Does it still have the sign in to play SP DRM BS?

And let's clear this - it's not a drm, just confirmation when you are using their servers. You can have as many accounts as you want on this - the game could just do it itself, hidding it from the user (the 'autothication' thing) and no one would bat and eye.' So it's not a real drm.

IMO yes just like Steam...

That's why I wont be buying it.

It's your choicse after all. :) I just strongly disagree about that 'drm'. And no, not like Steam. AoW3 don't force you to instal anything just to get it runnin' - it wants you to use free account you can access anywhere for purpose of using their dedicated servers. You don't even have to go through god-knows-how horrible things to creat it... and it's also working as their forum account.
But like I said at the beginning - it's you call. You don't like it - don't buy it. :)

You basically just said that there is a digital good you have rights to of which parts are managed through an online authentication...

I'm sorry, but I need a clarification for the clarification. If I just want to buy this and single-play, I still have to create an account, just to get the game to run? No account = no play? And do I need to sign in to that account each time I play?

Short answer is no.

There is a guest account with full single player functionality, which, as I have already written, doesn't require any registration or online access.

I play singleplayer mode only, so I have never registered my key too.

What Vanchann said.

To which I'll add: if you just create a shortcut to the game's main executable on your desktop, instead of one that goes to the launcher, you'll never actually have to even see the log-in screen. The game'll just start automatically in offline "guest" mode. I've been playing that way for over a year now.

Because those parts are not on your servers? Although they should add possibility for spik their servers... but seriously, this so called 'drm' is rasing too much anger sometimes. But, well... nobody forces anyone to buy the game.

Yes, it's DRM. If I want to play in LAN with my sons, I need to buy two more copies. The main GOG advantage is that you download your game and play how and where you want. But not wih AOW3 because you have a restriction for playing online.

Remember what GOG says:

"DRM-free means no copy protection, on-line checks, or any other annoyances. It’s all about just you and your games and movies. You should feel you own the products that you buy - just like a book, or a DVD."


AOW 3 has online check for playing online.

It's worse than that, you can't really play over a LAN. I mean, yes, you can play through a LAN provided every user in that LAN has internet access. But if you try to setup a LAN party with your friends in a place with no internet access (yes, incredible as it may sound, these places still exist in the darkest corners of the earth) guess what, you can't.

I have the game, I think it's amazing and worth every penny, and I will still play it sp and mp, but this online multiplayer check thing is still f*ing annoying, and I only hope when Triumph servers finally go to server heaven (as many other game servers have gone before) they will release a patch to allow users to keep playing.

I totally agree. GOG should solve this. They are lying when say GOG games are not DRM. May be AOW 3 is the only one with DRM, but they should announce it.

Sort of related to this......

I have had the game for a while, but decided I would register it (just for the hell of it) and the Triumph website is asking me to 'Register the Key'.

I can't remember getting a 'key'. Is there anyway to find out what the 'key' is.

I found the e-mail from GOG when I bought the game, but no 'key' is listed.