Let me start by saying thanks to petroglyph for Releasing 8 Bit Armies on GoG. I've just bought it hoping for a new C+C experience.

However I'm severely disappointed that there is no LAN option. Local LAN play should never be an optional extra or luxury for any networked game. It is absolutely ridiculous that I need to connect to a 3rd party server to play a co-op game with my wife or children. Lack of LAN severely limits the last-ability of a multiplayer game. Me and my wife still play Red Alert 2 in co-op 15 years after its release

I wonder if the Devs can confirm whether LAN play is a definite addition to come?

DRM Free where a major component is bound to a 3rd party external service whose existence is out side the control of the purchaser, is not fully DRM free. Local LAN play for multiplayer games, should be prerequisite for GoG release.

I am wondering about this too. I am loving the game but I only play multiplayer games over LAN or couch co-op with my son. I would love to play this over LAN with him.

This question is exactly why I visited the forum today.

Come on, petroglyph!

Edit: Ok to be fair I can see that you might not invest the time at this price point. I would even pay more for this, always have! Bring an add-on which enables LAN or whatever.

I emailed the dev yesterday about this very fact and I emailed GOG as well. This IS in FACT DRM no matter how you slice it! Hey GOG, you want to see this loyal customer flee with fervor? I was surprised there was no LAN option as well. I have never had to install Galaxy before to enable certain features in a game so this is a first for me on GOG. So here is the response I received from Petroglyph:

"Hey ****,

We had a LAN option in Grey Goo and it didn’t seem like it was getting used all that much. I’ll definitely bring it up to the guys internally and see what they say though.

Thanks for all the support! We really appreciate it."

Now let me be clear the guys over at Petroglyph care about this release because they are hammering away at patches and keeping tabs on the forums and responding quickly, BUT this is a black eye for GOG and their DRM free sales pitch that they would allow a very critical feature to be crippled unless you use an online only dependency. I told GOG in an email this is no different than DRM. I never received a response back.

I hope this is not a shift in direction for GOG because if more titles start being dependent on Galaxy to function properly watch how fast I stop spending my money on GOG releases!

Thank you!

It is true that a lan mode for this type of game would be a plus.

Huge thanks for getting back to me, and thanks to who ever replied to my email.

I do have to say I am dumb-struck that LAN play was never considered an option though.

Video game history it littered with the corpses of games killed because they where tied to servers that are no longer supported.

Is there really now an option to have multiplayer servers running for decades? Or does the reality still exist where at some point you have to say "We're not paying for multiplayer servers any more".

As I've said many times, me and the wife have return to Red Alert 2 for the co-op multiplayer 15 years after its release. Without LAN play, there is no way to ensure this with 8 Bit Armies.

For some reason now, in spite ubiquity of home networks, multiplayer means play with strangers on the internet rather than play with people in the same house.

Thank you. Lan support would be a huge plus. Its a shame that most games dont support it anymore.

Dear 8BitArmies,

I would like to chime in and vote for having a LAN mode as well.

I recall the countless hours I played CnC with my best friend after school and I'm already getting flashbacks to that playing the game. :)

I understand that it's yet another big feature on your guys TODO list and technically it surely is possible to do a LAN-parts-like event via Galaxy as well. But I'd really appreciate it for the fact that it would enable players in the same room to play together without having to install Galaxy and needing to be online at all.

Thanks a lot for having an open ear in that regard. :)

- 8Bit (no relation ;))

For me it seems ridiculous to send data up to an internet based server 1000's of miles away and back to a computer sitting 3 meters away.

I remember returning 2 copies of Emperor battle for Dune back to our local Game shop because its co-op needed internet access (not clearly stated on the box). At that time we had dial-up and broadband cost at least £60 a month.

The Store clerk was very reluctant to refund 2 opened PC games.

I am very interested in this, too. I just came back from a LAN with coworkers when I saw this release. Without the LAN feature, this feels multiplayer-crippled.

I would love to hear about any progress on this.

This game definitely got my interest!

Bought the game today. Kinda disappointed it doesn't have lan as that's the only way I generally play multiplayer. Please add it.

I still to this day play RA2+Yuri's revenge lan with friends. I'd love to add this game to our usual list of choices.

I would also really, really, really like a LAN option.

Please don't let this game be another Hellgate London. Instead of having fun playing Hellgate London over LAN with my nieces and nephews, all they say is, "what's Hellgate London, never heard of it?" Because it doesn't have a LAN option, and the servers died long ago, and the company doesn't exist anymore. All I have is a sad lonely disc that will never be played with again... That's how a game truly dies...