Ehm, no DRM free version?

So Offline mode requires central server connection to work?

 

I can play offline just fine. I need to "Force Launch" the game in launcher since it cannot connect to server but I can access offline mode without any issues. Maybe it is some bug?

 

i think you need to log in once to enable offline play, but you don't have to stay connected.

 

i just tested it, having never used offline mode before. it DOES require a login to unlock offline play.

 

I guess to make sure the copy is legit... without it... anyone can just download the game and play Offline free...

 

That is kind of the point of the DRM free game though, you can use it even when the game servers are unavailable...

 

you CAN use it when the game servers are unavailable, but you have to unlock offline use with a log-in once.

 

yup... played Offline before when my internet was out for a few days... right now, I think the login once gets reset every release... must be a bug...

 

It would be a lot better if logging into online mode also unlocked offline mode. Then if someone has an unexpected internet outage and wants to play offline, they can do so without being locked out.

 

Which means the servers have to be available when you do that first login. That is not DRM free.

 

That's a mighty rigid definition of Digital Rights Management. Are you claiming that any enforced registration is DRM?

 

Yes. DRM free means I can take the physical install media and use it on a computer that has never seen the internet. Any required connection to a central server breaks the "DRM free" promise.

I'll add that the distinction really only matters to purists. Unobtrusive DRM like the existing single login isn't a big deal as long as those servers remain up. It is not 'DRM free' though.

 

As an aside, DRM has been around for longer than the internet. You used to need some physical product, be it manual, dongle or disc. And while the "purists" may complain, it's difficult to sympathize when you need the internet to get SotA in the first place. If and when the game breaks because of a non-existent server this login mechanism will indeed break the game. I'm hesitant to use DRM in this case since I don't consider proof of purchase to be much in the way of Rights Management. But as you say, "purists".

 

It's easily overcome.

 

Well, the trouble is, there are so many games that had DRM like SotA (just activation), or worse forms of DRM, and when the servers were shut down no one bothered to release no DRM patch... I mean, sure oyu can ask, who would like to play an old game, it is like reading old book or watching old movie, it makes no sense, right?

Yeah, but suppose that in the distant future Portalarium will no longer exist. I will get new computer, try to install SotA to show my grand children what games we used to play back in 2020 and I will not be able to activate it because it will require online activation. (or because it uses patcher and does not provide me with full installer that has everything needed for offline play). That is something that happened to so many games and I find it really annoying, because there is no reason for that. Companies that no longer exist made some good games, which are (at least officially) unplayable, because they had this DRM. I can understand why they wanted DRM (even when it does not actually prevent pirates from enjoying the game), but the thing is, sooner or later they will stop selling hte game and running activation or download servers is no longer porofitable, so they are shut down, there is no one selling the game, but why should that mean those who bough it cannot play it on their new computers?!

 

@Net spun a scenario about non-existent servers and unplayable games.
All true. But some games were unlocked before server demise. I firmly believe that Portalarium would do similar. Still, as a general problem, making games unplayable is bad for posterity.

 

pretty sure you won't have a card that supports dx11 by that point anyway...

one of the pledge rewards is a physical copy of install media. one would hope that, for that, they'll tie the drm to having the install media itself.

 

I expect Portalarium will do this so all can play the entire game forever if Port ceases to exist.

 

I love all this optimism!!! 2020!!