My main account had its posting privileges removed for a reason I cannot explain. Was it because of the posts I did in the EA forums the day DA:O came out to help users get to playing and that earned me 10 karma and many thanks (but also suggested a cracked exe until EA would fix their server)? For those unaware, the day DA:O came out, many of us couldn't play because the serial would not be accepted. It took EA and Stardocks over a week to mail me a new key. I used a cracked exe to bypass a broken DRM scheme and finihed the game before a new key was even sent... don't think it warranted a boot though.
Otherwise, I don't see what it could be. I re-installed my browser a few times, cleared cache, searched for the forums, and a few hours later I created a new account and realized the buttons worked fine, they'd just been removed from my main account.
Would it have been so time consuming to take a minute to send me a PM saying "You've been placed into the visitor usergroup and had posting abilities suspended for "reason here"" rather than let me search the answer for hours? The community of this game is slowly dying, it's becoming more and more difficult to find games (except at peak hours) and the success is relying a lot on word of mouth, what kind of message do you send when you just kick someone off the curb without as much as a simple PM?
Oh, and I am a 23 years old medical student. I did not conduct myself like a self righteous brat or feel it is my divine right to post here, but a simple PM would have saved me time and provided an answer. Not to mention I wrote to a few mods 4 days ago, none has replied. If someone had, I wouldn't have felt the need to post here.
The whole affair was very unprofessional on your part. I don't see this community improving in size with that kind of practice and attitude. In the end how and who you choose to let post here is your own affair and this is your community, but certain ethics of conduct and decorum should be observed by nominated employees who moderate these forums.
Regards and Happy Turkey day to you all!
Suggesting using cracked software on sites owned by a software company will get you kicked in seconds. Quite right too.
Stardocks did not own the software, the rights belong to Bioware and the publisher, in this case, EA.
Stardocks simply distributes the game, and is ultimately responsible to offer the customer service in case of issues. I understand they were swamped at release. However it took several hours before I decided to make a step-by-step post so people could
1- Avoid the activation issue alltogether if they had not already tried to activate a product and get playing
2- How to fix the problem Stardocks created by forgetting an important package in their distribution package that prevented people from claiming their DLC or Collector Edition items. No official post about the issue was made until morning.
3- The cracked executable did not allow you to play if you did not have a valid serial to install the game, making the "pirated software" argument totally moot and meaningless. It was a temporary solution to allow people to play a product they had paid for, and were unable to play, because on one part from EA's incompetence, and second, from Stardock's mistake in the distribution.
The post was locked after a few hours but let there for everyone to see. It seemed like they wanted to officially say they didn't condode the actions, but if they really thought it was atrocious, they would have deleted the entire post alltogether.
So no, your arguments are flawed and irrelevant to the topic at hand. Stardocks could have deleted that part only. It did not remove the fact I did their job for them by supplying a clear step-by-step guide on how to avoid the issue and second get the DLC working...
In the end, even if they thought it warranted a ban, a simple PM would have been easy and appropriate. I've been modding on a site with millions of visitors for 5 years and also visiting many other communties, never have I heard of being banned without any warning whatsoever.
The forums is not the place to get this resolved. You should PM the Admin for that forum and discuss it in a civil manner. Hopefully you can resolve the issue.
I think you have that reversed. I also think you need to reflect on the symptom of impulsivity. In this case you could not defer playing a computer game (you're 23 years old? and a medical student?) to stay within the terms of a EULA.
Odd....as a medical student I didn't have that much time for games...could have been the family I was raising and reserve duty that interfered. Also...never had to play war games on the computer, having had enough of the real thing.
As Fuzzy said...not too bright of you advocating using cracks on a software sales site: Sort of like selling keys to the narcotics cabinet while standing in the DEA building, isn't it?
I did try to message 4 different employees/moderators without success. I thought a forum labeled "Forum Issues" would be a good 2nd place to check and seek help.
@DrJBHL: I was diagnosed with cancer last year, this is why I have time to play games since I'm on leave until Dec 12th 2009. The rest of your patronizing post wasn't necessary. How you succeded in making this about you, your medschool experience, and yourself, I'm not too sure, but you are right about something though. We can all be very impulsive, and many are also very selfrighteous! Your example of advocating using a cracked executable to play a legally purchased game with selling keys to the narcotics cabinet is totally ridiculous... there's no comparison at all. The first is ethically questionable at best, the second is completely illegal and would be grounds for a criminal record, license revokation and jail time... again, no comparison at all.
Even if breaking a EULA isn't "smart" according to your standards, I think making a customer wait over a week after paying his hard earned money on a broken product is a bigger crime. In the real World I would have been entitled to return it and get a full refund, but in the digital distribution world, you cannot, for returns aren`t accepted once it`s been downloaded.
In the end though, none of it prevented Stardocks from sending a simple 1-line PM to explain it, which is the main grudge I have about this, as I already said if they thought it warranted a ban it was their right.
Something tells me that there is not going to be a whole lot of understanding and sympathy towards your current situation.
Carguy1 gave you the best advice, you should PM the admin for the forum in question and ask for an explaination. Posting here really is only going to get you more frustrated.
EDIT: Since you all ready have tried contacting them, I think you need to give them some time to answer. How long has it been?
I'm not looking for sympathy, I'm simply looking for an answer. I REALLY wanted to avoid posting but when you tried the private approach with four different persons and your call for help is ignored, you turn to a second option.
I've been honest in explaining the issue. I'm not expecting sympathy, or a pat on my back.
just post a pm to frogboy (with many flames) he will listen:
https://forums.elementalgame.com/370034
On a more serious note: i don't think this belongs in the forum, i don't think there is anything to discuss just post a pm to a mod
Frogboy's really a nice person, had a chance to play with him 2 weeks ago, it was a nice fun and relaxing game!
He was one of the people I contacted, I suspect however he is very busy with testing all these games and new functions so I didn't think he would personally reply.
I'll give it a few more days and hope someone answers my PM
The man has a point. Morally questionable actions aside, he should have at least been told he was banned/gagged/whatever, rather that just being left in the dark. Its like that person in Australia who was arrested for driving on a suspended licence. Why had it been suspended? He failed to vote in a local election and so his licence was quietly revoked, ending in a big mess when he finally found out. The connection between the crime and the punishment is far more obvious here, but this whole situation could have been avoided if FK7 had been informed in the first place - this and any more flurry over the same issue.
why do people try to explain things with an analogy which is more complicated then the problem itself?
there are terms of conduct to this forum, so he should have been informed. But i agree i don't think a ban is appropriate since i doubt he will do it again. this is a private forum afterall so play by the rules.
Like one of my posts which were deleted and not a single word....the mod that banned him should have revoked posting abilities and sent a PM instead. It's a very lazy way of handling things.
Fact: you are being punished for violating the TOS. The rest...maybe so or not. If it's Ca...hope you recover fully. That does not alter the violation, however nor the manner you seek redress. Also, no one can know whether you have ca or not from your OP. Next time...let everyone know the full story first...self righteous? no. just busted my ass and was wondering why you weren't busting yours. You brought up being a med student, not me. Odd you didn't flesh that out.
I'm technically free of the cancer now (I'm not sure why you feel the need to censor the word...) since we caught it very early (and ironically, was caught while me and a friend were practicing physical exams on each other). The fact I had cancer or not is very irrelevant to the issue though, so I don't know why I'd have mentionned it...I mentionned the medstudent part because we're usually regarded as mature and intelligent people who can be reasoned with easily as opposed to the children a SD employee referred to in another post. As far as busting my ass goes, we're the most underpaid province of all Canada, with the worst work conditions - lots of people flee to the US (I don't really know why, who wants to worry more about malpractice suits than patient care..) or other Canadian provinces (like BC, which pays twice as much for half the hours!!!) but I feel I have a duty here, not to mention the government paid a lot of my medical formation, I'd feel guilty leaving for better money after the taxes of citizen helped pay to form me and when Ic an finally give back I just go to greener pastures... at least for now I would!
I'm sure the thread will have caught someone's attention by now! I apologize if I offended anyone and hope to hear from someone at SD soon!
Happy Turkey day to all you US folks, and have a great week-end all
Actually, probably not. This is a long holiday weekend for Stardock and when they go back to work on Monday they will have a backlog of work and PMs waiting for them. If you PM someone this weekend, there's a chance it could get lost in the multitude they have. I suggest PMing them and giving them a week to get back with you, then give it a shot again.
As for PMing Frogboy, he's the CEO of Stardock and may be too busy to deal with this personally.
Look at the forum that you're posting at to find out who is the Admin is and PM them. (This is cross posted to all of Stardock so I do not know which forum your at)
Bypassing a software distribution error via the use of a 'crack' may or may not be an appropriate course of action for an individual's moral interpretation of the laws pertaining to EULA, however posting in public for others how to do the same will always be met with zero tolerance.
Stardock is a Software company [and distributor] which will always protect its [and its partners'] distribution/property rights with immediate effect.
It is perhaps unfortunate that you were not informed of this action at the time, however you have clearly understood the sequence of cause and effect.
Warez 'promotion', no matter what the motivation will be dealt with quickly and efficiently.
1- Regardless of the infraction, it does not exscuse not sending me any message
2- A cracked executable is not warez. Not if it doesn't allow you to play without a legally purchased game. Such measure would NOT have been necessary if you had not fucked up part of the distribution, or cared enough to address the dozens of posts people were making at the time.
3- The "ban" came a full week after I made that post... if not two weeks. So why did you take action so late?
Your attitude is as questionable as the "temporary fix" I proposed.
Two wrongs does not make a right. I was making publicity for DG everywhere I could but I will no longer support an amateur company that doesn't have have the civility to send out a warning or a message to indicate something was wrong.
I do appreciate you taking the time to answer though.
Have a happy black friday everyone, may your shopping be blessed with lots of cheap and good stuff
Hmm, could it be you commited a second infraction then that you don't remember?
It seems the 'mature and intelligent people' has been cast aside.
You have made your point several times and I'm sure when the Holiday weekend is over with that you probably will get a response from the Mods you have messaged.
Please keep in mind that 'certain ethics of conduct and decorum should be observed by nominated employees who moderate these forums' also applies to all who post in the forums.
Thank you.
This is a private forum they could ban you for no reason, there are no rights so you better behave. It often isn't fair but complaining like this will get you nowhere.
I am a med student too, whoopity doo. It has such little relevance to the situation at hand. They never knew the info, so that part of your argument is null, but the way you conduct yourself in your above posts also refute your claim of maturity. You know what you did was dumb to do on a private software companies site about a partners product. Please grow up and move on, your profanity laced messages do nothing to ingraciate anyone to your plight. Accept your mistake and move forward.
Trigeminal....nicely worded....
Posting about any kind of crack in any gaming forum for any reason is 100% sure to get you a ban. No need to send you a PM, the moment you hit the "Submit Post" button, you already knew you were banned and why. Often, simply implyiing that you may have been on a site that may have also had a crack for a game 10 years ago is enough to get you banned. Now you know better.
Nice Necro
necro much; but I'll post about my butt crack. Will that get me banned?
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