Then don't make the files PDF? XPS is fully supported by Vista, 7 and 8 out of the box without the need to install any prerequisites.

You missed the point by provind an argument that has no basis whatsoever because GOG never uses obscure formats for avatars

also, PDF is not obscure format as well.

Your argument is invalid.
You got to be fucking kidding me...


No, no, this conversations stars to be riddiculous, I'm out. For good.

Whatever turns you on. :p

Um, that was written because you said you're fine with the practice and to highlight why I don't like those practices? Nowhere did I claim that's what GOG was doing? and that means something is invalid how?

Well, I don't know about this version of Foxit, but the stand-alone one I used to download long ago came with tool-bars and other junk like that...if this one comes with that aswell, I'm highly against it (anyone know if this is the case?).

Don't think so, probably a more barebones version. Then again I didn't leave it installed long.

Good idea....+1. Someone should make a wishlist item for GOG to either uncheck the PDF install option on their installers by default(Possibly along with a prompt asking people if they want to install the additional software during the install/etc.), and/or to offer XPS manuals for people who don't want to use PDF manuals.

Ah! So Foxit will read all my pdfs for me? That's great news, I hate reading manuals! ;)

You can't keep up your resistance forever!

So Steam really needs to install the same DX/etc files over and over again each time someone installs a game?

Oh, not at all. The reason why Steam starts up these installations is because the game developers tell it too. I've not released a game on Steam, but I imagine that game devs have the freedom to state which requirements their game has, provide the requirements, and tell Steam what to do with those requirements.

When it comes to .NET, developers can check (by querying the Registry for the appropriate keys) which profile the users have installed. If they have different profile (Client, Standard, Multitargeting) or no .NET installation at all (on XP systems), then they can initiate the installation of the needed profile.

When it comes to Visual C++ and similar redistributable files, developers can do the check again, but it is best to install the appropriate ones for the games in question, due to compatibility reasons and because the users' systems may have leftovers of previous installations that may have been detected incorrectly.

When it comes to the optional DirectX files, developers must install the files regardless of whether the users already have some of them (because a user could accidently delete an 'older' version of those files that the games need and then the games would crash).

Lets take an example, Inno Setup and Legend of Grimrock:

Exec(ExpandConstant('{tmp}\DXSETUP.exe'), '/silent', '', SW_SHOW, ewWaitUntilTerminated, ResultCode);
Exec(ExpandConstant('{tmp}\vcredist_x86.exe'), '/q /norestart', '', SW_SHOW, ewWaitUntilTerminated, ResultCode);

These two lines tell Inno Setup to install the required files without bothering the users. Now, apparently, most developers on Steam do not use the /silent and /q parameters, so that is why you constantly see DirectX / Visual C++ / whatever installations popping up (when instead they should be done in the background).

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As a developer you always make compromises, and it is always better to properly check and install the prerequisites, than to leave that to the customers who will come bashing you if the game does not work because you decided not to install the prerequisites.

Kind of. About halfway through DirectX 9's life cycle Microsoft decided to change a particular component of DirectX, called D3DX, into an external dependency and update it every 2 months. You need to have the exact same release of D3DX as the developer had when the game was built or your game won't run. So you actually do need to install DirectX again most times you install a new game.

I'm not sure if they're still doing that. I haven't used DirectX in a while.