Suggestion - Battle of Jutland

[String]

wtf?

[Phatguy]

Well, the game(demo) works on my crappy system..Others have said that they have problems.. Thankfully so far I havent.. It does look stupendous.I would buy it BUT.......yup a big but..The licensing thing gets on my nerves. Right now I stay home so it would not effect me too much but once I head back to work I would have serious issues with the 7 day call in. I work from 6 am to 6 pm..with a 4 hr break in the middle. Some days I head home, most days I stay  out with my laptop. If the 7 day call-in occurs when i'm out at work and it refuses to run because it cant find a internet connection I would be sorely pissed. I pay for it I should be able to play it whenever without worrying about a working internet connection!

I also dont really like them selling a barebones model(i think its only 19 scenarios) for roughly full price and overcharging for a full featured version with a campaign but that is thier perogative.They do have a niche product and they do have bills to pay  so this does not annoy me too much.

I really do think they are losing some customers due to thier licensing system but it seems they do not care.. Well, thats about 120 bucks that another wargame company got that would have gone to them for thier 2 games..Oh well....

[Perturabo]

ORIGINAL: Prince of Eckmühl

Indeed it has:

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys ... fae84f05de#

And here's a look at their licensing "agreement:"

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys ... 7ea6421366#

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

It's completely insane. A "validation" every 7 days?

[mikul82]

ORIGINAL: Perturabo

ORIGINAL: Prince of Eckmühl

Indeed it has:

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys ... fae84f05de#

And here's a look at their licensing "agreement:"

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.sys ... 7ea6421366#

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

It's completely insane. A "validation" every 7 days?

Between the game developer being flat out hostile toward customers on their forum asking for assistance, and the core of fanboys screaming at anyone who questions the logic/safety behind the DRM, I wouldn't hand my money to that company for even the best game ever made.

[Erik Rutins]

Ok folks, please don't cross the line from constructive criticism into bashing. If you want to give feedback to SES, please post it in their official forums where they can respond.

[mikul82]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Ok folks, please don't cross the line from constructive criticism into bashing. If you want to give feedback to SES, please post it in their official forums where they can respond.

Didn't intend that as bashing, I'd think of shoddy treatment of customers to be a valid criticism of a company in any business.

[wworld7]

ORIGINAL: mlc82

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Ok folks, please don't cross the line from constructive criticism into bashing. If you want to give feedback to SES, please post it in their official forums where they can respond.

Didn't intend that as bashing, I'd think of shoddy treatment of customers to be a valid criticism of a company in any business.

You have a point, and I agree it would be on a SES forum. Using a 3rd party forum (Matrix) it does not come out as contructive criticism. That is what I believe Erik meant.

[mikul82]

ORIGINAL: flipperwasirish

ORIGINAL: mlc82

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Ok folks, please don't cross the line from constructive criticism into bashing. If you want to give feedback to SES, please post it in their official forums where they can respond.

Didn't intend that as bashing, I'd think of shoddy treatment of customers to be a valid criticism of a company in any business.

You have a point, and I agree it would be on a SES forum. Using a 3rd party forum (Matrix) it does not come out as contructive criticism. That is what I believe Erik meant.

Figured it was relevant enough in a thread based on suggestions of whether to buy/not buy the game. No problem for me either way though.

I tend to think of "I don't recommend buying this product because this or that" as criticsm, while bashing is more "this company sucks! Don't buy from them!", just throwing blatant insults with no reasoning given.

[Phatguy]

Mic 82 is correct with what he says

[SuluSea]

I would buy both games but I prefer to own the games I purchase.
It is both offensive to me as a consumer and ridiculous to punish the paying customer for what a pirate may or may not do.

On topic I have no doubts Matrix would do a great job with Jutland, I'd like to see them remake HPS's Guadalcanal and Tsushima as well.[8D]

The customer service here is dare I say, second to none!

[TonyAAA]

ORIGINAL: apathetic lurker

Well, the game(demo) works on my crappy system..Others have said that they have problems.. Thankfully so far I havent.. It does look stupendous.I would buy it BUT.......yup a big but..The licensing thing gets on my nerves. Right now I stay home so it would not effect me too much but once I head back to work I would have serious issues with the 7 day call in. I work from 6 am to 6 pm..with a 4 hr break in the middle. Some days I head home, most days I stay  out with my laptop. If the 7 day call-in occurs when i'm out at work and it refuses to run because it cant find a internet connection I would be sorely pissed. I pay for it I should be able to play it whenever without worrying about a working internet connection!

I also dont really like them selling a barebones model(i think its only 19 scenarios) for roughly full price and overcharging for a full featured version with a campaign but that is thier perogative.They do have a niche product and they do have bills to pay  so this does not annoy me too much.

I really do think they are losing some customers due to thier licensing system but it seems they do not care.. Well, thats about 120 bucks that another wargame company got that would have gone to them for thier 2 games..Oh well....

I think the way the 7 day check thing happens is that it calls-in/checks EVERY time you run the game. If it can't connect, the game still works. If however, it can't connect and 7 days have passed since the last successful online check, then it won't work--at all.

What's amazing is that this is even more restrictive than Distant Guns (the worst DRM I've heard of till now.)

With Distant Guns, you had a 1-install limit and uninstalling doesn't give it back--you must remember to run a revoke tool. With Jutland, you also must have this semi-regular internet check-up.



Do Wargame pirates even exist?

My image of a game-pirate is more of a Gears of War/Madden playing, starving college student, not someone who'd be interested in a WWI fleet action game.

[06 Maestro]

About 2 years ago I had a PC disaster (from a trojan) which forced me to do a reformat-without backing up anything. I am normally diligent enough in backing up everything externally, so I figured I would be in good shape. I was able to reinstall all my programs and pictures, music, and all purchased downloaded programs, (including Matrix Games product's) except for 2 items. One of those 2 was Distant Guns. I don't recall the specifics anymore, but I can tell you I tried my best to recover the game. I had nothing saved for it elsewhere-which is very odd in itself. I just had to right it off.

This new info has rekindled the aggravation of loosing a game due to no fault of my own. Jutland is crossed off my list of possible purchases.

[Lützow]

Same for me, I got already displeased as the demo demanded to enter my email.

When I purchase a book, movie, boardgame, videogame etc. I consider it as my personal asset and it has to be in my sole discretion whatever I do with it - as long as I don't make copies for commercial purpose for sure. However, DRM schemes are shifting control from me toward contractor, dictating how I have to use something I payed for. Even it won't hurt my system in any way, I'm not willing to accept this as a matter of principle. It's like I would purchase a car and had to ask for permission every time I'm going to drive.

[Hertston]

I'm not 'bashing' anybody but, just in case anyone from Storm Eagle should pass by, it is because of the DRM that I will not be purchasing this title that I otherwise would have done. For all I know I, and the previous posters, are the only people to whom that applies. But somehow I doubt it.

[Phatguy]

ORIGINAL: Tony_A

ORIGINAL: apathetic lurker

Well, the game(demo) works on my crappy system..Others have said that they have problems.. Thankfully so far I havent.. It does look stupendous.I would buy it BUT.......yup a big but..The licensing thing gets on my nerves. Right now I stay home so it would not effect me too much but once I head back to work I would have serious issues with the 7 day call in. I work from 6 am to 6 pm..with a 4 hr break in the middle. Some days I head home, most days I stay  out with my laptop. If the 7 day call-in occurs when i'm out at work and it refuses to run because it cant find a internet connection I would be sorely pissed. I pay for it I should be able to play it whenever without worrying about a working internet connection!

I also dont really like them selling a barebones model(i think its only 19 scenarios) for roughly full price and overcharging for a full featured version with a campaign but that is thier perogative.They do have a niche product and they do have bills to pay  so this does not annoy me too much.

I really do think they are losing some customers due to thier licensing system but it seems they do not care.. Well, thats about 120 bucks that another wargame company got that would have gone to them for thier 2 games..Oh well....

I think the way the 7 day check thing happens is that it calls-in/checks EVERY time you run the game. If it can't connect, the game still works. If however, it can't connect and 7 days have passed since the last successful online check, then it won't work--at all.

What's amazing is that this is even more restrictive than Distant Guns (the worst DRM I've heard of till now.)

With Distant Guns, you had a 1-install limit and uninstalling doesn't give it back--you must remember to run a revoke tool. With Jutland, you also must have this semi-regular internet check-up.



Do Wargame pirates even exist?

My image of a game-pirate is more of a Gears of War/Madden playing, starving college student, not someone who'd be interested in a WWI fleet action game.

Yeah, thats how I see it too, but when I get home I never touch my laptop and a lot times leave it at work as I cant be bothered lugging that beast back and forth. So the only time it's on is during those 4 hours or on those rare occasions schools are closed giving me a 3 day weekend. So sometimes it does not see an internet connection for weeks on end with an average of about 3 weeks between connections.

Plus,while I dont wish to bash any company that makes products I enjoy, thier CS is the worst I have ever seen. I have never seen a owner being so rude to a customer(not me) who had some issues with the DRM and was asking some questions..

Yes, pirates for Wargames exist, but as someone mentioned elsewhere, they tend to crack it just for the challenge. Matrix games are out there.I believe that they arent widely downloaded as most of those who are interested in the topic know how much of a niche product it is and wish to keep it going. And those who do dl those pirated versions are probably those who would not purchase a legit copy for financial or other reasons.

[Grell]

I would never buy a game from those people, that kind of copy protection is ludicrous.

Regards,

Grell

[Prince of Eckmühl]

Without regard to the publisher in question, I will not pay for a game that doesn't, thereafter, belong to me. And I find myself somewhat startled by anyone who suggests that I should. I am a collector of games. It is an end in itself. The one, sure-fire way to lose my business is to enter into some smart-ass licensing gimmick aimed at depriving me of ownership of that for which I paid. If that strikes anyone as old-fashioned, or out-of-step with the times, then fine. My money will just stay in my pocket.

PoE (aka ivanmoe)

[Greybriar]

That pretty much sums it up for me, too, PoE (aka ivanmoe). I also collect PC games (although I would rather play them).

[Perturabo]

ORIGINAL: Tony_A

Do Wargame pirates even exist?

My image of a game-pirate is more of a Gears of War/Madden playing, starving college student, not someone who'd be interested in a WWI fleet action game.

Or someone from a third world country that isn't happy to pay (work) 12-4 times more for a digital copy of a product (a game) than someone with a same job who happens to live in the rich west.

[Missouri Rebel]

Well I will NEVER EVER buy a game with any kind of E-License or gimmick regardless of pirates that 'just happen' to live in a turd world country that cannot develop into a civilization where workers are paid decent wages to survive and are usually the byproduct of corrupt government officials, even if the life I am enjoying was brought about by my forefathers hard work, diligence, innovation and hunger to achieve.

I myself will continue to work hard and PURCHASE the games I want that do not include these things. In today's economy sacrifices will be made. One day it might just be my internet. Then what happens to my PURCHASE?

Please excuse my spelling as I am in a rush (Yeah, I 'just happen' to have a heavy workload again today)

mo reb