Direct2Drive any good?

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-10-27 09:48pm

I have a pre-order for Neverwinter Nights 2 from Gogamer, but I'm bummed about having to wait 2-3 extra days to get it. Then I saw that it would be available from D2D, but I'm somewhat leery, having no experience with them.

It says you can re-download games and back them up to CD's or DVD's at will, and that official patches will work normally. Is this accurate? Can I buy the game, download it, burn it, and then have it function identically to a store bought copy, or are there hidden snags? Do I have to activate it with them? Does it validate or phone home every time I want to play the game? Can I play without an Internet connection or if the company goes bankrupt?

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2006-10-27 11:25pm

It says you can re-download games and back them up to CD's or DVD's at will, and that official patches will work normally. Is this accurate?

Yes except in one or two of their games.
I for example have via direct to drive.
Hitman: Blood Money
Civilization 4
Pirates!
Beyond Good and Evil
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Silent Hunter III
Silent Hunter III due to it's starforce protection is the most limited of games, it must be re authenticated each time I play, but again it's due to Star force not Direct2Drive software.

Can I buy the game, download it, burn it, and then have it function identically to a store bought copy, or are there hidden snags? Do I have to activate it with them?

Nope, digital file only.

Let me give you a quick explanation.
When you download from Direct2Drive your getting an "X" gigabyte sized download of some game. Like say NWN2. After you download the 4GB encrypted image you get ready to install. Due to decryption and shear size your computer will sit there doing nothing for a solid one to eight minutes. Then the install screen pops up, looking just like as if you put in the DVD install. Your then promted for all the normal things but all the DVD/CD required stuff is ghosted within the game directory and the direct2drive encryption is removed. Now you have a normal NWN2 install as per installing it off a DVD. You check on your Direct2Drive page, grab your CD-key put it in and off you go.

Does it validate or phone home every time I want to play the game? Can I play without an Internet connection or if the company goes bankrupt?

Game to game basies, general no, the authentication after install is strictly through the game company not Direct2Drive. As stated above after the game is installed, Direct2drive is not involved except with it's first run games(Which needs repackaged patchs)

NWN2 for example runs just like a DVD install, but Farcry and Raven shield required custom patchs. Civ 4 used normal patchs for it. As did Pirates!.

Stark · Post by **Stark** » 2006-10-27 11:41pm

Yeah, the way the D2D versions are slightly different to regular ones would irritate me. Also, the 'constant authentication' model I've seen used on some titles simply pisses me off philosophically. The incompatibility with saves, patches, cracks and sometimes mods is a downer too.

Frankly, I'd buy a D2D game and pirate a DVD image. You own it, but you get a proper install that avoids the bullshit.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-10-28 12:31am

Hmm, well, I know I'll be chomping at the bit waiting for the game, but I'd rather wait 2 days than have to deal with unforseen bullshit. I don't really care that much about having a physical copy and manual + box (I just toss the boxes and put the manuals in a storage container and never look at them), so that part of the equation doesn't concern me.

You say that the validation on play depends on the game in question, do you know specifically whether NWN2 includes any extra validation over the regular version? Whether there's a possibility for incompatibility with mods and such?

What happens if I make a DVD backup of the game? Does it authenticate and then install and work normally?

If Direct2Drive goes belly up, will the games become useless unless D2D issues patches to remove the encryption as its last act? If so, are there cracks for their encryptions in case they don't remove it?

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2006-10-28 07:16am

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:
You say that the validation on play depends on the game in question, do you know specifically whether NWN2 includes any extra validation over the regular version? Whether there's a possibility for incompatibility with mods and such?

NWN2 like Civ4 is going to be identical to the DVD install, mods patches and everything else work fine. Minus the size of the install you could burn a backup of the entire install folder including the images and be just fine. (It is going to be near six gigabytes however)

What happens if I make a DVD backup of the game? Does it authenticate and then install and work normally?

again the install exe and the game are seperate issues. Once the new direct2drive games are unpacked there are identical to normal installs with a separate folder for the "images" of the various cd/dvds to be read off of.

If Direct2Drive goes belly up, will the games become useless unless D2D issues patches to remove the encryption as its last act? If so, are there cracks for their encryptions in case they don't remove it?

Direct2Drive is part of the Gamespy network and thus supported by Fileplanet. You legally own the games, if it does goes bellyup your games will still be supported through Gamespy.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-10-28 10:34am

Excellent. Looks like I might go that route, then. Thanks for the answers.

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2006-10-28 10:50am

I would also add that the recent Sword of the Stars fiasco severely tarnishes D2D's rep. Without bothering to tell the publishers OR the developers, D2D encrypted and compressed the game's data files for their distribution...which not only made modding their version impossible, but also caused enormous slowdowns for many, many players. When that came out, the devs were incandescently furious at them, and they stumbled along to push out a non-fucky version. Oh, yeah, and they were something like 3-4 weeks late on the first patch, too. Fuck 'em.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2006-10-28 01:25pm

Agian it's a game to game thing. Civ4, Pirates, Prince of Persia and Hitman all worked perfectly, I updated them with the general patches and everything was fine.

Silent Hunter III however was a giant headache/mess but that I can pin on Starforce not D2D. Beyond Good and Evil was fine but required redone patchs. Other than it's been fine.

Sword of Stars I can't comment on, having not played it.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2006-10-28 02:05pm

So Civ4 doesn't need it's own D2D-specific patches? Because the 1.61 patch page on CivFanatics says it does.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2006-10-28 03:55pm

I've not touched the game in a month. But up until August I've been patching it from blog standard patches.