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CopyProtection: Doing the Job?


Freyar
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(Note: This is not aimed at 3000AD in any way. This is a general percieval of CopyProtection in today's world.)

Well, today I purchased a NEW copy of Homeworld 2 for use in my personal computer. Having a smile on my face as I blazed through the boring, and usually the same bunch of installation menus I come apon this small issue:

"Homeworld 2 setup detects that you are not running DirectX 9.0. Homeworld 2 setup will now install DirectX 9."

Blinking for a second and checking my DXDiag I noted I was running Direct X 9.0c already and that it was attempting to install DirectX 9.0b. I quickly put a stop to that.

The previous smile slightly faded as I went to get pre-liminary patches to make sure I am completely updated and waited idly, listening to GamingFM as I waited.

Once it was down the smile was back as I quickly installed the patch and then hit the shortcut to start the application. I sit back and wait for the expected Sierra opening video as the light on my DVD-Drive blinked and it attempted to read the disk. After the smile turned to a frown, I hit the Task Manager to check what was going on.

I thought to myself, 'What the hell? HomeWorld2.exe is running... but where is it?" I waited a bit more before getting the single most annoying error in the whole ****ing computer world.

"Unable to authenticate disk within time limit."

WHAT THE **** IS THIS?! I mean? I legally bought the game.. so why am I being locked out by the stupid copy protection? I looked up some work-arounds on google (god bless it's soul), however nothing came up! Sure there were plenty of people saying "I've been getting this error." which is similar to my own, but there IS NO WORKAROUND.

Copy Protection is supposed to prevent the illegal distrobution of software, however it seems to do the exact opposite.

I got myself a copy of HomeWorld2 how any other pirate would. (However, owning a legal copy, and CD key.. I shouldn't get in much trouble). Of course, when I run the application it shows the expected Sierra opening video.

What's wrong with this? THE FACT THAT THE COPY PROTECTION DESIGNED TO STOP THIS ACT IS STOPPING THE LEGAL USE OF THE SOFTWARE, AND ALLOWING THOSE NOT PAYING FOR THE SOFTWARE TO USE IT!

This is unacceptable! What is the point of PURCHASING a game if you can't play it? Why should I waste my family's hard earned credits to purchase a software title so that other people can play it?

Bottom Line: If you are going to have Copy Protection on your software, you better ****ing make sure it works.

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quote:

Originally posted by Freyar:

"Homeworld 2 setup detects that you are not running DirectX 9.0. Homeworld 2 setup will now install DirectX 9."

Blinking for a second and checking my DXDiag I noted I was running Direct X 9.0c already and that it was attempting to install DirectX 9.0b. I quickly put a stop to that.


No need to worry there. A lower version of Direct X will only install if you have a lower version than the one that's attempting to install.

As for the rest. I agree. Despite all the best efforts by Anti-piracy comapanies, their software is still being beaten. Can't keep a good hacker down. More often than not, the legit user is all too often forced to seek out these (no-cd) hacks to be able to play the game. The only draw back to this is that if the game developer releases an update you have to wait a while for a no-cd hack to be released before you install the update.

As for myself, so far I've been lucky even with Starforce.

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quote:

Originally posted by Freyar:

"Unable to authenticate disk within time limit."

WHAT THE **** IS THIS?! I mean? I legally bought the game.. so why am I being locked out by the stupid copy protection? I looked up some work-arounds on google (god bless it's soul), however nothing came up! Sure there were plenty of people saying "I've been getting this error." which is similar to my own, but there IS NO WORKAROUND.


I will see if I get the same thing.

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People have been having a lot of trouble with Starforce in particular. I don't know whether or not that's what's running behind Homeworld 2, though. These kind of issues (especially starforce)usually strike people who have the cd in an RW drive, whether that would be CD or DVD. However, the latest version hasn't been cracked yet, and they've been working on it for a good long time. I know this because I've been waiting for someone to crack it so I can play Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, as I stupidly bought the game not thinking of the fact that it's on DVD (and I only have a CD-RW drive).

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Well, it apparently gets confused with two different CD drives... and that was the problem. It ran out of "Time" authenticating from the first drive.

Honestly though.. It should have support for more than one drive... None of this time limit crap.

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Yeah, you're absolutely right. I've had some issues too with crappy copy protections. Seeing how far they're going with these things, I'm starting to worry about the quality of future games... If it'll get worse than now...

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I have no problem with people wanting to protect thier work. No problem at all. What annoys me the most is that when I legally purchase the liscence and rights to use that software, and that protection stops those that should have legal access... *sigh* Well, I've already been through that rant....

SC, what do you think about these copy protection issues? Seeing as you are the owner/lead developer for the BC series, you must have a bit of a job choosing copy protection...

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I had an issue with UC that it kept saying that I was running simulation software or something like that I don't remember. Anyways, after deleting Nero and Alcahol 120, I still wasn't able to play. Finally I remembered that I had installed CloneCD about 2 years ago on my system and deleted it. Since everyone that was posting problems with Safedisc were saying that it was a cloneCD problem, I figured that I would install it just so I could tick "Hide CDR media" and sure enough it works.

Funny thing is, the only reason that I buy software like Nero and Alcahol is so that I don't have to keep loading the discs for the various games that I own. I've never pirated a single peice of software, but these attempts at copy protection sometimes really tick me off. Problem is though, that there are TOO many kids out there that are all too willing to steal other people's works, look at the record business and all the illegal music downloaded on a daily basis by these kids. Unfortunately, they make it very difficult for the honest people and at the same time absolutely KILL the PC Game market. That's why all the best new games are coming out for the Gaming Boxes, they feel there is less piracy there.

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Homeworld 2... old? well, I still play th original homeworld. I still play the original outrun... I play a lot of old games dude, and usually I have to wait for prices to drop so that I can afford them.

In anycase, I use cd emulators to prevent damage to my disks from loading/unloading, and reading those disks.

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