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DRM free store GOG has just released their new profile system and it's surprisingly slick to look at.

So you now get a customizable profile, an activity feed to see what friends are up to and what they've been playing*, share random messages to show up in your friends feeds like Twitter. Just remember to check out those new privacy settings, so you can be sure you know what they're showing to the world.

Just look at how fancy I made myself look:

It might be old news to some, but I didn't even realise GOG actually had a built-in webchat system to talk to friends. This new profile system certainly makes it more apparent that's for sure, as you hover over a friends name and get greeted with the message option. It works quite well too! You can find their announcement on it all here.

*Now then GOG—how about Galaxy on Linux next yes? We've been pretty patient on that I think…

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: GOG, Misc
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Mezron Apr 24, 2018
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Quoting: ShmerlGalaxy is something Steam users probably expect, but that's not what most GOG users care about. Personally, I'm not going to use their client even if they provide it, unless it will be open source or community will make an open source alternative.

This! Forever!
Mezron Apr 24, 2018
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Quoting: KimyrielleI have zero need for profiles. I have no idea why people would even be interested in what games I am playing for how long. But I guess we're living in a time when people post Facebook status updates like "9am: Went to the grocery and bought yogurt", and believe the rest of the world finds that somehow interesting, so it doesn't even surprise me.

On the other hand, I -could- appreciate Galaxy on Linux. While I agree with others that it's not strictly needed, I can at least see the value in an app that lets me organize and download my purchases in a convenient fashion.

A long time ago, I use to use Xfire profiles to coordinate games with friends and family to play UT99 online. It would show that I was online playing it and I would post the IP and/or server name, all from the browser. This was especially helpful for quick pick up games with my cousins who were in college at the time.

If any of us had downloaded any maps or mods, you could link it in the profiles so that you could download and install/configure them before joining the match.

I think I'll be using the GOG profile the same way.
x_wing Apr 24, 2018
Quoting: ScattershotNothing to do with .Net. .Net Core is fully supported by MS on Linux and is fast too.

The core may not be a problem, but you will run in to big troubles if you use WPF for your GUI (for instance). Although Mono does a good job to run .net, I would really avoid that technology (unless you really do multiplatform QA since the start of the project). Anyway, no idea if that's the problem with GoG Galaxy, but I recall that this was a problem they have/will have with "Installation 01" launcher (if they ever want to make the port...).
Mezron Apr 24, 2018
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Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: Shmerl
Quoting: x_wingThe low to nil involvement of GoG with Linux users

Not sure what you are talking about. GOG developers are quite actively helping Linux users, even with issues like this.
Just wanted to echo this.

GOG are very Linux friendly, they wouldn't throw us copies of games (even way before we were an affiliate) to help us cover stuff if they weren't.

Having one element of what they offer not on Linux sucks, sure, but it doesn't make them not friends of Linux gaming.

They make DRM-FREE Linux games. I buy DRM-FREE Linux games. /The End.
Mezron Apr 24, 2018
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[quote=x_wing][quote=Shmerl]
Quoting: x_wingI mean, it's just a game downloader launcher, there is no technical difficulty for doing so (well, at least if you don't start your project using .net technologies :/).

That is not what Galaxy is, though. That is exactly what itch.io itch app is.

Galaxy is meant to connect GOG games with their online games which is a different monsters then just download apps.
x_wing Apr 24, 2018
Quoting: RafiLinuxGalaxy is meant to connect GOG games with their online games which is a different monsters then just download apps.

For me the Download apps capability is a big feature. It makes far easier to install games in your system, something is vital for Linux starters (we need to give an user experience as much similar we can to tthe Windows counterpart - in case the feature simplifies something, of course! -).


Last edited by x_wing on 24 April 2018 at 11:23 am UTC
Mezron Apr 24, 2018
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Quoting: x_wingMy problem is that they don't help us to get new Linux users in our platform. I can teach my girlfriend of how to install games on Linux using Steam but trying to teach hear how to use Linux installers from GoG or how to install an Windows only game with wine it's out of question.

They can be very nice guys and help advanced users to workaround some problems, but they're not being helpful in order to improve our platform for gamers.

I had the reverse happen. My wife hated Steam and Humble Bundle linux native games because 3 out of 5 games would not install or be missing executables and she had to file reports and/or file for refund.

With GOG, she right clicked and gave the .sh files permission and installed her games. The one game that did not work was Witcher 2 at the time and she got refunded same day. She never wants to mess with Wine unless it's already wrapper like the FlatOut series.
Mezron Apr 24, 2018
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Quoting: ArehandoroNow that we are talking about GOG support. I contacted them to remove certain games from my account and the agent mainly told me that it was a difficult task for them to perform and didn't want to do it for me. They suggested then that I should hide the games and get on with it xD

A long time ago way before they came out with Galaxy, I made the same request and they remove over 100+ games many of which were Windows only games, I got over the years. I recently made another request since I had so many giveaway games that were Windows only, they gave me the same answer.
x_wing Apr 24, 2018
Quoting: RafiLinuxI had the reverse happen. My wife hated Steam and Humble Bundle linux native games because 3 out of 5 games would not install or be missing executables and she had to file reports and/or file for refund.

With GOG, she right clicked and gave the .sh files permission and installed her games. The one game that did not work was Witcher 2 at the time and she got refunded same day. She never wants to mess with Wine unless it's already wrapper like the FlatOut series.

Same happens in GoG usually (She tried with Baldurs Gate). Anyway, my point is that Steam gives the same UI for installing games no matter if you're in Windows, Linux or Mac. GoG is not doing so, which means that the nontechnical users will get frustrated. Sounds stupid, but this little things sometimes makes them go back to the dark side (of course, I didn't let her doing so :D).
Shmerl Apr 24, 2018
Quoting: RafiLinuxThat is not what Galaxy is, though. That is exactly what itch.io itch app is.

Galaxy is meant to connect GOG games with their online games which is a different monsters then just download apps.

Galaxy is an overloaded term, so it can get confusing. There are two distinct things here:

1. Galaxy Web API that GOG have, which allows Galaxy client(s) to authenticate and access account data. Such client can download games, incremental updates and so on and so forth. This API works over HTTP. GOG provide their own client to pair with that API, and hopefully community will be able to make an open source alternative to that.

2. GOG have various services like multiplayer features (similar to Steamworks), that they provide access to through UDP based API. For that they give developers a C++ library through which they can access it. It's a completely different beast from #1, but both are confusingly called Galaxy.


Last edited by Shmerl on 24 April 2018 at 12:40 pm UTC
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