Buying English BS ...

Some concerns:

1) Credit card info posted to purchase online - has anyone had issues with security, etc? I know its the modern age, but one hears so many horror stories of stolen ID, Credit card fraud, etc.

2) Is it possible/ok to burn the program to disk, and therefore have the "hard copy" in the event of program crash, sys OS crash (knock on wood) or hardware upgrade that neccessitates software re-install?

3) Is there limitations on the number of re-installs? I've got the LOMAC/FC disks, and haven't been restricted in the number of times I've had to re-install for various reasons. Is the Online version as lenient?

4) In the event of downloading and there's a power failure/download interruption, how does that effect the next attempt to download? Carries on or does start again?

At worst I'll wait for a North American distributor in Feb/Mar, or at best I'll be enjoying sooner, depending on responses :joystick:.

Cheers, and Happy New Year.

Rick

No problem here and yes you can burn to disk but you still have limited activations i believe the release dvd version will not. But yes you can burn it to back it up. If you get cut off downloading it i would just re download it . Its not too hard to do that. I thinkg you get like 10 activations and like 10 deactivations. I know its somewhere around there.

O if you upgrade hardware like motherboard and CPU make sure you deactivate because it will be looking for your old system specs and will be a pain.

And to deactivate you use the protect.exe and use it to reactivate.

Thanks for the reply. Decisions, Decisions...

2) Is it possible/ok to burn the program to disk, and therefore have the "hard copy" in the event of program crash, sys OS crash (knock on wood) or hardware upgrade that neccessitates software re-install?

Yes, as Chillspider said, but you can also redownload it.

3) Is there limitations on the number of re-installs? I've got the LOMAC/FC disks, and haven't been restricted in the number of times I've had to re-install for various reasons. Is the Online version as lenient?

Please read this:

http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=568704&postcount=3

4) In the event of downloading and there's a power failure/download interruption, how does that effect the next attempt to download? Carries on or does start again?

If you use a download manager (like this) the download will be resumed where it stopped.

Ok, I've bitten the bullet and downloaded the game. The first thing I've tried to do now that I've gotten it on my desktop is to try and burn it to DVD. Pop-up says there's an error and won't let me. Any suggestions?

Heh a little more info would nice. An error with what? Is the file corrupt? Try installing it yet? Are you using vista? If so make sure you turn off U.A.C. and you install it as an administrator.

No, sorry, what I meant was I wanted to burn the software files I downloaded to DVD. My XP would only burn data files to CD-ROM, even though my burner is a CD/DVD reader/writer combo. I found a free-ware program that did what I needed it to do. As a side comment - the fact that I have limited re-installs of the downloaded version is disappointing - I hope I don't run into enough situations that I use up all my "install lives", lol. I'd hate to have to spend another $50us to re-buy the game.

Some concerns:

 

1) Credit card info posted to purchase online - has anyone had issues with security, etc? I know its the modern age, but one hears so many horror stories of stolen ID, Credit card fraud, etc.

It's 2009. Using your credit card online is secure. There are a bazillion credit card transactions online everyday. There is more risk of getting your credit card number stolen by someone rooting through your trash, or using your card at a shady store/gas station somewhere in the middle of nowhere. If you have ever given your credit card number over the phone, there is someone on the other end of the phone typing your credit card number into a website where it sits on a server exactly like using the internet, infact, it is less secure because of the middle-man typing in your card number. By federal law you are only liable to a maximum of $50 of fraudulent purchases.

2) Is it possible/ok to burn the program to disk, and therefore have the "hard copy" in the event of program crash, sys OS crash (knock on wood) or hardware upgrade that neccessitates software re-install?

The download is 2.8 gigs in two files, you can burn these files to disk and install as many times as you want. See the answer to #3 for a discussion on the activation issues.

3) Is there limitations on the number of re-installs? I've got the LOMAC/FC disks, and haven't been restricted in the number of times I've had to re-install for various reasons. Is the Online version as lenient?

You have 8 "activations". You can "deactivate" an installation and re-install without using an activation up. The caveat is that if you uninstall without deactivating it you use up that activation. There is no warning when you uninstall saying "you should de-activate", you have to remember and do it yourself prior to uninstalling. When you activate your computer Star Force generates a unique "hard ware identifier" number based on the make up of your computer (MOBO, CPU, GPU, etc). If your hardware changes significantly it will use another activation. However, I think that if you were to upgrade your computer by first deactivating, uninstalling DCS:BS, then upgrading your computer, and then re-installed, then it would not use up an activation. If your computer crashes and you have to replace hardware then it is likely it would use up an activaiton. I am no pro with Star Force so I could be wrong on some of these details, but that is my understanding.

4) In the event of downloading and there's a power failure/download interruption, how does that effect the next attempt to download? Carries on or does start again?

You login to the DCS website and you can download the files as many times as you need. You will get a serial number when you download the files. I would save the serial in safe place (I gmailed it to myself).

At worst I'll wait for a North American distributor in Feb/Mar, or at best I'll be enjoying sooner, depending on responses :joystick:.

If you want to play it, I wouldn't wait. I don't foresee a significant difference between the hard copy and the download version. Maybe there will be some differences in the activation/star force protection, I can only speculate as I don't know anything about the DVD version. With the deactivation ability with star force you can really stretch that 8 activations a long way. If you speculate that you will deactivate every time you uninstal the game, then that theoretically gives you 7 critical hardware failures requiring major parts replacements. That's quite a few, but who knows. Will the DVD version have a limitation on the number of activations? I'd like to know the answer to that question

Stingray

edit: Ahhh, I didn't see your post saying you bought the game. Too bad you are having problems, I bought both Russian and English versions via download, had zero problems. I will leave this long post because it took a while to type it out :)

Purchased the game today and down loaded it at work. Burnt' the downloaded files to a DVD and printed out the 2 manuals (IT admin has it's benefits here). 4 hours later I returned home and installed it with no problems.

The install tells me I have 7 total installs remaining. This sort of bothers me... ALOT because I've been mostly a legit gamer for 15 years and I know that this sort of stuff only creates problems for legit purchasers while the pirates just gallop off into the sunset with a crack and don't have to deal with it.

Glad I don't have to have a DVD in the drive to play the game though. As many games that I play, that becomes a real pain too.

As someone else said, many online purchases are safe. Of course this statement is not always true if you do not have responsible internet browsing habits.

I've been flying for about 6 hours and wow... I have a lot to learn. I hope I can find some people to fly with.

To ease your pain Husko, just remember to retrieve the activation if you decide to install it elsewhere. You can deinstall, reinstall on the same computer unless you don't change anything drastic. You can change ram, or video card without a new activation. If you want to know more about it read here: http://forums.eagle.ru/showpost.php?p=568704&postcount=3

If you do not want to loose an activation you need to deactivate the game an then deinstall it. (And you got your 7 activation).

If your computer is exploding in a cascading fire event (very common ;) ) and is destroyed you only have 6 activation left. (Okey, perhaps a more common happening is theft or similar)

If your hardrive dies and you have to replace the hardrive and upgrade Windows, you do not need to re-activate (you only reach 9 points if you keep your old name - 12 points if you change it).

So i say, Black Shark is most forgiving in this activation schemes. But to each is own! I just love to not have to be bothered with dvd discs...

And for the OP.

-- if you use credit card online. The safest way is to use special e-cards. Then the only thing that can get lost is that particular card used for that particular purchase and they usually are time limited with a very low credit limit - that you decide!

nvm i'll check out the link... oh, the pain...

Very smooth process i was up and running within the hour from payment to downloading .

I have been thinking though what happens after the 7th activation for example would i have to re purchase the game or do i recieve a new activation code.

No, sorry, what I meant was I wanted to burn the software files I downloaded to DVD. My XP would only burn data files to CD-ROM, even though my burner is a CD/DVD reader/writer combo. I found a free-ware program that did what I needed it to do. As a side comment - the fact that I have limited re-installs of the downloaded version is disappointing - I hope I don't run into enough situations that I use up all my "install lives", lol. I'd hate to have to spend another $50us to re-buy the game.

I think the problem is either with your CD/DVD Hardware or the software program your using. There's nothing about the BS install files (that I know of) that would prevent you from writing it to a DVD.

By the way I don't like the limited number of activations/deactivations either and normally I'd pass a game that has this however this is one program I've judged is too important that I can allow this limitation to stop me from purchasing it. I also think that the responsiveness of the developers on this forum gives me hope that if by chance you do happen to somehow use up all your activations and you explain the situation to them they will give you more activiations.