Starforce Activation Blight

[AstralWanderer]

Having played (and enjoyed) both King's Bounty and Armored Princess, I was both surprised and angry to find Crossworlds requiring online activation.

Given that 1C are offering the original King's Bounty DRM-free on GOG (retail version used a media check) and released a DRM-free DVD of Armored Princess, I can only assume that their release manager is a manic-depressive sociopath on probation from a Moscow asylum.

I have never knowingly purchased software using this obnoxious form of user-control since, as a paying customer, I insist on being able to use/install my purchases as and when I please - including on a system that never has been (and never will be) connected to the Internet. This also includes boycotting all digital distributors (Steam, GamersGate, Impulse) aside from GOG and a few indies, since they inflict similar restrictions (or worse in Steam's case). Anyone unfamiliar with the problems inherent in such systems should review Shamus Young's Authorization Servers article.

My response? I'm returning my copy (unactivated and unplayed) to Amazon for a refund (since their webpage didn't mention activation) and have left a negative review to warn others.