CD Key Question - Page 2

TUS_Tomcat · 03-04-2002, 04:53 AM

indeed, ONE CD, i am 200% certain that this has been said

*Kurgan* · 03-04-2002, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Multiplayer will probably require a genuine cd key checked on the master server like quake 3 and Elite Force which will not allow 2 people with the same key to play at the same time- although Medal Of Honour doesnt have cd checking and is playable online with the same cd key by different users.

I agree, and there's no logical way to crack such a protection scheme, except by hacking the game company key server directly (something that's so highly illegal and they would be sure to catch anyone foolish enough to try in short order). The person(s) in charge of running the key server are the ones who decide who gets in and who doesn't.

The only way around this scheme (just being hypothetical here) would be if there were public keys issued that multiple people could us (say for dev purposes) that were kept secret, then leaked. However, keep in mind the company would have the power to cancel any key at any time, for any reason, thus making it very difficult to steal keys. A person who buys a used copy of the game, could just call and get a new key issued, making the one that another person stole from them useless. Compared to cracking a standard cd-in-the-drive local machine deal or regular cd key (no internet connection), this would be no easy task.

Now granted, this would not stop piracy, but a lot of people who could easily pirate a pc game, but one that was crippled (ie: one lacking a vital component like internet play.. since not everyone has access to a LAN on a regular basis) would be more inclined to to buy the real thing, than people who pirate a game that would be identical to the real thing they could purchase. Single player can only last so long...

I figure if the Quake3 key server (which was recently opened up I hear.. meaning any key or no key would work, period) module in the Q3 engine was used in Elite Force and other recent games based on the same engine, we can expect such a scheme in JK2, and maybe even other protections as well.

*Kurgan* · 03-04-2002, 05:19 AM

Oh yeah, and I think most of us can agree that the reason JK was on two cd's (notice MotS fit on one, and it had actually had more levels overall) was the fact that it used CD audio played from the discs (as opposed to MP3's that play locally on your hdd) and the smacker video cutscenes (as opposed to playing in-game scripting or whatnot).

Plus putting the game on 2 cd's was another additional copy protection scheme back then (which really didn't last long).

Bowen · 03-04-2002, 05:32 AM

Most people have games that well let's say they aren't exactly originals but you have to admit that JKO looks to be worth buying! I have the original JK and MotS! I'm not advocating piracy but if your only going to buy one game this year I think JKO should be the one!

Pedro The Hutt · 03-04-2002, 07:18 AM

JK always needed a CD in order to be able to play ^_^"

Broode · 03-04-2002, 07:26 AM

I don't want to pirate it, I just want to lan with my friends. In some games, the copy protection has gotten so restrictive that it is extremely hard (resorting to cracks, ISO's etc) to lan. I know putting multiple copies of the game on different computers is probably illegal, but its just not practical for everyone at the lan to go out and buy their own copy of the game, even though they might not like it and just want to play it for the experience of playing it with their friends.

Heres an example: At a lan late last year one of my friends brought around a copy of Tribes 2, a game that didn't really appeal to me at the time. Reluctantly I installed it and played a game, and was instantly addicted. After the lan i tried to play online, but the cd-key checks were too strict. So I bought the game.

Pedro The Hutt · 03-04-2002, 07:34 AM

Well it's been said that copying stuff for your own usage (like to be able to play a LAN game against your sis without having to buy a second copy) is alright

nu||ifier · 03-04-2002, 08:36 AM

All depends on how much media they have with the game.. sounds cut sequences etc.. the game engine,maps and textures dont take much space - but when you add all the sounds n stuff it gets a lot more - Elite force installs from 1 disk and you need about 800mb and about 200mb of it is sounds and music - Medal of Honour needs 2cds and takes 1.2gigs - but has loads more sounds and videos.

btw the 2nd cd of command and conquer was mostly demos and other useless crap

(although I would say the game was useless crap too)

Desslock · 03-04-2002, 09:21 AM

Unless specifically stated, I think, when you buy the game you have the license to use it at home, as many times as you want. As long as you keep the thing within your own LAN, your fine. But using that one CDKey on all computers and getting on an internet server is usually not allowed.

SyKoTiCWretched · 03-04-2002, 09:25 AM

cracking q3 cd key wasnt hard at all heres how i did it me>hey can i use your cdkey? friend>sure me>ok lets play now haha
and i have never used my jk cd to play online ever so no you didnt need it

*Kurgan* · 03-04-2002, 12:02 PM

Quote:

cracking q3 cd key wasnt hard at all heres how i did it me>hey can i use your cdkey? friend>sure me>ok lets play now haha
and i have never used my jk cd to play online ever so no you didnt need it

Only problem with that is, before ID software "opened" their Q3 keyserver, no two identical keys would work simultaneously, so you and your friend could not both play online at the same time.

However you could easily play a LAN game, even if neither of you had bought a legit copy of the game, since LAN games (and single player) never required the keyserver! It was only for TCP/IP internet (the whole reason most people bought Q3 in the first place).

Quote:

don't want to pirate it, I just want to lan with my friends. In some games, the copy protection has gotten so restrictive that it is extremely hard (resorting to cracks, ISO's etc) to lan. I know putting multiple copies of the game on different computers is probably illegal, but its just not practical for everyone at the lan to go out and buy their own copy of the game, even though they might not like it and just want to play it for the experience of playing it with their friends.

If you just want to play it on a LAN with your friends, this would not interfere with your plans. Even if each and every one of you were to pirate the game (not saying you would or should, just using this as an example) you would not need a key to play on a LAN, unless they changed the protection scheme.

Let me reiterate.. without putting in a correct key, you can play LAN and single player, but the key is required to play on the internet. If you use somebody else's key, that person can't play at the same time as you, thus, they will get pissed, report it to ID (or whomever) and get the stolen key cancelled, and a new key registered to them. That's how the scheme works, and until such time as it is "opened" (meaning all keys, or even no key entered, will work) by the company, that's how it will stay.

Every copy of the game will have LAN and single player off the disc, but only legally purchased ones will come with unique cd keys to play on the 'net.

The fact that they can "open" the keyserver is good in that if the game company decides to stop supporting the game, or if they are going out of business, they can ensure that people can still play the game online.