It is has been claimed by the developers that the GOG version would not have been possible to release simultaneously with Steam, so reasonably any backer who wouldn't care one bit about the delay can object to that decision. Let them patch the initial bugs while we finish whatever game we were in the process of playing currently.

Except, for backers like myself, you can't "hold on" to your pledge... we have no choice right now but to either pick Steam or some undisclosed/unproven DRM-free distribution method... After this, plus the DLC issue with The Bard's Tale IV, I've come to the conclusion, backing is not worth the early bird discount you get (and helping the devs)... with how fickle GOG is, you can't rely on "Includes Steam key or GOG key upon release" when you're backing

The point being that the developers forced us the choice over Steam or some alternative to GOG instead of asking if we would be willing to wait a little bit longer for the GOG version, so I see reason to blame GOG for this. My primary goal with getting a DRM-free version was never to get a buggy 1.0 version as soon as possible, but to make sure that decades from now the game can still be played by anyone possessing it just as long as they have a working computer setup and means to power it up.

Backing is never worth it for saving money, for that purpose I would just ignore the Kickstarter campaigns and buy the games from a sale after a few years.

I have been out of the loop on the Bard's Tale IV DLC issue, so is it some cosmetic crap needing a Paradox account like in BATTLETECH, some OP items that unbalance the game or actual expansion stuff not being offered to us in the future?

No... people who backed at what was essentially the "ultimate" version were given "standard" edition codes for GOG and Steam and all the DLC you have to hold on to some email with links to some third party site... total trainwreck... you were better off if you waited and bought the edition you wanted on GOG or Steam so you didn't have to go hunt down the DLC

As a backer I have no problem to wait for delayed GOG release, but I would strongly prefer GOG one to at least happen (even later).

Also the link on humble shows the UA platforms as "steam + win", no linux... if it will be released like that, then I'm again on the delay, even if humble will be used. (also I have zero experience with humble, so I have no idea what to expect there).

Luckily it's just a game, and actually it didn't turn out the way I expected, so I can wait a long time, I'm in no hurry to play this one (luckily sadly).

Because they don't have any agreement with GOG. No agreement = no guarantee that it happens at all. It likely will come to GOG at some point, but they want to offer DRM-Free on release, and that isn't going to happen with GOG. While you might be willing to wait for GOG, there will probably be some very vocal people who aren't willing to wait if there's no DRM-free option on release day.

its basically utterly amazing how GOG cannot say "Here is an open window to release your game". This isn't rocket science.

Dealing with GOG is basically on par with dealing with Walmart. And that says a lot.

But they can NOT. They have to support the game as well, so if it's below their own threshold ... they are "drm-free", not "support-free". Also they surely want to support galaxy, that means to repack the installers in different way, and test that... that can't happen in a minute, more probably needs hours or days. It's different concept than steam, where you basically upload binaries yourself (as developer).

Let's calm down for a bit and admit this had no simple solution, every party did need a bit different things (global release date *vs* installer which will be probably being patched until very last minute *vs* GOG QA/support/repack thing *vs* GOG needs who-knows-how-much-time to prepare release news/web/etc...). ... there's no sane way you can have everything.

Also it sounds like the negotiation is ongoing further, the game was not rejected like rejected, only the "15th Nov release must be" was rejected by GOG as non-negotiable. So it may still get to the GOG.

I'm here on GOG probably way too long, that I'm not surprised by slightest bit of this situation.

Also I'm pretty sure there was somewhere in ascendant forum some post earlier, how they imagine the GOG release, and I wrote them reply already there, that that's not how GOG works... (not that I know exactly how they work, and the particular problematic details were a bit different, but the end result from user point of view is same, GOG will take more time ... so let's hope it's not "never" time, then all is fine for me).

Just read this from a mod on their official forum... good to know at the very least

"One thing we want to remind you guys is that the game will be DRM-free on Steam too. I'm guessing that may simply not matter since some of you may not want to support Steam, but wanted to mention it in case it impacts your decision."

https://www.othersideentertainment.com/forum/index.php?topic=6148.0;prev_next=prev#new

Maybe thats a thing here. In my previous post I assumed the devs already where set to go by what ppl expect from a game on gog and gog denied them anyway.

But maybe its the devs who expected to drop steam keys on gog assuming they really think steam is drm free. Or maybe they knew the little differences and indeed gogs curation had added a contractual binding rule which requires the game to be kept up to date in its lifetime as long as it is kept up to date on other platforms and they did not signed that yet since it was not there the first time.

Maybe the curation is that weird bunch but maybe (just maybe) they occasionally prevent a next ...what was the steampunk goblin card games name again? Or that fantasy (RPG?) with these cartoonish animals instead of humans which was universally applauded on when it got removed because of their shoddy update policy?

But then again if that is the case they severely suck at communicating this.

GOG is doing a good job of convincing me that it is going down the drain. Look, I understand that companies must have some degree of caution - but you don't contest your 800lb competition by sitting meekly in the corner. GOG should be securing timed exclusive releases, headhunting decent kickstarters, commissioning games to draw attention away from Steam, recruiting developers, actually give a damn about their video section, and accumulate a variety of books and soundtracks (Tempest 2000, The Megas, ect), and so on.

To sum it up, GOG must create the Zeitgeist, not hope that it happens. You do that by promoting a "GOG" culture based on DRM-free and actual, for realsies, culture. Valve is gathering Steam, all the while GOG has been sucking its thumb and blankly staring at a wall while babbling "FCK DRM".

I am disappointed in GOG.

Big wins take big risks. Entrepreneurship 101

Methinks It's because G...OH...G is against the UNITY engine for some strange reason!

If that is what it is WTFBBQ Unity is now better then UNREAL engine SERIOUSLY...

How can one NOT like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUaNuDU4O6g

I was giggling like an Idiot when I saw this, This was very mentally arousing to me.