A real solution to the StarF**k virus for everyone.

[dajunka]

People are, boycotting games protected by SF for real, it’s not fantasy. And the publishers are quite aware of this trend as it is reflected in there profits.
What’s all this with Dream Catcher software publisher, where they release a hot game, not only minus Starforce but lacking any type of software protection what so ever. I am talking about the game Dungeon Lords recently released in the states. News is it started out very buggy but is getting fixed up nicely already having a patch out, all-in-all reports seem favourable and it looks like a hit.
But why has Dream catcher released this unprotected, when they are I believe a client for Starforce. Could it be that they are not only listening to their customers but also their bank manager.
I don’t think there is one gaming site that you can go to without some member or journalist slagging StarForce, it is becoming Common knowledge that this virus is bad and boycotting it is good, and the army grows not less but more.

If eveybody said; no body else is boycotting so why should I?
Then no, it wouldent work. But not all people seem to be thinking in this way.

[Joe Forster/STA]

Hi dajunka,

Well, if is true what you're saying, I'm very happy to have been wrong...!

Joe

[dajunka]

Hey Joe,
yep it's true, Ive spent hours, days, weeks even; serfing stuff on SF, and you wont beleive some of it. While there are a great number of people say they have no problems with SF, this is only what they assume. The truth is, it most likely is causing them problems it's just that they dont notice the problems.

http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/48427

I have read some real horror story’s especially the ones where some poor guy/gal loses their entire raid array, photos, docs, personal stuff all lost because of SF attaching itself to their media drivers and wuks up big style.

I have games here that have SF, but cant play them and the shop wont refund or exchange except for one of the same. my problem with SF is lockups on start-up and shutdown but alls fine after I clean all the SF zhit of my machine.

[Eagle]

I agree, boycott Starforce.
It sucks. It messed up my Alcohol 120%, it confused my old Plextor CD-R and classified all my (physical) SCSI drives as virtual ones.
SF is just a pain in the *ss. SF has gone way too far intruding users' computers and software.

Also all the efforts getting a SF protected game running from an image are just plain unnecessary and useless. NO ONE owning the original game would disconnect all his IDE stuff, attach a USB-IDE converter or use some other complicated and fancy methods just to play from an image.

I am sick of these SF discussions.

[dajunka]

And so say all of us.

Tis true, this is the only real and lasting cure against this ever increasing problem.
We do have hope in the likes of Dreamcatcher with Dungeon Lords, who’s giving the no protection policy a try in America, I suppose if the sales are okay there, then they will adopt the same policy when released in Europe, come on you yanks buy this game. How great to be shut of all this poo intrusion protection software and get back to some sort of sensible protection or even better none at all we could all exercise our right to make backups.
The way things are going buying a game will be a nightmare.

1 Buy the game Pacman 2030 at mind boggling price in crappy case with no manual.
2 Shove CD in and Start Install.
3 Enter CD key.
4 Wait.
5 Activate game by on line registration.
6 Wait for game files to be decrypted.
7 Enter account details, user name and password.
8 Wait for email to arrive with activation code.
9 Enter code.
10 Wait while code checked against online database.
11 Start again as web site crashed.
12 Get to game start-up screen, told there is an error, "please wait for patch to resolve this issue."
13 Wait 4 weeks
14 install patch.
15 Get to start-up screen, told "error please insert correct CD."
16 Get in touch with support. Get told to knob off.
17 Buy new CD rom, insert game cd.
18 Get to start-up, get told "hardware change detected please reinstall."
19 Reinstall game and go to site for new activation code.
20 Get told "error Cd key and user details already in use."
21 Kill yourself.

or

21 Get game to finally work only to find out is a Atari 1200 port-over from 1963

[DABhand]

The thing is you have to think why this horrible protection is out on the market?

Its the fault of the general public who didnt buy games, that forces these horrible protections out.

Ive been lucky with SF and not been badly affected. But with others they have.

This is the norm, even older protections cause problems with certain systems, at the end of the day, not all PC systems are the same so you will never write a protection that will work on everyones PC's 100%.

But like I said, blame the people who steal rather than the developers/publishers/coders.

[dajunka]

Originally Posted by DABhand

But like I said, blame the people who steal rather than the developers/publishers/coders.

I can't do that.. That’s like saying Some dude on the other side of the world goes and wastes some other dude on the other side of the world, then the fuzz coming round my house and arresting me for it. You can't pass the buck over to the innocent for the crimes of the guilty, that just isn’t right, the publishers, in this case are at fault, theres always been pirates but there's never been aggressive protection on this scale before.

[Sensi]

Originally Posted by dajunka

And the publishers are quite aware of this trend as it is reflected in there profits.

Lol, ask Ubisoft and their starforce protected Splinter cell chaos theory, imho the trend is to make games protected with a real protection against leechers and that is truly working and reflected in their profits.
Who give a **** of what leechers boycott, you would have never bought it if it was not starforce protected anyway... and with starforce, if you really want to play a game without having to wait sometimes weeks for a crack, you buy it.
Moreover it is harder to sell a pirate version of a game with such a protection and that's also what a publisher wants from a protection.

Best regards,
Sensi

[Grumpy]

@Sensi
Lets just get one thing straight, I do not 'Leech' games!
I will not buy a Starforce protected game simply because of the 'Virus' like features it installs onto my system!
Some games are just not worth the headaches they give!

[CrossWire]

@Sensi
Buy it, Ha!, that' just the point, if I buy the game it comes with SF protection and that is what we don't want. If the game comes without SF then I for one, would not hesitate to buy any game I was interested in.
In short we don't want to pirate games with all there hacks and cracks and inability to update, we want to buy them, but the publisher though his greed wont let us.

[DABhand]

At the end of the day how many of your actually read the EULA before saying yes.

Perhaps you should read it, it tells all what Starforce is going to do, and you all agreed to it. :P

[Grumpy]

@Dabhand
You are wrong!
I have just finished reading the EULA for V8 Supercars, Obscure, Soldiers Heroes of WW2 and Street Racing Syndicate. As you may well know these are all Starforce protected games! Nowhere, I repeat 'Nowhere', does it say Starforce will be installed on my system! Nowhere does it say a hidden program or Drivers will be installed on my system! Nowhere!
If these companys responsible were not trying to hide the fact they are secretly installing hidden software onto our systems they would gladly state in the EULA what their intentions are!
In the V8 Supercars game manual, inside of the front cover, it clearly states:
"This Codemasters game is protected by the FADE protection system. If you purchase an illegal copy of the game, you will be able to play it - but not for long. As you play, the gameplay of a pirated copy will degrade."
Now if they are not hiding anything why dont they go on to tell us about Starforce? Because they are doing it illegally!! Nowhere do they mention Starforce!
In the SRS EULA they mention:
"Limitation of liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, in no event will publisher or its third-party suppliers or distributors be liable for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of or inability to use the licensed product, including, without limitation, damages for lost profits, loss of data, loss of good will, work stoppage, computer failure or malfunction, even if advised of the possibility thereof, and regardless of the legal or equitable theory (contract, tort, or otherwise) upon which the claim is based. In no event shall publisher be liable to user in any amount exceeding the amount of the license fee paid to publisher."
Again 'Nowhere' does it mention Starforce is going to be installed on my system! But they do mention the possibility of something causing 'computer failure or malfunction'!
Hmmm, now I do wonder what is going to cause the failure or malfunction? I do believe many of us are aware of what is going to do this! Yes, Starforce!
This is their way of trying to protect themselves! But how can this be taken seriously when I could use the argument that nothing about Starforce protection being installed is mentioned in any of the documents they have supplied!
I have followed this Starforce argument/discussion from the beginning, and I now believe you really are sitting on your high horse about this! I watched you come on board this forum and believed you showed enough intelligence and knowledge to be a great asset to these forums. I have spoken with you before and found you to be a likeable person. But I now believe you are being very difficult and unintelligent about this subject! You have now stated something about 'reading the EULA' which in my opinion is just not correct!!
So I now ask the question: "Have you infact read the EULA?" I believe not!
If you have found the words "Starforce Protection will be installed" in another game EULA then by all means send it to me and I will gladly appolagize for what I have said about you being difficult!
But untill then please dont say things that are not correct! Nowhere does it say in the EULA that Starforce will be installed!

[Game-Hacker]

I read the EULA of Stronghold2 and I can't see a word mentioning STARFORCE. So can we sue firefly studio?

[Joe Forster/STA]

Yeah, sure! Even the first posts about problems with the new Starforce system in other forums were about Starforce being installed without its own EULA displayed or Starforce being mentioned in the game's EULA...