First, uninstall SDC. Then, download Impulse. Finally, use Impulse to update the game(s) as support suggested.

Where can Impulse be downloaded?

So what is this Impulse and why is it better than SDC?

By the way whatever happened to the plain old fashioned download of an executable that installed whatever it was that you actually wanted.

Why do we need this extra level of indirection to have to install something whose only purpose is to install something else?

I couldn't stand SDC because it contained far more crap than I wanted. I can't imagine why I would suddenly want Impulse on my machine. What does it do for me? I honestly don't care, I simply do not want extraneous crap on my machine. I've spent many hours deleting the crapware that initially came with my PC. Why should I spend my time and effort intentionally installing more of the same?

Impluse certainly isn't for my convenience or benefit. Why do software companies insist on forcing unwanted stuff down their customers throats?

Why is it that I have to be inundated with crap? Why do software companies assume that because I happen to like (in this case love) one of their products that they have the right to consider my PC their personal playground?

Give me what I want without forcing me to take stuff I don't want.

I'll happily pay you money to not be forced to install this kind of crap.

I understand your argument but isn't that what serial numbers are for?

Up until DL v1.4 a standalone installer was always provided. I'm not sure how the paradigm has changed since that time. I actually don't believe it really has.

As far as not running until told to that is certainly a minimal requirement but that in and of itself is not sufficient to warrant it's installation on my machine. It most importantly has to provide a function that I want and also not complicate my machine with scores of things that I don't want. It’s this second criterion that SDC failed. Now you say SDC is no more and there’s another new thing, Impulse, which will be the end all and be all of software installation tools. Well frankly I don’t care. I don’t want to hear about it, know about it or learn about it, and why should I? I just want to play the game I bought without having to learn some other piece of software.

I had SDC on my machine once and it was nothing but an annoyance to me. Finally I simply uninstalled it and the uninstall promptly deleted the game serial numbers from my registry without mentioning it but otherwise left my installation of the game in perfect operating order.

So the next time I went to post a game to the metaverse that I had literally spent 2 months playing I couldn't submit it because the serial numbers didn't match.

While this was easy enough to figure out it still represented 2 months of play that I couldn't submit. Oh well. Live and learn. Although playing games for the metaverse is a major part of why I play the game it's not the only reason I play the game. Anyway I find these overburdensome ancillary programs so annoying that I will forgo upgrades and new versions of the game that I’ve purchased. I bought DA in Beta but have never installed it because essential upgrades are unavailable without SDC and now this new unknown and probably even more onerous Impulse.

I actually purchased ToA for the sole purpose of getting a CD based install of the latest DA version. Perhaps the initial release of ToA will not require numerous revisions but if history is any guide it most certainly will. But that’s OK. When I do get my ToA CD I can be relatively certain that at least the DA version will be fairly stable.

It has been indicated that the mysterious version 2 will have a standalone installer as well. If so then perhaps at that time I’ll be able to upgrade the ToA version to something hopefully stable.

I refused to have SDC on my machine. Why would I be willing to install something newer, particularly since it will only be a matter of time until we’re told Impulse is no good and there’s something newer and better that we have to change to. It’s a never ending cycle with the ancillary programs getting more and more complex as time goes on.

I have a choice to install Impulse and get upgrades and new versions of the game that I’ve purchased or don’t install Impulse and forgo games that I’ve spent money on. I prefer to forgo versions of the game that I’ve purchased rather than install SDC or Impulse or whatever new thing replaces Impulse within the year. Thanks but no thanks.

I don't mean to be cantankerous. I perfectly understand you can't tailor your distribution mechanism for the likes of a few old dinosaurs like me.

I also want to make it clear that I believe that it certainly behooves a software company to do something to protect it's product from piracy.

But I do think that I have a legitimate complaint in being forced to install other, fairly complex, multifunctional pieces of software for the sole purposes of receiving stuff I've paid for.

Please don't get me wrong. It should be clear to everyone that I love GC2. I stumbled across DL in Game Stop close to two years ago. I purchased DA and I've purchased ToA and I'll continue to purchase every upgrade, expansion and new version that you decide to publish.

It's not a matter of money. I want to give SD my money at every conceivable opportunity. I want to support the company that designs and supports the game that I love.

But having said all of the above it’s also true that I am very particular about the software that I install on my machine. I’m a minimalist to the point of obsession. I had installed SDC and it contained all this stuff that I had no use for or interest in. Some consider this bordering on OCD. Perhaps they may be right but it’s simply my personal cross to bear.

I just wish to have control over what gets installed on my PC. I don’t think this is an unreasonable desire and I also don’t think that I’m the only one that thinks this way.

Like I said I realize you can’t tailor your distribution mechanism around the complaints of a few and I’ll deal with it the best that I can. They only thing I would ask is that you could at least understand the motivation behind my request as not being something intrinsically evil and when possible release the occasional standalone upgrade as has been mentioned in conjunction with version 2.

As one who uses a lot more Stardock products than just GalCivII, SDC or Impulse are almost essentials. If you think that they update their games often on first release, you should see how often there are updates to programs like WindowBlinds or IconPackager. Usually every two weeks ever since my first install.

For programs like that, I find the Impulse or SDC system to be MUCH easier than downloading and running update installers every week or two.

Plus, I find the chat feature very handy, as well as basically keeping me connected with the happenings of the Stardock universe. With the coming synthesis we find in Impulse with programs, webpages, chat, and multiplayer, it's practically essential.

Impulse is your friend, people. I promise.

There are certain lines that I don't like software companies to cross, but I'm always moving them back-and-forth as time saunters on. I don't necessarily like it, but fairly regularly, I have to decide, "Is doing x worth it so I can enjoy y?" And then I move on after making that decision.

I'm quite sure Stardock understands there are people who want updates without having to use SDC or Impulse, and that these people do not want to steal their software. The "problem" is, there aren't enough of them to make them change their behavior. And considering how much people like Stardock, and how those numbers (and their popularity) are growing every day, it simply isn't going to change.

You want it to be 1983, where you could get your DOS 1.1 games on a 5.25" floppy, and simply run PLAYME.EXE right off that floppy. But it's 25 years later, and things have changed. I don't think Stardock's methods are so awful, but everyone has to make their choice, and as Brad implied, it's your choice to make if you don't want to use their procedures to get updates.

-HM

Impulse looks better than SDC, it seems to start slower though. I am having trouble updating Icon Packager because it says my registration is invalid. I am showing an update is avaialable for Theme Manager too, but it won't let me do anything but run the program or ignore the update. Also Impulse won't let the task bar be on top. I have to minimize Impulse to use my task bar. I do like the way SDC manages my games better. The games I have purchased no longer appear in the SDC store but all games are in the Impulse store. And what happened to the Total Gaming.Net option to buy?

Personally, I would prefer to have a Firefox extension that allows me to update and install my purchases from Stardock. That would eliminate the extra program I don't need and add functionality to one I do need and use often.

Another strange thing is I already had TotA installed with SDC, but it does not show up as installed on Impulse.

I can understand your reasoning, but not everyone has or even likes FF. Besides that, extensions to browsers are fraught with problems and are the number one thing to avoid when it comes to ancillary software.