5punk

or: Why I refuse to install Trackmania Nations even though it's free and probably lots of fun.

http://www.galciv2.com/temp/starfo2.jpg

http://forums.galciv2.com/?ForumID=161&AID=106741

http://www.star-horse.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=648

this.

make the picture a link though, it's a bit of a headfuck as is.

Eh? Can someone give me a summary of this?

Also, Galactic Civs 2 looks quite woo.

Starforce wrote:OMFG! PIRACY CUZ U DINT UZE NASTY COPPY PRITECKSHUN LOOK LINK TO WARAZ

Okay, I get that bit now. What's it got to do with TMN?

tmn contains starfarce.

ahaha!

"Please scan a magazine for us!"
"er, wait, isnt that illigal?"
*stony silence*

The whole copy protection thing pisses me off. The intention of copy protection is to stop pirates. But games are out to download sometimes weeks before the game is officially released, often with the cracks coming out at the same time. Almost always, the crack is out, at the most, shortly after the game is released. So copy protection, 9 times out of 10, doesnt do what it tries to do.

On the flip side, Ive seen numerous cases of a games "copy protectin" making it impossible for the game to be played by people with legitimate copies, unless they use cracks to remove the bloody copy protection.

The only copy protection that ever works is the checking of cd keys for online games, and even then, stuff like hamachi can get round it. Why the hell do they bother?

They should get with the program and use something like steam.

TezzRexx wrote:They should get with the program and use something like steam.

which is totally insecure too. (see sixsteam and suchlike (BEWARE, HERE BE ACCOUNT STEALERS)

Here's my 2 cents:

Copy protection all too often secures income for substandard software and thus ensures the continued production of crap from said substandard software house. Any software worth its salt gets my money, often even after I've picked up and tried a version off the floor. I applaud what Gal Civ 2 has done: make a good game and then give users the option of registering a legimate copy for future content. It doesn't make the piracy problem go away, as they fully admit, but their honesty and support to their fanbase should secure them additional income regardless.

friznit wrote: Any software worth its salt gets my money, often even after I've picked up and tried a version off the floor. .

This.

Hell, i completed farcry, then bought it.

I bought it, completed it, then got it free with a graphics card.

Starforce wrote: "In the end, on behalf of the whole StarForce I would like to tender our apologies to all people, who have been working on creation of the game Galactic Civilizations II. We have to officially claim that what has happened is just a mistake of our employee that was boosted into “our planned PR action” by the people, who hate StarForce. Using this link, he just wanted to show that every non-protected game can be cracked (in case of some own simple protection) or just put onto the internet resource for public use, sooner or later. I think he guessed that finding the first link to a recent non-protected game would be the best proof. We have to accept that he chose the wrong way for that, but he is just a human and mistakes are human’s nature.

This employee has been responsible for the branch “General questions” during this week, that’s why nobody else had seen this topic and couldn’t remove the links till we heard negative references from different sources.

We have to claim that this has been the first and the last time we allowed posting a link to a resource with illegal content on our forum by our staff. And we will strengthen the administration of the forum to keep it clear from similar links posted by forum members and others.

In further we will necessarily improve our Forum, especially its rules and policy.

Please, once again accept our deepest apologies for inconveniences caused by this issue."

Starforce wrote:We have to..

have to? have to? Makes it sound like they dont really mean it

Joose wrote:
Starforce wrote:We have to..
have to? have to? Makes it sound like they dont really mean it

"Our legal department said.."

Judging by the English, this is clear proof that Starforce is written by 12 year olds. Maybe they're l33t haxxorz who hack all their own games to persuade companies that buying starforce is a good idea. Kinda like the group of shady individuals locked in the basement at Symantec who spend their days writing viruses. And the stealth government helicopters. And Aliens.

*Puts on tin foil hat*

friznit wrote:The stealth government helicopters.

UPDATE

A quote from the GalCiv people:

I simply don't [think] CD-based protection is particularly effective. Any copy protection system, in my opinion, should be focused on trying to increase sales--not stop piracy. The two aren't the same. Most people who pirate a software product would never have purchased it. It's pointless to waste time on those people. The people to focus on are the ones who might have bought your product or service but chose not to because it was easier to pirate it.

Industry people talking sensibly about copy protection? Surely, this is a sign of the apocalypse!

The End Times Are Coming!

Oblivion Awaits!*

In a week

Joose wrote:A quote from the GalCiv people:

I simply don't [think] CD-based protection is particularly effective. Any copy protection system, in my opinion, should be focused on trying to increase sales--not stop piracy. The two aren't the same. Most people who pirate a software product would never have purchased it. It's pointless to waste time on those people. The people to focus on are the ones who might have bought your product or service but chose not to because it was easier to pirate it.

5punk

LOL @ Starforce

LOL @ Starforce