Sgt. D. Pilla
23-10-07, 14:24
I have been browsing the RelicNew's forums, the KMOD forums, and spoken to various people via MSN, I have noticed that very few people, if any, actualy like this new "Piracy Protection" that is was put in place on Relic's latest release game, Company of Heroes - Opposing Fronts.
This system is designed so that the games user has to first login to Relic Online to play any type of game, including a Skirmish, or Multiplayer game.
If you dont have an Internet connection, then you must put the DVD in the drive, aside for the massive annoyence this system has introduced, and the continuous complains from the games fans, it also only further encourages illegal activities on the game, such as making a "No CD Crack" for the game, which will remove this piracy protection, and whats more, Why should anyone have to crack a LEGALLY brought game?!
But many people have also encoutered issues, other then just annoyance, for example the particular issue I have...
I brought Opposing Fronts for 60 AUD, I installed it using a shared DVD drive from a friends laptop, as my drive has serious issues reading any DVD's and because of its brand to replace the drive will cost 200 AUD.
When I then loaded up the game to play, It logged into the Relic Online servers, then I went to play a skirmish match...But no teams were avalible other then Americans and Germans.
I then noticed the "Add Product" button, I clicked it, it asked for me to RE - Enter my CD Key (remembering I had already entered it to install the game!).
It then wanted to CD to verify that I had brought the game (remembering you need the disk to install it, AND a Valid CD key so that your account (which I was logged into ) wasnt disabled)
So I placed the DVD in the drive, and I was not very surprised to discover that the Game Wouldn't read from the disk, even after 3 trys, and each try at a 1hour wait.
The ONLY way for me to correct this issue is to either...
A) COPY the disk on another computer, then use alcohol to 'mount' an 'image' of the disk (A highly illegal activity)
B) Buy a new drive at 200 AUD
Neither I was going to do, because I dont fancy buying Alcohol to PLAY a game I had already purchased, in which its own supposed security was wasting away my money
And Im not buying a new drive because I dont have 200 dollars to spend to get a game to work.
Other issues include the privacy situation, many people feel like their privacy is being invaded because relic know when their online, and they dont want to have to enter confidential details if they never play Multiplayer anyway, yet it is required to create an account.
Just because it's Relic's game (which you dont buy, you mearly buy a license to use), they think they have the right to invade peoples privacy!
Another issue is needing the DVD to play ONLINE if you have a wireless internet connection, which is just stupid.
And for some people, they have been forced to buy another copy of the game, because their first disk was damaged beyond repair, and dont have an internet connection, so they have been forced to spend 120 AUD, because Relic have serious trust issues, with the people that KEEP them in business
We buy the games, we beta test them, we submit bugs and issues, and they thank us by not trusting us that we wont pirate the game!
Now I understand that this protection is aimed at the people that "crack" the game, but its not stopping them, its only encouraging them as they want to bypass all the annoyance's!
Whats more, If you have an issue like me, where the game wont recognise its own disk, there is NO "Cancel" button to quit the validation, so you are forced to use CTRL+ALT+DEL to end the process, which can corrupt the game and need a reinstall!
Also, if the server's are down and you've lost your disk, so you cant play offline, or online, but the game is already open at the login screen, there is NO quit button, so again you are forced to dangerously end the process and prey that the game does not become corrupt.
This is 1 particular issue below..
The Annoyances of Security for Opposing Fronts
Well, like many people that enjoyed playing Company of Heroes, when Opposing Fronts was released, I jumped to get it. Not long after getting it home, I installed it and realized what a strange new beast this was. After trying to figure out for about 10minutes WHY it was making me log into my account online, I finally just gave up and actually did log-in, to find that this is also the only way I could play the campaign and skirmish missions, which I found quite odd since, I don’t want to play online all the time, and being forced to log in to play off-line is annoying. However not much I could do about it, so, fine. I just deal with it. Next day I go to get on, and its saying I have to put in my CD. All I can think is ‘Why?’ I had already tucked it away in a pile of other games thinking I wouldn’t need it anytime soon. So I figure maybe my anti-virus is blocking the connection to relic for some reason and its defaulting to a CD start, so I try exiting the game and then turning off my Internet Security program, and try again. Same thing obviously. So I then spend the next 10minutes digging out my CD, put it in and choose to try reading it again. Well, it seems to just sit there doing nothing, after a few seconds I hear my CD drive kick in, but nothings happening on the screen except it says ‘Validating media’. After what I thought to be longer then it should take to read the CD, I exited the program by using Ctrl-Alt-Del since there was nothing on the ‘Validating media’ screen that would allow me to exit. At this point I’m angry since I had just wanted to play a game that wasn’t exactly living up to expectations already, and can’t seem to. Then it seemed to want to anger me even more, as about 30 seconds to a minute after exiting the program, the OF start menu pops up, and I assume had I waited this additional time, it would have run in the window also. This merely gets me more annoyed at their security, as I cannot choose to have the CD in instead of logging in online unless I disconnect my internet as I personally didn’t see any options to default to a CD start rather then connecting to relic online each time I start the game, and I have to wonder again, ‘Why?’ Why not just have it be like the original game where you can just click the icon and play? Why not even just require the CD in the drive to play? Why be this paranoid about having their product stolen and used for free? I realize they don’t want their game pirated as they then don’t make any money off of it, but it’s just several annoyances that the people that do actually pay for the game have to put up with. Which I hardly think is fair.
Ok, so here's the deal, Ive started this petition in a hope something will be done to rectify this issue, so that the community may once again restore their trust in Relic, and so that many people world wide wont be forced to buy the game twice, or wont be forced to pirate the game just to play, because their legal copy doesnt allow it!
If this protection is removed, Piracy of Company of Heroes - Opposing Fronts will be reduced, and those with legal versions, can play legally!
I aim at getting 1000+ signitures on this petition, It is avalible to sign at..
KMOD.ORG (http://www.kmod.org/kmod_forum/showthread.php?p=13039)
PILLASOFT.COM (http://cdc.fiffa.net/forums/showthread.php?t=116)
HEY4.COM (http://www.hey4.com/thread/company_of_heroes_opposing_fronts_petition)
MYSPACE.COM (http://myspace.com) (bulletin)
FILEFRONT.COM (http://forums.filefront.com/company-heroes-general-discussion/335432-company-heroes-opposing-fronts-petition.html)
1337COH.COM (http://forum.1337coh.com/showthread.php?p=942)
This is the way to sign it...
Sign in BLUE INK!
Please use the below format for you signiture
Your Username ~ The Website at which you signed it ~ Your proper full name ---Any Comment In Italics
So Please Sign Your Name
NOTE:
Please, If you dont want to put your real name, put Undisclosed instead
This must remain professional looking
Last Updated:
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 10:02 PM ~ 1 New Name
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 09:56 PM ~ New Source (1337COH)
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 08:20 PM ~ 1 New Name
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 03:51 PM ~ New Source (FILEFRONT)
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 03:20 PM ~ New Source (MYSPACE)
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 02:37 PM ~ Re-Written
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 09:19 AM ~ With 2 Names
Monday, 22nd October 2007 ~ 10:33 PM ~ With 1 Names
Monday, 22nd October 2007 ~ 10:04 PM ~ With 2 Names
*I will add names into this first post as we go*
*Try to remain mature, and on topic!*
----------------------------NAMES SIGNED----------------------------
Sgt. D. Pilla ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Toby Powditch
Kyranzor ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ undisclosed
Nikoziara ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Nicholas Koziara ---- Its really just annoying...seriously..
FiffA ~ http://forum.kmod.org ~ Fridtjof Tiller ---- Its jst ridiculous and VERY annoying
Advarntek ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Undisclosed ----this is annoying especially when i lost my internet connection. then i had to wait 4 mins each time wile it decides it can't login or connect and that i can play offline without logging in.
whitewolfmxc ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Sunny Ma
Orrie ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Ørjan Opsahl ---- You need the DVD if you want to play Online via Wireless Internet.
AlmightyTallest ~ http://pillasoft.com ~ Brian Haley
Banereaver ~ http://pillasoft.com/ ~ Kyle Sweet
This system is designed so that the games user has to first login to Relic Online to play any type of game, including a Skirmish, or Multiplayer game.
If you dont have an Internet connection, then you must put the DVD in the drive, aside for the massive annoyence this system has introduced, and the continuous complains from the games fans, it also only further encourages illegal activities on the game, such as making a "No CD Crack" for the game, which will remove this piracy protection, and whats more, Why should anyone have to crack a LEGALLY brought game?!
But many people have also encoutered issues, other then just annoyance, for example the particular issue I have...
I brought Opposing Fronts for 60 AUD, I installed it using a shared DVD drive from a friends laptop, as my drive has serious issues reading any DVD's and because of its brand to replace the drive will cost 200 AUD.
When I then loaded up the game to play, It logged into the Relic Online servers, then I went to play a skirmish match...But no teams were avalible other then Americans and Germans.
I then noticed the "Add Product" button, I clicked it, it asked for me to RE - Enter my CD Key (remembering I had already entered it to install the game!).
It then wanted to CD to verify that I had brought the game (remembering you need the disk to install it, AND a Valid CD key so that your account (which I was logged into ) wasnt disabled)
So I placed the DVD in the drive, and I was not very surprised to discover that the Game Wouldn't read from the disk, even after 3 trys, and each try at a 1hour wait.
The ONLY way for me to correct this issue is to either...
A) COPY the disk on another computer, then use alcohol to 'mount' an 'image' of the disk (A highly illegal activity)
B) Buy a new drive at 200 AUD
Neither I was going to do, because I dont fancy buying Alcohol to PLAY a game I had already purchased, in which its own supposed security was wasting away my money
And Im not buying a new drive because I dont have 200 dollars to spend to get a game to work.
Other issues include the privacy situation, many people feel like their privacy is being invaded because relic know when their online, and they dont want to have to enter confidential details if they never play Multiplayer anyway, yet it is required to create an account.
Just because it's Relic's game (which you dont buy, you mearly buy a license to use), they think they have the right to invade peoples privacy!
Another issue is needing the DVD to play ONLINE if you have a wireless internet connection, which is just stupid.
And for some people, they have been forced to buy another copy of the game, because their first disk was damaged beyond repair, and dont have an internet connection, so they have been forced to spend 120 AUD, because Relic have serious trust issues, with the people that KEEP them in business
We buy the games, we beta test them, we submit bugs and issues, and they thank us by not trusting us that we wont pirate the game!
Now I understand that this protection is aimed at the people that "crack" the game, but its not stopping them, its only encouraging them as they want to bypass all the annoyance's!
Whats more, If you have an issue like me, where the game wont recognise its own disk, there is NO "Cancel" button to quit the validation, so you are forced to use CTRL+ALT+DEL to end the process, which can corrupt the game and need a reinstall!
Also, if the server's are down and you've lost your disk, so you cant play offline, or online, but the game is already open at the login screen, there is NO quit button, so again you are forced to dangerously end the process and prey that the game does not become corrupt.
This is 1 particular issue below..
The Annoyances of Security for Opposing Fronts
Well, like many people that enjoyed playing Company of Heroes, when Opposing Fronts was released, I jumped to get it. Not long after getting it home, I installed it and realized what a strange new beast this was. After trying to figure out for about 10minutes WHY it was making me log into my account online, I finally just gave up and actually did log-in, to find that this is also the only way I could play the campaign and skirmish missions, which I found quite odd since, I don’t want to play online all the time, and being forced to log in to play off-line is annoying. However not much I could do about it, so, fine. I just deal with it. Next day I go to get on, and its saying I have to put in my CD. All I can think is ‘Why?’ I had already tucked it away in a pile of other games thinking I wouldn’t need it anytime soon. So I figure maybe my anti-virus is blocking the connection to relic for some reason and its defaulting to a CD start, so I try exiting the game and then turning off my Internet Security program, and try again. Same thing obviously. So I then spend the next 10minutes digging out my CD, put it in and choose to try reading it again. Well, it seems to just sit there doing nothing, after a few seconds I hear my CD drive kick in, but nothings happening on the screen except it says ‘Validating media’. After what I thought to be longer then it should take to read the CD, I exited the program by using Ctrl-Alt-Del since there was nothing on the ‘Validating media’ screen that would allow me to exit. At this point I’m angry since I had just wanted to play a game that wasn’t exactly living up to expectations already, and can’t seem to. Then it seemed to want to anger me even more, as about 30 seconds to a minute after exiting the program, the OF start menu pops up, and I assume had I waited this additional time, it would have run in the window also. This merely gets me more annoyed at their security, as I cannot choose to have the CD in instead of logging in online unless I disconnect my internet as I personally didn’t see any options to default to a CD start rather then connecting to relic online each time I start the game, and I have to wonder again, ‘Why?’ Why not just have it be like the original game where you can just click the icon and play? Why not even just require the CD in the drive to play? Why be this paranoid about having their product stolen and used for free? I realize they don’t want their game pirated as they then don’t make any money off of it, but it’s just several annoyances that the people that do actually pay for the game have to put up with. Which I hardly think is fair.
Ok, so here's the deal, Ive started this petition in a hope something will be done to rectify this issue, so that the community may once again restore their trust in Relic, and so that many people world wide wont be forced to buy the game twice, or wont be forced to pirate the game just to play, because their legal copy doesnt allow it!
If this protection is removed, Piracy of Company of Heroes - Opposing Fronts will be reduced, and those with legal versions, can play legally!
I aim at getting 1000+ signitures on this petition, It is avalible to sign at..
KMOD.ORG (http://www.kmod.org/kmod_forum/showthread.php?p=13039)
PILLASOFT.COM (http://cdc.fiffa.net/forums/showthread.php?t=116)
HEY4.COM (http://www.hey4.com/thread/company_of_heroes_opposing_fronts_petition)
MYSPACE.COM (http://myspace.com) (bulletin)
FILEFRONT.COM (http://forums.filefront.com/company-heroes-general-discussion/335432-company-heroes-opposing-fronts-petition.html)
1337COH.COM (http://forum.1337coh.com/showthread.php?p=942)
This is the way to sign it...
Sign in BLUE INK!
Please use the below format for you signiture
Your Username ~ The Website at which you signed it ~ Your proper full name ---Any Comment In Italics
So Please Sign Your Name
NOTE:
Please, If you dont want to put your real name, put Undisclosed instead
This must remain professional looking
Last Updated:
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 10:02 PM ~ 1 New Name
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 09:56 PM ~ New Source (1337COH)
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 08:20 PM ~ 1 New Name
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 03:51 PM ~ New Source (FILEFRONT)
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 03:20 PM ~ New Source (MYSPACE)
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 02:37 PM ~ Re-Written
Tuesday, 23rd October 2007 ~ 09:19 AM ~ With 2 Names
Monday, 22nd October 2007 ~ 10:33 PM ~ With 1 Names
Monday, 22nd October 2007 ~ 10:04 PM ~ With 2 Names
*I will add names into this first post as we go*
*Try to remain mature, and on topic!*
----------------------------NAMES SIGNED----------------------------
Sgt. D. Pilla ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Toby Powditch
Kyranzor ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ undisclosed
Nikoziara ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Nicholas Koziara ---- Its really just annoying...seriously..
FiffA ~ http://forum.kmod.org ~ Fridtjof Tiller ---- Its jst ridiculous and VERY annoying
Advarntek ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Undisclosed ----this is annoying especially when i lost my internet connection. then i had to wait 4 mins each time wile it decides it can't login or connect and that i can play offline without logging in.
whitewolfmxc ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Sunny Ma
Orrie ~ http://kmod.org/kmod_forum ~ Ørjan Opsahl ---- You need the DVD if you want to play Online via Wireless Internet.
AlmightyTallest ~ http://pillasoft.com ~ Brian Haley
Banereaver ~ http://pillasoft.com/ ~ Kyle Sweet