Pet Peeves Related to Updates

from Sins Forums
Normally I wouldn't complain about game issues in a forum post, but since I was forced to register for this website to get updates anyway, and since it's my two biggest pet peeves when it comes to computer games...

1)  Don't make me register on your website just so I can download updates.  Don't like me posting messages ripping on the game?  Don't make me register for the website!  Why punish yourselves and others on this website by forcing people like me to register on this website just to get the updates resulting in spamish forum posts with complaints about having to register for your website.  Just plain stupid.

2)  And an even bigger issue, which Sins is certainly not alone in...in fact, pretty much all game developers suck bigtime when it comes to this...POST THE PATCH NOTES SOMEWHERE THAT IS EASY TO FIND!  Nothing pisses me off more then having to hunt for patch notes.  I still haven't found any patch notes for version 1.02, and I don't even know if there was a 1.01 or not.  I like to know what I am getting myself into before updating a game.  Is it really that hard to summarize your patch changes in a text file and post it on your website on an easy to find link?

As for the game itself, so far it seems pretty good.  My only actual game suggestion so far is to make planetary defenses more effective.  The Gauss (sp?) canon seems pointless, accept in serving as a possible target for the enemy until a fleet can arrive to defend.  How can a defense platform so big be so absurdly wimpy?  It might as well be firing tomatos at the enemy.
4,090 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top

Don’t make me register on your website just so I can download updates.

You’re right. How dare they actually generally attempt to make sure they get paid by limiting the release of patches an updates to registered users. I mean with all the DRM and copy-protection on their aps … All the none, that is.

While your opinion may be as welcome as chlamydia at Frolicon, you’re welcome to it. Just as it’s more than reasonable for Ironclad to want people to have bought their game before they hand them the patches and extras.


Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
1- You have a choice, DRM or register for non vital (as in you can still play the complete game without it) updates and content.

The CD and digital download has NO DRM or copy protection what-so-ever.
And the registering system is very flexible, heck you can back up the game by downloading it from SC and burning it onto a CD once you register your serial number, and i would assume that would be the updated copy. SC does limit how many computers the game can be installed on and still recieve updates, but it is based on the OS. I am not totally sure how that system works, perhaps a IC/SD employee could answer that.

Here is a post i made on such issues.
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?forumid=408&aid=174088


2- No argument.


As to defenses, 35 tactical slots of defenses (4/6 hanger bays, 2 repair bays overlapping and whatever number of turrets you can squeeze in afterwards) can deal with a pirate raid with the loss of one turret max, and can hold off huge enemy fleets long enough to get reinforcements there before you lose the planet. Cluster everything facing the direction of the attack and make sure your turrets are covering where ever the siege frigates may bomb you from.

Against a human on the other hand, best it can do is make him take the time to go around them or let some LRM's/bombers kill them before going in, basically a delay tactic.
WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
1 - I'm not sure how having one create an account with us (the system is shared between the forums and SDC, which allows you to permanently save your serials and redownload the ENTIRE GAME at any time) requires you to post on the forums.

2 - Select Sins in SDC, then click the history button in the details panel below. Or just bookmark this page to refer to in the future (that's where the History button goes).

No notes for 1.01 have been posted though as it was effectively the initial release of the game.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
Don’t make me register on your website just so I can download updates. You’re right. How dare they actually generally attempt to make sure they get paid by limiting the release of patches an updates to registered users. I mean with all the DRM and copy-protection on their aps … All the none, that is. While your opinion may be as welcome as chlamydia at Frolicon, you’re welcome to it. Just as it’s more than reasonable for Ironclad to want people to have bought their game before they hand them the patches and extras.
End of quote


OH SNAP!
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
SC does limit how many computers the game can be installed on and still recieve updates, but it is based on the OS. I am not totally sure how that system works, perhaps a IC/SD employee could answer that.
End of quote


yea ... kryo : would u pleaze answer that ?

my dad bought the pre-order in June, he downloaded the game from SDC at the beginning of February, and we got the boxed CE by mail around the 21th :

the downloaded digital version is now installed & patched on my dad's computer ...

how do we proceed to install it on our 2nd comp and still be allowed to receive updates ? how does Stardock verify & certify that the 2nd install on a home LAN is a legit one ?

pleaze help : i would like to crush my pretentious dad in a home LAN 1 v 1  :d 

Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top
You can freely install the game as many times as you like via SDC on machines that you own; just do the same way for the extra machine as you did the first time. The limits are very generous, and if you legitimately encounter them, you can simply contact support and they'll gladly reset it.

I'm installing, updating, and uninstalling stuff all the time for work, and I've only ever hit the limit once myself.
Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
I have all my Stardock games (GalCiv, Altarian Prophecy, GalCiv 2, Dark Avatar, the Twilight Beta, and now Sins) installed on my home PCs (two of them), my laptop, and my work PC. I've never had an issue.

-HM
Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

My son and I play on our home LAN with a single Sins serial #.

As long as you own the machine it's being played on, we don't care.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top
merci, kryo & GG !
Reply #10 from Sins Forums Top
New question :

our main home computer is running Sins with the serial # associated with the SDC digital download, and my dad used that # to create his ICO account.

could I use the (since received by mail) DVD's serial # (the DVD and the SDC download representing one purchase, a June pre-order) to create another ICO account, from our 2nd home computer ?

that would mean that one single purchase (in June) could create 2 different installations, on 2 home computers, with 2 different serial numbers, and 2 different ICO accounts !

am i right ? i havent tried yet ... is it allowed ? ...
Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

No. My understanding is that the one serial supercedes the other.

1 purchase, 1 serial.
Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

... but how would the ICO registration process know that ?!!

1. my dad got one specific serial # associated with his digital download on SDC ... he created his ICO account with that #.

2. suppose i open the box we received by mail 3 weeks later ... it is factory sealed : nobody can then link the serial # inside with my dad ... i install the game at home on our 2nd machine, and then, i go to ICO and create my account with this serial # that was sealed inside the box ... voilà !

... i dont see how ICO can establish any link between a serial # that came from an SDC digital download (associated with a specific email account) with a random serial # which was factory sealed (without having been associated with the other serial #, with SDC and with an e-mail account) ...

consequently, there seems to exist TWO serial numbers (one digital + one in the box) associated with ONE (pre-order) purchase, a situation that would allow the creation of TWO different ICO accounts from the same single purchase ...

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top
To the original poster, just remember it could have been worse. They could have used GameSpy and made you log in to GameSpy every time you wanted to play. When GameSpy goes down you can't play. So just remember, it could have been much MUCH worse. At least this website and the process to register is painless...unlike some other places.
Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top
you dont have to register to get the updates(and i can prove this easly), only if you want to get them from a reliable source, all the other places have good chances of containing virus.
Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top
To the original poster, just remember it could have been worse. They could have used GameSpy and made you log in to GameSpy every time you wanted to play. When GameSpy goes down you can't play. So just remember, it could have been much MUCH worse. At least this website and the process to register is painless...unlike some other places.
End of quote


Or... The CD key system could have been EXTREMELY limited...
*COUGHCOUGHCOUGHBIOSHOCKCOUGHCOUGHCOUGH*  :LOL: 

I think we should all give Ironclad/Stardock a big thank you for such a supremely generous hassle-free game, a caring ear turned directly toward the community, and their continuous release of patches and content.
 :CONGRAT: