1st segment : story of the NLT noodles life
Story of my life ( formerly ) Since you mentioned you joined the pirates ship you could have acted upon it... ARRGH ! On the other hand if they know it better then let them rust in piece 
Both! If your files are empty, it download a whole full new, if existing, it's comparing your files hashes and download new/changed, if downgrade, it's replacing newer one with older. For downgrade if you do 41091 > 39084, 41091 files still remain, launcher only replacing scripts and old maps.
The release number has long been decoded, going all the way back to LE days.
First, NLT Launcher "choked" their's Patreon Subcriptions system them self because their only use a simple email address checking. That step can always be skipped and go straight to game's contents. Dark Silver's Glamour have a better method that client was intergrated with Patreon API, users must approved and give access token to client to make it playable/downloadable. 2nd, the game i mentioned using Steam + Denuvo AC + Amazon GameSparks + Patreon + Custom API, all of their's services are good and secured except the dev brain. He includes a token with top permissions, secret key... and config the server without respecting to the security section in their's docs, making Steam, Denuvo... working as bloating codes because they're checking and protecting nothing
. 3rd, i don't recharge my account by steam, i was making items price negative, just think, you selling doughnut normally 5.99USD, i bough it from you but i paying you -5.99USD, i got MY doughnut and +5.99USD from you, you losing a doughnut plus $5.99. As an system admin, i can listing all other user ids, change their's level, stats, ingame account ballance, purchased items, ban, unban... I know, many services have secured, but not their's stupid codes.
Haha, but sometime you have enjoying with their's game, except the truth that anyone can modifying your data
