Posted March 04, 2022
The whole point of having delta patch files is to not have to redownload / reinstall an entire game / software just to get a newer version.
It seems like some developers don't understand that, some don't care, and some are struggling to understand and / or implement that properly.
The developers of this game created quite an awesome game.
Unfortunatelly it's GOG patching system (and to lesser extent also Steam release's one too) is obnoxious.
Normally it would go like this:
base-game-RTM-version-offline-installer, version 0
patch version 0 / RTM > version 1
patch v 1 > v 2
patch v 2 > v 3 (latest)
etc
Some companies don't leave RTM version and go the route of:
base-game-version 3 (latest)
patch version 0 / RTM > version 1
patch v 1 > v 2
patch v 2 > v 3 (latest)
This is unfortunate (does not allow getting RTM version of the game, which is useful for more than 1 reason, for example: regressions, software preservation, speedrunning), but still allows people to not have to redownload the entire game just to update.
Ideally there would ALWAYS be:
base-game-RTM-version-offline-installer, version 0
patch version 0 / RTM > version 1
patch v 1 > v 2
patch v 2 > v 3 (latest)
base-game-version 3 (latest)
etc
That would satisfy pretty much everyone and would be a great thing to have overall.
And it CAN totally be done ANY MOMENT since GOG keeps all versions anyway, they just don't expose it to end customers unless you nag support for a download link to an earlier version.
But that's (the dual full installers) sadly highly unusual on GOG.
We almost exclusively get the "patches from the RTM plus latest full installer".
Unfortunatelly with THIS game every few versions an offline installer PATCH is being skipped and the only way to update is to redownload the entire hefty game of size over 10 GB.
Which is ridiculous.
See for yourselves:
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#downloads
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#builds
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#changelog
To make an example:
(BUILDS)
53945785582074797
(version) 32024_416
2020-12-11
53962422365437748
32091_417
2020-12-17
54286680354819795
34834_426
2021-04-08
54693410384204890
40019_434
2021-08-27
54716255572551340
40433_436
2021-09-03
PATCHES:
Patch (32024_416 to 32091_417) English 4.2 MB
Patch (40019_434 to 40433_436) English 1.0 MB (multipart patch)
Patch (40019_434 to 40433_436) English 4.3 GB (multipart patch)
Patch (40019_434 to 40433_436) English 873.5 MB (multipart patch)
Patches
32091_417 to 34834_426
and
34834_426 to 40019_434
are missing in action apparently.
And this behaviour continues as with the release of the Hel expansion there was a bump from 41955_440 to 42441_444, with a very hefty change of 5.9 GB, and... THERE's NO OFFILE PATCH...
Are you SERIOUSLY expecting people should redownload the, now 20 GB, full installer just to update?
This is ridiculous.
And if you take a look at the changelog history
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#changelog
you will see that some offline patches were even REMOVED.
WHY ?!
Who thought THAT was such a great idea?
We are in 2022, not 1992!
Come on!
Dear developers,
your game rocks, but your patches SUCK. HARD.
Please fix them immediatelly and stop doing this BS.
What you are doing is literally an anti-consumer practise and it needs to stop. NOW.
With the release of the Hel expansion you did ANOTHER digital distribution BS.
The whole POINT of having separate DLC installer, especially for a hefty expansion (especially on a DRM-free platform) is to NOT add the expansion data to the base game installer!
And you just did exactly that!
(base)
Download changed: Installer, Ghostrunner, Windows, en
Version 41955_440 ⇒ 42441_444, Size 14.6 GB ⇒ 20.5 GB
2022-03-03
( btw, lo and behold, THERE'S NO 41955_440 ⇒ 42441_444 offline patch available )
(Hel DLC)
Ghostrunner - Project_Hel English
4.2 MB
42441_444
sources:
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#changelog
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1443435189#downloads
To some ludicrous irony you did the exact same thing in Steam release.
https://steamdb.info/app/1139900/history/?changeid=14123006
Your game is great.
But YOU NEED TO FIX YOUR DAMN PATCHES.
What is even the point of providing the patches if you CAN'T BE BOTHERED to do that CONSISTENTLY ?!
Are you mocking your fans ?!
Yes, GOG as a platform has double standards EVERYWHERE. There's no doubt about that.
But YOU (dear developers) are better than that!
Get your shit together and fix it!
-----
And before someone says:
uSe gAlaXY!
HAVING TO use an "totally optional launcher" (according to Gog's own marketing) is a FORM OF DRM.
NO THANK YOU.
Especially since the launcher itself is badly coded and Windows-only.
It seems like some developers don't understand that, some don't care, and some are struggling to understand and / or implement that properly.
The developers of this game created quite an awesome game.
Unfortunatelly it's GOG patching system (and to lesser extent also Steam release's one too) is obnoxious.
Normally it would go like this:
base-game-RTM-version-offline-installer, version 0
patch version 0 / RTM > version 1
patch v 1 > v 2
patch v 2 > v 3 (latest)
etc
Some companies don't leave RTM version and go the route of:
base-game-version 3 (latest)
patch version 0 / RTM > version 1
patch v 1 > v 2
patch v 2 > v 3 (latest)
This is unfortunate (does not allow getting RTM version of the game, which is useful for more than 1 reason, for example: regressions, software preservation, speedrunning), but still allows people to not have to redownload the entire game just to update.
Ideally there would ALWAYS be:
base-game-RTM-version-offline-installer, version 0
patch version 0 / RTM > version 1
patch v 1 > v 2
patch v 2 > v 3 (latest)
base-game-version 3 (latest)
etc
That would satisfy pretty much everyone and would be a great thing to have overall.
And it CAN totally be done ANY MOMENT since GOG keeps all versions anyway, they just don't expose it to end customers unless you nag support for a download link to an earlier version.
But that's (the dual full installers) sadly highly unusual on GOG.
We almost exclusively get the "patches from the RTM plus latest full installer".
Unfortunatelly with THIS game every few versions an offline installer PATCH is being skipped and the only way to update is to redownload the entire hefty game of size over 10 GB.
Which is ridiculous.
See for yourselves:
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#downloads
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#builds
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#changelog
To make an example:
(BUILDS)
53945785582074797
(version) 32024_416
2020-12-11
53962422365437748
32091_417
2020-12-17
54286680354819795
34834_426
2021-04-08
54693410384204890
40019_434
2021-08-27
54716255572551340
40433_436
2021-09-03
PATCHES:
Patch (32024_416 to 32091_417) English 4.2 MB
Patch (40019_434 to 40433_436) English 1.0 MB (multipart patch)
Patch (40019_434 to 40433_436) English 4.3 GB (multipart patch)
Patch (40019_434 to 40433_436) English 873.5 MB (multipart patch)
Patches
32091_417 to 34834_426
and
34834_426 to 40019_434
are missing in action apparently.
And this behaviour continues as with the release of the Hel expansion there was a bump from 41955_440 to 42441_444, with a very hefty change of 5.9 GB, and... THERE's NO OFFILE PATCH...
Are you SERIOUSLY expecting people should redownload the, now 20 GB, full installer just to update?
This is ridiculous.
And if you take a look at the changelog history
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#changelog
you will see that some offline patches were even REMOVED.
WHY ?!
Who thought THAT was such a great idea?
We are in 2022, not 1992!
Come on!
Dear developers,
your game rocks, but your patches SUCK. HARD.
Please fix them immediatelly and stop doing this BS.
What you are doing is literally an anti-consumer practise and it needs to stop. NOW.
With the release of the Hel expansion you did ANOTHER digital distribution BS.
The whole POINT of having separate DLC installer, especially for a hefty expansion (especially on a DRM-free platform) is to NOT add the expansion data to the base game installer!
And you just did exactly that!
(base)
Download changed: Installer, Ghostrunner, Windows, en
Version 41955_440 ⇒ 42441_444, Size 14.6 GB ⇒ 20.5 GB
2022-03-03
( btw, lo and behold, THERE'S NO 41955_440 ⇒ 42441_444 offline patch available )
(Hel DLC)
Ghostrunner - Project_Hel English
4.2 MB
42441_444
sources:
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1957528513#changelog
https://www.gogdb.org/product/1443435189#downloads
To some ludicrous irony you did the exact same thing in Steam release.
https://steamdb.info/app/1139900/history/?changeid=14123006
Your game is great.
But YOU NEED TO FIX YOUR DAMN PATCHES.
What is even the point of providing the patches if you CAN'T BE BOTHERED to do that CONSISTENTLY ?!
Are you mocking your fans ?!
Yes, GOG as a platform has double standards EVERYWHERE. There's no doubt about that.
But YOU (dear developers) are better than that!
Get your shit together and fix it!
-----
And before someone says:
uSe gAlaXY!
HAVING TO use an "totally optional launcher" (according to Gog's own marketing) is a FORM OF DRM.
NO THANK YOU.
Especially since the launcher itself is badly coded and Windows-only.