L3onheart Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 So will Jedi Academy come with a CD-KEY for multiplayer check? How about Punkbuster to get rid of those pesky scripters? And if it does come with CD-Key, will it be possible to ban key's from a server, like in HL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XanaJedi Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Punkbuster? lol u some 1337 counterstrike h4x0r? punkbuster was REALLY nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HertogJan Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Dude, punkbuster was very very buggy, and Valve did 1000 times better with their own Anti-Cheat Modules And cheating death and HLGuard did better too And yeah, I wonder if there's going to be a cd-key system this time around. My guess is no, don't see why they will this time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txa1265 Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 The way I look at it, nothing is unbreakable - if people want to cheat or pirate they will. However, I think that a CD-key system would provide some reasonable amount of copy-protection. Just about every FPS I own has one, including Raven's other 2002 game SoFII, so I was surprised JKII didn't. Maybe LucasArts didn't want it ? Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormHammer Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I welcome anything that will cut down on piracy and cheating. As stated, serious and determined pirates will find workarounds, but it can help to stop casual opportunists from taking advantage 'just because they can'. I have no problem with entering a CD-Key on installation - these days they're printed on the back of the manual, anyway, so it's harder to 'lose' them. And as most games in the UK come in DVD style cases, with the manuals inside, it's even harder to lose them unless you're really determined. Obviously, making the game itself as robust as possible to deter and prevent cheating, is essential. There's nothing worse than some idiot spoiling everyone's game just so they can inflate their ego online, and fool themselves into thinking they're 'cool' because they can 'own' everyone else by breaking the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toa Tahu Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I agree with this CD-Key protection system.Here in my country alone,although police are doing extensive raids,piracy is rampant like anything.I bet billions have been lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cheat Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 yeah piracy is getting really bad, i would welcome a cd-key if it would mean less people would copy the game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prime Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Originally posted by txa1265 The way I look at it, nothing is unbreakable - if people want to cheat or pirate they will. However, I think that a CD-key system would provide some reasonable amount of copy-protection. Anything can be hacked, but the important thing is to make difficult enough so that it isn't worth the effort to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JediLurker Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Yes, as much copy protection as possible is a welcome thing. If I'm understanding the context of the original post, though, it's more about using the keys to ban certain unwanted guests from a multiplayer server. I never played JO online much, so correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't there a ban function anyway? Or is it just a temporary kick? I'm not sure how much easier or effective it would be with a key ban as opposed to what is(or isn't) already there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troopr-Undr-Fir Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 Originally posted by StormHammer I have no problem with entering a CD-Key on installation - these days they're printed on the back of the manual, anyway, so it's harder to 'lose' them. And as most games in the UK come in DVD style cases, with the manuals inside, it's even harder to lose them unless you're really determined. Naw, It is way to easy for people to steal CD keys out of boxes at the stores now anyways(I know this because some one in one of my clans once used to do this). I think this could be avoided by actually putting it in the cd itself, like for instense it could be in a wordprocessing document. But I just wish people would be more sivilized than to have to steal. I am deffinitly not a fan of piracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emon Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I don't care about a CD key, it doesn't bother me. Even in newer PC games, LEC hasn't had any CD protection at all, so it's unlikely they will for JA. PunkBuster is excellent. I don't know how it was for Half-Life stuff, but it offers such great protection for Quake III based games. SoF2, Q3, Enemy Territory, it stops people from exploiting cvars and commands. You can't have a zoom on all weapons using the cg_fov, that sort of thing. I really hope PunkBuster supports JA. If it keeps out just one cheating idiot, then it's worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Count Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 I don't care for CD protection either like someone said Pirates will find a way anyway, and I find typing the key in an inconveinience anyway (yes I am that lazy!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reprehence Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 A CD key at installation is decent protection (particularly for MP) - but frankly I download the no-CD hacks anyway because I hate having to load and unload CD's to play different games - and waiting around for safedisk or whatever they're using - is a pain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emon Posted July 25, 2003 Share Posted July 25, 2003 That's the other thing. SafeDisc is getting easier to crack, yet it still costs a whopping amount of money. LEC is not stupid enough to invest in something that will be so easily broken. A multiplayer CD key check is the easiest, most reliable, cheapest, and most effective overall copy protection method. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agen Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 I HATE CD KEYS... they are annoying... many a times my cd cases get smashed by idiots, the paper comes off, the print is worn etc etc. Still, it isn't bad but it is very annoying when i want to give osmeone a 'loan' of the cd and i have to give them glass cases (don't mind dvd ones) Just my random rant for the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commodus Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Originally posted by Emon PunkBuster is excellent. I don't know how it was for Half-Life stuff, but it offers such great protection for Quake III based games. Yes, which is why when I turn it on the ping for every ET server the browser got back is multiplied by 8. I join a server with 500ms latency (because that's the fastest server) and I get kicked immediately (ping is too high). Without Punkbuster, the fastest server on the server list has 50 ms - compared to 500 with Punkbuster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emon Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Well that is odd. My pings hover around twenty or thirty milliseconds with PunkBuster on. Everyone I know uses it, and none of them have problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yolkboy Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 While I'm all against people pirating, I myself am on my 2nd, yes 2nd, copy of JO. Don't get me wrong. I purcased the game. I wouldn't have it any other way. But since I play a fair amount of JO, I needed copies. To my left is my first copy of JO which is now a coaster for my drinks I just wish there is a way I can put JA on multiple computers (in the same house of course), which I can also copy for preservation of the original. But at the same time prevent other people from pirating. What is the world coming too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reprehence Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 I always write my CD key on the cd - even I have to borrow one of my wife's silly white pens to write on a black label. I also always make a copy in case I lose it or someone decides to take a wire brush to it, or it just craps out because of wear and tear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HertogJan Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Yeah a CD-Key is the best way to protect online gameplay. It worked for Half-Life, didn't it? But don't think it's cheap, because all cd-keys have to be checked with the master server and that costs bandwith and processing power. That means LA or Raven has to have some server somewhere, which costs a lot, only to check the cd-keys. But I think the alternative, everyone copying your game, will cost them much more! Oh and punkbuster for HL sucked. It really did! I believe PB for HL was the first punkbuster, and hence full of bugs. They had lots of experience when they started PB for other games. AND Valve didn't really give PB lots of support, in fact they kinda blocked PB, because they were working on their own anti-cheat modules (which were waaay better, mind you!)... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emon Posted July 26, 2003 Share Posted July 26, 2003 Eh? There's already a Raven master server for keeping lists of servers. Adding client CD key checking wouldn't be hard. It's also a hell of a lot cheaper than a SafeDisc license. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L3onheart Posted July 29, 2003 Author Share Posted July 29, 2003 Contacted activision but still no word on a cd-key feature and/or PB support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txa1265 Posted July 29, 2003 Share Posted July 29, 2003 Originally posted by praenuntius I think it's a consumer right to have backups. And backups that will actually work. Since the crackers win eventually, all they are doing is annoying legitimate users. I agree with your first statement very much, but the second part of it is the crux of the problem. Record companies blame a 25% decrease in sales on piracy (I won't debate the numbers here ...), and game companies say they are losing tons of money annually to piracy. These things make them desparate, and make them do silly things to protect their assets and intellectual property. Music companies have started getting extreme, making CD's that won't play in PC's and have extreme copy protection (no I don't want to pirate your music, just listen to it on my iPod!), and game companies are likely to do the same. Much software I deal with professionally has hardware or complex software security. On some you would have to 'authorize' your hard drive for installation, and if that install gets blown ... you may have to pay for a new authorization ($25 on $400 software). I don't know where games are going in this regard, but unless there is a change in pirating of retail property, then knee-jerk reactions that impact honest users most will be the result. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurgan Posted July 30, 2003 Share Posted July 30, 2003 Having a key server would not stop a legitimate user from making all the backups he wants. While it would not stop piracy of the game, it would severally hamper any pirates (because the main attraction of the game, Multiplayer online, would be unavailable to them). Thus, there is a built-in incentive for pirates who enjoy the game to buy it in order to get the "full deal" (sort of like shareware). The bonus for players is that they don't have to put up with pirates joining servers that may be less likely to behave themselves (they don't care, because they got the game for free). That's not to say that all pirates will behave that way, but we know from experience that some are prone to. Jedi Outcast didn't even have a normal cd key for crackers to crack, all they had to do was copy the disc and they were set to pirate it as much as they wanted. At least putting in a windows style cd key would slow them down a bit. But again, the keyserver would do far more good, even on its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
txa1265 Posted July 30, 2003 Share Posted July 30, 2003 Originally posted by Kurgan The bonus for players is that they don't have to put up with pirates joining servers that may be less likely to behave themselves (they don't care, because they got the game for free). That's not to say that all pirates will behave that way, but we know from experience that some are prone to. Unfortunately that is something I find generally true - pirates are cheaters, are whiners, and have a ... flexible system of morality (Clinton would be so proud of his legacy ). They believe that they are entitled to everything free ... and right now, and pitch a fit when they don't get it. I hope they do something ... anything. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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