Yes they do! They are not courses. They are files used in the conversion process to convert a 386 course to a LS 98 course.

It's as I've said:
1. You need to own Links 386
2. You then need to convert the courses to use in Links LS 98

Links LS 98 comes with 4 courses.

Not true - all the other courses in the game have a crx file which contains the course data obviously. Owning Links LS automatically grants the right to all of the courses in the game files - please provide the process for using those from the crx files in Links LS98.

Hello martynneale!

I am sorry, but it is you who is wrong here. Take a look at the attached foto of one of the original "Links LS: 1998 Edition" install CDs.
It is indeed as PPFleury29 already explained to you that one needs to have a copy of the original courses from "Links 386 Pro" in order to have access to the listed additional course conversions!

In fact, I have installed "Links 386 Pro" and tested the import function from within "Links LS: 1998". The resulting .CRX course files differ in size both from the original .CRH course files from "Links 386 Pro" as well as from the list of corresponding .CRX files in the CRH directory of the "Links LS: 1998" installation!
Thus, these already included files really are only compatibility files necessary for the conversion of the older [not out of the box compatible] course files and not complete courses in themselves. And especially, they are in no way 'granting automatically the right to all those extra courses'!
For instance, in case someone still possesses an original copy of "Links 386" on floppy disks (or "Links 386 CD Edition") that does not come with all of these listed compatible courses, still has no access nor right to use the missing courses. One way or the other, they needed to be obtained by purchasing the original courses in the first place.

And, as can be read on the foto of the install-CD you need to start "Links LS: 1998" to convert and import the corresponding extra courses of those that you have an original copy of, e.g. from a "Links 386" floppy disk, install-CD, or the also here on GOG.com available "Links 386 Pro" installation.

Sincerely, this should be the end of this discussion, because it will not lead anywhere.

Kind regards,
foxgog

No wrong because Links 386 was abandonware for a long time and came out in 1992!. Charging for it now is nonsense as it can be played for free online and it can be downloaded for free online as well. All GOG need to do is provide the solution for getting the courses to run without links 386 by preinstalling them as is done for Links 2003 - you are wasting your time trying to justify having to obtain Links 386 to run courses which are already owned in the LS98 files!

You must understand this argument over 30 year old abandoned software is futile and accept that the conversion of the courses should be done automatically in Links LS 98.You seem to be living in a past long gone.

Sorry, just read this, there were 25.
I may be a course off but somewhere around there.

I repeat you are mistaken - Links 386 is freeware and so all that is needed is for the courses to be converted...if you were helping I'd thank you without hesitation...

Well, freeware or not freeware the answers to your questions are the same. I'll keep waiting...

I think you will also find as with other old titles that appear on GOG the "abandonware" will get taken off the internet.
I'm only guessing but I would suggest while a game license is in limbo, no one is really looking to enforce anything. The license to Links 386 is once again active so I would say any freeware versions are now blatantly a no no.

Links 386 is basically worthless and hails from 1992 - no amount of word salad is going to change that...

Worthless or not, free or not free, it has nothing to do with this discussion. It's another topic totally.
Interestingly, how you determine a 1992 game is abandonware and a 1997 game is not, I have no idea. I must've missed the announcement...

Seems like there's some confusion here. Links 386 Pro is no longer abandonware since it is being sold by GOG. To use the 386 courses in 98, you must purchase and install 386, then point 98's course conversion tool to the courses in 396's install directory so it can convert them. If I'm not mistaken, all but three of the courses included in 386 can be converted to 98.

When I try to convert my Links 386 courses, it starts the conversion, but then it asks to insert "Links LS Disk 1". Does anyone know how to do this with the GOG installation?

Late reply to you, but how I did it was I used Windows Registry Editior. When open you will need to look for HKEY_CURRENT_USER, SOFTWARE. Once in that folder tree you will see various registries for your (obviously) software including what I would assume most, if not the majority, of your games.

Links LS 1998 will be unde Access, navigate to the PATHS registry folder and you should see three keys: (Default), DefaultCD and Defaultpath. Edit DefaultCD to be almost any number other than what is shown, I found 46 (for some reason) to work fine for me.

Hope this helps you out.

Is there any way to get this game to run in widescreen resolutions?