dmg@ssc-vax.UUCP (David Geary) (10/25/88)
In article <3255@hubcap.UUCP>, Gary Heffelfinger writes: >>From article <1368@neoucom.UUCP>, by wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew): >> >> Finally, I do agree with JP that the code wheel is a dorky idea. >True, but it's not as dorky as banging floppy drive heads around. > >> It seems dumb to have a code wheel on some commodity software like >> a game. >Yeah, but you know, there is one code wheel that's kinda cute. It may >be irrational, but I think that it fits into the game better than other >wheels do. "Rocket Ranger" uses a secret decoder wheel to calculate the >amount of fuel needed to make a trip. It's a very simple wheel to use, >(even drunken partygoers could handle it ;-) and I'm not as offended by >it as I am by the one that EA uses with F18. [Note that I don't own this game and I haven't spent hours playing it so I could be full of sh*t.] Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... First it was MauraderII with their d*mn "look up word 6 on line 8 on page 22" before you can use the program. Now, it's EA with their insufferable code wheels. Rocket Ranger's code wheel p*sses me off because it's like one of those commercials that try to appear like they are not a commercial - you know, a simulated newscast with the words COMMERCIAL MESSAGE at the bottom of the screen. The code wheel, we are to believe, is a *cute* addition to the game, so we can figure out how much fuel RR needs to hop from country to country. It is, however, nothing more than copy protection at it's slimiest worst. I rented RR for the weekend. I played ONE (count 'em) *ONE* game of it the whole weekend. The game ended when I grew tired of looking up values on the *secret* (OH PULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE) decoder wheel, and guessed at a number for fuel. The number I guessed was not a valid one to get to Iran or whatever, and guess what RR did then. Did it tell me - "Hey that's an illegal value for fuel, try again" - NO it simply said something to the effect of: WRONG VALUE FOR FUEL ... *between the lines - this is probably a pirated copy, we'll show 'em* GAME OVER. I immediately took out the disk, and returned it to the rental store. -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ David Geary, Boeing Aerospace, ~ ~ #define Seattle RAIN ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
disd@hubcap.UUCP (Gary Heffelfinger) (10/26/88)
From article <2327@ssc-vax.UUCP>, by dmg@ssc-vax.UUCP (David Geary): > > First it was MauraderII with their d*mn "look up word 6 on line > 8 on page 22" before you can use the program. Now, it's EA with their > insufferable code wheels. > > Rocket Ranger's code wheel p*sses me off because it's like one of > those commercials that try to appear like they are not a commercial - > you know, a simulated newscast with the words COMMERCIAL MESSAGE > at the bottom of the screen. The code wheel, we are to believe, is > a *cute* addition to the game, so we can figure out how much fuel > RR needs to hop from country to country. It is, however, nothing > more than copy protection at it's slimiest worst. Oh, how can you call it the worst? Why is it worse than those that "adjust" the alignment of your drive? Why is it worse than the kind that don't allow you make backups? I just don't understand the logic. I don't like the damn wheels and document lookups much either, but if it allows a few vendors to stay in business, so be it. I want to be able to make backups. I want to be able to put these programs on my hard disk. Under normal copy-protection methods I can do neither. > > I rented RR for the weekend. > I played ONE (count 'em) *ONE* game of it the whole weekend. Hmmmm, that's too bad. A friend of mine has gotten quite addicted to it. > > The game ended when I grew tired of looking up values on > the *secret* (OH PULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZE) Oh, cmon, isn't that just a *little* bit more imaginative than "Please type in the first word on line 2 of page 53?" At least give them that. > decoder wheel, and guessed at a number for fuel. > > The number I guessed was not a valid one to get to Iran or > whatever, and guess what RR did then. Did it tell me - "Hey > that's an illegal value for fuel, try again" - NO it simply > said something to the effect of: > > WRONG VALUE FOR FUEL ... > *between the lines - this is probably a pirated copy, we'll show 'em* > GAME OVER. I whole-heartedly agree here. At least they ought to give you a second chance to get it right. I won't come to their defense here. -- Gary Heffelfinger - Not speaking for Clemson Univ. (ISD) uucp: ... !gatech!hubcap!disd inet: disd@hubcap.clemson.edu ---=== Amiga. The computer for the best of us. ===---
nmm@apss.uucp (Neil McCulloch) (10/26/88)
In article <2327@ssc-vax.UUCP>, dmg@ssc-vax.UUCP (David Geary) writes: > First it was MauraderII with their d*mn "look up word 6 on line > 8 on page 22" before you can use the program. Now, it's EA with their > insufferable code wheels. > What reallllly bugs me about keyword protection is that they don't have the gumption to say, page 22, line 8, word 6... neil