Dreamfall problems

[Maria Caliban]

I installed Dreamfall: The Longest Journey this evening. When I clicked on the shortcut and an error message popped up that told me to 'insert the original Dreamfall disk in the drive.' Strange, I thought it was already in the drive. After going through all 6 CDs, I realized there was an error here.

 

I patched to the latest version of the game, and no dice.

 

I go to the support website and under 'Does this game run in Vista?' I learn that it will, but I have to play with the StarForce protection first. I'd like to emphsize here that I didn't go in assuming this had anything to do with copy-protection. There are three 'solutions' for making this work with Vista and they are 1) update StarForce, 2) see if your disk player is StarForce compatable, and 3) send an e-mail asking for a 'StarForce Key Request.'

 

I've done the first two, my starforce is updated and my CD drive is on the 'okay to use' list. I'm about to send off an e-mail with all my system information, not to Starforce, Aspyr (publisher), or Funcom (developer), but a game support company in the UK.

 

Is this fair? The problem has nothing to do with my drivers, the system requirements, or the game itself. And I could be playing this game *right now* if I had started D/L a crack instead of writing this post. Instead, I have to wait for Benny Hill in Suffolks to roll in on Monday and maybe send me an activation key.

 

... yes, I'm frustrated.

Edited May 29, 2009 by Gorth

[Gorth]

Lets try a different approach. If anybody has suggestions besides the obvious dubious methods?

[HoonDing]

Is Vista 32bit or 64bit? Is any "virtual drive" software installed?

[aries101]

Dreanfall can be bought for about 15-20 US dollars at the bargain bins, at least in Europe. I also think you can download (buy) the game legally from Steam?

 

edit: you can getb the steam version here: http://store.steampowered.com/search/?genr...p;category1=998

 

Or

 

You can download it from here:

 

http://www.justadventure.com/GamersGate/GamersGate_2.shtm

 

amazon.com or amazon.co.uk should have Dreamfall, too, for a fair price.

 

And you need to get DVD-version of the game. The latest version is made to work with XP/Vista.

 

That does not solve the Starforce issue, though.

 

 

Please also note that Vista does not like games to be installed in the C:/Program Files/ folder, it needs to be installed in the games folder on the C:/drive.

[Blarghagh]

I dunno about anyone else, but most of the games I've had this problem or similar problems with worked after I installed them and run them in compatibility mode and as admin.

[HoonDing]

Make sure StarForce did actually update the drivers. In Vista, UAC will sometimes prevent it from updating when one doesn't use right-click and "run as administrator".

 

Also make sure the right patch for your game version is installed. I recently had a similar issue with Securom complaining that the right disk wasn't inserted simply because I had installed a UK version patch while I needed a US version.

[SteveThaiBinh]

I've deleted a post from this thread.

 

Cracks are always illegal. When you install a game, you click to agree an End-User License Agreement. Part of that agreement is that you promise not to modify the software. A crack is a modification of the software, therefore you're breaking your agreement and it's illegal for you to continue using the game. Please don't advocate the use of cracks or post links to sites where they can be downloaded. I appreciate that there's a lot of misinformation out there on the internet, and many people genuinely believe these cracks are legal, but they are not.

[ramza]

I got the dvd version for 10 euros. Haven't played it yet... Is it as good as TLJ?

[HoonDing]

... Is it as good as TLJ?

Not by a long shot. But it's worth playing alone to meet some old TLJ characters again & wander around in Arcadia a bit. Apart from that, the game's pretty terrible.

[SteveThaiBinh]

The story's great - the ending is odd but it's grown on me. Still looking forward to the sequel, Dreamfall Chapters, mind)

 

The game is not that great. Too many action elements.

[ramza]

Ok, so I just got ripped 10 bucks for a sucky game....

[Purkake]

Ok, so I just got ripped 10 bucks for a sucky game....

 

It's not that bad. The story is still heads above the average game these days. People are mostly pissed about the annoying combat and stealth sections. It might not be as good as TLJ, but it's till a good adventure game.

Edited May 29, 2009 by Purkake

[HoonDing]

It's not that bad. The story is still heads above the average game these days. People are mostly pissed about the annoying combat and stealth sections. It might not be as good as TLJ, but it's till a good adventure game.

I wouldn't call Dreamfall an adventure game but more an interactive movie - how many puzzles are there in the game? I can remember only one. Gameplay is completely reduced to minigames, clunky combat & stealth sections.

 

The story is like a Robert Jordan novel: multiple plot branches are started, but in the end nothing is resolved and it's doubtful whether all threads will ever get tied together again. It is a very good story for discussion & speculation, though. It's very doubtful whether a continuation of Dreamfall will ever appear, with FunCom focusing completely on their new MMO "Secret World"... if things go as smoothly with this MMO as "Ages of Conan" things might get really bleak...

[Purkake]

It's not that bad. The story is still heads above the average game these days. People are mostly pissed about the annoying combat and stealth sections. It might not be as good as TLJ, but it's till a good adventure game.

I wouldn't call Dreamfall an adventure game but more an interactive movie - how many puzzles are there in the game? I can remember only one. Gameplay is completely reduced to minigames, clunky combat & stealth sections.

 

The story is like a Robert Jordan novel: multiple plot branches are started, but in the end nothing is resolved and it's doubtful whether all threads will ever get tied together again. It is a very good story for discussion & speculation, though. It's very doubtful whether a continuation of Dreamfall will ever appear, with FunCom focusing completely on their new MMO "Secret World"... if things go as smoothly with this MMO as "Ages of Conan" things might get really bleak...

 

Aww, I like the Wheel of Time.

 

Whether or not you like Dreamfall, do you think that it is worth experiencing?

[Jaesun]

Dreamfall was just awful. Just play Longest Journey again. It's way better.

[HoonDing]

Aww, I like the Wheel of Time.

 

Whether or not you like Dreamfall, do you think that it is worth experiencing?

I like Wheel of Time too, but I think Robert Jordan, may he rest in peace, couldn't even write a shopping list not exceeding ten pages..

 

Imo DF is worth experiencing if you really want to know what happens to April Ryan & Co after TLJ... but unfortunately, two rather important characters of the original game which were going to appear in DF, were sadly taken out.

[ramza]

Snif, I lost 10 bucks....

[Musopticon?]

Just play the damn game, see for yourself. I agree it's an interactive movie at parts and the combat sections are awful, except with Kian, but I bloody well enjoyed the story and just liked going for a ride through Arcadia and Stark once again.

 

Freaking T

[bhlaab]

I think the story was pretty sub-standard as well. Like someone else said, nothing gets resolved and it feels like it takes place in the TLJ universe just to sell to fans of the first game. The entire storyline takes place in the 'real' world. Arcadia is there, but until a sequel comes around to wrap up the loose threads it serves absoloutely no purpose and the game would have only been improved by cutting those segments out. They set up a conflict in Arcadia but never follow through. Locations and characters from TLJ pop up but only to go "Hi, hello! Here I am! Well, bye!"

 

 

April Ryan in particular only exists to reaffirm that this is, in fact, a sequel to TLJ. All she does the entire game is act snotty and die.

 

 

People say its storyline is better than most games, but it's only in delivery-- not in content. Dialogue and VO work are extremely competent, but the plot itself is like a baby deer trying to walk around on its little stick legs, knowing that it can't possibly appease newcomers and old time fans alike. Okay, I lost track of my deer simile but my point stands.

Edited May 29, 2009 by bhlaab

[mkreku]

I really, really like Chloe though.

[bhlaab]

Yeah, she's the only character in the game with a full arc.

 

But, even that had some really sappy love scenes to awful pop music, bizarre coincidental relationships with other characters, and an ending that... well, "Huh?" is the word I'd use

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Cracks are always illegal.

 

That's debatable.

 

 

When you install a game, you click to agree an End-User License Agreement.

 

Something that, at best, is legally dubious.

 

...but they are not.

 

See the above comments.

 

 

EDIT: But let's not get into that here.

Edited May 30, 2009 by Deadly_Nightshade

[Rosbjerg]

I really, really like Chloe though.

 

You mean Zo

[Musopticon?]

Zoe was okay, I guess. T

[HoonDing]

After a couple of hours, Zo