Well that kinda sucks. I might be a weird-o but I like to keep all of my purchased games saved on external HDD. Downloader made it a lot easier for me to start the download wit one click. Although DLC usually required a seperet download... but it is what it is I guess :/

I think you mistook what I said.....I meant that I thought MS's OS could be keeping the GOG made temp folders from deleting for some reason....just me musing, is all, on why it happens.

These are all very good qualities to have, imo.

(Aside: As for people calling the community toxic....the "odd" thing i've noted is that the a good number of the ones who often say that make the community worse while trying to make it better.....ironic, isn't it?)

I've never used GOG Galaxy for downloading and obviously I'm blind it seems. For one, I was wrong about it being the same interface as the web downloader, since there is only a single click required much like the GOG downloader (same goes for XCOM2).

I just had the web downloader fail with Stellaris so thought this would be a good chance to test it. First of all, the settings are all under "Downloads" under GOG galaxy settings.

So the bandwidth controls are there, and it seems I can specify the old GOG downloader directory using "Other downloads folder". So far it has created a folder under Stellaris called !TEMP, so this is looking quite positive if it will use the same directory structure as the GOG downloader.

I still prefer the simplicity of the GOG downloader (GOG galaxy takes a long time to start for some reason), but this does look positive (waiting for download to finish to confirm that it respects the directory structure).

Many thanks for your help!

There is.

More -> Backups & Goodies

Thanks for your efforts (screenshots and all), but it came a little late as I was made aware of this by darkangelz in the post directly above you. :)

Back to that download of Stellaris:
GOG Galaxy doesn't quite honour the same directory structure as the GOG downloader, but I actually didn't like that there were separate directories for each DLC using GOG downloader, rather than just placing them in the same directory. Since GOG Galaxy puts them all in the same folder, I would say this is a plus in it's favour.

Apart from the time taken to start up GOG Galaxy, I like it now that I know how to use it. It really isn't too different if I use the application instead of their website (though I did like being able to open folders directly from the downloads in GOG Downloader).

I'm very much Anti-DRM and against forced clients, but both GOG downloader and GOG galaxy still required an initial login in order to work, so they aren't all that much different. I still have to admit that I prefer offline achievements (ie viewing the achievements in game, though not many do this, Space Rangers HD though is an example I can remember), though if they can do something about how slow the program is to start up, and not starting GOG Galaxy first before launching a game that would be appreciated on my end.

This is a BAD decision.

I (and most people here I presume) have several hundreds of games in the library. And I keep latest offline copies of my games (which WAS one of the major advantages of GOG platform compared to others). Which means very frequent new downloads for my game installers whenever a new update is released.

With GOG Downloader I could just go to my library, click on the updated game from the list, and download the installers with one click and with few more clicks create long que for download of ALL updated game installers, which are then automatically downloaded one after other.

This is not possible with web-browser, where you have to manually download EACH single file of the installer - NO single click download for a complete game, NO creating of ques. Impossible to conveniently download huge games such as Kingdom Come or Witcher 3.

And then there is the "optional" Galaxy client, which huge compared to the small Downloader, bad for having at "non-home" computers. It is a good alternative for library/management purposes, but doesn't offer the convinence and simplicity of the Downloader (different directory structure etc.). Galaxy client is then not as optional as the devs said it was if I want to do what was able to do without using it. Making it one step closer to Steam client (i.e. mandatory). Which means in future users can/will be manipulated by it because there is no way of not using it if you want convenience

I can't imagine GOG going bankrupt or taking huge losses just for appointing 1-2 people to keep the tool running and updated.

I really was hoping that saying goodbye to the GOG Downloader was just fake news.:(
It was so fast and easy to use.

Regarding the slow program start, i think that is connected to large installed libraries, and/or HDD vs SSD computers. On my old computer, it could take almost 5 minutes for galaxy to fully launch, but now its done in less than a minute.
On the other point, galaxy will launch first if the shortcut is linked to galaxy and not directly to the game .exe. I know some games create that kind of shortcut by defauilt during installation (witcher 3 did for example), but you dont have to use it and can create a new shortcut for the proper .exe skipping galaxy. The shortcut is also sometimes created if you update the game using galaxy (Astrox and Tales of Maj'yeal that i remember).

No GoG-Downloader, no purchases!
I don´t want use Galaxy, and i don´t load 40+GB via Browser.
So no more purchases here until Downloader is aviable again ...

Fully support you, but that is probably not happening. Your best bet to avoid Galaxy is to use gogrepo until GOG decides to intentionally disable that too for made up security reasons or just good news™. Good luck. Cheers

Note that I am replying to you with the below posts, but this post also applies to others as well so some of it may be directed at more than just yourself....that said:
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Well it's made already, so sadly everyone(including you) needs to move on and either find another method or buy elsewhere....not a good position to be in for some, but that's how it is.

One can/could(and should.....if they have a good connection/time/etc) always just DL them as they come(as they don't usually all come at once)

Also no one forced anyone here to buy so many games(sounds uncaring but i'm just trying to state the truth of the matter).

There are a few other methods available atm listed in this very thread, and likely others here and there....and enterprising users will likely(hopefully) make new ones as time goes on.

That said, the browser DLs help some who dislike galaxy have another method to DL without using it.

Galaxy is still optional(and will remain as such) as long as browser DLs and other alternative methods are a thing.

Gog makes very slim profits(most extra money comes from CDP/CDPR)......so i'd rather they focus on needed/essential things(and I don't see this as one of them, sorry to all who read this) than extras that a few people want/ask for.

What do you gain out of saying this? For that matter, wouldn't it be more productive for you to just "move on" from the discussion? Obviously this is an aggravating enough decision by GOG that users are taking time to get over it, if they even will get over it. Please stop trying to invalidate that position.

You can't just "DL them as they come". Games are frequently missing update flags, and the ones that do get update flags seem to signify that GALAXY has the updated version, while the "offline backup installer" is likely still out of date. The way to know that it is actually updated? We have to check a user-generated list here, or use a third-party tool. I know I know..."be grateful you at least have that option"...please spare me lol.

Ultimately we can only speculate at GOG's motives but surely GOG doesn't want people buying less games...even us second-class non-Galaxy customers.

You can't guarantee that. I don't believe you, and at this point I'm afraid to say I certainly don't believe staff. Did you happen to catch Ashleee's posts in either this topic or the "We do not want to say goodbye" GOG Downloader topic? Staff stated that offline installers will remain available, but did NOT specifically state themselves that browser and third party tools would remain available to download them. This gives GOG the potential "out" to put everything through Galaxy by saying well, you have to use Galaxy to download the installers, but then you can log out and play without Galaxy (not that they would encourage this, mind you). I asked for clarification to those staff responses and of course none was forthcoming, which reduces my confidence in what they're doing even more.

Explain how getting rid of Downloader is "essential". Might as well go for Strike 3 since staff already had 2 swings and a miss as far as I'm concerned. It was still working fine. In fact, if other users posts are accurate, it was even working AFTER GOG went out of their way to hide the links to it, and working for yesterday's new release, at that! GOG's use of resources is simply questionable from a customer point of view. Customers used this tool, it benefited them, now it's gone with nothing replacing it. Oh but GOG did take time to quickly stop the user workaround I allude to above, so that now Downloader links are not accessible at all, beyond just being hidden.

P.S. if customers are saying they are reducing or even ceasing their purchasing due to GOG's anti-consumer decision of getting rid of Downloader, that means GOG is risking a negative affect on those "very slim profits". Do the math. No users, at least visibly, are coming out and saying now they want to increase buying as a result of Downloader being axed. At least when they bundled Galaxy with the installers, people could make an argument that they were appealing to a new audience which would offset old customers that stopped buying as a result. Getting rid of Downloader does not appeal to a new audience, while antagonizing a portion of the existing audience.

P.S.S. If we're so concerned about their financials, then let's advocate dumping the DRMed suspected money-loser Gwent.
Lol. Good luck. They haven't been treated equally at any point in my time here. I've learned to live with it, while continuing to voice my frustration.

I would argue that developing galaxy costs a pretty penny, so personally I would rather they focus on something else than wasting time on galaxy.