LOMAC v1.1 copy protection – good news/bad news

[olaleier]

Until then why not dispense with the drama?

 

Carl

 

You know flight simmers better than that. :?

[Stormin]

Until then why not dispense with the drama?

 

Carl

 

You know flight simmers better than that. :?

 

It's like a digital tabloid sometimes.

[SimFan]

Hi Carl a.o.,

You are right that it is no use to complain before being 'hit'

However, I am afraid this 'protection' is going to hurt sales a lot.

First, there is no way to pay for it in the shop, no printed manual & keycard.

Now this (which to me is much worse).

I agree that if there in NO alternative, some may be driven to pay up anyway.

I hope ED does not forget that it would also be possible to make a difference by NOT putting in any protection mechanism at all.

This would increase sales IMHO.

NOT for any game, I agree. But for a SIM like LO: yes, I firmly believe that.

I will also NOT copy the game illegally (even if I could), simply because ED deserves to be paid.

For most of us it is not about the money at all, as you know.

If, for every app or sim, we would have to go through this kind of ordeal I think many people will pass.

People playing LO on high-end machines are (mostly) no minors and can sure come up with the necessary cash.

If ED drops this kind of protection (of which I was afraid they would since it is distributed over the net) I will be the 'first in line'.

I rest my case. etc. ect.

:?

[Cosmonaut]

12 pages already!!

 

Well I have to say that this is the most disappointing news I have heard in a long time. I’m not going to make a final decision until ED comments on the concerns raised in this thread. However and I can’t believe I’m going to say this but as things stand right now I probably wont be buying FC when its released. The most worrying part for me is having an add-on dictate my upgrade habits and having a clock ticking down where I might have to repurchase the software again after three major hardware changes. I have read that this might not be the case and I will only have to provide proof of purchase…but what kind of hoops am I going to have to jump through just to reinstall a game? I want the freedom to install and uninstall when ever I please and I don’t want to be treated like a pirate every time I upgrade my system.

 

Although I would be the first to admit I am in panic mode right now and I just hope we can get some official comment on all of this soon.

[DayGlow]

Hi Carl a.o.,

You are right that it is no use to complain before being 'hit'

However, I am afraid this 'protection' is going to hurt sales a lot.

First, there is no way to pay for it in the shop, no printed manual & keycard.

Now this (which to me is much worse).

I agree that if there in NO alternative, some may be driven to pay up anyway.

I hope ED does not forget that it would also be possible to make a difference by NOT putting in any protection mechanism at all.

This would increase sales IMHO.

NOT for any game, I agree. But for a SIM like LO: yes, I firmly believe that.

I will also NOT copy the game illegally (even if I could), simply because ED deserves to be paid.

For most of us it is not about the money at all, as you know.

If, for every app or sim, we would have to go through this kind of ordeal I think many people will pass.

People playing LO on high-end machines are (mostly) no minors and can sure come up with the necessary cash.

If ED drops this kind of protection (of which I was afraid they would since it is distributed over the net) I will be the 'first in line'.

I rest my case. etc. ect.

:?

 

ok, so no copy protection will raise sales and lower piracy. OK.

________

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Edited January 22, 2011 by DayGlow

[DayGlow]

12 pages already!!

 

Well I have to say that this is the most disappointing news I have heard in a long time. I?m not going to make a final decision until ED comments on the concerns raised in this thread. However and I can?t believe I?m going to say this but as things stand right now I probably wont be buying FC when its released. The most worrying part for me is having an add-on dictate my upgrade habits and having a clock ticking down where I might have to repurchase the software again after three major hardware changes. I have read that this might not be the case and I will only have to provide proof of purchase?but what kind of hoops am I going to have to jump through just to reinstall a game? I want the freedom to install and uninstall when ever I please and I don?t want to be treated like a pirate every time I upgrade my system.

 

Although I would be the first to admit I am in panic mode right now and I just hope we can get some official comment on all of this soon.

 

how is it treating you like a pirate to ask to verify your license after 3 major upgrades. That means dropping in a new video card, motherboard or cpu. So maybe once a year, if you are an upgrade freak you would have to spend 5 minutes getting a new key. I really fail to see how that makes it treating you like a pirate.

________

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Edited January 22, 2011 by DayGlow

[schimmel]

ok, so no copy protection will raise sales and lower piracy. OK.

 

Exactly that's what I believe. Why? Because either way there will be a cracked version. Look at HL2, Panzers, Race Driver 2...

 

On the other hand, those who would have bought the game maybe won't buy it now and a certain number of potential customers will try the emule version.

 

But to be honest. That's not my problem. I care what I get for my money. The business issue is for ED to decide, not me.

[Pilotasso]

@ZZZZZZspace:

whipe out the driver then go the registry editor and whipe out all directories named sfdrv01 and sfdrv02. You may have to give allow permition to all users by right clicking on those items.

[W-Natas]

Why no hardware lock? It would be cheaper...

[benzene31]

Finally i dont care about this story of protection because i ve seen that it is possible to order a CD via checksix community or simware

 

 

http://www.checksix-forums.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=51057

 

:prayer: :prayer:

[Stormin]

From what I have learned from my contacts at TFC/ED this is all a big nothing. They know what they are doing and have researched this subject in depth. They will make a statement at the appropriate time. I'm not their spokesman and I sure as hell don't miss having to deal with hysteria like this crap. Some of you are really being ignorant. If the shoe fits, wear it. Why not wait for the facts?

 

I don't blame TFC/ED for wanting a robust and effective means of copy protection and I have complete faith that they know what the hell they are doing with regard to this matter. Most of the things being speculated about how the scheme will work and what it will do or not do are being made without any official information from TFC/ED. They'll make a statement after all this ranting dies down and they can address your concerns in logical and factual manner.

 

Until then, let the drama continue. At least they get see the speculation that they get to blow away when the facts are presented.

 

It's a shame that some of you are abandoning this product without having any real facts.

[golfsierra2]

 

how is it treating you like a pirate to ask to verify your license after 3 major upgrades. That means dropping in a new video card, motherboard or cpu. So maybe once a year, if you are an upgrade freak you would have to spend 5 minutes getting a new key. I really fail to see how that makes it treating you like a pirate.

 

You're right, DayGlow, asking for a new key after 3 installations, providing proof of purchase and getting a new key for free is OK with me. What makes people turn their back on FC is the idea of having such a nasty piece of software like StarFore on their computer - that includes me. If you haven't noticed the trouble especially this protection software has caused when it was delivered with other games previously, it's about time to do so. Otherwise you will not be able to understand why many potential FC buyers are pissed off right now.

 

BTW: The demo already came with this junk software , which was good for nothing, 'coz it was only a demo. And that StarForce ist a nasty piece of software ist easy to prove: Just try to de-install the demo and then check your system - StarForce stays on your PC ! Why ?

 

If ED want's to go for a software protection, then for heavens sake choose something else but never StarForce ! I see ED's point that it is a nessecity to have a protection, but not this way, gents. Never ever.

 

Read through the various forums and find out about how StarForce will and already has done substantial damage to the promo campaign runing for the FC release. ED should put this to an end soon, or there never will be a version 1.2.

 

UBISOFT failed to release LOMAC as a most bug-free simulation, that was by poor management. ED is about to scare people off FC by the choice of a poor piece of prtection software. Seems that's LOMAC wasn't born under a Lucky Star. What a pity !

[WhiskeyRomeo]

@ZZZZZZspace:

whipe out the driver then go the registry editor and whipe out all directories named sfdrv01 and sfdrv02. You may have to give allow permition to all users by right clicking on those items.

Why go through all that trouble?

Just use the StarForce removal tool from the company website: sfdrvrem.exe

http://www.star-force.com/index.phtml?category=200&type=5

[DayGlow]

In Oxking's defense, there's a language barrier present ;) He didn't want to say that he doesn't care, but that there are too many people who don't anyway. And it's a fact that pretty much all games are available within hours after release in the warez scene, and many even earlier, without any sort of copy protection. So unfortunately issues with copy protection will even make it less attractive to get legal copies when the illegal ones come without those... not a new fact but still very much the case, which I think was his point with that remark.

 

Not that I consider printed manuals an alternative for a version that is only distibuted by download for other reasons. And multiplayer-keys have hardly stopped pirating much with other games either - even for multiplayer-only games.

 

kk, I appologize if that is the case.

________

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Edited January 22, 2011 by DayGlow

[169th_DedCat]

The only type of piracy this will prevent is common user to user sharing, i.e. the kind where a kid makes his friend a copy of FC on CD and where his friend isn't wily enough to search the Web for the crack that will no doubt be out less than a month after FC's release.

 

Net based piracy, the kind that takes place on IRC, Usenet, and P2P are perpetuated by skilled groups who have crack teams responsible and dedicated to removing software like Starforce from their releases before they get anywhere near the public. Quality groups won't just release the game with a few working keys they've stolen, they'll release it with a key generator utility based on the Starforce algorithm and they'll include a crack to remove the anti-theft/spy-software as well.

 

Oh well.

 

ED's move to use Starforce may stop a portion of potential piracy, but it will never stop the bulk of it. I understand their efforts, as flight-sim developers are always skating on thin ice with their budget, but I think this particular move is more likely to piss off honest customers than it is to prevent theft. The good news is you can pretty well count on there being a crack for this not long after FC's release. I'll buy the game, but I won't hesitate to crack it too.

[DayGlow]

The only type of piracy this will prevent is common user to user sharing, i.e. the kind where a kid makes his friend a copy of FC on CD and where his friend isn't wily enough to search the Web for the crack that will no doubt be out less than a month after FC's release.

 

Net based piracy, the kind that takes place on IRC, Usenet, and P2P are perpetuated by skilled groups who have crack teams responsible and dedicated to removing software like Starforce from their releases before they get anywhere near the public. Quality groups won't just release the game with a few working keys they've stolen, they'll release it with a key generator utility based on the Starforce algorithm and they'll include a crack to remove the anti-theft/spy-software as well.

 

Oh well.

 

ED's move to use Starforce may stop a portion of potential piracy, but it will never stop the bulk of it. I understand their efforts, as flight-sim developers are always skating on thin ice with their budget, but I think this particular move is more likely to piss off honest customers than it is to prevent theft. The good news is you can pretty well count on there being a crack for this not long after FC's release. I'll buy the game, but I won't hesitate to crack it too.

 

the casual piracy is much larger than the p2p areana, so it makes sense to use copy protection. As for key-gens, that's exactly what SF's system protects against. Since the key is generated from your hardware signature you can't share it across the net, and any key that is over active is shut down. That's why people don't like SF, because it's hard to crack.

________

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Edited January 22, 2011 by DayGlow

[169th_DedCat]

A good key generator will take that into account DayGlow, it GENERATES keys on the fly using the same algorithm as the protection software, so one warez user isn't likely to be using the same key as another, and overly used keys are not an issue. Failing that the group will simply provide a cracked exe with Starforce disabled. It really isn't all that difficult for those who know what they're doing. Software activation, like what's used by MS and Norton, are one of the few ways developers use to try to get around this, and even that has huge and easily exploited loopholes.

 

The claim that causal friend-to-friend piracy is much more common than group/net based piracy is a typical refrain, but judging by how much activity I've seen in group/net warez trading over the years, I highly doubt that claim. The sheer amount of it probably just goes unnoticed by the publishers. There are people in these circles who steal just to perpetuate further theft, and have no interest in actually using the software. In the old days they were called couriers.

[Chizh]

:!: At the moment we consider an opportunity of application of other protection for English version 1.1. I shall not answer questions while we shall not define precisely.

[504MrWolf]

I dont know if some1 mentioned it as i really cant be bothered to read through 14 pages !!

 

StarForce is as secure as a toffee padlock there is a cracking group called StarF**k (expletives deleted) and they have released a cracking tool that will crack any game with StarForce protection and it covers old up to the new release of StarForce.

 

Just thought id mention this.

 

Wolfie

[169th_DedCat]

:!: At the moment we consider an opportunity of application of other protection for English version 1.1. I shall not answer questions while we shall not define precisely.

 

Sounds good to me ED. Good luck. I've got my credit card waiting for you guys to release it. :wink:

[AnzacPT]

:!: At the moment we consider an opportunity of application of other protection for English version 1.1. I shall not answer questions while we shall not define precisely.

 

sounds good to me too.

 

waiting for news.

[Guest ruggbutt]

Ditto.

[tflash]

From what I have learned from my contacts at TFC/ED this is all a big nothing. They know what they are doing and have researched this subject in depth. They will make a statement at the appropriate time. I'm not their spokesman and I sure as hell don't miss having to deal with hysteria like this crap. Some of you are really being ignorant. If the shoe fits, wear it. Why not wait for the facts?

 

 

The fact is this highly controversial piece of software ended on my PC after installing the demo, from a software vendor I did trust, without an appropriate warning.

I hope you do not refer to that with "They know what they are doing ..." ?

 

I am very supportive of ED finding a good, viable solution to distribute their software over the internet without being ripped, but I'm having doubts if they are chosing the right partner and I think they missed an opportunity to communicate about that BEFORE I installed the demo.

 

So, in the future, I would appreciate that their "in-depth subject research" would not take place on MY PC, tnx.

[golfsierra2]

:!: At the moment we consider an opportunity of application of other protection for English version 1.1. I shall not answer questions while we shall not define precisely.

 

Sounds good to me ED. Good luck. I've got my credit card waiting for you guys to release it. :wink:

 

Ditto. Waiting for the good stuff to be released soon, copy protected or not...

[JG27_Arklight]

I have been thinking about it and after the installation of the demo on my machine, NOTHING has changed.

 

My machine still runs great, the Demo still runs great, I'm not receiving any messages of people trying to gain access to my computer, my internet still loads at the same speed, etc...

 

NOTHING is any different then when I didn't have SF. So in retrospect, I guess I could really care less if SF comes with it or not.

 

I seriously doubt ED would have a problem with any support issues later as long as you had your purchasing information handy.

 

I think many of us have seem to forgotten that UBI dropped the ball and ED caught it. We should have a little faith, they already saved this game once.