Posted June 02, 2017
high rated
Hello to all.
Fallout: New Vegas (from the stand-alone installer) will not run until it is able to receive a response to the DNS look-up request for galaxy-log.gog.com (I had noticed this while capturing packet data).
Within my hosts file (on the Arch distribution of Linux), I have added '127.0.0.1 galaxy-log.gog.com' (which bypasses DNS queries for this address, while routing them to the local loopback), therefore allowing the game to start while I am not connected to the internet.
I am certain that this was a simple oversight by GOG staff. Have any other users experienced this issue as well?
Thank you for your time.
Update #1: I have determined that 'Galaxy.dll' (within the folder that contains the game's executable files) can be easily modified with a hex editor to rectify this issue (without the need for the hosts file fix), as seen in the attached comparison image.
I understand that FalloutNV.exe relies upon 'GalaxyWrp.dll' (due to past integration with Valve's 'Steam' client, it was necessary for GOG to mimic the Steam API); So, the presence of these Galaxy-related files makes a bit more sense, now.
However, I hope (if they have not already) that GOG corrects this issue, as someone that installs the game onto a computer that either does not cache DNS requests (and subsequently runs Fallout: New Vegas while offline), or simply does not ever connect to the internet, may end up having the same issue that I had experienced.
Update #2 (7th of June clarification edit with specificities): Today (the 5th of the month of June), I tested a completely different computer, in a completely different home (this time, a friend's MacBook with Linux). I re-downloaded the game's installation files from GOG, in order to determine as to whether or not the files had been updated (they had not). With Static/Manual IP settings and without a DNS-cache (the same method used by the previously-tested desktop-oriented Linux-based computer), the game refused to start while the wireless network adapter was unlinked/disconnected from the router. Just as before, the game launched immediately once the link/connection was re-established with the internet-connected router. So, no news on that front...
Then, I attempted the same with DHCP/Automatic IP settings (still, without a DNS-caching mechanism), and the game launched without fail, regardless of connectivity-status (both, connected to the router, and disconnected). It would be safe to conclude that DHCP has some sort of fallback function (which leads to graceful failure) when galaxy-log.gog.com is requested by 'Galaxy.dll' (through the execution of 'FalloutNV.exe'). An extremely high percentage of setups use DHCP, by default (for convenience); So, it is not at all surprising that this would cause the affected amount of users to be minimal...
So, if anyone is experiencing this issue, it seems to be related to not using DHCP/Automatic settings for IP connectivity, along with either: not having a DNS-caching mechanism, or having a recently-flushed DNS-cache (where the IP address associated with galaxy-log.gog.com previously-resided), or simply having never had any contact with galaxy-log.gog.com (for whichever reason), when attempting to launch the game while being disconnected from the internet. I will still choose to use a static/manual IP configuration, as well as run without a DNS-caching mechanism, and play offline (since none of my other games/applications have ever been this finicky). If you feel the same, either of the previously-mentioned work-arounds should be enough to treat the symptoms.
Fallout: New Vegas (from the stand-alone installer) will not run until it is able to receive a response to the DNS look-up request for galaxy-log.gog.com (I had noticed this while capturing packet data).
Within my hosts file (on the Arch distribution of Linux), I have added '127.0.0.1 galaxy-log.gog.com' (which bypasses DNS queries for this address, while routing them to the local loopback), therefore allowing the game to start while I am not connected to the internet.
I am certain that this was a simple oversight by GOG staff. Have any other users experienced this issue as well?
Thank you for your time.
Update #1: I have determined that 'Galaxy.dll' (within the folder that contains the game's executable files) can be easily modified with a hex editor to rectify this issue (without the need for the hosts file fix), as seen in the attached comparison image.
I understand that FalloutNV.exe relies upon 'GalaxyWrp.dll' (due to past integration with Valve's 'Steam' client, it was necessary for GOG to mimic the Steam API); So, the presence of these Galaxy-related files makes a bit more sense, now.
However, I hope (if they have not already) that GOG corrects this issue, as someone that installs the game onto a computer that either does not cache DNS requests (and subsequently runs Fallout: New Vegas while offline), or simply does not ever connect to the internet, may end up having the same issue that I had experienced.
Update #2 (7th of June clarification edit with specificities): Today (the 5th of the month of June), I tested a completely different computer, in a completely different home (this time, a friend's MacBook with Linux). I re-downloaded the game's installation files from GOG, in order to determine as to whether or not the files had been updated (they had not). With Static/Manual IP settings and without a DNS-cache (the same method used by the previously-tested desktop-oriented Linux-based computer), the game refused to start while the wireless network adapter was unlinked/disconnected from the router. Just as before, the game launched immediately once the link/connection was re-established with the internet-connected router. So, no news on that front...
Then, I attempted the same with DHCP/Automatic IP settings (still, without a DNS-caching mechanism), and the game launched without fail, regardless of connectivity-status (both, connected to the router, and disconnected). It would be safe to conclude that DHCP has some sort of fallback function (which leads to graceful failure) when galaxy-log.gog.com is requested by 'Galaxy.dll' (through the execution of 'FalloutNV.exe'). An extremely high percentage of setups use DHCP, by default (for convenience); So, it is not at all surprising that this would cause the affected amount of users to be minimal...
So, if anyone is experiencing this issue, it seems to be related to not using DHCP/Automatic settings for IP connectivity, along with either: not having a DNS-caching mechanism, or having a recently-flushed DNS-cache (where the IP address associated with galaxy-log.gog.com previously-resided), or simply having never had any contact with galaxy-log.gog.com (for whichever reason), when attempting to launch the game while being disconnected from the internet. I will still choose to use a static/manual IP configuration, as well as run without a DNS-caching mechanism, and play offline (since none of my other games/applications have ever been this finicky). If you feel the same, either of the previously-mentioned work-arounds should be enough to treat the symptoms.
Post edited June 08, 2017 by Palestine