So guys, basically: "The DRM-free portion of the game is DRM-free."

I'm glad we cleared that up ;-)

For reviews etc, it's probably best to avoid even using the term 'DRM' and just post indisputable factual information about what features of the game require an online connection. Don't go down the rabbit hole of labeling it as 'DRM' or not.

Please can we get Ponzco to post in this thread to categorically define what DRM is for gog.

As it currently stands, Ponzco is just causing confusion on the entire issue.

Well, they sort of did, but you know how slippery slopes go.

Well, Ponczo already defined what GOG thinks about DRMed content. The quote in the OP is from her. As long as restricted additional features or content don't affect the single player experience in a major way, publishers should be allowed to publish their games in any way they choose.

She only refused to define what 'a major way" is.

I would consider everything listed in the first post as stuff that affects single-player in a major way except for the purely cosmetic stuff.

The cosmetic stuff isn't going to prevent you from playing or make the experience worse but it does create a sense of mistrust towards developers that do it.

She also refused to reply to your complaint which imo makes her completely untrustworthy.

True. She seems to be fully in line with the GOG policy of allowing DRM, but labeling it differently.

Before I rewrite my review, avoiding the term DRM, but describing the locked features, I would like an update from someone who owns the game and plays the offline version:

Is it, by now, possible to get discovery rewards from The Anomaly, and free emergency broadcast missions and Quickilver missions from The Nexus, without Galaxy and without being online?

I strongly suggest to contact Gersen about it. He knows the game pretty well and I am sure he can tell you exactly what's working and what is not.

Thanks. I'll do that.

Ok, about NMS, the answer is : it is "complicated".

First if you go with the strictest definition, as in, download the offline installer and nothing else, install it on an offline PC and play it then the answer is : NO, as far as I know and unless it has changed very very recently (didn't retry with the latest version as you need at least 2 hours on a fresh install), you will have access to 99% of the game but some stuff like quicksilver or expedition won't be available offline.


Now, and that's why I say it is "complicated" and it goes back to I would say the "academic" vs "emotional" definition of what a DRM is. In short the whole "online" part of the game is not technically a "DRM" but just one of those tentative to make the game more "engaging" / "community'esque" by having time limited events and others online interaction.

What is the difference ? well I would say the main difference, and the reason what I am a lot more "tolerant" of it for a game like NMS compared to others is that the devs made it in a very "non-intrusive" way. What I mean by that is that the game doesn't really rely on servers for most of it's "online" single player impacting functionality, as in it just need to download a JSON file from time to time and then can be played 100% offline.

And if you don't want to let the game connect you can download said files from : https://cwmonkey.github.io/nms-expeditions/ and backup them for future use. Which technically gives you a better experience than being online as it allows you to replay past expeditions.


So for the tl;dr; version :

Can the game single player be played 100% offline relying only on the Gog's offline installers ?

The answer is no.

BUT (and for me it is an important BUT, but I let everybody make their own decision) it is possible to create a working offline version by downloading some extra files to simulate most of the online functionality.

If it wasn't patched out, you can get quicksilver offline from stellar ice encounters, it's just an even more braindead grind than the intended method without the buy/reload exploit.

Thank you for the extensive reply!