So will Jedi Academy come with a CD-KEY for multiplayer check? How about Punkbuster to get rid of those pesky scripters?
And if it does come with CD-Key, will it be possible to ban key's from a server, like in HL?
Punkbuster? lol u some 1337 counterstrike h4x0r?
punkbuster was REALLY nothing
Dude, punkbuster was very very buggy, and Valve did 1000 times better with their own Anti-Cheat Modules :) And cheating death and HLGuard did better too :)
And yeah, I wonder if there's going to be a cd-key system this time around. My guess is no, don't see why they will this time...
The way I look at it, nothing is unbreakable - if people want to cheat or pirate they will. However, I think that a CD-key system would provide some reasonable amount of copy-protection. Just about every FPS I own has one, including Raven's other 2002 game SoFII, so I was surprised JKII didn't. Maybe LucasArts didn't want it ?
Mike
I welcome anything that will cut down on piracy and cheating. As stated, serious and determined pirates will find workarounds, but it can help to stop casual opportunists from taking advantage 'just because they can'.
I have no problem with entering a CD-Key on installation - these days they're printed on the back of the manual, anyway, so it's harder to 'lose' them. And as most games in the UK come in DVD style cases, with the manuals inside, it's even harder to lose them unless you're really determined. :p
Obviously, making the game itself as robust as possible to deter and prevent cheating, is essential. There's nothing worse than some idiot spoiling everyone's game just so they can inflate their ego online, and fool themselves into thinking they're 'cool' because they can 'own' everyone else by breaking the rules. :rolleyes:
I agree with this CD-Key protection system.Here in my country alone,although police are doing extensive raids,piracy is rampant like anything.I bet billions have been lost.
yeah piracy is getting really bad, i would welcome a cd-key if it would mean less people would copy the game
Originally posted by txa1265
The way I look at it, nothing is unbreakable - if people want to cheat or pirate they will. However, I think that a CD-key system would provide some reasonable amount of copy-protection. Anything can be hacked, but the important thing is to make difficult enough so that it isn't worth the effort to do it. :)
Yes, as much copy protection as possible is a welcome thing. If I'm understanding the context of the original post, though, it's more about using the keys to ban certain unwanted guests from a multiplayer server. I never played JO online much, so correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't there a ban function anyway? Or is it just a temporary kick? I'm not sure how much easier or effective it would be with a key ban as opposed to what is(or isn't) already there.
Originally posted by StormHammer
I have no problem with entering a CD-Key on installation - these days they're printed on the back of the manual, anyway, so it's harder to 'lose' them. And as most games in the UK come in DVD style cases, with the manuals inside, it's even harder to lose them unless you're really determined.
Naw, It is way to easy for people to steal CD keys out of boxes at the stores now anyways(I know this because some one in one of my clans once used to do this). I think this could be avoided by actually putting it in the cd itself, like for instense it could be in a wordprocessing document. But I just wish people would be more sivilized than to have to steal. I am deffinitly not a fan of piracy. :mad:
I don't care about a CD key, it doesn't bother me. Even in newer PC games, LEC hasn't had any CD protection at all, so it's unlikely they will for JA.
PunkBuster is excellent. I don't know how it was for Half-Life stuff, but it offers such great protection for Quake III based games. SoF2, Q3, Enemy Territory, it stops people from exploiting cvars and commands. You can't have a zoom on all weapons using the cg_fov, that sort of thing. I really hope PunkBuster supports JA. If it keeps out just one cheating idiot, then it's worth it.
I don't care for CD protection either like someone said Pirates will find a way anyway, and I find typing the key in an inconveinience anyway (yes I am that lazy!)
A CD key at installation is decent protection (particularly for MP) - but frankly I download the no-CD hacks anyway because I hate having to load and unload CD's to play different games - and waiting around for safedisk or whatever they're using - is a pain.
That's the other thing. SafeDisc is getting easier to crack, yet it still costs a whopping amount of money. LEC is not stupid enough to invest in something that will be so easily broken. A multiplayer CD key check is the easiest, most reliable, cheapest, and most effective overall copy protection method.
I HATE CD KEYS... they are annoying... many a times my cd cases get smashed by idiots, the paper comes off, the print is worn etc etc.
Still, it isn't bad but it is very annoying when i want to give osmeone a 'loan' of the cd and i have to give them glass cases (don't mind dvd ones)
Just my random rant for the day.
Originally posted by Emon
PunkBuster is excellent. I don't know how it was for Half-Life stuff, but it offers such great protection for Quake III based games.
Yes, which is why when I turn it on the ping for every ET server the browser got back is multiplied by 8. I join a server with 500ms latency (because that's the fastest server) and I get kicked immediately (ping is too high). Without Punkbuster, the fastest server on the server list has 50 ms - compared to 500 with Punkbuster.
Well that is odd. My pings hover around twenty or thirty milliseconds with PunkBuster on. Everyone I know uses it, and none of them have problems.
While I'm all against people pirating, I myself am on my 2nd, yes 2nd, copy of JO. Don't get me wrong. I purcased the game. I wouldn't have it any other way. But since I play a fair amount of JO, I needed copies. To my left is my first copy of JO which is now a coaster for my drinks :D I just wish there is a way I can put JA on multiple computers (in the same house of course), which I can also copy for preservation of the original. But at the same time prevent other people from pirating. What is the world coming too? :(
I always write my CD key on the cd - even I have to borrow one of my wife's silly white pens to write on a black label. I also always make a copy in case I lose it or someone decides to take a wire brush to it, or it just craps out because of wear and tear.
Yeah a CD-Key is the best way to protect online gameplay. It worked for Half-Life, didn't it? But don't think it's cheap, because all cd-keys have to be checked with the master server and that costs bandwith and processing power. That means LA or Raven has to have some server somewhere, which costs a lot, only to check the cd-keys.
But I think the alternative, everyone copying your game, will cost them much more!
Oh and punkbuster for HL sucked. It really did! I believe PB for HL was the first punkbuster, and hence full of bugs. They had lots of experience when they started PB for other games. AND Valve didn't really give PB lots of support, in fact they kinda blocked PB, because they were working on their own anti-cheat modules (which were waaay better, mind you!)...
Eh? There's already a Raven master server for keeping lists of servers. Adding client CD key checking wouldn't be hard. It's also a hell of a lot cheaper than a SafeDisc license.
Contacted activision but still no word on a cd-key feature and/or PB support
Originally posted by praenuntius
I think it's a consumer right to have backups. And backups that will actually work. Since the crackers win eventually, all they are doing is annoying legitimate users.
I agree with your first statement very much, but the second part of it is the crux of the problem. Record companies blame a 25% decrease in sales on piracy (I won't debate the numbers here ...), and game companies say they are losing tons of money annually to piracy. These things make them desparate, and make them do silly things to protect their assets and intellectual property.
Music companies have started getting extreme, making CD's that won't play in PC's and have extreme copy protection (no I don't want to pirate your music, just listen to it on my iPod!), and game companies are likely to do the same.
Much software I deal with professionally has hardware or complex software security. On some you would have to 'authorize' your hard drive for installation, and if that install gets blown ... you may have to pay for a new authorization ($25 on $400 software). I don't know where games are going in this regard, but unless there is a change in pirating of retail property, then knee-jerk reactions that impact honest users most will be the result.
Mike
Having a key server would not stop a legitimate user from making all the backups he wants. While it would not stop piracy of the game, it would severally hamper any pirates (because the main attraction of the game, Multiplayer online, would be unavailable to them).
Thus, there is a built-in incentive for pirates who enjoy the game to buy it in order to get the "full deal" (sort of like shareware).
The bonus for players is that they don't have to put up with pirates joining servers that may be less likely to behave themselves (they don't care, because they got the game for free). That's not to say that all pirates will behave that way, but we know from experience that some are prone to.
Jedi Outcast didn't even have a normal cd key for crackers to crack, all they had to do was copy the disc and they were set to pirate it as much as they wanted. At least putting in a windows style cd key would slow them down a bit. But again, the keyserver would do far more good, even on its own.
Originally posted by Kurgan
The bonus for players is that they don't have to put up with pirates joining servers that may be less likely to behave themselves (they don't care, because they got the game for free). That's not to say that all pirates will behave that way, but we know from experience that some are prone to.
Unfortunately that is something I find generally true - pirates are cheaters, are whiners, and have a ... flexible system of morality (Clinton would be so proud of his legacy :rolleyes: ). They believe that they are entitled to everything free ... and right now, and pitch a fit when they don't get it.
I hope they do something ... anything.
Mike
The cd key system for the quake 3 engine is all you need really.
you can "keyegn" keys for applications like photoshop or whatever but online games need to authenticate with a master server and they only accept legit keys.
oh sure it may say "key accepted" on the install but the second you try to connect online you will get an "invalid cd key" message.
to this day there has never been a public working keygen for quake 3.
not bad considering it's 4 years old.
punk buster for games like SOF 2 and quake 3, rtcw is a good idea.
Those games draw a more competitive type of player and cheating is rampant if left unchecked.
PB *does cause lag and occasional problems but the trade off is worth it for those games. If you have ever played Quake 3 back in the day when "pure cracks" were common (cracks pure server protection) you know what I mean.
JK2 simply does not have enough players who have a vested interest in the competitive aspect of gaming to draw any real interest in cheating. And hence there is no reason to take all the problems and issues PB has and lag the game down for no reason.
People cheat to win and when you go to a jk2 ffa server with 20 people and the score is 0 at the end of the map change because people are just /amsitting all over the place, trust me, winning is not something the majority of the jk2 community holds in high regards.
Originally posted by FK | unnamed
People cheat to win and when you go to a jk2 ffa server with 20 people and the score is 0 at the end of the map change because people are just /amsitting all over the place, trust me, winning is not something the majority of the jk2 community holds in high regards.
hahahahahahahahahahahahaha :D
wait - except the one guy with a -1 kill because he fell to his death doing the 'stand on each other's head' move ... :rolleyes:
That is why I will miss Jedi Master mode. Sure it didn't have many players, but if you had the saber you didn't have a second to waste, and if you didn't you were watching for the saber holder's blue body through the walls. I generally found it good-spirited and competitive.
Mike
to this day there has never been a public working keygen for quake 3
Exactly so. After awhile, ID software took their keyserver offline, meaning that any key typed in would work (people would get errors, but could still get on, even if they just typed a bunch of random keystrokes).
A keyserver would force pirates to get the game, if they wanted to play it online, thus the only players online would be people who had obtained the game legally. I would be a shame if they missed this opportunity...
And all of those emotes are not part of the game, but are mods, so it isn't Raven's fault if those people don't appreciate a good competative game.
I don't see where you get off saying that "there are not enough competative JK2 players" for there to be cheating. There have been many public JK2 tournaments and ladder competitions, etc. and yet there is no cheating that I know of (only the occasional whining about "Scripts" and the few bugs that were exploitable in early versions). As far as I can tell, Punkbuster simply isn't needed for JK2 at this time. But a keyserver from the start would have been a good idea.
Raven/LA, forget The MSN Gaming Zone... forget microsoft. NOBODY plays games like this on the zone anyway, because they already have a built-in server browser that is soooo easy to use and you can run your own dedicated server for free!
Sorry man but I disagree and I’m speaking from the perspective as a person who has done *only competitive ladder/league play for the last year.
I came to jk2 from the quake 3 community and compared to that scene (q3) there is an almost utter lack of competitive drive among players in general in jk2.
Every ladder I played on for jk2 (ogl/twl etc.) was semi dead even in it's prime compared to other games they hosted competition for.
And the thing was, although the ladder play was dead the game had a ton of people "playing it".
Or I should say hanging out in servers, chatting, emoting etc.
It's that way across the board, ask any members of dsbr who were regarded as the best of all time in jk2 gun/competition play, there simply was a lack of serious competition and I don't just mean skill level.
People simply would not sign up for tournaments in droves like they do for other games.
Oh sure you could get a few people here and there to play in some "back yard" tourney but the true ladder/league/sponsored competitions have been utter failures.
Every time a new league tried to get going it almost immediately fell flat on it's face.
Siege leagues, XTGL, take your pick.
People want to goof around in pubs, that’s fine with me, but as one who has really done nothing but pure competitive play for the last year, don't just take my word, ask any ladder/league player.
There simply are not enough people who are serious about competition in this game beyond the "my kill tracker has 800 kills!" level.
Hence the reason you don’t see CAL rushing to support a game like this (don't let the banner fool you, there were plans to support jk2, one of our members was going to head it up. but alas as usual not enough players showed interest)
http://www.caleague.com/)
Okay, fine, you win, we're just a community of non-competative roleplaying n00bs. No need to bother with us.
I give up. ; p
[Edit: Sorry if that sounded angry, I was kinda tired when I wrote it. Suffice to say though, if the community is really that uncompetative, chances are JA won't do much to change that, considering how similar the games are.]
A CD-key system would be a wise choice. I couldn't believe that outcast didn't require a key. I was sitting there gawking at my computer screen for about 3 minutes trying to figure out why I didn't have to put in a cd-key, then searched the contents of the box to find that it didn't require one on installation. Needless to say, that pretty much makes lucasarts asking for it to be pirated.
Cd-key is welcome, however they BETTER not go overboard like they did with freaking C&C generals - you need separate legit keys to even play on a lan game! If that happens I will be severely enraged...
Either way, I will be one customer who will shell out the money for a WELL deserved game...:)
Indeed, the copy protection in C&C stuff has been pretty bad since Red Alert 2. Having both my CDs nearly mutilated to a non-working condition though a horrible chain of loans out of my control, I wish I had backup copies. I can also say, from experience, that backups are very, very hard to make for these games.
Originally posted by Zolden
I couldn't believe that outcast didn't require a key. ... Needless to say, that pretty much makes lucasarts asking for it to be pirated. While I also expected a CD-Key, I think that saying that someone is 'asking for it to be pirated' is like saying that by not using a system like Sony's music copy protection that 'normal' CD's are 'asking to be pirated' ... ot to take it to an extreme, that a skimpily dressed women is 'asking for it ...'
Unfortunately, the digital age has allowed a shift of blame, and a trivialization of wrongdoing - things like "if they don't protect it, what do they expect - it's their own fault'" and "hey, it's not like robbing a store is it?" are too rampant. Ask the makers - whether you steal it off a truck of off some file sharing network, you are stealing it, and they are seeing real losses as a result.
Mike
1. There is no need for cheat protection in a game that has no viable cheats except for one. The only cheat ever to work on JK2 was a ported Q3 wallhack. And with Force Seeing, that thing is about useless.
2. Scripting is not cheating. It's built into the game engine. It has been and will be in every game for many years to come so long as there are scripted events within the game. The Unreal games have it too. It's not cheating because everyone can do it, and more often then not it is a hinderance to becoming REALLY good at a game. We in FK get accused of scripting all the time because of combo moves we do. Moves that are next to impossible to effectively script. Anyone who cries about scripters doesn't know the first thing about how the game engine works nor has taken the time to learn the full scope of the game. It's always easier to accuse others of "cheating" or "scripting" instead of just saying, "damn I got owned".
3. There has not been ANY kind of real competition in JK2 since the 1.03 patch. That's a fact. The CAL ladder closed before the 1.03 patch. Provinggrounds ladders are still up but haven't seen movement in over a year (DSbr is still ranked on it LOL). The XTGL 3v3 Tourney lasted to the last 3 teams then was never completed. Teamwarfare (TWL) was the only one to have semi-decent active ladders and they've been dead for a good 5 months atleast with the exception of the 1v1 FF and NF ladders, which I guarantee none of you would compete in for the simple fact that every other word out of your mouths would be "scripter" or "cheater".
4. JA is just going to be JO on steroids. And there won't be any CDkey type protection. For some reason LucasArts doesn't use it, hence why their games are probably the most and easiest pirated games of all time. The "leak" that's out now proves it, but it also happened with JK2. There was a "beta leak" of that too.
heh I wonder if twl even wants to deal with jk2 people again after all the crap that has gone on there in the last year.
it was one of the least played ladder systems yet had the worst bunch of hell raisers in the whole league.
as for lucas?
who knows why they don't put a key system in it.
my only guess is because of the sw cash cow they think the pirate crap won't hurt them that bad.
sad thing is 6 out of 10 players I meet have a downloaded version...
:(
Originally posted by FK | unnamed
sad thing is 6 out of 10 players I meet have a downloaded version...
Well, that's four honest people, then ...
Personally, for me it's 0 out of 10. Friends of mine don't fill their drives with stolen MP3's, stolen movies, or stolen games ...
... I guess I'm part of that long gone generation who thought that taking things that didn't belong to you was wrong ... before the advent of the flexible morality and ethical systems, before the 'it's digital so it isn't stealing' excuse system ... before the dark side ...
Mike
Originally posted by txa1265
Well, that's four honest people, then ...
Personally, for me it's 0 out of 10. Friends of mine don't fill their drives with stolen MP3's, stolen movies, or stolen games ...
... I guess I'm part of that long gone generation who thought that taking things that didn't belong to you was wrong ... before the advent of the flexible morality and ethical systems, before the 'it's digital so it isn't stealing' excuse system ... before the dark side ...
Mike
Perhaps you have more money to buy the games too... And I know you don't think it's a valid reason to pirate a game, but lots of ppl seem to think so...
Oh and I agree about scripting, I had the lunge scripted too, and bound to F, so I could easily do a lunge between some strikes, or when someone tries to DFA me... I CAN do a lunge pretty quick without a script, but since it's so easy to make that script, it can't be something that isn't supposed to be...
There are exceptions though, in Counter-Strike, you can make an anti-recoil script sooo easily if you just THINK, I made an anti-recoil script just to test it, it works pretty good and I had different settings for different weapons etc. Those things aren't supposed to be that easy, but in JO? Can't see any cheaterscripts in JO!
And wallhacks etc are all bull**** too in JO, like you said: we have seeing, and in JA we'll have sense, so it will be even less of a problem!
To get back to the question, I don't think there will be a cd-key for the game. They didn't do it with JK2, and from what I have seen and heard, there isn't gonna be a cd-key for this game as well.
Originally posted by HertogJan
Perhaps you have more money to buy the games too... And I know you don't think it's a valid reason to pirate a game, but lots of ppl seem to think so... Look - I know I'm in a much better financial position than most here, due at least in part to my being nearly twice the average age of some of those 'age polls' from the swamp, and I have set aside money to buy all of the games I want this year.
However, I have a fairly black and white view of piracy - it is stealing. Whether you consider it petty theft or something more I'll not debate, but it is an illegal use of someone else's property.
If I don't have enough money to buy a CD I want, does that make downloading it OK? I honestly don't that as any different than walking out of my local record store with a CD and not paying for it. While the logistics are different and the actual financial hardship arguably less, it is not yours to take, either way.
Same for the JA warez. It is NOT an unofficial demo, as some seem to want to suggest. It is warez, and if people choose to pirate that is their choice, I just don't want them here spoiling the game for us - or on the servers playing with stolen copies. And I do believe that many who are using the Beta WILL be stealing the release version as well. Why not? They don't have the moral compunction against it in the first place.
[...on topic at last]
Which is why it is too bad that LA will not likely have copy protection in JA.
I would like to see them put in something to detect the beta warez version, put up a screen saying 'hope you enjoyed the game, pirate', then trash their PC.
Mike
Originally posted by txa1265
Same for the JA warez. It is NOT an unofficial demo, as some seem to want to suggest. It is warez, and if people choose to pirate that is their choice, I just don't want them here spoiling the game for us - or on the servers playing with stolen copies. And I do believe that many who are using the Beta WILL be stealing the release version as well. Why not? They don't have the moral compunction against it in the first place.
how can it be warez when its so damn buggy? 99% of people who would get a game in this condition would return it immediately. so yeah, they lost a lot of money for that. and you forget that this gave the game a lot of publicity, and as they say, no publicity is bad publicity. so, infact this leak most likely HELPED them get new potential customers. get off your high-horse, jackass.
Originally posted by Rumor
how can it be warez when its so damn buggy?
Warez is just another term for an illegally obtained version. Is the game released? NO. Is this a legal demo? NO. Should people have access to it? NO. Therefore it is warez. Warez is not about quality, it is about legality of access.
And please change your tone - there is no need for your insults and curses.
Mike
Originally posted by Rumor
and you forget that this gave the game a lot of publicity, and as they say, no publicity is bad publicity. so, infact this leak most likely HELPED them get new potential customers.
Do you think Raven & LucasArts would agree? If so, then send LucasArts your name, phone number and address - and those of all of your friends who have the beta, and I'm sure they will be eager to send you a free copy of the game when it comes out for all of the service you have done for them.
;)
I refer you here. (
http://www.thetorque.com/020709/softwarepirate.htm) (and don't worry ... it is just a funny article)
Problem is, I don't see this as good marketing. Good marketing is getting all of the press out to the summer event, and now having very positive previews in all of the big sites, and getting magazine articles, and getting out new screens and game info. It is still ~6 weeks to release, a decent time to start more heavy publicity. Not to mention that it is their decision how the game is marketed, mnot mine or yours.
LucasArts is in a tough place - the audience for Star Wars action games has a large emphasis on late-teenage boys, which is exactly the largest percentage of people who are likely to pirate anything and everything.
Mike
I've always said JA *should have a cd key but really, if LA does not use one then they have no one to blame but themselves when they get screwed again.
If it was a small upstart company and they didn't have the financial means to do this that's one thing. But I'm pretty sure that the cost is not an issue with them.
That may sound harsh but if I had the money to go out and buy a $150,000.00 car and left the doors unlocked and the keys in the ignition whenever I parked it do you think most people would feel sorry for me when it got stolen?
Originally posted by FK | unnamed
I've always said JA *should have a cd key but really, if LA does not use one then they have no one to blame but themselves when they get screwed again.
...
That may sound harsh but if I had the money to go out and buy a $150,000.00 car and left the doors unlocked and the keys in the ignition whenever I parked it do you think most people would feel sorry for me when it got stolen?
Well, at least you are equating it with stealing ... that's a start. :)
And isn't it a matter of degrees? If the car is left as you state, a lower level thief can take it. If left unlocked without keys, then it takes a better thief, and if locked, a better thief yet ... but they are all thiefs. Games are crackable, security is beatable, and anyone who uses one without paying for it is a thief.
Mike
yeah but that is my point really.
jk2 had 0 protection; you didn't even have to crack it.
just rip, upload, download and burn.
if they put out a "vanilla" cd for ja w/ no key or even any type of protection not only will the warez fiends get it but the 6 year old kid using kaZaa will too.
Really though, disc protection for mp games is just stupid. they all can and will be cracked and a lot of people who don't even warez will crack them (their bought copy) just so they can play w/o a cd or make a back up.
I back up every single game or pc cd I buy.
I bought XP the day it came out and before I even installed it I made a copy and from that day have only used the copy when I format my drive or reinstall my OS.
Is that technically illegal?
Probably.
Morally wrong?
Not at all.
cd key is the way to go, and I'm pretty sure LA has had to notice Raven puts keys on all the games they develop by now.
and as for people saying it's a pain in the ass to enter a key, it takes 4 seconds, you only do it once when you install it so I'm not buying that statement as anything other than a way to all but admit you (as in those who make the statement) have no intentions on buying the game.
Originally posted by FK | unnamed
I back up every single game or pc cd I buy.
I bought XP the day it came out and before I even installed it I made a copy and from that day have only used the copy when I format my drive or reinstall my OS.
Is that technically illegal?
Probably.
Morally wrong?
Not at all.
Absolutely agree - I have been making backups since ... well since I had computer files on 8" floppies and cassette tape (you heard right!).
However, I had something happen last year - a friend of my son (he's 6) gave him a CD-copy of the Harry Potter (Sorceror's Stone) PC Game for his birthday last year. Again, no CD-key, and not the original. Clearly not within the license agreement. I told the friend's dad I didn't agree with that (he works in software and I think he should know better), and ended up buying a full copy so my son would have it.
cd key is the way to go, and I'm pretty sure LA has had to notice Raven puts keys on all the games they develop by now.
Interestingly - I know Raven had one for SoFII, but it is so fast to enter that I would hardly remember, which brings me to ...
and as for people saying it's a pain in the ass to enter a key, it takes 4 seconds, you only do it once when you install it so I'm not buying that statement as anything other than a way to all but admit you (as in those who make the statement) have no intentions on buying the game.
Exactly ... very well put.
Mike
/\ Putting in the key is a little annoying, though, if you have problems installing (putkey in 8 times in a row) or if you take the game to, i dunno, your dad's office to play there and forget the key.
But, I don't really care if there's a key or not myself, so whatever.
well as far as q3 engine games go "losing your key" is kind of hard to do.
in the base/main (depends on the game) folder it writes your key into a file that can be opened with notepad.
say you do lose the case after the install, all you have to do is grab a pen and paper and open that file and write it down.
Originally posted by FK | unnamed
well as far as q3 engine games go "losing your key" is kind of hard to do.
in the base/main (depends on the game) folder it writes your key into a file that can be opened with notepad.
say you do lose the case after the install, all you have to do is grab a pen and paper and open that file and write it down.
personally I have a little file I keep sync'ed between my desktops, laptops and PDA's that has various serial numbers and CD-keys ... that way when I lost my MoHAA CD-case then got a new laptop - no problem. I keep the CD's separate and did eventually find the case ...
Mike
same here.
actually i keep a "clean" config and/or key file for every game and application that uses ini files or cfg files in a pack of rars on a cd.
after an install or if something gets all screwed to hell I just pop it in, extract to the folder and all is back to my personal settings/default/key installed.