StarFury CD check is screwed up!!

ColdSteel · #1 October 9th, 2003, 11:38 PM

Well, I actually tried to run the game for the first time despite the ever running CD and even with the original game disk in the drive, all I get is a message to put the Starfury disk in the CD. Grrrr!

So, it will just not run the game at all.

I have an ABS AMD 2.2 Athlon system running Win XP Pro with the latest service pack and all updated drivers. The PC is only a year old. I am a 48 year old computer professional who writes software applications. This has got to be the copy protection. It installed fine. The disk is not bad. I made a copy of the CD with no errors but it does the same thing when I tried it. I'm going to try to re-install it but this is just plain stupid.

I was really excited to get this game and I've bought SE4 and SE4 Gold both and I even had one of my game mods on the SE4 Gold CD (with Raynor)but if I had bought this thing from EB, it would be going back right now.

I have no idea what my options for returning the game are with Shrapnel but I guess I may have to find out. I don't want to. I want to play the game.

To those who have not yet purchased this game, beware.

-ColdSteel

Phoenix-D · #2 October 9th, 2003, 11:40 PM

There isn't much copy-protection at all, just a CD check. I wonder if they had a bad run of discs..

EDIT: which would mean even copying wouldn't help in your case, but its probably a bug in the CD check. Hrm. Make a disk image maybe? I doubt it will help but it might be worth a shot.

[ October 09, 2003, 22:43: Message edited by: Phoenix-D ]

ColdSteel · #3 October 9th, 2003, 11:50 PM

I tried reinstalling the game to the default C: directory. I thought that maybe since I specified something other than the default, that might be it. Nope.

It still will not run. Basically, I just spent $40 (with shipping) for a game that I cannot play.

I guess my next step is to contact Shrapnel.

I am NOT a happy customer.

(Phoenix-D - thanks for trying to help.)

-Coldsteel

Richard · #4 October 10th, 2003, 12:02 AM

You might want to bring this to Aaron's attention.

Just to be clear, Shrapnel actually came out with the same policy statement Brad does on his site years ago. I don't believe piracy is curbed by copy protection, not at all. However it is up to each developer as to what they actually do with their final product.

You will not find copy protection on a Shrapnel produced product, and on most of our developer products.

Richard · #5 October 10th, 2003, 12:04 AM

And after reading the entire thread, yes it would appear that you have been sent a bad CD. Unfourtanetly, even thought this is rare, these things do happen from time to time when producing thousands of copies of a game.

Please contact our customer service department so they can send you a replacement.

Tim Brooks · #6 October 10th, 2003, 12:48 AM

ColdSteel:

We just installed, from 7 seperate cds on 7 seperate systems and we are having no problems. My guess to is a bad cd, which is quite rare as they are not burned, but stamped.

At this point you have two choices. Return the game to us - contact our support center for an rma number - and we will refund your entire purchase price, plus the cost of shipping the game back to us.

The second choice is to contact support and request a new cd. It will go out tomorrow if you get the request in before 11:00 am EDST.

I am truly sorry you are having problems, but we have thousands of copies out there and you are the only one we know of with these troubles.

Please accept our apologies.

ColdSteel · #7 October 10th, 2003, 12:48 AM

Richard,

Thank you very much for responding. I have reported this issue to Shrapnel customer support as you've suggested.

If it is a bad CD it is very odd. Notmally with a bad CD the install can't get past the bad spot on the disk. The installs both went very smoothly and the install log didn't show any missing files or errors.

I'd hate to wait and wait and get a new CD only to have the same thing happen. I hope you will mention this to Aaron in case he thinks it is the CD check causing the problem.

In the Atari forums I've seem identical reports where the CD protection causes problems on some CD manufacturer drives. I've never had it happen to me before but apparently with the new Temple of Elemental Evil game (cool game, BTW), it is very common. I don't know what product or technique Aaron used but he should be made aware of it.

If others report the same problem I'm having, that's probably it. If I'm the lone voice, it may indeed be a bad CD. I hope that's all it is.

I'm glad to hear you guys agree with Brad. Common sense does previal once in a while.

Thanks,

-ColdSteel