Avoid the U Play Always-On DRM

[NekoMode]

The first game doesn't have it and is an excellent game but be aware if you 'upgrade' to the Complete Collection containing all the games in the re-launch The Forgotten sands includes the U Play Always-On DRM.

Note the "Online Requirement" warning label:
A PERMANENT HIGH SPEED INTERNET CONNECTION AND CREATION OF A UBISOFT ACCOUNT ARE REQUIRED TO PLAY THIS GAME.

As per usual if you loose connection it will boot you from the game, inconvenincing paying customers on Steam more than the pirates on BitTorrent because they can get a version with this 'feature' disabled.

I might pick up the games individually but I will definately avoid Forgotten Sands. The bundle wasn't that much of a savings off their individual sale prices anyways. Personally, I refuse to support this abhorrant practice of always-on DRM.

[pi]

You know, I'd totally forgetten this was a Ubisoft title. I don't give them money (ever! DRM or no DRM. Due to various past experiences with their games!).

So thanks for that. I had it in my basket. Money to spend eslewhere!

Don't buy this or any other game from Unisoft for the PC! Get it second hand on a conosle (if you have one) if you're that desperate to play it. They won't get a penny for it and you won't have to put up with their terrible DRM which kicks you out games mid-play and won't let you reconnected (to a single player game!) because their DRM server is running on a 1982 Commodore Vic 20!

[NekoMode]

Originally posted by pi:

You know, I'd totally forgetten this was a Ubisoft title. I don't give them money (ever! DRM or no DRM. Due to various past experiences with their games!).

So thanks for that. I had it in my basket. Money to spend eslewhere!

Don't buy this or any other game from Unisoft for the PC! Get it second hand on a conosle (if you have one) if you're that desperate to play it.

Yea, I had totally forgotten till I saw Steam's tiny DRM warning on the right side of checkout, almost bought the Complete Colelction too.

If I am not mistaken the re-released the entire Trilogy on the PS3 in "HD" with updates textures and graphics. I am not sure if they patched the PC versions with these updates.

[xveganrox]

Was about to buy but then I saw the Steam warning. I don't like intrusive DRM (not counting Steam itself ;) and the idea of combining it with not-so-reliable Windows 8 is even scarier. Pass, sadly - thanks for the info!

[r¡sê ºƒ çhaös]

For any reasonable people out there, its not bad at all. I've been gaming for over 10 years on the computer and I know when something is invasive. The Ubi application that runs in the background is not bad at all and is gone when you stop playing the game. I used it quite a bit when I played Forgotten Sands and it starts right up, auto signs in and only takes a few more seconds than any other game. When your done it easily shuts and doesnt leave anything running in the background or try to auto start at start up etc.

[Opteekaal]

Thanks for letting me know! I was wondering if I should get it or not when I saw Ubisoft was the publisher I checked to see if there was always online DMR. Thanks for the info!

[Korianto]

At this point I don't care - Ubisoft has the best titles out there right now - Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. In my opinion, they're just like every other DRM System today - just like Steam and Origin. For me to play any Ubisoft game, once registered, I don't even have to go online - I can stay in Offline mode. Just as in Steam. Sure I still have to go through their launcher, but again - I don't have to go online at all. In fact, most of the time I don't especially when I play Far Cry 3.

Why? I found it to be so darn buggy with my new rig and the latest and so called Graphics card it was designed to be used on - the AMD Radeon HD 7970. But unfortunately, I keep running into unexpected Freezes and Application Hangs - and when that happens - the game literally freaks out - ruins any of my Saved checkpoints - and all my Save Files. Yep - it's a mess and I've complained numerous times to the Ubisoft Far Cry Techs about this problem and sent them dump files etc. Their answer - we don't know when we'll have a fix.

So like I said, I'm glad I can use these games Off-Line - where I can pause the game and copy the save files to another folder and then when the game freaks out - copy them back and keep playing - otherwise I had to start from the beginning every time.

Anyway - Ubisoft makes great games - you can play them offline - but you do have to register them online at least one. understand that - and many people don't like them because some of their games are buggy (like Far Cry 3) and we get flipped off by their tech help (like me).

but life goes on.....

Korianto

[NekoMode]

Originally posted by Korianto:

In my opinion, they're just like every other DRM System today - just like Steam and Origin. For me to play any Ubisoft game, once registered, I don't even have to go online - I can stay in Offline mode. Just as in Steam.

That is a lie. There are multiple versions of U Play. This one is nothing like the Steam or Origin you are trying to compare it to. This version of DRM is the most archaic and draconian of the lot, one that requires you to be 'always on' as the thread title implies.

In the 'always on' version of U Play there is no "Offline Mode" and if you EVER loose your internet connection, be it because bad wifi at your house or through no fault of your own because U Play's servers are being DDOSed again, you are forcefully booted from the game and all current progress is lost.

After negative fan reaction Ubisoft lightened these restrictions, but for older titles, titles such as this, they never actually removed it. The version of U Play on The Forgotten Sands is well worth the warning. Ubisoft deserves all the flak they get, and personally I will never buy one of their games again so long as they stick by U Play.

Steam already has a DRM it doesn't need another, it certainly doesn't need the double launchers they are using to enforce both of them.

[Korianto]

NecoMode -

Please, it's more polite to say that I might be mistaken that to call me an outright liar.

For one thing, as I've explained, I've been out of gaming for over 15 years and I'm just getting back into it now. I have relatively few games on Uplay. But most (if not all), are loaded onto Steam.

I have a brand new PC that relatively very good for gaming. Also, because of my location, I have to use a Verizon Wireless Modem to hook into the Internet. Now, because it's wireless, and because it's only 3G, I have frequent dropouts.

However, none of those dropouts have affected any of my game play on Steam, Origin, and/or Uplay. I've just kept on playing when my PC has flashed a message telling me that my Network has been disconnected.

Perhaps my PC has some sort of cache to prevent Uplay from booting me off when a connection is lost - I don't really know. All I do know is that I've been able to keep playing when I'm offline. That is the truth. And it's worked with all the POP titles in that package Steam recenty sold except for the first one 9and ones associated with it (why not the first one? I'm still unable to get it to run).

So, if there are various versions of Uplay out there - is there a way to tell what version a particular game has with its software? And if there is a way, would you please tell us?

Thanks so much.

K