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I purchased my Don't Starve version through GoG shortly after it first came out, and before I switched to Linux. Now the new expansion is (Finally) available on GoG, and I bought it instantly as a great reason to get back into the game I played to death (Many, many deaths).

And now I find that, for no definable reason, GoG doesn't appear to allow me to download the Linux version; the version purchasers can download if they bought the game from Steam, Humble Store, or through Klei directly. I was disappointed that I would have to wait months to get Reign of Giants, simply because I bought the GoG version. Now I'm infuriated that GoG appears not to allow me to download the game for my platform of choice, when the developer fully supports that platform.

Please tell me this is an oversight on my part - that there's a hidden Linux download link I've totally missed. Because frankly, this is BS.
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Nigholith: ... Please tell me this is an oversight on my part - that there's a hidden Linux download link I've totally missed. Because frankly, this is BS.
Sad but true, there isn't. Though, we've hopes that the Linux version is coming, as GOG currently works on expanding its Linux support. Not only for Don't Starve but generally. But for now, I'd consider contacting support and make use of the 30 days money back guarantee, if they can't name you a release date for the Linux version anytime soon.
Post edited April 30, 2014 by DeMignon
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DeMignon: But for now, I'd consider contacting support and make use of the 30 days money back guarantee, if they can't name you a release date for the Linux version anytime soon.
Which unfortunately can't be used to refund the base game I purchased in early 2013; so if I wish to play the expansion on my operating system of choice, I've got to purchase a second copy of the game from elsewhere.

This really ticks me off. Klei supports Linux natively, all GOG needs to do is host the file; but because they arbitrarily don't want to, I'm now out of pocket.

This has stretched GOG's good-will with me to breaking-point. I like the idea of owning my games DRM-free; but Humble can offer me games DRM-free, and they don't arbitrarily prevent me from downloading versions of the game. Given that, this'll likely have been my last GOG purchase.
GOG started as a company to support old Widows games. A lot of the older titles are Windows/DOS only or had Mac and Linux versions so old they were nearly impossible to run anyway. The site's culture is built around this. There are hardly any games on Mac despite a number of them being capable (ScummVM and DOSBox titles for example). While I don't doubt that Linux support is coming, I do think it makes sense for them to be hesitant. They have no experience supporting Linux like they do so well with Windows. Even newer indie titles like Don't Starve receive a fair amount of direct GOG support on Windows and Mac. When Linux support comes this fall, I'll expect the same level of support when running Mint.

If Humble suits your needs better, go to Humble. I prefer GOG because I know the games will run and are actually supported, both of which I've had problems with in regards to Humble. You are entitled to use whatever works for you!
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zaine-h: GOG started as a company to support old Widows games.
That's not a good excuse. If GOG started as a company to support keyboard & mouse games, it wouldn't be OK for them to remove controller functionality from games. If GOG started as a company to support NVIDIA powered games, it wouldn't be OK to remove ATI functionality.

I can understand them not adding Mac and Linux support for every game in their library, because that would require overcoming great technical hurdles and spending an extraordinary amount of their time. But this isn't a case of adding Linux functionality, it's a case of not removing Linux functionality.

This also isn't a case of support; I doubt GOG supports TrackIR, and yet they haven't removed its functionality from the GOG version of Sir, You Are Being Hunted (Also, incidentally a Linux game. Thankfully, I got it on Humble). If I asked GOG to resolve an issue with TrackIR for Sir, they would likely direct me to the Sir forum; because supporting fringe features is the developers responsibility, not GOGs.

Linux functionality is a feature Klei worked hard to add to Don't Starve, and GOG removed it from the game without good reason. To reiterate, GOG removed a major feature from the game, for no good reason. This is not OK, this is pretty outrageous.
Post edited May 01, 2014 by Nigholith
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Nigholith: This also isn't a case of support; I doubt GOG supports TrackIR
If they don't have an explicit notice saying they don't support it, they support it. That is what GOG does. They support their games to an extent that Steam and Humble don't. Direct support is extremely expensive for a company to provide and GOG's motivation is ensure direct support for everything they release. Due to the extreme variability in quality and availability of libraries on Linux, it certainly takes some effort to ensure a build works. I say this from experience. I've encountered plenty of broken Linux binaries on steam where I had to fix things in the command line. You shouldn't have to do that. GOG want's to ensure users don't have to do that. They've been hiring Linux support staff recently so things are changing.

To reiterate, there is a good reason they don't support Linux yet. It's basic economics, not feature removal. It's a tradeoff that you aren't happy with but you are entitled to go elsewhere. One thing I've learned through many years as a Linux user: Support from developers and publishers who release on Linux is hardly tangible anyway. It's tough being 1% of the OS install base. Many users can't/won't help you and there are plenty of publishers who just do it to cash in on a few extra users who are supposed to be technically inclined. If it doesn't show, the early 2000s were a rough time!

Its not like this is exclusive to GOG either. Before the days of digital distribution, plenty of games were sold this way. Linux versions, if they existed, were never included. Sometimes it was split even further depending on the market of the store. Its still that way in brick-and-mortar stores.
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Nigholith: ... Linux functionality is a feature Klei worked hard to add to Don't Starve, and GOG removed it ... This is not OK, this is pretty outrageous.
I understand you, it's pretty disappointing from your point of view. When the game was released, I thought about buying it somewhere else, as it was clear the Linux version will be missing. Eventually I decided to stick with GOG, because I love this place (and I keep at least one Windows system around anyway) and there were always the requests to expand Linux support, so there was still a chance they'll add it later. Probably that'll be the case this fall.

Long story short, that doesn't help you right now, so you've got only a few options:
- Refund the DLC
- Wait till fall
- Try running the Windows version on Linux (e.g. by using [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_(software)]Wine[/url])