What�s the point of the new copy protection?

PhilD · #1 February 15th, 2007, 06:33 AM

Stardock also doesn't use CD-based copy protection, and don't use an intrusive protection either. But then, they also like to send their games through download, so requiring the CD to be in the drive would be a bit harsh...

krpeters · #2 February 16th, 2007, 02:36 PM

Just putting my $0.02 in: I haven't seen this "bug", but from what I've seen described of it, it is a pretty silly method of copy protection. Bug reports damage the reputation of a game. If pirates go onto a board complaining of weird effects in their game, current users are going to fear that theirs might start acting up, and prospective buyers can get scared off. Not a good strategy.

Also keep in mind that pirates are "prospective" buyers, if they can be "scared straight". That is, you let their version work, but encourage them to buy a working version... say, by slapping horror marks on their commanders randomly every turn. Display a little message -- "Horrors have eaten 13 computer game pirating commanders". They'll get the picture,and if they still like the game, they'll buy it.

Bugs just confuse them and encourage them to walk away from the game altogether, which is not what you want to do.

Dedas · #3 February 16th, 2007, 02:50 PM

Come on, if Illwinter wants to try punishing people for pirating let them. It's their game after all.

However, as some pirates may get scared, annoyed, bugged to buying the game, I believe the majority of them will just wait for a new crack to come out. I mean, it is computer code after all, it can be cracked.

Velusion · #4 February 16th, 2007, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Dedas said:
Come on, if Illwinter wants to try punishing people for pirating let them. It's their game after all.

However, as some pirates may get scared, annoyed, bugged to buying the game, I believe the majority of them will just wait for a new crack to come out. I mean, it is computer code after all, it can be cracked.

Eh, if they think its a bug, they will just assume the game is crappy and quit playing.

I don't think anyone is saying that Illwinter isn't well within thier rights to do whatever they want to pirates, we just question the practical business reasoning of the method currently employeed.

I like Krpeters idea about the horror marked pirate captians

Loren · #5 February 16th, 2007, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Velusion said:

Quote:

Dedas said:
Come on, if Illwinter wants to try punishing people for pirating let them. It's their game after all.

However, as some pirates may get scared, annoyed, bugged to buying the game, I believe the majority of them will just wait for a new crack to come out. I mean, it is computer code after all, it can be cracked.

Eh, if they think its a bug, they will just assume the game is crappy and quit playing.

I don't think anyone is saying that Illwinter isn't well within thier rights to do whatever they want to pirates, we just question the practical business reasoning of the method currently employeed.

I like Krpeters idea about the horror marked pirate captians

Exactly. Anti-piracy measures should make it clear that that's what they are, they shouldn't look like bugs.

Consider the old Command and Conquer game. There was some sort of anti-pirate thing in it that would cause all your units to explode maybe 30 seconds into the game. It caused all sorts of gripes in discussion forums because people would trip it. Not true pirates but those who had a problem with Windows that they fixed by doing an over-the-top install. (This was W98SE, before the days of a repair install. Same concept, though.)

You knew you had a legit game that had been working--it's not the sort of thing you would think to blame on the reinstall.