This I have no real problem with this. Once I buy the game and download it my required relationship with GOG is over and I don't need to deal with the NWN guys either. I'm pretty sure they have shut down the NWN servers long ago and we can all play anyway. When AoW3 shuts down, there will be no more multiplayer outside of hotseat. This is sad because I still play shadow magic.

Maybe they will fix this situation but thats just hopes at this point.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, this is not the first GOG game to contain DRM, but I still feel like its important to let them know that we don't like it.

Who is 'we'? I've seen maybe three or four people complain about it. I've seen more complaints about how game settings are only saved if you have an account than about the need for an account itself.

None of this makes any sense to me. They offer a multiplayer feature/service and require you be a valid owner to use the service. This is not the same as a single player game calling home before you install or while playing the game.

Think about how people crack DRM to bypass the requirement of the system-- how would you bypass this supposed DRM? Login anonymously to the servers of Triumph for multiplayer matchmaking?

If this is all really a complaint about a lack of LAN then lets call it that-- a complaint about a missing feature. Not "half DRM" or "part DRM" like it's trying to be labeled.

I see. You're stupid if you're off-topic. And in that case, it's not an insult. Gotcha.

It's almost like you never read any of the stuff leading up to the game. Did you read the post about where the vouchers came from? With the publisher pressure and all?

Now, serious question:
Assume for a moment that gog.com cannot offer the game on the terms you want. Publisher's choice. Would you prefer:
a) Them not to release it at all?
b) Release it as-is?

If your answer is (a), please also expand on why you think your opinion is more valid than what was the result of the polls they did on this subject.

"We" are rather happy, if we're down to using the pluralis majestates (sp?).

Or c) rip out multiplayer on GOG version so that what's left of the game is DRM free (Yeah, I can see it going well, especially if there are more complete versions on Steam...)

Personally, I'm not a happy camper about the multiplayer-account, but as long that every offline function (LAN, single player, hotseat) is DRM free and stays offline, I think that it passes the GOG test. :)

This is directed at Pax11.

Regardless of your view on DRM and obvious justification and acceptance of it, This AOW game shipped with DRM which goes against the whole concept of GOG. I will not buy it because of this. I don't believe that you should go along with the bullshit just because you want to play a game. If more people rejected your trend of thought, maybe these companies would quit with this intrusive and bullshit DRM. But hey, keep playing their game, that's what they want.

Kardwell I gotta say I would rather have it not released on GOG than what they have done. At least with steam you know it's going to be a steam product.

From the perspective of the publishers, the more reject GOG the better.
They're the ones who always whine around about too much DRM, wanting the publishers to supply DRM-free versions, campaigning against regional pricing, etc.

Much better if players abandoned it and they can go back to steam, especially with fully publisher-controlled publishing over there, now.

Really, that argument makes no sense. If 95%+ were using a superior service and GOG were the ones trying to wrestle into the market while screwing over the customers, sure, exactly what we ought to do.
But the situation is quite reversed here. Steam is the juggernaut which has virtually no regards for customer rights or wants, while GOG is trying to muscle in via caring about them.

And as they said a while ago, as they are increasing in size the publisher pressure to conform to some demands is getting excessive, hence they did the poll how players think about things like multiplayer serials, DLC, etc.

Would I prefer a fully-DRM-free experience? Ofc!
Is it in any way realistic to expect GOG to be able to push that through for modern-release games from non-indie companies? Ofc not, they're way too small for that. Steam, they could push that agenda, but they're not interested in doing so.

Then we would lose our way to "vote" against regional pricing, though.
What use is that, in the grand scheme of things?

KnThrak

You do make a very good point. I however, am wishing for a more perfect world in gaming. GOG does try to do it's best in this regard, but as they get bigger I imagine they will cave to the pressure.

Err, read again : Pax11 contribution to this thread was to say that one earlier message was insulting. He never commented on DRM. He only stated that saying "should I make you a drawing?" to someone who disagrees with you is VERY rude. And frankly, it is.

For the AOW3 problem : I said that I'm not too fond of this "online account" shenigan, and it will insure that I'll never play online MP for AOW3 (I despise having to create an account for a game). I'll stick to hotseat (funnier that way, anyway). But it's hardly an isolated event : Many games here on GOG have DRM for their online part (mostly cd Keys, like for Neverwinter Nights. But accounts are also here, like in "Race the sun" : you can play the game to your heart's content offline, with no "gaming" content cut, but you need to register if you want your high score to be recorded n the leaderboards).
But I've come to expect DRM for online MP (It's one of the reasons I never play online.), and it will not prevent me to buy and enjoy AOW3.

As I said : As long as singleplayer (and any other offline content) is DRM free and complete, I think it qualifies for GOG

OK. I am glad some people are enjoying it. I just feel it does not qualify as the DRM free product that GOG promotes.

When I spun up the game I was at first taken aback by the account creation screen, until I saw the guest button.
As far as having to register to play MP, that's cool. How else do you nix pirates? So long as I can play AoW single player (and that's how I've played all of the games for years) offline, I'm cool.

Back after reading the entire thread. I think the account to play online is not bad. I have to agree that local lan should not have this, but I still understand the developer. I am very happy this is on GOg and that I am able to play my AoW 3 copy DRM free. I have not even touched multiplayer yet at all. i like my singleplayer campaign way too much. Besides I am not that competitive. What I do not like about some users here is:

I rather not have this game on GOG with online multiplayer activation, than having that included. That's just wrong. I can actually play online when I want to, and offline when I want to. If I want to play online, I need to log in with my account. Gee, how strange. If I want to play offline, I can do that whenever I want. Nothing hindering me. Suppose I want to play online and GOG stripped this feature of AoW 3. The only way I could do that is buy it from Steam. GOG would just force customers to them. This is definately not what I'd like.

It's kind of silly to whine about having to be online to play online in my opinion.

I would prefer A because I like the Good Old Games, not any new anonymous game. The only games I still play on this whole wide world are StarCraft 2 and Guild Wars 2, I buy games from GOG because I like to support them and also to support the high quality timeless classic games that I have played and I loved in the past (also I want to let everybody know what timeless gems where in the past). I have more than 70 games bought on GOG and I would and I will buy even more timeless classics under their good old marketing, no DRM, one price for any game, full content for every game (latest expansion patches/DRM, latest patch, even if is more expensive). If they want to be some kind of Steam than I will buy from Steam (or Humble Bundle, much cheaper). Lets be honest, they have a lot more crappy games with DRM and all the shit that GOG wants to offer lately. But my personal problem is that my personal collection is already on GOG....

OFC they can have games with DRM and without DRM but than I would feel like I was betrayed and lied, I didn't signed for this.
Really, does GOG pay you? if not, they should. Is OK for them to sell games with DRM but they should change their advertising. If I would advertise that I sell Coke without sugar but actually I would sell Coke with just a few sugar people with diabetes WILL DIE. As I said before, you can play StarCraft 2 on a offline mode, without internet, but the game requires a online authentication for online play. Everybody knows that all the new Blizzard games have DRM even though you can play on single player without authentication. This games does have DRM and is against of what they say that they are selling.