It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Ready to play dirty?

<span class="bold">Gremlins, Inc.</span>, a fierce digital board game where you must outmanoeuvre other gremlin businessmen at every turn, is now available on GOG.com with a 50% launch discount.

This is a gremlin eat gremlin world of ruthless capitalism, political power struggles, and opportunistic moves. Use cunning, subterfuge, and your conveniently maladjusted moral compass to navigate a steampunk universe of cut-throat profiteering, both in single-player and multiplayer.

Expand your experience further with the <span class="bold">Digital Artbook</span> or <span class="bold">Soundtrack</span>, plus the <span class="bold">Uninvited Guests</span>, <span class="bold">Astral Gamblers</span>, and <span class="bold">Automated Competitors</span> DLC.

The 50% discount will last until May 18, 13:00 PM UTC.

NOTE: The game supports Galaxy/Steam crossplay, GOG Galaxy achievements, and a fully functional mod Workshop, among other things.

When you buy this game, you get 2 products in your GOG Library: Gremlins, Inc. – playable online in single-player and multiplayer modes, with item drops; and Gremlins vs Automatons – playable offline in single-player mode.

Tinker with the trailer.
Post edited May 12, 2017 by maladr0Id
Looks cool and fun, and I actually think the "two separate versions" thing is OK.

But...

If I did want to play the multi-player...

Is Galaxy required to play it?
avatar
Qfasa: [...]
One would be the chests. When we decided to add them to the game, we wanted them to be available in all modes that the game has to offer, so even if someone doesn't like multiplayer, they will be able to have access to this feature. But this system must be protected from hackers and cheaters, which is done through the server-side distribution of all in-game items.
[...]
quick question - exactly what is the problem with hackers and cheaters in single player games?
avatar
SeduceMePlz: Snip.
I'll read the entire Steam topic at my own leisure, but the devs were indeed very dickish in what I've skimmed through.

At any rate, I appreciate the explanation as it does clear things.
Post edited May 12, 2017 by Luc2k
After giving the subject more thought, I'm okay with this release. Although having the offline single-player be a separate thing is a bit odd, the end result is still the same: You can play single-player offline, just like with anything else on GOG. That's good enough for me in this case.
avatar
yogsloth: Looks cool and fun, and I actually think the "two separate versions" thing is OK.

But...

If I did want to play the multi-player...

Is Galaxy required to play it?
Galaxy is required for the multiplayer, yes. To be precise, it is required for Gremlins, Inc. and the multiplayer mode is a part of Gremlins, Inc.

avatar
amok: quick question - exactly what is the problem with hackers and cheaters in single player games?
Nothing wrong with them in single-player games. People are free to do whatever they like with their games. People are free to do whatever they like with Gremlins vs Automatons (I guess there are still some legal limitations like the reverse engineering and such, but I'm not talking about those). I mean, if someone wants to break GvA with ArtMoney to change their personal experience with the game this is up to them.

But single-player in Gremlins, Inc. has such elements as online leaderboards for challenges, chests, and single-player actually shares the AI logic with the bots in multiplayer. Those are the parts of the game that we can't allow to change or modify because this would affect more than just the personal experience of a player. Changing these parts will affect the whole community and in order to protect them from unpredictable changes they all are server-based, therefore the connection to the server is required.
avatar
yogsloth: Looks cool and fun, and I actually think the "two separate versions" thing is OK.

But...

If I did want to play the multi-player...

Is Galaxy required to play it?
avatar
Qfasa: Galaxy is required for the multiplayer, yes. To be precise, it is required for Gremlins, Inc. and the multiplayer mode is a part of Gremlins, Inc.
Thank you very much for the forum presence and taking the time to assist customers.

Unfortunately, in this case, the answer kills any interest I would have in the game. I don't mind the online component, but I do not and will never have interest in a 3rd-party client being mandatory to play a PC game.

It's pretty dejecting...

Yet another entry on the list of GOG games where the "optional" client is, in fact, mandatory for the game to function.
Post edited May 12, 2017 by yogsloth
avatar
yogsloth: Looks cool and fun, and I actually think the "two separate versions" thing is OK.

But...

If I did want to play the multi-player...

Is Galaxy required to play it?
avatar
Qfasa: Galaxy is required for the multiplayer, yes. To be precise, it is required for Gremlins, Inc. and the multiplayer mode is a part of Gremlins, Inc.

avatar
amok: quick question - exactly what is the problem with hackers and cheaters in single player games?
avatar
Qfasa: Nothing wrong with them in single-player games. People are free to do whatever they like with their games. People are free to do whatever they like with Gremlins vs Automatons (I guess there are still some legal limitations like the reverse engineering and such, but I'm not talking about those). I mean, if someone wants to break GvA with ArtMoney to change their personal experience with the game this is up to them.

But single-player in Gremlins, Inc. has such elements as online leaderboards for challenges, chests, and single-player actually shares the AI logic with the bots in multiplayer. Those are the parts of the game that we can't allow to change or modify because this would affect more than just the personal experience of a player. Changing these parts will affect the whole community and in order to protect them from unpredictable changes they all are server-based, therefore the connection to the server is required.
Interesting. So would you say the AI for the bots are more robust for the online version?
avatar
tremere110: Interesting. So would you say the AI for the bots are more robust for the online version?
The AI is the same in both products. It was taken from the server and changed so it could work independently, but the code is essentially the same. This is a very lame explanation I guess, but I'm not a programmer :)

In theory, sometimes AIs might have slight differences because we can tweak the server-based AI if needed or roll back the changes we don't like (another reason for us to have it on the server), but anything that we like to keep will be available in GvA with the nearest update. And we haven't tweaked AI recently, so, for now, it must be exactly the same.
avatar
tremere110: Interesting. So would you say the AI for the bots are more robust for the online version?
avatar
Qfasa: The AI is the same in both products. It was taken from the server and changed so it could work independently, but the code is essentially the same. This is a very lame explanation I guess, but I'm not a programmer :)

In theory, sometimes AIs might have slight differences because we can tweak the server-based AI if needed or roll back the changes we don't like (another reason for us to have it on the server), but anything that we like to keep will be available in GvA with the nearest update. And we haven't tweaked AI recently, so, for now, it must be exactly the same.
I bought all of your game and DLCs from both Steam and GOG . But one thing is unacceptable for me . If I did understand it correctly ,

Those DLCs adding features like these :


12 new character portraits of the Astral Masters, visiting the clockwork-town on a gambling tour;

an all-new communication feature: 4 powerful global effects to communicate your state of mind (including "This Means War", "The Dirigible of Justice" and "Rest in Peace");

a new alternative music theme for the main menu (enigmatic, like most things from the Astral Plane);

a new alternative background for the main menu;

3 new themes to customise your player profile;

3 new player icons for the lobby.


I could understand many of those features about "Multiplayer" game . But I want to use those new portraits or music themes or alternative background menu for my offline game too . Why it's not available ? I can't see any reason for it .

EDIT : It seems emoticons and messages even available for single player game too . Nearly all of them in single player game too . Why locking them to the online game ? Why limiting those DLCs ? We already paid for them :S

Probably only those last two unavailable for offline client ;


3 new themes to customise your player profile;

3 new player icons for the lobby.


Please release other features for offline game too .
Post edited May 12, 2017 by Skysect
avatar
Skysect: Why it's not available ? I can't see any reason for it .
Gremlins, Inc. and Gremlins vs Automatons are two different software products.

The three character DLCs were developed for Gremlins, Inc. (and there's a notice that says "Requires Gremlins, Inc. in order to play!" on the store pages of these DLCs).

Gremlins vs Automatons does not support DLC functionality and we did not develop any DLCs for it.
avatar
Skysect: Please release other features for offline game too .
Unfortunately, this is unlikely to happen as the dev team is busy with new features that would improve player experience of a larger group of players; modifying the offline edition so that it is able to work with DLCs developed for the online edition, is going to be pretty time-consuming, as this affects one of the core components of how the game works. Sorry about that.
Post edited May 12, 2017 by SergeiKlimov
avatar
SergeiKlimov: Gremlins, Inc. and Gremlins vs Automatons are two different software products.
This wording coming from devs disturbs me.
Do you consider your work really to just be a product to sell and not rather as a work of art?
Post edited May 12, 2017 by Klumpen0815
avatar
Skysect: Why it's not available ? I can't see any reason for it .
avatar
SergeiKlimov: Gremlins, Inc. and Gremlins vs Automatons are two different software products.

The three character DLCs were developed for Gremlins, Inc. (and there's a notice that says "Requires Gremlins, Inc. in order to play!" on the store pages of these DLCs).

Gremlins vs Automatons does not support DLC functionality and we did not develop any DLCs for it.
avatar
Skysect: Please release other features for offline game too .
avatar
SergeiKlimov: Unfortunately, this is unlikely to happen as the dev team is busy with new features that would improve player experience of a larger group of players; modifying the offline edition so that it is able to work with DLCs developed for the online edition, is going to be pretty time-consuming, as this affects one of the core components of how the game works. Sorry about that.
Really ? How it could be that much hard ? Wasn't they are only customization options ? Your explanation is really weird .
avatar
SergeiKlimov: Gremlins, Inc. and Gremlins vs Automatons are two different software products.
avatar
Klumpen0815: This wording coming from devs disturbs me.
Do you consider your work really to just be a product to sell and not rather as a work of art?
This upsets a lot of people for some reason but yes, we are creating software to sell, not an art. It doesn't mean that all we want is to sell a tasteless piece of junk, far from it. It is rather hard to sell a tasteless piece of junk and even harder to keep community around it, and we would like to sell our products and have an active community around them.

This is why we do our best in order to create the best software that we can, which creates best possible gaming experience for the players. We have our conditions of how we can create it and how players can use it. Those who accept these conditions become members of our community for a period of time (days, weeks, months) and again, we do our best in order to create for them the best gaming experience that we can. Those who don't accept... well they don't, the end of story. We will listen to what they might say to us and that's it.

Some people are upset about our approach, but we are just being honest – this is our job, we do this for a living, we care about our players. Those, who disagree with how exactly we do all this – well, I really don't have much to say to them. We don't want to change their opinion, they probably won't be able to change ours. Best we can do is to move on with our lives.

P.S. as for creating an art and not just a soulless piece of software. Personally, I don't believe it's possible to create a piece of art on purpose. And this isn't for an artist to decide what he created – a piece of junk, a mediocricy, or indeed an immortal art. He can't just get up on morning and say "today I will create something that people will remember for generations". He just does his best and it is for other to decide what is the result.

In our case, the result is a game that has way more positive comments rather than negative ones, a loyal community around it with hundreds and thousands of hours and sessions that were played, and people who support what we do with the game and how we do it. And this is exactly what we wanted to create. Not a piece of art but a piece of software that people would genuinely like. If they call it an art then so be it. If not – we won't cry about it because this wasn't our goal at any point.

Sorry for the wall of text. This is kinda what I tend to write when I'm interested in the topic of discussion.
Post edited May 13, 2017 by Qfasa
avatar
Qfasa: Sorry for the wall of text. This is kinda what I tend to write when I'm interested in the topic of discussion.
Thanks for the reply, although it's a nice way of saying something that could be worded quite rudely.

If it's not about DRM, I still wonder why there's no LAN support though.
After all, hotseat and LAN was what made Homm3 so great for me, you already explained why there's no hotseat (although the same explanation would also work for Homm3).
avatar
Klumpen0815: This wording coming from devs disturbs me.
Do you consider your work really to just be a product to sell and not rather as a work of art?
avatar
Qfasa: This upsets a lot of people for some reason but yes, we are creating software to sell, not an art. It doesn't mean that all we want is to sell a tasteless piece of junk, far from it. It is rather hard to sell a tasteless piece of junk and even harder to keep community around it, and we would like to sell our products and have an active community around them.

This is why we do our best in order to create the best software that we can, which creates best possible gaming experience for the players. We have our conditions of how we can create it and how players can use it. Those who accept these conditions become members of our community for a period of time (days, weeks, months) and again, we do our best in order to create for them the best gaming experience that we can. Those who don't accept... well they don't, the end of story. We will listen to what they might say to us and that's it.

Some people are upset about our approach, but we are just being honest – this is our job, we do this for a living, we care about our players. Those, who disagree with how exactly we do all this – well, I really don't have much to say to them. We don't want to change their opinion, they probably won't be able to change ours. Best we can do is to move on with our lives.

P.S. as for creating an art and not just a soulless piece of software. Personally, I don't believe it's possible to create a piece of art on purpose. And this isn't for an artist to decide what he created – a piece of junk, a mediocricy, or indeed an immortal art. He can't just get up on morning and say "today I will create something that people will remember for generations". He just does his best and it is for other to decide what is the result.

In our case, the result is a game that has way more positive comments rather than negative ones, a loyal community around it with hundreds and thousands of hours and sessions that were played, and people who support what we do with the game and how we do it. And this is exactly what we wanted to create. Not a piece of art but a piece of software that people would genuinely like. If they call it an art then so be it. If not – we won't cry about it because this wasn't our goal at any point.

Sorry for the wall of text. This is kinda what I tend to write when I'm interested in the topic of discussion.
That's very limited though . I am sure even many people angry about locking out DLCs . There are awesome piece of artwork I want to use them but no luck . You must to play online . It's turning something like Armello . I don't want to say it but you are following the same path . They didn't want to sell skins , even said impossible to implement it because of authentication and then removed it from store .