So after the news that Gwent became an open beta instead of a closed beta, I looked into the library entry for it on my Accounts page using the go to browser for me nowadays, Microsoft Edge. (Don't hold a gun to my face, I'll switch to Opera sometime, please have some mercy on me!). From here, I uploaded my findings to a Discord server, which are hereby, linked here.

First off, the game window showed that I could download an offline installer for Gwent. Sounds good, right? The thing didn't have an offline/backup installer before, so it's always a good thing. It was a 2.4GBs download, something my poor man's internet could finish overnights.

But something was just...fishy. I was looking at a 150MBs setup instead of a 2.4GBs setup. As I have installed Gwent some other time before I know that the game is not just a mere 150MBs. So what the heck is this setup made of then?

UAC said it was GOG Galaxy. Which made sense. The Galaxy installer is just a 150MBs setup. That does raise another concern, but that concern is not of the matter now. The setup was indeed, a customized Galaxy installer with a Gwent finish. It also has the options screen that is typical of the offline installers. There you learn Galaxy requires 111MBs and Gwent requires 4.7GBs. The thing then begins to install, and when it's done it'll say it's . Heck, it even puts [url=https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/172006506525360129/317973628522201088/unknown.png]two shortcuts for you, with the Gwent shortcut launching Galaxy with a couple parameters to point to Gwent.

Upon opening Galaxy we already see that the client has Gwent added, but you need to log in to get anywhere, of course. What do you know, upon successful login, the game starts being downloaded to your computer automatically.

----

I dunno if GOG intends this to be exclusive to Gwent in it's open beta days. What I'm worried about is that this is possibly the format of the controversial Galaxy in your offline installers deal that GOG started, and this was the result of what we said. The full game is not even included in the installer. Only a Galaxy installer but reskinned, and boy, will the GOG team keep updating it for every Galaxy update they release? Right now it's manageable because it's only one game, but soon we could talk about a hundred or a thousand games even. How would GOG keep up with that? And more importantly, is that what we can expect from the installers with Galaxy built-in? Granted there was talk about opt-out checkboxes, but still. I wonder where GOG is headed with this.

I hope this is just a mixup on GOG's part and not seriously what they plan to do...
If they really plan to do this(and if their original "Galaxy Bundled Installers" had a offline installer of Galaxy in their first place) it would surely give huge backlash, which would just hurt it, and would change my view of GOG from
"GOG is great, drm free, optional client, great place, this is how game distribution should be done, everyone should hear of this"
to
"eh alright, I'll get it on GOG, at least it's DRM free... still don't like the place"
So please GOG, don't do what every big modern company seems to do nowadays "we have enough support, now we can screw the customer over in any way we want"
Don't put your Galaxy ads everywhere, I know you want the average joes to know about it, and while I can understand that, it shouldn't be done so aggressively(it's not terrible, as of now, but it goes in the wrong direction), also don't think that every person can be helped with that, if we had to simplyfy the computer so that everyone could use it we would have a system that can almost do nothing, so let people learn a bit about stuff as well.

Back on topic:
At least I really hope it's a mixup, 2,4 GB listed there and 150MB in final makes it seem that way.
That does raise another concern, but that concern is not of the matter now.
Let me guess, GWENT being Galaxy exclusive? Had that worry as well- wait a minute delivers online features and is required to play GWENT in BETA
I know it doesn't say "delivers online features which are required" but I sure as hell hope that we won't have games that need Galaxy for multiplayer. The client integration of "join and play" and other stuff is nice, but we don't need a darn Client to play videogames, no game producer should get that idea again, and if they do they should be hammered.
Back go GOG since this is a GOG game:
Keep it like you described it on the package, a OPTIONAL Client.

It says it's ready, to be fair it says it's ready to INSTALL, as in this is "pre install" stuff.

Same worry here, while it's somewhat alright for GOG to do this for Gwent's beta I hope it won't turn into a mainstream case- wait, did I just say it's ok? While they do have their reasons I still don't think we should be forced into a client, so why does it exactly need it?
According the the installer it sounds like it's exclusive to the beta through, but you never know...

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/offline_installers_with_an_option_to_install_gog_galaxy/post737

https://www.gog.com/forum/general/release_gremlins_inc_dlc_84440
Yeah.. Too late.

By far not the first one.

There's actually a terribly outdated old GOGmix about it:
https://www.gog.com/mix/gogs_that_require_galaxy_client_for_multiplayer
Looking through the boards it seems as if prkprkprk has actually left GOG two years ago because of the rise of Galaxy and what obviously came with it.

I didn't know Gwent was not the first one... with always online single player
I'm thinking about stop buying stuff on gog...
maybe I can just buy drm-free games on humble bundle and try to understand if a game is drm-free on other stores (I don't mind use steam to just download a game).
I'm really disappointed... and sad...

Games that need Galaxy for online multiplayer I know of:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/lists_games_that_need_galaxy_for_multiplayer_and_the_ones_that_dont

Don't mistake Gremlins for Goblins. They might get mad at you. ;)

Thanks, I always make that mistake.
Fixed.

Yup, think that's now common here. There are a few other stores selling drm free and a fair few devs sell on thier own store. For older games you can still get the physical copy, patch it yourself. And don't forget ps3 (don't know about 4) tends to have fully working games.

physical copy and console are not usually what I call drm-free.

That's what some devs want us to believe, but actually:
https://www.gog.com/forum/general/lists_games_that_need_galaxy_for_multiplayer_and_the_ones_that_dont

(implying you meant that part of the quote in your post)

Edit: Apparently you can't multiquote in GOG without it deleting the previous post.

I was going to say that I don't know if this one requires Galaxy, I do know that you have a separate SP offline game, but that's because, excuse my language, the producer is retarded and wants you to play SP online, at least if you want drops, maybe some kind of anti cheating mechanism? However the way I view it is that it's similar to MMOs, there you're connected to the server all the time as well, doesn't matter if you play SP content. When was the first one released?
And this really makes me disappointed, Games don't need a Client and producers should learn that, CD Projekt Red also shouldn't encourage them by using it for their games as well.
Cloud Saves, "join to play" and such things are nice, but tell me is, it that hard to not have those features for a non Galaxy version?
So much about the "Optional Client" broken promises... and here I thought that it might be too early to go against GOG because of their, in my view(since they lead to having galaxy in every setup)stupid Game Galaxy Installers...
Well I'll see where this goes, but GOG should seriously stop with it, also what about this new UI here? there's some things that you can only access well in Galaxy.

I'll still use GOG to get stuff DRM free, but honestly at this point we're soon back at "obtain a game and then a crack so you can play without this nonsense"...

Or am I missing a huge point here on why Galaxy would be so needed for MP(at least it's just MP and not entire games, but I wouldn't be surprised if GOG does that in like 5 years)

Nope, I meant sad and disappointed.
Why not? Ps3 and before don't have any drm on them you just put the disc/cart in and play. Quite a lot of the old games are drm free, also quite a few need nocd or official patches to get round that though. I have a shed load of old games several hundred and more all ages, and a fair few work out the box like baldurs gate for instance, Diablo (I actually have that on a usb!

Afaik those still had disc DRM.
As for PC ones, yeah Securom, and guess what, not compatible with Win10! Also funny enough, noCD patches for more modern games(GRID for example) end up being exactly the cracks you usually get with pirated ones...
Pirates saving the day by offering the best confort again compared to DRM...