Direct 2 Drive Chaos Theory Question

[Asimov]

What kind of copy protection would this version have if any? What kind of restrictions are put on its use? What I'm really asking is, do direct 2 drive games use a protection system similar to valves steam via an account. Also if anyone knows, what kind of backup options are there?

[ni9ht_5ta1k3r]

It uses starforce proactive and no, no one has cracked it yet!

[LoxHazard]

OK, I explain Starforce proactive:

- You buy and download the game. There is a serial number included with the game.
- After instalation, the game extract "Hardware code" of your PC. This code depends of "CPU ID", "Mac Adress", "Ram Size", "Computer Name", "Volume Serial" and "windows PID".
- With your original Serial Number, and your Hardware code, you search for your "activation key" online. The Activation Key is generated using the values of the Serial Number and Hardware Code by special Starforce algorithms, at starforce Servers or by phone or mail.
- Insert activation key, and active the game. Now you can play your original game.

Conditions:

- Number of activation is limited. 5 normally, but depends game devs or publishers.
- If you uninstall or formatted (not exactly, because you can save your registry key (regedit), and don´t spend 1 activation if you don´t change hardware), or change your hardware in an specific %, you must re-activation. There is four change hardware binding levels (depends game publishers and starforce contracts): Light (40%), Medium (30%), Strong (20%), Extra Strong (0%)

Other questions:

- Not similar Steam, no accounts, only limited "activation keys"

- By the way, .exe and .dlls protection is quite similar starforce 3.

- How you download entire game, you can backup it in CD/DVD. Only limited by "activation keys". When you spend your "activation keys" (5), you must re-buy game.

Excuse my english.

[ni9ht_5ta1k3r]

Originally Posted by LoxHazard

OK, I explain Starforce proactive:

- You buy and download the game. There is a serial number included with the game.
- After instalation, the game extract "Hardware code" of your PC. This code depends of "CPU ID", "Mac Adress", "Ram Size", "Computer Name", "Volume Serial" and "windows PID".
- With your original Serial Number, and your Hardware code, you search for your "activation key" online. The Activation Key is generated using the values of the Serial Number and Hardware Code by special Starforce algorithms, at starforce Servers or by phone or mail.
- Insert activation key, and active the game. Now you can play your original game.

Conditions:

- Number of activation is limited. 5 normally, but depends game devs or publishers.
- If you uninstall or formatted (not exactly, because you can save your registry key (regedit), and don´t spend 1 activation if you don´t change hardware), or change your hardware in an specific %, you must re-activation. There is four change hardware binding levels (depends game publishers and starforce contracts): Light (40%), Medium (30%), Strong (20%), Extra Strong (0%)

Other questions:

- Not similar Steam, no accounts, only limited "activation keys"

- By the way, .exe and .dlls protection is quite similar starforce 3.

- How you download entire game, you can backup it in CD/DVD. Only limited by "activation keys". When you spend your "activation keys" (5), you must re-buy game.

Excuse my english.

If you save the registry files then you don't need to use the 5 key limit!

[Talus]

What happens if you upgrade your hardware a few times in a year? You have to buy the game ALL over again after 5 upgrades?

Copy-protection is going too far.

[Joe Forster/STA]

And what happens if you upgrade your PC, say, five years later when the publisher/developer/supporter of a Starforce Proactive-protected game is already out of business...?! Yup, you won't be able to play your game as no one will provide the online "activation key" service anymore (even if you're still within the 5 activations)!

[DUKE_NUKEM]

@LoxHazard

If what you're saying it's true (and I think it is...), then why don't they ask to me about my height, my weight, or my number of shoes? C'mon this is the most ridiculous protection I've ever heard of, more ridiculous than the Steam idea. It's unbelievable that someone who spends a lot of money for a game then he also have to wait for its code to come. As Steam demonstrated, it is IMPOSSIBLE to provide services like that cuz' there are too many user who don't want to wait to play their gamez. Indeed the algorhytms for calculating the code would soon become the base for a keygen (or there is some kind of trick behind them?). If encrypted filez didn't work, I don't think that any code could, and however it would be another hard hit to the patience of the playerz. But maybe I'm wrong....

Sorry for my english again and forever

[DUKE_NUKEM]

sorry guys for the double post but I forgot one thing.

Hope to see A.S.A.P. a Direct-To-The-Butt-Of-Developers version of Chaos Theory

[LoxHazard]

Originally Posted by ni9ht_5ta1k3r

If you save the registry files then you don't need to use the 5 key limit!

Yes, but this only valid in case how formatted or uninstall, but if you change your hardware more than 40%, then Hardware code is different. Registry Key trick is not valid in this last case.

This trick is a legal developer trick (see example link), but if someone don´t know this, then spend activations for nothing.

Example:
http://www.lockon.ru/index.php?end_p...efault&lang=en

Originally Posted by Talus

What happens if you upgrade your hardware a few times in a year? You have to buy the game ALL over again after 5 upgrades?

Copy-protection is going too far.

Yes, you must re-buy the game after 5 activations (if you like continue playing the game). Indeed, changes of hardware must be more of 40% to need reactivation, if you change Ram only, or minor changes then don´t must reactivation, the game continues active.

Originally Posted by Joe Forster/STA

And what happens if you upgrade your PC, say, five years later when the publisher/developer/supporter of a Starforce Proactive-protected game is already out of business...?! Yup, you won't be able to play your game as no one will provide the online "activation key" service anymore (even if you're still within the 5 activations)!

Then you will have a useless game.

Starforce proactive is a very bad protection. And same case in normal Starforce 3.

Starforce 3 is hardware dependant, in future hardware, actual starforce 3 games (and proactive too), could don´t works for incompatibilities or other hardware problems. Starforce proactive and starforce 3 is a very bad thing.
Publishers are wrong with starforce, because Starforce is a true malignous protection, and be must dissapeared.
The future of PC is dark with this protection, and with TCPA/PALLADIUM in horizont too.

One solution in this cases, could be that starforce guys make a NO-CD or NO-Activation patch for legit buyers, but is difficult thing, imho.

Originally Posted by DUKE_NUKEM

@LoxHazard

If what you're saying it's true (and I think it is...), then why don't they ask to me about my height, my weight, or my number of shoes? C'mon this is the most ridiculous protection I've ever heard of, more ridiculous than the Steam idea. It's unbelievable that someone who spends a lot of money for a game then he also have to wait for its code to come. As Steam demonstrated, it is IMPOSSIBLE to provide services like that cuz' there are too many user who don't want to wait to play their gamez. Indeed the algorhytms for calculating the code would soon become the base for a keygen (or there is some kind of trick behind them?). If encrypted filez didn't work, I don't think that any code could, and however it would be another hard hit to the patience of the playerz. But maybe I'm wrong....

Sorry for my english again and forever

Its true. But, they only look for your hardware code. Is an inteligent protection, but not good for buyers for the limit activation.

Not keygen posibilities, is imposible. Tricks is imposible too.

The activation key, depends of your serial key (is in the game) an your hardware code. The serial key is in the game, and the algorithms of serial number depends of developers, not of starforce guys, in this case, starforce only create activation key, with Hardware code an original Serial number.
Someone could decrypt starforce algorithm, but not developer algorithm serial number.

Download this, for more information
https://secure.shareit.com/download....Active_ENG.zip

Excuse my english, but this is important.

[DUKE_NUKEM]

@LOXHAZARD

Thx man your explanation was perfect. I've downloaded and read, but there's still something that I did not undaztood at all. You said they give you a key created by special starforce algorytyhms using the classical serial number and you hardware code. Serial number is relatively easy to obtain (there is a keygen for every game created), hardware code dunno, if they decrypt starforce algorhytms the job should be done, am I right? Please be patient I've a brain rpm limitator However I think that the starting point for developing protections should be the necessity not to create probs for legal customers, and not to block piracy at any cost. Unfortunately this isn't possible 'cause piracy is not just a technical prob, but a cultural (and economic) one. E.G. in Italy there are a lot of sites which provide links to warez games, but only if they cost over 30 euros. THIS IS NOT to justify piracy, but there is some kind of (not sufficient anyway) respect for developers and softcos which keep prices low. On the other hand, I see that, with money, softcos are losing their respect for the customers; all of them stupid producers should remember that they have money to produce games until people BUY them, and even if thx to piracy lots of them don't buy games anymore, the few (?????????) who remained honest are slowly losing the hope to see again a NORMAL game, a game which can be installed, run, uninstalled and, why not, backed up and then thrown through the window without stuckin' into some issues with their pc.
Sorry for this waste of words, I go back playin' Onimusha 3 ORIGINAL on my PS2, payed 24 euros new and after only 3 months from the sorting day (do U now platinum gamez? ). Hope not to see some hidden and infecting drivers also there

[LoxHazard]

Originally Posted by DUKE_NUKEM

Serial number is relatively easy to obtain (there is a keygen for every game created), hardware code dunno, if they decrypt starforce algorhytms the job should be done, am I right?

I think, that this argument isn´t correct.

Keygen is imposible in this case, because game don´t valid serial number, only activation key (remember that A.Key depends of Serial number and H.Code) and hardware code are checked by the game to start play.
Serial number of developer, only use to create activation keys, but no more use.
Algorithm serial number isn´t in game files encrypt, because game don´t checked it, and with one serial number nobody could create a keygen.

And starforce algorithm is quite imposible to decrypt, (i´m not sure if someone could do it), but in anycase isn´t legal.

Anyway, is my opinion.

Better only protection and backup discussion, please

[DUKE_NUKEM]

@ LoxHazard

Undaztood bro, nothing to do at the moment...
Yes, it is not legal, it isn't only your opinion, but, if we continue this way, one day games will be no more in the shops, and to buy them you'll be obliged to call them and fix a date, then they'll come to your house and install the game on your pc (only ONE pc, right?) and then get back to their office with the disc in their hands. After all, we only buy a license to use the game. We don't have the right to keep our own and INDEPENDENT copy, we need their drivers and their codes, but OUR money to play.
Ok, let's give the welcome to this new protection, sure that if they cut the prices instead of spending money in protections we would appreciate more...

[Pigdog Ratsnake]

Originally Posted by LoxHazard

I think, that this argument isn´t correct.

Keygen is imposible in this case, because game don´t valid serial number, only activation key (remember that A.Key depends of Serial number and H.Code) and hardware code are checked by the game to start play.
Serial number of developer, only use to create activation keys, but no more use.
Algorithm serial number isn´t in game files encrypt, because game don´t checked it, and with one serial number nobody could create a keygen.

Where is the "activation" stored? It's just a key that is calculated from the hardware key and serial #? Does it phone home to check? If you duplicate the original serial number, that exact game image (Direct2Drive, not DVD), and hardware key (registry entry?), then add the activation key, why won't it work?

Well, if no one cracks this system, you can forget about NoCDs in the future, and this forum will be gone too. Not only because of Starforce, but other upcoming corporate extortions of this type. It will no doubt extend to applications, not just games.

Then they'll start raising prices.

[LoxHazard]

@ DUKE NUKEM

Ok, i understand you, and agree with you. I wrote it about no keygen or not ilegal asks before, because if we don´t respect forum rules, the thread will be closed, and this is very interesant for all people

Anyway i expose my opinion below post, and explain more about activation.

@ Pigdog Ratsnake

Is not posible.

First, all information of activaction keys and uses of your serial number, are at starforce servers. You can doing online activation, or phone activation, like as windows XP, but starforce guys save this information, and number of activations that you realize.

Second, Act.Code and H.code store in your windows registry when you activate the game, but don´t store serial number in windows registry. At least i believe it.

Third, the game checked H.Code and Act.Code to star to play, how Act.code is calculates with algorithms (with Serial and H.code), when game checked it, Act.code in registry must be accord to H.Code in registry.
Ok, it is posible if you manually modificate registry, but in H.code case, game checked changes in your PC, compare registry with your hardware, and if not correspond then don´t work.
And, if you put your real H.code in registry, then this Act.code is wrong.

Then, the only posibility, is found a PC near exactly or exactly at yours and modify registry (depend starforce % change hardware parameters), but is quite difficult for parameters used to check:
"CPU ID", "Mac Adress", "Ram Size", "Computer Name", "Volume Serial" and "windows PID"

The posibilities are ridiculous, and is ilegal too. I don´t agree with this.


At finally.
I agree with yours (duke and pigdog), goverments protect big corporations, but not simple persons.
Our only power, is don´t buy starforce games, or others games with wild protections, but we haven´t any organization, and information is poor.

PC gaming will die in the future, for don´t piracy posibilities, like as Gamecube of nintendo, people don´t spend a lot of money in new PC hardware if they can´t pirate some games (people aren´t rich, normally), then will buy other sistems (xbox X, playstation X, nintendo X), and game developers don´t make PC games for poor rentals, because the persons who buy games before (and piracy someone games), now don´t buy any PC game.

Anyway, Starforce is dangerous, but TCPA/PALLADIUM or online control, is worst.

Please, no more key asks, only protection and backup discussion, please.

Thks and excuse my poor english.