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Use the Force Luke. (But not the Star Force!)

B

Badger

Landlubber
Hi All

I came a little late to the Pirate party and have been enjoying "Seadogs" and then "PotC" until fairly recently. Now though I have a more powerful PC and would really like to upgrade to "Age of Pirates 2" on its release.

But the thing that put me off upgrading to the first one (which I could get for under a tenner) is it's use of "StarForce". Ironically my old PC did have this copy protection program onboard from various titles before I was ever given it, (the PC was a Second hand gift from a good friend) so the whole issue really never bothered me. I'm VERY reluctant to have it anywhere near my new machine though. (A fact which has sadly stopped me installing my much loved copy of "LockOn Gold" <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /> )

Do any of you know with any degree of certainty, whether "AoP2" will continue to use this contraversial product?

Truth is I just ordered "Pirates of the Burning Sea" for a little online salty sea dog action, so for all I know this title might make "AoP2" redundant by the time they get around to releasing the bugger. Depends to what degree my swash id buckled by the online title.

Many thanks for any advice.

Badger
 
Welcome to the forum, Badger! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/w00t.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":woot" border="0" alt="w00t.gif" />

I think they did use Starforce for City of Abandoned Ships in Russia, but we won't know for sure if we'll get it too until it's finally released.
Age of Pirates did remove Starforce on a subsequent patch if I recall correctly, though I never did pay much attention to AoP.
One thing I CAN tell you: "Pirates of the Caribbean: New Horizons" aka Pirates of the Caribbean Build 14 will NOT have Starforce! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/razz.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":razz" border="0" alt="razz.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=308826:date=Mar 26 2009, 12:15 PM:name=Pieter Boelen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pieter Boelen @ Mar 26 2009, 12:15 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=308826"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->One thing I CAN tell you: "Pirates of the Caribbean: New Horizons" aka Pirates of the Caribbean Build 14 will NOT have Starforce!<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ah, thanks Pieter. So for this I'd only need to install my existing copy of "PotC" and apply the new mod when it comes out?

I did have a mod for it, which may or may not have been 1.3, but for some reason although it runs fine with the new machine, all I found when I went to reload a save, was a lot of empty windows where my saves should have been. (This was from a fresh install on the new machine, I wasn't trying to use existing saves from the old machine.) Otherwise I'd probably still be playing it. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Badger
 
<!--quoteo(post=308840:date=Mar 26 2009, 02:54 PM:name=Badger)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Badger @ Mar 26 2009, 02:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=308840"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Ah, thanks Pieter. So for this I'd only need to install my existing copy of "PotC" and apply the new mod when it comes out?<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Yep. It's freely available for download. At least Build 13 and the Build 14 Alpha's are and Build 14 will be once it's released. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/razz.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":razz" border="0" alt="razz.gif" />

<!--quoteo(post=308840:date=Mar 26 2009, 02:54 PM:name=Badger)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Badger @ Mar 26 2009, 02:54 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=308840"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I did have a mod for it, which may or may not have been 1.3, but for some reason although it runs fine with the new machine, all I found when I went to reload a save, was a lot of empty windows where my saves should have been. (This was from a fresh install on the new machine, I wasn't trying to use existing saves from the old machine.) Otherwise I'd probably still be playing it. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->1.3? I hope it was at least 13!
Correct download links and installation instructions are available on the <a href="http://forum.piratesahoy.net//index.php?showforum=37" target="_blank">POTC Build Mod</a> forum and through the links in my signature.
Additionally, you might want to check out our <a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/potc-build-mod" target="_blank">Build 13 ModDB Page</a> for information and downloads of the latest finished version and the <a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/new-horizons" target="_blank">New Horizons ModDB Page</a> for information on the progress on Build 14 and downloads to the latest Alpha (development test) versions.

The latest release is Build 14 Alpha 9, which does contain a fair amount of bugs, but is reasonably playable.
*Attempts to use a jedi mind trick*: If it's pirate games you want, you certainly want to check it out. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=308847:date=Mar 26 2009, 02:13 PM:name=Pieter Boelen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pieter Boelen @ Mar 26 2009, 02:13 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=308847"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->The latest release is Build 14 Alpha 9, which does contain a fair amount of bugs, but is reasonably playable.*Attempts to use a jedi mind trick*: If it's pirate games you want, you certainly want to check it out. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /><!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Yarghghghgh Pieter Laaaad....... erm, sorry I'll just stop doing that right now! That's great, I'm downloading it as I type this.

I've got a real bee in my bonnet at the moment for pirate/sailing ships type games. (Goodness knows why) When "PotC" seemed not to 100% like the new machine, I bought "Tortuga: Two Treasures" to tide me over and... weeeell it's ok I suppose, but it's hardly the same thing.

With the new PC I bought a new game (well, it's the law isn't it?) and that was "Empire:Total War" spurred on by my having played the rest of the series at different points and of course those sailing ships right there on the box.

Now there's "Pirates of the Burning Sea" en-route (at least hopefully en-route shortly) which will doubtless plunder my spare time like stuffed Parrots are going out of fashion!

And finally (with any luck) I might thanks to you be able to revisit "PotC". What with the will it/ won't it "StarForce" issue on top of all these goodies, I wonder if it'll be worth even looking into "Age of Pirates 2" at this point. It'll have to do something pretty special to hoist my mainsail now I suspect.

Badger
 
When your gonna do the installation make sure to follow the instruction correctly. You will have to delete some folders during the installation, it's imperative that you do so. Unless you like looking at a black screen. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

Cheers, <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/par-ty.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":cheers" border="0" alt="par-ty.gif" />
 
Hey; black screens are more piratey than ANY OTHER screens! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/whippa.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":whipa" border="0" alt="whippa.gif" />
 
<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/389_robber.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":robber:" border="0" alt="389_robber.gif" />
 
I will confirm 100% that the russian version of Age of Pirates 2 DOES use starforce. That being the case, I will also state 100% that I don't give a rats tail, CoAS will blow everything we've been playing with to date out of the water with the exception of the Build Mod. And if it gets unlocked to allow large scale modding, we will be able to go even further.

AoP does lose starforce in one of the later patches, and with some work it actually quite worth playing.

Just my doubloons worth.

Cap'n Drow
 
Im with Drow, I'm pretty sure it will have Starforce.
 
Avast Behind!! Surely not..I've been dieting for ages!

Hello again

Well as it's turned out, "Estharos" was right on the dubloons with his grim description of the "black screen". I've tried running through with the instructions twice now (along with all the associated uninstalling, reinstalling and hair rending) and both times I've ended up staring at a dark veil of dissapointment washing across my screen.

I'm afraid that I'm just not very technically minded and so I might end up waiting for "14" to go final, at which point I assume that like "13" before it, it'll apply itself in a most Badger friendly fashion with one glorious double click and no head scratching.

I'm sure I'm making some stupid mistake or other and I've got a fair idea that it's in the area of what gets deleted along the way, but of course I might be completely wrong. Here are my stripey thoughts;

1/ "Version 13"
The instructions say install "V13 Final" if you haven't already. My "13" says "13 Full". Is "Full" the same as "Final" in this instance? If not then I'm probably falling at the first hurdle.

2/ What gets deleted.
The instructions say "Remove the PROGRAM, RESOURCE\INI and RESOURCE\MODELS\Locations\decks folders"
So I've gone into "Resource" and deleted the "INI" folder and then navigated through "Resource", "Models" and "Locations" to find "Decks" and deleted that folder too. But is this right? Or should I just be deleting the whole "Models" folder along with all its contents.

3/ Just Out of Interest.
Points Seven & Eight on the instructions read as follows;

7 - Start the game and reset the controls to default in the Options menu
8 - Tweak the controls and the game's settings to your liking in the Options menu

Well I followed this to the letter regardless, but I did wonder what the point of "7" is, if you then change it back with "8". Or am I missing the obvious.

Many thanks once again for all the helpful comments and insights you've been kind enough to post. You're all obviously first class Pirates and technicaly adept fellows. I'm not ashamed to admit though that in technical terms I don't even rate as a Cabin Boy, in fact you'd doubtless put me in a rowboat being towed behind the ship on a very long rope. ("You could call it the art of fighting...without fighting". A "Badger No-Prize" to anyone who knows what I'm talking about there. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> )

I might have one more install shot left in me, but after that I'm waiting for "14 Final" as the line between "playing" and "working" is one I don't want to cross in my seafaring adventures and this could quickly become more like the latter than the former. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

All the best

Badger


1 - Install Build 13 Final (if you haven't done so already)
2 - Remove the PROGRAM, RESOURCE\INI and RESOURCE\MODELS\Locations\decks folders
3 - Extract the Build 14 Alpha 9 Full file on top of your game
4 - Allow it to overwrite all files it wants to
5 - After completion, run RunMe.bat
6 - Install the Small Patch
7 - Start the game and reset the controls to default in the Options menu
8 - Tweak the controls and the game's settings to your liking in the Options menu
9 - Start a new game, select a storyline and ENJOY!
 
Under 2, you don't mention deleting the PROGRAM folder too. That is really important and if you don't do it, you would indeed end up with a black screen.
You can find the folder in your main game directory, eg. C:\Program Files\Bethesda Softworks\Pirates of the Caribbean\PROGRAM.
All the correct files are included in the Alpha 9 download and removing it ensures that you don't end up with files that shouldn't be there.
As for resetting the controls: sometimes the controls end up being messed up after an installation and resetting the controls usually solves that.
It might work without that step, but it can't hurt for sure. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/dunno.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":shrug" border="0" alt="dunno.gif" />

Oh... don't delete the whole MODELS folder; just the "decks" subfolder. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/doff.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":doff" border="0" alt="doff.gif" />
 
<!--quoteo(post=308823:date=Mar 26 2009, 06:10 AM:name=Badger)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Badger @ Mar 26 2009, 06:10 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=308823"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->I'm VERY reluctant to have it anywhere near my new machine though. (A fact which has sadly stopped me installing my much loved copy of "LockOn Gold" <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /> )<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/hi.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":gday" border="0" alt="hi.gif" />

If the copy you have is the same as mine, with the original game and addon being on separate discs, you can install the addon without having to worry about StarForce. The original game runs without the CD in the drive. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/yes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":yes" border="0" alt="yes.gif" /> It's just Flaming Cliffs that has SF.
 
Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of .......something non alchoholic please barman.

<!--quoteo(post=308978:date=Mar 27 2009, 12:41 PM:name=Pieter Boelen)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Pieter Boelen @ Mar 27 2009, 12:41 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=308978"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Under 2, you don't mention deleting the PROGRAM folder too. That is really important and if you don't do it, you would indeed end up with a black screen.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
That was it Pieter, I was staring the "program" folder in the face and not deleting it. I'm now back at sea again, though as "PotBS" also arrived yesterday, I expect I'll be sailing its seven seas for a couple of sessions before I get around to checking out my new "PotC 14"


Stallion, see PM.

Badger
 
Do as you wish, as long as you try "New Horizons"! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/razz.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":razz" border="0" alt="razz.gif" />
 
Well I'm sailing "New Horizons" seas and it's been great fun so far. (With the exception of one un messaged ctd.)

I had thought that I might be all pirated out after sessions of "Pirates of the Burning Seas", but as it turns out the two are far from being mutually exclusive.

"PotBS" isn't as atmospheric as "New Horizons" in my opinion, but more to the point is that the overall flavour of an MMO, is still the same whatever clothes you dress it up in and as such the single player experience of "NH" is sufficiently different that both games live happilly on my hard drive at the same time.

I have to say that my "PotBS" experience didn't really start off all that well. In the first place I bought a retial copy, but made a stupid mistake (who me? really? Big shock) during the registration and ended up being billed for a digitally downloaded copy of the game which I didn't use or want. Supports responce was to tell me that they couldn't change the details of the account I'd created, but were able to give it a thirty day trial period to bring it in line with what I would have had from my retail copy. I also get to keep the unused key for use if I ever wanted to open another account, with I assume another free trial period attached. Whatever, I'm still paying £7.99 for a month I should have been getting for free. Sloppy... but a monster of my own creation I suppose and it serves me right for being a bit thick.

But the fun continued.. once installed the game had to be updated to the latest client. So far, so all MMO's right? Except that this update took ELEVEN HOURS!!!! I set it going at 3:30pm and by 11pm I realised that for the first time ever, I was going to have to leave my PC running overnight for a download. (I appreciate this will be nothing to some of you guys.. but I just don't do that!) As it turned out I was having a bad night and found myself looking in at 2:30am at which point I saw it finish so I played the tutorial. There I was at 3am playing at being a pirate! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Anyway it's ok I suppose and in fairness I'd have to say that it's growing on me a little now that I have accumilated some levels and am trying different things. But it's not really showing me anything earth shattering and to be honest it was really a toss up between this and "Eve Online" which I'd also really like to try. So I'll see out the trial, but at this point it's going to have to show me a whole lot more if it wants to keep me from migrating.

But back to "New Horizons" though.... a quick question.

On the sea map I notice that all other ships are opaque, meaning I can't tell which ship is what or who. I'm fairly sure that the vanilla "PotC" had visible ship s and flags so you knew who you were dealing with. Am I missing something here? Or worse still is this some kind of installation quirk which means I have to go back and start again. (Again.)

Badger
 
<!--quoteo(post=310362:date=Apr 2 2009, 11:37 AM:name=Badger)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Badger @ Apr 2 2009, 11:37 AM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=310362"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->On the sea map I notice that all other ships are opaque, meaning I can't tell which ship is what or who. I'm fairly sure that the vanilla "PotC" had visible ship s and flags so you knew who you were dealing with. Am I missing something here? Or worse still is this some kind of installation quirk which means I have to go back and start again. (Again.)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Installation quirck for sure, I'm afraid. Do you have a screenshot of that? Maybe we can deduce what went wrong from that.
This is what the ships should look like:
<img src="http://media.moddb.com/images/mods/1/13/12307/worldmap.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
No more toy ships, but you can still recognize their nations, both by the ship type and by the flag/sails they have.
 
Is this screen from PoTC Build Mod/New Horizons? Looks great, but I cant find a copy of it, otherwise I would try it :-(
 
Yep, that's a screenshot from Build 14 Alpha 9. Of course the modpack is freely available, but the PotC game itself is a bit hard to come by these days.
You might want to check out <a href="http://forum.piratesahoy.net//index.php?showtopic=12997" target="_blank">this thread</a>, in which we're discussing the availability of the game.

Of course the game itself is fairly old (2003; predecessor of AoP), but this doesn't particularly harm gameplay, considering all the things we've been adding for the past six years. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
If you're not sure if it's worthwhile to put in a lot of effort in tracking it down, you might want to check our <a href="http://www.moddb.com/mods/new-horizons" target="_blank">ModDB New Horizons profile</a>.
 
I'm still looking at the screenshot thing so I can show you a picture of my "Ghostships" (oooer..spooky) on the seamap screen. But in the meantime I did another (thins makes four now) complete re-install and have ended up with exactly the same result. I did notice something thought and thought it might be worth mentioning.

While the "run me batch file" is running, it frequently brings up the following comment as the files scroll up the screen.

"The System Cannot Find The File Specified."

Obviously from a laymans point of view this can't be a good thing.. but I appreciate that sometimes "not" finding something in computer terms is exactly what is supposed to happen. I don't seem to remember the 13 batch file bringing up this message, but I suppose it's possible it did and I didn't notice.

Anyone remember messages like this during their 14 run me batch?

Obviously this is heading swiftly toward Davy Jones Locker at the moment as I just don't have the technical smarts or the patience to mess around with this for very much longer. It is playable in its current state so I suppose I could just ignore my ghost ships. After all you get a description of who you've fallen upon and an option to keep on sailing, when you press the spacebar. But the knowledge that it's not working correctly is irksome indeed, particularly as I've already put in a fair amount of effort to try and run the bugger.

Maybe I'll just go be a pirate in my "X3: Terran Conflict" instead. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Badger
 
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