Thoughts on the first two reviews?

http://www.gog.com/game/age_of_wonders_3

Also this: http://www.gog.com/mix/first_game_using_drm_on_gog

(sorry if there was already a topic posted about this EDIT: I guess the game forum has a pretty big discussion going on - http://www.gog.com/forum/age_of_wonders_series/aow_3_not_really_drm_free)

EDIT: Part of it got sorted out, it appears - http://www.gog.com/forum/general/opinions_on_age_of_wonders_3_socalled_drm/post29

So, apparently, not having an account affects MP and saving settings; although, you can change settings, and can also save the game by playing as guest.

Also, I have read people attest that they can access the DLC w/o an account as well; I can't find the posts in question, but will link when I do.

I don't mind that MP needs an account, that makes sense, but settings? C'mon, that's basic stuff, you shouldn't need an account for that.

another edit: what a bummer, this doesn't make me feel good about pre-ordering games, too many chances to get burned.

Yeah, I glanced at that thread over in the game specific forum a couple of days ago.

If it indeed will not let you save a game or make config changes in offline mode, or let you make the changes but won't remember them, then that's a big thumbs down from me.

It sounds like single player shouldn't have even been included in the game, from what few comments about it that I've read.

To those that are upset over this, I say that this is one example of why you don't pre-order games, or even buy it on the day of release. Wait until you've done your homework and you know all the details first before you buy. That is unless you're prepared to accept whatever shortcomings come with it.

I thought gog was strictly against ANY kind of... limitation, guess not. 2014 is really a bad year for them! First they say "eh, screw fair pricing" and now this?!

Thanks for the drm mix. I will also boycott Triumph Studios, it'll be easy as I never really liked the Age of Wonders series anyway :D

For a game to require an account to save changes to settings... if it sounds like DRM and looks like DRM, it's DRM!
If this is the case then I'd be severely disappointed in GOG for approving of releasing it here.

Saw the thread (yeah bit of crap being spewed in there lol) OP was referring to - i bought the game and just installed it .Yeah i saw logging in as Guest is a bit dodgy for SP - they really need to change that. Surprised changing settings requires setting up at account - why on earth did they take that option?.Needs to be fixed.
Ill have to test the DLC.....
Like others in that thread pointed out - GOG has games which require serial/cd key for the *multiplayer* ......which really is secondary for 99% of games on GOG - im fine with that since it doesnt affect the SP experience (which lets face it thats what most of us expect from games on here).

Say whaaaat????

COME ON GOG!?! Really???

Right after the kerfluffle over pricing, now you're going to stretch the definition of DRM free further than what Gamer's Gate does???

Unbelievable.

I hadn't even downloaded this yet. And now feel as though there isn't any distributor I can trust. Jesus H Christ GOG, you know damned well this ain't DRM Free.

Glad I have a large inventory of games to play, buying days anywhere might be over. THis is WRONG GOG. WRONG. Not right after, IMMEDIATELY, after the whole regional pricing thing. For crying out loud, it was THIS GAME that you announced right away after announcing all these great new AAA games DRM FREE, and now, not only were you compromising on regional pricing, but you were all the while compromising on DRM FREE TOO!!!!

JUST AS MANY OF US WORRIED?!?!!

Good bye gog. See ya again when you decide to really come back to your roots.

I don't think it's GOG's fault that Triumph made the game that way. Seriously awful move by them, why should someone need to make an account to save settings?

As far as I know, however, you can change settings, save games, access DLC w/o account, so that's not bad.

I don't know, people throw bitch fits at GOG all the time, I am surprised they don't do that at other places, even when it's seriously warranted. Maybe they know that GOG is the only one which listens :p

edit: and who knows, maybe with enough of a bitch fit, Triumph might patch that shit out. Here's hoping, but I am not going to hold my breath on it. Not buying AOW3 at all, though.

It's not gog's fault that UPlay makes their games the way they do either, so having UPlay games at gog would be okay??

The game fits a tenuous definition of DRM-free, but it does in fact do that overall. Any game which needs UPlay does not.

Whether or not you like that definition to be part of GOG's repertoire is up to you. Personally, I don't.

At this point, I am just hoping it's an oversight, and future patches will resolve the issue.

No, but GOG shouldn't have approved it. It shouldn't be on here if that's the way Triumph want to do things, that's the point.

No, it does not meet any such "tenuous definition." It meets someone's made up, stretchable, pretzel logic based excuse so as to defend gog as much as possible.

Gamers Gates stretches things, but likely does meet such a "tenuous definition." Not being able to save in game settings such that every new play is like starting over regarding resolution, keyboard mapping, etc. is taking tenuous to a new and indefensible level.

But doesn't it sound completely bogus that a game needs you to make an account to save settings? Saving settings- that's nothing in the grand scheme of the game, and a minor inconvenience at most, I think.

It's the above reasoning which makes me think that this problem might be resolved in the future, provided people keep reminding the Devs that they don't like BS like this!

But yeah, I am not buying the game till there's hope for a fix.

It's an interesting situation. I tried reading what was going on in the game's forum, but without trying it I'm not sure I know enough. There are games that have MP requirements here. Two Worlds comes up a lot, but as someone who has put probably a hundred hours or more into that game, I can say that there is a sizable amount of single player content to play outside of any MP situation.

If AoW3 has a good single player experience then it feels less fishy, but If the point of the game is very MP heavy, then it's tempting to feel like there is some PR magic at work to hook people into getting something without them really understanding what they are getting into.

Any Devil's advocacy aside, the idea of needing an account to save your settings is hard to justify. I suppose if the settings in question were all account and MP related then whatever, but if we are talking about controls and graphics settings then that would seem like a deliberate act of douchebaggery that I have no interest in defending.

Yes or No on the DRM conclusion it sure looks like they are walking the fence line as close as possible. For anyone trying to go DRM-free I would prefer them just to commit to it, and not try to get creative about trying to find a way to check the DRM-free box without having to give up the control. We shouldn't have to have long philosophical discussions about if a game is or is not DRM-free. If it takes walls of text to try and convince half of the GOG consumer base that a game meets GOG's standards, then maybe something is a little off.

If that is indeed the case, then no, it doesn't sound bad. Edit: Assuming you're referring to "offline" mode.

If that is not the case however, then that is a no no. It needs to be yanked off of the store shelves, so to speak.