[gameprogrammer] Re: Enough, already!

From: larrygrant@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 22 Jul 2007 11:43:34 -0700 (PDT)
AnyDVD works great, but comes out with updates on an almost daily basis.  If 
you own it, I highly recomend staying current with updates, and if you don't I 
suggest you buy it.

Most DVD's have a lot of additional content so copying the entire dvd using 
Nero will usually resuly in needing a dual layer disc. However, Slysoft has 
clonedvd which works in conjunction with anydvd to make a selective copy.  
Often if you just copy the movie and audio without the extras it'll fit on a 
single layer disc. Also, it'll further provide compression options which will 
slightly lower the quality (not perceivable to most) to make it fit on a single 
layer disc.


----- Original Message ----
From: Grant Hallman <unilogic@xxxxxxxxx>
To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 4:43:31 AM
Subject: [gameprogrammer] Re: Enough, already!


Hi again, and thanks to all who replied. What i know now:

I have SlySoft's "AnyDVD" product, which lets me copy copy-protected DVDs. 
(I use it because i live far from the video store, so i rent 6 movies at a 
time, watch one and copy the other 5, and return them all the next day, 
watch them when i get a chance.) Most of them aren't worth the $2 blank 
DVD. BTW, anyone know why a 4.7 Gb blank can't hold 120 minutes of video? I 
hafta use double-layer blanks to hold a typical movie.

Howsomever, AnyDVD only strips the copyright bit, thus allowing 
good-citizen Nero to make a copy, it doesn't (AFAICT) change the copy 
process, so i still get a non-playable copy.

According to gamecopyworld, AoE II uses "SafeDisc", but no further help. 
Now what? I'd really prefer to copy the media rather than eliminate it via 
HD, i think what i need is a bit-for-bit, sector-for-sector, 
trach-for-track copy utility. I'm surprised they're hard to find.

As to these:
http://torrentspy.com/ or http://www.demonoid.com + http://www.utorrent.com/

Huh? The first site needs a password, the other two are 404'd... ?

On a completely difft OT topic, i did watch the ISS (International Space 
Station) make a pass tonight, brighter than Venus, popped out of Earth's 
shadow right overhead at 3:36:35 and swept off to the NW. Look here for 
details, register your long/lat and get 10-day notice of passes visible in 
your area:

<http://www.heavens-above.com/orbitdisplay>

It's really well done IMO.

cheers - grant

At 03:21 PM 7/18/2007 -0500, you wrote:
>If you have the original discs, you can use GameJackal.  It creates a 
>profile while you play the game.  All you have to do from then on is keep 
>a copy of the map created with the profile key for your install, and you 
>shouldn't need the original media again.  This has been the case with my 
>BattleField 2142, BattleField 2, and Call of Duty 2 games.
>Again.. it does require that you have the original media.
>
>There's another alternative for you.  You can find it at www.slysoft.com 
>for the cost of $29.99.
>
>Jake Briggs wrote:
>>A problem with the alcohol 120 solution is that you /may/ need to use drm 
>>emulation - if you copy a game that uses starforce (i think that is what 
>>its called) using alcohol 120, then you'll need to use alcohol 120's 
>>starforce emulation.
>>
>>This probably won't work until 2019 :D
>>
>>On the other hand, maybe the copy protection is weak and alcohol will 
>>copy it properly....
>>
>>Bradley Mclain wrote:
>>>I don't know if it'll work specifically for Age of Empires but a similar 
>>>solution to the one posted above is Alcohol 120%. This allows you to 
>>>copy your CD to your hard drive as an image and run it in a Virtual 
>>>Drive, therefore you shall never need to use the CD again. I do this 
>>>with a lot of my CD's to preserve the originals, the only game/DVD I 
>>>have come across so far that will not work properly is Rome: Total War, 
>>>Gold Edition.
>>>
>>>On 7/18/07, *Sam Nova* <sam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
>>><mailto:sam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>>>
>>>     I would much rather suggest Virtual Drive. They do support Age of
>>>     Empires III and 2 and the gold edition.. So might be worth to check
>>>     http://www.farstone.com/software/virtualdrive.htm
>>>     <http://www.farstone.com/software/virtualdrive.htm>
>>>
>>>     Enjoy,
>>>
>>>     Sam
>>>     ---------------------------------------
>>>     Blog: http://www.SamuelNova.com
>>>     Games Portal: http://www.NovaCastle.com <http://www.NovaCastle.com>
>>>
>>>     > -----Original Message-----
>>>     > From: gameprogrammer-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>     <mailto:gameprogrammer-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>     > [mailto:gameprogrammer-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>     <mailto:gameprogrammer-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>] On Behalf Of Jake Briggs
>>>     > Sent: Tuesday, July 17, 2007 10:59 PM
>>>     > To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>     <mailto:gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>     > Subject: [gameprogrammer] Re: Enough, already!
>>>     >
>>>     >
>>>     > http://torrentspy.com/ or http://www.demonoid.com +
>>>     > http://www.utorrent.com/
>>>     >
>>>     > Let someone else do the hard work for you.... I know it sucks
>>>     > to have to
>>>     > resort to this kind of activity, but that is just how it is :(
>>>     >
>>>     > Grant Hallman wrote:
>>>     > > Hi folks:
>>>     > >
>>>     > > I've been lurking the last while for a variety of personal
>>>     > RL reasons,
>>>     > > but Bob may remember me. I thought someone here might be
>>>     > able to help
>>>     > > an old-timer ;) with a problem i'm having with M$
>>>     > anti-piracy vs media
>>>     > > backup.
>>>     > >
>>>     > > I confess up front, i'm seriously addicted to Age of Empires,
>>>     > > developed by Ensemble and sold by Microsoft. And i understand big
>>>     > > companies' concerns that people don't copy their games and hand
>>>     > > freebies out to their friends. But i am pi$$ed that i cannot
>>>     make a
>>>     > > working backup of the software i paid for and have the
>>>     > legal right to
>>>     > > use.
>>>     > >
>>>     > > Awhile back, my game CD started showing a hairline crack off the
>>>     > > center spindle. The crack got longer, then another one
>>>     > started on the
>>>     > > other side, and finally the game went dead. Microsoft's answer was
>>>     > > "buy another game". My position is that i already bought
>>>     > and paid for
>>>     > > the dang game and it's their media that failed, and their
>>>     paranoia
>>>     > > that kept me from making a playable backup, so a non-evil company
>>>     > > would at a minimum offer to exchange a broken media for a working
>>>     > > replacement. Not M$, unfortunately.
>>>     > >
>>>     > > So now i've paid twice for this game, and i /still/ can't make a
>>>     > > playable backup, and i wonder whether anyone here knows how to get
>>>     > > around their fool copy protection? Because i'm still gonna
>>>     > be playing
>>>     > > it in 2019, and it will eventually go out of stock, and i'm
>>>     > not giving
>>>     > > anything away or doing anything illegal, and dammit i have
>>>     > the right
>>>     > > to back up my own media.
>>>     > >
>>>     > > Now i've heard lots of theories, and i've tried CloneCD,
>>>     > and i'm only
>>>     > > looking for advice from people who AKS (Actually Know
>>>     > Something), like
>>>     > > how to copy the dang thing, and off-list reply is fine if we
>>>     don't
>>>     > > want a bunch of high-school kids being naughty (like they'd
>>>     > need help
>>>     > > from us anyway). So if u feel like u can trust me that you're not
>>>     > > being accessory to a felony and i just want a backup for my
>>>     > own use,
>>>     > > and you AKS, please reply, on or off list as u see fit.
>>>     > >
>>>     > > TIA for any assistance - grant
>>>     > >
>>>     > > PS: It's Age of Empires II, Conqueror's Expansion. AoE III
>>>     will only
>>>
>>>     > > play on XP, and i won't accept the EULA for that piece
>>>     > of... software.
>>>     > > I run W2000, and have Nero, CloneCD and AnyDVD, all of which i use
>>>     > > legally.





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