More Details on Impluse Please

What's in Impulse?

from Sins Forums

Greetings,

I was just about ready to buy my first new 4X game in years, Sins. Then I found out I have to install a downloader to get the game or get any updates. I'm VERY finicky about what goes on this computer and there are no details about how Impulse works, what it runs in the background, and what it transmits, etc... The last two downloaders I used put a lot of crap on my machine and did a lot more than was advertised. Making someone download a secondary appliance app to get a game and updates seems a little fishy.

Could you provide some details to ease my concerns. The update manager we run at work has a 50Mb client install. Why does this need a gig of HDD space? What else is going to show up on my computer when I install it? Is this going to change my web browser settings in any way? What information does it collect and transmit? Why not a standard download or even a mirror site if bandwidth is a concern?

Thanks,
Foppio

22,660 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

It best you just head over the the website for it. Im sure you can find most your answer there. If not Im sure someone on here know it or can find it for you.

The site is:  www.impulsedriven.com

 

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

You cannot go wrong with impulse. trust me Stardock is a saint, there is no DRM ever anywhere and is very safe. Also Impulse is very very useful in keeping track of updates with fast download speeds.

k6  

Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

My 2 cents.

I have tried other Digital download software and they leave something lacking or are a major pain.

 

Impluse is super easy to use and the ease at which you can buy games and download/install them is great plus with one click to start impulse it will automatically tell me if there are any updates for any of my games.

I have 18 games on impulse and i can delete and reinstall the games as often as i want and with just a couple clicks.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top

Based on your concerns about installing apps you should be aware that Impuilse is not requiered after install of Sins.  You don't need it to play or go online or what-have-you.

Having said that, the updating and archiving freatures are nice.  So is the integrated chat and freind list in the community section.  I like shopping in the intrated store too.

So there you go.  Do with it what you will.

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

Impulse is a clean program. It doesn't install other junk. It doesn't mess with your browser settings in any way. It does have an option to add a tiny start-up app to make Impulse launch faster when you launch it - it just preloads a few things into memory and just sits there. You can disable it (is it disabled by default now?).

It needs space because it downloads to a temporary folder, then extracts and installs in the proper path. But itself it's smaller than the 50mb client you mentioned.

Other than that, as Zubaz said, Impulse is not required to run when you play. It's used to download and to patch. It has community features that allow you to access the game forums or chat rooms (based on IRC) if you want it.

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

I personnlay want to have impulse so i can just update game, of course you don't have to update the game so you don't have to update it, also after you have played the original sins, and decide to get the expansion pack, you can only get it via impulse, it is like steam, it allows u to buy games, download update, get other games, and start games.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Annatar11, reply 5
Impulse is a clean program. It doesn't install other junk. It doesn't mess with your browser settings in any way. It does have an option to add a tiny start-up app to make Impulse launch faster when you launch it - it just preloads a few things into memory and just sits there. You can disable it (is it disabled by default now?).

It needs space because it downloads to a temporary folder, then extracts and installs in the proper path. But itself it's smaller than the 50mb client you mentioned.

Other than that, as Zubaz said, Impulse is not required to run when you play. It's used to download and to patch. It has community features that allow you to access the game forums or chat rooms (based on IRC) if you want it.
End of Annatar11's quote

 

Yeah... and MS doesn't ship Windows with Alexa... oh what!?

Yeah....and iTunes doesn't track all of your stuff (not even "Plus = DRM free...ish)
(Having said that, the SYNCING and BACKUP freatures are nice.)

Yeah...and EA makes a better game updater... oh wait!
(well, DRM (which I don't care about, because at least it doesn't show up in my face every), or another piece of software that requires the internet and encrypts its transmissions... hallo Virtual PC) (and don't give the Spore stuff... I cannot think of a single reason to play Spore... except for as an assisted suicide plan) (I do play RA3)

Also, I don't like advertising, and no matter what, in the end, Impulse is just an ad platform. Now we don't like putting up with popups just to get our patches, why a piece of software that does that same thing (and takes more steps to get rid of) (and "it will just be unnoticeable" - yeah... why care about that extra piece of software on your computer-that-would-rather-be-pure-of-fattening-software (not sure if that came out allright).

Why care about phonetaps, search histories, and censorship (well, in Austrailia I did put up with it... then I left (end of "vacation")) (WOOT, cannot view any polically-touchy news now!!!!) (no more left wing extremism!!!--- oh... maybe no more politcal freedoms (for you childerns safety... sound's kinda like a speach from a certain over the top racist whos-name-is-banned-from-where-I'm-from)

Why should I care of a little program on my computer... that is still encrypted (to prevent haxors!? 1337 uber). Just another day in the life of a besieged IT admin.

 

And I am still arguing for putting the updater where it belongs: IN the game.
BTW, what's the bet those damn pirates don't have to worry over this?

Don't reply if you haven't read this, please.

 

Thanks!
-Jeremy