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Offline Mode (2.5.1 and beyond)


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Why are we Gauging the Offline mode against worse than 1 in a Million Scenarios that have nothing to do with the intended functionality.

 

Offline mode isn't meant to keep you playing if your router dies unexpectedly,

Offline mode isn't meant to keep you playing if your ISP goes down without notice.

Offline mode isn't meant to keep you playing while you play with your bios.

(which will deactivate Starforce DRM in some cases)

 

Offline mode is meant to keep you playing for when you have a planned period of internet down time.

 

 

All of the Above Scenarios are outside of ED's Control.

 

ED Cannot Forsee your Router Failing

ED Cannot Forsee your ISP Down time

ED Cannot Forsee your BIOS Changes.

 

If this is about the "3 Day Period", then it's off topic, as it does not Pertain to the Offline Mode.


Edited by SkateZilla

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1. ED sells through Steam so that is all that matters. Steam customers don't care who or what ED is.

 

2. My router only dies once, then it gets replaced.

 

3. I bowed back in, which is my privilege.

 

I understand ED's need to protect their IP. However, there is a line between serving the company and serving the customer. I think ED is operating on the wrong side of that line.

 

Thanks for your opinion, which you already expressed. This is the current system unless ED sees some real world issues with it, and not disaster scenarios, it will not change.

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So make sure you arent in Offline Mode when you start tweaking your system. Problem solved. If you forget, then send a message to ED support to get it resolved.

 

So what would happen if you messed with the BIOS in offline mode?

 

I would have thought you just go back launch DCS, login and all is good, or would you need to reactivate all the modules?

 

Perhaps we just give it a go. I'm sure if it's that disruptive and ED's support desk gets smashed, they will re evaluate the method implemented.

 

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So what would happen if you messed with the BIOS in offline mode?

 

I would have thought you just go back launch DCS, login and all is good, or would you need to reactivate all the modules?

 

Perhaps we just give it a go. I'm sure if it's that disruptive and ED's support desk gets smashed, they will re evaluate the method implemented.

 

-

 

If you make drastic enough changes to your computer to where DCS thinks its on a different machine, you wont be able to leave offline mode as I understand it, locking you into the version, you have without updates, MP, etc.

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ED's approach is the best one for them and us, the users.

It works and allows offline play, while still giving ED the protection it wants. I understand some want to pick holes and find faults with it but some of the "what if" scenarios are stretching it a bit.

 

If anyone ever has any problems we have a dedicated support team who will be happy to assist.

 

Is there a phone line for support ? If i have no internet I am only able to contact support by phone, if i have no internet how do i find the contact details ?

 

I am luckily enough to live in a very small village by the sea in the UK we are probably the only real mobile blackspot in the UK there is absolutely no service in the village, I would have to go 500m up a hill to find a mobile connection. To be fair my internet is through my landline phone and i can count on one hand the amount of times i lost service for more than an hour in the past year so im not really worried about that.

 

If I have gone to work and come home and my internet is down, the way I understand it I would not be able to play unless i had had the forethought to select offline mode previously ?

do i understand this correctly ? Or is offline mode automatic?

 

Having to contact support with no access to internet is a big problem for me

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Is there a phone line for support ? If i have no internet I am only able to contact support by phone, if i have no internet how do i find the contact details ?

 

All support is online, there is no telephone support. The team have a ticket system, email and live chat.

 

If I have gone to work and come home and my internet is down, the way I understand it I would not be able to play unless i had had the forethought to select offline mode previously ?

do i understand this correctly ? Or is offline mode automatic?

 

You need to select off line mode before, it is not automatic, the modes main purpose was to support those users who are without connection for long periods, for example service men and women, or for users who travel and are without connection for long periods. They would update at their convenience when they have a connection, then select offline mode and continue to play without restriction or time limits, without being in offline mode we get the three days.


Edited by BIGNEWY

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Is the steam version of DCS affected in the same way, i.e. does it validate itself the same way as the stand alone version at least every 3 days and can be put into DCS's own new offline mode? Or does it use steams offline mode which i can activate after the fact of internet loss?

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Is the steam version of DCS affected in the same way, i.e. does it validate itself the same way as the stand alone version at least every 3 days and can be put into DCS's own new offline mode? Or does it use steams offline mode which i can activate after the fact of internet loss?
#

 

As far as I am aware steam uses its own system, but I will confirm that just to be sure.

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Confirmed with the team, Steam version uses steams authorisation, and the offline button will be removed from the steam version.

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So, users running the steam version have access to DCS and all their modules totally independent of internet availability and can always start steam in offline mode even after the loss of an internet connection and in case of wrecking or changing their PC significantly they would not face any issues concerning switching between online and offline mode since afaik steam's offline mode has not restrictions on that;

 

where as stand alone guys not currently in offline mode would be locked out after not being online within the last 3 days and having no internet connection for unforseeable reasons on day four?

 

I am still trying to understand the rationale for having to be online to activate the offline mode. This obviously covers the ''planned'' online hiatus but not the unforseeable loss of internet access on the very pc you run DCS on.

 

Or better, i do understand that if you could activate offline mode after you have lost you internet connection ED's master server would not know that your account is in offline mode and can only be taken out of offline mode on that particular PC. This switching between offline/online being bound to the very same PC seems to me to be the strongest protection feature of the new DRM mechanisnm. Doesn't help a lot concerning credit card fraud but somewhat for account sharing. I would kinda say that the crux here is the 3 day period. If this was increased to 4 weeks than the incidence of finding oneself without internet at that very moment when you have fallen outside of that period would happen way more seldom for most people.

 

I guess, if you worry about having unstable internet, the new routine is to always put DCS into offline mode right before exiting the game. Hence, whether you have internet or not next time you play, you still have at least access to it in offline mode :)

 

 

Question: Is the unique PC hash value comparison only always happening on EDs master server but at no point client sidewise? Hence, if i move a DCS stand alone version that i put in the new offline mode to another PC with a totally different hash value, will that moved DCS version start up and work just fine in offline mode but can't be taken out of offline mode again from that very PC?

Or will it not even start because it checks internally against the PCs hash value and goes like, ...''i am set to be offline and this is a different PC than the one have been put into offline mode....so no joy! ?

 

So: the best and easiest solution seems to me: add a checkbox to the settings which automates the switch between online/offline mode which trys to go online and validate when starting DCS when there is an internet connection, but which puts DCS into offline mode every time when exiting DCS world, keeping the restriction that this needs to be done on the very same PC in place.


Edited by sc_neo
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If you put standalone DCS into offline mode you need to re-enable it on the same pc before making changes to a PC. It can not be enabled from a different PC

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the steam debate is off topic here, keep this thread for offline mode discussion please.

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Sorry guys, but what the hell is all this about?? Time limits for modules etc. Could someone explain this in simpler way as im totally confused. Can someone explain time limits. If you have paid good money for your modules, why cant you use them as much as you like?

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Sorry guys, but what the hell is all this about?? Time limits for modules etc. Could someone explain this in simpler way as im totally confused. Can someone explain time limits. If you have paid good money for your modules, why cant you use them as much as you like?

 

 

 

You can use them as much as you want all the time. The sim simply connects to the server at least every 3 days to make sure you’re not using stolen software. The offline mode means you can go longer than 3 days if you’re gonna be traveling or something

 

 

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Again, all they needed to do is to make this 'go offline and go online again' automatic when exiting and starting the game. Enable offline mode automatically when the user exits DCS and enable online mode when DCS is started up the next time provided there is a working internet connection, if not, DCS stays is offline mode.

 

This would probably require a checkbox in the settings so people can enable or disable this automation and do the switch manually if they are so inclined so to not run into issues with multiple DCS installations (PC home, Laptop, PC summer hut or whatever). This pretty much eliminates the risk of being locked out if your internet connection fails you for unforseeable reasons, but might slightly raise the incidence of people being locked in offline mode after changing somehting significant enough in their PC without remembering to click that checkbox beforehand. And if your PC crashes in an unrecoverable way, yeah in this rare occasion you need to contact ED customer support to get you back into online mode. And this is already the case for those who enable offline mode right now and expereince a fatal system crash.

 

Tell me if i am overlooking something here, but this system would adequately cover the ''forseen and unforseen'' loss of internet without changing the way the current system is designed in any way, except for automating what is currently possible already. With that automation in place, ED could validate my installation everytime i start up DCS for all i care.

 

Again, i am happy that we got the offline mode and i don't want to deride it or something, i just think we are pretty close to a very good solution that covers all situations except for a fatal system crash...and in that case, i think one probably has bigger concerns than contacting ED customer support for once.

 

 

EDIT: It'll be even more failsafe if this automatic switch to online mode happens only when clicking on the multiplayer tab and

as soon as the user leaves multiplayer and goes back to the main menu offline mode is activated.


Edited by sc_neo
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That is a fine plan unless your router dies. Even with Amazon Prime it could take three days to procure a new one.

 

How does this impact Steam clients?

 

While they're at it providing fixes to resolve extremely unlikely hardware faults, perhaps they could also introduce something to allow me to play if my video card dies, and maybe a portable version that will run from a USB drive for when my hard drive has a fault ?

Cheers.

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... perhaps they could also introduce something to allow me to play if my video card dies, and maybe a portable version that will run from a USB drive for when my hard drive has a fault ?

 

What? You don't have a spare drive and video card? Aside from the router which is provided by my ISP since it runs more than just my internet, I have backup hardware for everything else, including an unused 6700k CPU/mobo/memory package, spare Warthogs, TIR and a backup set of pedals.

 

;)


Edited by cichlidfan

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What? You don't have a spare drive and video card? Aside from the router which is provided by my ISP since it runs more than just my internet, I have backup hardware for everything else, including an unused 6700k CPU/mobo/memory package, spare Warthogs, TIR and a backup set of pedals.

 

;)

 

yeah.. clone yourself too so you can rest and let him to fly :lol:

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What? You don't have a spare drive and video card? Aside from the router which is provided by my ISP since it runs more than just my internet, I have backup hardware for everything else, including an unused 6700k CPU/mobo/memory package, spare Warthogs, TIR and a backup set of pedals.

 

;)

 

;)

Cheers.

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What? You don't have a spare drive and video card? Aside from the router which is provided by my ISP since it runs more than just my internet, I have backup hardware for everything else, including an unused 6700k CPU/mobo/memory package, spare Warthogs, TIR and a backup set of pedals.

 

;)

 

Well stop being a tight A.. and get one one these satellite internet dishes too then while your at it.:D

 

Got to have those backup plans. Man you spend a bit on backup stuff cichlidfan, you must wig-out if you haven't flown for more than a few hours.:)

 

 

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If offline mode does not address unexpected internet connection outage, please ED, just move the 3 days period to 8 days, so those of us playing on average once a week don't get too penalized when it happens. (and it does happen, once or twice a year on average for me in France)

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The only thing I can reproach about the new anti-piracy system of ED is the fact to be forced to have a connection to enable the offline mode.

 

It means that an unexpected lost of connection stop the game as before, after 3 days, if the offline mode hasn't been enabled before.

 

In this way, the ofline mode becomes for me, the defaut mode in the use of DCS, with enabling the online mode only for multiplayer sessions and updates.

 

But if an unexpected lost of connection arrives during this time, it's the same as before, the three days and eyes for crying if the connection isn't repaired during these three days.

 

But now, the positive, is that you can preserve your capacity to use DCS when you come back home, by enabling the offline mode before an expected absence far from your home, even if you have lost the connection during this time.

 

After, all stuffs with uddate of hardware, bios and so on, it's like the starforce period and at these times, nobody was crying: " and if I change my graphic card...and if I update my bios....and if ..."

 

At these times, they were 2 options: using DCS_protect.exe to save the keys before hardware or bios change, or explaining gently to ED why you havn't keys anymore and they give news .

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If your connection is bad and you think you maybe without internet for more than three days it would be wise to use the off line mode, that is what it is there for.

 

for everyone else lucky enough to have a good connection being without internet is rare, and there is no issue, you will never have to worry.

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