Is Pandora really DRM free?

[IainMcNeil]

Yes patches are stand alone so the poster is completely incorrect but lets not let the facts spoil a good internet rant! Some people have no interest in the truth, just in complaining

The only thing that you need to connect to the server for are mini live updates which are not required to play the game so by definition are not DRM.

Its like saying the development versions which are WiP are not available to download therefore you have DRM as you are forcing us to come back to your site when they are ready!

[ukjohn]

Pandora First Contact DOES have DRM because you HAVE to be online to play it! If you cannot stick it on your laptop to go on a long journey because it needs to initialize online, then that is, de-facto, DRM!

[zakblood]

the developer and the boss (Ian) have already explained other wise, but please feel free to disagree with both

[ukjohn]

Of course they would, because they don't care they have created a game that is ideal to while away the hours on a long journey, and yet you cannot just because the game has to initialize using the internet!

This will leave me continuing to play Alpha Centauri when I take my business trips, and certainly stops me buying any similar "travelling" game from you, like "Earth's End"!

[zakblood]

as they have already explained, once it's up to date, it doesn't need to connect unless you wish to go online for MP.

for me your not seeing this as how it works,

i'll explain if you let me,

add the game to your firewall and then see if it ever happens again, In product requirements it says internet required for MP and nothing about being required for SP as none is, but as it has a kind of inbuilt internal server, blocking it with a firewall stops the game from initializing and working as designed,

so step one, update game to latest version and allow game in the firewall / Anti Virus white or safe list and play from a admin account and run the game exe as admin, and it won't happen again, even when your travelling and don't have net access.

http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=3483925

Security Applications
Antivirus and firewall software play an important role in your computer security. They help protect your computer from viruses, malware and spyware infections. However, when protecting your computer, they can prevent legitimate programs, like Pandora, from installing, updating or running. Adding exceptions for Pandora executables or disabling your security software can help resolve these conflicts.

[ErissN6]

, once it's up to date, it doesn't need to connect unless you wish to go online for MP

But to be up to date 1.6.3, the game needs internet, as the last patch to be downloaded is the EoN 1.50 expansion
(or the old 1.20 http://www.matrixgames.com/products/435/downloads/ )
There is no further patch we can save (such on our external HD) and install later without using internet.
As long a game needs a distant server to update (instead of a local HD), he is DRM protected (by the server of the rights owner).
Sure we may copy and save localy the whole 710Mo folder of the installed game, but it's too not the clean nor official installation way, it's not intended so it's like a hack and is not supported (it's even worse than the easily hacked GamersGate drm, as the small hack permit to save the installers).

You can just copy/zip backup/dowhatever with a patched installation, it will work fine on any supported system/harddrive.

If that's official (and supported of course) then it should be sticked.
"it will work fine": the copied game will run exactly like with the usually installed game?

[SephiRok]

"it will work fine": the copied game will run exactly like with the usually installed game?

Nothing special is done on installation apart from setting the installation folder to writable by all (so the updater works if you're not admin and install into a write-restricted folder like "Program Files") and create shortcuts. On Mac and Linux there is no installer.