mrkgnao: I don't think you understood me.

Here is an example:
- If you install "Beholder" via galaxy, the version that gets installed on your computer is version 1.6.0.12741 from September 2019.
- If you download the offline installer of "Beholder" from the browser and install it yourself, the version that gets installed on your computer is version 1.5.0.12682 from January 2019.

GOG never bothered to update the offline installer of "Beholder" since September 2019. This is not an isolated example.

Now, if you want to play the more up to date version of the game, your only option is to use galaxy. You can still play the game via the offline installer, but then you will be playing an outdated version. I don't call this "optional".

I don't think GOG did it because they are evil --- I believe they simply forgot (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanlon%27s_razor). But the fact remains that they care more about galaxy than about offline installers.

P.S. The "Beholder" example above is true for Windows and Mac. If you download the offline installer for Linux and install it, the version that gets installed on your computer is (the even older) version 1.5.0.10020 from July 2017.

P.P.S. BTW, if you always "download the whole game again instead of patches", some of your backups may be outdated. GOG occasionally adds a patch to a new version without updating the full installer and leaves it in this state for years on end. Just FYI.

Telika: When I really want a silent computer, I get one without fans and moving parts, not one that is promised to be very silent or which fan seldom turns on when it's new. It's the same issue that brings up the forumer who doesn't want to launch excel to make a simple calculation. I'm thinking of not using facebook as a text editor. Or not using Premiere/FinalCut to edit a sound. Automated updates, stats sent home, newsfeed, automated social logging, chatroom and multiplayer availability, achievements, background running, all nuisances that require turning off (I'm used, on other softs/systems, to have to turn back off what can be and what gets turned back on at new updates or changes of policies, it's very annoying), plus the very principle of game management, of gaming "client", that is the whole interface of presentation of game icons in an integrated launcher, is a thing I profoundly dislike (I launch my games like regular softs by clicking on regular icons in regular folders, it works well enough thank you). So, at the end, one big useless software, filled with annoying functionalities to keep checking and turning off, all this to use one basic function that used to be available independantly.

And there, the fact we go from "aaah baah galaxy is not truly obligatory if you accept the deliberately increased drawbacks of alternatives" to "hey maybe galaxy get a bit unavoidable but it's not that annoying anyway". And that's what I'm talking about. Galaxy imposed. Local culture making it something pointless to reject. It's exactly the norms set by Steam, now more and more fully embraced by GOG and its community. It's the sort of bullshit that many people came here to avoid, but now here is its home aswell. So.

Gogrepo works well enough (not well enough for, for instance, keeping only a subset of installers updated, but well enough globally). No need to witness anymore the trash that GOG has become, and the level of hypocrisy that runs through there. Those who complain for GOG to change its mind about gogdownloader are deluded (the point of GOG's choices is to have everybody use Galaxy, and that's it). Those who see no problem with that are those who fully integrated the norm of client interfaces. I haven't been posing to change anything. Just to point out the denial in the "GOG is all about freedom of choice" narrative, inherited from its different beginnings.

You can love or hate Galaxy. But claiming that GOG is honestly open to using or not using it is a shameful lie, maintained only by GOG PR and ridiculous fans. I won't be there to witness the next pointless microdrama, at the next pro-galaxy restriction, the next shift away from the original GOG, but I'm amused by the fact the same arguments will be used, splitting the so-called community between Steam-formatted gamers and yet another smaller subset of GOG nostalgics.

I have defended GOG earlier, claiming myself that Galaxy was no big deal because merely optional. And assuming, long ago, the good will of GOG's staff. It took a lot of time for me to progressively realise I was wrong. So I belong to this "fuck you guys" batch. Others belong to the next one. Others belonged to previous ones. An each time larger bewildered part belong to none. Enjoy, I guess.

Fairfox: how is it third party when its made by teh same people

Akka: First party => the consumer.
Second party => the game.
Third-party => anyone else.

Galaxy is a third party because it's neither the game nor the consumer.

happywinner: me too

Why GOG do so bad moves is beyond me, instead of adding even more options to manage and keep DRM free offline game installers - like for example create custom torrent client to ease GOG infrastructure, adding MOD workshop (not like that trash Steam one)...

So imagine you just click game name and then you can pick game version you like, to download
Example from real world is ROME 2 - many mods don't work with latest version, only with older version.

It is same as with Steam library in last months when they "discontinued" normal table view - what is most comfortable to filter stuff on desktop.

My point is they(GOG) became more and more like Steam and Origin (just store front pushing more sales) , they became less and less special (and valuable).

Give us GOG DOWNLOADER back.
happywinner: Yea they are loosing our trust by this :/

Give us GOG DOWNLOADER BACK.

mrkgnao: Apparently someone at GOG is reading this thread, because today they updated the offline installers for "Beholder" to match galaxy. Perhaps I should post more examples here...

Gersen: I would say it might be better, if you notice such misalignment, to open a support ticket to inform Gog about it rather than posting here.

abbayarra: I tried to download one of my games today and found the link is no longer there? Am I being forced to use 3rd party DRM that is galaxy now?

Akka: First party => the consumer.
Second party => the game.
Third-party => anyone else.

Galaxy is a third party because it's neither the game nor the consumer.

.Ra: You are saying its more like steam yet are asking for steam features like workshop...