Copy Protection

[Honkybear]

Copy Protection back in the day was considered just annoying more so to those who didn't bother to purchase the software in the first place. But for myself I felt it actually enhanced the game. These day if you can track the original down or you still have your collection I find it's still fun to use a copy protection wheel or look up a code. I'm an adventure junkie maybe this is why I felt it enhances the whole gaming experience. Anyway that's my five cents worth. I would be interested to here other people's opinions or experiences.

[ElPolloDiabl]

Just as good as copy protection were long manuals. You might
learn something reading it.
Some manual based protection could be a bit vague.
E.g. 10th word on page 201

I can't say I think much of disc protection. Nothing funner than
a scratched up disc or busted floppy.

I don't have any real nostalgia for it. I like modern features
like automapping, or in game help.

I'm disappointed even the good games were pirated like
crazy. Some people will do anything to avoid paying for something.

[Honkybear]

Yes I would agree there was nothing more frustrating when your $50 game that you couldn't  copy stopped working. I remember hearing that cinemaware were closing and a lot of my friends were disappointed, guess what they were the worst offenders. Then when I hosted a party they were blown away by my collection. Most of them never realized that some of the games came with so much stuff. Dynamix in particular were very good about presentation and packaging. There were a couple of instances I did get stung on a bad game but that was my own fault for not taking advantage of reviews in magazines.

[gertsy]

Copy Protection back in the day was considered just annoying more so to those who didn't bother to purchase the software in the first place. But for myself I felt it actually enhanced the game. These day if you can track the original down or you still have your collection I find it's still fun to use a copy protection wheel or look up a code. I'm an adventure junkie maybe this is why I felt it enhances the whole gaming experience. Anyway that's my five cents worth. I would be interested to here other people's opinions or experiences.

Except for LENS LOK on Elite.  That was just plain annoying.  Different size TVs made it a guessing game.

[cunnpole]

The Monkey Island scheme was an obvious highlight, however I quite like the one from Railroad Tycoon where you had to visually recognize the trains using the manual. As a bit of an anorak I memorized them all (it was quite easy), effectively defeating the mechanism. There were so many cracked versions going around I don't know why most companies bothered.

[Tripitaka]

The Worms copy protection sucked if your eyesight was a bit dodgy. Black on black writing, real handy.

[itix]

The Monkey Island scheme was an obvious highlight, however I quite like the one from Railroad Tycoon where you had to visually recognize the trains using the manual. As a bit of an anorak I memorized them all (it was quite easy), effectively defeating the mechanism. There were so many cracked versions going around I don't know why most companies bothered.

Btw cracked version of Railroad Tycoon was better. Not because copy protection was removed but because they packed game to one disk. The original cames on two disks.

When it comes to those "play guessing game with your manual" kind of copy protections then this one used in Railroad Tycoon was the best approach. You couldnt know those trains without playing the game. And you couldnt play this game much if you didnt succeed with copy protection. But fater few games you could indeed remember those trains easily and copy protection was not on your way anymore.

[Ral-Clan]

The Infocom copy protection was quite well implemented.  The adventure itself would present you with a puzzle or challenge during the course of game play or two that could only be solved if you had fully read the included paper documentation, included props, and back-story.  The puzzle was part of the natural flow of the adventure itself.