Updates for non-internet game computer - say it ain't so!

I just bought GalCiv2 Gold from an online retailer here in Australia. The disc will probably arrive in the mail tomorrow.

My games computer does not have internet access. I have previously been assured by Travis G at Stardock that an internet connection is not required because I can activate the game via email from another computer that is connected to the net.

After buying the game, I thought I'd check for any updates and found Dark Avatar 1.6 but I couldn't find any links to the update. I sent an email to Stardock asking to advise how I should get the updates, and I'm waiting for a reply.

It was only when doing a general net search that I found a forum comment that updates can only be downloaded via Stardock Central on the same computer that the game is installed on. If this is true, it means that I've just paid over $60 for a game that I can't update.

Before buying the game, I checked the system requirements on the GalCiv2 website and I saw that an internet connection is NOT listed as one of the requirements.

So is the comment I read correct? Have I just wasted $60, or is there some way of directly downloading the updates and installing them on the games computer?

Phil Wright

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So is the comment I read correct? Have I just wasted $60, or is there some way of directly downloading the updates and installing them on the games computer?

Well, unless Stardock posts a link to download a retail update for GC2 gold (like they have done with GC2), you are stuck with the following:

- install Stardock Central on a computer that has internet access (I think you will need Admin rights)

- install GC2 gold on this computer to avoid downloading everything

- download the patch through SDC

- create an archive of DA with SDC

- copy this archive on your gaming computer with the help of a portable medium

- install the DA archive with SDC

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FWIW, GalCiv 2 is perfectly enjoyable "out of the box".

Unless you're trying to run it under Vista, but if you don't have an internet connection, something tells me that's not likely to be an issue.

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kryo

Join Date 05/2003

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- install Stardock Central on a computer that has internet access (I think you will need Admin rights)
- install GC2 gold on this computer to avoid downloading everything
- download the patch through SDC
- create an archive of DA with SDC

It should be noted that if the full download size isn't a problem, the game need not ever be installed on the machine you use to download (just SDC). Using the archive->download and archive option, you can grab the entire package directly without first installing it.

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Thanks for the responses.

I can install it on my internet computer (barely), but the internet connection is dial-up (broadband in most of Australia is stupidly slow and expensive) so downloading the whole game is not an option.

Doesn't that solution mean I would have to activate the game twice - once via SDC on the internet computer and again via email on the games computer? How does that work?

And from what I've read elsewhere, it sounds like I would have to reactivate each of those whenever I install any updates. So that would make four separate activations to install the game and the update. Wouldn't Stardock object to that?

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kryo

Join Date 05/2003

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Doesn't that solution mean I would have to activate the game twice - once via SDC on the internet computer and again via email on the games computer? How does that work?

That's fine. If you ever legitimately reach the activation limit you can simply ask support to reset it. Two activations won't even be close to that point, though.

To activate the game on a computer that is not connected, follow these steps:

1) Start the game; you will get a prompt for your serial and email. Provide them and continue.
2) It will fail to activate and ask if you'd like to activate by email. Click Yes.
3) Copy the subject line and big block of letters into a text file, or into your email program, and save it off to portable media (CDR, USB drive, floppy, etc).
4) Take it to a web-connected PC and send an email to activate@stardock.com with that subject line and content.
5) You should receive a reply with a file and some instructions; take the file back to the non-connected PC and you should be set to go.

The only thing that really invalidates an activation is reinstalling windows. Just updating the game won't make any difference to the activation, it'll still be good.

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