Coelocanth

Well Purple, I can understand your frustration, but I'd bite the bullet and see if you can get it going again. You've got nothing to lose.

[quote]Now Gormoth1 argues that I won't be playing the game in a year anyway, and that'll certainly be true if the game sucks. However, if the game is actually good I'll play it for years.[/quote] And keep in mind this game (Mass Effect) is planned as a trilogy. I know at the very least I'd dig out each previous game and replay it when the new one comes out, just to refresh my memory of the story as well as for continuity.

[quote]I`ve been looking forward to trying Mass Effect since I heard it was comming to the PC. I would buy it if EA stuck with they`re original 10 day check, I`m still going to buy it with this protection. I`m "assuming" that in the future when the games sales have run they`re course that this activation limit or the previous 10 day check would be patched out. Although I have been told that assumption is the mother of all f^%$ ups. This situation also makes me wonder what`s in store when Drag

[quote]You didn't seem to read or notice the rest of my post. Like I said, the game will be eventually cracked, so this entire limit will be rendered sterile in a time period of 2 years.[/quote] But where is the logic in that? Why should the consumer have to rely on a crack to be able to use his game as he wants? [quote] It is basically just to limit you from installing a fresh game on too many computers at once, that's all.[/quote] So, how many is too many? 2? 3? 7? W

[quote]As i understand it you can reinstall it on the same computer how many times you want.[/quote] Yes, with one caveat: if you change your hardware 'significantly', you may trigger a new activation. Problem is, no one can clear up exactly what will trigger it, and no one has said whether or not reinstalling your OS on the same machine will also require a new activation.

[quote] if they were so concerned they would have market tested for a response before going out with such a potentially devisive system. Any sane individual running a large Business would tread carefully in a similar scenario, the fact that they didnt speaks volumes for motivations. [/quote] I'm wondering if BioWare didn't just do an end run around EA. Think about it: how many game companies that use DRM in their games come out before release and tell you exactly how it's going to work

This is a great thing. However, we still need to keep the pressure on. Limited activations are [I]not[/I] the way to go, especially when it's only 3 right now. Does anyone relish the idea of calling EA tech support and asking for another activation? I don't - and I know for a fact that within only a couple months I'll have burned my original three activations and will have to run to the phone to get a new one. And how many are they going to allow you to get before they decide you're ge

I think it's a great thing to see that the community of gamers can effect this sort of change. While I'm quite pleased, I'm not elated yet, however. What has been revoked is the least of the issue, IMO. I'm waiting to see what, if anything, happens re the activations. That's a far bigger issue as far as I'm concerned. Now, ideally, I'd like to see them just get rid of SecuROM altogether, but I know that's not going to happen. So, if they loosen up the restrictions on activations, I may

I'm still waiting to see if they're willing to raise the number of allowable activations (or just eliminate the limit entirely). If that happens, [I]then[/I] I might consider allowing that bloody SecuROM on my system. Maybe.

There [I]is[/I] a difference between the limited activations of Mass Effect and BioShock. BioShock's is/was tied to computer accounts. (so if you had multiple accounts on one computer, it would eat up your activations). Mass Effect's is tied to the HWID, so you can uninstall and reinstall as much as you like on the same system and have multiple user accounts without issue. The hazy area here is what it considers a big enough change in the hardware profile to trigger a new activation. I

[quote]The "hardware change detection" will, according to French, not be strict, i.e. plugging another RAM chip in is not supposed to necessitate a new activation of the game. Details about this are sketchy though.[/quote] Yes, the question (how much hardware change is too much) was asked directly and the answer was "We don't really know" (Kudos at least to BioWare for admitting that). With only 3 activations allowed, that's far too vague for my taste. (Well, that's a moot point anyway,

Not sure I understand your question.

Yep, and those deployed in the military. And those in rural areas. And those in some less developed countries. The list goes on...

[quote]Especially when the paranoid among us disconnect in single player games so we can turn off our security programs for better performance.[/quote] Bingo. I know a number of gamers that don't even have their gaming rigs connected to the internet at all.

[quote]I'd rather put up with internet authentication every 10 days than have to have a DVD in the drive.[/quote] I wouldn't. At least with the DVD in the drive [B][I]I[/I][/B] choose when the game decides it's going to validate - and if necessary or desired, I can find something to bypass it. [quote] It's also much better than SUCUROM virus-type "protection" that messes up your DVD player too (or at least it does for me, I have to reboot just to watch a DVD (that I own, thank

*edit* Forget it. Too early, not awake. *sigh*

[quote]C'mon guys, If you buy the game why worry about any copy protection method at all? Besides you can have internet access everywhere even in Burger King.[/quote] Predator, I don't know if you read the last 8 pages, but it's been laid out earlier. Specifically (and this is only part of it): 1) It's the principal of the thing. Why should we put up with a phone-home game, designed to check whether or not we're pirates, when we've paid money for it? 2) Constant and un

[quote]So if you went on vacation, and came back to play Spore, it would be disabled?And idiots are actually DEFENDING this in this topic?[/quote] It would be, yes, but as soon as you fire up your rig, the 'anti-piracy' software would contact the EA security server and re-activate your game. Or, so they say.

[quote]It was changed or edited by an admin as this would start a good war IMO.[/quote] It was not changed by an admin. Trust me, it would show if the post had been edited, even by an admin. I know how their forums work. Toss me a PM if you want to know exactly how I know this.

I don't hate EA, but seeing what they're doing (re DRM) to Mass Effect and reportedly Dragon Age when that comes out, two games I was really, really looking forward to (and now won't be buying)... I could perhaps start to lean that way.

[quote]Ya, with the DRM they're putting in SPORE, I'll be very happy not buying it. I got burned by Mass Effect already (pre-paid pre-order the day before their "Revelation").So... Bioware / EA gets no more money from me... those ass hats.[/quote] Pre-paid pre-order? Can you not cancel and get your money back? Or did you already do so?

[quote]At least EA's not gonna use Starforce.[/quote] No, they've chosen something equally as distasteful.

It is real. The BioWare devs have confirmed this is the copy protection scheme that will be used in Mass Effect, and have stated it will be used in Spore as well.

That's not how it works. Even if forum admins edit posts on the BioWare forums, it shows that the post has been edited and by whom. The post was not edited. I admit, I also thought he'd said they were lucky, but I think it's because the way he worded it (fantastic timing), there's no doubt that's exactly what he meant. Unfortunately people like him are slippery and you can't paraphrase them (or misremember their wording) or they'll jump all over it like he did.

[quote]Well now they say StarDock is just lucky and that is why they are selling their games. That makes a lot of sense can you give a link to that? cant seem to find it on the bioware forum, if that was the place they said it btw, take a look at the bioware FAQ post count, it got a total of 532, thats 500 more posts then yesterday[/quote] It's on page 17 of that massive thread in the Mass Effect forum. It wasn't a BioWare rep that said it either, and it wasn't actually worded as