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high rated
Hi everyone,

this is something of a rant. So if you do not want to read this, i fully understand ;)

The current way you are handling game patches for offline installers is getting really ridiculous.
This is now the second time I have personally encountered this, but I have read a couple of reports that this is not just affecting those games that i personally own.

The games I am talking about are Spellforce 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2

I bought Spellforce 3 on release here on GoG. I liked the demo, and was really looking forward to the game. I was aware that a new release would likely require a significant amount of patching, but I mistakenly assumed that GoG would handle that better.

To recap the situation: Even more than I personallythe game was patches very often. Often daily, sometimes even more than that.
The first problem with that: The first few patches were not available at all as offline versions. Just the installer was updated, and about 10GB had to be downloaded again.
Then, couple of days later, patches started to turn up, great. But now, everytime a new patch came, the old patch was deleted and the installer was updated. So if you missed just one patch, screw you, download the full installer again.
Then, as it is now, they decided to keep the last 5 patches or so, and that seems to be the situation now.

For Original Sin 2, it seems to be starting the same way. Not only is the installer 45GB in size and forces you to download and install both the "classic" version and the definitive version. But again a new patch was released, but just the installer was updated and no patch is provided. So, forcing a re-download of the whole thing.

This situation is absolutely untenable for users on a metered connection. And yes, those are way more common than they should be, even for wired connections. For people like me, with a slow connection the situation is only slightly better. I, for example, needed 2 days over the weekend to download the game. And I know a lot of people with slower connections than mine.

Oh, and by the way, if you use Galaxy the incremental patching works of course, downloading only about 400MB. Essentially making Galaxy essential for metered connections. "Optional" my ass...

I now have two suggetions, if not demands from GoG:
- Stop deleting old patches. If you are afraid of cluttering the library, move the old files to a separate area unter the "more" menu. Ideally also keep the original version of the game. That would allow to get to any ever released game version.
- Communicate your patching policy. If you cannot get separate offline patches, or if they are delayed, please say so.

This is not even talking about version numbers. Sorting those out and unifying those would be nice, but I don't expect this anymore ;)

In consequence, I will not buy new releases on GoG anymore, until this is handled better.
high rated
avatar
Ranayna: The current way you are handling game patches for offline installers is getting really ridiculous.
Yeah, it's really annoying. Would be nice to have a "patches" Tab in the game library with every version from relase to present day.
avatar
Ranayna: I now have two suggetions, if not demands from GoG:
- Stop deleting old patches. If you are afraid of cluttering the library, move the old files to a separate area unter the "more" menu. Ideally also keep the original version of the game. That would allow to get to any ever released game version.
- Communicate your patching policy. If you cannot get separate offline patches, or if they are delayed, please say so.

This is not even talking about version numbers. Sorting those out and unifying those would be nice, but I don't expect this anymore ;)
This, definitely this - let's hope GOG listens.
Good luck!
After my experience with this for Divinity: Original Sin 2 I've pretty much stopped buying any new releases from GOG until they've been out long enough that the patching situation is stable.
low rated
deleted
avatar
Ranayna: I now have two suggetions, if not demands from GoG:
- Stop deleting old patches. If you are afraid of cluttering the library, move the old files to a separate area unter the "more" menu. Ideally also keep the original version of the game. That would allow to get to any ever released game version.
- Communicate your patching policy. If you cannot get separate offline patches, or if they are delayed, please say so.

This is not even talking about version numbers. Sorting those out and unifying those would be nice, but I don't expect this anymore ;)

In consequence, I will not buy new releases on GoG anymore, until this is handled better.
Point 1 : offering a page with older patches (ie an archive page) -> that would solves the problem about the patches being deleted, plus i don't know but on some screens the UI isn't pretty : too many files are presented in the page.

I believe (iirc) it's possible to get an acces to older patches (if they didn't changed this), but you need to contact the support. Your solution would avoid this request, but they need to work on this.....

I always hated their behaviour with repackaging games so often (especially since the client exists), and looks like its getting worse : i guess the plan is to push further the client...

Point 2: they never communicated a lot abouh their patching policy : good luck

Having such difference of treatment between the client & offline installer isn't reasonable at all....about the bandwith usage for the customer.
Post edited September 04, 2018 by DyNaer
Largely it's up to the publisher/developer to sort this out.
high rated
Just don't buy games at day 1. They tend to be mostly bugs, hugely expensive, and most likely will have the other 70% of the game content released later on as dlc anyways. So just have some patience and come back in a year or so and then play it, that's what I do.
I went through exactly the same thing with No Man's Sky, and to a lesser extent with some other games.

You basically have two options:

1) Stop buying brand new games on GOG, and wait until the devs had at least a few months, perhaps better a year, to deliver patches.

2) Use Galaxy, their totally optional™ gaming client.

As for myself, GOG convinced me that a client software is needed for modern game releases, so now I buy most new games on Steam instead. Maybe they didn't quite think this through...

Currently, if you don't care to use Galaxy, GOG is only good for classic games and small Indie releases. Basically games which don't require further patches, or games which are so small that it's no big deal if you need to download them several times.
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Darvond: Largely it's up to the publisher/developer to sort this out.
Except not. Did you read his post? This isn't about missing patches on GOG ( which is yet another problem ), it's about the way GOG distributes and manages patches for customers who don't want to use the optional client.
Post edited September 04, 2018 by CharlesGrey
high rated
First OS problems...

We Linux and macOS peasants only very rarely are treated with patches. (Almost) every single time, even for the smallest of updates, it's download-the-full-installer-again time.
high rated
Seconding this so hard. I really want a patch archive with all patches available to download and with the original, unpatched versions of games. Update culture is out of hand. The newest version is not necessarily the best and our community here is the type that would enjoy the option of messing around with the older versions. I do not use Galaxy. For being optional, it sure seems to get preferential treatment.

I do not know if the current situation with offline patches is the fault of GOG or of developers. Certainly, if the patches are available, GOG does not need to be taking down the last one to replace it with the new one. But then again there are developers like Warhorse (Kingdom Come: Deliverance) who have advised users to update the game through Galaxy instead of using offline patches.
Damn it. I JUST got the game downloaded. Had to leave my laptop in town overnight because my home internet connection just isn't fast or stable enough. Haven't even gotten it installed yet.

Guess it's just not getting patched. 'cause I'm not downloading it again.
Besides of the problem OP mentioned, GOG often make their installers/patches undownloadable (403 or 404 Error).

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/gog_force_users_to_use_galaxy_with_broken_or_undownloadable_installers
avatar
Ranayna: Hi everyone,

this is something of a rant. So if you do not want to read this, i fully understand ;)

The current way you are handling game patches for offline installers is getting really ridiculous.
This is now the second time I have personally encountered this, but I have read a couple of reports that this is not just affecting those games that i personally own.

The games I am talking about are Spellforce 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2

I bought Spellforce 3 on release here on GoG. I liked the demo, and was really looking forward to the game. I was aware that a new release would likely require a significant amount of patching, but I mistakenly assumed that GoG would handle that better.

To recap the situation: Even more than I personallythe game was patches very often. Often daily, sometimes even more than that.
The first problem with that: The first few patches were not available at all as offline versions. Just the installer was updated, and about 10GB had to be downloaded again.
Then, couple of days later, patches started to turn up, great. But now, everytime a new patch came, the old patch was deleted and the installer was updated. So if you missed just one patch, screw you, download the full installer again.
Then, as it is now, they decided to keep the last 5 patches or so, and that seems to be the situation now.

For Original Sin 2, it seems to be starting the same way. Not only is the installer 45GB in size and forces you to download and install both the "classic" version and the definitive version. But again a new patch was released, but just the installer was updated and no patch is provided. So, forcing a re-download of the whole thing.

This situation is absolutely untenable for users on a metered connection. And yes, those are way more common than they should be, even for wired connections. For people like me, with a slow connection the situation is only slightly better. I, for example, needed 2 days over the weekend to download the game. And I know a lot of people with slower connections than mine.

Oh, and by the way, if you use Galaxy the incremental patching works of course, downloading only about 400MB. Essentially making Galaxy essential for metered connections. "Optional" my ass...

I now have two suggetions, if not demands from GoG:
- Stop deleting old patches. If you are afraid of cluttering the library, move the old files to a separate area unter the "more" menu. Ideally also keep the original version of the game. That would allow to get to any ever released game version.
- Communicate your patching policy. If you cannot get separate offline patches, or if they are delayed, please say so.

This is not even talking about version numbers. Sorting those out and unifying those would be nice, but I don't expect this anymore ;)

In consequence, I will not buy new releases on GoG anymore, until this is handled better.
GoG makes the patch installer for offline installers. They have to create them and then test them, plus doing this for many other games, cause the developers/publishers do not make the patch installers, so it takes some days for them to make the installers and test them. If a game developer is patching the game often like releasing a patch every day, then this could potentially delay GoG making patches cause they want to integrate the latest patch in the patch installer they are already making, basically starting over.

GoG Galaxy doesn't have this problem because it works a lot like Steam, the developers/publishers simply upload the changes/new build, and the automated system will take care of the rest, so it happens rather quickly.
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CharlesGrey: I went through exactly the same thing with No Man's Sky, and to a lesser extent with some other games.

You basically have two options:

1) Stop buying brand new games on GOG, and wait until the devs had at least a few months, perhaps better a year, to deliver patches.

2) Use Galaxy, their totally optional™ gaming client.

As for myself, GOG convinced me that a client software is needed for modern game releases, so now I buy most new games on Steam instead. Maybe they didn't quite think this through...

Currently, if you don't care to use Galaxy, GOG is only good for classic games and small Indie releases. Basically games which don't require further patches, or games which are so small that it's no big deal if you need to download them several times.
avatar
Darvond: Largely it's up to the publisher/developer to sort this out.
avatar
CharlesGrey: Except not. Did you read his post? This isn't about missing patches on GOG ( which is yet another problem ), it's about the way GOG distributes and manages patches for customers who don't want to use the optional client.
The optional client existing has absolutely no bearing on anything to do with what this thread is about. You are getting patches for games at the same rate you would have if GoG Galaxy did not exist. It takes time for GoG to build installers and test them.
Post edited September 04, 2018 by eisberg77