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General discussion (archive)The Witcher 2 GoG version(393 posts)(393 posts)
(393 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 06, 2011
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Scorpionscythe: No mean to offend if I did. I actually really appreciate that you are on the forums working as a go between. If not the PR guy though, what would your title be?
Technically? "Head of PR and Marketing." :P
Posted May 06, 2011
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TheEnigmaticT: I'd like to think of myself as more than just a "PR Guy".
I would too. Community manager, in part at least, seems apt. Very important position.
Posted May 06, 2011
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DarrkPhoenix: If you have access to more information, could you clarify a few things for me about the patching and DLC systems?

1 Does the serial key simply need to be entered into the game launcher to be checked only upon patching, or does it need to be associated with a created account?

2 If there's an account that needs to be created is DLC then associated specifically with this account? And if so does it only need to be checked against the account upon initial installation, or does it try to check on a more frequent basis (like the Dragon Age DLC)?

3 Regardless of whether it's a serial or a registered account that needs to be associated with an installation, are there any additional limitations that could result in the game refusing to patch? (e.g. is there any association with hardware configuration, such that changing hardware or installing and updating the game on a new machine could cause issues)

4 If the serial registration process requires the serial to be tied to a created account, what besides the serial will be associate with this account? Will DLC need to be associated with this account? Are there plans to have future CDP games associated to the account (similar to what Bioware's done)?

5 Are there any plans to release patches in a standalone form sometime in the future? Or update the GOG installer to include patches?

Just to be clear, I'm not trying to get involved in all the pedantry about whether or not this is DRM, I'm just hoping for a bit of clarification on what precisely I'll be dealing with when I buy the game, and any additional information you can provide would be appreciated.
I have answers to all of these fresh from CDP RED, now, finally, and have triumphed in my efforts to persuade the Powers That Be to change their minds!

Please bear in mind that all of my answers only necessarily apply to GOG.com's version. I have exactly 0 idea what happens when you add SecureROM in the mix.

1. The serial key is associated with an account on thewitcher.com. However, the serial key is entered once and checked only when you connect to the servers to patch or otherwise download new DLC. If you don't connect to the server, it won't check for the serial code. If the servers have been destroyed by an attack of pudding, you will experience no side effects except, perhaps, the inability to patch the game at that precise instant. And maybe a fear of pudding.

2. The DLC is not associated with any account. It's associated with a promotional code and a serial number, but is only checked the once upon download and is not checked again.

3. There is no association with hardware, or software, or desktop wallpaper or any of that. You're entering a serial code when you connect from the launcher to the servers for a patch or for DLC is to make sure that we're not hosting patches on our high-speed CDN for pirates to download at our expense.

4. Currently, there are no such plans.

5. There are not currently any plans to release the patches as a standalone. BUT! We will, once the game has matured some and is not being updated frequently, make a new master build on GOG.com which will, of course, require no serial key or activation to install or play. How long will that be? I don't know.

There's been some talk in this thread about whether using the launcher to deliver patches is a form of DRM (well, maybe more than just "some"). Let's talk about what DRM is. It's defined my Merriam-Websiter as :"Any technology used to limit the use of software, music, movies, or other digital data." GOG.com's version doesn't limit your use in any way. Want to install your game on a dozen computers? Feel free. Have the burning urge to make six backup copies of the game and squirrel them around your house on removable media? Go right ahead. Want to install the patch on every computer in your school's computer lab? We aren't stopping you.

My understanding of things is that the files that are going to be used by the launcher to patch the game aren't executables. CD Projekt aren't offering them separate from the launcher because the average Joe wouldn't know what to do with them. CD Projekt requires a serial code in order to download the patch because, frankly, hosting patching files isn't cheap and they don't want the pirates to bogart all our bandwith. And yeah, I imagine that they want to make the pirates work a little harder for the patches than they may have otherwise. Once you've procured the files, though, they're yours to use as you'd like, just like the rest of the game.

It seems to me that the issue with patching is not an issue with DRM; rather, it's an issue with content delivery. GOG.com provides the game without DRM to everyone. Once we've given you that, it's out of our hands how the rest of the games' content is delivered.

Of course you're welcome to disagree with me on my views of whether this is DRM of some sort or not. You're even welcome to decide that the way that CD Projekt patches games is unpleasant to you and you'd rather not buy the game from us. GOG.com remains convinced that our offer for The Witcher 2 is the best one on the Internet, and we stand by our "100% DRM-Free" promise for this--and every other one--of the games that we sell.
Posted May 06, 2011
Personally, I'm satisfied with these answers.
Post edited May 06, 2011 by NightK
Posted May 06, 2011
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TheEnigmaticT: We will, once the game has matured some and is not being updated frequently, make a new master build on GOG.com which will, of course, require no serial key or activation to install or play. How long will that be? I don't know.
That bit right there definitely deserves a thumbs up. Thank You T.
Posted May 06, 2011
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TheEnigmaticT: Once you've procured the files, though, they're yours to use as you'd like, just like the rest of the game.
Meaning they can be used to update the game later (such as when I install the game on another computer that has no net access)? Good, this was my greatest concern after the answers given earlier.

If they're not stand-alone updaters, it's (to me) good enough if I can drop them in a folder where the updater looks, and it'll realise "hey, all these updates are stored locally, so I'll just use them rather than try connecting to CDP's servers".
Post edited May 06, 2011 by Miaghstir
Posted May 06, 2011
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TheEnigmaticT: 5. There are not currently any plans to release the patches as a standalone. BUT! We will, once the game has matured some and is not being updated frequently, make a new master build on GOG.com which will, of course, require no serial key or activation to install or play. How long will that be? I don't know.
That's what I supposed but it's nice to have an official confirmation, thanks for the info.
Posted May 06, 2011
If that doesn't get people to stay with their pre-order buy on GOG, then nothing will. All concerns for future usage seems resolved now.

What say you xyem? (please don't take that as a shot, I'm merely asking you)
Post edited May 06, 2011 by Kabuto
Posted May 06, 2011
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Miaghstir: Meaning they can be used to update the game later (such as when I install the game on another computer that has no net access)? Good, this was my greatest concern after the answers given earlier.
The files downloaded by the launcher aren't an executable. So I'm not sure how you'd do it. Also, they're handled by the launcher entirely and processed by programmatic magic into updates on the game.

That said, if you're brainy enough to figure out how to do it, yeah, there's no DRM restrictions preventing you from installing the files on another copy of the game.

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Miaghstir: If they're not stand-alone updaters, it's (to me) good enough if I can drop them in a folder where the updater looks, and it'll realise "hey, all these updates are stored locally, so I'll just use them rather than try connecting to CDP's servers".
I have no idea if that will work. Dang. I guess I'll have to ask them on Monday if that's possible.

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Miaghstir: EDIT: Meh, you edited too, stop ninjaing me!
What's that? :P
Post edited May 06, 2011 by TheEnigmaticT
Posted May 06, 2011
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TheEnigmaticT: The files downloaded by the launcher aren't an executable. So I'm not sure how you'd do it. Also, they're handled by the launcher entirely and processed by programmatic magic into updates on the game.

That said, if you're brainy enough to figure out how to do it, yeah, there's no DRM restrictions preventing you from installing the files on another copy of the game.
Sounds like the second part of my edited post then. Good enough.

EDIT: Meh, you edited too, stop ninjaing me!
Post edited May 06, 2011 by Miaghstir
Posted May 06, 2011
Now that we've gotten all that over with (thanks for the answers, EnigmaticT!), I believe you will all want to see this.
Posted May 06, 2011
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TheEnigmaticT: I have answers to all of these fresh from CDP RED, now, finally, and have triumphed in my efforts to persuade the Powers That Be to change their minds!
Out of interest, what did they change their minds about?
Posted May 06, 2011
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eyeball226: Out of interest, what did they change their minds about?
I was going to ask about that too.
Posted May 06, 2011
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eyeball226: Out of interest, what did they change their minds about?
Let's leave the specifics of the contents of this sausage uninspected. ;)
Posted May 06, 2011
Will the Russian language is available in the GoG version? If not, whether it is possible to download it separately?
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion (archive)The Witcher 2 GoG version(393 posts)(393 posts)
(393 posts)