Bad news for Automation :-(

[BurningBridges]

It's bad enough I can't play it offline. Pirates can...

Just checked. Apparently now with Steam YOU CAN play offline.

Of course you can play offline with Steam, you can also play offline without Steam, that is supported for all games that aren't multiplayer focused.
In the stand-alone version you can also play offline to my knowledge, it only requires you to have logged into the game once with your account on that machine.

That is true and I even had success running a game directly from its folders, without Steam. But its not "of course", the term "of course you can" does not exist with Steam. For example you can't even prevent games from updating, the only option to delay updates is until you launch the game, or to unplug your Ethernet cable (which is probably the best method with Steam lol)

[pyrlix]

I have an idea.

Lets use Hardware Dongles for Automation! Now Automation costs 75€ instead of 27,99, every user gets a USB-Dongle. Thats basically pirate proof!
Or even better - only allow players to play between 18.00 and 22.00 CET, paired with a HW-Dongle AND an additional DRM Platform - called Camshaft Downloader. Binds Automation License to your Windows-License and is only playable on that specific machine at specific times with a specific USB Dongle.

Joke asides: Pirates come at a certain point, you can make FADEish Anti-Piracy things, like in ARMA where your Aiming gets super crap or in Game Dev Tycoon where pirates pirate your games, but that my harm the game in the end, some people see it as a bug, and ruin its reputation. NOT good.
Look at KSP - that has ONLY Steam, and the standalone can be copied anywhere and its playble. Same with Prison Architect and RimWorld!

DRM just wastes very very important developement time, costs money and in the end... it does not help anyways. If people like the game, they buy it. Mostly they pirate due to the lack of demo version, or just because it yet another Ubisoft game.

[PMP1337]

Anyway, I agree on good multiplayer and Mod support, that can't be really pirated maybe (but if everything is pirate-able, then why not mod and multipler support?)
But because things can get pirated, this means you have to release your game without any protection because it gets pirated anyway?
That's like keeping your front door open, because if they want to break in and steal your stuff, you can anyway. That would be plain ridculous in my eyes.

Also, the little code to just mess a little with the game, really isn't that hard to make. But long story short: Games will be pirated, but I don't think they should just leave the front door open.

Multiplayer can't be pirated because you are playing on servers that can check you key. You can only play pirated multiplayer if you run pirate servers. Servers cost money to run. Pirates don't have money. Thats the first reason to pirate.
Mods can be run on pirated games but you need to downloading them manually. Like we do right now on the forum.

You know what GOG is? They sell games with no protection whatsoever. They still make money. Must be a miracle!
Yes. You can make a game so hard to pirate that people give up(usually it's big company software and not games, stuff like Solidworks). But the harder it is to Pirate the more obtrusive it is to rightful buyers.
I have this calculator software installed and every time I re-instal it I have to mail them and ask for another key. You now how annoying that is?! Once I had to use the cracked version because I was in a hurry and didn't need stuff the genuine has.
PIRATING games isn't STEALING. The devs wouldn't probably noticed the cracked version was released if people didn't open the thread.

Lets use Hardware Dongles for Automation! Now Automation costs 75€ instead of 27,99, every user gets a USB-Dongle. Thats basically pirate proof!
Or even better - only allow players to play between 18.00 and 22.00 CET, paired with a HW-Dongle AND an additional DRM Platform - called Camshaft Downloader. Binds Automation License to your Windows-License and is only playable on that specific machine at specific times with a specific USB Dongle.

Is that even real?

[HellBoyBG]

While you are discussing serious topics i'm just gonna post this link. THE GAME GOT ANOTHER REVIEW IN A BIG AUTO WEBSITE.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/you-c ... 93574.html

[pyrlix]

Hardware Dongles do exist. I use one daily at work, its nasty when you need it, but cannot find it. That other stuff is made up, obviously :p

[TrackpadUser]

Is that even real?

I have never heard of games that use hardware keys, but lots of pro software use them.

[BurningBridges]

Steel Beasts Pro uses a dongle

And actually, if it had as much features Automation would be the kind of game that could be sold with hardware dongle and for 250$. It could be a mix between a game and a professional software. But lets not give them ideas ok

[utopian201]

A Mac is basically a dongle for OS X

[Daffyflyer]

Wow. You folks get very passionate about copy protection and such.

We're not likely to be adding any kind of extra DRM to Automation, it's not worth the effort. /Thread.

[taoistlumberjak]

What a lot of companies are finding out is that, if you provide a good, engaging game with excellent support, nobody will use the cracked version because;
1) It's a good game
2) It has a toooooooonnnnn of replayability
3) Constant updates and fixes

Which is, really, why a lot of companies have issues with their games being cracked. The top list of cracked games tend to be ones that usually only have 30-40 hours of play time in them, that cost a lot, have a lot of (never patched) bugs, and aren't really that good to begin with.

Happily, Automation falls into category one. Most indie devs seem to be going with that model from the outset lately, and instead of wasting their time on DRM whack-a-mole, are putting out quality products. In the end, it's been a very good thing for these people.

Meanwhile, larger companies are putting out less playable and/or enjoyable games, while trying to make said games harder to crack. Indie devs are winning this one due to efficient use of resources.

[USDMFTW]

Make a good game and people will buy it, its that simple, DRM is bullshit.

[vmo]

This would be say that new people can meet the game (and buy: test the full version, and if I like this, buy).

[pyrlix]

I still wonder how that thread is not closed yet...

Enough said about it, nothing addable except more posts for the post counter.
Clösed.