The way that GOG Galaxy 2.0 integrates with other systems (including Steam) is insecure and the completely wrong way to do it. I got into the closed beta a while ago, but the integration method...
The way that GOG Galaxy 2.0 integrates with other systems (including Steam) is insecure and the completely wrong way to do it. I got into the closed beta a while ago, but the integration method was so blatantly shoddy and concerning that I wasn't even willing to link any of my accounts.
For example, the Steam integration is written by some anonymous third-party person, downloads in the background from GitHub, opens an in-app browser with no url bar or any way to verify what site you're on, and wants you to log in through the Steam web interface, not even using OAuth/API. If you do log in (you shouldn't), it stores a cookie with total access to your account, and the plugin then has the potential to do anything it wants with your account that's possible through the Steam web interface (which is practically everything).
That is not the way you're supposed to build something that integrates with Steam, and is likely even a violation of Steam's terms. As far as I could find, all the complaints to GOG about the method they're using are met with basically, "we don't maintain the third-party integrations, not our problem." The developer of the Steam integration's explanation is that it's necessary to do it this way so that it can circumvent rate-limits on the API.
It's honestly kind of terrifying that so many people are unquestioningly linking their accounts into this when it's being built on such insecure and shaky foundations. Being able to link all your accounts together is pretty much the defining feature of the service, and seeing it done so poorly and having them act dismissive to concerns while touting privacy as one of the major selling points puts a really bad taste in my mouth.
Or FriendsOfGalaxy could allow users to register their own apps?
using OpenID and SteamAPI is not an option, as plugin's service hits API limits after just a couple of minutes (think of all Galaxy users using this plugin).
Or FriendsOfGalaxy could allow users to register their own apps?
Dang. Between that distanced PR and their detached, almost Comcast-level customer service experiences I've had with them in the past, I sadly will not dive into this as much as I want to.
Dang.
Between that distanced PR and their detached, almost Comcast-level customer service experiences I've had with them in the past, I sadly will not dive into this as much as I want to.
I got into the beta a while ago and I quite like it. I know it's a launcher for launchers but it's cool to see your games in one place. It only recognizes installed games from the xbox game pass...
I got into the beta a while ago and I quite like it. I know it's a launcher for launchers but it's cool to see your games in one place. It only recognizes installed games from the xbox game pass and those sub services but I think better integration is coming.
One depressing thing though is when you see the "Total time played" calculated up...
The interface is really slick, I'll give it that. Unfortunately, I can't use it because it's not on Linux. Besides, Lutris is open source and is on Linux, so I'll stick with that.
The interface is really slick, I'll give it that. Unfortunately, I can't use it because it's not on Linux. Besides, Lutris is open source and is on Linux, so I'll stick with that.
Playnite is bad at handling Windows Store games, and it doesn't remove games you've uninstalled. Also, when sorting by recent, it only goes by when you last played the game, not when you installed...
Playnite is bad at handling Windows Store games, and it doesn't remove games you've uninstalled. Also, when sorting by recent, it only goes by when you last played the game, not when you installed the game. (Steam uses both of these to determine "recent," which makes sense: if I just installed it I probably intend to play it right now.)
It doesn't incorporate any of the social aspects of the various platforms, either: no friends lists, no achievements. I still end up keeping Steam and Xbox open to see who is playing what and if they're in a party.
Playnite is pretty good but there's certainly room for improvement, particularly on the social side of things, and based on this announcement it looks like GOG knows that's where they can gain an edge over existing unified launchers like Playnite and LaunchBox.
Yeah I guess the Playnite doesn't do any of the social stuff, but I've never really worried myself with that. If I need to see who is online I'm probably planning on doing multiplayer stuff, but...
Yeah I guess the Playnite doesn't do any of the social stuff, but I've never really worried myself with that. If I need to see who is online I'm probably planning on doing multiplayer stuff, but for that I would need Steam/Xbox open regardless.
The stuff I really like about Playnite is the emulation abilities. Being able to add all my emulators and set up profiles is so powerful.
Only thing I really wish I could get is more powerful sorting and filtering. Also wish when I hid a game it also got hidden from the right-click quickplay menu.
There seems to be a tendency among these launchers to build slower interfaces. Not "slower" as in "more thoughtful": "slower" as in "taking five times longer to accomplish the same action". So...
There seems to be a tendency among these launchers to build slower interfaces. Not "slower" as in "more thoughtful": "slower" as in "taking five times longer to accomplish the same action". So far, Steam has done it, and... maybe GOG Galaxy? The only time I used Galaxy 1.0 was a long time ago, and I can't remember how responsive it was. I don't use other launchers.
There's no reason for them to be this slow, even on old machines. My guess is: the developers run performance tests with high-end machines in their offices, if they run those at all – not with lower-end ones. Those expensive animations run well on high-end machines, because of course they would.
Something like my laptop, though? It takes 6 seconds to launch the damn Friends subwindow in Steam. It now takes 5 seconds to instantiate a library page for a game I own, even if I care very little for the latest updates or trending community posts. I mean, that "resize sent image within chat window" feature is cool, but if I have to wait 5 times longer to chat to someone because of it, fuck it: I'll view the image in the browser.
And that's a desktop app, where there should be little issue with performance if you care enough. I mean, Valve themselves still actively update Dota 2, which I play regularly my laptop. Very few 3D games even run on it, let alone are playable. (Funny enough: with the latest update and the new temporary main menu, I get less FPS when I enter the game than I do during the matches. Talk about bloating.)
Wouldn't be surprised if both launchers now use Electron or similar web-based technologies. Those have gotten much too popular, for my taste. They offer significant cross-platform support at the expense of performance. I'd rather have few apps that run well.
Still no Linux support. Pretty disappointing since gog galaxy has been around for years now. Seems like all of the steam alternatives don't even make an attempt to at least match steams features.
Still no Linux support. Pretty disappointing since gog galaxy has been around for years now. Seems like all of the steam alternatives don't even make an attempt to at least match steams features.
The way that GOG Galaxy 2.0 integrates with other systems (including Steam) is insecure and the completely wrong way to do it. I got into the closed beta a while ago, but the integration method was so blatantly shoddy and concerning that I wasn't even willing to link any of my accounts.
For example, the Steam integration is written by some anonymous third-party person, downloads in the background from GitHub, opens an in-app browser with no url bar or any way to verify what site you're on, and wants you to log in through the Steam web interface, not even using OAuth/API. If you do log in (you shouldn't), it stores a cookie with total access to your account, and the plugin then has the potential to do anything it wants with your account that's possible through the Steam web interface (which is practically everything).
That is not the way you're supposed to build something that integrates with Steam, and is likely even a violation of Steam's terms. As far as I could find, all the complaints to GOG about the method they're using are met with basically, "we don't maintain the third-party integrations, not our problem." The developer of the Steam integration's explanation is that it's necessary to do it this way so that it can circumvent rate-limits on the API.
It's honestly kind of terrifying that so many people are unquestioningly linking their accounts into this when it's being built on such insecure and shaky foundations. Being able to link all your accounts together is pretty much the defining feature of the service, and seeing it done so poorly and having them act dismissive to concerns while touting privacy as one of the major selling points puts a really bad taste in my mouth.
Or FriendsOfGalaxy could allow users to register their own apps?
Damn, didn't know that. Guess it's time to change those passwords.
oh wow. Thanks, didn't know
Dang.
Between that distanced PR and their detached, almost Comcast-level customer service experiences I've had with them in the past, I sadly will not dive into this as much as I want to.
I got into the beta a while ago and I quite like it. I know it's a launcher for launchers but it's cool to see your games in one place. It only recognizes installed games from the xbox game pass and those sub services but I think better integration is coming.
One depressing thing though is when you see the "Total time played" calculated up...
The interface is really slick, I'll give it that. Unfortunately, I can't use it because it's not on Linux. Besides, Lutris is open source and is on Linux, so I'll stick with that.
I've considered using it, but Playnite is just so good I don't see a reason not to use it.
Playnite is bad at handling Windows Store games, and it doesn't remove games you've uninstalled. Also, when sorting by recent, it only goes by when you last played the game, not when you installed the game. (Steam uses both of these to determine "recent," which makes sense: if I just installed it I probably intend to play it right now.)
It doesn't incorporate any of the social aspects of the various platforms, either: no friends lists, no achievements. I still end up keeping Steam and Xbox open to see who is playing what and if they're in a party.
Playnite is pretty good but there's certainly room for improvement, particularly on the social side of things, and based on this announcement it looks like GOG knows that's where they can gain an edge over existing unified launchers like Playnite and LaunchBox.
Yeah I guess the Playnite doesn't do any of the social stuff, but I've never really worried myself with that. If I need to see who is online I'm probably planning on doing multiplayer stuff, but for that I would need Steam/Xbox open regardless.
The stuff I really like about Playnite is the emulation abilities. Being able to add all my emulators and set up profiles is so powerful.
Only thing I really wish I could get is more powerful sorting and filtering. Also wish when I hid a game it also got hidden from the right-click quickplay menu.
There seems to be a tendency among these launchers to build slower interfaces. Not "slower" as in "more thoughtful": "slower" as in "taking five times longer to accomplish the same action". So far, Steam has done it, and... maybe GOG Galaxy? The only time I used Galaxy 1.0 was a long time ago, and I can't remember how responsive it was. I don't use other launchers.
There's no reason for them to be this slow, even on old machines. My guess is: the developers run performance tests with high-end machines in their offices, if they run those at all – not with lower-end ones. Those expensive animations run well on high-end machines, because of course they would.
Something like my laptop, though? It takes 6 seconds to launch the damn Friends subwindow in Steam. It now takes 5 seconds to instantiate a library page for a game I own, even if I care very little for the latest updates or trending community posts. I mean, that "resize sent image within chat window" feature is cool, but if I have to wait 5 times longer to chat to someone because of it, fuck it: I'll view the image in the browser.
And that's a desktop app, where there should be little issue with performance if you care enough. I mean, Valve themselves still actively update Dota 2, which I play regularly my laptop. Very few 3D games even run on it, let alone are playable. (Funny enough: with the latest update and the new temporary main menu, I get less FPS when I enter the game than I do during the matches. Talk about bloating.)
Wouldn't be surprised if both launchers now use Electron or similar web-based technologies. Those have gotten much too popular, for my taste. They offer significant cross-platform support at the expense of performance. I'd rather have few apps that run well.
The new Steam library certainly does, fwiw.
It will import your steam tags. You can sort and filter by whatever
I have no idea what you're trying to say here
Question: If I install this will it overwrite whatever current Galaxy version I'm running, or does it do a fresh install?
It will overwrite it, unless you go out of your way to install it somewhere else.
Thanks for the info.
Still no Linux support. Pretty disappointing since gog galaxy has been around for years now. Seems like all of the steam alternatives don't even make an attempt to at least match steams features.