It begs the question, of how are you playing the game without the disk?

Eh? It works without the disc...

No comment here.

You can install the Freelancer SDK (search it in the downloads section) and install it to a different folder, and then just copy the MISSIONS folder.

Btw. its nice to see that instead of helping him you play the wannabe-internet cops.
1st Freelancer is being sold at multiple places with a no-cd exe.
2nd a no-cd crack is not illegal if you own a valid copy of the game.
(at least in my country lol)

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Eh? It works without the disc...

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The maneth speaketh the trutheth... it's been sold for the past 3 years by Ubisoft, without any requirements for having the CD in the drive.

Furthermore, I seriously doubt this game is still in print, so who gives a flying monkeys anyway.
The SDK, the downloads are difficult to navigate - you can click the "DL" (for the download number of times column) to sort by most popular, at which point it's second in the list.

http://www.lancersreactor.com/t/downloa ... asp?id=721

Thar.

Edited by - Chips on 9/18/2007 3:06:10 PM

You guys are lifesavers. Thanks a TON.

Hopefully I'll have this thing finished by the time terraflop processors are mainstream -_-;

man...if that "ubisoft" (which btw is NOT the real UBISOFT) can get away with cracking an ms cd, then turn around selling it for a retail profit and not get the pants sued off them, then why the heck doesn't ms just give us the code?

Something just isn't right here. It sure smells funky.

its the "real" ubisoft.
Its called Ubisoft Extreme where they sell budget games, but its of course Ubisoft.
Additionally, there is another company in germany called Software Pyramide that is also selling an FL copy with a no-cd exe.
On top of that there is Metaboli, an online download portal where you can buy the games by "downloading" them, which likely only works with a no-cd exe as well.

No CD EXE's are everywhere Freelancer is being dumped my MS in 2008 so it should be freeware right after that date in 2008.

I actually investigated this before regarding some issues a particular mod had with the "ubisoft" version of Freelancer.
I went to the American Ubisoft site and found absolutely NO mention of Freelancer among it's many well known game release lables. After that, I traced this particular version down to a company calling itself "ubisoft" and it was based out of Africa.
The one in Africa has no connection with the Ubisoft based in America other than a registered name. Being "international" , this makes it nearly impossible to force any type of legal action under those rules.
The MS disk of Freelancer clearly states on it's lable not to make "illegal copies" where the ubisoft version clearly had no such markings or any other markings that are noticable on the MS disk.
The "ubisoft" version of this disk is not from the original company based in the United States. Nor does the U.S. based company make any such duplications of the original MS disk.
The ubisoft version of the disk has flaws which are known to cause problems with mods created with the official ms version. Because it is a "hacked" version, this is the basis of what has been causing many problems.
These flaws have caused server file corruption and server crashes to say the least.

If you don't believe me, investigate it for yourself. Follow the trail, ask questions and visit the official Ubisoft site. Then go pay the other "ubisoft" site a visit. You'll begin to see it more clearly.

There are 2 Ubisoft sites. One is the Official U.S. site and the other is based in Africa (if it hasn't moved to avoid litigation)
I'm telling you the truth here, that the ubisoft site that put out this "hacked" version of Freelancer didn't know what the hell they were doing except to sucker in unsuspecting "customers" to buy this at some discount. Those who bought the hacked version didn't know what they were getting nor the technical problems it would cause.
Those problems still exists today and they are numerous.
I give you the initial post as testimony of the person who is having problems now using this no cd (cracked) version.

Edited by - Rankor on 9/18/2007 8:49:18 PM

Hmm. Restoring the ENTIRE /data/ directory did nothing other than take up my precious clock cycles. Not only did it not work, it removed the parts I *had* fixed.

It starts me out in an uncharted "omicron major" system, only instead of a dyson sphere, I'm drifting around a tristar system with absolutely nothing else in it. Not even a starsphere. On top of this, the starting "mission" is "Dock with Planet Toledo".

I know how to correct the starting system error, but I'm stuck at setting the starting mission. Is that even possible? >_>

I correct me, its not called ubisoft extreme, its Ubisoft Exclusive, which is the budget "part" of ubisoft, therefore they dont list it on their homepage as a "featured" game.
See this info:

"Since 2002 Ubisoft's budget-range "Ubisoft Exclusives" with titles like "Settlers IV", "Morrowind" and "Splinter Cell" is distributed by rondomedia on an exclusive base."

rondomedia is publishing the Ubisoft exclusive games.
Its a german company, not an african

Let me state it more clearly this way;
If it is not the official MS/DA Version of Freelancer. It is not a legal disk.
If it carries any other logo or trademark other than MS & DA, it is not a legal version.
If you happen to possess a legal MS/DA disk,
take a look at the EULA by exploring the CD.
The EULA is rather extensive and I'd rather not
have to post it here, but if you desire I can post it.

That company who put out a copy of the disk with it's own "ubisoft" logo on the disk may have had good intentions, but they were not granted any such permission to duplicate/resale the disk. I doubt seriously that they realized what kind of problems they were generating. They may have helped people afford the game who love it, but it has been causing more problems than you can possibly imagine while padding the pockets of it's unofficial duplicators/resellers. You know as well as I do, their interests are the "bottom dollar" and profit.

Call it what ever you want, it's still an illegal copy and it is technically flawed.

Now because the problem is so wide spread, it would be impractial and not cost effective for MS to pusue shutting it down. They can't make everyone who has it give it up.

So, even if MS has probably chosen not to pursue it, in the long run we are faced with endless problems that we've managed to create for ourselves because of it.

I think if we are ever to overcome the technical problems caused by these illegal versions, MS must eventually release the code.
Then again, MS just might never release it simply out of spite.
Talk about shooting ourselves in the foot!



Edited by - Rankor on 9/19/2007 5:21:14 AM

to clear up the situation with the no-exe versions

MS officially is not distributing FL any longer
Ubisoft bought the neccesary licences to sell FL (MS is getting money)
since MS is not much interested in selling FL (MS is getting their money from the licences in every case) they are also not much interested in protecting their product from pirated copies due to that fact
and for sure MS is not interested to hand over a MS copy-protection to another company
for both companies (MS + Ubisoft) it is absolutly ok to spread those unprotected copies nowadays