bodkin
-
Posts
784 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Posts posted by bodkin
-
-
Lastly, when we announced eLicense we had people running around the Forums screaming that the sky is falling. Years later the sky is still very much where it was before eLicense and it is likely to remain where it is after. Why? Because we are extremely sensitive to what you guys will tolerate for DRM and we've planned accordingly.
Steve
Good to hear Steve, and thank you very much for contributing to this thread.
I guess my concerns are that I want to enjoy this game at least as long as I did CMBO, I've been through several new PC's plus upgrades of hardware since I first discovered CMBO in 2003. I just think the current system of 1 activation a year once you've used up your initial 4 is a bit tight. I'm thinking long term here, I don't want to be playing CMBN in a few years time feeling the sword of Damocles is dangling above my head if want to buy a new video card.
Fair enough?
-
The anti-DRM people seem to always base their arguments on two false assumptions:
1. that they have a divine right to consume other people's copyrighted work on their own terms
2. that the copyright holder desires to do business with them
The reality is that the copyright holder can restrict the use of their work as they see fit through the use of the EULA and DRM protection. There is a strong incentive for the copyright holder to find the best balance of ease-of-use and protection, in order to enjoy the largest possible market for their product. The companies that get this right are the winners, and the ones that don't are the losers - and the market will determine the outcome.
For someone who finds it a deal-breaking hassle to play CMBN because of the DRM, BFC will probably find that person to be too much of a hassle to do business with. BFC has to draw the line somewhere with DRM; it has nothing to do with right and wrong, it is just a business decision. Sometimes people need to get their head around that fact not ALL companies want to do business with them. Companies that identify who the "bad" customers are do well to create systems that eliminate them before they are forced to engage with them via customer support (which almost immediately consumes the profit from the sale of that single license).
Just my two cents, as an attorney and someone in the business world - and someone who has been a BFC customer from the beginning and knows that they have the best interests of their customers in mind.
So your saying it's not really about protection from piracy but weeding out 'bad' customers who have the misfortune to require tech support?
I think most people who have raised concerns on this thread have conducted themselves in a civil manner and only requested clarification of how the new systems works to allay their fears whether real or imagined. Some of the responses however have just been unhelpful and divisive and have just attempted to marginalise the persons point of view as being one of a troublemaker and serial complainer.
Personally I don't have a problem with BFC having a DRM, if it helps protect their product and financial security then that's great. I think the method in which this is being done is the issue. An extra activation top up every six months rather than a year would make this alot more palatable and suck up less of the company profits through people bothering the support staff as suggested.
Two cents spent.
-
Gosh, if that is true some people must be running with some seruous low-standard kit. >4 new systems/complete builds a year? I have had my share of failures by never to that scale.
It's not 4 a year it's 4 period.
1 per year can be acquired.
-
doesn't answer the questions but does it?
-
You can do a bit of searching yourself.
I suggest to use the word 'license' in the CM:BN forum.
Just did the most relevant posts point to this thread, so once again please point me to the thread that explains this new DRM..
Cheers...
-
They did, didn't they?
Please provide that link..
-
Just a bit disapointed with BFC that's all, supported them for years, but they need to tell everyone how this new system works.
-
If you keep on playing this game over the course of tens of new Windows installations, then it is surely worth more than just a couple of tenners?
So more like a subscription....
-
assuming you hadn't used one during the last 12 months.
exactly...
-
Or more, if you like to **** up your system often!
Remember that the four activations is for the lifetime you own the game, if this system was in place for CMBO I'm sure I'd have to buy the game again. I'd like to play CMBN for a long time without any licence problems.
-
There is a clear official statement by Moon: those 4 plus the yearly 1 is what you get. No more.
But you can always buy more licences, can't you?
Yeah sure, if you want to pay for the game twice.
-
I think the two bulleted points are the default situation. The number of additional activations is unlimited so I would presume that if you need more then you just have to contact BFC tech support and ask.
I'm not sure this is the case, I need some official clarification on this.
-
I was quite happy with the e-licence system, but I understand if BFC do not want to continue using it, it's up to them. However I'm a bit concerned over their choice of the new DRM, from what I can tell so far this is how it works:
* you get four activations per licence, these cannot be retreived by unlicensing, you just get four.
* every 365 days you can get another one activation.
Maybe I'm getting worried about nothing but I think some clear explanation of how it works would be nice, and can someone answer these questions?
Can I accrue activations? e.g. if I have two left after the first year does it go back up to three after 365 days?
If I use all four in the first year for whatever reason does that mean I can only activate the game once per year after that if I need to format my local drive, upgrade or buy a new pc?
What kind of upgrade will require a new activation? Obivously a new local drive, but what about MB, Video Card, RAM?
-
If this means we do not need the disc in the computer to play the game like we did for CMBO etc., I am all for it.
The current e-licence already provides this for CMSF and CMA.
-
I might be reading this wrong but four total activations per year seems like it will cause a bit of stress for users who have to upgrade, format drives, replace pc's etc for what ever reason.
What happens if I use up all four in the first year, does that mean I can only install it once a year after that?
Will there still be an offline activation process?
-
As the effects graphics don't seem to have been updated the first thing I'll do is import CMSF mods that change explosions, flames, smoke etc. Maybe even Mords vocal mayhem mod for more realistic US voices minus the refrences to 'Hadjis'.
-
I'm only going on what I've noticed in CMSF but I'm pretty sure a unit can spot outside the arc, although their main focus will be on what's happening in the arc. If an enemy pops up outside the arc they wont shoot at it (which is why arcs are used for ambushing). If a vehicle is using an arc and a real threat pops up outside it I believe it will take evasive action.
-
Good to see some of the German troops are now wearing ankle boots which I believe Steve said they would try to do in the future, but looks like it's made it into the first release.
-
Oh this thread has legend stauts potential.
"remember the great helmet notch thread of 2011, ..."
-
Came across CMBO boxed version in a gaming store in small country town, probably around 2003-4, thought it looked interesting and the addiction started there.
-
BTW, what's with the red band on the left wrist of the guy on the ground? Does that have some in-game significance or is it just a vid card glitch?
Michael
Red Badge of Courage my friend.
-
A nice grahical realism touch that could be done is to have a building base tile. In CMSF anyway it looks really odd to have a building overlayed on a landscape, the building base has a razor sharp image contrast against the underlying terrain tile. Maybe it's the scenario designers fault but a few basic tiles to represent some human activity around a building like foot pads, small stone paths, etc just something to blend the building into the terrain.
-
That way the machine you are installing on does not need an internet connection, ever..
Unless you have to 'unlicense' the game which cannot be done remotely.
-
There's a choice to be made – do you model ten thousand square metres (100x100m - still bigger than most FPS stages) and 40 units in extreme detail and gorgeousness or do you do one hundred million (Dr Evil laugh) square metres (10,000x10,000m) and 1000 units in lesser detail?
The engine can do it. My PC would probably catch fire mind.
Give it 20 years though…*drool*
I don't think the OP is talking about making the environment more detailed, in fact I believe he is arguing for the opposite but with improved lighting/shadow effects to make the game look less cold and clinical.
CM:BN + TrackIR
in Combat Mission Battle for Normandy
Posted
Or the cheaper option of having someone smack you about the head with a baseball bat to simulate the concussive effects of an artillery barrage.