King's Bounty: The Legend Thread

I had forgotten about this game coming out. I still have fun loading up the original King's Bounty in DOSBox. Does this come prepackaged with Malware; like SecureROM or Starforce? If not I might pick this up…

Originally Posted by azraelck
I had forgotten about this game coming out. I still have fun loading up the original King's Bounty in DOSBox. Does this come prepackaged with Malware; like SecureROM or Starforce? If not I might pick this up…

I installed my Atari Boxed Canadian Retail Version onto a standalone system with no internet connection. Then before running it I applied the Official Atari 1.6.5 patch. After that I loaded the game for the first time. The only thing it did was run a DVD check to make sure the DVD is in the drive. I've had no problems running it.
This same was confirmed for the US version by a player in this thread:
What is the DRM scheme on King's Bounty?

I haven't checked but I think it uses Securom for this DVD check. One thing to be aware of is that you need a DVD player that is capable of reading Dual Layer DVDs.

A fully translated english version of the excellent Russian made Fan Manual is also now available. The Katauri Interactive developers help provide data and formulas included in it. The Translated Russian made Fan Manual is a zipped Word Document roughly 39 megs in size. If the link should die again or get moved you can see this thread to hopefully find it again: King's Bounty - artifacts, wives etc.

Ubbax
"We don't stop playing because we grow old…
We grow old because we stop playing."

- George Bernard Shaw

Does this mean the EU version has DRM, and the NA version has not ?

Does the game have DRM anyway ?

Ubbax wrote:

I haven't checked but I think it uses Securom for this DVD check. One thing to be aware of is that you need a DVD player that is capable of reading Dual Layer DVDs.

How can you tell if you have one of these?(-I've never heard this term before. )

Thanks for posting the forum links, also, Ubbax.

Originally Posted by Essaliad
…
Occasionally, I'd throw up some variety like mass-buffing my army, but inflicting as much damage as fast as possible works better in terms of limiting casualties (and gives my necromancers corpses to animate). It's not like I can't deal with casualties--I can just resurrect them, but that becomes endlessly tedious, what with having to leave one tiny stack of enemy troops alive so I can regenerate enough mana to perform resurrections if the inquisitor's is not available. Oh, that and using the sacrifice cheese tactic.

I think that's the problem. Sacrifice spell needs to be changed. When I played my first run as a normal mage, I didn't use Sacrifice much… I didn't have the spell for a long time, then when I got it I saw myself depending on it more and more, so I decided to not use it. That made me use different tactics against different enemies, as I would care about units lost. IMHO Sacrifice should not let you raise more than the original # of units you had at start of battle. Basically, it'd be like a resurrection spell, more powerful but requiring you to sacrifice something else. Oh, and it definitely shouldn't let you sacrifice units that are not yours.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Does this mean the EU version has DRM, and the NA version has not ?

Does the game have DRM anyway ?

Yes this gets a bit complicated.

DRM with regard to games, as I'm sure you know, refers to online activation/authentication, recurrent/intermittent online authentication, limiting the amount of installs, restricting installations to 1 PC, ect. It may involve one of these or a combination of them.

No boxed version of King's Bounty The Legend, that I'm aware of, uses DRM but some do have copy protection (ie the Atari one). Copy protection in this case being a DVD check (requires the DVD to be in the drive).
I know the Russian patch v1.6.4 removed all copy protection.
Atari with the 1.6.5 patch, (usuable on the Atari version) returned the DVD check.

The game is also available as a Digital Download from several places. The Digital Download vendors use some kind of DRM. This is one of the reasons why when a developer issues a patch for a game you need to wait for the Digital Vendor you purchased from to issue their own patch. As an example, you see a developer issues a patch for a game which is also available on Steam. The player with the Steam version must wait for Steam to issue their own version of that patch.

Originally Posted by magerette
Ubbax wrote:

I haven't checked but I think it uses Securom for this DVD check. One thing to be aware of is that you need a DVD player that is capable of reading Dual Layer DVDs.

How can you tell if you have one of these?(-I've never heard this term before. )

Thanks for posting the forum links, also, Ubbax.

DVD dual layered discs hold twice the data of single layered ones.
If you closely check the system requirements for many upcoming games, and very recently released ones, you will see this is becoming a standard requirement.
In fact it is now found listed on the outside of the box.

Magerette if you not certain your Player can read a DVD dual layered disc the best way is to borrow one from someone (maybe even a retailer) and try reading it in your player. Still have the manual for your DVD player? You could try the manufacturers website for your model of player.

If I recall correctly I think Dual Layer DVD players came into existence in early 2004. Any DVD player manufactured since then should have the ability to read Dual Layered DVDs. I'm not 100% certain about DVD players older than that.

DVD Standard reader/writers (SL) can write to 4.7 GB DVD discs.
DVD Dual or Double Layer reader/writers (DL) can write to 8.5 GB DVD discs.

Capacity differences of writable DVD formats
Type ………. Sectors ……. Bytes …………….. GB …. GiB
DVD−R SL . 2,298,496 .. 4,707,319,808 … 4.71 .. 4.384
DVD+R SL . 2,295,104 .. 4,700,372,992 … 4.70 .. 4.378
DVD−R DL . 4,171,712 .. 8,543,666,176 … 8.54 .. 7.957
DVD+R DL . 4,173,824 .. 8,547,991,552 … 8.55 .. 7.961

DVD Wiki

Understanding Dual Layer DVD Burning and Recording © 2004 Sony Electronics Inc.

Ubbax
"A man must be both stupid and uncharitable who believes there is no virtue or

truth but on his own side."--Joseph Addison

Thank you for the detailed explanation, Ubbax.

So far, I have seen dual layer DVDs only as video DVDs (Mike Oldfield Exposed, 1-DVD variant).

But I have already two side DVDs (like old vinyl LPs) brought with gaming mags. One had to túrn their sides, then.

Damn! It uses Securom. I'd like to keep my $1600 machine working, thank you. Looks like I'll be a while longer before finding an actually new game that might push my computer… other than Dwarf Fortress.

Thanks for all the in-depth info on dual layer dvds, Ubbax. I had already installed and started playing my copy, so my DVD player passed the test, but I appreciate knowing what all these terms mean in the specs that the devs and promoters fling about so freely.
AFA Secure-rom, I thought they'd made it more user friendly afa not messing up your PC, but since I know I already have many games installed that use it, it's a little late for me to be worrying about it now.

I know that i'm prolly opening a can of worms here, but what's so bad about securom? I know about the Starforce stuff, and Ive come to avoid games which use it.

The only problem Ive had is when Ive used Process Explorer around the time I use a securom-laced app, it has a fit and wont let me start up the program.

Here's a neat list of games and their drm I found while trying to look up that very thing Sammy--I mean, if even games as old as Arcanum have Secure-rom and I've never had anything bad go down, I'm not sweating it unless someone gives me a good reason to be paranoid.

I haven't had a problem with the SecuROM on KB. It doesn't use the authentication check. I think they old Russian version used Starforce and same with the English demo.
I had no problem uninstalling the demo along with the Starforce on it.

I may be mixing it up with the another game but I can't think of what.

Anyone notice it is at GoGamer for $27.90?

If I didn't already have it …

Originally Posted by azraelck
Damn! It uses Securom. I'd like to keep my $1600 machine working, thank you. Looks like I'll be a while longer before finding an actually new game that might push my computer… other than Dwarf Fortress.

There is absolutely nothing about Securom that you need to be worried about. If you don't get King's Bounty because of that…. then you're only cheating yourself.

It's out of principle, since I in securom's case I haven't heard anything either. There are better ways to deal with piracy than attacking the people who pay for the product.

I have no problem with using a CD-check. Limiting the users' rights and abilities to actually use the damn thing, I do. If I cannot make a backup so I can not worry about the original being destroyed in a week, then I won't buy the game. If it actively includes a virus, like anything that includes Starforce, I most certainly will not. If I cannot play it 10-20 years down the road, assuming I can get it to work in whatever's available at that point, then I don't want it.

I still have every DOS game I ever owned. The original disks are long destroyed. I even still have every C64 game, but none of those disks even work anymore, backup or original.

At the current state of the PC gaming market, turned into more a niche these days, crap like this is what drives people away. I won't buy a virus-laden disc, never intentionally. And thus, I vote with my wallet, and only buy from legitimate developers. All others can go out of business.

I vote with my wallet, and only buy from legitimate developers

Which are the ones to not use copy protecting?

When was the last time you bought a game in that case?

Originally Posted by txa1265
Anyone notice it is at GoGamer for $27.90?

If I didn't already have it …

I knew it! As soon as I pay full price they mark it down…typical. However, I think this game is worth it, and I'm not going to complain if the devs get their full share. They deserve it.

Originally Posted by azraelck
I have no problem with using a CD-check. Limiting the users' rights and abilities to actually use the thing, I do. If I cannot make a backup so I can not worry about the original being destroyed in a week, then I won't buy the game.

Without going into details there are multiple ways around this sort of thing, at least one of which doesn't involve actually using the disk. I won't go into details on how and where as most people know. I do this all the time to: save my disk; prevent the drive from slowing down my machine, especially at startup; make sure it works properly; and be able to use the drive without constantly changing the disk.

We're down to a near monopoly on this sort of thing because they've been the least intrusive. When they've become more creative the backlash has caused them and the companies that use them to reconsider.

I know we've talked about this multiple, multiple times but I don't recall a thread specifically dedicated to copy protection (without a specific game title).

Originally Posted by azraelck
It's out of principle, since I in securom's case I haven't heard anything either. There are better ways to deal with piracy than attacking the people who pay for the product.

I have no problem with using a CD-check.

Then you're in luck because KB only uses the CD check portion of the SecuROM package.

Limiting the users' rights and abilities to actually use the damn thing, I do.

The implementation of SecuROM in KB does not limit your rights. You have to think of SecuROM as a modular concept. A publisher can pick from a variety of SecuROM features. This variety reaches from a simple CD/DVD check to a complex activation system. KB only has the CD/DVD check.

If it actively includes a virus, like anything that includes Starforce, I most certainly will not.

StarForce does not "actively" include a virus. StarForce installs a driver on system/kernel level that alleviates the "job" of many viri and malware because those viri can exploit (weaknesses of or in) the driver to intrude a system more easily. This is by its very definiton a passive, not an active issue.

If I cannot [legitimately] play it 10-20 years down the road, assuming I can get it to work in whatever's available at that point, then I don't want it.

Fixed that quote for you. You can always play it using haXX .
I think we should also wait and see how publishers are going to deal with activation limits in practice. Most titles with activation limits are still so young that we do not know if or when patches will be released that remove the limitations. What we do know is that every publisher so far has expressed their intention to do so at some point in the future.
I find this to be rather credible. The cost of support (people phoning in complaining over their limit being reached) is not to be underestimated. It's probably easier at some point when the game has hit the bargain bin anyway to just put out a patch that gets rid of any activation limits.

I have no problems with having to have a CD/DVd in the drive, ghowever, the older I get, the less "fun" this is to me.

From the moment on when a game isn't sold and maybe even withdrawn from the primary market, I demand an non-CD-patch.

To me, it simply makes no sense to still demand (from the company's side) that there is a fully working DRM feature when the game is - let's say - 20 years old and therefore isn't sold anymore.

To me, it's like unleasing lawyers to people who have copied games that are let's say 20 years old - just because it is illegal.

To me, this is a clear sign that something has gone out of control when a company still sits on and demands to have full control of the copyrightsof a game that's EGA only - or even CGA. Or even less.

It's like hoarding treasure - and not able to know when it's time to quit.

Companies acting like this would even demand to have fiull control over a piece of cheese that is molded FAR beyong ANY repair …

That's what I mean with "it's gone out of control". It's just only hording, amassasing, more and more, and more, and even more, with completely foretting what a game was once for, or about, 20 years ago …

A company that gets gbigger and bigger and bigger … not knowing when to just stop to eat …

This is just unhealthy.