Disturbing Facts

[disabled]

An old friend of mine, he's in the Army right now, used to write programs. He had a problem with pirating of the beta, so I suggested a way he used to track the Users and people that pirated his beta copies by incorporating a Version checker in the game to find and download updates on his site.

Since each beta user had been assigned different passwords to run the beta, the Version checker could compare the passwords to a list he had stored Online. If the passwords didn't match, the beta would uninstall itself and send information to him on the violater. On top of that, it would write a thing into several places in the registry to not allow another install of the beta. He was clever in the registry code as it was made to look like standard system info that would be missed unless you looked for it.

Back to the topic at hand. Could a modification of this system be used. Perhaps the CD is required for play using the music tracks as the check and putting a similar 'check for update' system?

I dunno, but it's an idea I feel has merit (even if the original concept is borderline overkill)

[dumbluck]

There are two main problems with requiring the CD to be in the machine to play:

1. The ease with which practically anyone now can burn 20 copies of his/her original SE4 disk.

2. There are times when it is convenient to not be required to have the CD in the machine to play. (i.e. multiplayer on a LAN against a few friends that haven't bought the game (but will as soon as they get a taste of how great the game is ))

[mottlee]

I'll have you know that Every copy of SEIII, SEIV and SEIV Gold I still have the Disk of each one I find it apalling (?) that people will do this (tho in my younger day I may have )

[Atrocities]

Right now one of the best anti-pirate software equiped games out is Tribes 2. To date, Sierra has prevented nearly a million attempted thefts of Tribes 2. To my knowledge, it is nearly next to impossible to break their anti-theft system as it works off of a CD specific code that must registar with the master server in order to play. If the key is duplicated, then the second on attemp will forfit the key, and the person who owns the disk originally will have to contact Sierra to get a new key. Thats when they bust em.

Keys can not be "randomly" generated because no un-registared key will be accepted into the system. So in order to play the game, you have to registar it. If you make copies, you can use them, so long as you do not attempt to use more than one at a time.

Nice set up if you ask me.

[ZeroAdunn]

Yes, but it wouldn't work for games that can be played offline, because many people will buy them to play offline.

[Cylapse]

*laughs* Pirating IS pirating, but I cant say that I am 100% against it. In my youth I didnt have **** for money, and honestly my parents wouldnt have given two ****s to assist in the situation.. (this was some, like 5-6 years ago, I was like 15) So I had to make due, learning about coding in C/C++, html, java, and eventually reversing that process to learn about the underground **** that you all despise today *LOL* I dont blame you though. Especially now that Im a grown man who handles his own ****.

Damn straight I paid for SE4... but honestly, I cant say I paid for SE3 back then, it was given to me on a shiney CD-R some years back. Not that I could have paid for it if I had wanted to anyway.

But on the brighter side, that act of piracy allowed me to taste a game that would lay a devastating parasite within my mind *lol* And its because of that that I even bothered to look at SE4 when it was coming around... Seeings how I am not some 15 year old punk anymore, and I can hold my own job and apt, I outgrew the whole stealing software thing, and have a totally legit copy of SE4 Gold... It would be nice to turn the tables around and make due somehow by BUYING an old copy of SE3 (Havent played that in sooo long - lost the cd as well), but that seems a moot point now.

I suppose the moral is this - Stealing is stealing, and YES its wrong, but I wouldnt condemn that dude. I aint no damned Robin Hood myself but I'll tell you this - Had I never gotten ahold of that copy of SE3 a few years ago, I would have never even HEARD about the Demo to part 4, and never had downloaded it (in its 28 mb glory), and Never, ever have purchased it.... So think what you will, but I havta thank the darker past for the brighter future, so to speak

SE4 is fabulous, and it just feels better knowing you can play without fear of being charged with theft *LMAO*

PS - (well, I cant say Im against it if ya steal from Microsoft *LMAO* - **** those fags)

----EDIT----
By the way... I am not advocating piracy or defending it, justifying it or anything of that nature... I am merely offering my viewpoint some years ago and recounting the series of events that lead to my own sense of redemption *lol*
Rest assured I would never even post this crap unless I had felt that I somehow leveled the scales a bit by purchasing SEIVG...I mean it is moderated by Shrapnel and MM *LOL* Just to clarify that I am not some Butt-Pirate supporter *LMAO*
But hey - **** happens. Ya do stupid ****. I'm just glad I never let it get outta hand, especially now that Im older.

[ 21 March 2002: Message edited by: Cynapse ]

[Gryphin]

Hmm, Cynapse,
Since you mention you wish you could "It would be nice to turn the tables around and make due somehow by BUYING an old copy of SE3 ", what about buying a second copy of SE IV Gold and breaking it?
Note: I am human and shall not cast the first stone.