The only way to prevent piracy is with an online subscription model, and even then that just makes accounts stealable - and so many people dont protect their password properly (I know, i'm guilty too - I dont want a complicated password for my online games that I play so rarely).
Blizzard came up with quite a nifty idea with a keyring dongle that is tied to your WoW account, as an optional extra, you use that to login instead of your normal password details - but I think it's a bit of a cheak to expect end users to pay for a problem that really is at the server end. Personally I think the best way to protect an account is a 'restore point' being created with each change in connecting IP address to an account, but anyway i've digressed (maybe Gin related).
All these other methods of game protection have failed, and inconvenience legitimate users and do not hinder pirates.
A good copy-protection system is one that hinders pirate users more than it hinders legitimate users. Look hard if you will, but i'm yet to see one - apart from the subscription model.
My view, having looked at the options, is if and when I ever do get to develope a personal games project again - i'd like to develop a game that uses the subscription model. Not to say i'd charge £14 a month. Maybe £5 for 2 months or something who knows, but the point is, aside from that I dont think i'd bother putting protection on at all.
Blizzard came up with quite a nifty idea with a keyring dongle that is tied to your WoW account, as an optional extra, you use that to login instead of your normal password details - but I think it's a bit of a cheak to expect end users to pay for a problem that really is at the server end. Personally I think the best way to protect an account is a 'restore point' being created with each change in connecting IP address to an account, but anyway i've digressed (maybe Gin related).
All these other methods of game protection have failed, and inconvenience legitimate users and do not hinder pirates.
A good copy-protection system is one that hinders pirate users more than it hinders legitimate users. Look hard if you will, but i'm yet to see one - apart from the subscription model.
My view, having looked at the options, is if and when I ever do get to develope a personal games project again - i'd like to develop a game that uses the subscription model. Not to say i'd charge £14 a month. Maybe £5 for 2 months or something who knows, but the point is, aside from that I dont think i'd bother putting protection on at all.