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First post, by twiz11

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I think steam gog and other platforms made me a digital addict I collect games but never play them usually old dos games that work in dosbox. I spent so much money for a collection that's utterly useless more worthless than physical dos game media.

I am I

Reply 1 of 58, by Unknown_K

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You could just collect the free games offered online and spend no money at all.

I have 120ish games on GOG that I didn't spend much money on that I play maybe 20% of.

Collector of old computers, hardware, and software

Reply 2 of 58, by BEEN_Nath_58

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Steam and GOG didn't make me a digital game collector addict, but Epic Games did. At least I have a new game/games every 7 days.

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 4 of 58, by Joseph_Joestar

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My take on GOG games:

PROs:

  • DRM free, which is especially nice for games which originally shipped with rootkit crap like StarForce
  • Standalone offline installers. These make it very easy to transfer games to an offline WinXP retro rig
  • DOS GOG games can be installed on a modern system (via included DOSBox) and then copied over to a real DOS rig with relative ease
  • Games are fully up to date, so there's no need to hunt for 20+ year old patches all over the internet
  • Manuals, reference cards, cloth maps (scanned), developer diaries, soundtracks and other goodies are included with many games
  • Multiple language support, including localized audio. This makes me very happy since I'm able to play German made games such as the Gothic series with the original, German voices. These sound better to me than the English dubbed ones
  • Active community forums where members help each other and sometimes also offer technical solutions and workarounds for problematic games

CONs:

  • The GOG version of some games integrate fan-made patches and tweaks of debatable quality by default. There is no way to play the clean, stock version of such games. Examples: Master of Orion 2, Thief 1&2, VTM: Bloodlines
  • A few GOG games have certain features removed, such as EAX3 support missing in the GOG version of Splinter Cell
  • It's a bit difficult to install GOG games on a Win9x machine. Basically, you need to install a games on a modern machine, then copy over the files and hope that the missing registry entries won't be a problem
  • Games which originally featured CD audio music have their music tracks converted to the OGG format. I wish they went with FLAC instead, since OGG can be lossy depending on what compression settings are used

Granted, most of my nitpicks are non-issues for people who play GOG games on modern hardware. But I do wish they would make any fan-made patches/tweaks optional instead of integrating them by default. As things are right now, I need to check the PC Gaming Wiki before using a GOG game on a retro machine to see if any unwanted things were added. Still, I'll take that over having to deal with crap like StarForce and SecuROM.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 5 of 58, by RandomStranger

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That's why I decided I'll only buy one new game after every two beaten*. I still pick up freebies if they interest me and physical copies (of mostly old/retro PC and console games) doesn't count. Otherwise whenever there is a new discount season I just ask myself "Will I reasonably play this game before the next discount?" and if the answer is now then I just leave it and maybe reconsider next time.

I've never started 65% of my GoG games** and 55% of my Steam games**.

* Includes those that I dropped.
** Technically a little more, but there are games I've played on other platforms which didn't register to these services (console, physical non-steam copy, pirate version).

sreq.png retrogamer-s.png

Reply 6 of 58, by imi

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GOG for me primarily serves the need for having a valid license when I wanna stream a game or similar ^^
I often install it from different sources like floppy images as I play on original hardware, but it's nice that you can still go the legit route for many games.
but I also value the ease of access to ISOs on many games and manuals or other materials, especially because all my personal original games are usually localized and I like having the original versions.

Reply 7 of 58, by Joakim

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Personally I get easily overwhelmed. If I have 10 games to play, I play none of them. It is the same with books and movies. This is one of the main reason why I play on old systems atm.

I guess it is some borderline compulsory thing. *Shrug*

Reply 8 of 58, by Sombrero

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Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-04-15, 13:12:

CONs:

  • The GOG version of some games integrate fan-made patches and tweaks of debatable quality by default. There is no way to play the clean, stock version of such games. Examples: Master of Orion 2, Thief 1&2, VTM: Bloodlines

It's been years since I've installed GOG Bloodlines, but wasn't there a separate shortcut to launch the unmodded original?

I might be a bit OCD but even the GOG EULAs in the install folder kinda irk me 🤣

Reply 9 of 58, by DosFreak

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I still have all the software I originally had from 1990 and I haven't stopped acquiring since.
Worthless is relative, if you never plan to play it or download it then mabye but that purchase did line someones pockets so if you're an optimist mabye that meant another game was created that you like due to your contribution.
If you've at least downloaded it then it could always potentially be played assuming it gets backed up, has no DRM or cracked and it doesn't bitrot.
If it has DRM but no crack then at least if someone has the bits downloaded then potentially someone would be able to crack it.
Also a backed up copy could be the non-updated version which would be useful to someone instead of the latest and greatest which broke something that someone liked about the game.

Example: I can still play the last working copy of GTAIV (with original music) on XP if I wanted to since I wisely backed it up and cracked it. The only way someone would be able to do that today if they didn't already do it would be to download several torrents of GTAIV looking for the specific version that worked and they probably wouldn't remember about the music 🙁

https://help.steampowered.com/en/accountdata/AccountSpend
Looks like this gets wiped since it's currently reported value is far less than last time I looked in 2018.

Mabye adding up the following would be better except it only goes back to 2009 for me and it only counts purchases
https://store.steampowered.com/account/history

Last edited by DosFreak on 2022-04-15, 17:27. Edited 4 times in total.

How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
Make your games work offline

Reply 10 of 58, by Joseph_Joestar

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Sombrero wrote on 2022-04-15, 17:00:

It's been years since I've installed GOG Bloodlines, but wasn't there a separate shortcut to launch the unmodded original?

I think you're right about Bloodlines. Been some time since I last played it too.

Having recently revisited both Thief games and Master of Orion 2, I know for a fact that you don't get that kind of choice with those games, sadly.

PC#1: Pentium MMX 166 / Soyo SY-5BT / S3 Trio64V+ / Voodoo1 / YMF719 / AWE64 Gold / SC-155
PC#2: AthlonXP 2100+ / ECS K7VTA3 / Voodoo3 / Audigy2 / Vortex2
PC#3: Athlon64 3400+ / Asus K8V-MX / 5900XT / Audigy2
PC#4: i5-3570K / MSI Z77A-G43 / GTX 970 / X-Fi

Reply 11 of 58, by FioGermi

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I have ADHD. Focusing one one game for more then like... maybe 15 minutes is a struggle. Doesn't help it that i have a huge library of games on Steam and on all my flashcarts/CF cards. It makes really hard for me to enjoy single player games, so i tend to lean towards MP or games with instant-action modes like Apex Legends. I can jump in and jump out as needed without worrying about plot or important stuff.

So many adventure games and i wanna try. But 10 minutes later I'm bored and back to playing Doom. 🤣

Reply 12 of 58, by BEEN_Nath_58

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Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2022-04-15, 13:12:
My take on GOG games: […]
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My take on GOG games:

PROs:

  • DRM free, which is especially nice for games which originally shipped with rootkit crap like StarForce
  • Standalone offline installers. These make it very easy to transfer games to an offline WinXP retro rig
  • DOS GOG games can be installed on a modern system (via included DOSBox) and then copied over to a real DOS rig with relative ease
  • Games are fully up to date, so there's no need to hunt for 20+ year old patches all over the internet
  • Manuals, reference cards, cloth maps (scanned), developer diaries, soundtracks and other goodies are included with many games
  • Multiple language support, including localized audio. This makes me very happy since I'm able to play German made games such as the Gothic series with the original, German voices. These sound better to me than the English dubbed ones
  • Active community forums where members help each other and sometimes also offer technical solutions and workarounds for problematic games

CONs:

  • The GOG version of some games integrate fan-made patches and tweaks of debatable quality by default. There is no way to play the clean, stock version of such games. Examples: Master of Orion 2, Thief 1&2, VTM: Bloodlines
  • A few GOG games have certain features removed, such as EAX3 support missing in the GOG version of Splinter Cell
  • It's a bit difficult to install GOG games on a Win9x machine. Basically, you need to install a games on a modern machine, then copy over the files and hope that the missing registry entries won't be a problem
  • Games which originally featured CD audio music have their music tracks converted to the OGG format. I wish they went with FLAC instead, since OGG can be lossy depending on what compression settings are used

Granted, most of my nitpicks are non-issues for people who play GOG games on modern hardware. But I do wish they would make any fan-made patches/tweaks optional instead of integrating them by default. As things are right now, I need to check the PC Gaming Wiki before using a GOG game on a retro machine to see if any unwanted things were added. Still, I'll take that over having to deal with crap like StarForce and SecuROM.

Regarding cons, here's what I do:
Preventing piracy, I get a game on GOG, say Theif. Seeing the games using features not originally present and removing old things, I download the original CD from somewhere or rarely get it from a friend. In this way I get clean stock game. And now I may also install it on 9X if I want.

Now to run the game, I spend few hours tinkering dgVoodoo2 or DDC or DxWnd and shims and try to get the best way to run it. There would be a way, since GOG did it.

Now CD audio works best with DxWnd. GOG was sneaky and restored wrong CD audio emulation in Interstate76 so I try to fix them DxWnd. Now my game is ready.

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 13 of 58, by The Serpent Rider

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I download the original CD from somewhere or rarely get it from a friend. In this way I get clean stock game. And now I may also install it on 9X if I want.

Technically, that's still piracy. Maybe someday GOG will finally include original ISOs as bonus goodies.

I must be some kind of standard: the anonymous gangbanger of the 21st century.

Reply 14 of 58, by BEEN_Nath_58

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The Serpent Rider wrote on 2022-04-15, 19:35:

I download the original CD from somewhere or rarely get it from a friend. In this way I get clean stock game. And now I may also install it on 9X if I want.

Technically, that's still piracy. Maybe someday GOG will finally include original ISOs as bonus goodies.

Well I remember they used to with Quake. Now they don't do it anymore. In case of Thief I don't see and Redbook tracks so I don't see a guilt anyway.

previously known as Discrete_BOB_058

Reply 15 of 58, by schmatzler

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A few years ago, I went totally crazy and accumulated almost 800 games on Steam. So much money was poured into digital things I might not even have access to if the service ever shuts down.
On a good note: I got over it. Nowadays I only buy the occasional game or two on there and ignore all of the Summer/Winter/etc sales completely.

And whenever I start Steam up, there's always something cool to play without having to spend more money. So there's an upside to my crazy spending habits of the past.

"Windows 98's natural state is locked up"

Reply 16 of 58, by Tetrium

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Out of all people I know that have digital games, I'm the one with the smallest number of them. On steam I don't even break the 50 games barrier.
Obviously the disadvantage is that I have very few games on steam to pick from 🤣
When it comes to physical copies though, I still like to buy those if I come cross one I think I will want to try some day.

Whats missing in your collections?
My retro rigs (old topic)
Interesting Vogons threads (links to Vogonswiki)
Report spammers here!

Reply 17 of 58, by ratfink

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Slightly shocked that I have 148 games in GOG. I thought I had maybe about 20 or so. Those casual purchases sure mount up. I had a steam account but never bought anything, always-online pisses me off but GOG seems to have gone that way and so's everything else so now I guess I don't use steam because it has no relevance to me rather for any misunderstanding about how it works on my part.

Probably 10-20 of my GOG stuff would have been the freebies, certainly some (lots) in there I have no recollection of and will probably never play. Others I bought in series that ONE DAY I will try to play, others where I wanted one game but there were four related ones so I bought them too. And then there's those long-winded RPGs I bought because I liked Blizzard games and wanted to branch out a bit; or I thought Syberia looked like it might be a kind of point and click Tomb Raider (that a post-purchase rationalisation). Add in a few that were things I had on disk but can't be bothered to set up myself on Windows 10 so I bought them too...

Jeez. I think I may have tried (as GOG installs) about 20 of these, a lot of which made me completely depressed within minutes (or seconds) of starting (I suppose because they were crap, or turned out to be aimed at children, or because I played WoW too much and playing on my own for more than 5 minutes, even if wouldn't have talked to anyone for hours in WoW - I hate guilds - makes me feel isolated and lonely), others I tried for longer but have now forgotten what I was doing so that ain't gonna happen soon (dungeon-sorta things like Grimrock or Planescape - which I loved but put down sooo long ago), and others (those damn RPGs I keep buying) I just start them and think "goddamit this looks like a lot of work... maybe not now... or ever....". Y'know, where you have forty options to set and have to choose your hair and how close together your eyes are, as well as a pile of stats that don't mean anything to you but you wanna do it right first time because it looks like once through will take a lifetime...

I would like to replay Lichdom Mage because I remember that literally made me giggle.

Reply 18 of 58, by dr_st

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ratfink wrote on 2022-04-18, 20:05:

Slightly shocked that I have 148 games in GOG. I thought I had maybe about 20 or so. Those casual purchases sure mount up.

They also sometimes have giveaways. At one point they offered about 50 games for free at the same time. Maybe you racked those up as well?

ratfink wrote on 2022-04-18, 20:05:

I had a steam account but never bought anything

Same here. Made an account to try to redeem a second-hand key, which, of course, was already used. Also made Ubisoft and Blizzard accounts to redeem some keys from retail purchases (those were new copies for the most of it, so the keys did work).

ratfink wrote on 2022-04-18, 20:05:

always-online pisses me off but GOG seems to have gone that way

They have not.

https://cloakedthargoid.wordpress.com/ - Random content on hardware, software, games and toys

Reply 19 of 58, by ratfink

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dr_st wrote on 2022-04-18, 21:15:

They have not.

That's good, thanks. I'm probably thinking of it saving progress for you.

dr_st wrote on 2022-04-18, 21:15:

At one point they offered about 50 games for free at the same time. Maybe you racked those up as well?

I don't think so, I'd hope I'd remember that - more likely just slow accumulation I think.