What DRM is in Dominions 3?

Loren · #1 November 3rd, 2010, 02:28 PM

Another vote that they did it right: It's based on the license key. Switching a game from my desktop to laptop when I travel is a non-issue. You can patch without having the system on-line. A patch hit while I was overseas with my laptop. I had internet access via an internet cafe machine and turns had to be copied back and forth via flash drive. I simply downloaded the patch to my flash drive and put it on.

So long as you have a legit key and don't try to use it from two machines in the same game at the same time you'll never see the DRM at all. (Switching machines between turns is ok.)

Gandalf Parker · #2 November 3rd, 2010, 03:32 PM

Add to that, ordering the CD gives you all 3 versions. Windows, Mac, and Linux. Something almost impossible for other DRM controls to keep track of. For someone like me who believes that Linux is for servers, Windows for desktop, and Mac for portables.. that is fantastic that I get to use it on all 3 with one key

Also very nice that the hosting machine for servers does not get a serial check

CthulhuDreams · #3 November 6th, 2010, 02:18 PM

Basically it's CD-Key only. They are beating copy protection by

A) Designing a CD-Key generation algorithm that is fairly complex

B) Slowly adding more of the validation checks they originally designed to each subsequent version - you can think of this as the key generator having 20 'rules' and each patch has checked for an additional 'rule' so pirate keys that work with an earlier version don't work after being patched

C) 'Soft failing' for CD key checks that makes it very difficult to automate any testing

It is quite clever, but relies on the game being pretty niche and frequent patching to be effective. Overall a very 'user friendly' copy protection system that doesn't require aggressive DRM.

JonBrave · #4 November 6th, 2010, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CthulhuDreams

B) Slowly adding more of the validation checks they originally designed to each subsequent version - you can think of this as the key generator having 20 'rules' and each patch has checked for an additional 'rule' so pirate keys that work with an earlier version don't work after being patched

Not that I care one way or the other, but do you have any evidence for this? They do more checking each patch? Wouldn't have thought they'd bother.