Old trinity

from Sins Forums

Been playing rebellion for a while, and decided I wanted to play the mod SOA2 again, which is still updating to rebellion. Because I have a new computer, I needed to reinstall trinity/diplomacy, and this comes as version 1.00. (CD Version)

 

Now, having spent five hours going through posts, trying to update, it seems that, for a game I PAID for, I can no longer patch it without a completely downloading it again (which will cost me $30).

 

I decided to start my old computer up, and sure enough, I was able to update due to gamestop recognizing my activation. So, I then copied the entire contents (including the 1.37 updated diplomacy) onto a thumb drive, with the thought of coping over my 1.00 install on my new computer. Done.

 

Happily I tried to load the game, and it now asks for an activation code (this did not happen with 1.00, which loaded fine), so I enter my registration key, only to be told that it is not a valid key for diplomacy (here I assume that my single activation key is for trinity).

 

As you can imagine, by this stage (like with so many companies, and so many titles) I am reminder why I absolutely loath DRM protection, I have not pirated anything in my life, and have bought well over 200 games, and this type of protection, again, protects me from the game I have paid for. (Very frustrated sigh). Can someone tell me why my now updated trinity, is asking for a diplomacy activation??

 

Thankyou

technical
25,739 views 14 replies
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

If you can update via GameStop, you should be able to install the GameStop app on your new machine and install/update there through it as well; it should do the activation transparently when it does so. Or if it is registered with us, you can download from the link ZombieRus provided.

not a valid key for diplomacy (here I assume that my single activation key is for trinity)

They are the same as far as the game cares. So long as you are entering the correct email address, it should accept it. If it won't, contact [email protected] and they should be able to get it sorted out.

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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top

Last time I updated Diplomacy thru GameStop, it downloaded the whole damn game again, which is what the OP is complaining about. I hope Zoom realizes or looked when he updated how much bandwidth it used. I once sent a link to a friend of a documentary on youtube and it cost her almost $30 in overage charges on the cheapest plan.

Online providers seems to think that everyone has unlimited bandwidth and are always online. Both assumptions are total BUNK.  :annoyed:

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

 


 Did you login to your stardock account? It has all your registrations?

 

I have got my login at stardock, and it has got my cd key there. It is listed as a Sins trinity key. I can and have  downloaded a 1.33-1.37 patch there, which is useless for the 1.00 version. After I 1.37 it manually from my other computer (which I am assuming is actually making my 1.00, 1.37) and try to load the game I get the stackdock activation message. Because I am trying to load diplomacy (from the trinity bundle) the stardock activation is looking for a diplomacy cd key, not the trinity key, which is will not accept, and I get the specific message "this in not a DIPLOMACY key." Why it thinks I have diplomacy and not trinity is beyond me.

 

 

Quoting kryo, reply 2

If you can update via GameStop, you should be able to install the GameStop app on your new machine and install/update there through it as well; it should do the activation transparently when it does so. Or if it is registered with us, you can download from the link ZombieRus provided.

not a valid key for diplomacy (here I assume that my single activation key is for trinity)

They are the same as far as the game cares. So long as you are entering the correct email address, it should accept it. If it won't, contact [email protected] and they should be able to get it sorted out.

They are the same as far as the game cares. So long as you are entering the correct email address, it should accept it. If it won't, contact [email protected] and they should be able to get it sorted out.[/quote]

 

I have installed GameStop on my new machine. Because of something to do with stardock changing their activation method (basically they have stoped using gamestop now) anyone with either a recent purchase, or, reinstalling on a new computer cannot get a gamestop update, as there is no way to activate games there anymore, as in:

 

 

https://forums.stardock.com/413377 see last post.

 

Are you sure about the cd key? I will reinstall and try again. As to support getting it sorted, I am sure they can to, I just wanted to play NOW (stamping foot, lol)

 

Quoting myfist0, reply 3

Last time I updated Diplomacy thru GameStop, it downloaded the whole damn game again, which is what the OP is complaining about. I hope Zoom realizes or looked when he updated how much bandwidth it used. I once sent a link to a friend of a documentary on youtube and it cost her almost $30 in overage charges on the cheapest plan.

Online providers seems to think that everyone has unlimited bandwidth and are always online. Both assumptions are total BUNK. 

 

Indeed. I had to stop play X3 terrain conflict because of this. I had a $20 dollar game, which will not longer run without a 6.2GB patch, which will cost me around $130 dollars in downloads (and for some Chinese updates no less, nothing that will actual do anything for the English version). After investing two months into the game, it just added to my total dislike of steam/gamestop and the like. I actual look at new games now, and will not buy them if these are listed as requirement (and most new games are).

 

I always check the size of the download (after a movie torrent debacle, which I did not realize was happening, where every time I jumped online a whole movie series was trying to download, for 10.5 gigs worth- took me 7.0 gb to work this out). For the 1.34-1.37 download, I used about 200mb, for a 22mb patch, so not a total download, but still, a $2.50 cost to me

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

@Kyro

 

Did the complete reinstall, and copied and pasted over 1.00 with my 1.37 folder from other computer.

 

Inside the sins folder there are four exe files for starting the game.

 

sins exe. which asks for stardock  account registration, and gives message that 'the serial number is invalid for sins of a solar empire'

 

sins entrenchment exe. which asks for stardock  account registration, and gives message that 'the serial number is invalid for sins of a solar empire entrenchment'

 

sins diplomacy exe. which asks for stardock  account registration, and gives message that 'the serial number is invalid for sins of a solar empire diplomacy'

 

sins trinity exe. Clicking on this loads up the chapter selection screen. I can either play trinity, or select one of the other chapters. In each case, regardless of which one I click on I get the message 'run setup exe from your cd, or reinstall from impulse' Of course running setup exe from the cd then actually uninstalls that game, as for some reason the trinity exe seem to think that I have not got the game installed, which I have. I have left a message with stardock support, and would like to thank you guys for the help, but, as usual, DRM has FU**** me over. I just hope its a couple of days (rather then weeks, which according to other posts seems to be the case) before I can get a game that I repeat, have paid for, to work.

 

Cheers

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting zoommooz11, reply 4
https://forums.stardock.com/413377 see last post.

They don't accept new registrations, but that's not a problem for users (such as you) who already registered or purchased via Impulse/Stardock years ago. If you can update with it on one machine, you should be able to install the GameStop app and do it on any machine. The update itself seems to work fine, just ran one through it myself as a matter of fact.

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top
From https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/424333/page/1/
 
 
 
Quoting Spectre009,
reply 2
And when I tried to email GameStop support, they merely deflected the problem. How do I input registration codes there, since they prefer not to tell me? Or is there a better, functional method for updating?

 

I found this on the gamestop forums.

Hi everyone! 

 

While the number of games on store shelves requiring and providing instruction for Stardock registration via Impulse is now quite small (go digital distribution!), there's a possibility some customers may still purchase one of these copies and be unable to register one or more of the following games with the new GameStop App:

  • Sins of a Solar Empire - Trinity
  • Galactic Civilizations II Dread Lords
  • Galactic Civilizations II Ultimate Edition
  • Demigod
  • Red Faction Guerrilla
  • Other Stardock titles

Users who reinstall Windows or who otherwise need to reinstall their game from physical media may also run into this issue.

Since StarDock has long since taken over game registration for their own titles from GameStop (we were just passing that information on to them previously) the CD key/product registration functionality was removed from the new version of the GameStop App. Fortunately, we've worked with Stardock to make registering your game with them quick and easy.

If you have a new serial from a retail Stardock game box (Demigod, Galactic Civilizations II, Sins of a Solar Empire etc.), please visithttps://services.stardock.net/accounts/createaccount.aspx to register the game and sign up for product updates. 

If you are having problems registering via the Stardock website, please contact [email protected] and include the serial and name of the product you are trying to register.

 
 
I noticed a couple of posts from you here, and the consensus was (which I have done) email support. Notice the line

 

 Users who reinstall Windows or who otherwise need to reinstall their game from physical media may also run into this issue

 

Which then leads to the:

please visithttps://services.stardock.net/accounts/createaccount.aspx to register the game and sign up for product updates. 

 

 

Which of course provides me with the 1.33-1.37 update, which I cannot use. Have I reached the right conclusion here, or am I missing something?

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Edit. Just got an email from star dock support (which I re emailed back to), where:

 

Hello,
Sorry for the trouble. The patch that we put out does not work with the installation from the retail disc based install unfortunately.
To solve this, you would want to uninstall what you currently have installed and then download the full game from us.
If you do not have Stardock Central already, please visit the following link:
https://www.stardock.com/stardockcentral/
Once installed, any updates to your Stardock products and serial numbers will be listed here.
If you prefer, you can visit your accounts page to retrieve products you have purchased: https://store.stardock.com/myaccount/products
Please let us know if you should have any further questions/concerns.
Ken Janeczko Customer Care

 

 Now this download would cost me around the same as the original purchase price. Obviously, I am less then impressed with having to 'buy' the game again, and it does beg the question, that what happens to new customers, who purchase sins trinity off the shelves (I am sure the are still a few around the place)? I mean stardock still accepts the money for these games even though they are fully aware that they are no longer patchable. Surely they should recall every one of them, as a defective product.

 

Regardless, same old, same old for DRM, and the paying customer.

Reply #9 from Sins Forums Top

ya, it's a bitch. Sorry to make you go thru all this if it is just to get SoA2 for Diplomacy. The current one at ModDB is 1.34 compatible and just spits a string error in Dev mode for 1.37. We added so much to Diplomacy and fixed a lot of current issues for the next Dip release that they all need to be thoroughly tested before we (I mean psychoak) even port it to Rebellion so Rebellion will be a while yet.

I realize and agree that all the downloading is a waste, but can you not take a laptop or a stick to a friend with lots of bandwidth? Stardock used to offer an Archive download, not sure if they do anymore as that was Impulse and GameCrud. SoA is also a fairly large download. For all your trouble for this, maybe I can hook you up with the Dip 1.37 current SoA2 beta release, PM me if you have the bandwidth sometime.

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Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

This is ridiculous. I've just gone through the exact same number of hoops as the OP and the guy above, created 2 accounts and am now having to redownload the whole game, even though I have it sat on a dvd next to me. Stardock and Gamestop need to get their communication sorted or at least try to help customers...

 

I am a sad panda...

Reply #11 from Sins Forums Top

@ Myfist

 

I have got a perfectly working version of rebellion 1.1 (You can still actually update the disc version for this), and all of this was just to play SOA2. (With sins, the only two mods I regularly play are SOA2 and SOAGE-starwars. 

So, in reality, even if I get the ability to patch my 1.00 diplomacy, I'll get 1.37 which will not work with the soa2 I currently have (the .5 one, with the additional little patch). I would have no problem with the 600mb ish latest beta download (I don't mind paying, its the paying twice that bother's me) and really appreciate the empathy. If by some miracle I manage to patch my game, then expect a pm, 3 seconds after that, as, if this was just to play vanilla sins, I would use my rebellion copy.

 

Many thanks.

 

Zoommooz

Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top

I'll get 1.37 which will not work with the soa2 I currently have (the .5 one, with the additional little patch)

SoA 2 v0.5D.1 for Diplomacy & SoA 2 v0.5D.5 patch will work for Dip 1.34 and 1.37 but Like I said, I will try and get you access to the beta which is 

1.4 GB  8C

 

 Mephistopheles

Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top

1.4 gb compared to the 500mb, what have you guy done :grin: , is this because of added content, or the beta being in an unpacked state? Regardless, even at 1.4 I would still grab it (its just a terrific mod) I only ask because I'm interested in the changes/balances you guys are making. Still, looks like no patch for me, so maybe a 'wait till rebellion version' is my only option.

Reply #14 from Sins Forums Top

Ummm, I could tell you what we added, but then I would need to hunt down everyone that read the post and 'silence' them. Star trek is without the 'trek' if you knew everything that was coming when you got there.
And yes, that's the 7z archive size.