Silent Hunter 3

[Yummy Sprinkles]

I don't keep up with the no-cd scene all that much. Last time I played a couple games that employed Starforce protection, they were considered uncrackable.

Is this still the case with Starforce protection? I'm in no rush to get a no-cd patch for this game, but I was just wondering because I wanted to know if it was even worth waiting for a no-cd patch for this game or not. Is Starforce still "uncrackable"?

[GLH]

Starforce isn't and was never uncrackable.
But it takes some time!

[Grumpy]

@GLH
I think what 'Warlord711' was saying is the game is available as Direct-2-Drive download from fileplanet. If it is available to download then it can not possibly be protected with starforce like the retail shop bought version? So he was asking what protection does the Direct-2-Drive version have? This indeed is very interesting.

[Yummy Sprinkles]

Originally Posted by GLH

Starforce isn't and was never uncrackable.
But it takes some time!

Well, "uncrackable" was probably the wrong word. But so far I've played three games that used Starforce. Two of them I don't believe ever got cracks, and the third did get a crack, but it didn't work for like 70% of everyone that tried it.

So if a typical game takes maybe a week or two for a no-cd to be produced, what would you say is the typical time to create a no-cd for a Starforce game?

Oh, and do you know what it is about Starforce that makes it such a tough nut to crack? It it just because it's a newer form of protection that crackers are still learning to deal with, or is it just really, really good(if not annoying) at what it does?

[GLH]

So far i know, StarForce checks for the original cd not only to start the game. Also later in the game. So the crackers has to play through the complete game to check if all Protection-Checks are removed.

[Warlord711]

Grumpy hit the nail

I am no fileplanet subscriber, so i never downloaded a Direct-2-Drive Game and i dont know how what kind of Image and protection system you get. But it cant be Starforce 3.

After all i know, Starforce is used to check if the CD, or DVD, is a original one, and the Key supplied with the CD is only for THIS CD and dont work even with another CD of same game. So there must be some kind of watermark on the CD which is impossible to clone.

My Version of SH III is the German Release on a DVD-ROM, its using Starforce Protection, thats what ProtectionID told me.

[gav_69]

hey man i didnt start this thread, i was just enquiring about the crack

[GLH]

Originally Posted by gav_69

hey man i didnt start this thread, i was just enquiring about the crack

Before your post the thread wasn't about a crack request, so you're the one who broke the board rules!