Kingdoms SecuRom discussion - forum rules only

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Originally Posted by Tafferboy

Completely understandable. Low post count in forums generally correlates negatively with a member's perceived credibility, and vice versa. But I have no reason to lie about something like this if the game's copy protection is just a simple disc check. Maybe someone will back me up on what I said about Kingdoms using Securom v7, but if you want to find out yourself:
1. Install Kingdoms
2. Run RootkitRevealer. It should list a registry entry "hkey_current_user\software\securom\!CAUTION! NEVER ...."
3. Check timestamp to see that it coincides with installation of Kingdoms. (If it does not match and is an earlier time, Securom v7 had already been installed by another game that uses it e.g., NWN2, Bioshock, Overlord)
4. Open registry editor and you find you can't remove the entry.

Posting the address of a certain site offering cracks is against the rules, but you will see it lists the protection used by Kingdoms as Securom v7 and the original M2TW as Safedisc v4.

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I just used regedit/find/safedisc and its registry on my machine is HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE/C07ft5Y dat says "SafeDisc RefCount". Its subfolders are Medieval2, RomeTW, RomeTW-BI, Simcity4, and Microsoft. Now who can you trust when Microsoft uses it?
Securom registry is the same as Tafferboy's. They have all their info as Hex-decimal of which I don't readily read.

No wonder computer resources go to hell when companies use them up for garbage like this. I could get back valuable memory and resources for this game if this was not on here and active.

SafeDisc and SecuRom are two different copy protection software types. SafeDisc isn't quite so bad.

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Originally Posted by Stig

If it would be so bad and evil, why would companies be using it?

I think it's all blown up.

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I consider it an issue because of the way it works.

1.You get a bad download of update2. There have been a lot of them and a lot of bad uninstalls to go with it. Don't belive me, count the threads and the messages in the threads at TWC. 650 mb is one big download and if the phone company hiccups inthe middle you lose.

2. Securom or safedisc doesn't get removed from the registry on the uninstall. This one causes problems because the old install info is still being read by it and won't let you reinstall the game and/or updates. Too pervasive.

3.Securom and any other such malware Microsoft lets through must love Vista for all the hidden and read-only files the game puts in the adminstror folder totally unaware to the consumer.

With this combination and the game company keeping the buyers in the dark about these, no wonder the posts about it are angry.

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Originally Posted by sapi

M2TW uses Safedisc v4, iirc - I haven't heard of any complaints about it.

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That's a relief. I just got M2TW today and just now read about this SecuRom thing. I'll shy away from Kingdoms for the time being,though. Thanks,guys.

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Originally Posted by FactionHeir

Kingdoms has SecuROM, M2TW has SafeDisc.
Using (illegal) methods to bypass SecuROM checks will still not get rid of the entry, as this is (as far as I understand) installed during the game's actual installation, so merely installing the game will create said entries.

As for someone exploiting SecuROM entries, you wouldn't be able to sue SEGA or CA for it, according to the M2TW EULA.

As SecuROM supposedly would be part of "Game Software".

I do agree with the person who posted in the earlier topic, that corporations should reward good behavior instead of punish bad behavior.
Afterall, if they were to include a great, illustrated, colored and detailed manual as well as say some bonus material like figurines, fancy CD packaging or cloth maps, there would be more incentive to buy the game.

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This is borderline brilliance...as simple of an idea as it is.

I've just read about this (Securom) in the past 5 minutes and it...has me quite upset.

Right- These companies today have NO problem spending money on equipment/research/etc to prevent people from pirating their software...yet they insist that a color manual and some "incentives" to buy the retail would simply blow production costs out of this galaxy.

Imagine the day when a new dev comes along and says "you know what, if our software gets pirated, then so be it. We're going to create the program that our fanbase wants...and if we make a better game but make a little less money, then so be it. We're in this for the quality of our product, not some monetary value that only .1% of our company will even see".

Unfortunately, we know this isn't happening.

So in the meantime, the "suits" with 278 years of education, will continue to display the intellect of a Fruit Fly.

.
The patch has been released and the rootkit stays.

Mouzafphaerre's TotalWar saga ends...
.

I can see the point,they don't want the game pirated,but surely there's a etter way to do it than by loading software on to someone computer than they don't even know that it's being loaded on in the first place? I had issues with a program like this that locked me out of playing most of my games because it got the idea that I was trying to copy the CD,it took a full delete and re-install of Windows XP to remove it.I was thinking about buying Kingdoms ,but not if it's going to load programs on to my comp,without my knowledge.

This is too funny and I can't help myself...

Not that the issue isn't serious, but I have noticed on many game forums that the thread with the most action is almost always the SecuROM debate thread.

The funny thing is that I can clearly remember (no Alzheimer's yet) having a very passionate face to face debate (only way to have a debate at the time)about how cheesy it was for game software sellers to make it impossible to run their programs from these new-fangled hard drives without sticking the floppy in the 5.25. Since compared to a CD or DVD those old floppies were about as stable as butter under a blowtorch that was a real issue by jingo!

My position then, and ever since, is that I am willing to pay for a license to run their game, but I will then run their game in the way that is most pleasant and convenient for me...which, by the way, is completely legal no matter how much <quote> cracking <endquote> goes into making it possible. Ask me for a copy of a program, I will tell you to prove you paid for the license. Give me a copy of a program and within 24 hours I'll either delete it or send the full purchase price as researched by checking at Wal-Mart directly to the developers, which is actually quite a boon to them since all the middlemen go unpaid.

Now, on the current iteration of this tired old argument...since anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that SecuROM is no more or less effective as copy protection than any previous system (read 'not at all'), what the heck makes it worth paying Sony the big bucks to use it? Read Sony's pitch. Notice that nowhere do they say that their new process will do any more to prevent copying than anything has done in the past. They are selling the 'added values'; 1:1 marketing, system penetration and monitoring, more to be developed as we go along.

It currently checks to see if some programs that Sony deems to be 'pirating software' are installed on the system and punishes you by not letting you play the game. Some people find that invasive, others say if you aren't a pirate you have nothing to fear. If SecuROM was identifying that software and then logging what use you made of it and sending the log back to Sony, which it is fully capable of doing more people would find it invasive, but there would still be plenty saying that if you aren't a pirate you have nothing to fear...and the fact that they would still be saying that is what we should all be afraid of.

Is there any mention of the Eras having this type of protection?

Two days ago I had a bad surprise. An error box with the mention of securom and a kind pointing to they're website.

Error

Conflict with disc emulator software detected.
Se www.securom.com/emulation for more details.

I coulden't beleave my eyes.

My PC has 3 months, in this time I played two games only, M2TV patched to 1.2 and the Eras Rome/BI disc that from what I know has onle safedisc4.
Two days ago I instaled an old game from 2003 Homeworld 2 an when I try to enter the game I get the error message.

I diden't even dreamed I had this protection on my system.
Also from what I've tried I cant find any trace of securom but it seems to be present and in conflict.

I'm starting to feel sodomised, really.:wall:

Perhaps a class action law suit will eventually resolve such problems.

Well two mails have been sent to the two companies involved.
I even asked Sega directly if securom was they protection for Eras, but still don't expect any reply.

But in the end I'm one more sucker and I don't have Kingdoms.

Afaik you can return the game if it has unwanted software/malware like securom on it and its not clearly marked anywhere, including the manual.
Other games like R6Vegas prewarn you in the manual for instance.

This is interesting "litterature" indeed. :yes:

Being a keen follower of debates/discussions in general, this is very fun reading.

When it comes to the issue, I'm glad to say: I'm not interested in computers, and this is an issue I can't relate to in one way or another. Computers never work properly (at least for me) anyway :grin:, so this will not affect my decision to buy Kingdoms at all.

After computer games started installing files in other folders than the game folder I have created (you know, putting files in "user this and that" and "system" and God knows what), I have completely lost control over what happens with my computer.

It's been a long time since Norton Commander, that's for sure! ~:handball:

:thumbsup:

Ooh yes, I have certainly contributed to this thread now... :grin:

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Originally Posted by merkava

Two days ago I instaled an old game from 2003 Homeworld 2 an when I try to enter the game I get the error message.

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I believe Homeworld is the culprit (securom v4.84.84.0039) if you installed the 1.1 patch it also updates it.

Thanks

Would never guess a 2003 game came with this stuff, yes I installed 1.1 too.

Now I'm thinking I sould forget Homeworld too.