My Concerns

[Michael Slaunwhite]

Hi.

I am wondering something here. Am I able to play a lan game with the demo release?

I have noticed with games in the past, that you are able to do things in the demo in which you are unable to do in the release.

This would be quite the incentive to stick with the demo.


Later!

[norb]

You can play a lan game with either release.

[Michael Slaunwhite]

Slick Wilhelm wrote:
[quote]I used to get really bent out of shape about this type of DRM when it first came out. But then, I realized a few things:

1) Internet connections are getting more stable every day.

2) It's not fair to lose income to software pirates.

3) There are so many quality war games released today, that I couldn't possibly find enough time to play all of the ones that I buy. So wanting to play SOWGB in ten years time will not be an issue. I'll most likely be playing the latest, greatest Gettysburg simulation.

4) DRM is here to stay. Until pirates stop stealing software, it's going to be with us, always.
/quote]

Hi Slick Wilhelm.

1:
You are right, the internet is more stable than it once was, but until it actually affects you personally, then the DRM won't be a problem to you. Just wait when you want to play the game, and for some reason it stops working(either because of a trojan/virus), and you can't re-activate the game, even though you have the internet, and it's working fine, you just can't seem to get it to deactivate, meanwhile all you wanted to do was play a game when you wanted too at that one particular moment, and that moment is gone, replaced with a great deal of frustration, and anger, normally agaisn't the developers/owners of the game.

2: No it's not good to lose income to pirates, but piracy in all it's form has been with us since the dawn of time. Whatever man can create, there will always be someone who can crack it, and will steal it. Just because they have implimented this DRM will not protect them, it will only hurt them.

2b: I know for a fact that if these guys out there that do this cracking of software wanted to steal it, they could crack this game in a millisecond, so all of that money that has been spent in protecting the product is lost, and could have been used elsewhere. We are just fooling ourselves thinking this DRM will protect anything.
Thinking that you are protecting your investment is just a pipe dream, maybe it would work in a Walt Disney movie, but not in the real world.

3: So TRUE....

4: DRM is here for now. If I go to a store, and I walk over to the software department in my local Walmart, or electronic store, and they have 2 sections. One is DRM products, and the other section is marked DRM FREE (which is coming by the way)...tell me, how many people will be looking in the DRM product selection? I would bet you money that the DRM FREE section will be crowded, while the DRM section may have 1 or 2 people. So who really is losing the money? It's not from piracy that the companies are losing money. They are losing money out of fear. Fear is more hazardous than piracy will ever be.

We all would like to live a life without theft, but that WILL NEVER happen. They have hung people for theft, and that didn't stop people from stealing.


Anyhow...later!

[Michael Slaunwhite]

Thanks Norb for the reply.

Great to know...Boy, everytime I play the demo, the nearer I get to want to buy the game.

Devious...Devious...

[Michael Slaunwhite]

Well first of all I am 50 years old. (this is the first time I have been carded in quite a while

Hi DrMike1997.

I don't feel so alone.

It's the thought of having to own an internet connection so that I can install a game, or if I wanted to put it on another computer that has me bucking a bit.

I have all my bases covered for all the games I own. every game I own works 100 percent, tried, tested, and still play. I still play text adventures which came out for the Vic20 (which started me on this long road of fun, and misery). The older the better my wife always says. I think she is referring to me when she says that (not sure if she's insulting me, or wanting me to mow the lawn).

Yes Red Baron, isn't that a great game? Have you played red Baron3D? Great addition.

Haaaaaa, I know ROF is a pain. I play Flanders Field (addon for CFS3), and if I am looking for an arcade feel, I play First Eagles...all great titles.

I had my brother download the demo, I installed it, created a demo account for 3 days, and I never been able to login once to give it a try. Unfortunately it forces me to download a 1.6 gig update, which while using dialup, will take aprox 4 days, which I never will try to do. So I uninstalled the demo.

Your right about the power going out, no doubt about it, always a pain.

I suppose that having to ask before doing something just seems to get my feathers in an bunch, and money is a bit tight at the moment, and I think if money wasn't an issue, I would have purchased this title without a word spoken.

Great to talk with you DrMike1997.

[Michael Slaunwhite]

norb wrote:

The concept of the hard drive crash has already happened to a hand full of users and we've worked through the issues. We will not leave anyone hanging. I've also stated that if something were to happen to the company then we would remove the DRM and that when we are finished with this game, we will remove it. I believe that we have handled the vast majority of the concerns, but I know from past experience that it is impossible to handle every concern.

I'm also glad that we can have a civil discussion about this One argument that I have is that MS Windows requires activation as well. So if you have to activate the platform that this game runs on, I don't see a huge difference in activating a piece of software that runs on it.

Alright Norb, you have finally convinced me, I'll buy the game. You said that the DRM will be removed eventually, and your word is good enough for me. Besides, the bloody demo is allot of fun, and thanks for the title, it's well appreciated.


Thanks Norb.

[DrMike1997]

hurrah! You wont be sorry. I also have OFF, Red baron 3d and First Eagles. For my money ROF is by far better than either! Now, How is it that you are still playing the first Red Baron? I thought that game was toast with the first pentium chip due to the game being based on processor speed? I would love to see how it compares to todays games in real life, not just my fading memory!

ps; I think you are wrong about the drm game isle being empty while the non drm game isle being full. In reality both would be empty. Computer games are becoming a niche market and console games the norm

[norb]

mikesla wrote:

Alright Norb, you have finally convinced me, I'll buy the game. You said that the DRM will be removed eventually, and your word is good enough for me. Besides, the bloody demo is allot of fun, and thanks for the title, it's well appreciated.


Thanks Norb.

I honestly wasn't trying to convince you at all. I figured you were a lost cause. I was just having a good discussion about DRM that for once was not turning into a flame war. Now, no go crashing your hard drive just to test me

[Michael Slaunwhite]

DrMike1997 wrote:

hurrah! You wont be sorry. I also have OFF, Red baron 3d and First Eagles. For my money ROF is by far better than either! Now, How is it that you are still playing the first Red Baron? I thought that game was toast with the first pentium chip due to the game being based on processor speed? I would love to see how it compares to todays games in real life, not just my fading memory!

ps; I think you are wrong about the drm game isle being empty while the non drm game isle being full. In reality both would be empty. Computer games are becoming a niche market and console games the norm

Hi DrMike1997.

Yep, going to do it in the next hour or so. The dev team seem to have it well covered, and they will drop the DRM later on.

Here is the link to get you started in a world of allot of fun.

It's called Defend Reloaded. dfendreloaded.sourceforge.net/

It's the best software out there for older dos games, hell, even dos games through the late 90's.

I think I played red baron about 8 months ago, and I tell you, it was a blast to play. I also finally got one game that was causing me so much trouble, and that was M1A1 Tank platoon by Microprose. Now that game stole more hours from me back when I bought it. I worked hard on that to get it too work with Defend Reloaded. And yes it was the copy protection that was giving me a good beating. It just felt good to finally play this game after so many years. I actually enjoyed having to look up the protection question up in the manual, it brought back so many memories.

Imagine, a real Manual, not a PDF file.

Another game I was so happy to get going was the original game by Sid Meiers called Pirates. Now that is a game to play, and play, and play over, and over again.

Just can't get enough of it. I own the newer pirates game, and I just don't enjoy it as much, it's just lost it's...well, can't really explain it. But if I play the original Pirates game, wham, all that great gaming goodness comes back.

You are totally right DrMike1997 about the software industry being a niche market.

I sure hope I helped you.

Later!

[Michael Slaunwhite]

norb wrote:

mikesla wrote:

Alright Norb, you have finally convinced me, I'll buy the game. You said that the DRM will be removed eventually, and your word is good enough for me. Besides, the bloody demo is allot of fun, and thanks for the title, it's well appreciated.


Thanks Norb.

I honestly wasn't trying to convince you at all. I figured you were a lost cause. I was just having a good discussion about DRM that for once was not turning into a flame war. Now, no go crashing your hard drive just to test me

Hi Norb.

I know you weren't. I was trying to finally convince myself to take the risk, and it's when you said that you will eventually drop the DRM that helped me make my decision.

I know I am buying a good product, and I am sure I won't regret it at all. If I do have a problem, I'll let you know (would you like it in private email or on the forum?) LOL

I have no doubt that SOW will soak up allot of hours.

Thanks again Norb, I really appreciate it, and thanks for a great game.

Later!