orcus@pro-lep.cts.com (Brian Greenstone) (06/23/89)
So far, I believe that Dungeon Master has the best copy protection for a GS game. Does anyone out there know what scheme they used to do it? I'm putting the final touches on my game Xenocide, and I'd like to have good copy protection. -Brian
lbotez@pro-simasd.cts.com (Lynda Botez) (06/23/89)
>So far, I believe that Dungeon Master has the best copy protection for a GS >game.... It was pretty good. However, it was ultimately cracked. I would say that one of the best copy protection schemes is the one written by John Brooks (formerly from DataSoft) commonly referred to as "JohnDos"; found on such games as Alien Mind and Tomahawk.
sb@pro-generic.cts.com (Stephen Brown) (06/23/89)
Network Comment: to #2654 by pnet01!crash!pro-lep.cts.com!orcus Ummmm. >So far, I believe that Dungeon Master has the best copy protection for a GS >game. Does anyone out there know what scheme they used to do it? I'm putting >the final touches on my game Xenocide, and I'd like to have good copy >protection. > >-Brian I thought Apple (and virtually everyone else) discouraged copy protection schemes because they don't deter the determined (just slow them down a bit), and cause hassles to legitimate users (the vast majority). There are many individuals who advocate NOT buying copy protected software. While many magazines don't take a stand on this, A2Central has explicity discouraged buying copy protected software. Maybe you're patting yourself on the back prematurely, suggesting that people may WANT to copy your Xenocide. ProLINE: crash!pnet01!pro-generic!sb@nosc.mil
gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (06/23/89)
In article <8906230557.AA22034@crash.cts.com> pnet01!pro-simasd!lbotez@nosc.mil writes: >I would say that one of the best copy protection schemes is the one >written by John Brooks (formerly from DataSoft) commonly referred to >as "JohnDos"; found on such games as Alien Mind and Tomahawk. And even Alien Mind was eventually cracked by dedicated pirates, a real tour de force. Note that such protection schemes preclude installation of software on hard disks, making backups, etc. There are major software vendors who have found other less obnoxious forms of copy protection, and if you care about customer satisfaction you should consider those instead.
orcus@pro-lep.cts.com (Brian Greenstone) (06/24/89)
Network Comment: to #4702 by pnet01!crash!pro-generic.cts.com!sb
In reference to the comment about how software should NOT be copy protected:
1] Slowing down the process is GOOD because it gives more time for people
to buy the game before it becomes widely available.
2] Yes, I am "suggesting" that people will want a copy of Xenocide, because
to be quite honest, it's the best damn game that has ever been made for
the IIgs.
3] The scheme so far would not annoy buyers, because it can be copied and
put onto a hard drive, it simply requires a key disk which is not really
any hassle. I bought Deluxe Paint II, and I dont consider it a hassle
to stick in the key disk when I run it off of my hard drive.shatara@memit.dec.com (Chris Shatara) (06/24/89)
In article <10442@smoke.BRL.MIL>, gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) writes... > >Note that such protection schemes preclude installation of software >on hard disks, making backups, etc. There are major software vendors >who have found other less obnoxious forms of copy protection, and if >you care about customer satisfaction you should consider those instead. With the availability of less expensive hard disks, the increasing size of //gs programs and the availability of faster machines either through accelerators or the hoped for //gs+, the issue of not being able put these programs on our hard disks should become a greater issue. I'd really like to see the Apple // community start to become vocal about this. --- Chris Shatara shatara@memit.dec.com --or-- ...!decwrl!memit.dec.com!shatara --or-- shatara%leddev.dec@decwrl.dec.com ---
lhaider@pro-sol.cts.com (Lawrence Haider) (06/25/89)
Network Comment: to #8372 by pnet01!crash!pro-lep.cts.com!orcus
Dungeon Master's copy protection has already been broken (for probably quite
some time now). It would probably not serve your interests to use it, unless
you want to make it easy for some hacker that knows more about it than you.
(no its certainly not me) O:)
Laerterrys@pro-europa.cts.com (Terry Stockdale) (06/25/89)
Comment to message from: pnet01!crash!pro-lep.cts.com!orcus (Brian Greenstone) > The scheme so far would not annoy buyers, because it can be copied and > put onto a hard drive, it simply requires a key disk which is not really > any hassle. I bought Deluxe Paint II, and I dont consider it a hassle > to stick in the key disk when I run it off of my hard drive. On the other hand, many of us would prefer to have our original disks safely locked away from 3,4,and 5 year olds. Copy protection forces us to put our programs at risk of destruction from little hands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Terry Stockdale -- Houston, Texas ProLine : terrys@pro-europa INET : terrys @pro-europa.cts.com ARPA : crash!pnet01!pro-nfsmat!pro-europa!terrys@nosc.mil UUCP : {nosc,uunet!cacilj,sdcsvax,hplabs!hp-sdd,sun.com} ...crash!pnet01!pro-europa.cts.com!terrys ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kreme@cup.portal.com (Lewis Kreme Butler) (06/26/89)
Key Disks are just as much a pain in the *ss as any others. The only Copy Protection scheme that is exetable is making the documentation crucial to the software (and I DO NOT MEAN PASSWORDS). For instance, what''s the point of pirating Balance of Power? The docs are too important. |----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | kreme@cup.portal.com | "And then I realized why God had sent His beast to | |----------------------| hound me so. He sought to weaken me. He sought to | | The real cycle you're| tire me out before I got to Him. God was scared of | | working on is a cycle| me -- the little wuss." | | called 'yourself' | Eppy Thatcher, Grendel | | Robert Pirsig |-----------------------------------------------------|
lbotez@pro-sol.cts.com (Lynda Botez) (06/28/89)
>The scheme so far would not annoy buyers, because it can be copied and >put onto a hard drive, it simply requires a key disk which is not really >any hassle. I bought Deluxe Paint II, and I don't consider it a hassle >to stick in the key disk when I run it off of my hard drive. Well, you may not consider it a hassle, but I DO. What a pain in the neck to have to go scrounging around looking for that original disk; god only knows where it is... Anyway, unless it's some kind of arcade game; it's probably not worth up on a hard drive anyway. You play the game, you finish it... you go on. I would assume it's quite easy to remove that kind of copy protection. However, with "JohnDos"... you're looking at a unique operating system.
prl3546@tahoma.UUCP (Philip R. Lindberg) (06/28/89)
From article <346@mountn.dec.com>, by shatara@memit.dec.com (Chris Shatara): > In article <10442@smoke.BRL.MIL>, gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) writes... >> >>Note that such protection schemes preclude installation of software >>on hard disks, making backups, etc. There are major software vendors >>who have found other less obnoxious forms of copy protection, and if >>you care about customer satisfaction you should consider those instead. > > With the availability of less expensive hard disks, the increasing size > of //gs programs and the availability of faster machines either through > accelerators or the hoped for //gs+, the issue of not being able put > these programs on our hard disks should become a greater issue. I'd > really like to see the Apple // community start to become vocal about > this. > > Chris Shatara Yesterday I purchased a copy of Risk (Electronic Arts). It said it was for //e,//c, & //gs, so I tried it on my //gs. It included one 5.25 disk which when I tried to boot it came back with an I/O error. I then tried it in a //e, which booted fine. It came up in ProDos 1.4 which leads me to believe it has some fancy copy protected modified ProDos. This really erks me. I can't put it on a hard disk. I can't even run it on a //gs, (which it claims I can), just because some turkey company is scared I'll give it away. I'm not an advocate of pirating. I want to pay for my s/w so they can afford to keep making more s/w. But I want the s/w to work, too!!! (plus it would be nice if it didn't tie my hands and prevent me from using the s/w.) Phil
dlyons@Apple.COM (David Lyons) (07/01/89)
In article <441@tahoma.UUCP> prl3546@tahoma.UUCP (Philip R. Lindberg) writes: [...] >Yesterday I purchased a copy of Risk (Electronic Arts). It said it was for >//e,//c, & //gs, so I tried it on my //gs. It included one 5.25 disk which >when I tried to boot it came back with an I/O error. I then tried it in a >//e, which booted fine. It came up in ProD[OS] 1.4 which leads me to believe >it has some fancy copy protected modified ProD[OS]. What? Why does ProDOS 8 1.4 imply weird copy protection? At one time, P8 1.4 was the current version. We're up to 1.8 on System Disk 5.0 now. --Dave Lyons, Apple Computer, Inc. | DAL Systems AppleLink--Apple Edition: DAVE.LYONS | P.O. Box 875 AppleLink--Personal Edition: Dave Lyons | Cupertino, CA 95015-0875 GEnie: D.LYONS2 or DAVE.LYONS CompuServe: 72177,3233 Internet/BITNET: dlyons@apple.com UUCP: ...!ames!apple!dlyons My opinions are my own, not Apple's.