I cannot run Expeditions: Viking v1.01 without access to the internet. If my internet connection is off the game crashes on main menu. If it's enabled the menu works and I can start a new game (went through the creation process and scrolled a bit once game world was loaded). I don't have GoG Galaxy.
Is this something that changed for GoG games since I've last checked? Page for this game says:
“DRM-FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.”
Any idea what could be the problem? Will this be changed/fixed? Thank you in advance for any constructive answers.

Hi, I wanted to test this:

Installed the game, disabled my only network adapter, started it and created a character, jumped right into the game to the tavern, no problem.

Hey, disi! Interesting. I've tried several times, even restarted my PC and it's always the same. I guess the problem is on my end then, but I just can't figure out what's causing this issue. I don't have this problem with other GoG games. I've just retried to make sure. Dragonfall and Spacerun work fine, while EV crashes. Whatever, must be some firewall issue or something. Thank you for taking the time to test it and reply. Have a good day!

Completely speculating right now (about to buy the game myself, so no tests done yet), but perhaps part of it requires localhost loopback?

I ran into that issue a few times - apparently things utilizing Microsoft's distributables (.Net, C++) tend to run on localhost for whatever reason.

Always irks me (it's a really sloppy programming and security practice), but perhaps adding a 127.0.0.1 exception (for all protocols, since I frequently noticed UDP requests as well as TCP/IP) for E:V to your firewall might help.

If there's anything like that going around, and if I manage to actually get some time to play the game, I'll follow up with whatever I can dig out. Hopefully unnecessarily by then and you'll be long enjoying the game.

Confirmed localhost loopback requirement.

If your firewall blocks any application from accessing 127.0.0.1 (did not check if IP or UDP, though - meh, just set both), the game will crash on main menu, exactly as you described.

Thanks a lot, Lukaszmik! I guess this problem is solved now. :)

You're welcome.

Not sure about "solving" anything (really, developers, stahp!). Microsoft has been on data-mining streak for a while now. Even their Visual Studio now comes with turned-on-by-default data-mining for any code you compile in it.

This makes me very unhappy about giving anything related to their libraries any kind of network access. I'm kind of sensitive to people deciding that my privacy is a saleable commodity without my say-so.

Anyway /morningrant

I share your feelings on this, but I think most people don't really care about their privacy until they become victims because of it. ;(