Master of Orion

Saw the game on winter sale, half-price. $15, which seemed pretty reasonable. I nearly clicked "add to cart" immediately. Then I saw the reviews. Sure, the game seems to be rather faithful to the originals, with a few tweaks. Less customization for ships, more spy options ? Ok, I can try and see if it works. Space combat no longer turn by turn ?! Outrageous ! Oh, wait, I can pause it ? Ok, might be acceptable... Ah, and then, I read about the multiplayer DRM, linked to Wargaming.net So, it appears that, when playing single player, the game has a lot of network activity (at least, that's what some buyers say - I didn't install the game myself, nor did I buy it, remember), and the license terms allow Wargaming.net to track and record a whole shitload of things, including where you click, or whole conversations, etc. I understand that there might be legitimate reasons to try and do this (probably banning people insulting other players, or cheaters), but I think there are other ways to deal with those. For instance, no longer playing against them, or having a "user rating" system, where people can say what they thought about them, etc. So, I'm sorry, but this stands against the very reasons I had to come buy here, on GOG. Maybe they'll patch the game, and allow a "normal" multiplayer, without DRM, in the future ? If so, I'll be sure to pick it up, but, for now, I'll pass.

I was about to buy this before I found out about the DRM . I buy most of my games via gog.com because I want to avoid precisely that. Going to stick with Stellaris instead.

Please no DRM, account compromising, or spying. Is it that hard?

I get the 'logic' -- publishers don't want people pirating the non-DRM version to play with their friends. However, GoG's rule is this (taken from its own FAQ) "Frequently asked questions "1. What is GOG.com about and what are its features? "GOG.com is a digital distribution platform serving fantastic computer games and movies at kick-ass prices. And no, it's not “just a store” - it's the site that's all about the greatest games ever and the people who play them. We've got critically acclaimed games, with tons of all-time classics for just $5.99 and $9.99, along with modern games from AAA to Indie, bundled with heaps of free downloadable content and exclusive add-ons, no DRM or intrusive copy protection and full compatibility with Windows XP & Vista. Most of our games are compatible with Windows 7 as well, and many work natively on Mac OS X 10.6+ and Linux - it's all right there on every product page.While games form the bulk and core of our offering, we've also recently introduced movies on top of that. Make sure to check that out, too! "2. So what's with this DRM thing? "DRM or Digital Rights Management is a kind of copy protection technology used by many companies to limit the usage of digital media. Although designed to stop pirates from creating illegal copies, in reality the only people who are hurt are the legitimate consumers, stripped of their fair use rights, such as the ability to make backup copies.We believe that a DRM-free world would be a better place and that's why you won't find any DRMs or other intrusive copy protection in items available at GOG.com. This applies to both games and movies." "no DRM or intrusive copy protection" "you won't find any DRMs" I see GoG is going the way of every business now: once you've got your money and setup, the customers' rights are irrelevant. It's a real shame, too -- I was looking forward to a new Master of Orion game. Instead, I find my favorite game sale site violating its principles like a cheap hooker.

If you don't have super large monitor and are planning to play on notebook with standard 17'', don't buy it, font in the game is simply barely readable in this case and all interface is extremely small and you can't adjust it. (even if you select lower resolution, all interface became even smaller). My eyesight certainly cost more than this "game". Wasted 8$ and 2 hours of life.