LAN GAMES

NTJedi · #1 November 8th, 2003, 01:05 AM

I don't know why some developers expect gamers to buy an individual copy for each player on a LAN game. If you're going to offer hotseat why charge for LAN. Not to mention for whatever reasons(greed) they do have, I seriously doubt any of these developers would purchase a single game 7_times. 7_times that's the boat I'm in because I have relatives I see twice a year... now they rarely play games. It's insane to expect them to go buy a copy for the two times a year we do LAN games. Now 7_times is almost $400.oo after shipping&handling has been added. When watching a DVD movie from home we don't have to buy an individual copy for each person watching the movie. And gamers don't have to buy an individual license on each player for board games like monopoly.
Again... your not charging extra for hotseat so why charge extra for LAN games??

[ November 07, 2003, 23:15: Message edited by: NTJedi ]

Gandalf Parker · #2 November 8th, 2003, 01:57 AM

Why is it if something isnt the way people want they feel that it was done on purpose just to piss them off?

They didnt BLOCK lan play. Its just that they didnt allow it. To allow lan play means they have to spend alot of time trying to figure out HOW to allow it without making it really easy to rip off the game and play on any machine that anybody wants to. Allowing hotseat is much simpler.

So the question you should have asked is... why didnt they take the time to write it into the game to allow you to play as many people as you want on a lan without buying more copies.

Mortifer · #3 November 8th, 2003, 09:53 AM

Hm indeed this is not very good. If I will play multi, I will more than likely will play with friends over LAN.
However, I guess they will preorder it anyways.

Nerfix · #4 November 8th, 2003, 09:56 AM

I think it's part of the copy protection of Dominions.

However, i think it would be nice if someone who owns Dom II could play with more "sunday-gamer" type of people who don't own Dom II in LAN.

SnallTrippin · #5 November 8th, 2003, 12:22 PM

Copy protection is easy to defeat...anyway...so if you really want to you could install your Version on their comps or whatever to play IP games..or whatever...meh.

Gandalf Parker · #6 November 8th, 2003, 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by SnallTrippin:
Copy protection is easy to defeat...anyway...so if you really want to you could install your Version on their comps or whatever to play IP games..or whatever...meh.

Keep in mind that copy protection is just that. Protection against copying. Its not pirate protection or crack protection. The first line of defense is to protect against an average user who might casually give a copy to a friend if a game let him. After that its an effort to slow down the above-average user but thats a whole different ballgame.

NTJedi · #7 November 9th, 2003, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Gandalf Parker
Why is it if something isnt the way people want they feel that it was done on purpose just to piss them off?

WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU THINKING?? I NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT !

Quote:

Gandalf Parker
To allow lan play means they have to spend alot of time trying to figure out HOW to allow it without making it really easy to rip off the game and play on any machine that anybody wants to.

You MUST be joking... at least I hope so.

Quote:

SnallTrippin
Copy protection is easy to defeat...anyway...

You are correct. When developers prevent LAN games from working then it encourages gamers to go search/learn for ways of defeating copy protection.

PhilD · #8 November 9th, 2003, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by NTJedi:
You are correct. When developers prevent LAN games from working then it encourages gamers to go search/learn for ways of defeating copy protection. [/QB]

It encourages some gamers to do that. Others actually care to respect their licences.

In other words - if I have an opportunity to organize LAN games of DomII, I will either try to convince the other players to purchase their own copies, or buy them myself. Either would be easier, and more likely to occur (esp. the latter) if there was an option to purchase just an additional key at a reduced rate, but I will not look for a crack, or use one if I know there is one.

NTJedi · #9 November 9th, 2003, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NTJedi:
If you're going to offer hotseat why charge for LAN. ... ... purchase a single game 7_times. 7_times that's the boat I'm in because I have relatives I see twice a year... now they rarely play games. It's insane to expect them to go buy a copy for the two times a year we do LAN games. Now 7_times is almost $400.oo after shipping&handling has been added.

This is the dilemma I am facing... unfortunately it's not just one or two additional CD's which are needed. And paying almost $400.oo for two weeks of LAN games is madness.

Quote:

Originally posted by PhilD:
...if there was an option to purchase just an additional key at a reduced rate, ...

Yes this I would be great... even if it was $12.oo per cd-key. Unfortunately rarely have I seen games provide such an option. I haven't decided what I'll be doing when they arrive. I am hoping the developers or someone will be able to provide a 3rd legit option so the LAN game can be done.

Taqwus · #10 November 9th, 2003, 07:51 PM

You're not buying a license for two weeks; you're buying a license to use basically forever. It's not Illwinter's or Shrapnel's problem that you wouldn't take greater advantage of it. You might as well whine about the cost of buying season tickets for an NFL team if you're only planning to attend one or two games.

In your case, you might want to consider buying used, or reselling when you're done with them. So long as resale transfers /everything/ sold with the game, and no installation remains, I think you'd be in the clear. Hell, you could probably legally borrow from friends for those two weeks so long as everything's transferred etc -- e.g. only one installation for each legit purchase at any given time. This is more likely to be feasible than a rental system or a low-cost limited license, or for Shrapnel or Illwinter to implement a Battle.net-style server or whatever.