I already had this game on GOG but didn't have it installed. Just bought the DLCs in the winter sale and downloaded everything to install.
I installed the base game fine, but then when I went to install the Gold Edition upgrade, it gave me an error saying it couldn't find the base game and to either install the GOG version or tell it where the game is in the options menu.
Well, the one that I have installed is the GOG version, and the Gold Edition upgrade's installer window doesn't have an options menu. In addition, the game is installed to the default location, which is what the Gold Edition upgrade's installer says that it requires!
I checked the forum and I don't see anyone else with this problem, so I'm asking for help. And before anyone asks, yes I tried running the installer as administrator. Didn't make a difference.

Screenshots of the error and of proof that I have the GOG version installed are here.

UPDATE:Well that's weird. I just checked and the Mindgames DLC was able to find it perfectly fine (though its patch wouldn't install due to an error that says some files are the "wrong version," whatever that means).
And then after I installed Mindgames, the Gold Edition upgrade install worked perfectly fine.

I have no idea why this is the case, but I'll mark the issue as closed for now. Rather, I would except I can't mark this post as the solution.

http://www.gog.com/forum/sword_of_the_stars_the_pit/install_procedure

>> 1 install the pit. short directory name. (I used SotsThePit)
2. framework, repair.
3. play game. worked.
4. install mindgames.
5. play game. worked (version 1.18)
6. Don't install mindgames patch
7. play game. worked (version 1.2.3) (2 game icons, both look at same file (pit.exe))

I'm having the same problem. Downloaded the gold edition upgrade, but cannot install it because it cannot find the base game and there is no 'options' button to direct it to the correct location.

I've installed the version of the original game that is currently available on gog, which says it should be v2.2.0.6, but the game says version 1.0.8 when I run it. Not sure if that is relevant.

Thanks man, you saved me some time there. That works without fail for me.

What about buying the Pilgrim DLC then? A slightly different issue I guess.

I have Sword of the Stars: The Pit and the Gold Upgrade, and I cannot buy the new Pilgrim DLC because it tells me I haven't got the Gold Edition. I think this is one a website issue, not a game installer issue.

I too have the Gold Upgrade while missing the Gold Edition, but I am able to buy The Pilgrim DLC. See if checking and unchecking the "Is this a gift?" solves it, since I did have that error when I was buying The Japanese Incentive, though that complained that it needed itself to be able to be bought. Haven't encountered said problem since though.

Are you encountering the same bug where the "Sword of the Stars: The Pit Gold Edition Upgrade" is blank on the Game Collection Screen? For some reason it's only showing a manual to download but there's no setup program to download.

I only have one icon on the shelf for SotS:TP, with 2 DLCs (haven't bought The Pilgrim yet). All Gold Edition items are available to download from there (Installer+Manual). See if refreshing your account fixes it, otherwise I'd suggest contacting support.

Yeah that refresh thing didn't work. I don't know why I'm seeing these extra 2 boxes for no reason when I already had the SotS:TP with the 2 DLCs as just one box before. I still don't understand why there can't just be one download that has the whole gold package with the DLC included.

Logistics reasons, especially for games with multiple independent DLCs (think Omerta). Person A has base game plus DLC 1, person B has base game plus DLC 2, person C has base game plus DLC 1 and DLC 2, while person D has only the base game. So you could either have 1 installer for each case, or one installer for the base game and one per DLC.
Things get even more complicated the more DLCs there are, and buying a new DLC would mean that you'd have to redownload everything instead of just the new DLC.

This is the weirdest installation procedure I ever saw.
1. install SOSTP, let happen MS .NET, why ?
2. install DLC mindgames
3. install gold SOSTP-gold edition.
Without mindgames it cannot find core game, huh ?

At first install I skipped .NET because I always got the latest installation and I was afraid that this may ruin .NET. It happened before. Because of the error: core game not found I let it install .NET but it didn't work out again.
Now it works but I'm not happy with this installation procedure.

Its not solved, i'm following the exact directions and mind games cannot even install because it can't find the base game

EDIT:
so I found out that my base game was not the most recent version, I got the newest version and everything worked out.