No need for an internet connection to play GoG games unless it has online multiplayer features. I haven't been looking at any new updates but so far, I can still play my single-player games offline.

Or content that only activates when you are logged into an account, like some content for Cyberpunk2077 but also for Carcassonne. A certain expansion is only activated when you are logged in.

It's not the shortcuts, but a .dll file. You can delete them if you want. But if you have Galaxy installed, Galaxy will be called anytime you run the game, even from the .exe. It''s not harmful (at this time) because Galaxy isn't used as DRM in single player experiences (for the full games, there are a few items in a few games where this is not the case).

You don't run games on GoG. You download games from GoG (after purchase, or claiming, if free), then you run said games on your PC, without the (optional) client, unless you wish to play multi-player games that require an internet connection, and thus will require the said (optional) Galaxy client...

Maybe you don't. I buy my games from GOG, download them, fly to Poland, go to their headquarters, make my way up to the roof, set up my computer, and then run my games *on* GOG.

The optional client works really well for single-player games as well.

They don't.
Even if I run Galaxy at the same time, the links still point to the exe and not to Galaxy.

Only when you start the game from the installer program, Galaxy is adressed.

I used to think so too... but then I noticed how much the service for gog crashes in the background. Yanked that bugger out of my PC faster then you can imagine.

Ok, seems like DoomSouth was just making things up then.

My best guess is he misinterpreted something.

Offline installers don't work they way he says they do. I'm using offline installers and playing games through Playnite because I have too many games not on GOG that would end up with either no artwork or janky artwork if I kept using Galaxy. None of my GOG purchased games are trying to launch Galaxy, which I just left installed. I can accept if it is one single game that needs to be reported to Lift in the DRM on GOG thread but not every single game installed through an offline installer behaves that way.

What he is describing is what happens if you get a game through Epic and try to run it without the Epic launcher but the game really wants it. Depending on the game, it will either launch the Epic launcher itself or give you a message saying that the launcher is needed.

Try not to use galaxy to install games. Uninstall it and the icon on the desktop will not be galaxy linked.
You don't need any client to download games from gog, just use the browser.

Except for maybe games like Talisman with tons of DLCs 5 mb each.

No. I had the same experience a few years ago and if Gog didn't change it it is gonna be pretty easy to reproduce.

Here's how you can see what DoomSooth is talking about:
- Have Galaxy installed but not running at all.
- Install any game using the offline installer
- At the end of installation the program will ask you if you want to close it or to launch the game. Click to launch.
- Voilà. Watch in disbelief as Galaxy comes to life in front of you to launch the game.

I'm sure they would see no reason to change this behaviour, unless it happens by accident.

Edit: Technically his account is a bit jumbled, as he also mentions it happening from running the shortcut. But his post #12 confirms my own experience

No, when I said DoomSouth was making things up I was referring to the claim about the shortcut. :P