Been wanting to switch from Steam for a long-long time now. So incredibly sick of forced update nonsense and back-end issues bricking modded games. About 80% of games I own aren't even playable and require me to redownload the entire game again.. Games don't even obey update protocols.

Anyway, I thought it was a good time to just stop supporting steam period and start a collection over here. Then I reach the unfortunate conclusion that GoG doesn't list any of the games I've been wanting to buy. Not talking about niche titles either. Typically those with millions of copies sold, not listed on GoG. None of the indie titles despite them being critical successes on steam 96%> approval rating.

That right there spells the end of my dream to move over to GoG.

To make matters that much worse, the communities here are so incredibly desolate, barely existing at all. This is true even of the most popular games. I doubt this rather obtuse forum scheme helps at all with that. Posting and navigating forum content isn't anywhere near as streamlined as Steam. It looks and feels awkward to use.

This is such a painful realization. I had hoped that GoG would close the gap on Steams monopoly, but really I think the gap is getting even bigger.

Perhaps you could clarify a couple of things for me. What sort of community were you hoping to find, and why is it that you feel it is a requirement? As a loner without any need for friends I find this particular thing hard to grasp. Thanks!

I will say, if the alternative to GOG's forum are steam discussions... yeah, I'm cool with the desolated wasteland :D

I wish I could disagree with you, but things seemed to have slowed down a little here on GOG. Delayed updates, lack of popular indie games from Steam brought over here, and lack of interest (for me) in the last ~6 months of new releases isn't doing them any favors.

I'm remaining hopeful and most likely will be pleasantly surprised when GOG releases some cool stuff here, but GOG and these other companies need to step up their game. I actually forgot why, but I have the impression that Steam becoming this monopolistic titan will be bad for consumers.

In the grand scheme of things though, I'm really not too bothered and just kinda worried. I already have a buncha games here, so I'm mostly content with the current state of GOG.

Umm, gaming forums. You know like where you go on Steam to have discourse and exchange ideas, tips and insights on any given game.

It is not a hard requirement for me personally. But that functionality as it exists on GoG is extremely disappointing. That might actually go a ways to explaining why the game forums over here are completely dead. Nobody wants to use a far crappier forum when Steam exists. Thus no game specific communities can grow here purely from a technical/QOL standpoint.

The obvious relevance of having active game forums over here is that they would be specific to GoG versions, which would consolidate relative information, not to mention garner more support for the platform. I feel like I've been waiting an eternity for this to happen. I don't get the reason why it is so hard for GoG to adopt popular games.

Geez look at the post I just created. Barely readable. An incomprehensible mess. This forum scheme blows so hard...

I'm fairly certain GOG would love to list and sell as many of those new shiny AAA games here as possible, and on day one - if the corresponding developers/publishers would only let them.

Or to put it differently - GOG's not the problem, the developers/publishers are.

And how could we conclude that is actually the case for most, which I highly doubt it would be.

Curation...

Actually given how low-profile GoG is compared to steam, exclusivity might come very cheap.

Steam: sell only on this platform

Dev/Publisher: is there another platform? Sifting through that crap takes me back to using the internet in 1990's. Seriously GoG are so far behind the 8-ball. The stagnation makes even more sense now.

Hmm. I'm not so sure. These forums might be doomed to be forever barren, even if they were to receive a technical overhaul, just because people tend to be drawn to the most populated place first. But you are right, this forum could do with a fresh lick of paint. But for my personal tastes, it is preferable to what is available on Steam. Steam has too many people saying very little and I don't like how quotes are boxes inside of boxes. I find this forum to be more readable. It also helps that I'm not looking to exchange in discourse about games, but just to be an annoying prat...

Well I guess my venting has run its course. Obviously not going to achieve a damn thing lol.

Back to the digital prison that is Steam I guess. I'll come back in a year or two when I have a reply on the game forums..

Thanks all for the contributions.

Be the change you would like to see! See you around, anyway.

Yes I've always suspected it is partially due to the significant head-start steam communities have had over GoG. Too little, too late possibly. The forum software/design is not helping at all with that. Even searching for games is unresponsive and messy with crappy auto-complete feature fecking it up.

Sorry GoG, you are in a way my hero, but have to give you a big fat F on all fronts all things considered.

I'm afraid that's all I have the power to do. If I had any power at all I'd find the guy who designed this forum scheme and fire him into the sun. It's an absolute joke, superseded by freeware forum design.

See you on the flipside man.

If I may focus your fury, perhaps it would be better directed at people who have the power to change it, but either don't or have not. This forum scheme is so old that the poor fellow that designed it may already be a small pile of ashes.

What do you need an acitve forum for? Just play the damn game!? :D
Steam forums only exist to ask if there are women or black people in the game :D
If a game doesn't release here, tough luck for the publisher, I'm not using steam.