copy protection: not requiring CDs

I understand why Civ3 requires me to insert the CD every time I start the game but this is annoying.

How about the option of internet based validation: If I chose "internet validation" and I have an available internet connection, let me authenticate via the internet rather than inserting the Civ CD into the computer.

If they wanted to do this, I'm sure Firaxis (or Infogrames or who ever) could make this work.

This is not a big deal but it would be nice to have.

How about if we register online we get a key that lets us run without the CD? I have used the nocd patches *only* because I have a laptop and I can take the CD out and put the secondary battery in. I purchased my copies legally. (I am in no way endorsing illegitimate copies).

I use the no cd hack because I play so many games if I don't hack them, I would need to change CD's many times a day, it is simply stupid.

StarRider, those keys would be spread across the internet the first day.

During the C3C beta test they used something where you had to log on every few day to renew your game. It sucked bad. There were issues like their registration server being down or it being up and not recognizing your account number. On the upside, it makes it harder to pirate if you have to log on constantly. Jonathon, be careful what you ask for, you may get it.

Dida, the laptop excuse I can buy, having one. The laziness of having to change a few CDs a day is lame.

You could have the whole program installed into a DVD, but then you'd need a DVD player, and some watermark on the DVD (which software could imitate).

But, who knows how large Civ4 will be.

Originally posted by warpstorm
StarRider, those keys would be spread across the internet the first day.
...
Dida, the laptop excuse I can buy, having one. The laziness of having to change a few CDs a day is lame.

Click to expand...

Its lame if you're at home on a desktop, but if you combine it with the laptop excuse, it makes perfect sense. If StarRider or Dida takes a laptop on vacation for a week and wants to play two dozen different games during that time, its annoying to have to remember to pack all two-dozen CDs in the old suitcase before leaving (or more than two-dozen, since many games have more than 1 CD). Or even just going over to a friend's house for the afternoon... "wanna play a hotseat game of Civ 4 on your laptop?" "Sorry, I didn't bring the disk since I didn't know you would suggest that."

I agree, though, that an internet based solution is probably not the answer. After all, what if you don't have internet access while on vacation or at the friends house? But the fact that the keys would spread across the internet isn't much different than the current spead of no-CD hacks, is it?

Dishonest people will always find some way to steal... the goal should simply be to make stealing difficult enough that mostly-honest people aren't tempted to do so. Meanwhile, convenience to honest people is a worthwhile trait, and anti-hacking measures should take this into account. Its unlikely that a game maker would actually lose any money directly from people refusing to buy a game that inconveniently requires a CD in the drive (certainly not as much as they lose from pirates). But it does affect the relationship between game-maker and customer, i.e., customers that are happy about the convenience of the game will think fondly of the developer and may be more likely to purchase other games from them in the future. Its good business since to protect your merchandise from theft, but its also good business sense not to overly inconvenience people... striking the right balance can be hard.

It's not an _excuse_, by the way...it's a legitimate reason because my laptop gets 3-4 hours with one battery, and almost 7 with both batteries.

Civ thrashes the hard drive a little so that cuts down on battery life. Throw in power loss due to optical drive usage (even occasional) you cut power from 3-4 hours to much less.

I paid for my copies, and it is a real inconvenience to have to have the CD. I don't pay for all my games, but felt CivIII and conquests was worth the money.

I do feel that some copy protection does encourage the casual copying of software. I just wish there could be a way that legitimate users can not be so inconvienenced.

Also, strong copy protection negates fair use...because if you can't copy the cd, you have no backup copy. But thats off on a tangent.

I just want a more or less "official" way of playing without the CD.

Present CD copy protection mechanisms are weak. They annoy honest buyers and deter only the most naive cheats. If you are the slightest bit interested in playing without CD, then the hacks are readily available within days of the release of a new patch.

Even in my desktop I don't like to keep the CD's in the drive for various reasons. For one, I don't like the clutter on my desk and the hassle of swapping CD's when playing different games. Moreover, the CD drive heats up over the course of having the PC on, and I don't know how good that is for my CD's. This is especially the case in laptops, not even getting into the aspect of not wishing to bring CD's (or ones CD-ROM player) during travel.

Unique activation codes can be obtained through internet to link games to certain hardware, although that naturally has a drawback too. First in the handling on the part of the publisher and secondly by making the game less transportable. At least it doesn't have the flaw of one or two codes floating on internet.

Alternatives could be to change the installation procedure so that it only works from the original CD. Protect the installer, not the resulting game. This means people need the original CD to install, still.

From my experiences with copy protection with other companies in the past, I know two things:

1) The developers think copy protection is as stupid, useless, and annoying as the rest of us.
2) The fat cats and stock holders on the publishers end like copy protection because it makes them sleep better at night (ontop of their huge piles of money).

And, unfortunatly, money talks. Loudly.
So don't get your hopes up that they'll ditch copy protection any time soon. I've only ever seen one developer (Epic Games) ever do something about it, and their 'best' solution is to ship the game with copy protection, and then remove it in the first patch when the publisher isn't looking.

Till then, either hit up your favorite 'shades-of-grey' websites for a crack, or snag an emulation program (I use Daemon Tools) and copy the CD to your HD.

And pray that, one day soon, the execs get it through their thick skulls that copy protection sucks.

It could be on option to only need the cd if you want to update the game/patch it. That way you can play it as anybody else, but once in a while when there's a patch available you need the cd. Of course the new patch should be interesting enough to install it, apart from the bugfixes maybe a new scenario or new units or something like it.

Another thing I would like to see along these lines is the ability to install "Multiplayer Clones" that don't require the CD to play but can onlu join Multiplayer games not host or play single player. I know that this is possible (Cavedog did it with Total Aniahlation).

But what about people who only enjoy SP civ?

I also uses no cd hack because there is 3 computers in my house and at times I play multi games with my brothers. We are too poor to buy 1 copy each so we bought 1 copy for the family. Technically this is pirating, but I guess it is not extremely bad.

Where does one obtain the no cd hack? I don't intend to pirate the cd or anything but i have two brothers that i'd like to play multiplayer against just to prove im top dog.

a research at google will do, or at any of those site that provides these things, plenty on line. In fact, sometimes I made my own.

Yes, I wholehartedly agree that it would be grate if the CD validation is dispensed with. I even had a thread about it a couple of months ago.

I also have a laptop, and sometimes I want to play when I get stuck for one hour or so without warning. But of course, because it is "without waring" I have not planned on taking the CD

In addition, it is 2 days that I can't play because I misplaced the CD and can't find it

could someone tell me a good website that I could find the crack. I lost my cd and i can't find it anywhere. Also i looked up on google.com and I couldn't find anything.

PETEdaVIKING said:

Where does one obtain the no cd hack? I don't intend to pirate the cd or anything but i have two brothers that i'd like to play multiplayer against just to prove im top dog.

Click to expand...

IIRC once Civ starts, you can keep playing without the CD in the drive.

cskidd359 said:

could someone tell me a good website that I could find the crack. I lost my cd and i can't find it anywhere. Also i looked up on google.com and I couldn't find anything.

Click to expand...

As software piracy is frowned here, I would guess that you don't get any such information. Additionally, with this kind of behaviour, you're just killing the companies which produce the games you want to play.

Moderator Action: Warning - No, no one here will tell you where to get a no-cd crack.
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