GOG.com's "Galaxy" online gaming platform likely to benefit NWN 1 & 2

[Legacy_OldTimeRadio]

               

Hey there!  In case you're not aware, GOG is working on their own Steam-like matchmaking client called GOG Galaxy:

 

 

These guys love Neverwinter Nights 1 since forever and it's likely that if support for NWN1 isn't out of the box when Galaxy is released, it'll be likely to follow shortly after.  No news on when it'll be released, but they recently gave away copies of Alien vs Predator so that GOG members could help test out the matchmaking client while it was under development.  I missed out on that and have been kicking myself because I'd like to know how things are coming along.

 

Anyway, I don't foresee their client being any kind of competition or causing any disruption for the wonderful GameSpy alternatives the NWN1 & 2 communities have contributed but, instead, existing as just another way to help a person who's purchased the game to get in touch with the wider NWN community- and to see how many are still enjoying it!

 

The best possible publicity of this sort would be if NWN: Diamond was on Steam in which case player counts would/could show up on Steam Top 100 Stats.  Since that's not likely to happen anytime soon, this is a darned good "second best" option.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Lord Sullivan]

               

This sounds awesome!


If I understand correctly, it's like features from a standard gaming community client (i.e. XFire) mixte with Steam features without the DRM part, without being locked in.

You have choice! Now that's what I'm Talking about!! '>


EDIT: Or maybe just like steam without the DRM and Lock in. No matter, it's all the same! '>

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Tarot Redhand]

               

<initiate teeth gnashing mode> 

 

They gave AvP away, for free, gratis, nothing!!!!! And then sold it to us schmucks!

 

<much wailing and lamenting>

 

Ah well, I'm only interested in sp anyway.

 

<initiate hold holy symbol aloft mode>

 

I despise stench/sh*t/steam/whatever. I buy games on disk so that I don't have to download the game because I have a monthly data limit and those jokers insist that I have to download 80+% of it anyway as an update (who do they think they are kidding).

 

TR

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Proleric]

               This sounds great.

That a company is even thinking about consumer freedom is big news these days!

I haven't bought any new games for a while, having had enough of Steam and all the other lurkware, but this could bring me back into the market.

Hope some of the big studios see sense and release their new titles this way, too.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               

I have to say, I also view this as a very positive development. If nothing else, it lays down the gauntlet for how this sort of software ought to work.


Anti-Steam rant:

   Spoiler
   

It annoys me that Steam has to run on my PC to let me play any SP games I was dumb enough to buy through Steam, which are the only kind I have purchased from Steam. It annoys me that Steam thinks it's okay to make me wait before I play a game so that it can download updates to the Steam client, a client that provides me pretty much no added value and is more often an impediment to playing (as some of my games require launching with command-line switches to play mods). It annoys me that Steam insists on staying open the whole time I play my SP games. It annoys me that Steam has made me re-download my games when I know there have been no updates to the game itself. It annoys me that when I have already set a game to open in offline mode, Steam opens up with a little nag asking me which mode I want to open up in, as though I might be mistaken. For my purposes, Steam serves primarily as a reminder of the epic fail that is DRM: It punishes people who honestly pay for games while having little impact on those playing pirated versions. Every time I open up a game and it does its little DRM dance, I can't help but think that people who playing a cracked version of the game aren't being pestered.

               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Gruftlord]

               Wasteland 2 uses the Steam client for downloads and patches. You can also use steam's other features such as cloud sync of your save files and screenshots as well as collecting achievements.


It is not however required to start the steam client in any way before or while playing. A simple shortcut to the game's exe on your desktop is enough. The exe uses no DRM. Yes, steam does provide a drm service, but it's up to the developers/publishers, whether they use it or not.

Just thought i leave this here, so people can make better balanced judgements where to direct their rage at.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Alleyslink]

               

I am excited by this and look forward to seeing what comes of it, thanks to OTR for the heads up. I will not state my sentiments regarding other systems, I feel they have been clearly stated by others.