I enjoy getting achievements on steam and, though some may not care, I feel I am missing out slightly.

Could the developers not hook into the gog achievements API, in the same way as the steam achievements API?

The Steam version already has Achievements, for what it's worth.

I think that if they were going to do them for both steam and gog they would have done them both from the start. However they may have started development with steam and will add gog later. It would be nice to know.

I've always thought Achievements were kind of a con, because none of them has anything to do with the actual game itself--it's extra junk attached to games *after* they are written and finished. Artificial hoops to jump though. Some of them you get simply by playing the game normally, but many others you have to sort of go 'round your elbow to get to your nose, if you know what I mean...;) At any rate, Achievements did not exist in any form in the late 1980's--games had to stand on their own to sell well at that time.

Steam invented the concept, IIRC, and I've spoken with people who like them, although why they like them is somewhat of a mystery. I think that for some people it simplifies a game into discreet little bits that they can do, one little bit at a time...;)

@waltc Apologies but that's not helpful. You're not answering my question, just stating your opinion that you think achievements are irrelevant/pointless. I stated in the question that some people may not care about them...

I think the basic idea of an achievement is older than you say. Just getting your name on the top score of old cabinet video games was an 'achievement', though also usually the point of the game.

I like them because they can encourage you to play and replay games in a different way depending on the achievement. I'm not really interested in the ones that require you to do something that's *really* difficult and/or requires lots of random re-rolling. I like ones that require skill or require me to play in a way that I wouldn't normally, exploring more of what the game has to offer.

Anyway, it's a personal choice, but I'd like to know if they're coming to GOG.

Looks like still none know if they are coming to new releases ?

I also like them, too, and already regret it to have chosen GOG over Steam just because the missing achievements :-(

was checking here before choosing platform and looks like its going to be steam

As of Sept 15, 2018, these are the Achievements on Stead for Bards Tale 1 remastered, along with the percentages of the people who own the game that have acheived them.

76.9%
Roleplaying: Create your first character.

51.7%
Dean's List: Be promoted at the review board for the first time.

46.9%
Skara Brae Shopaholic: Purchase services at an inn, a temple, Garth's and Roscoe's.

44.1%
A Good Year: Find the wine cellar.

38.3%
Something's Smelly: Enter the sewers.

31.0%
I'm 'armless!: Disarm 50 traps.

28.8%
Apprentice: Level a character to level 10.

27.6%
The Magic Word: Enter the catacombs.

23.7%
A Song of Only Fire: Use a fire horn.

22.5%
Storm the Gates: Enter Harkyn's Castle.

20.6%
Gold Digger: Amass 100,000 gold coins.

18.7%
Nemesis: Win 500 battles.

15.0%
Art Critic: Destroy every statue in Skara Brae.

11.6%
Crystal Clear: Defeat the Crystal Golem.

10.9%
Endgame: Enter Mangar's Tower.

9.1%
The Mage's Tale: Learn all 7 levels of spells for Conjurer, Magician, Sorcerer and Wizard with one character.

8.8%
Journeyman: Level a character to level 25.

5.8%
Heroes of Skara Brae: Complete Tales of the Unknown.

4.5%
Weapon of Legend: Acquire the Spectre Snare

2.1%
Master: Level a character to level 50.

I've got all 20 of them...or rather, I would if GOG had achievements.

Interesting. You can actually tell how many people dropped out of the game and at which point. Really surprised to see that not even 70% of all people that made characters actually went and had them promoted to lvl 2... wow.

Y'know, it's not that surprising. For a new player, first you gotta realize the importance of starting stats. Even more than party composition. Then, the sheer, PAINFUL *grind* of the first level. Those daytime street encounters yield next to nothing...no xp, no cash. Your bard's useless. Your casters are useless. That's not particularly new, but in BT1, getting past that stage is a MAJOR pain.

And the annoyances of, say, not even a compass spell, and having to map yourself...it's not all that hard to see a lotta players going, why am I bothering????

Got to agree with this.

Actually, no.

According to Google, Steam introduced achievements in 2007.

Star Ocean 3, which was released in 2003, had achievements, though they were called Battle Trophies.

Of course, you could just take the Fire Horn off the pre-made bard and use that to make the beginning easy; this also beans your bard is definitely not useless.

Then again, according to the Achievement statistics, less than a quarter of owners of the steam version realized that you could do this (proof: if you actually do this, you are going to get the achievement for using one, assuming that achievement works).

See also "Skill Points" in Ratchet & Clank, and similar features going way back. They eventually made their way into multiplayer environments but whatever.

They were fun when they were single player skill thingies. Lost me when they became a leaderboard thing; if I cared less about other people's gaming achievements I would literally form a singularity and become a god. [edit] Yes, literally.