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DRM

DaverianDaverian Member Posts: 12
edited July 2012 in Windows PC (Archive)
I tried to do a bit of reading first before posting, but I couldn't find anything definitive.

Baldur's Gate I and II are my favorite games of all time. I will purchase the game right now if it doesn't include DRM. I want the ability to install and play my games with NO Internet connection being involved during ANY of the process (This is why I shy away from Steam, Origin, etc.). I'm fine with needing to download the game after purchasing, but after that, I want to be able to pull the plug and install/play whenever I want.

Is this available, or should I not purchase this game?

Thanks in advance!

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Comments

  • CheesebellyCheesebelly Member Posts: 1,727
    edited July 2012
    As far as we know, there's no DRM at all. You can run the game in offline mode, it doesn't require the client to run the game... So yeah, pretty much DRM free. If you're connected though, I think the game's launcher will automatically check for updates, which is good in my opinion.

    Edit : Ninja'd XD
  • powerfulallypowerfulally Member Posts: 261
    edited July 2012
    @cheesebelly there is DRM, very light one, but it only checks if your game is valid (I guess once) and then allows you to play offline. Should be unnoticeable.
  • AndreaColomboAndreaColombo Member Posts: 5,530
    This is mentioned in the List of things that have been announced, in the "Platform and distribution" section.
  • KyonKyon Member Posts: 128
    The DRM is for only download ? After the download everything DRM-free ? If this is true I will buy it tomorrow :)
  • OnonymOnonym Member Posts: 8
    A confirmation of what Kyon said would indeed be nice. I am quite sick of any DRM, something only paying customers have to put up with. It makes any pirated copies superior.

    As long as the game has no stupid copyright idiocy in it at all, I will buy a copy as well (Even though 20 euros seemed a little steep at first, but then again it's livable).
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    @Ononym

    Its more like 17€ if exchange rates don't fluctuate much until September.
  • lordkimlordkim Member Posts: 1,063
    Actually its 14.61 euro (17.99 $) if you pre-order now.
    16.23 euro (19.99 $) if you wait.
  • KyonKyon Member Posts: 128
    I bought it today . I hope there is no problem with DRM :/
  • ArundorArundor Member Posts: 7
    As far as I can see this hasn't been mentioned on the forum yet, but Trent Oster gave some details on the DRM through Twitter:

    "launcher needs Internet to download. To play #bgee on a new computer, grab the client, type in your password and it downloads the game. "

    Source:
  • CheesebellyCheesebelly Member Posts: 1,727
    I like that Beamdog doesn't use the 1$ = 1€ logic. That's simply just dumb anyway. We have to pay 60 euros for boxed PC games down here anyway, which means around 75 US dollars. That's insane for a PC game D:
  • SylonceSylonce Member Posts: 65
    Hmm... the wording always gets me. I'm curious if this is kind of like a "wrapper" that checks the internet before it installs, or whether the entire installation process requires the internet that downloads and installs file by file (i.e., like Steam).

    I've already pre-ordered this, and I'm not terribly bothered either way, but ideally, it'd be nice to be able to download the installer and not worry about an internet connection "at all" to install the game. That way, I can back up the installer on a disc or usb and not have to worry about future playability and reinstallation. I would bow down to Beamdog like I do with gog.com if this were the case.
  • KyonKyon Member Posts: 128
    Yeah I saw it but Trent Oster's tweet not clearer also I think :D
  • DaverianDaverian Member Posts: 12
    I'm having the same problem - not finding a clear answer anywhere.

    Is the "DRM" just the fact you need the client and/or to enter a username/password to download what you paid for? That's fine. Do I need to actually be connected to the Internet to install though? To start up (even if it's only for the first time)? That's not fine with me.

    Once the game is downloaded from the Internet and NOT installed (just sitting in a folder somewhere), I want to be able to disconnect my Internet, install the game, and run the game WITHOUT ever connected my Internet. Until I get a clear answer on this, I won't order it.
  • OnonymOnonym Member Posts: 8
    Yeah, I'm with Daverian: right now it could be anything from the Launcher application needing internet every time you want to play the game, to it only needing internet the FIRST time you install the game ever.

    I don't want any stupid DRM. It does noone any good. I also don't have a permanent internet connection so it would be a deal breaker.
  • KyonKyon Member Posts: 128
    Same for me .
  • PhillipDaiglePhillipDaigle Member Posts: 654
    The launcher only needs to access the internet when it's doing the initial setup.
  • LediathLediath Member Posts: 125
    PhillipDaigle said:

    The launcher only needs to access the internet when it's doing the initial setup.

    Does this mean EACH installation will require an inital connection with your server?

  • PinkRosePinkRose Member Posts: 102
    Without trying to twist anyone's words, I clearly read, "You have to have the internet to download. (That's a given). Once downloaded, you can play all you want internet-free."
  • beobeo Member Posts: 144
    Lediath said:

    Does this mean EACH installation will require an inital connection with your server?

    That's kind of logical, isn't it?
  • TreyolenTreyolen Member Posts: 235
    @beo It's not logical at all and would be a major disappointment. GOG allows me to download the game once with a connection to their server. After that I can distribute my game to as many devices as I want. If you have to connect every time you install you run the very real risk of the server being shut down at some point. Since we're talking about a ten+ year old game to begin with, that seems like a bad idea for someone who may want to play this game for ten more years. I don't want to be beholden to a mystery server outside of my control and its up time.
  • beobeo Member Posts: 144
    edited July 2012
    As for your concern regarding long-term activation availability:
    PhillipDaigle said:

    You should be able to copy the installed data to another machine. If the Beamdog servers were to go down permanently, we would release a final update to remove any online requirements.

    Source: http://forum.baldursgate.com/discussion/comment/20476/#Comment_20476
  • ArundorArundor Member Posts: 7
    Unfortunately Trent Oster just said this over Twitter:

    "You can copy the files to a new computer, but it needs to authenticate the new computer via the internet to finish the install."

    Source:

    I concur with Treyolen's explanation of why this is bad. In it's current form, I cannot buy BGEE. I will wait for a DRM free version, or go without.
  • beobeo Member Posts: 144
    edited July 2012
    Arundor said:

    Unfortunately Trent Oster just said this over Twitter:

    "You can copy the files to a new computer, but it needs to authenticate the new computer via the internet to finish the install."

    Yes, this was a known fact already.
    Arundor said:

    I concur with Treyolen's explanation of why this is bad.

    It was based in fear that activation servers might go down at some point in the (distant) future and so prevent of further use (which isn't the case).
  • ArundorArundor Member Posts: 7
    beo said:


    It was based in fear that activation servers might go down at some point in the (distant) future (which isn't the case).

    You can see the future? That's a nice trick.

    Sorry, but I won't give my money to any company that makes the future of the game dependent on the presence of a server, whether than company is Beamdog, Steam, Origin, or whatever else.
  • kunjal29kunjal29 Member Posts: 26
    @Arundor The DRM for BG:EE is perfectly acceptable. They have stated that they would remove the DRM in case if they were going to be shutting themselves down.

    What is wrong with that policy?
  • ArundorArundor Member Posts: 7
    kunjal29 said:

    @Arundor The DRM for BG:EE is perfectly acceptable. They have stated that they would remove the DRM in case if they were going to be shutting themselves down.

    What is wrong with that policy?

    If they're going out of business they have a lot more things to think about than releasing patches.

    Additionally, temporary downtime would still lock you out of installing your game.
  • TanthalasTanthalas Member Posts: 6,738
    Arundor said:


    If they're going out of business they have a lot more things to think about than releasing patches.

    I'm sure the both of us know that that really wouldn't be a problem.
    Arundor said:


    Additionally, temporary downtime would still lock you out of installing your game.

    I'd say that there's only a high probability of that being a problem when you're installing the game on release day.

    The worse part of this kind of logic is that the game will have updates that will require you to connect to the internet to download them but you're complaining about activating the game after installing. /sigh
  • ArundorArundor Member Posts: 7
    Tanthalas said:


    I'm sure the both of us know that that really wouldn't be a problem.

    Not sure why you'd think anyone would know that. I don't have precognitive abilities and I'm pretty sure you don't either.

    It's possible they're right when they say they would release a patch to remove the DRM, but I'm voting with my wallet to tell them that I won't take the risk that they're wrong.

    They can solve this problem by going DRM free, which would remove the risk.
    Tanthalas said:


    I'd say that there's only a high probability of that being a problem when you're installing the game on release day.

    The worse part of this kind of logic is that the game will have updates that will require you to connect to the internet to download them but you're complaining about activating the game after installing. /sigh

    All servers have downtime. It's happened to Google, Facebook, Yahoo and many others. It can happen to Beamdog too. If I did buy BGEE with DRM, the downtime could very well happen on the same day I decide I want to install it on a new computer.

    I won't buy game where the distributor thinks they have the authority to decide when I can or can't install it.
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