Should I buy Kingdoms?

[Raz]

I mean, it doesn't even have an Invasion of any sort, that's why Alexander didn't sell well.

I'm sorry if this has already been asked (as in, is it worth the cost), I haven't been to the Org since early-mid 07 plus I'm a little too lazy to search around for a similar thread.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Definitely NO unless you want to install malware willingly on your computer. Read more here.
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[Dutch_guy]

Well, as the thread to which is linked in the above post, makes clear, this game comes with the copy protection software SecuRom. Just like Medieval II did. Which basically installs a key in your registry, with the purpose of deterring people who have bad intentions with the game. If you have any moral objections with the game installing this key in your registry, which does not affect the game itself nor your daily business on the pc, then don't buy it. If you have MII, I'm guessing you do, it's already there anyway.

The expansion does add a lot to the game. The 4 new campaigns, which are well done, alone are, in my opinion, worth the money.

[FactionHeir]

Not quite Dutch_guy,

M2TW doesn't come with SecuROM. Patch 1.3 (also known to non Kingdoms users as the do-nothing patch) adds that key.
If you only patch up to 1.2, you are completely free of it.

[Ethelred Unread]

imho the added campaigns make up for any securerom issues as dutch_guy has said, OK so a few things don't work properly like perma-forts in the crusades (check the bug list) but overall I think it's worth having. But then I did buy it myself so it's not an unbiased opinion.

I imagine that opinion and subsequent posts will be split into:

1. Buy it cos the added campaigns/content do expand the game and are worth having.
2. Don't buy it because of securerom, and if we make a stand now, then this "malware" will cease to be added to any future releases so we the consumer must choose etc etc.
3. Don't buy it cos it adds nothing and CA are just charging for "mods" plus all the faults with it are game breaking. (minority view but I've seen it said)

Perhaps you should make a poll?

[Husar]

Scary, but too late for me, I guess my computer is doomed now.
It's absolutely unbelievable that a program would write something into my registry, outragous!

[Dutch_guy]

Not quite Dutch_guy,

M2TW doesn't come with SecuROM. Patch 1.3 (also known to non Kingdoms users as the do-nothing patch) adds that key.
If you only patch up to 1.2, you are completely free of it.

If that is the case then I, quite frankly, don't understand all the noise people have been making about it all. If it's as simple as not installing patch 1.3, then by all means, just don't download and install patch 1.3. As it, judging by your post, does nothing else (of interest).

Sorry for the thread hijack by the way, Raz.

[RoadKill]

Buy it! You'll love it. It adds a lot to the game and there all fun and amazing. Don't listen to those people complaining about Securom. Almost all games coming out not contain it, they are going to have to get it sooner or later. And it doesn't actually harm your computer, its just there to prevent piracy.

[FactionHeir]

If that is the case then I, quite frankly, don't understand all the noise people have been making about it all. If it's as simple as not installing patch 1.3, then by all means, just don't download and install patch 1.3. As it, judging by your post, does nothing else (of interest).

Sorry for the thread hijack by the way, Raz.

People are making noise about it because Kingdoms (not M2TW) comes with SecuROM and a compulsory 1.3 install.

[Long lost Caesar]

hold on a minute here people, what IS securom?

[FactionHeir]

Copy protection software that in its newer releases installs a rootkit onto your computer that can be abused by those with malicious intent.

More info via the link in post#2

[Mouzafphaerre]

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You're talking baloney Dutch. Read the thread and learn what malicious software can do to your computer, and why it's immoral to shove something into your customers' throat that they haven't paid for, nor demanded.

The so-called copy protection doesn't affect the crackers/warez users since they play the game without it, while legitimate users can't. It won't stop hackers a bit; Kingdoms was reportedly cracked within the day of its release etc. etc.

Everything has been said at the thread and elsewhere repeatedly.
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[Husar]

Copy protection software that in its newer releases installs a rootkit onto your computer that can be abused by those with malicious intent.

More info via the link in post#2

That's easy to say, is there any proof? Which files does it change exactly?
I read the start of that discussion thrad but it became boring when the talk was more about whether it's right or wrong than whether it's actually a rootkit and also on tangents about StarForce which actually is malicious but hardly used anymore and irrelevant in this case.

I simply haven't seen any substantial claims about SecuROM yet, all I hear is it's malware but some seem to consider a registry key malware which means you can throw your whole computer away as malware.

[MStumm]

Kingdoms securerom adds hidden registry entries and hidden files to the computer. These files are not removed after the game is uninstalled, and they are specifically made so that removing them manually is difficult. But there is nothing there that can harm your computer.

You are in more danger already if you are reading this post in Windows XP with Internet Explorer.

Having said that I really enjoyed playing Kingdoms and recommend that you get it.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Patch 1.3 adds SecuRom? How do I remove it?

[Raz]

You are in more danger already if you are reading this post in Windows XP with Internet Explorer.

Ahh Firefox, how I love thee.


Anyway, from reading, re-reading, and with a bit of research into Securom etc. I think I'll be buying Kingdoms.
I only really wanted to know if gameplay was good for the cost. *sighs*

Well, thanks all.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

If I uninstall M2TW, then reinstall and patch up to 1.2, will SecuRom be gone? Or is there a specific folder I need to delete after uninstalling?

[Galain_Ironhide]

If I uninstall M2TW, then reinstall and patch up to 1.2, will SecuRom be gone? Or is there a specific folder I need to delete after uninstalling?

From what I have read, from the whole issue, Securom stays on after you have long deleted the game. If you do a google on it, there are a couple of sites which give you easy instructions on how to safely remove once you have uninstalled.

Thats all I'll say without getting this thread into trouble.

[FactionHeir]

There is a full description of how to get rid of SecuROM in that huge thread. Uhh somewhere.

But yes, once you uninstall and find a way to get rid of SecuROM, you can patch up to 1.2 and be perfectly safe.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Nevermind. I just couldn't uninstall from the launcher.

[FactionHeir]

They are preventing you from getting rid of it too now?

Well, in that case you might have to do it the hard way and just delete the folder and then the reg entries relating to SEGA, CreativeAssembly and Medieval.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

No, I went into my program menu and clicked the uninstall button there, and it worked fine. The launcher just misread my uninstall button somehow.

By the way, do you have a link of some kind handy for uninstalling SecuRom from M2TW 1.3?

[FactionHeir]

Just information that it is somewhere in the huge SecuROM thread...

[Stlaind]

Is Securom included in the Steam version of kingdoms?