I have been looking into Beamdog. The games activate on install and can then be run offline, similar to Steam. What I don't understand is this statement in their FAQ: What does date based expiry mean? I would assume you would still need to activate on install and they won't be around, or does this mean a backup would work on new computers forever?

I believe it's the same deal as GreenManGaming where the client will have to dial home at some point. There will be an unspecified time you can play games offline without net connection but eventually it will need one and if it can't you won't be able to access your games. If they go under they are saying that restriction will be removed. Like Steam, Beamdog will only install games to the directory the client is installed to. I have it installed on a secondary gaming drive and that's were all the games go. Just for the record I have about 6 games with them and have no problems to report with it so far.

Right, but what if you need to install a game again from scratch?

You can install Steam games where you want with a bit of trickery, but I get what you mean. Still, perhaps it shouldn't have the option to install the games elsewhere if no such option actually exists. It is still a flaw even if it's not much of one.

The game arrives pre-installed and ready to play there is no installer package to actually check for DRM. I would imagine you can simply make a back up of the install folder and the client will validate it. True it is sloppy to have an option like that in the settings but then it's Beta so you can expect things like this. I would imagine it was something they were working on and either forgot to remove the option or they are still working on it.

It's still beta? Well fair enough, but still, removing the option from view until they do something with it would be a good idea. People aren't always going to be understanding when they've just paid for something and feel jerked around. Which again is understandable.

I'm unsure if they simply can just remove it from a client based system like that. Probabably easier and safer for them to wait for a brand new client build which will either have a working option or remove it.

The closest I get to programming is xhtml with CSS and a tiny bit of javascript. But I wouldn't have thought it was too difficult to render an option invisible. But then that would depend on how that option is presented in the first place.

I know bugger all about programming. Just speculating based on my experience with Steam and GMG. They didn't really make changes just updated to new builds. I know Steam would sit there for months with broken features that were never disabled from view. The broken early offline mode for example.

I'm more inclined to chalk that up to Steam being Steam (as it was then) than complications regarding removing options from view. After all, don't forget that their client is updated all the time anyway. I think they kept offline mode as having it there meant the promise that they would fix it. Removing it could simply mean that it would never return.

After all, GOG removing several options pertaining to support at around the same time their support was dying on its arse did, and still does, make me wonder if we're ever going to see those options (or new and improved versions), make a return.

Then why do they bother providing the option to specify install directory and download directory? Not that important mind. As I said, I've had the client install to three different locations around the C drive (only once within it's own sub directory even).

Agreed. Although again it's notable that GOG got that wrong too. Coming out of beta doesn't usually mean replacing the stable tried and tested version with something completely new and clearly not very well tested at all. :P

Games companies do that all the time. They call them sequels.