Isn't there a better copy protection?

[Sleestax]

Surely Firaxis can come up with a better mechanism to prevent copying than to require a check CD at startup? I know I am not the only laptop user around here. I mostly play civ when I travel for work (almost every week), usually on airplanes.

I have a very small laptop that has an external DVD-R drive that has to be hooked-up by a cable. As a result, I end up with this stupid drive dangling around while playing. At least until I figured out that I could remove the drive right after the game started-up.

Why can't Firaxis do what some versions of XP do? Create a hash based on your system hardware or whatever. Something, anything, that would eliminate the need to have the CD in the drive when you start-up.

[vmxa1]

It is not Firaxis that made it. It is Securom 4.6 that does it. Companies lease the product and add it to their games.

It makes starts up's pain and they like to slip in a new version with patches from time to time to update the blacklist and such. This is an attempt to foil tools that make copies. Even legal ones.

I wish it were not reqired, but pirates and other thieves have placed a heavy load on honest folks.

[Robert]

The good should never suffer because of the evil.

[Yyrkroon]

Not to mention that the copy protection is completely ineffective. There are only 2 protection schemes that give pirates a problem at the moment, and Securom isn't one of them. Neither of them really stop anyone though, just slow em down a bit.

I own a legit copy of Civ 4, I've been buying the franchise (and almost everything else Sid Meier) since the Atari ST days, but I since I am in a similar position to the original poster I do mount an image of the CD and run it from the hard drive.

My laptop does have a drive, but I'll be damned if I'm going to carry around a host of discs everywhere I go.

[Aileron]

I tried the no-cd method described on Game Copy World, but it didn't work.

[Aileron]

Originally posted by Yyrkroon
since I am in a similar position to the original poster I do mount an image of the CD and run it from the hard drive.

Do you use Daemon Tools?

[Dis]

I wouldn't use that name here, it will be deleted.

[ghen]

pm me if you need help.

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by CyberShy
The good should never suffer because of the evil.

Now that is funny.

[Aro]

Originally posted by vmxa1

Originally posted by CyberShy
The good should never suffer because of the evil.

Now that is funny.

Indeed!

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by vmxa1
I wish it were not reqired, but pirates and other thieves have placed a heavy load on honest folks.

IMO, they are all taking the wrong approach by treating customers like thieves.

In the end, this will never deter professional bootleggers, only causal users.

Brad Wardell

[vmxa1]

I would like to see some evidence that the companies are getting anything for the money and time spent on it.

My guess is they would be better off dropping it and trying some sort of key code like DiabloII.

Just enough to keep the kiddies out of the mix. The net wise people will find the solutions. The professional crooks will find a solution.

All they end up with is more support issues to deal with and unhappy customers.

Me I am sweating my disk failing as the second week it got read error in my normal drive. I am now using the burner and so far so good. Why I should have to deal with that instead of buring an image to my HD to run from? I paid full fare. Not letting anyone use it or copy it.

[ghen]

The 'kiddies' as you say have it just as easy as any semi-knowlegable pirate. Games are released on piracy websites with detailed instructions on how to use them. If for some reason they aren't detailed enough, then you just hit the forums and get your answer in a couple hours.


No, the only thing that keeps 'kiddies' from getting into pirated games is their lack of understanding of the english language.. That keeps them from being able to post intelligent questions and read the instructions correctly. :P

[vmxa1]

I was not refering to age as much as the lack of internet familiarity. This may no longer be the case, but I suspect that many people are still unaware of all the sites that could be used.

Either way the current methods are not effective for those people that have access and lack principles.

[TheHateMale]

Originally posted by ghen
No, the only thing that keeps 'kiddies' from getting into pirated games is their lack of understanding of the english language.. That keeps them from being able to post intelligent questions and read the instructions correctly. :P

u thik ur so smrt.