Use some software that mirrors the files, instead of just downloads them. GOGs servers sent accurate (as far as I can tell) Last-Modified headers for all files. Then just run your mirror once a week to grab anything that has been updated.

Do you know where to obtain such software?

It's also a little more complicated, sometimes they add new files (directors cuts...).

Unfortunately not, I've never had any use for mirrors. My own downloading script handles it (hence why I know about it existing) and also downloads new things added.

If your script is not too specialized, would you maybe consider making it public? I'm not sure if I would use it, but I would like to learn how such things are done.

Any person using a computer in the 21st century should be backing up their hard drive data. There is no reason to be loosing data like that. GOG is much more secure than a CD imo, unless you make a disc image.

It was supposed to be public, but when I decided that there was no point in finishing for the public (there were a whole bunch of other downloaders), it just became cobbled together. The only thing you would learn from it is how to not lay out a script for ease of understanding :P

The one and only time someone has been banned, it was from the forums only, they did not lose access to any games (though the person in question was little more than a spammer and I don't think they actually owned any games). That does not deprive anyone of technical support, since the forums are still readable and you would still have access to the official support channels (GOG's e-mail support).

You seem to have registered years ago but let me say welcome to GOG! You will notice that this is not Steam. You actually own your games, not GOG, and not Steam. No you can't download your games after GOG closes, but you don't get to repurchase CDs of games you have bought at retail either. As long as you keep the installer like you would keep a CD you can always play it regardless of the state of GOG or your registration here.

It's happened at least three times that somebody was banned. Once in a particularly heated exchange, and the other via the autoban feature that comes from getting repped into oblivion.

But, that's beside the point as it's been specifically stated that nobody loses access to their games as a result of being banned in the forum. That presumably doesn't hold true for infractions related to purchases though, I suspect that fraudulent purchases could result in an account being banned from the store.

To my knowledge, Ezri is the only actual ban that has ever occurred here (not counting spambots banned). And what is this "autoban" thing you speak of? I can't imagine GOG would ever make it possible for someone to abuse the rep feature and get someone banned.

That must be permanent ban that you're referring to. Because I know of at least two other people that have been banned from the fora for brief periods.

As it stands now, anybody that gets enough down reps gets banned. I'm not sure what precisely the mechanic there is, but I think it has to be the same post. Just ask GR about it, he's the only reason that anybody outside of GOG is aware of it. Normally it only affects spam bots, but if enough people dislike you, good luck with that.

And yes, it is rife for abuse, not sure why it hasn't been fixed, or at least limited to accounts with fewer than a dozen posts or that have been here for less than a week.

Excellent, that seems like a good compromise.

Well that kinda sucks.

I mean, you can be an asshole to people but that doesn't mean you shouldn't get tech support. Unless you're an asshole to the people who're trying to help. :p