EA/Bioware - DRM FAIL

J

JayteeBates

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Jul 21, 2007
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So I played through DA2 twice since release and had a great time. So I decide to go and play through DA:O again as a tank instead of as a mage like I did the first time. So I install on steam and get ready to play...but there is no DLC even listed and I know I had the Collector's Edition.

So after some googling and finding out your installer fails to install the DLC updater service properly I manually do it. Then I get my DLC content to show up and it starts downloading hunky dorry! However when it is finished it shows up as UNAUTHORIZED. So more googling and then verifying it is actually enabled on my account at the user_entitlements page of the Bioware website and still nothing. In fact - I can't even load up the game I had already started!

This is why people like me who actually BUY YOUR CRAP go to pirate sites. I bought it for real and I can't even play the goddam thing.
 
That is not specific to DA2 because the same crap would happen with DA. Getting support for the problem from EA was worthless and I eventually did a few google searches and found the answer. It involved had editing the Addins.xml file in <your documents>\Bioware\Dragon Age\Settings or in your case \Dragon Age 2\. Hope this leads you to a solution.

Tark
 
Bioware community and the DRM attached to it has been utter shit since day one. Worst idea EA has ever had.
 
Same problem with DA here.

Creating DA updater service, opening firewall, etc. all did nothing. EA would not never authorize the content.
 
JayteeBates said:
This is why people like me who actually BUY YOUR CRAP go to pirate sites. I bought it for real and I can't even play the goddam thing.
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And they'll count your download among their "piracy losses" too.

So even though they made money from you, they'll claim they lost money.
 
Tark said:
That is not specific to DA2 because the same crap would happen with DA. Getting support for the problem from EA was worthless and I eventually did a few google searches and found the answer. It involved had editing the Addins.xml file in <your documents>\Bioware\Dragon Age\Settings or in your case \Dragon Age 2\. Hope this leads you to a solution.

Tark
Click to expand...

I'm talking about DA:Origins bud but thanks for the info. I did several searches as well...My problem is one thing will show as authorized and then another as unauthorized - then it will change randomly on logout/re-login.
 
Reply from the Customer Support people - might actually help me...Will try it when I get home and report back.

Greetings,


Thank you for writing to us at Electronic Arts.

I apologize for any inconvenience caused to you thus far.

I would like to inform you that there is temporary issue going on and our engineer are working towards the issue . I would request you to please be patient till the issue gets resolved.In addition you can try with Locate AddIns.xml in "C:/Users/(Username)/Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Settings" and edit it using WordPad or any XML editor. Replace *all* RequiresAuthorization="1" with RequiresAuthorization="0".

Your patience is highly appreciated while resolving this issue.

If you have any further questions or concerns please reply to this email or visit our extensive knowledge base online at http://support.ea.com.

Sincerely,

Gordon
Customer Support
Electronic Arts
Click to expand...
 
The drm situation is so damn ludicrous. You sometimes need a "crack" to play your paid for game. Jeez.

I mean, why? How stupid are the people running these companies? They probably never played a PC game in their life.
 
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Hmm, did that customer service agent just tell everyone how to get around authorizing the dlc?
 
Dirk13 said:
Hmm, did that customer service agent just tell everyone how to get around authorizing the dlc?
Click to expand...

Mhm. Though points to the CSR for providing real help and not giving some canned "sorry you're boned" answer like most of them do when dealing with game companies.
 
Derangel said:
Mhm. Though points to the CSR for providing real help and not giving some canned "sorry you're boned" answer like most of them do when dealing with game companies.
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Indeed. I went through this with alpha protocol. Knew what the problem was, there was even a temporary work around posted ON THEIR FORUMS. I used the work around, but it worked by requiring "re-authorizing", which rapidly depleted the "allowed installations" cap. Meaning i could play 5 times, and then nothing.

Got ahold of tech support, provided them with links (to that thread, again on THEIR forums). Provided them with all the info they requested from me. Did all the driver update/patches/blah blah they wanted me too, and it still doesn't work.

GG asshats. If the game was worth pirating, i probably would have, so that i could have finished playing a game I PAID FOR.
 
JayteeBates said:
Reply from the Customer Support people - might actually help me...Will try it when I get home and report back.
Click to expand...

"Greetings,


Thank you for writing to us at Electronic Arts.

I apologize for any inconvenience caused to you thus far.

I would like to inform you that there is temporary issue going on and our engineer are working towards the issue . I would request you to please be patient till the issue gets resolved.In addition you can try with Locate AddIns.xml in "C:/Users/(Username)/Documents/Bioware/Dragon Age/Settings" and edit it using WordPad or any XML editor. Replace *all* RequiresAuthorization="1" with RequiresAuthorization="0".

Your patience is highly appreciated while resolving this issue.

If you have any further questions or concerns please reply to this email or visit our extensive knowledge base online at http://support.ea.com.

Sincerely,

Gordon
Customer Support
Electronic Arts "



This works, had to do it myself. Either do this or just don't log in to the authorization servers and you'll be good. When Dragon Age 2 released, somehow something or someone at EA/Bioware hosed the authentication servers. They were broken for a week or so then got fixed. Appears they're broken again.I contacted EA support by live chat, only reliable way to get ahold of em btw. DAO told me I had exceeded my install limit which is bullshit but the guy in live chat fixed me right up. It annoys the fuck out of me too so fuck them I paid for the game , I contact support and make them fix it, easy enough.
 
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spaceman said:
The drm situation is so damn ludicrous. You sometimes need a "crack" to play your paid for game. Jeez.

I mean, why? How stupid are the people running these companies? They probably never played a PC game in their life.
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It's even more ludicrous when companies release cracks as updates to fix problems caused by DRM.
 
Way to spend money on something only to not have it work and then have to spend more money to fix WHAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN DONE IN THE FIRST PLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

What is really disturbing, this is how most of our system work. Government, education, corporations, military.....lol

Anyway, lesson here is pay for the game and DL the crack. GG
 
This "temporary" issue has been going on pretty much since release and Bioware had long ago posted the above on their website (somewhere in their FAQs I think.)

But yes, it's a horrible DRM implementation, and one of many reasons that I pretty much don't buy anything EA anymore.
 
Well that did removethe authentication issue - however when I started the game my companions were all headless and naked! I took a SS and will post it later. I finally seem to have gotten a way to make it work normally. I simply log in, log out log in a few times and it eventually catches. BS I know but it eventually works. It also seems to help if I manually turn on and off the DA Updater service.

Then I ran into the mem leak bug >< I get about 40 min or so in and boom CTD.
 
Now I successfully played through Witch Hunt but now when I try and play the Gollum on I can pick a charactor but then I get "Unable to Load Area" I even uninstalled it and then downloaded the stand alone installer. No difference.
 
just submit a key to support, screen shots of your purchase etc they are normally pretty good at it, I just had them fix a couple old games myself and had them add them to my eadm account.
 
Spare-Flair said:
LOL did they just tell us how to override their DRM and authorize all content? :D
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haha!! but this is funny and sad at the same time. sad because they'll prolly implement the same DRM in the future..

but DA2 is good. my only complaint for the lack of exploration and for the recycling. good moving, emotional story.. i do like tragic stories...
 
JayteeBates said:
Well that did removethe authentication issue - however when I started the game my companions were all headless and naked! I took a SS and will post it later. I finally seem to have gotten a way to make it work normally. I simply log in, log out log in a few times and it eventually catches. BS I know but it eventually works. It also seems to help if I manually turn on and off the DA Updater service.

Then I ran into the mem leak bug >< I get about 40 min or so in and boom CTD.
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That method posted earlier does not authorize the dlc content, it just removes the check to see if it is authorized. I used the same method to keep me from logging in every time I wanted to play. My dlc was still unauthorized and everything was partially stripped from my game. For example, I could start Wardens Keep, but couldn't get it to show on the map. I lost a significant amount of play time because I didn't notice this right away and made several saves. I had to restart my game.

The fix for my login problem was luckily simple. I just had to copy my cd key to another registry key and problem solved. Now I can play without logging in. This is apparently an issue only with the ultimate edition.
 
I say we stop purchasing DLC. I know I don't pay for shit that should have COME WITH THE GAME, but they decided to remove it and make an extra buck off it. I don't actively support any developer that engages in the paid DLC model. If they release a AAA title, I might check it out, but other than that, the hell with them.
 
simonizor said:
I say we stop purchasing DLC. I know I don't pay for shit that should have COME WITH THE GAME, but they decided to remove it and make an extra buck off it. I don't actively support any developer that engages in the paid DLC model. If they release a AAA title, I might check it out, but other than that, the hell with them.
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So you have proof that any of this was ripped from the game and not not developed later? There are examples like Bioshock 2 and Mafia 2 out there, but it doesn't really apply in this case. And there is nothing wrong with DLC. Good DLC is nothing more than small expansion packs. The pricing of them could be better (and we could do without some the stupid shit like weapon packs, appearance packs, and map packs) but over all there is nothing wrong with the concept of DLC.
 
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