There's DRM, no modern game has no DRM. Maybe no proprietary DRM, but it still exists.
Err, you lost me. I was talking about GOG.com games and none of them has any DRM at all,
none. Many of them have had one DRM or other at some point(starforge, securom, tages, you name it) but DRM is removed before game is made available at GOG.
That's because most of the games weren't released in the past 10 years
It was more about not having 1$ = 1 = 1£ crap steam and some other DD services have. No regional pricing either, every game costs either 5.99$ or 9.99$ on GOG. Personally I wouldn't mind more and highter price points to allow more and newer games at GOG but that might require renegotiating all their contracts.
No regional restrictions, all games available globally.
Steam has the same.
Last time I checked steam
did have regional restrictions, lot of them actually to the point that a game pumble that was advertised to have four games only had three in some regions due to game not being available in that region. (it's been awhile but steam store is acting up currently so I can't verify right now if it's still the case).
No internet connection required other than browsing site, downloading and multiplayer.
Same with Steam.
Very funny. Steam check home when internet connection exists. You can't even play the games if steam detects updates being available until you allow updates. There probably are games on steam that reguire constant internet connections due to steam or 3rd party drm settings (I've read not all games support offline mode). Games have to be verified when installing and when setting offline mode (automatic probably but require internet connection). Backups probably can't be restored without connecting steam network either.
Download installer -> you can install it anytime anywhere you want without internet connection.
...You can install without an internet connection? I'm pretty sure that's impossible, but I'm probably just misunderstanding the question. Please explain.
On GOG you download drmless standalone installer (like you would download any freeware or open source game) you can move to internetless computer and install it there. You can even install in all computers in your household if you like so one game is enough for family lan games (internet play keys are available at reguest. I don't know if you can get more than one per account.). I repeat, DRM does not exist in GOG.com. You only have to be logged in to your accound to be able to download. The installer itself never calls home. I could take my game backup drive and install the games on in every computer in the world and GOG would not know about it. I don't obiously, they trust us so we respond in kind (amazingly very few GOG installers have turned up in torrent sites, shows the dedication of the GOG community. I'd probably find lynch mob outside my door soon after I'd done the above install spree
).
See
here for further details.
All games patched to latest version available.
Same with Steam
As far as I know (I've read number of complaints about this) some of the older games are never patched and some games can take months to patch after developer releases the standalone patches. GOG games rarely need further patching as no more patches are coming to them, pathces are always already integrated to installer files.
GamersGate
Some games are DRM free (mostly PDox own)
See above, no game released after 2006 doesn't have DRM
The Paradox own game installers are DRM free at gamers gate, even their latest releases. Only 'drm' medhod they themselves employ is the small downloader app (game specific) that encrypts the installer exe file upon completion of the installation (the installation does not install any DRM drivers, you could, in theory move the installed game to other computer if you know how to edit registry). Generally you'd have to use the downloader app to decryopt the installer file to use the installer again but there is widely known workaround (known by GamersGate staff no less) that allows you to copy the unencrypted installation files before installation finishes (see below).
There is way to backup fully functioning installers -> you can install some of them anywhere and anytime you want without internet connection (does not work with all 3rd party titles with DRM)
That's really really impossible, and I am confuse.
GamersGate has no real client program. The way you download their games from your account is you download small downloader file (game specific, it's miniature version of programs like getright and download accelerator) run it and it starts to download game files. Once the download is complete it starts installation process. If you don't click continue at that moment you can just go to download folder and make copy of the whole installation folder and voila you have unprotected game installer that never calls home. This works on all paradox games and probably with all games without DRM (Indies mostly) but I've read it works at least with some DRM containing games as well. Obviously any game installer with DRM that calls home or that require activation will require internet connection for installation at least. I don't know of any game in GG that require constant internet connection however.
I'm pretty sure you can turn off updating. Why are you so adamant about Standalone patches? Just curious
In other topics people claim that steam calls home the moment it finds open internet connection and if there are steam or game updates you must allow those first before you can play any games. Also have anyone actually tested if the offline mode has any time limits (will it demand connection at some point)?
As for reason for prefering standalone games and patches. Thats just the way I like them and I like to have controll over the process. Automatic updates can sometimes fail (last one was actually Civ4BtS patch; it got stuck and never completed and I had to do full reinstall. I also like to feel that I own and have controll over the games I've bought so I've cracked most games I've bought ever since I encountered first one probably around decade ago. I feel it's within my rights to do practically anything I wish with the software I've bought; It's mine the moment I handed over the cash. Only thing I don't do with them is distribute copies of the games I own, pretty much anything else goes.
Have you ever used Steam before? Besides, Internet is only required at time of download/install. It's far and away the best direct to drive service available.
No and never will as long as there is mandatory client, period (I was Valve fanboy until they invented Steam). If it was
optional multiplayer component like gameranger or gamespy(? I've not checked what clients are out there for more than half decate) and the like, I might consider trying it (standalone installers, standalone patches etc.). I don't multiplay, care about online content and only community feature I need is forums. GOG.com and GamersGate are just perfect DD services for me. There are only couple problems (GOG: 214 titles [I own 72 of them currently, 12 more waiting at my wishlist) currently, growing ~2 titles per week, all games are 3 years old or older. GG: ~2000 titles, also most non Paradox titles at GG have some sort of DRM).