Reason for Pre-Order

from GalCiv2 Forums
Just signed up to quickly say that I've pre-ordered GalCiv2- something I rarely do. Here's why:

1. The game itself, duh.

2. The developers. They have a repore with us customers/fans. How used are we to faceless developers such as EA who release a game, patch it once, then concentrate on next year's version of the same game?

3. Anti-piracy. Or lack there of. You devs are real people who understand that we *do* genuinely lose CDs. I still remember spending 10 minutes trying to decode the "password wheel" used for the ancient game "Monkey Island 2" on the Amiga. And for all the money that other present-day developers pump into anti-copy software: at the end of the day, everyone eventually bypasses it.

I feel that my £18 are going to people who use money to pay for food, accomodation and maybe the occasional drink. Not some huge money-making machine.

...You understand what I'm trying to say here? That last paragraph makes it look as if I just called the developers tramps... It's a compliment, honest.

[/rant]
17,539 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You forgot to mention the extra "bling".
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
Oh joyous password wheels, those were always fun. Admitedly I'd rather mess with a stupid wheel than some of the crazy loop-hole causing/game crippling copy protection that's out these days (which always gets bypassed anyways).

Hurrah for Stardock.
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Cool.  and thanks!

Just make sure you order the CD  The CD has no copy protection. You don't even have to use the serial # on it. 

The electronic download version (for obvious reasons) needs the Internet to install. Though it can also be zipped up and put onto other machines that don't have an Internet connection, we figured out a way to get that to work too. It just requires a special code the first time you install it.

But yea, I have similar feelings about copy protection. I don't like being treated like a criminal.  Especially these days when it's so easy to pirate things I feel like I'm having my intellligence and integrity insulted. 

The worst copy protection I ever ran into was with Power Monger. Each time I played I had to go through this long manual and match up patterns. I ended up cracking that game myself so that I could just play the thing.

Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
I ended up cracking that game myself so that I could just play the thing.


lol those illegal pirates have finally done something useful for the industry, finding a way to make sure that the people who bought the game dont have to deal with that crud
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Heck, I bet most people find out about Warez BECAUSE of copy protection issues.

It starts with CD-cracks...

Then moves to the full CD's.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
Welcome to Electronic Assholes (E.A.)! We thank you for spending your hard earned money on our Gimmicky Assembled Moneymaking Emission (G.A.M.E.). If you’ll just take a moment and follow the following steps to prove that you really bought the G.A.M.E. you’ll be moderately entertained, not that we care.

Step One: Provide blood and urine samples and E-mail them to one of our Grumpy Morons (G.Ms.) (if you have a problem E-mailing the samples do not worry, we don’t really answer or even look at our E-mail)

Step Two: Fill out the registration form in triplicate so we can give away your personal information and send you Special Promotional Advertising Messages (S.P.A.M.) to keep you up to date.

Step Three: Bend over.

Step Four: Suffer through poorly built software designed to slow down your computer and cause system instability. If your version of the copy write protection software does NOT slow down your system or cause instability, please check for the latest version of said software.

Step Five: Either send E.A. several bomb threats to vent frustration or find a third party cite that lets you skip steps 1 through 4. However, please note it is still mandatory to send bomb threats even after visiting the third party cite.
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
oOo X-com:Ufo Defense ... that was upsetting I lost my manual and couldnt play the game because the security wanted word X on page Y from line Z... heh
Reply #8 from Stardock Forums Top
@Citizen DarkTalon : You're killing me!

I think I'll print your post and pin it right above my gaming machine!


And I have to say that I fully agree with the topic starter!
Reply #9 from Stardock Forums Top
I agree - I preordered too for all the indicated reasons! can't wait to play the game...
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Personally I think Stardock with its support goes the right way. Therefore I feel releaxed about preordering the game knowing that I will get support if the game for some reason doesn´t run and I know the game will be supported for at least a few months after release. Patches , upgrades , balancing etc.

I liked very much the idea of a very public beta. (Sometimes with other developers I have the impression they have something to hide)

Worst experience in this area has been for me : Call to power 2.

Well, anohter battlefield : Music industry and their crusade against "pirates"

Just a few days ago I bought a CD on impulse because I liked just one of songs. Couldn´t put it on my computer or MP2 due to copy protection. Still angry
Reply #11 from Stardock Forums Top
Well I would like to add:

- IMHO the way for the "digital industry" should be:

- Make the legal way the most convenient way to get a product. Offer benefits to your customes as stardock does (bonus pack /patches etc.)

- Establish some kind of personal relationship with your customers. At least I feel after reading the comments / getting the impression of the work Stardock puts into this game / the time and dedictaion the the developer team shows that I would simply steal from persons I know if I don´t buy this game in a legal way.
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Make the legal way the most convenient way to get a product. Offer benefits to your customes


I couldnt agree more and have been saying the same thing for years. Why penalize the very people you know HAVE bought the CD. Instead, use updates to reward those who have paid for the software.

Companies do act strangely in this area in my opinion. Egosoft's X2 the Threat used this model of rewarding their paying customers by providing customers with registered copies a series of fixes, updates and general play performance benefits: The result was that pirated copies were a mere fraction of the game.

With X3 they (Well, their publishers)have put that damn StarForce crap on it. Now, me, one of their real fans has wasted a lot of cash buying the game and getting it shipped to Thailand and I can't even install the damn thing. If I put the game on, my legal copy of Windows XP starts going haywire and asking me to contact the service department (in Thai!!) everytime I boot my machine. I was told by an expert in this field over here that my only solutions would be to a) Install an illegal copy of XP b) Install an illegal copy of the game or c) Not bother. I chose C which basically ensures that having paid out 50 quid of my money for nothing, I will certainly never be buying from them again! So basically, everyone's a loser.
Reply #13 from Stardock Forums Top
@Spearthrower : Yeah, something like this happened to me although. My dvd drive and a copy protection of a game didn´t work together. Customer support advised me to get another DVD drive

Another thing which drives me mad is something that happened to me latley buying DVDs. some of them show me for the 30s up to 90s a legal advice about pirating of DVDs you can´t even switch them off. Every time I put in the DVDs I have to look at it. It drives me mad.
Reply #14 from Stardock Forums Top
Just a quick side-question - I saw your name here the other day Midnightsun.... not from VoM Dragonblight are you?
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Heh, I remember a chat after the release of GC1, nice to find out that the devs are actual people, people who take the time to answer questions about their work themselves instead of farming it out to some QC person. It's the personal touch that I like about you guys, and the fact that you put out really spiffy games. Can't wait for my copy of GC2, though I did order it from a different retailer. GC1 still has me coming back. And I know GC2 will have me for a long while to come as well. Can't wait to get my grubby paws on this one. And the fact that you're a company that trusts people to do the right thing. For that measure of respect for the customer, I have the deepest respect for your company and your distribution model. I really am pulling for you guys that this one sells big. All the good press from Gamespy certainly won't hurt methinks.