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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 09, 2017
high rated
Now, I like Galaxy. I use it daily and happy with its direction.

However, offline installers should be offline installer. They should be a clear from bloat at possible.

Please guys, listen to your audience. Make it a Opt-In check box.

Galaxy is good and getting better. Client users will want to choose it because of that rather than it being snuck in.

I see Fables train of thought, but GoG users tend to more seasoned users and default Opt-In's tend to be used by underhanded businesses.
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
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fables22: As for the option being opted in as default - after careful consideration, we've decided to go with this because we believe that it's easier for an experienced user to uncheck the box than it would be for a new user to figure out how to turn the feature on.
This is utter nonsense. A "new user" too ignorant of how computers work to figure out the incredibly complex workings of a checkbox would be just as confused to see this new piece of software they didn't actually ask for installed on their computer. It's a shitty tactic to get Galaxy on more machines, plain and simple.

Not to mention, how did our hypothetical ultra-ignorant user even get their hands on an offline installer in the first place? They'd have do things much more complex than checking a box. If we're talking about someone who knows next to nothing about how to use a computer who was given an installer from someone else with instructions as to how to use it, that's a very small subset of people who wouldn't exactly be loyal to the GOG/Galaxy ecosystem anyway. Plus we're assuming they can't figure out a checkbox on their own but can use Galaxy?

This decision is asinine no matter how you look at it.

I've used Galaxy since the alpha and will continue to do so as long as it remains optional, but this is a really disappointing move. I have no problem with the option being there, but leave it unchecked.
Post edited May 09, 2017 by MrFortyFive
Posted May 09, 2017
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Bookwyrm627: What purely offline features does Galaxy offer? It can't update, buy new games, handle achievements, or do cloud saving without an internet connection. Each game installer already gives a little icon for starting the game, and a simple folder can keep all those icons in one place. I guess Galaxy could track how long a game has been played?

Also, adding it to each installer multiples the amount of data saved. I don't need 200+ instances of the Galaxy installer on my hard drive.
As I said it probably has to do with getting it set up for when you do connect online so it's ready to go... and Galaxy works fine offline as a game manager/ launcher. I personally would prefer that even offline to desktop shortcuts filling up my desktop. Also GOG is working to make achievements and play time work offline, so that will be do able in the future.

But as I said, I do think there is better ways to handle this without asking people store/download data they may not want or ever use. The concept here fine, but like GOG generally does execution and how they explain things is poor.
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
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fables22: Don’t fret, nothing’s changed with our approach to GOG Galaxy being optional, which is why you can easily uncheck the GOG Galaxy installation within the game installer settings.
Abort, abort!

I quite like Galaxy, but using a method almost universally regarded as malware (uncheck to "opt-out" of installing additional software) could be a mistake you never recover from. I love GOG and I don't want that to happen.

Having a way to download and install Galaxy from an installer is a good idea, even if it adds a bit overhead for a simple downloader. But this is not the way to offer it. Seriously, this practice is hated pretty much everywhere, not just on the GOG forum.

Please urge your fellow to at the very least postpone this update so that you can think it over some more.

PS: Thanks for letting us know ahead of time. Communication is always appreciated,
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
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animalmother2105: I am afraid, that we are such a small minority they will not notice. Although I understand it as a personal stance.
Have seen similar things happen elsewhere, there was the excitement at Shinyloot, then they started selling steam keys (at which point I stopped buying from them) and that was the end of that.
What they don't realise however is that the new customer base will come here, demand all the steam like things, then realise there is nothing worth buying, its unfinished, or just dropped by the dev, and go back to Steam.
Still, I have several lifetimes of backlog, so just saving me money.
Posted May 09, 2017
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mechmouse: However, offline installers should be offline installer. They should be a clear from bloat at possible.

Please guys, listen to your audience. Make it a Opt-In check box.
While I agree that offline installers should be bloat free, I can guarantee that nothing will change as GOG community is least of GOG's priority and it will be implemented anyway.
Posted May 09, 2017
I take it back, this is WAAAAY worse then when they introduced signatures. :P
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
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mechmouse: However, offline installers should be offline installer. They should be a clear from bloat at possible.

Please guys, listen to your audience. Make it a Opt-In check box.
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amrit9037: While I agree that offline installers should be bloat free, I can guarantee that nothing will change as GOG community is least of GOG's priority and it will be implemented anyway.
I don't know. When GoG implemented password protecting offline installers the large amount of negative feedback got them to reverse course pretty quickly. I'm hoping it happens again.
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
Don't forget to include test versions of McAfee's complete product catalog. Man, business ethics have really gone downhill here.
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
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BKGaming: Galaxy is around 100 -150 MB and with compression may even end up being a lot smaller in the installer. In the grand scheme of things it's not a lot of data.
If you have nearly 1000 games, that will add up to quite a lot of wasted space on your backup drive when all installers have been updated.
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
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MrFortyFive: This is utter nonsense. A "new user" so ignorant of how computers work to figure out the incredibly complex workings of a checkbox would be just as confused to see this new piece of software they didn't actually ask for installed on their computer. It's a shitty tactic to get Galaxy on more machines, plain and simple.
I actually hate this excuse of "it's for people who don't know how to use computers." The fact that they were able to use a web browser to download a client and successfully install it is pretty much all what such a user needs to go anywhere. To pretend that this task is *very difficult* to them and use that as an excuse to strip the power users of what they already can do, is a bit asinine.

All this "we're babying this for the user" is just going to backfire horribly not on just GOG, but anyone who attempts it.
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
Are you kidding me?
Listen to your customers and stop with these shenanigans.
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
As someone who has Galaxy installed, and has used it since Beta, this is a horrible move. GoG is so well respected because it allows its customers to just download their games. Integrating Galaxy with game downloads goes against the reason why so many people have even come to GoG in the first place. Heck, I have dozens of Steam and Origin games that I repurchased on GoG because they're DRM free. In fact just before seeing this I was planning to buy Dragon Age and a few more games so I can have DRM free versions, but now I'm not so sure anymore.
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
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BKGaming: Galaxy is around 100 -150 MB and with compression may even end up being a lot smaller in the installer. In the grand scheme of things it's not a lot of data.
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zx1976: If you have nearly 1000 games, that will add up to quite a lot of wasted space on your backup drive when all installers have been updated.
That's only 100 gigs of wasted space. O_o

Yikes, and people thought Dosbox with every install was bad...
Post edited May 09, 2017 by tremere110
Posted May 09, 2017
high rated
I don't like this GOG, please don't do this.
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Community
General discussionOffline installers with an option to install GOG Galaxy(1687 posts)(1687 posts)
(1687 posts)