

[Snickerzz]

But the games are in separate libraries? That means neither person can play any game at the same time?

so you both own the game in your own separate libraries? are you sure both of you are starting up your own copies and the steam shared ones?

[Blueprint]

so you both own the game in your own separate libraries? are you sure both of you are starting up your own copies and the steam shared ones?

No, I own the only copy of the game. In the picture example in my post, both libraries on either side are my library, the right side simply just shows castle crashers removed from my shared library, that is it.

[Snickerzz]

No, I own the only copy of the game. In the picture example in my post, both libraries on either side are my library, the right side simply just shows castle crashers removed from my shared library, that is it.

so it disappears when your friend is playing a game your sharing from your account?

[Blueprint]

so it disappears when your friend is playing a game your sharing from your account?

Basically there is my shared library (which I have shared with my friend) 

If we both play a game that is in that shared library only one of us can play (it's how it works) for example from my post, I play castle crashers and he plays trine 2

But let's say I remove Castle crashers from that shared library, which means it is only available to me. Now castle crashers and Trine 2 are not in the same shared library as I removed castle crashers from the shared library. So now am I able to play Castle crashers from my personal library while my friend plays trine 2 from my shared library?

[Vitalius]

No, I own the only copy of the game. In the picture example in my post, both libraries on either side are my library, the right side simply just shows castle crashers removed from my shared library, that is it.

... No.

Your shared library is still your library. If you or your friend are playing a game using your library, no one else can play a game from your library. It doesn't matter where the game is (shared or not). 

Your library is all the games you own. Shared or not. Meaning if you removed Castle Crashers from your shared library, you still couldn't play it if your friend was playing Trine 2 because they are still in the same steam library.

[Blueprint]

... No.

Your shared library is still your library. If you or your friend are playing a game using your library, no one else can play a game from your library. It doesn't matter where the game is (shared or not). 

Your library is all the games you own. Shared or not. Meaning if you removed Castle Crashers from your shared library, you still couldn't play it if your friend was playing Trine 2 because they are still in the same steam library.

So you can never play at the same time?

[Vitalius]

So you can never play at the same time?

Nope. You can never play at the same time. If you disconnect your computer from the internet, your library isn't available to your friend. So that's not a solution either.

Even if Trine 2 has local co-op, you can't play at the same time. I think it'd be cool if they let you play like that (local co-op through a shared game), but oh well.

Edit:

@Blueprint

There is one possible way to bypass it. You could start the game outside of Steam. i.e. go to C:\Program Files (x86)\[publisher]\[game]\[game.exe], and let your friend start his game and you could both play. It wouldn't keep track of your game time, achievements, or anything else though for obvious reasons.

[Blueprint]

Nope. You can never play at the same time. If you disconnect your computer from the internet, your library isn't available to your friend. So that's not a solution either.

Even if Trine 2 has local co-op, you can't play at the same time. I think it'd be cool if they let you play like that (local co-op through a shared game), but oh well.

So isn't family sharing kind of pointless then if you can't play at the same time? What's the benefit of using it?

[Snickerzz]

Basically there is my shared library (which I have shared with my friend) 

If we both play a game that is in that shared library only one of us can play (it's how it works) for example from my post, I play castle crashers and he plays trine 2

But let's say I remove Castle crashers from that shared library, which means it is only available to me. Now castle crashers and Trine 2 are not in the same shared library as I removed castle crashers from the shared library. So now am I able to play Castle crashers from my personal library while my friend plays trine 2 from my shared library?

 

 

So you can never play at the same time?

i explained all this in the first post i made you derp lol

[Snickerzz]

So isn't family sharing kind of pointless then if you can't play at the same time? What's the benefit of using it?

its to prevent people from just sharing there entire library of a gaziilion games to 10 ppl and having them all play at the same, pretty much piracy at that point

[Blueprint]

i explained all this in the first post i made you derp lol

Sorry, I thought you were just talking about the shared library not the full library.

[Snickerzz]

Sorry, I thought you were just talking about the shared library not the full library.

there the same thing ;P

[Blueprint]

there the same thing ;P

Sorry, yeah I thought they were separate.

[Blueprint]

@Snickerzz

@Vitalius

 

Thank you guys. You've both been helpful.

[Vitalius]

So isn't family sharing kind of pointless then if you can't play at the same time? What's the benefit of using it?

The idea for Steam Family Sharing is not so that you can play with your family. It's so that your family can play your games when you aren't.

It's built around the concept of a Steam Machine, where only 1 person is on it, but you want to share games between people on the same machine. i.e. I buy Rust, but my brother wants to play it on his account when I'm not on my PC. 

It's not so that families can play multiple games at the same time. That wasn't it's intention based on how it's designed. 

Anyway, Steam Family Sharing is in Beta. YMMV and things will probably change.

[Blueprint]

The idea for Steam Family Sharing is not so that you can play with your family. It's so that your family can play your games when you aren't.

It's built around the concept of a Steam Machine, where only 1 person is on it, but you want to share games between people on the same machine. i.e. I buy Rust, but my brother wants to play it on his account when I'm not on my PC. 

It's not so that families can play multiple games at the same time. That wasn't it's intention based on how it's designed. 

Anyway, Steam Family Sharing is in Beta. YMMV and things will probably change.

Ah ok I understand now. Thanks.