Yeah, for some reason the GOG Galaxy version doesn't work, for me neither. But if you install the offline installer, it works without a hitch on my Windows 11 computer. Now I wish if the situation was that simple with Settlers 4... But this is about Settlers 3: Great game! My first game I ever played, so excuse my nostalgia filter. I don't moan for roads, I find the settlement building here instead vastly more organically, even if I can acknowledge that it's dumbed down in terms of mechanics. Still, you can attack anywhere and be strategic about how to use your soldiers as this has a rudimentary RTS side, but it's still a relaxing settlement builder with small, but never superfluous resource cycles, very differently playing factions, easy entry, but a stupidly high difficulty in the Addons. The AI only ever attacks if it has an advantage, so you are incentivized to build up as quickly as possible and build a force as a deterrence so that you won't get crippled early on. You also NEED to destroy most towers because this game is HARD and the AI will swarm you if it gets the idea you have some undefended towers. One slip-up and you'll get overwhelmed. However, on the other end the AI is really bad at defense, especially when you attack a tower and mow down those headlessly rushing to its defense from elsewhere, since their movement orders supersede any attack behavior, unlike with your own troops where it's actually the opposite. So once you've got an army, you tend to end up slaughtering vastly superior armies because of this. Note however that Settlers 4 is the same game, but superior with more mission variety (all main game and even most addon missions just have you beat up all AI opponents) and nicer graphics. Despite its flaws, it is a great game to wind down after work and I recommend it heartily!
Yeah, I guess it is my fault for trying to play the game on Windows 11, but even with all the tips and third party tools it is impossible. Even with everything and managing to get into the game, it either crashed or showed only a back screen when loading a mission (music worked fine and I even heard the sounds of the menus when I clicked blindly around). I suppose support is dying out with Ubisoft releasing its History Edition but from the sound of it, even that one doesn't work out of the box. Sigh... it is weird, because Settlers 3 works flawlessly from GOG. So in the end, I saw myself forced to ask for a refund. Despite that, I have to emphasize my fondest memories of this game. I know, I know, the Settlers 2 purists are crying about their roads, but Settlers 3 and 4 replaces that with a lot of freedom to move units and fight where you want them to and have villages that just feel to grow organically. And it's an improvement to Settlers 3 in every aspect, with much more mission variety, improved (if still very basic) AI and absolutely gorgeous graphics. If it could only work on modern systems...
