Starforce Petition!

[KessG]

When Silent Hunter III was released, it was far from being offered here in Brazil. As a long time fan, I had no choice but to download it. I figured that when it is available, I'd buy it. three months later, it finally reached the stores in a reasonable price (not the most expensive, but above the average). This time gave me the opportunity to try the several methods of backing up (with no success) and to notice the overwhelming amount of bugs and inconstancies with history, engineering and even the previous Silent Hunter II. Coupled with the fear you and several other people displayed in installing StarForce, I've made up my mind: I won't buy it and will delete my illegal copy. Thank you.

[coffin filler]

Originally Posted by KessG

When Silent Hunter III was released, it was far from being offered here in Brazil. As a long time fan, I had no choice but to download it. I figured that when it is available, I'd buy it. three months later, it finally reached the stores in a reasonable price (not the most expensive, but above the average). This time gave me the opportunity to try the several methods of backing up (with no success) and to notice the overwhelming amount of bugs and inconstancies with history, engineering and even the previous Silent Hunter II. Coupled with the fear you and several other people displayed in installing StarForce, I've made up my mind: I won't buy it and will delete my illegal copy. Thank you.

So glad we could help..Tut tut to D/L it (warez) is not tollerated here @ GCW. Just be carefull what you say here otherwise you will be reciving a ban. (may i suggest you read the rules as to avoid this happening to you like it happens to so many others)

[Grumpy]

(Ive mentioned these points in other threads but thought they also deserved to be mentioned here)

If I was given a choice between a game with Starforce protection or a game with an Online Activation (like HL2) I would honestly prefer the online activation!
Starforce messes with your system and can cause hassles with other programs the whole time! And does their Starforce Clean really fix those hassles? Starforce doesnt tell you its installing!
Online Activation however is only a hassle for a short time, thats during the actual activation (except for dialup users, the hassle could be a longer one). Online activation tells you what is happening, it is not hidden from you! Once the game is activated you dont have anymore 'hidden' hassles. Like with HL2, once the game has earnt its profits they can release a patch so you dont need the disc to play, they can possibly even release a patch to stop the online activation?
But even if a starforce game has earnt its profits, and they release a patch for you to be able to play without the disc, would you really be free of the problems starforce has already created for your system?
I really dont like the Online Activation, it is a hassle but nowhere near the hassle of Starforce!
Since I for one had major problems with the Starforce Protection, I always create a ghost image before installing a new game. Luckily I had ghost images from before my system ever came in contact with a Starforce game! After installing a starforce game i found a lot of my other games would not even autoplay, my drives where reading the disc names even after the disc had been ejected, I had programs no longer working properly, I had CD's/DVD's which would not eject, I had all sorts of problems!! I never had any of these problems before I installed Starfoce and even after using 'Starforce Clean' these problems were still there!
But as soon as I ghosted back to before Starforce all my problems magically disappeared!
Regardless of how much any future games gets hyped up I will not be installing them if they have the Starforce virus!

[Eagle]

Originally Posted by Grumpy

(Ive mentioned these points in other threads but thought they also deserved to be mentioned here)

If I was given a choice between a game with Starforce protection or a game with an Online Activation (like HL2) I would honestly prefer the online activation!

Agree!

[coffin filler]

Aye. While "Steam" has many anoyances for the user it dosent do what SF dose. Anoyances are (imo) eaiser to deal with and leave you with a working PC. (Unlike what SF can leave you with besides a head ache). Online activation is more straight forward. It dose what it says on the tin and thats that. Once you uninstall a game with online activation (HL2 etc) then its gone where SF isnt. As the devs etc look for better ways to protect there games from piracy etc we are gonna come into contact with such things i guess. Therefore its up to us (the consumer) to let the ppl who matter (devs,publishers etc) know that were not happy with a protection like SF due to the consequences having a SF protected game can cause. I wonder if On-line activation is the way forward ?. I for one would perfer that. Its the better of two evils is it not?. Its not a cast iron guarentee to protect games from becoming warez (which is what the devs etc are looking for is it not?) because as im sure many of us know there was a version of HL2 avalible with the online activation ripped out meaning the S/P part of the game was playable. I do belive online activation is more user freindly than SF and i dont mind having games with online activation installed on my PC unlike SF protected games. Do you think its the way more and more games will be protected ?? It is a winner in many ways is it not ? I say that because people who own the original game (bought from shop etc) are able to back it up quiet easily and its all about the code. The only loosers in one way are the ppl who wish to own the game for nothing weather thats by D/L or whatever, and thats what its meant to stop is it not?. Having said all this i wouldnt be surprised is ppl arnt of the same opinion and dont want online activation instead of "other" protections. So SF or Online activation ? (im intrested to know which ppl would choose if given the option).

[Stevi]

I think there will be solution to backup every SF3 title released so far, with new Daemon Tools 4 Pro, which will go out very soon.

From other forum -

Some guys in the BETA of Daemon Tools PRO v.1, tell that from a ORIGINAL dvd of Splinter Cell 3, you can clone with Alcohol (mdf+mds) and play mounting the mds emulating Starforce with Daemon Tools...

So, just burn the game with Alcohol 120% (latest). and mount with Daemon Tools, install and play. This is tested with the latest staforce (the 3rd Splinter Cell 3 patch)

http://img27.echo.cx/img27/8028/daemontools43yf.jpg

http://img65.echo.cx/img65/55/dtoolssf35la.jpg

[impic0]

That won't help, since the SF devs will soon realize how daemon tools gets around the protection and release a new version. we do not only need ot boycot starforce, but any kind of copy protection! for software and music as well. as i already said, poeple who buy the software get the copy protection with it. people who download it from the internet don't, so what#s the point?
Btw, a french court dicided that copy protections are illegal, because the are against the users right to make one backup copy. very sad that the french have to show the rest of the world what is right...