Ubi and Copy Protection

[DaemianLucifer]

I think is a stupid contest
If I understand everything right you have to proove that your pc can be 'destroyed'
Usualy people would have to test this before going to the people from starforce.
And prooving that it was starforce who ruined the pc is a little hard to show after that

Yes.If you dont present them with a blank computer,theyll just say "It wasnt SF,it was *insert program here* thats to blame.Sorry you crashed your computer,and spent hundreds of dollars for the trip.Better luck next time.Now get the hell out of our property!"

[Ethric]

And while I'm no to good at this pc-thing, isn't it a bit hard often to prove the exact reason why something went bananashaped? And what if the problem stems from a conflict between starforce and another program, was it then starforce's fault? Or the other program?

Just a little stunt to impress the impressionable, this contest.

That said, I have had games with starforce running on my pc with no problems that I have noticed. Though that doesn't prove anything, one way or the other.

[Thelonious]

Though that doesn't prove anything, one way or the other.

It prooves that SF doesn't destroy a computer persee... (I don't know how many games you have, but there are dozens of other gamers that don't have any problems as well)

[ThunderTitan]

And while I'm no to good at this pc-thing, isn't it a bit hard often to prove the exact reason why something went bananashaped? And what if the problem stems from a conflict between starforce and another program, was it then starforce's fault? Or the other program?

I actualy saw that on the SF forum as an excuse to the problems SF might cause! It said something about SF bringing out bugs in other programs. In other words: "SF only destroyed your drivers because your drivers weren't made to handle what SF does to them".
IMHO which of the 2 programs is more useless is more at fault?

It prooves that SF doesn't destroy a computer persee... (I don't know how many games you have, but there are dozens of other gamers that don't have any problems as well)

Well persee would mean the they intentionaly made SF destroy your computer which is not exactly a good business move . And even PC destroying viruses don't destroy PCs persee, but make your OS/program/whatevertheyaffect overload a hardware component (at least that's what i understood).

[Thelonious]

No virus or software can destroy your computer (destroy meaning blow up into a million pieces)

It can mess with it so it's useless.

I meant to say that it prooves that SF doesn't mess with every computer it's installed on.

[DaemianLucifer]

Like I said earlier:If it messes up just one out of every 1000 computers,it is to be considered an usuatable piece of software.

[Ethric]

Though that doesn't prove anything, one way or the other.

It prooves that SF doesn't destroy a computer persee... (I don't know how many games you have, but there are dozens of other gamers that don't have any problems as well)

It proves that starforce doesn't automatically lead to doom, gloom and twoheaded goats under your bed, yes. But most senisble people wouldn't really claim that starforce automatically leads to bad things.

So just because something bad hasn't happened to me, it doesn't mean it can't happen to a thousand other people. As DaemianLucifer said, if 0.1% of all users have trouble with the program, that's to much. Now you can of course say that 0.1% and more of all who buy H5 may have problems with the game itself, and running it on their pc, so problems isn't unusual. But that's beside the point, as starforce is an added program, beside the actual product you buy.

[innokenti]

All I can say about Starforce is that it's never actually messed with my computer in terms of drivers etc etc. I don't think it can really do that except in minor isolated cases.

What Starforce is, is a real pain in the [lower backside]. It's not very good at checking the CDs/DVDs when they're the real thing, takes some time to properly work and of course actually installs itself on the computer. All very very silly and inconvenient - Starforce has by far enough protection anyway, they just need to work on making it more user-friendly, quicker and more transparent.

[Thelonious]

Yeah, SF protects enough.. but if it would be anybit less hars would it protect as well as it now does?

And yes 0.1% is a lot. For all the games with SF out there that is a lot. But it's not going to stop me from buying HoMM V

[innokenti]

Yeah, SF protects enough.. but if it would be anybit less hars would it protect as well as it now does?

Technology doesn't stand still. They can do it - they've just got to invest research that way. The problem is - they seem to not care at the moment.

[DaemianLucifer]

And why should they?Its far more easier and cheaper to make a new copy protection program,than to update current one.Especially because it will soon become completely cracked and useless.

[ThunderTitan]

And why should they?Its far more easier and cheaper to make a new copy protection program,than to update current one.Especially because it will soon become completely cracked and useless.

As I understand SF has it's own programing language or something, and you can't make a cracked exe if you don't know that language. Doesn' really matter though, you can just play the game using fake cd-images and some virtual drive. Back when HodgePodge made that KingKong thread I looked up the game and it was already on the Web. Remember the white on gray stuff?
And SF does upgrade, it's at version 3 right now! The thing is that once a version is cracked (even the guys at SF said something like that it takes about 2 weeks maybe more) all the games that are protected with it aren't protected anymore! So if HoMM5 doesn't get a new version of SF it won't even get 2 weeks.

[DaemianLucifer]

So?You think that its hard for a bunch of hardcore hackers to steal the language from them?They will do it eventually.At the end of 2006,SF will be completely cracked.I have no doubts about that.

[ThunderTitan]

So?You think that its hard for a bunch of hardcore hackers to steal the language from them?They will do it eventually.At the end of 2006,SF will be completely cracked.I have no doubts about that.

Well most crackers manage to steal mostly from people that are careless! I remember seeing something about a '80's console protection system that used similar methods! They only managed to break the code a couple of years ago, and with considerable effort! It doesn't really mather, because even that code didn't protect the console, just like SF doesn't protect games for long! Like one article on SF said: SF can't win, because SF is instaled on the hackers computer, and hackers are masters of their computers...
In the end is the honest consumer that gets screwed. I feel sorry for you guys.

[innokenti]

In fact, the most effective system is of course Steam. Not perfect in protection but I know not of any pirated Steam producs (i.e. Half-Life2 CS:S) that pirated/cracked can be played with anything near 100% content/functionality/etc. What makes it even more user-friendly of course is that the games d/led over Steam require no CDs to run and Valve very quickly made store-bough ones also free of that.

Only problem is that one-time logon and register via internet.


I'd very very quickly trade SF-protection for 'UbiSteam'.

[Continuity]

HL2, CS, DoD and all those have been cracked, fully playable. As usual you can't play online, but that's the same with all pirated games.

[ThunderTitan]

HL2, CS, DoD and all those have been cracked, fully playable. As usual you can't play online on official servers, but that's the same with all pirated games.

All better now!

[DaemianLucifer]

Exactly.Instead of making CDs uncopiable and making them a necessary in drive while the game is played,they should simply concentrate on making the online gaming available just for legal customers.Having a CD in drive is such a pain.And what if the CD breaks?Plus there is this whole SF fiasco.And no matter what they do,games will alvays be cracked.So instead of selling CDs,they should concentrate on selling right for internet gaming.

[ThunderTitan]

Exactly.Instead of making CDs uncopiable and making them a necessary in drive while the game is played,they should simply concentrate on making the online gaming available just for legal customers.Having a CD in drive is such a pain.And what if the CD breaks?Plus there is this whole SF fiasco.And no matter what they do,games will alvays be cracked.So instead of selling CDs,they should concentrate on selling right for internet gaming.

Nah... that would actualy make sense. Never gonna happen. And there are ways to play online without having a CD in the drive. All you need is a good CD-key. Do a search on Blizzard + Warden.

[Derek]

Plus there is this whole SF fiasco.

What cases are there that prove this is a fiasco? I'm getting to the point where I really do need to see some proof for these claims, as it's getting nearer to the launch and I have no more knowledge about Starfroce than I did at the begining.