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ET3D: I'm sure most people would argue with this claim. Most bundles are Steam key bundles. When they're not they're Desura bundles, or on rare occasions Gamersgate or GOG bundles. In short, bundles sell keys, and they're very successful doing that. Not to mention that people are trading Steam games, selling them and gifting their keys. A part of Steam's success is the ease with which keys can be given.
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Redfern: Yes, but there is HUGE difference between Steam keys and Desura keys - by activating Desura key you get access to good old installer which can be downloaded and stored, same with GOG. With Steam key you get...well...string in Steams DB.
OFC bundle love to sell keys, its easy, its not waste them space and bandwidth, no need to manage these files...but thats just LAZY way to make business, because all keys is ending somewhere, who actually provide service.
For example, if somehow Steam go crazy and cancel all Humble Bundle's keys you will still have Humble Library. And you will probably have nothing with Bundlestars or recent Groupees.
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tinyE: Juri was a member of the Soviet Air Force. Perhaps I should have been a little more clear with "civilian". Of course perhaps I shouldn't have derailed the thread with my stupid joke in the first place. :P
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Redfern: Just for info - all russian astronauts is always members of Air Force. Except space tourists, maybe.
It was a stupid uninformed question for me to pose. I found a million other exceptions aside from what you just mentioned. I think I'll stick to "Who's buried in Grant's tomb?" from now on. :P
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Grargar: For starters, what is the game you tried to reinstall?
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OldFatGuy: Europa Universalis, and yes it is advertised as a DRM free game, and yes I saved the temporary files.
What was the file you tried to run? Was it the setup included in the folder or was it the installer from GamersGate?
I think GG is a nice Steam key seller.
That's pretty much all I use it for these days, although they do have (or had) a few weird games I couldn't get elsewhere like White Gold and that space game from the same developer.
But not Boiling Point.
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OldFatGuy: Europa Universalis, and yes it is advertised as a DRM free game, and yes I saved the temporary files.
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Grargar: What was the file you tried to run? Was it the setup included in the folder or was it the installer from GamersGate?
It was the installer from GamersGate. I'm not sure which of the directories of all of my GG games to look in for the setup file, they're not named, they're numbered.
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Grargar: What was the file you tried to run? Was it the setup included in the folder or was it the installer from GamersGate?
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OldFatGuy: It was the installer from GamersGate. I'm not sure which of the directories of all of my GG games to look in for the setup file, they're not named, they're numbered.
And that was your mistake. The installer will always try to connect to the internet because it's a web installer. In a matter of fact, once you use it to download the files, you never need to use it ever again.
Let me show you an example of a standalone GamersGate folder.
See the setup.exe in this folder? This is the file you need to run, not the installer. If you can't find it, see if there is a file named launch.
Attachments:
untitled.jpg (115 Kb)
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OldFatGuy: It was the installer from GamersGate. I'm not sure which of the directories of all of my GG games to look in for the setup file, they're not named, they're numbered.
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Grargar: And that was your mistake. The installer will always try to connect to the internet because it's a web installer. In a matter of fact, once you use it to download the files, you never need to use it ever again.
Let me show you an example of a standalone GamersGate folder.
See the setup.exe in this folder? This is the file you need to run, not the installer. If you can't find it, see if there is a file named launch.
I know what a setup file looks like, but I've got dozens and dozens of GG games downloaded and saved the temporary files from, and none of the directories are labeled with names. I could do a search for setup.exe but I assume I would find one in each and every numbered directory???

ADDED: I found the word paradox in this directory (labeled 77) but I have other paradox titles installed. See screenshot for what I'm talking about.
Attachments:
capture.jpg (89 Kb)
Post edited April 08, 2014 by OldFatGuy
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OldFatGuy: I know what a setup file looks like, but I've got dozens and dozens of GG games downloaded and saved the temporary files from, and none of the directories are labeled with names. I could do a search for setup.exe but I assume I would find one in each and every numbered directory???
All right then, let's try something else. Do all your numbered folders contain games with DRM-Free designation? If yes, I want you to repeat your previous test (disconnect from Internet, etc.) and run a random setup.exe from one of those folders.
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OldFatGuy: I know what a setup file looks like, but I've got dozens and dozens of GG games downloaded and saved the temporary files from, and none of the directories are labeled with names. I could do a search for setup.exe but I assume I would find one in each and every numbered directory???
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Grargar: All right then, let's try something else. Do all your numbered folders contain games with DRM-Free designation? If yes, I want you to repeat your previous test (disconnect from Internet, etc.) and run a random setup.exe from one of those folders.
OKay, but please see my added edit and screenshot for what I'm talking about.
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OldFatGuy: OKay, but please see my added edit and screenshot for what I'm talking about.
Strange, there is no setup.exe. What about Autoplay, does it work? As for numbered folders, yes, GamersGate does that. Majesty Gold HD's folder is 134. Yes, you have to rename them yourself. Yes, it sucks.

EDIT: OH WAIT! I FOUND IT! See that file named launch? That's actually an encrypted setup.exe. To decrypt it, you have to run the web installer again.
Post edited April 08, 2014 by Grargar
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OldFatGuy: I know what a setup file looks like, but I've got dozens and dozens of GG games downloaded and saved the temporary files from, and none of the directories are labeled with names. I could do a search for setup.exe but I assume I would find one in each and every numbered directory???
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Grargar: All right then, let's try something else. Do all your numbered folders contain games with DRM-Free designation? If yes, I want you to repeat your previous test (disconnect from Internet, etc.) and run a random setup.exe from one of those folders.
Okay, I disconnected from the internet, and clicked on the only application in that directory (Autoplay) and was able to confirm that this was the directory for Europa Universalis, as the box came up asking if I wanted to install Europa Universalis. I clicked on install, and nothing. Nada. A box came up saying "This program may not have installed properly..... yadda yadda yadda.

I see some WinRAR files in that directory, but I don't know that I have WinRAR in order to unzip them, whether it would do any good to do so, or what, but I've gone far enough now to determine that I'm done with trying.

At the very least, if these games are DRM Free (and I'm no longer convinced they qualify for that), then it most certainly isn't anywhere near as easy as GOG to use, and so I'm probably done with GG, except for using up my blue coins.
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OldFatGuy: OKay, but please see my added edit and screenshot for what I'm talking about.
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Grargar: Strange, there is no setup.exe. What about Autoplay, does it work? As for numbered folders, yes, GamersGate does that. Majesty Gold HD's folder is 134. Yes, you have to rename them yourself. Yes, it sucks.

EDIT: OH WAIT! I FOUND IT! See that file named launch? That's actually an encrypted setup.exe. To decrypt it, you have to run the web installer again.
Then, in order to run the web installer, one must be connected to the internet. I've tried this, twice now.
So now we're definitely back to not being DRM Free.
Post edited April 08, 2014 by OldFatGuy
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OldFatGuy: Okay, I disconnected from the internet, and clicked on the only application in that directory (Autoplay) and was able to confirm that this was the directory for Europa Universalis, as the box came up asking if I wanted to install Europa Universalis. I clicked on install, and nothing. Nada. A box came up saying "This program may not have installed properly..... yadda yadda yadda.

I see some WinRAR files in that directory, but I don't know that I have WinRAR in order to unzip them, whether it would do any good to do so, or what, but I've gone far enough now to determine that I'm done with trying.

At the very least, if these games are DRM Free (and I'm no longer convinced they qualify for that), then it most certainly isn't anywhere near as easy as GOG to use, and so I'm probably done with GG, except for using up my blue coins.
OK, let's do this for real now. Run the Europa Universalis Gamersgate installer. Once you do that, the installation will commence. Then, copy the folder someplace else, cancel the installation and do the test one more time. The problem is, as I mentioned above, that setup.exe becomes the encrypted launch file. Ensure that, before you copy the folder, setup.exe is included inside the folder.
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Grargar: OK, let's do this for real now. Run the Europa Universalis Gamersgate installer. Once you do that, the installation will commence. Then, copy the folder someplace else, cancel the installation and do the test one more time. The problem is, as I mentioned above, that setup.exe becomes the encrypted launch file. Ensure that, before you copy the folder, setup.exe is included inside the folder.
LOL, okay, I'll try this, but... seriously??? THAT's what their definition of DRM free is??? Trying to figure out how to trick their installer not to check back at base?? This is ridiculous, and while if this works I most definitely will do it for every GG game I own, so that I now know I have my own copy (silly me, I thought when I saved my temporary files I was good to go) I most certainly will not be buying there again. And if one can technically go through these hoops and "make it" DRM free, that doesn't change the fact that as sold, these games are NOT drm free, and that's why I'm done with them.

Hell, I now buy Steam games (after years of boycotting them), but they don't claim to be drm free. Gamers Gate is gone too far with it's claims of DRM free.

Now, I'll uninstall the game again, I'll start the installer again, stop it this time I presume before I click on "Install" move the file somewhere else, and see what that gets us.

Back in a few.
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OldFatGuy: I now buy Steam games (after years of boycotting them), but they don't claim to be drm free.
There's an entire thread on gog for "drm-free" steam games.
Also, a lot of devs market their steam-only games as DRM-free.

Though, you may mean Valve doesn't.
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OldFatGuy: snip
Good luck with that. Anyway, I'm off to sleep. Goodnight everyone.
Okay, for anyone that cares, YES (thank you Grargar) that last bit of tomfoolery worked.

Start the installer, stop it right before clicking install, make a copy of the downloaded directory, and then you have a directory with a fully functioning setup file in it.

Now, to do that with all of my other GG "drm free" games so that they may finally become actually drm free, and GG, you've gotten OFG's last penny. Enjoy the ones you got.
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OldFatGuy: snip
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Grargar: Good luck with that. Anyway, I'm off to sleep. Goodnight everyone.
Thanks again, it worked, and have a good night.
Post edited April 08, 2014 by OldFatGuy