To save time...

[unmerged(17791)]

If Victoria was my game, NO ONE outside the development circle would get so much as a screen shot, until the game was released. No hints, no AARs, no nothing. No Beta forums that people can hack into, and steal beta versions of the game (which has happened - why do you think the 'search' function is disabled).

Basically, I would be as selfish as humanly possible - and I wouldn't care. But, to be sure - no one's going to be stealing my game. I realize it's 'media', and the idea is to get it out there for everyone to see - maximize exposure, in order to maximize sales... but, as far as I'm concerned - no one is going to see (much less receive game files) anything until the game is ready. Rule Paradox with a iron fist, share nothing, with no one. If anything does get leaked, then we will find out which tester did it - Soviet spy interrogation style, and lock him in the dungeon down below, in the company's basement. Never to be seen again.

Keep the circle tight, and closed. If you have enough high-quality people on the job, that's all you need. Mass world-wide testing & development w/ patches can come later, after release.

All I'm saying is - that if I was the one putting all this effort into making a game, I'd stop at nothing to make sure it was protected from pirates & hackers. And I'm sure I could come up with a system/method to make this happen. There is always a way.

 

[Tvrtko I]

Mass world-wide testing & development w/ patches can come later, after release

Well, i think this is one thing that make Paradox games so great, without this I think their games will be very different than what are we playing nowadays.

 

[unmerged(21298)]

If anything does get leaked, then we will find out which tester did it - Soviet spy interrogation style, and lock him in the dungeon down below, in the company's basement. Never to be seen again.

[/B]

A guy with a Lithuanian aviatar applauding Soviet NKVD taktics, now I have seen everything

 

[unmerged(17791)]

Originally posted by CzarAleks
A guy with a Lithuanian aviatar applauding Soviet NKVD taktics, now I have seen everything

Well, by reputation, the Soviet interrogations would seem to be more rough, cruel and painful than the CIA ones - which is the mental picture effect I was looking for.

But anyway - this reviewer that leaked the game, why did he (they) have to be given a copy of it anyway? How many other reviewers got copies? Well over a dozen, I'm sure would be a very safe guess. Probably much higher. Out of all of them, you almost have to expect at least one of them to do something like this. Simple solution: The reveiwer comes to my company, sits down in our chair, at our computer, and plays our game for 'X' amount of time. Fills out the review sheet/paperwork, with special comments, etc. - signs on the dotted line. He wants a screenshot for his website, for the review. Fine, I'll spare 3 or 4 screen shots a couple of weeks before the game is released - no problem.

But am I going to trust and give you a full copy of my game well ahead of time?? No. Sorry.

 

[Grosshaus]

Originally posted by Jagdmaus
If Victoria was my game, NO ONE outside the development circle would get so much as a screen shot, until the game was released. No hints, no AARs, no nothing. No Beta forums that people can hack into, and steal beta versions of the game (which has happened - why do you think the 'search' function is disabled).

Nobody stole anything from beta forums. Some people got in, but couldn't download anything. Access to beta forums isn't nearly enough to get the game.

The problem with your approach is marketing. Without screenshots and bits of information given here there wouldn't be a community willing to buy the game ASAP as there seems to be.

 

[Gothmog]

Originally posted by Patric
They asked a lot of detailed questions about the game... Such as why does this country only have this what should I do to increase my industry when I already have done this and so on...

In short: They wanted to know how to play the game as they didn't have the manual...

P

How utterly stupid...did they ever stop to think who they where asking/complaining to? If that's the case, they are complete morons in addition to pirates.

The alternative is that they actually have the nerve to think they ought to get help understanding a game they didn't pay a dime for...

If that's the case, they are complete assholes in addition to pirates.

Either way, I do hope the door hits them hard on their way out.

 

[supergamelin]

Originally posted by Jagdmaus
I don't understand how they got it (the full game?) in the first place. If it was my company, I'd make certain something like this never happened.

Well the leaks often come from publishers or from the companies that manufacture the CD's. It's not that hard for someone who works in such a company to take a CD home before the game is published. Some Beta versions can also circulate under the coat. All in all it's not possible for Paradox to keep control of the whole process and avoid leaks along the process.

 

[Grosshaus]

Originally posted by Jagdmaus
Simple solution: The reveiwer comes to my company, sits down in our chair, at our computer, and plays our game for 'X' amount of time. Fills out the review sheet/paperwork, with special comments, etc. - signs on the dotted line. He wants a screenshot for his website, for the review. Fine, I'll spare 3 or 4 screen shots a couple of weeks before the game is released - no problem.

Works for action game that awe you at first sight with graphics and with no learning required. Without some evenings of playing you'll end up with confused and flawed reviews.

 

[Gothmog]

Originally posted by Marcus Valerius
Actually, one of the pirates mentioned yesterday trying to get onto valkyrenet, and complained that the game crashed when he tried! :rofl:

This just confirms my general philosophy of life: People are stupid!

Well, I'll consider my earlier question answered. Arrogance, cluelessnes and utter stupidity all rolled into one pirated package.

Sic transit gloria mundi...

 

[IEX Totalview]

Originally posted by Jagdmaus
Simple solution: The reveiwer comes to my company, sits down in our chair, at our computer, and plays our game for 'X' amount of time. Fills out the review sheet/paperwork, with special comments, etc. - signs on the dotted line. He wants a screenshot for his website, for the review. Fine, I'll spare 3 or 4 screen shots a couple of weeks before the game is released - no problem.

You're going to pay for airfare, room and board for all the reviewers to come to Sweden? :wacko:

 

[General Guisan]

Originally posted by IEX Totalview
You're going to pay for airfare, room and board for all the reviewers to come to Sweden? :wacko:

Sweden is great, they would happily come to there if Paradox ask them....





...or perhaps if Paradox offers some free swedish girls ?

 

[unmerged(17791)]

Originally posted by IEX Totalview
You're going to pay for airfare, room and board for all the reviewers to come to Sweden? :wacko:

My previously mentioned procedure should become standardized throughout the software gaming community, and therefore, there will be a traveling committee that does exactly that - traveling to the companies & playing their games for reviews. In response to the amount of time not being sufficient for this type of game, well, if need be, they can make a weekend out of it. Take all the time you need.

Not a bad job to have! And, perhaps for American reviewers, they could have a European 'affiliate' that is close to Sweden, goes there & reviews the game - then that review is sent to & shown in North America. Something like this could be worked out easily. This is just details. But the bottom line is, this is just one step towards eliminating the problem. Others would be taken where necessary.

...if I was in the software gaming industry, that is. But, I'm not! So, my opinion means nothing. Oh, well.

 

[IEX Totalview]

And we just had another moron.

He even said:

"A tutorial would have been VERY helpful but the manual should help. "

Aw, too bad there's no tutorial for such a good customer.

:rofl:

 

[Guinnessmonkey]

Originally posted by IEX Totalview
He also said the NDA expired when the game went gold, so I'm pretty sure he is lying through his teeth.

Originally posted by irishpony
Has the game been releaesed to the testers because some one over at GameFaqs said he was atester and got his copy of it in a box but im not believing him very much

Both of these are obvious lies. NDA never expires. And we don't get our copy in a box.....


Hell, I've never seen the intro video for HoI and I only briefly had the music.


Let me know if you see this yahoo around the boards....

Ban 'em all and let god sort 'em out, that's what I say.

 

[unmerged(6766)]

What I don't like is how people who steal computer games or music are called pirates. Why can't they just be called thieves?

They give the pirates a bad name... I mean yes, pirates did some very nasty things (and there are still sea-going pirates in the world), but they did have values, like democracy and brotherhood and they did follow rules (the rules they themselves made).

These people who steal the computer games, have no moral perspective. They just want something for free.

Does anyone know how the term piracy came to be applied in these tech areas?

 

[unmerged(17791)]

Webster's #3 definition of piracy

3 : the unauthorized use of another's production, invention, or conception especially in infringement of a copyright.

Since the Computer Software Copyright Act of 1980, that's exactly what they are.

 

[unmerged(3168)]

Originally posted by Dayvit781
What I don't like is how people who steal computer games or music are called pirates. Why can't they just be called thieves?

They give the pirates a bad name... I mean yes, pirates did some very nasty things (and there are still sea-going pirates in the world), but they did have values, like democracy and brotherhood and they did follow rules (the rules they themselves made).

These people who steal the computer games, have no moral perspective. They just want something for free.

I think pirates are about the right name for them, as they do have a fairly sophisticated operation to be able to pull something like this off. And also they do have a sense of brotherhood/community.

 

[Alerias]

Originally posted by Dayvit781
What I don't like is how people who steal computer games or music are called pirates. Why can't they just be called thieves?

They give the pirates a bad name... I mean yes, pirates did some very nasty things (and there are still sea-going pirates in the world), but they did have values, like democracy and brotherhood and they did follow rules (the rules they themselves made).

These people who steal the computer games, have no moral perspective. They just want something for free.

Does anyone know how the term piracy came to be applied in these tech areas?

The two others who responded are correct. Software piracy is not thievery in the litteral sense of the term for one main reason. First of all, no tangible material is removed from anyone's possession, while thievery generally has these two sides to the coin (The thief gains something, the legitimate owner loses it). The idea that the legitimate owner in this case loses the profits normally gained from their copyrights is vague at best, given that there is no proof that the pirate would have actually purshased the product otherwise.

Furthermore, the sense of community on the warez scene is indeed quite present. I did a paper on it in back in college actually and i doubt it has changed all that much in 3 years. Theres alot of cooperation and friendship involved in the buisness. I know someone really engaged in these things who litterally shed a tear when a famous 1st line piracy group closed buisness to move on to other projects a couple years back. Another value that is common amongst them is the feeling that information (data, 1s and 0s) should never cost money as it has no tangible value. I disagree there, but i know I've met a true software pirate when they refuse to make a profit off their work on that basis. For many that is their code of honor.

So basically, their buisness may be illegal, but i find interesting parrallels to old fashioned piracy and i find the term rather effective.

This being said, if nobody paid for 1s and 0s, Victoria would never have existed, therefore, I dont endorse any of ideas explained above.

 

[IEX Totalview]

Originally posted by Alerias
The two others who responded are correct. Software piracy is not thievery in the litteral sense of the term for one main reason. First of all, no tangible material is removed from anyone's possession, while thievery generally has these two sides to the coin (The thief gains something, the legitimate owner loses it). The idea that the legitimate owner in this case loses the profits normally gained from their copyrights is vague at best, given that there is no proof that the pirate would have actually purshased the product otherwise.

If one believes that intellectual property is real, I don't see how software piracy is anything but stealing:

1) To take (the property of another) without right or permission

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=stealing

Regardless, I get the point of your post.

 

[unmerged(10730)]

Now I don't post a lot here, but been a big fan of Paradox games for over a year. I agree they all should be banned from the forum due to just being idiots. Now despite the fact that piracy is very bad, I am suprised that the community can stoop this low to making cruel jokes about killing pirates with SWAT teams and hoping they rot in hell, it doesn't seem very appropriate over a computer game.

I agree some of these guys are idiots. Going on Valkrynet weeks before the game release? Asking for questions on a game not even out? But stooping low to wishing harm to others to justify a purchase over a game, no matter how "funny" it may seems very cruel and childish.