I bought Commandos with this promotion. One of my favorite games, back in the good old days. :)

GOG has a way of getting it's hand into my pocket. I already own Praetorians and the Ammo pack from a previous promo. I was more interested in Commandos 2+3 and Tropico than in the other three, but after doing some math, I end up saving $5.00 if I buy 2 games at 30% than if i buy all 5 at 50%, making each of the games I'm passing (Imperial Glory, Patrician 1+2 and Port Royale a "whopping" $1.67 each.
Please, a fast food lunch is more expensive than all three (four) games combined, plus, if I want to try out new genres, I might just fetch them when they're that low. I've only played demos of economic/strategy games before and found them intriguing, but not enough to push me over the counter with an open wallet and here I think is where GOG really wins in the long run, beacuse if they make a new fan out of an old genre, then all the better for them.
Won't download them in a while though, but judging from date differences, I think the playing order should be Patrician 1 + 2 first, then Port Royale (which looks more 3dish than Patrician) and Tropico last.
Anyway, Thanks GOG! I just filled a new lñine with five games on my virtual shelf.

In the end I skipped Sanitarium last week, I'll compensate by getting Port Royale this week. it's good that it's the one from Kalypso and not Strategy First.

Good deal although i have the games i want from the company already and i must admit i hate comandos i tend to die too quickly on those games.
Imperial glotry is a good game bit like empire total war lite.

Ouch. In your experience and judging from the titles of the genre I've just picked up, with which one should I start off? I don't want to get frustrated with the first and doom the rest from ever getting played. I just thought chronologically, the oldest would be the simplest or easiest to start with.

aw man i was excited to get tropico and commandos2+3 but then I realized they aren't 50% off on their own :( Guess I'll be waiting for a better sale.

They are cheap here, but like the civ games I only really need one of them to keep me happy. I just want whichever is the best of the series as I don't see myself needing play more then one. So if Tropico one is the best and the new 3d one was a poor remake I'll get it here but if like Civ4 torpico 3 adds alot of helpful features and just adds to the overall game over its predecessors I'd rather just play that. The problem is I don't have a clue and the reviews I have read don't make it entirely clear.
You still get 30% on idividual games which is a good deal anyway.

Man, another "up to..." sale?
I should really stop creamin' my pants when I see that number 50, it just leads to me getting Ackbar'd.

Of these games, I recommend you to start with Port Royale. It's much more user-friendly than the Patrician games, so it's very good to get someone into the genre.
When you feel you're successful with that, give Patrician 2 a shot. You can then decide if you prefer either setting better than the other, or play them simultaneously.
To be honest, I myself, being the economic management buff that I am, handle Patrician 1 as a fruitcake, and don't spend that much time with it. If it had proper documentation, I'd take it more seriously. Also, it's not played anything like the later games.

Thanks for the tip and I'll play them in that order.

eh not really, I've seen Tropico go for 4.99 on steam I believe (forgot to buy it) and I'm sure Commandos will go 50% off at some point.
5 bucks is my buy for sure price, 6 bucks is my "ehh I'll probably still do it" but 7 crosses the threshold into "I'll wait"

Of the three Patrician-games, the first one is my favourite. The other two are great in their own way, but the original is more streamlined. It's just about trading and politics, and once you get a rough idea of the lay of the land (what's produced where, basically) it's easier to just play and have fun. But there's a surprising amount of depth there as well.
The Patrician 4 was announced yesterday, BTW. Looking forward to seeing it.

Hmmm. What do you mean? I know a "real" Patrician 3 (which isn't a standalone expansion) was announced some time ago. Is this an other game?

Maybe. I mean this: http://www.patrician4.com/
Baltimore, MD, March 25, 2010 - Kalypso Media, a global publisher of award-winning PC and console games, today announced that Patrician IV, the sequel to the highly popular economic and trading series, is currently in development for PC DVD and is scheduled for an autumn 2010 release.
Originally released in 1992 for the Amiga and Atari ST, the Patrician brand has sold over 2 million units worldwide, and has earned the respect of strategy gamers the world over. Patrician IV will build upon the already solid reputation of its predecessors with a whole new art style combined with a redesigned and newcomer-friendly trading simulation engine.
In Patrician IV , the player takes on the role of a young merchant in the area of the Baltic and North Sea during the late Middle Age, the zenith of the Hanseatic League and its naval trading empire.
Starting from meagre beginnings as a small stall trader, players must use every skill at their disposal to rise through the merchant ranks and become the most powerful merchant in Europe. The authentic supply and demand-based trading system allows players to grow their business and head out to the high seas to form trading routes with other Hanseatic cities negotiating better prices for the buying and selling of goods.
Patrician IV is being developed by Gaming Minds Studios GmbH, a studio created with members of the original Patrician development team.
Features:
• Rise through the merchant ranks using your increasing fame and wealth to shape towns from small villages to glorious capitals during the middle ages
• Thrive based on your ability to prosper in a realistic supply and demand driven economy
• Balance competing interests, trade routes, political turmoil, disease, weather, piracy and greedy royalty to maximise your wealth reputation
• Construct buildings and hire workers, stimulating demand for common and more exotic goods
• Fortify your convoys to hold off pirate attacks or hunt them down in realistic sea battles
• Set up your trading routes along the Baltic and North Sea and visit bustling medieval cities such as London, Novgorod, Cologne and Bergen
• Compete against eight computer-controlled merchants to become the most famous leader of the Hanseatic League

I don't care if you call it Patrician 3 or Patrician 4. I'm just glad it's been announced.