Where can I get the latest patch? » Forum Post by smartwings

Sorry, but the standalone download of 1.4x has been discontinued. SDC is now the only supported means of updating the game. It does include an option to archive downloaded files so they can be taken to offline computers; you simply need to have an online machine that you can install SDC on and a means to transport files manually in order to update an offline machine.

even if it was, I would not install such a software.

Why do you not want to use SDC? If you have a particular complaint, we may be able to address it.

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Thank you for your answer. I am a bit disappointed by this decison. I have bought a game and I want to play it. I do not want to install any other programs. I do not have a special complaint, it is just a matter of principle that I am forced to use a software I do not want to use.

But luckily for me I was able to find the patch on my old USB stick. I downloaded it a long time ago and the bought a bigger USB stick and put this one away.

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I wonder at Stardock's removal of DL v1.4X from the downloads section.

What harm was it causing?

And, why not have full updates available as stand-alone downloads?
As opposed to forcing the customer to download and install an entirely different program just to update the game, and forcing them to use an obscure feature of 'archive downloaded files' to save the update to the hard drive?

I agree with many of Stardock's policies - not this one, however.

I am also one that likes to download the complete update, then install it.

And, I'll tell you from both experience and from many posts...
SDC downloaded updates are too often corrupt or incomplete. The only sure way of getting it done right the first time is to download the complete update to the hard drive and install it from there.

C'mon, Stardock.
Instead of making us jump through hoops (with the distinct possibility of tripping ourselves because SDC screws up so very often) just to update our game - be a little more user friendly.

Once you have a full release version of an update - PUT IT UP IN THE DOWNLOADS SECTION AS A STAND_ALONE UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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And, I'll tell you from both experience and from many posts...
SDC downloaded updates are too often corrupt or incomplete. The only sure way of getting it done right the first time is to download the complete update to the hard drive and install it from there.

Never had this happen in 20 updates, even over lowest class DSL service. Did have to d/l the last stand alone patch twice to get a copy that installed correctly, though.

drrider

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Nowadays, the Databanks and Downloads are useless pages. Except to download SDC. Screenshots is a page that hasn't been updated in a looong while.

PS: At the bottom of the screenshots page, whats up with those ship designs? they look cool, but they were never used. What gives?

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Well this has persuaded me not to buy the Dark Avatar datadisk nor any future game from Stardock unless this philosophy changes. It is really a pitty. I found the game activation annoying enough, but forcing me to install another program just for downloading one exe file is really unacceptable for me. And I am really disappointed that Stardock changed the rules after I had bought the game. There is nowhere written on the box or in the manual that I will not be able to download patches in the future.

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There is nowhere written on the box or in the manual that I will not be able to download patches in the future.

You're choosing yourself to not download the patches. We haven't stopped offering them, just dropped the standalone versions as they take a lot more work to make than simply posting the changed files on SDC.

In any case, there haven't been any major changes as yet to DL since 1.4x (1.5 is mostly about DA compatibility), so if you only have DL, you're not missing much by sticking to the 1.4x standalone that you still have.

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Stardock said "Fu@k you, we don't care about you" to anyone who doesn't have their gaming computer connected to the internet.

I agree with smartwings, I don't want to be forced to install another program just to make the game updateable. Granted, I've never had any problems updating either GalCiv or GalCiv II/DA...until now. I'm in the Army and deployed in Iraq and the only internet access I get is at an internet cafe where I don't even have access to the desktop, let alone any chance what-so-ever to install SDC to try the Download and Archive work around. These are the only games I own, and I own a lot, that I can't just download the patch from any computer, put it on a flash drive, and put it on my computer to use. That is 100% bullsh**. I paid good money for these excellent games, but right now I'm stuck at version 1.4. No re-done graphics engine for me. Even other companies that don't patch very well (Bethsoft's Oblivion, anyone?) at least let me download the patches from anywhere when they do decide to patch their games.

And before anyone says anything about me not being forced to patch my games, let me remind you what a patch is. It is to fix problems in the game that were not fixed in the release or it is to give extra content for in the game. I paid for this game and I demand to be able to get all the extras and updates that everyone else can get.

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You paid for 1.0, son, as is, as explicitly stated in the EULA. Everything else is provided by Stardock as an incentive and to retain customer interest.

Now, act and speak more civilly to the nice people, ask your question about is there any way around the I-cafe limitations you currently have to live with, and see if our friends at Stardock can come up with something to aid a serving soldier.

So, do we correctly understand that there is no drop or hot spot available to you where you can put your own laptop on-line? You have to do your surfing via PCs that belong to the internet cafe, only?

drrider

drrider

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Well yes, but for exmple the version 1.0 crashed regularly so I needed a patch to fix this. What you drrider tell, is that I should be satisfied with crashing 1.0 and not even dare to demand a patch, but to be glad that Stardock has even decided to make one? Sorry, but that is a wrong opinion.

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Stardock said "Fu@k you, we don't care about you" to anyone who doesn't have their gaming computer connected to the internet.

I agree with smartwings, I don't want to be forced to install another program just to make the game updateable. Granted, I've never had any problems updating either GalCiv or GalCiv II/DA...until now. I'm in the Army and deployed in Iraq and the only internet access I get is at an internet cafe where I don't even have access to the desktop, let alone any chance what-so-ever to install SDC to try the Download and Archive work around. These are the only games I own, and I own a lot, that I can't just download the patch from any computer, put it on a flash drive, and put it on my computer to use. That is 100% bullsh**. I paid good money for these excellent games, but right now I'm stuck at version 1.4. No re-done graphics engine for me. Even other companies that don't patch very well (Bethsoft's Oblivion, anyone?) at least let me download the patches from anywhere when they do decide to patch their games.

Actually, this is simply taking advantage of technology and going along with the flow. Many other games have an auto-update feature and using Stardock Central makes this process much more simple. In addition, Stardock's copyright protection method is simply that you must have a unique registration code in order to get patches. This is certainly reasonable enough, given that there is no other attempt to prevent pirating and Stardock Central, again, is an easy way to accomplish this. Rather than reinvent the wheel, it just makes sense that Stardock simple use existing software.

Besides many games involve installing additional software in order to unlock other features. Gamespy is a common one, but there are many, MANY others.

I personally think that the reaction to this and other things is not due to Stardock doing anything wrong--it's do to them doing things differently. It's one of the quirks of humanity that we often see different as wrong and buck against unexpected deviations from the norm. While Stardock's policies are not that much different from everone else's and even follow certain conventions, they are a still different, and people, for no good reason, don't like that.

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Mumblefratz

Join Date 07/2006

+139

Stardock said "Fu@k you, we don't care about you" to anyone who doesn't have their gaming computer connected to the internet.

No they actually didn't say such a thing and although I agree with the desire to have some kind of update ability other than SDC I find this comment skirts the boundry of being offensive. I would suggest that if you really would like to make the attempt at resolving your issue and are not using this forum to simply vent some bile then you'd be far better served with a slightly more civil argument.

Technically what Stardock has said is that the limited amount of people that the policy of discontinuing standalone installers has inconvienienced does not justify the cost of providing them.

The counter argument I would make is that although clearly Stardock is a company whose business is to turn a profit, that hasn't necessarily stopped them from doing something that in some way they felt was "right" to do even though it may run counter to maximizing profit. I point to the many "free" updates that have been provided over time as a prime example of this.

So far when the introduction of a expansion pack is made, the customer has had the option of getting a CD for the initial version. This is in all likelyhood the least useful version of the game that will exist. Having a CD of it is pretty much useless. In the case of DA I don't think it was matter of a week or two before the first update occured and the CD was useless. What I would suggest is that instead of providing a CD of the new version of the game that is virtually gauranteed to be revised, that instead a CD of the old version of the game be provided which has undergone all the revs it's ever going to get. At least that way I would finally be able to play the DA that I paid for back in Sept/Nov (it's been so long that I forget) of last year.

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