TheLotusEater Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 My Download for CMBN has expired at Battlefront.com and I have no backup.:mad:Can anyone give me a link to DL the .exe at dropbox please? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Steppenwulf Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Uploading and sharing .exe files is pretty much verboten for all games software. It's the only way the devs can protect their product - esp if they are allowing community access to and sharing of all the rest of the game files. Surely you must still have the executable set.up archive on your system though? That is the only thing that needs backing up on another HD or a disc and allows any number of instances to be reinstalled. If you failed to do that, and have in fact lost it or worse deleted it, I don't have too much sympathy I'm afraid. I think you'll find BF's policy is clear and inline with this reply in both instances 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permanent666 Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 i think you have to send them an email. i heard that they charge a small fee for redownloads 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanir Ausf B Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 If you contact the help desk and give them a good sob story they will probably help you out. I could be wrong, but I don't think someone sending you a copy of their executable would work unless they sent you their key code with it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agusto Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Contact Battlefront and provide them with the emails you got when purchasing the game. You, know the one containing the bill and the one with your key. I think that they might give you the possibilty to redownload the game then. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poesel Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Without the key a copy of CM is pretty useless. So why should it be forbidden to send someone a copy of the game? The other assets of the game (graphics and sounds) are also included in the demo. I guess the one reason for BFC for creating this one year limit is to have a finite end for providing this download service. If they ever stop selling a product they could turn off the server one year after the last sale and be done with it (probably some legal stuff). What protects the software is the DRM and the key. P.S.: another reason may be that they want to educate us to make backups. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLotusEater Posted February 3, 2013 Author Share Posted February 3, 2013 I see, I see. I'm sorry I didn't research this before I created this thread. I'm going to contact the helpdesk. Thanks for your replies. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Steppenwulf Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Without the key a copy of CM is pretty useless. So why should it be forbidden to send someone a copy of the game? ... What protects the software is the DRM and the key. The licensing agreement provides: "User-created scenarios and other materials like graphics or other mods may be distributed free of charge..." There is no scope in the agreement for the game's executables. As I indicated, that is consistent with just about any other game's software sold under a limited rights licence and much more besides. In effect however, both safeguards serve the same ends: Although a key is a more pragmatic solution to enforce software protection - particularly from mass pirating and direct profiteering - the restrictions outlined in the agreement will likely only ever be enforced through legal representations, which unfortunately is normally too late to protect from losses, hence the key. Still, I'm sure BF will correct any uncertainty should it remain. It's actually not really my place to fix the legal position on their behalf. I just thought I'd be helpful and advise against an unwise action, however well-intentioned. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLotusEater Posted February 7, 2013 Author Share Posted February 7, 2013 Thanks The Steppenwulf for clearing that up for me, I was unsure how it worked. Yes I had made a backup for CMBN and all other CMx2 titles I own, but my computer has been through multiple re installs and I have lost those backups. I have now submitted a ticket to the helpdesk and await a response from Battlefront. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schrullenhaft Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 If someone wants to provide you with the installer file, then I believe Battlefront will not have an issue with it (it is a VERY large file though, about 1.28GB in size). This is of course assuming that you have a valid license key for the game. Battlefront charges a US$5.00 fee to repurchase the game and get access to the download for another 365 days or 10 download attempts. We charge this fee to cover the fees we are charged by the third-party hosting company that charges us for bandwidth used. Therefore we must limit the number of downloads or the period that they are available for in order to avoid losing money on selling a download (this is our largest operational expense). On occasion we will 'extend' a download period if it very RECENTLY expired or if the user was never able to get a good download of their game. Beyond that period we have the users go through a repurchase process with a coupon code to reduce the price of the download-only version to US$5.00 for another year of access to the download. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wodin Posted February 7, 2013 Share Posted February 7, 2013 Yeah I had to repurchase my CMSF modules at $5 each..I was happy to pay to be honest. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faelwolf Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Any time I have to do a download for a program, including patches, add-ons, etc. I always put it in a software archive folder as soon as I am done with it, which is then backed up to DVD disks on a regular basis. I also keep all data (which would include the software archive folder) on a second hard drive, so if I have to wipe the main drive for any reason, I still have my data. The data is untouched, and I don't have to rebuild the data archives from disk, which saves a lot of time. When I upgrade computers, I can also just install the data drive into the new system, to the same effect. The disks serve as a backup in case of catastrophic failure. My computer is set up to download directly to the data drive as a matter of convenience, to a segregated folder. That way I don't ever have to hunt for a downloaded file. Learned those lessons the hard way! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I had my CMx2 download files backed up on an external drive. When I got a new computer I copied the files over and tried to install them. Both installs failed. Luckily I had the discs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
permanent666 Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 @schrullenhaft so would it be ok to create a torrent? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faelwolf Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 @schrullenhaft so would it be ok to create a torrent? No, it wouldn't. Having a personal, private backup of the files you paid to download is ok, and is authorized (even recommended) but a torrent is creating a public document for the purposes of distribution. The files are a paid distribution that is the intellectual property of Battlefront, and it would be illegal and unethical to make an unauthorized distribution of the files. In cases like this, you are actually not purchasing the files, you are purchasing a license to download and use the files. While BF is giving you an non-expiring license for use (playing the game) they are giving you a limited time license of one year for downloading due to the expenses they incur in storage. The $5 for downloading after one year is actually the purchase of a download license extension/renewal, not a repurchase of the files themselves. Frankly, $5 is cheap, and likely does not fully offset the actual costs of storing and maintaining the files. Pay the guys already! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Belenko Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 Backing up my own copies to DVD now, especially patches and upgrades. I have the original disks in the really cool tin box. thanks for the reminder. @BFC: Should I do it right now or wait a few days for the next patch release? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 The patches will always be free to download. It's the games and modules that have limited downloads. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Mike Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 No, it wouldn't. Having a personal, private backup of the files you paid to download is ok, and is authorized (even recommended) but a torrent is creating a public document for the purposes of distribution. The files are a paid distribution that is the intellectual property of Battlefront, and it would be illegal and unethical to make an unauthorized distribution of the files. In cases like this, you are actually not purchasing the files, you are purchasing a license to download and use the files. While BF is giving you an non-expiring license for use (playing the game) they are giving you a limited time license of one year for downloading due to the expenses they incur in storage. The $5 for downloading after one year is actually the purchase of a download license extension/renewal, not a repurchase of the files themselves. Frankly, $5 is cheap, and likely does not fully offset the actual costs of storing and maintaining the files. Pay the guys already! From what I understand from Schrullenhafts post, the $5 fee is to cover download costs, which is fair enough. But you don't purchase such a thing as a "download license". You purchase a license to use the program called CMBN, how it arrives on your computer is quite secondary to this purchase. The limitation introduced by Battlefront is purely there due to cost issues since they are not in the mass download provider market. But in theory it should be ok to share an install image of CMBN since without a valid license key it would be unuseable. This is of course assuming that the license/activation scheme used has not been compromised. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Williams Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I agree with everything you said, except the bolded words. Battlefront isn't giving us the things you describe. We paid for them. Please don't make it seem like BF is "giving" us anything. They are a business, and their business is selling computer games. As long as they keep making games we like to play, we will keep buying them. That is the way it is and should be. No, it wouldn't. Having a personal, private backup of the files you paid to download is ok, and is authorized (even recommended) but a torrent is creating a public document for the purposes of distribution. The files are a paid distribution that is the intellectual property of Battlefront, and it would be illegal and unethical to make an unauthorized distribution of the files. In cases like this, you are actually not purchasing the files, you are purchasing a license to download and use the files. While BF is giving you an non-expiring license for use (playing the game) they are giving you a limited time license of one year for downloading due to the expenses they incur in storage. The $5 for downloading after one year is actually the purchase of a download license extension/renewal, not a repurchase of the files themselves. Frankly, $5 is cheap, and likely does not fully offset the actual costs of storing and maintaining the files. Pay the guys already! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poesel Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 It might even be in the interest of BFC if users would provide a torrent. If they are not making money with the redownload purchase? I would support that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pvt. Ryan Posted February 8, 2013 Share Posted February 8, 2013 I don't think they should care, but it is up to them whether they do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLotusEater Posted February 8, 2013 Author Share Posted February 8, 2013 Battlefront got back to me at the helpdesk and extended my download for another 7 days free of charge since it expired only a few weeks ago. All my install files are now backed up once again. My issue is now resolved and I am now having a blast playing the v 2.0 upgrade I just purchased. Thanks Battlefront! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Williams Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Battlefront got back to me at the helpdesk and extended my download for another 7 days free of charge since it expired only a few weeks ago. All my install files are now backed up once again. My issue is now resolved and I am now having a blast playing the v 2.0 upgrade I just purchased. Thanks Battlefront! Nice of them to do that. There are online backup solutions if you tend to lose/misplace thumb drives and CDs. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejetset Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 OKOK ... I'm uploading my setup files to a cloud-based locker right now. Something that's always been in the back of my head ... but this post finally put enough fear into me to make it happen. Big files! ... It will take awhile ... but it's worth it. btw ... the Setup files can't be compressed with WinZIP or WinRAR. I just tried it .. the zipped file is the same size as the original .exe file. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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