In the latest beta, no, there are no cdkeys. There is a unique key so you can affiliate yourself with your character if you reinstall the game but there is no cdkey to keep out warezers, unfortunately. Perhaps something like this has been implemented into the retail version, i dont know.

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I suspect there will be cd keys for full version, and they must be monitored. Since you must log onto a microsoft server in order to connect to player server's, microsoft can easily set it up so it checks to make sure you are using full version, thus eliminating using beta once full version is released, and to check to make sure only 1 cd key is on at a time.

*Sigh* Looks like i'll need a second copy for dedicated server....

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Would you care to follow me... --DEATH

In the beta, the dedicated server software doesn't run through the game, it's a separate program. As far as I can tell, it'll probably not need another copy to run it. Doing that would be pretty stupid anyway, lol!


<@ElectricBrain> TACH IS DEAD! <@Tachyon> am not <@Tachyon> stfu <@ElectricBrain> no u stfu <@Tachyon> no you
<@ElectricBrain> no u <@Tachyon> no you <@ElectricBrain> no u <@Tachyon> NO YOU I WIN
-- Our very fine IRC ops --

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Since you must log onto a microsoft server in order to connect to player server's, microsoft can easily set it up so it checks to make sure you are using full version

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This simply is not true. More on this as we get closer to the release date. And yes, the server software runs on it's own executables. This means you do not need to have the CD in to run the server part...but you do need the CD to run the client software.

any news? I dont want warez puppies flooding the servers!

It's sad that even CD Key can't protect software properly.
CD Keys can only protect games where you HAVE to connect to a central, company controlled server.
And I don't think you have to in FL. I assume you can also connect to a server via direct IP. Normally these servers then connect to a central database to check if your key is correct, but this can probably be cracked.
So it's likely that the warezers CAN play online, but they won't get a ingame server listing and can only play on cracked servers (Just like in UT2003 for example). So if you play on legit servers you will hopefully never see one of them.

Sadly the best part of Freelancer in my eyes is singleplayer, and nothing can stop them from cracking this.

So true...but the good news cracked CD-Keys and private servers aren't that common in the warez world. I know people who actually play on private servers and they tell me it's pretty bad...you get bad connections, cheaters galore, even on a BIG game you'd get about 100 people max on a private server. I rather spend the extra $50 and play a game with ALL the features unrestricted thank you.

Still I am looking more forward to FL offline though. From experience (like IL-2 Stormovik) I know if I play online, knowing me I will have to devote several hours each day so I get to know people, build up my character, get invitations to join squads, go into practices, fight cheaters and lamers, so for some reason it always makes playing more of a chore for me and the game will end up collecting dust...FOREVER! (for fear my squad will kill me when I come back 3 weeks later, lol). I rather kick back, spend 30 minutes-1 hour, exit the game and do other stuff like build up my 3D portfolio and draw .


I pity da foo, thug, o villian that trys takin' over da world, then comes home cryin' to his mamma!
-Mr. T

-- So true...but the good news cracked CD-Keys and private servers aren't that common in the warez world.

Erm... sorry to burst your bubble but it's sadly quite the opposite acually.

-- I know people who actually play on private servers and they tell me it's pretty bad...you get bad connections, cheaters galore, even on a BIG game...

Sadly again, it's the same here.

Certain tools exist today to practically clone a 'legit' copy to a backup and use it as the real thing. And by this I don't mean burning programs that allow you to copy 'exact copies' of cds. Programs that dump the cd on a drive and imitates the original's 'identity' of sorts.

I myself have used these tools with, if you want to call it, success. My reasons are my own.

Freelancer though, is going to be one of the few pc games that I'll buy this year, along with Halo when it arrives.

//chigiri

Edited by - chigiri on 19-02-2003 20:26:30