At current progress, I may not ever buy another Auran/N3V product.
I keep checking, with great interest on the status of TANE. Specifically in regards to stability and DRM.
To be honest, so far I have been somewhat disappointed.
I read thread after thread on what ends up being flame wars on a valid and important issue of DRM.
DRM exists in many forms and to an extent it can't be avoided.
The problem is N3V games is not upfront about it and avoids, deflects, and seems to purposely confuse the issue instead of just answering the questions and addressing objections to DRM.
A simple, one time validation of a product you paid for is an acceptable DRM. Though it is not without its problems.
You could then take your machine offline theoretically forever and aside from not being able to play online or download more content, life is good. After all Trainz and TANE are NOT MMORG games.
Set aside for a moment any concerns of a company going under, being absorbed by another company, or just closing shop.
However, a monthly, required validation check is intrusive, excessive, and from what I read over and over will disable a product you paid to use. That type of DRM is unacceptable.
That type of DRM is the equivalent of a company saying "We don't know who the criminals that are pirating our software are, so we are going to treat all our customers like they are the criminals pirating our software", and keep checking their installations. I don't know if that is the Australian way, but it is certainly not the American way. We are all innocent until proven guilty (in theory anyway - but I wont get into the hypocrisy that does exist) That is the way it should be everywhere, but we all know it isn't.
As far as I can tell, N3V got way behind on TANE and under pressure, pushed out an incomplete product. I can understand, there was a lot of build up and hype about it. But it's all just hype if you don't deliver on the first try - that's just an unfortunate fact. Very often you don't get another chance.
Which brings me to the third issue.
Massively huge and impractical patches. 8GB!!! Really!?
Many people have unlimited high speed Internet - good for them. Many more don't. Some people in the US are still using slow DSL and a few are even still using dial up. In a lot of areas there is no DSL or Broadband available so our only option is WiFi hot spots. Many of those have data limits. Personally I can't even get a prepaid data card for my Wifi hot spot bigger than 4GB and multiple cards do not accumulate, so 8GB is out of the question.
Back to DRM.
What if the company sells out to another company that doesn't want to maintain any of the Trainz versions.
What if the company goes under (unlikely - I hope, but it could happen)
What happens at the end-of-life for TANE.
What if... You get the picture.
Now my DRM crippled product can't be moved off my broken machine to a new one because it cant be validated.
It can't be moved to an upgraded machine because it cant be validated.
TANE won't work period because it cant get it's monthly checkup because low and behold it cant be validated.
For those reasons I would object to even the acceptable form of DRM in a one time check.
If a person could register their TANE manually through perhaps email, then get a validation key which they would write down, validate their TANE, then lock away in a safe deposit box (I exaggerate a little, but you get the picture), I would be happy to go ahead and buy TANE (As long as that huge update is already on the disk) Because with that key I would know in the event of whatever may happen, I would be able to re-install, or move a game I paid for.
Pirates will always find a way to thwart every type of anti-pirating technology. It's an unfortunate fact.
It is wrong however to punish us all for the crimes of a few.
PS. That validation key I spoke of; If a key validates an installation one day in Iowa, then a month or two later validates a new installation in Nebraska, its probably the same person moving to a new location on a new computer.
If it validates in Iowa one day, and a day or two later validates in California or somewhere in the UK, that user is probably violating copy write law by shareing a key they are not supposed to share and warrants further investigation by law enforcement and probable prosecution.
I feel like I should clarify my P.S. statement. What I really mean: If the same Trainz or Tane installation shows up at the download station or in trainz chat using the same valid key.
Sometimes I even confuse myself
Sincerely
Wayne
I keep checking, with great interest on the status of TANE. Specifically in regards to stability and DRM.
To be honest, so far I have been somewhat disappointed.
I read thread after thread on what ends up being flame wars on a valid and important issue of DRM.
DRM exists in many forms and to an extent it can't be avoided.
The problem is N3V games is not upfront about it and avoids, deflects, and seems to purposely confuse the issue instead of just answering the questions and addressing objections to DRM.
A simple, one time validation of a product you paid for is an acceptable DRM. Though it is not without its problems.
You could then take your machine offline theoretically forever and aside from not being able to play online or download more content, life is good. After all Trainz and TANE are NOT MMORG games.
Set aside for a moment any concerns of a company going under, being absorbed by another company, or just closing shop.
However, a monthly, required validation check is intrusive, excessive, and from what I read over and over will disable a product you paid to use. That type of DRM is unacceptable.
That type of DRM is the equivalent of a company saying "We don't know who the criminals that are pirating our software are, so we are going to treat all our customers like they are the criminals pirating our software", and keep checking their installations. I don't know if that is the Australian way, but it is certainly not the American way. We are all innocent until proven guilty (in theory anyway - but I wont get into the hypocrisy that does exist) That is the way it should be everywhere, but we all know it isn't.
As far as I can tell, N3V got way behind on TANE and under pressure, pushed out an incomplete product. I can understand, there was a lot of build up and hype about it. But it's all just hype if you don't deliver on the first try - that's just an unfortunate fact. Very often you don't get another chance.
Which brings me to the third issue.
Massively huge and impractical patches. 8GB!!! Really!?
Many people have unlimited high speed Internet - good for them. Many more don't. Some people in the US are still using slow DSL and a few are even still using dial up. In a lot of areas there is no DSL or Broadband available so our only option is WiFi hot spots. Many of those have data limits. Personally I can't even get a prepaid data card for my Wifi hot spot bigger than 4GB and multiple cards do not accumulate, so 8GB is out of the question.
Back to DRM.
What if the company sells out to another company that doesn't want to maintain any of the Trainz versions.
What if the company goes under (unlikely - I hope, but it could happen)
What happens at the end-of-life for TANE.
What if... You get the picture.
Now my DRM crippled product can't be moved off my broken machine to a new one because it cant be validated.
It can't be moved to an upgraded machine because it cant be validated.
TANE won't work period because it cant get it's monthly checkup because low and behold it cant be validated.
For those reasons I would object to even the acceptable form of DRM in a one time check.
If a person could register their TANE manually through perhaps email, then get a validation key which they would write down, validate their TANE, then lock away in a safe deposit box (I exaggerate a little, but you get the picture), I would be happy to go ahead and buy TANE (As long as that huge update is already on the disk) Because with that key I would know in the event of whatever may happen, I would be able to re-install, or move a game I paid for.
Pirates will always find a way to thwart every type of anti-pirating technology. It's an unfortunate fact.
It is wrong however to punish us all for the crimes of a few.
PS. That validation key I spoke of; If a key validates an installation one day in Iowa, then a month or two later validates a new installation in Nebraska, its probably the same person moving to a new location on a new computer.
If it validates in Iowa one day, and a day or two later validates in California or somewhere in the UK, that user is probably violating copy write law by shareing a key they are not supposed to share and warrants further investigation by law enforcement and probable prosecution.
I feel like I should clarify my P.S. statement. What I really mean: If the same Trainz or Tane installation shows up at the download station or in trainz chat using the same valid key.
Sometimes I even confuse myself
Sincerely
Wayne