DRM: Starforce

[joasoz]

I see that they have changed the DRM to Starforce. I clearly remember the discussions around Starforce and Heroes V, and I wonder if Starfoce works the same way now as it did then. Are we still talking hidden drivers, stopping diskburning software while running the game and such?? I had plans to install this on a brand new computer, but now I am not so motivated anymore...

[joasoz]

According to another website Starforce is used for online activation and doesnt install hidden drivers for this game. Can anyone confirm this??

[Nike-it]

The Proactive DRM from Starforce doesn't install anything on your PC. It is used only for online activation. It won't do any harm to your computer.

[joasoz]

Thanks. Thats good news.

[joasoz]

Does this mean that there is a 3 times installation limit or something? I am a programmer and I go through computers pretty fast (I have 3 computers that I use).

[Nike-it]

Does this mean that there is a 3 times installation limit or something? I am a programmer and I go through computers pretty fast (I have 3 computers that I use).

You have 3 activations, not 3 installations. Before uninstalling you should deactivate you game and you will be able to install the game on another PC with this activation.

[joasoz]

Great!! Thanks again. Have to remember that then.

[markgil]

You have 3 activations, not 3 installations. Before uninstalling you should deactivate you game and you will be able to install the game on another PC with this activation.

is this true of all versions of crossworlds & AP as i purchased both on impulse. if so, how does one go about deactivating the games?

[City Builder]

is this true of all versions of crossworlds & AP as i purchased both on impulse. if so, how does one go about deactivating the games?

Yes, I'd like to know that too. I can't remember ever having the option to deactivate a game when I delete the local content in the Steam Client. And don't really want to 'test' it out to see if it gives me that option and burn an activation if not.

[Dwagginz]

Yes, I'd like to know that too. I can't remember ever having the option to deactivate a game when I delete the local content in the Steam Client. And don't really want to 'test' it out to see if it gives me that option and burn an activation if not.

Steam is different. It's tied to that account, so publishers often do away with activation limits. There's no mention of any (additional) DRM on the store page so I would assume Steam's version is free of it.

[Aesir]

The Proactive DRM from Starforce doesn't install anything on your PC. It is used only for online activation. It won't do any harm to your computer.

Does the Steam version have it?

[Nike-it]

Does the Steam version have it?

No, Steam has it's own DRM system.

[joasoz]

How do I actually deactivate? Just for the record. I have Gamersgate version

[Nike-it]

How do I actually deactivate? Just for the record. I have Gamersgate version

You can do it for example here: http://www.1cpublishing.eu/support/activation

[wsmithjr]

You have 3 activations, not 3 installations. Before uninstalling you should deactivate you game and you will be able to install the game on another PC with this activation.

Are we also limited on the number of de-activations? According to what I've seen, we get 3 activations and 10 de-activations. That may seem like a lot but any restriction to the number of times I can install it on my own computer seems like a pretty bad idea to me.

[Raven-sb]

Are we also limited on the number of de-activations? According to what I've seen, we get 3 activations and 10 de-activations. That may seem like a lot but any restriction to the number of times I can install it on my own computer seems like a pretty bad idea to me.

I'd also like an answer to this :) 10 de-activations seems a lot, and it will most likely take me a lot of time to run through them all (if in fact I do). But what happens if I do run out of de-activations? Do I contact 1C for more? What evidence do I need to supply to prove that I'm the owner of the game? Lastly will this DRM protection be patched out in the future.

As a creative person myself, I am all for you guys protecting your work. I just want to make sure I have a full understanding of what that protection involves.

Many thanks,

Raven

[Nike-it]

I'd also like an answer to this :) 10 de-activations seems a lot, and it will most likely take me a lot of time to run through them all (if in fact I do). But what happens if I do run out of de-activations? Do I contact 1C for more? What evidence do I need to supply to prove that I'm the owner of the game? Lastly will this DRM protection be patched out in the future.

As a creative person myself, I am all for you guys protecting your work. I just want to make sure I have a full understanding of what that protection involves.

Many thanks,

Raven

Well, if you really run out of the deactivation codes just contact our support, I'm sure sucj issue can be easily sloved.

[Raven-sb]

Well, if you really run out of the deactivation codes just contact our support, I'm sure sucj issue can be easily sloved.

Thanks Nike-it. Just picked up the platanum pack from impluse. Never played a KB game before but I've heard very good things about the game series.

Cheers,

Raven

[Nike-it]

Thanks Nike-it. Just picked up the platanum pack from impluse. Never played a KB game before but I've heard very good things about the game series.

Cheers,

Raven

Good choice, this game is really addictive:)

[City Builder]

Could you explain this to me please.

We have 3 activations, but 10 deactivations?

I have never heard of a company that puts a limit on the number of times that a user can deactivate the product from their computer, why is this used?

I understand limiting activations to try to prevent the product from being installed on friends, and family members computers, but to limit the amount of times that one deactivates the product I don't really understand since it's already limited in activations.

[Nareim]

I use to use STEAM but in two case I got burned. Once I got a new system and the other time I did a rebuild on my HD. The first time I was done with the game anyways so didn't reinstall it, the second case I needed to finish game so tried to reinstall but got a STEAM message saying I could not install the game because it was already installed on another system. I wrote STEAM and was told that they did it this way intentionally and there was nothing they could do, if I wanted to finish the game I would have to buy it again.

STEAM: the paying customers greatest enemy and the hackers greatest friend.

[Mygaffer]

Why do these publishers do something great, like King's Bounty TL with NO DRM and then turn around do something idiotic like infest their new game with limited activation nonsense that the pirates don't have to put up with.

They are actively encouraging people to pirate the game rather than buy it! It boggles my mind and it stops NO ONE from pirating if they want. I bought The Legend twice just to support the lack of DRM, once on Steam, once on gog.com. Lets get some gog.com releases of Crossworlds and the upcoming King`s Bounty: Warriors of the North, ok?

[Mygaffer]

I use to use STEAM but in two case I got burned. Once I got a new system and the other time I did a rebuild on my HD. The first time I was done with the game anyways so didn't reinstall it, the second case I needed to finish game so tried to reinstall but got a STEAM message saying I could not install the game because it was already installed on another system. I wrote STEAM and was told that they did it this way intentionally and there was nothing they could do, if I wanted to finish the game I would have to buy it again.

STEAM: the paying customers greatest enemy and the hackers greatest friend.

To be fair it is not Steam's fault, they don't set the policy the game publisher sets that policy. I have Steam installed on three of my computers, I have never had trouble once installing the same game on all three computers. The only thing you can't do is access the games on one account from two or more different computers at the same time.

Now if a publisher has an activation limit, which they shouldn't do but some insist, then that is your problem. Just contact the companies support. I have over 200 games on Steam, never had a single problem. I try to avoid buying any games that have ANY DRM besides Steamworks though. In fact I have been buying many more games on gog.com lately, as they are completely DRM free.

[City Builder]

Same here, I've got Steam installed on more computers than I have fingers on both hands. The only caveat is that I must make sure to exit the steam (logoff) application if I want to use that steam account on one of my other computers.

So far, with over 140 steam games, and double that in retail bought games I've only ever had an issue with activations with Two Worlds, which eventually the forum moderators added more activations to my serial number for Two Worlds.

They really need to make these things better so that they wipe out your activations after xx amount of time so that it doesn't become a bother to paying consumers, else eventually people will tire of losing their purchases and just stop purchasing from those companies that give them the hassle, they'll simply buy games from other publishers. It's really just a matter of time. And while right now there seems to be an endless supply of new customers, it won't always be like that, and unfortunately it won't be until the endless supply starts to run dry that things change.