I've never done the gift thing on Steam either, but now that I read a little about it, tell me - is the definitive answer to buy everything as a gift so that if you don't get to play the game then you can give it to someone else at a future date? Because I see there's no way to gift something after you bought it (unless you buy it as a gift).
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"the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same way in any country."
Hermann Goering, April 1946.