Need patch but no stardockcentral/impulse/steam

Neither Impulse nor SDC are 'always on' apps. You run them, do what you need, and close them.

Impulse does have a dock function, however that's entirely up to the user to use or not; if you never click the minimize-to-dock button, it'll never be used. Both programs do actually close when you close them--they won't try to hang around in the system tray like Steam.

It looks like you're out of luck.

I can certainly sympathize since I'm also unwilling to install an ancillary program whose sole purpose is to update the single program that I am interested in.

In my case I've actually bought the DA CD to get the latest DL update and then bought the ToA CD to get the latest DA update and I suppose using this model I can get the latest ToA update by (hopefully) buying a CD when 2.0 comes out.

While I won't install SDC or Impulse I do believe Kryo's statement to be true that they do not run any processes unless enabled.

Last I remember there still was a standalone update to DL v1.4x but the link appears to be gone. I was also going to suggest that your best bet could be to install SDC, update using SDC then uninstall SDC, but it looks like the SDC link has been removed as well.

It looks to me that all possible options have been eliminated. I'm not particularly happy about it and I'm not the only one but this is the path that Stardock has chosen so the only real option is to take the path I've taken which is to buy a CD to get the latest update of the previous version or to bite the bullet and install Impulse.

Hmm...

I'll hazard one more try at this.

IIRC there was a DL v1.4x standalone update that was available through the GlaCiv2 site's download page. It seems that the link to that update has been removed.

However I think it's at least valid to ask the question. The last legal standalone patch for DL that I know of was v1.4x and this also to the best of my knowledge gave equivilient functionality to the DL v1.5 version that was included on the DA release CD.

So is access to the DL v1.4x standalone update no longer allowed? That would most certainly address the OP's request if it is allowed and if it's not allowed isn't it better to make this explicit as opposed to the link merely disappearing without comment?

What prompted me to ask this directly is the fact that it appeared to me that even if I wanted to I could no longer download SDC. It turns out that although I couldn't find this out on my own by searching, Zubaz informed me that SDC is still downloadable from http://sdc.stardock.com/sdcentral_setup.exe.

This may very well represent the last chance that anyone that doesn't already have SDC has to do anything without requiring Impulse. So even though I still am holding out and intend to use the next CD to get the latest update of the previous version, I think it's a good idea to have the SDC standalone installation executable on hand as the potential lessor of two evils.

On another thread Seabass informed me that the DL v1.4x standalone patch is no longer available, so that answers that.

Actually I found 1.4 at gamespot.com so that's the answer. You can find it there too.

This is why we will be soon stuck with Impulse.

You satisfied your immediate desire but by doing this after complaining about having to install something like SDC or Impulse, you are ultimately part of the problem that forced Stardock to go to the very thing that you dislike.

This is both short sighted and selfish. At the very least you could have respected Stardock's obvious desire to be in control of their own executables and kept your mouth shut about getting this elsewhere.

You did everyone that tried to help you a disservice. Please don't ever ask for assistence on this board again.

Don't bash man for something that Stardock did released at public as direct download (like 1.4 patch or patches before that), and is still available at mirror sites.

No, I'm bashing the man because of what he did, which is at least one of the root causes of why Stardock no longer offers standalone patches in the first place. He is part of the cause of the problem he wished to avoid.

You mean pointing to (legal) mirror for old patches?

We've always required a game registration on your account before you could get to standalone patch downloads for GC2/Sins, as far as I can remember. I believe GC1 did as well. But the third party sites have typically mirrored the files anyway, without authorization. I believe Brad has commented that this is one of the reasons we've had to go with SDC/Impulse.

See, our support and often huge updates for legitimate users are how we get people to make the honest choice, since we don't use any protection on retail copies. If any site can mirror the patches for anyone to get, then that basically shoots the whole idea because pirates can just grab them like everyone else.

With SDC/Impulse though, legit users can get easy and immediate access, and pirates are left out in the cold.

Really?

I didn't knew that those mirrors are unautorized. They are pretty much all respectable gaming sites.



P.S.
You still need to autorize game even with those old stadalone patches, as far as I remember. It won't let you run the game otherwise.

P.P.S.
I'm pretty much sure that old dowload hosted here was exact same. Download directly, install, and ask for autorization on game start to play.

GC2 has activation. But I don't think that Sins of a Solar Empire has it....