Slamelov Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 Does this game use Starforce copy protection?. I need to know it before buying it Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eliot Posted July 17, 2005 Share Posted July 17, 2005 No it doesn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Smith Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 However, don't let this stop us from having a multi-page discussion about how Starforce murdered our families and ate all our chocolate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobra Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Originally posted by Brian Smith: However, don't let this stop us from having a multi-page discussion about how Starforce murdered our families and ate all our chocolate... Ahahah! Nice one Brian. I'm so sick of the "Starforce" rhetoric by a few radicals that my head is going to spin. They treat it as if it murdered their first born or something. As a result, i'm doing my own counter-boycott of Starforce, and actively SEEKING titles with Starforce in them and purchasing them. Then i'm emailing the publishers to praise them for using it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester_159th Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Well I can understand someone that's had personal bad experience being against it (whatever the actual reason for that bad experience was). Personally I've got two titles with starforce and had no problems with either. Unfortunately the English forums on Eagle Dynamics website (the LOMAC/ Flaming Cliffs developer) is a prime example of the type of paranoia that can develop. I've seen more than one example of guys having problems with Flaming Cliffs and instead of actually looking for the problem, turning round and saying that they think it could be Starforce related. The end result is always the same...another round of the same old rumours being rehashed....and some one sits with a problem for far longer than they need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stirling Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Well, since a Starforce fanboy started it... If you are not against Starforce out of principle, then you are part of the problem. Have a nice day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JudoHedgehog Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 What "principle"? The right of a company that spends thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars development on their intellectual property can't defend that IP as they see fit? If you don't like it, don't buy it is fine but the Starforce "revolutionaries" crack me up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howardb Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 I bought Codemasters Soldiers and had to install a crack-workaround to play it. Took me several days to get it to work. I won't buy any other games with Starforce after that (unless it's the mother of all games or something). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slamelov Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 I only wanted to know if BuF uses Starforce, and it's nice to hear that it doesn't. Starforce is an intrusive program and I had some problems with Flamming Cliffs and Silent Hunter III, both games uninstalled and 60€ missed, so, I'll never buy a game with such of protection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slamelov Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Originally posted by JudoHedgehog: What "principle"? The right of a company that spends thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars development on their intellectual property can't defend that IP as they see fit? If you don't like it, don't buy it is fine but the Starforce "revolutionaries" crack me up. The right of the legal user to not install hidden programs into their system, that's all. Games should advice CLEARLY that uses Starforce and it's not unistalled using the traditional uninstall method. You should know that SF deactivates recorders for some recording software, the same for 6on1 memory card readers. It's an intrusive copy protection system and pernicious in many cases. By example, I bought SHIII, but DVD is not recognized 50% times. FC turned my system unstable after installing it, but when I removed it (and using SF removal tool), system was stable again. And what about the stress to the readers? So, I think SF is an abuse for the legal user. (The pirate does not care the SF, he knows sooner or later the game will be cracked). So, Ill never buy a game with SF and I always ask for this question when I'm interested in a game. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobra Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Originally posted by Slamelov: ]The right of the legal user to not install hidden programs into their system, that's all. Games should advice CLEARLY that uses Starforce Just like they should advise if it uses SecureROM7, which installs 3 drivers and one system service? Or if it uses SafeDisc4 which installs 2 drivers and a service? Please.. The fact is, the masses - where the money is - don't give a rats arse what kind of CP a game has. Or how about Creative, which installs 4 hidden drivers 3 lines above Starforce? You should know that SF deactivates recorders for some recording software, the same for 6on1 memory card readers. It's an intrusive copy protection system and pernicious in many cases. Incorrect, this isn't even close to how Starforce works. It doesn't deactivate any software product. This is a pure myth, perpetuated by a few paranoid folk. By example, I bought SHIII, but DVD is not recognized 50% times. FC turned my system unstable after installing it, but when I removed it (and using SF removal tool), system was stable again.NO product is 100% compatible with every mickey-mouse setup out there. Starforce is no different. The sheer amount of "BS" attributed to Starforce is mind blowing. Most of the time we find out it was the persons improperly configured BIOS or something else entirely. And what about the stress to the readers?WTF stress? Yea, those 5 minutes a month really add up on a reader that is rated for 55,000 hours. So, I think SF is an abuse for the legal user. (The pirate does not care the SF, he knows sooner or later the game will be cracked).Really? They've been trying to crack Starforce3 for nearly 8 months and have failed. The FACTS are, Starforce by best guesses is installed on an estimated 52 MILLION computers. On average, Starforce fields 4-5 tech support questions a WEEK. Figure it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtweasle Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Originally posted by Jester_159th: Well I can understand someone that's had personal bad experience being against it (whatever the actual reason for that bad experience was). Yea, well some people get hit by a train while trying to cross the tracks at the boarding platform and I understand they're stupid. Usually dead too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackmuzzle Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Well I use Daemon Tools to be able to start my games without carrying the CDs around. There was a time when certain copy protections did not allow the game to run if they just found daemon tools among the active processes. It's that kind of behaviour that I don't like. Almost all new multiplayer games have serial numbers that are checked on-line, so there's no need for things like Starforce. Take a look at Joint Operations, it doesn't bother checking for a CD either. I wish all games worked like that. Incidentally, I also wish it would be possible for games to run in a LAN without a CD key, making it possible to infect other players on LAN-parties. That's a great marketing vehicle, and too many companies insist on "reaching that market" by force. Oh and AFAIK Starforce has been cracked. I've seen NoCDs for SilentHunter3, Trackmania Sunrise and others, which AFAIK use Starforce. It did take them quite some time though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slamelov Posted July 19, 2005 Author Share Posted July 19, 2005 Kobra, Secure Rom is not so "heavy" than Starforce, but anyway, yes, it should be adviced. Remember that SF removes units from your system. Incorrect, this isn't even close to how Starforce works. It doesn't deactivate any software product. This is a pure myth, perpetuated by a few paranoid folk. I have seen it by myself, its not a myth. Not only units, memory card readers also. NO product is 100% compatible with every mickey-mouse setup out there. Starforce is no different. The sheer amount of "BS" attributed to Starforce is mind blowing. Most of the time we find out it was the persons improperly configured BIOS or something else entirely. No, you are not right. Could you tell it to UBI, they jave sent me many keys to allow running my DVD. And I only have problems with SHIII and FC, not any other game in the market (y buy about 12 or more games at year, 10 more are send me for testing purposes...) WTF stress? Yea, those 5 minutes a month really add up on a reader that is rated for 55,000 hours. Strees, the excesive workload to the reader everytime game is started. Really? They've been trying to crack Starforce3 for nearly 8 months and have failed. Yes, sure That's why GTR, Obscure, SHIII and many other games are cracked and many people playing it. It's so paradoxical than you can use a simple crack to play SHIII and forget all the SF problems. Of course I will not tell you where, but surely you know where. The facts: SF installs hidden and prenicious software without advising it. I don't care if creative does it also, the fact is that SF does it. It's an abuse and I have the right to know if a game comes with SF or not before buying it. Ill never buy a game with SF. I remember that X2 the Threat removed SF protection with a patch after User complainings about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester_159th Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Originally posted by Dirtweasle: </font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Jester_159th: Well I can understand someone that's had personal bad experience being against it (whatever the actual reason for that bad experience was). Yea, well some people get hit by a train while trying to cross the tracks at the boarding platform and I understand they're stupid. Usually dead too. </font> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtweasle Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 The reason for the bad experience. One can have a bad experience because they do something silly, stpuid, perhaps foolish. Your statement seemed (to me anyhow) to be implying that the actual reason is inconsequential, even irrelevant perhaps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jester_159th Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 No, not at all...Sorry it came across that way. I have every sympathy for the honest gamer that's had problems related to copy protection systems. I hope that at some stage a CP system can be developed that's secure and unobtrusive. Not being a programmer or security expert, I don't know if it's possible to do that. I do, however feel that at this time, with simulations in general being a very minor (and often not very profitable) area of the PC gaming industry that we need to support the developers in this field. I'm sure that, as businessmen, they know that alienating a portion of your potential customers is not good. So if they're using Starforce there must be a good reason for it. To use an unpopular CP system without sound financial reasons just wouldn't make sense. My personal viewpoint is that I would rather put up with an unpopular CP system than see simulations disappear off the market completely. As I said before though, I sincerely hope that at some stage a CP system can be developed that will satisfy all parties. Once again, my apologies if my initial post came across as somewhat dismissive (and re-reading it I can see what you mean). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtweasle Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 No worries, I was just making a joke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kobra Posted July 19, 2005 Share Posted July 19, 2005 Originally posted by Slamelov: That's why GTR, Obscure, SHIII and many other games are cracked and many people playing it. It's so paradoxical than you can use a simple crack to play SHIII and forget all the SF problems. Of course I will not tell you where, but surely you know where.There is a HUGE difference between "Flakey, unstable, and finicky workaround" than a "Crack". Some versions of Starforce can be semi-bypassed with USB DVD Burner - but how many people do you know that will run out to buy a $200 burner to play a couple games? Also there are several "Levels" of Starforce available to publishers.. Chaos Theory uses all levels, and thus far, has been proven to be unbreakable. Other games only use some levels, and are STILL not cracked. I don't count unplugging drives, USB Burners, and other half arsed methods as cracked - because they preclude the masses of average joes from using them. The fact is, most pirates are so frustrated with Starforce, they just avoid even bothering to try and crack games with it. (even if it was possible) For the record, SHIII has *NOT* been cracked beyond the first version. The first version was protected with 1 layer and they goofed, so they patched it to 1.1 and reprotected it. Thus far from 1.1 to 1.3 SHIII has been uncrackable. So go ahead and play old unpatched and buggy versions of Silent Hunter 3. I will take my patched up, stable retail version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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