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General discussionOffline installers with an option to install GOG Galaxy(1687 posts)(1687 posts)
(1687 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted July 06, 2017
low rated
Thanks for bearing with us in this thread. We’d like to announce that today we’ve introduced the addition of new installers, with implemented GOG Galaxy client.

Like Destro described it back in May, we decided to separate the „new" and „classic” installers, for your choice. So if you don’t care about the features like achievements or cloud-saves and don’t want to use GOG Galaxy, you can download the „Classic Game Installer", just like it was handled before. For games that have new installers, the default download view on „My account” will show the "GOG Galaxy Game Installers" - you will notice that, as it is visibly described in „My account” game view. To download the „classic” ones, just go to „Options" and choose „Classic Installers”.

The new GOG Galaxy Game Installers were added to +100 games - a selection of all games that make use of GOG Galaxy features. I'll post the current list of games with the new installers in a separate post.
Going forward, all new games that will use GOG Galaxy features, will now receive both GOG Galaxy Game Installer and Classic Game Installer.

Introduction of GOG Galaxy Game Installers doesn’t change anything in terms of keeping the Classic Game Installers up to date. As soon as we receive an update for any game, we will prepare an updated version of the classic installer, just like it was done in the past.

Edit: Pinned.
Post edited July 06, 2017 by fables22
Posted May 13, 2017
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richlind33: Their "original plan" is just a workaround for a badly designed website that isn't user-friendly for people accustomed to Steam.
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Djaron: which implies to find/think steam website and client being user-friendly... which is not quite true afaic, to begin with :)
It's true in one and one way only: auto-updates are easier than manual updates.
Posted May 13, 2017
high rated
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gloombandit: Same here.

Off-line installers must remain, regularly patched, and no client.

Anything else, then no further purchases here.
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Breja: This. The line must be drawn here. This far, no further.
I'm glad we're all on the same page here. Gives me hope for the next time GOG will pull this kind of stunt.
Posted May 13, 2017
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MajicMan: I always used GOG because it was DRM free. I don't have, and never will have a Steam account. I never buy from ther Humble store because almost all the games require Steam, GOG was the one place I could go and buy games, make backups and deal in an honest and direct manner. That is no longer the case.

When I tried to use Galaxy and install it, it failed four times to launch despite being installed and reinstalled four times, so now I guess I am screwed at downloading the rest of my library and no longer have any reason to purchase games from GOG.

Now that GOG has decided to go complete DRM BS on customers, tell me again why, or give me just one good reason why, I shouldn't just rip off The Witcher III DRM-free pre-galaxy copy from the internet?

And GOG can no longer claim because they are a good company that supports DRM-free practices or because the company and its people deserve to be treated fairly after this bait-and-switch shit.
Have you seen this post? Your Witcher III pre-galaxy copy will still be available on GOG. And two good reasons not to to get the Witcher 3 from some shady site would be that it sends the wrong signal to the game industry and that the game likely contains some nasty virus.
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Destro: Thank you all for your posts in this topic, especially for all the constructive feedback. We posted on the forums expecting that many of you will be vocal about this. We want to assure you, that we always read your feedback and discuss it internally, even if we don’t always agree with some of it. You are vocal, so it means you care about GOG.com and we really do appreciate it.

Games have changed a lot in the past years and new titles made achievements, cloud saves and other online features become a standard rather than an extra. Sure, some do not care about these functionalities and we understand it. Having said that, we believe that if we offer games with these features advertised to the general public, then the default installation flow is expected to result in a game with these features working out of the box. This is our reasoning for including the option to install GOG Galaxy during the game installation, and we do stand by it.

Yes, there are things which we can do better - there always are. Reading your feedback and giving it a second thought, we decided on the following:
1. We clearly noticed - yes, we did - that many of you prefer the old installers (let’s call them “classic”) and prefer to manage their growing libraries manually. Therefore, once we roll out “new” installers with the option to install GOG Galaxy, we will add a separate download of the “classic” ones. Going forward we will offer the option to download “classic” installers whenever a game is offered via a “new” installer.
2. As mentioned earlier, we will work on making the GOG Galaxy installer smaller, but at the cost of it being online only.
3. We will launch the new installers in a couple of weeks once point 1 is ready. Point 2 might take a bit longer, but with the “classic” installer option available, this should not affect anyone.

One more thing to keep in mind: everyday we fight to make more great titles available to you, DRM-free. To release many of them we must support their online features, while at the same time developers request ways to automate upload and updating games. Without GOG Galaxy we couldn't offer many of the games we offer today at all, even if you don’t use GOG Galaxy to play or update them.

Once again thank you for your feedback. We hope the above answers your concerns.
Posted May 13, 2017
high rated
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Destro: Games have changed a lot in the past years and new titles made achievements, cloud saves and other online features become a standard rather than an extra. Sure, some do not care about these functionalities and we understand it. Having said that, we believe that if we offer games with these features advertised to the general public, then the default installation flow is expected to result in a game with these features working out of the box. This is our reasoning for including the option to install GOG Galaxy during the game installation, and we do stand by it.
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real.geizterfahr: You guys are thinking too complicated...

Just rename the big, blue "TRY GOG GALAXY" button to "install with Galaxy" or something like that. Clicking the link starts Galaxy (or its installation) and the game's installation, just as GOG Downloader links start the downloader and the download. Problem solved. If you're THAT afraid that people could miss the big button and hit the small text link to the classic installer instead, just hide the classic installers where you're hiding the GOG Downloader links already ;) Make it a link of the "MORE" dropdown menu. This should be enough to make sure that no one accidentally installs the "wrong" version of a game. You could even add a warning when people hit the classic installer link. Something like a pop up telling you that offline installers come without achievements, cloud saves or multiplayer, unless you add the game to Galaxy.

This way you'll save yourself the work to keep two separate installers updated.
Exactly! Wonderfully simple idea. No need for an "installation flow" as Destro claimed, and certainly not additional game installers bundled with Galaxy for each operating system (for Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.).

Just use a link to goggalaxy://address/to/whatever/game for the "Install using Galaxy" button. Don't even have to change the layout of the page. No extra "choices" and nothing extra to understand. The page would of course check for whether the Galaxy is installed, and if not installed the link would be to the Galaxy webpage. Isn't that what Apple does with iTunes across platforms?
Post edited May 13, 2017 by thomq
Posted May 13, 2017
high rated
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ValamirCleaver: If GOG seriously & honestly wants to regain my trust they need to stop being so sneaky about things like this. The initial announcement made 4 days ago wasn't publically announced as a headline link posted on the frontpage, it was hidden within the regular forum. The list of the initial 102 games in the announcement thread isn't even directly hosted on GOG's website, it's hosted on Google Docs.

If GOG seriously & honestly wants to regain my trust they need to make a public announcement as a headline link posted on the frontpage that Galaxy will not be included in any of the offline installers offered by GOG. Anything short of that too easily allows GOG to quietly discontiue offering Galaxy free offline installers once they think this current uproar & furor has died down.
Seeing how news is usually transmitted to us by GOG we're lucky we were informed at all. I feel it's wrong and disrespectful of them to keep doing things this way but maybe with some tough love they'll learn eventually.
Posted May 13, 2017
high rated
There are many good recommends in this thread,
and GOG choose the WORST solution (maintain two sets of installers for each game).

GOG have had a bad history to sync/update those offline installers.
Wrong checksum, wrong filename, wrong versioning, wrong UI language, wrong changelog.
Those problems occurred even in recent updates.

I DO NOT TRUST that GOG can handle two different systems for offline installer.
Posted May 13, 2017
high rated
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Destro: Games have changed a lot in the past years and new titles made achievements, cloud saves and other online features become a standard rather than an extra. Sure, some do not care about these functionalities and we understand it. Having said that, we believe that if we offer games with these features advertised to the general public, then the default installation flow is expected to result in a game with these features working out of the box. This is our reasoning for including the option to install GOG Galaxy during the game installation, and we do stand by it.
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real.geizterfahr: You guys are thinking too complicated...

Just rename the big, blue "TRY GOG GALAXY" button to "install with Galaxy" or something like that. Clicking the link starts Galaxy (or its installation) and the game's installation, just as GOG Downloader links start the downloader and the download. Problem solved. If you're THAT afraid that people could miss the big button and hit the small text link to the classic installer instead, just hide the classic installers where you're hiding the GOG Downloader links already ;) Make it a link of the "MORE" dropdown menu. This should be enough to make sure that no one accidentally installs the "wrong" version of a game. You could even add a warning when people hit the classic installer link. Something like a pop up telling you that offline installers come without achievements, cloud saves or multiplayer, unless you add the game to Galaxy.

This way you'll save yourself the work to keep two separate installers updated.
I think your first idea is very good because "Try GOG Galaxy" doesn't tell you anything and does not spark interest in Galaxy.
However, you shouldn't give GOG the impression that we would like the classic installers to be hidden that way and to be pestered with a warning like this. Especially not since that's where the GoG Downloader links are which are unsupported and there isn't even a link to the Downloader to be found if you don't already know it.
People would have been extremely angry if GOG had announced what you suggested. Our response surely would not have been better.

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thomq: The page would of course check for whether the Galaxy is installed, and if not installed the link would be to the Galaxy webpage. Isn't that what Apple does with iTunes across platforms?
Great to know that that seems to be feasible.
Post edited May 13, 2017 by 0Grapher
Posted May 13, 2017
high rated
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kbnrylaec: There are many good recommends in this thread,
and GOG choose the WORST solution (maintain two sets of installers for each game).
Depends on what the plan is.
If the plan is to slowly phase out the offline installers while keeping the shitstorm down, their solution is the logical one.
It's either incompetent or devious, pick one.
Posted May 13, 2017
high rated
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kbnrylaec: There are many good recommends in this thread,
and GOG choose the WORST solution (maintain two sets of installers for each game).
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Klumpen0815: Depends on what the plan is.
If the plan is to slowly phase out the offline installers while keeping the shitstorm down, their solution is the logical one.
It's either incompetent or devious, pick one.
How about incompetent at being devious? Ineptly malicious? Badly evil?
Posted May 13, 2017
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kbnrylaec: There are many good recommends in this thread,
and GOG choose the WORST solution (maintain two sets of installers for each game).
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Klumpen0815: Depends on what the plan is.
If the plan is to slowly phase out the offline installers while keeping the shitstorm down, their solution is the logical one.
It's either incompetent or devious, pick one.
I guess for now we can go with Hanlon's razor - "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity", although in this case I can't not be suspicious.
Posted May 13, 2017
As long as I can keep downloading the updated standalone offline installers it will be fine for me.
Posted May 13, 2017
high rated
This news is slightly menacing. It's definitely a shift of priority from customer interests to corporate ones. Needless to say I do not support bundling anything not related to a game data into a game installer. My 5 cents to this thread.
Posted May 13, 2017
low rated
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sunshinecorp: I don't understand this solution. It makes no sense. Why have two separate installers, one bundled with Galaxy, SOMETHING EVEN MORE CONFUSING TO THE USER, and more work for you to keep them both updated, and not just let the Galaxy users just download a standalone Galaxy (as it is now).

Is it because of the shame of admitting it was a bad idea in the first place? Can't think of any other reason, honestly.

New Coke vs Classic Coca Cola
Got to keep the happy few over entitled happy.
Posted May 13, 2017
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Caesar.: As long as I can keep downloading the updated standalone offline installers - without them making it such a pain in the neck that we're essentially driven like cattle to Galaxy - it will be fine for me.
Amended.

Though I really do see a future where some games require the client even for single-player. That's partly up to the developers themselves.
Posted May 13, 2017
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0Grapher: However, you shouldn't give GOG the impression that we would like the classic installers to be hidden that way and to be pestered with a warning like this.
I don't want to give GOG any impression. I just want to let them know that there are easy ways to keep the installers Galaxy-free.

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0Grapher: People would have been extremely angry if GOG had announced what you suggested. Our response surely would not have been better.
If it makes you (not "people") angry when a link moves from one place to another (1 additional click), you have other problems than GOG Galaxy. Sorry :(
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionOffline installers with an option to install GOG Galaxy(1687 posts)(1687 posts)
(1687 posts)