So i updated to the 1.3 (and 1.31) versions, and like many have reported on reddit/steam forums i encountered a huge drop in performance relative to previous versions, from 70+ fps on planets to 40 fps and lower on average, with significant variability including drops to super low fps. I rolled back to 1.24A using the Galaxy rollback features (which is awesome btw, thanks GOG!), but am wondering: if HG never addresses these performance issues, how long will version 1.24A be available to rollback to?

I notice that previous versions (the original release and the foundation update) are not available to rollback to, is it the case that only one or two past updates are included? I'm asking because i'm totally fine playing this previous stable version, but don't like the idea of coming back sometime down the road and trying to reinstall the game only to find the last stable version (one that works correctly on my machine) is no longer available.

This may be a weird concern, but one of the things i really appreciate about GOG is the idea that games once purchased are somewhat of a fixed thing (with no chance that down the road for example an authentication server is going to shut down, or in this case an unavoidable update makes the game not work right).

Does anybody know what the standard is for rollbacks or if there is one? I checked the FAQs and didn't turn much up.

Thanks!

No idea about how long the rollbacks are available, but when you roll back is there not the option to archive those files?

I think and I could be wrong, but I think the rollback feature shows the last 5 patches. So once it passes 5 newer patches, older patches may not show. But 5 seems to be the standard.

EDIT:

Actually that can't be right as NMS would show a few more patches. Other games though show 5. Not sure then.

@WillfulMurder,
if you are interested in keeping your builds, then you should use the GOG Downloader which will save everything in a dedicated folder. It will not update automatically your games though, you need to download and install by yourself.

Downloader is unsupported now. It will likey quit working eventually. But you can also grab standalone installers via backup and goodies in Galaxy under the MORE button on the game page. This is basically the same thing.

Yes I know but I was just pointing out that it's unsupported. GOG has said it may even quit working as they change the site and backend but they won't intentionally break it. So it's days are probably numbered. Also you can disable auto updates globally for every game in Galaxy, Galaxy actually does give you a lot of control over things you may not want.

Just pointing it out, use whatever is best for you though...

Yes, and that's very important because if I had to deal with an interface everytime i play a game I can as well go to Steam.
The idea of GOG is

Download-Install-Play. And DRM-free please. No need of any bs interface..

Well I will point out one more thing then. Galaxy does not change the DRM-Freeness of games you get from GOG. Nothing is different from the games you get with Galaxy compared to the games you get with standalone installers. They are the exact same ( execept for a few rare cases). Only difference is how they are installed and delivered to you, but you can also use standalone installers in conjuction with Galaxy and obtain them with Galaxy for future safe keeping.

Also you do not have to use Galaxy when you go to play. You can create a shortcut directly to the games exe, and play just fine even if the game was downloaded with Galaxy. You can use Galaxy simply as an updater if you wish only launching it you check for updates. GOG may point you in the direction of using Galaxy, but you don't have to deal with an interface just to launch a game. You can bypass it.

Again just pointing it out... if WillfulMurder want's the standalone installer they are avaiable in Galaxy which was my original point, since he (she?) is already using Galaxy there is little point to using the Downloader.

Galaxy has been in *beta* for years--it's just now come out of beta, in the last couple of weeks! The standard GOG downloader front end has *always* been supported by GOG--that is, the interface by which you download their games *outside* of Galaxy--it's always been supported and extremely well, too, as it has been their main delivery route for their games since the first day GOG began business. It is not going anywhere at all, I can assure you....;) Over the last years it has been Galaxy that hasn't been working in many cases...you've got it almost backwards, I think. Galaxy coming out of beta doesn't mean that Galaxy-free participation with GOG is going away--millions of GOG customers are well-acquainted with it and rely on it. I know that I do.

The last time I checked, there were/are still some serious problems with Galaxy in terms of configuring your games--eg, DOSbox games, for instance--using a better version of DOSbox for gaming than GOG distributes, etc. There are certain things that Galaxy still will not allow you to do in that regard. I've just now begun using Galaxy after it came out of beta--but all I use it for is updating a few games that have Galaxy installers--occasionally. That's it--I shut it off completely when I'm ready to play the games. Main thing is that Galaxy is for n00bs--it tries but only partly succeeds in automating some download and configuration chores that more experienced people not only don't mind doing with their games--but which they *insist* on doing themselves...;)

GOG will continue to give customers their choice--but there's nothing the Galaxy interface does that cannot be done--and more directly and more easily than by using Galaxy--but a computer user has to understand at least the basics of his computer and storage drives to make good use of the GOG advantages relative to DRM. Steam, for instance, forces you to install to a central directory on each drive--called whatever you wish. Gog, however, supplies the customer with an installable copy of each game he purchases through the main GOG download front end (not Galaxy), and allows you to install any game anywhere on your system. Galaxy provides a very Steam-like interface for people who need it--ie, GOG is way ahead of Steam because of its non-Galaxy download-front end delivering the entire game inside an installer that doesn't need to contact GOG to get "permission" to run and install since your possession of the game installer is proof that you own the copy of the game.

But, as you say, Galaxy is there for those who require more Steam-like hand-holding. But it goes away if you don't need it--or you simply want to use it as an update front-end for some of your games--then shut it off as I do. There's no "offline" mode for GOG because there is no online requirement for GOG--as there is with Steam--which has an offline mode that you specifically have to invoke and which will start giving you fits after a certain amount of time in offline mode has elapsed. Main thing: GOG download front end sans Galaxy isn't going anywhere...;) That would make no sense whatsoever.

I assume this your clever way of saying you can always use the website lol, if so that's true. You also raise some valid points. But Galaxy isn't there just for people that require Steam-like hand-holding, it's also there for people who just want a more centeralized experience that don't want to waste time tracking updates, etc. I don't need Galaxy, but I do like using it.

If not, the actual GOG Downloader, GOG has stated on the record that it is no longer supported. You will not find a direct link to the GOG Downloader anywhere on the site. It is no longer under active development:

https://support.gog.com/hc/en-us/articles/213037465-General-Problems-with-the-GOG-Downloader

I kind of wish they would keep all previous versions available. On a corporate scale, it's not a huge cost to store all that data.

That said, I keep an archive of my GOG game installers for this very reason - just in case there's a game breaking update or some changes I don't want in a game that I've bought.

@BKGaming,
@waltc,

thank you both for your informative responses. I will try out GOG Galaxy and see for myself. No need for me to talk about blind horses until I can clearly see myself :)

Cheers,

I wanted move from steam on GOG, but when I figured out that they are deleting some items I changed my opinion...