Game copy (not piracy!)

[automator]

So I've been thinking ... I like CivIV a lot. I often wish time would just stop while I'm playing. Not just "one more turn" syndrome, but "a thousand more turns while it remains 8pm" syndrome.

And I like multiplayer, but dropping in on a weekend and playing against a complete stranger isn't my thing. I want to play against my friends.

I know of the piracy protection that kicks in after 10 turns (I think it's a hillarious way to stop the thieves). But how about for multiplayer? Is there a way to have a LAN game but not with everyone owning a copy? I have a few Civ fans who aren't buying CivIV because they're too addicted to World of Warcraft to justify spending $40 on another game that they wouldn't be playing as single player. I'd like for them to be able to lug their desktops or laptops over to my house and play with me for an afternoon.

So, is there some way to create disc images or disc copies of my game copy that'll allow me to install on their machines and we can play a little multi-player action?

Don't bother going off about piracy. I've never made a copy of a CD, music, game ... and never would.

 

[Pantastic]

I haven't tried, but what you might want to do is put the CD in one system to start, then take it out once the game's running and move it to another. Some games are set up to let your run lan games this way, I don't know if civ will like it or not. Otherwise there's not a legitimate way to run it on multiple machines at once.

 

[Red Door]

No, any way of copying the game is piracy, I'm sure this thread will be closed soon.

 

[marioflag]

It's not piracy, you should have the right to copy your original disk.
I have done an image of my civ4 original disk it was ok with 1.52 patch but after 1.61 you have just to use your original disk.

 

[3 EMS]

Isn't this what Pitboss is for?

 

[drkodos]

It's not piracy, you should have the right to copy your original disk.

Whether you should or should not, you do not have the right to copy it. Check license conditions (b) & (c) in the manual and the Readme text.


I always thought it was a neat job to be a detective, create a poseur account, post on the intrawebs, and try to catch the bad guys.

Isn't this what Pitboss is for?

Pitboss requires all players to be licensed users and to have legal copies.

 

[3 EMS]

So it wouldn't help unless all players had a copy then.

 

[Artosoft]

So it wouldn't help unless all players had a copy then.

Yes..., even the no-disk patch (or crack) still consider as a piracy, whatever is the reasons.

Regards,
Arto.

 

[Distraction]

Shame, I hope Firaxis adds in a "Spawn" (a temporary install for multiplayer games only) in the future.

 

[Ben E Gas]

My understanding always was that you could make a copy of your game or software but you can't give or sell it to anyone. It is for backup purposes only. And you cannot run the program on more than one computer at a time. I could be wrong though.

 

[Padma]

Under US law you are allowed to make one backup copy of any/all software you buy.


Of course, the copy-protection schemes used by many publishers means you can't make your legal copy....



As for the OP's request, I don't think you can do MP games without each player having a copy of the game.

 

[zarakand]

I haven't tried, but what you might want to do is put the CD in one system to start, then take it out once the game's running and move it to another. Some games are set up to let your run lan games this way, I don't know if civ will like it or not. Otherwise there's not a legitimate way to run it on multiple machines at once.

This does work. We play lan with 5 people and 3 of us own Warlords, the other two are planning on buying it as soon as they can afford it.

 

[Register666666]

Concerning making backup copies and temporarily doing multiplayer and such, this is very much a grey area. Personally, I think telling people it's piracy to play multiplayer with a friend on Civilization 4 is like telling a family it's piracy for them to watch a movie at the same time.

Anyways, I haven't tried it before, but over a lan, I'm fairly sure it wouldn't be a problem. I would suggest a no-cd crack (perfectly legal as long as you own the game), but I will not name the sites you can get it from as I wish to respect the rules for the forums here.

Regardless over what the EULA contract states (and I've never seen a EULA agreement that forbids the right to make a backup copy), the law in the U.S. clearly states that backcopies (and similiary the use of no-cd cracks) are perfectly legal, as long as you purchased the software.

 

[automator]

I think I'll give the CD in a computer, take it out, put it in another, repeat until everyone is up and running, then start the game -- I'll try that.

 

[Chrono285]

I usually copy CDs to my hard drive to avoid having to switch them in and out. Civ IV uses SafeDisc 4.60 though. Last time I perused the web, no one had been able to break it.

 

[Stylesjl]

Don't worry about what the law says. You won't be caught. Just motor up the game, eject the CD, place it into the other computer and your set.

It's what me and my brother do when we want to play single player at the same time on diffrent computers

 

[boneys26]

I had the same problem but with microsoft i own 2 pc's and a laptop this pc i built and the other was a cheap thing i picked up in the paper along with the laptop a few weeks ago, any way i like to format my hard drive once every 2 months (gets rid of the junk windows collects) but my laptop had windows xp pro (pirate copy) i no it was a pirate copy cuz soon as i tried windows update it left me with a thing that pops up telling me it is everytime i turned it on but as i bought my copy of windows xp home i thought i would be ok i had to call microsoft for activation as i had just done my pc and they wouldn't activate it for me as its one disk per pc/laptop they said i don't have the rights to use the disk for more than one pc i guess its just like this. I just don't get it if you can install the game and enter the code for it (on some games) then they should just let the game run without the disk as you need the disk to install it but as for microsoft they charge loads for your copy then tell you that you have no rights to use it on another pc you own

 

[boneys26]

Under US law you are allowed to make one backup copy of any/all software you buy.


Of course, the copy-protection schemes used by many publishers means you can't make your legal copy....



As for the OP's request, I don't think you can do MP games without each player having a copy of the game.

when my copy of civ4 and warlords becomes so scrached after loads of use can i ask fraxis to replace it? as i can't back my disks up like i can my hard disk. i know i had to buy civ2 3 times

 

[vilemerchant]

I say go for it. You're all playing the one game, that one game that you paid for. The technical legalities might say otherwise, but who the hell cares.

 

[drkodos]

This thread reminds me of the need to recount my silverware after inviting people over for a party.