More DRM issues

[ael]

Hello,

 

I don't know if it's inherent to Uniloc or just a piss poor implementation, but AP (purchased through Steam) is getting deactivated automatically every 7 or 8 hours.

 

Basically I can run it and play for a few hours ; if I relaunch it a few minutes after exiting everything's fine, but if I pause for longer (usually when I launch it the next day) the following problem kicks in : all sounds are replaced by grunts and I cannot launch a save game (nor launch a new game I guess). If I exit then relaunch it, it asks for my CD key to reactivate.

 

I didn't change my configuration (no driver update), I didn't tweak any INI file, I didn't even reboot the computer.

 

I really love the game, but it's getting really tiresome having to jumps through all theses hoops. If you do not want to remove the DRM right now, at least implement it properly so some player don't have to reactivate at each launch.

 

I can provide any information relevant to this problem if needs be.

[Deadly_Nightshade]

That's strange, are you sure that Steam isn't changing any of the files or otherwise interfering with the activation?

[No_Aardvarks_Allowed]

I have the exact same problem. If the game has been shut down for 5+ minutes, I have to enter the keycode once more when I try to load a saved game. And I get the same silly grunts when navigating the menues, instead of the music. I have the dvd version, so it would not seem to be caused by Steam. I use Win XP. The issue means, beside added hassle, that I have to be online whenever I want to play, and that is currently a problem for me.

[GFXBros]

I got exactly the same issue. I am running the DVD version on Windows 7 64 bit. The first days it worked fine for me, but now i got this really weirdd issue. I entered the DVD key once (so twice after the first time now) again, then it worked for my play session, but now I would have to enter it again and I don't want to waist a activation/play! Help please!

[Tigranes]

That is really weird. What kiind of 'grunts' are they?

 

Don't worry about wasting activations - you can go to http://www.alphaprotocol.com/deactivation/ and get rid of 'obsolete' activations whenever you want.

[No_Aardvarks_Allowed]

I hear the hand-to-hand fighting grunts -- or maybe it's the grunts for when you get hit in hand-to-hand -- both when the loading movies for Sega, Obsidian and the game engine run, and then also in the game menues. During the movies, the grunts are automatic, in the menues the grunts happen when I click the mouse and move the cursor over the menu options.

Edited June 7, 2010 by No_Aardvarks_Allowed

[GFXBros]

I'm try to record them.

Edited June 7, 2010 by GFXBros

[fkldnhlsdngsfnhlsndlg]

I reported the same issue in a thread earlier. It seems like if you modify any of the game's files, and change some of your system settings, the game thinks it's running on another computer and asks you to activate again. The "grunts" are indeed hand-to-hand combat voices, and is obviously an anti-piracy feature (both to identify a pirate, since the "error" is intended behaviour, and to encourage activation).

[GFXBros]

But I did neither modify any game files nor did I change the setting of my system.

[fkldnhlsdngsfnhlsndlg]

But I did neither modify any game files nor did I change the setting of my system.

Sure, just saying that it's more evidence the DRM seems horribly aggressive about determining what constitutes a "unique" system. It's possible even IP address changes will cause it to ask for reactivation.

 

All we can do at this point is deactivate and reactivate the game as needed, to avoid the five activation limit. Of course, there's also cracks available, though it's obviously best not to talk about that here.

Edited June 7, 2010 by sea

[IFthatISyourREALname]

Just wanted to confirm that I have had the same thing happen and I have the retail DVD. I did alter some ini files, but it played fine a few times after I did that. I think I then altered one to be read only (because the file reverted to defaults) and then it "deactivated" (gave me a corrupt data error when I tried to load a save game, as well as the grunts instead of dings when navigating the menus). I did a full reload because I thought the game install had been corrupted. Good to know I only have to reactivate now (keeping the reg key in a text file for quick copy and paste).

 

Since this was a concern the first time it happened to me, if anyone searches for info on the corrupt save games, the games worked fine once I reloaded and reactivated, so it must just be an antipiracy feature.

[Tigranes]

IFthat: Rather than an antipiracy feature, it just plain seems like an error. In my case I had the same issues of .ini edits making me unable to load saves, but nothing about 'deactivating', I just had to reinstall.

 

Anyway, maybe we can test sea's idea that it's the DRM being really sensitive about hardware changes (which would really suck, if true)? If you have the problem, maybe try a clean reinstall and reactivation (then deactivate the old one as I posted above), and then no .ini changes or system changes, and see if grunts are still there / come back after a while?

[botlite]

I am having this issue with the game wanting me to reactivate and I had the stupid grunts as well with the DVD version on Windows 7 64bit. As far as using http://www.alphaprotocol.com/deactivation/ it redirects me to http://www.alphaprotocol.com/deactivation/au/deactivate.html and gives me a 404.

[GFXBros]

The site is working for me, but it only shows up one computer although I did activate the game 3 times now on this computer. That seems to be a really weird problem.

[Minchi]

Ouch...that never happen to me so far...I had alpha protocol the other version but i uninstalled it and nobody played that one but my friend been playing the other one so so far 2 activations are used the other one was uninstalled...does that count has a used or an unused one?

[Zoraptor]

The site is working for me, but it only shows up one computer although I did activate the game 3 times now on this computer. That seems to be a really weird problem.

That's functioning correctly.

 

Basically all the activation based systems use a "hash function". It grabs a hardware profile, applies a mathematical function to it and returns that as a unique value. The most important part of this, and the only thing which will definitively trigger a full reactivation in any of Tages/ SecuROM/ Uniloc is changing your network card as this changes the MAC address which is the only guaranteed unique identifier- maybe unique processor identifiers too, but I think they're 'hidden' by default. If you reinstall on the same computer and have changed a limited amount of (depends on system as to what this amounts to) or no hardware then it registers as the same system and uses the same activation.

 

Constantly asking for reactivation when there have not been any hardware changes would definitively be a bug though, even if it then uses the same activation every time.

[Tigranes]

The game automatically deactivates if you uninstall while online, so that should be fine.

 

botlite, I just reproduced your error by using a computer that's registered as 'Australian' - the stupid redirection at work. Try setting your locale to the US or elsewhere.

[botlite]

The game automatically deactivates if you uninstall while online, so that should be fine.

 

botlite, I just reproduced your error by using a computer that's registered as 'Australian' - the stupid redirection at work. Try setting your locale to the US or elsewhere.

 

Yes it works with http://www.alphaprotocol.com/deactivation/us/deactivate.html

 

The game is playing fine now that I have reinstalled it. Thanks for the assistance.

[Jigoku]

Just wished to add that I am also experiencing this constant need to reactivate. It starts when you run the game but get the melee sound effects. Exiting and restarting then brings up the activation screen.

 

I've just needed to activate for the second time today and the fifth time since I first installed it five days ago.

 

I have not modified any hardware, software, drivers, ini files, etc.

 

@botlite, am I to understand that since doing a complete reinstall your issue has cleared up?

[botlite]

Just wished to add that I am also experiencing this constant need to reactivate. It starts when you run the game but get the melee sound effects. Exiting and restarting then brings up the activation screen.

 

I've just needed to activate for the second time today and the fifth time since I first installed it five days ago.

 

I have not modified any hardware, software, drivers, ini files, etc.

 

@botlite, am I to understand that since doing a complete reinstall your issue has cleared up?

 

A reinstall does fix the issue however my experience has been that the issue will reoccur.

[Jigoku]

Do you have an activation that refuses to deactivate?

 

I think this is the cause of the issue (some sort of corrupt data perhaps) and I've been in contact with SEGA support for the last three weeks trying to get them to completely clear out all activations from my key. I've heard nothing from them for the last two weeks now and all they've been interested in doing is sending back stock replies ...

[fkldnhlsdngsfnhlsndlg]

Do you have an activation that refuses to deactivate?

 

I think this is the cause of the issue (some sort of corrupt data perhaps) and I've been in contact with SEGA support for the last three weeks trying to get them to completely clear out all activations from my key. I've heard nothing from them for the last two weeks now and all they've been interested in doing is sending back stock replies ...

It probably has something to do with the fact that they won't be making a sequel... in five months they won't even have the game listed on their web site anymore. Oh joyous, digital future, how I love your conflation with economics and the way it ruins my ability to play games!