Circling the DRM drain - Might & Magic VI

[sinij]

I am huge fan of the series and interested in buying a copy, problem is that DRM is likely will make it no-go for me. I have no plans pirating it, I will simply not play it if it has DRM.

So, who thinks UBI still didn't learn from past DRM fiascos and will fag up another title to fight 'teh piratz' ?

[Selby]

Might and Magic VI came out in 1998 with no DRM.

Or are you talking about the Heroes series which is completely different? ;-)

[Kail]

Before the whole "From Dust" thing, I thought they were backing down from this, but now, I suspect they're dropping one DRM for another (slightly less annoying DRM though, so at least it's a half step in the right direction).  Steam page seems to indicate that it will have a similar setup to FD, having to log into Uplay when you start the game, with online play and "exclusive content" tied to your Uplay account.

[Chimpy]

 

[ghost]

We all know you won't buy (or will buy and then will bitch incessantly) DRM stuff.  Do we need to discuss it?

[CmdrSlack]

I bet it requires a Steam install, as well as a fucking time machine to make that install work when the game was released.

[Ingmar]

There are nodes you can hit on the maps that only give you something if you're playing online or whatever. You can see them in the demo.

[sinij]

There are nodes you can hit on the maps that only give you something if you're playing online or whatever. You can see them in the demo.

This and having to login every time to start the game will be no-go decision for me. One thing that puzzles me, why is UBI _convinced_ that punitive DRM is a good idea? It will get pirated anyways, yet they will lose sales to   factor.

Anyone has access to some numbers to see their decision making process?

[MuffinMan]

[Sky]

This just in from 2009, don't buy Ubi games until they unfuck their DRM. We now return you to the year you are posting in.

[Phred]

This just in from 2009, don't buy Ubi games until they unfuck their DRM. We now return you to the year you are posting in.

This also just in. D3's drm scheme has given new life to all the old drm schemes. For some reason though, most people seem to give Blizzard a pass on this.

[Paelos]

This just in from 2009, don't buy Ubi games until they unfuck their DRM. We now return you to the year you are posting in.

This also just in. D3's drm scheme has given new life to all the old drm schemes. For some reason though, most people seem to give Blizzard a pass on this.

Because it's not the same at all? D3 is built almost entirely around multiplayer while Heroes isn't? Or any other Ubi game for that matter?

[UnSub]

My Diablo / Diablo 2 experiences were predominantly single player, with some time spent in multiplayer on a LAN.

Neither require phoning home in order to play.

... but I honestly don't care about having to contact the servers each time I play given how experienced I became in paying $15 a month just to find out that Australian prime time coincides with server maintenance time.

[Sky]

This also just in. D3's drm scheme has given new life to all the old drm schemes. For some reason though, most people seem to give Blizzard a pass on this.

Yeah, not being a fan of Blizzard games makes life around here a kind of bizzaro world.

[Paelos]

Ok let me try to explain something then:

When you actually want to include real tangible features in your games that involve people being online, then it's acceptible to put in that requirement. Not bullshit features like DLC. The reason Diablo 3 gets a pass on this is because the large majority of people playing the game will do it via online servers, and there is an actual trading auction house feature offering people real money to participate in the activity. The same can be said of Starcraft as the large portion of the game is involved in multiplayer ladders and communities that exist via their battlenet system matching.

Compare this to UbiSoft. They plan to release to release Heroes VI, which has absolutely ZERO multiplayer involvement whatsoever. There are no online features. There is DLC. But for some reason, you have to be constantly connected to the internet and their site in order to enjoy their single player game. That's horseshit. The only reason that stipulation exists is because Ubisoft wants to keep an eye on their customers/criminals, who are one step away from fucking them over. Not to mention the fact that they can pull the plug on your game whenever it suits them, and you're left with jack and shit.

Compare that with Blizzard which supported a Diablo 2 game for 11 years.

[Amaron]

This also just in. D3's drm scheme has given new life to all the old drm schemes. For some reason though, most people seem to give Blizzard a pass on this.

I think D3 gets a pass because people who are playing D3 single player are doing it wrong.   I still argued against it quite a bit in the D3 thread though.

[sinij]

Compare this to UbiSoft. They plan to release to release Heroes VI, which has absolutely ZERO multiplayer involvement whatsoever. There are no online features. There is DLC. But for some reason, you have to be constantly connected to the internet and their site in order to enjoy their single player game. That's horseshit. The only reason that stipulation exists is because Ubisoft wants to keep an eye on their customers/criminals, who are one step away from fucking them over. Not to mention the fact that they can pull the plug on your game whenever it suits them, and you're left with jack and shit.

I buy games like Heroes to play while I travel, on my laptop. You want something you can pause at any time, not require connection and not require much thinking.

[naum]

Compare that with Blizzard which supported a Diablo 2 game for 11 years.

Also, the more important piece about the absurdity of a SINGLE PLAYER game that you are required to connect and authenticate via an internet connection.

[rk47]

Compare this to UbiSoft. They plan to release to release Heroes VI, which has absolutely ZERO multiplayer involvement whatsoever. There are no online features. There is DLC. But for some reason, you have to be constantly connected to the internet and their site in order to enjoy their single player game. That's horseshit. The only reason that stipulation exists is because Ubisoft wants to keep an eye on their customers/criminals, who are one step away from fucking them over. Not to mention the fact that they can pull the plug on your game whenever it suits them, and you're left with jack and shit.

I buy games like Heroes to play while I travel, on my laptop. You want something you can pause at any time, not require connection and not require much thinking.

I'm sorry Mr.sinij, you are required to install a camera in your car from now on to verify whether you are the owner of this particular vehicle. Failing to do so, will result in your car failing to start up, or if you prefer, we can downgrade your car performance to set the max speed at 20mph if your face is not recognized by the sensor. This is to prevent car thieves from running away with your car.

I'm sure you understand the necessity in keeping your car safe from thieves.

[sinij]

From the Horse's Mouth

A person who purchases the Game (by preordering or after 12 October)
will be allowed to install it on as many computers as he/she wants.

The very first time the Game will be launched, it will be necessary to be connected to the Internet in order to activate
the owner's game-code on a Ubisoft server, binding the code to the owner's Ubisoft username/email-address.

This will be a one-time activation : it will not be required to do it each time the Game is launched from a different computer.

The Game will be playable offline, on as many machines as the owner wants...
but with certain limitations concerning access to the Game's full spectrum of features.

To get that full access, the owner will have to connect himself to the Uplay server (where he has an account) and to the Conflux.
And that online gameplay will only be possible from one computer at a time.

the offline, and online saves are structured differently due to slight differences in the campaign script related to the online bonuses collected during the campaign, so they are not compatible with each other at the moment.

What would happen is that a pop-up message would inform you that your connection to the Conflux has been lost.
You would be totally cut-off from your online game, without having been able to save your progress.
You would have to reconnect to the Conflux at a later time and load the most recent save-game file.

[Sheepherder]

Yeah, not being a fan of Blizzard games makes life around here a kind of bizzaro world.

If you can look through Blizzard's catalogue and not find anything you like you are a broken person.

[Sky]

I was a big fan of Warcraft 1 & 2, but I was tired of RTS by 3, though the changes to the format were nice in 3 (One of my first competitive pc games was Dune 2, and we played a lot of C&C). Never played Starcraft, again, bored with RTS and really dislike the genre entirely now.

Diablo was ok, but I prefer something less random. For me, Ultima 8 > Diablo.

WoW was fun for three months in 2004/5. EQ2 was the better game imo.

Personal preference is hardly broken, I'm not saying you guys are nuts for liking Blizz games, they definitely put out quality games. Just not for me. It's just odd to me to see everything framed in Blizz terms, when they make (imo) mediocre games with good polish. Every time I see "X is like a ret pally", I go grind my axe.

[Paelos]

Grind all you want, the references that make sense are the ones that have the largest applicable base.

Blizzard's never been an innovator. They are a definer. There is something to be said for taking a type of game and doing it right with a quality production value.

I would like to see Blizzard's take on an open RPG-FPS type of game like Gothic or Elder Scrolls, for example.

[Sky]

It's not so much the reference as their unwillingness to understand new games and force them to fit their own narrow experience. It's laying the smack on mmo right now.

Not Blizzard's fault, more about broken people.

[HaemishM]

Yeah, not being a fan of Blizzard games makes life around here a kind of bizzaro world.

If you can look through Blizzard's catalogue and not find anything you like you are a broken person.

I kind of like World of Warcraft, but not enough to keep paying for it. Can't say I've been arsed to care about anything else they've done since Warcraft 2.

[naum]

Blizzard games are polished.

I enjoyed WoW, at least for the 1st year or two and the whole MMORPG thing got stale and I don't enjoy the higher level game, at least as presently implemented. Also, still waiting for Wild West theme MMORPG.

WC3 I loved but my twitch-fu not good like it was once upon a time, like back in AoE (origional) / Red Alert days. SC2 I need to re-look at, it a good game, but the SC world, for some reason, never engrossing enough for me. Diablo was a lot of fun, but I never did MP -- will take a flyer on the new incantation when it is released (or beta, if that happens).

[Paelos]

If Blizzard released Gothic, it would have actually functioned.

[Ingmar]

If Blizzard released Gothic, it would have actually functioned.

Unfortunately it would also have been written by Metzen.

I'm glad we've moved on from Sinij vowing to never play this game that allows you to play offline, because it won't let him play offline.

[sinij]

If by play you mean run the application, sure you can technically consider they allow you to "play offline".

Practically, It doesn't allow you to play offline and UBI went out of their way to make sure of it. You have to be connected to Conflux at all times, if you don't your game play is intentionally gimped and you can't even move your saves between online and offline.

Read the fucking thread, I spelled it out with direct UBI quotes.

[Ingmar]

I played the demo offline, doesn't seem to be 'gimped'.

[Threash]

Just FYI this game is actually just as good as the good heroes games, possibly the best of the bunch.

[Sky]

So now I'm confused. Is Might & Magic Heroes the new name of Heroes of Might & Magic? If so....why would they change a franchise name this far into it?

Duty Calls 5: War in Modern Time!

[Threash]

Yes it is, and i don't know.

[Ingmar]

Yeah very weird. And my take on the demo is that this is the closest they've ever come to matching HOMM3. I will be buying it, once my real PC is here.

[tgr]

Ubisoft thanks you for keeping them afloat.