Lost My Neverwinter Nights Diamond CDs but still have the CD keys

[Legacy_Vltionis]

               I bought NWN Diamond Edition awile back but I somehow lost the CDs but i still have the CD Keys is there anything I can do to legally get the game back without having to buy it again?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               '>    

Not easily, but that's quite an interesting question, on a legal point of view.
You can prove you once bought the right to play NWN, as you once bought the keys to that magical door.

You once payed for the work put in the making of NWN, you once payed for the copyrights and all, that should be enough...

That should be enough to play legitimately any NWN found around.
You don't need those keys for these forums anymore, for instance.
Actually? I don't have any idea where my CDs are...
               
               

               

                     Modifié par jmlzemaggo, 30 janvier 2011 - 07:31 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               Borrow a friend's copy, update to v1.69 and return the copy.  When you install use your keys instead of those on the borrowed copy.  Whether that method breaks the EULA contract or not is a legal issue but that is what I would do if placed in a similar situation. Or perhaps just DL a new totally-legit copy for 9.99 USD from GoG. You already have the keys so don't need to wait to play on-line.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 30 janvier 2011 - 12:38 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_ehye_khandee]

               I would suggest just downloading a copy purchased from gog.com for $9.99   it will give you a second set of keys, and you'd be able to run TWO copies one on each set. This would certainly not break the EULA.



               
               

               
            

[Legacy_squeakyneb]

               If I was in that situation, I'd probably "pirate" the game, although it wouldn't really be piracy given that you already own it. I suppose it's technically illegal, but it's morally right in my books. I'm not supporting piracy, I just think it would be the most convenient route if you don't have friends that can lend you their discs.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               Agreed.
               
               

               
            

[Baaleos]

               Its been debated almost to death the issue of downloading game iso's etc.

I even debated the issue, when I wanted to play nwn on my Macbook.
I had bought legitamit copies of the game, for the PC Version, so why should I have to purchase the exact same game to play on the Mac system etc.

In the end, I found a guide, which was 'almost' endorsed by bioware staff on the old forums, where they tell you how to turn the demo version of nwn (downloadable at some link), into the full version, by simply copying some folders from the pc version to the mac demo install. (the executables are different, but the data / content is the same)
(Note - The Mac Version of NWN is harder to acquire than the PC Versions - which is why the understanding fellows at Bioware were forthcoming about it)

With regards to legality of downloading of games and licensing.
Some people will argue that the legality is - If you bought it, you can download it for personal use. (I tend to agree with this)
Some people will argue that the purchase of the game extends to a single copy of the game - Meaning copying of the game or re-distribution of it, can be illegal. Meaning the person who provided you the copy is more in the wrong.

An interpretation of this could also be, that you can copy and copy your game, as much as you like, as long as you destroy the original, and that there only exists a single 'copy' of the game in your possession, per purchase, at any one time.

Alot of this legality mumbojumbo is mitigated by the fact that
1. You are morally doing nothing wrong - you bought a game, you want to play it, you are going to play the game that you bought. A jury of your peers would never convict - who hasnt downloaded an mp3 in this day and age.
2. No one would attempt to prosecute you for downloading a game that you genuinely did purchase once upon a time - Its like one of those annoying laws that - yes, are real, but no one really cares, because they are trivial, and the legal courts have bigger fish to fry. Getting a prosecution would be next to impossible, especially if you had proof that you were an authentic owner of a Neverwinter nights game, that you did lose the discs for.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Baaleos, 01 février 2011 - 11:43 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               "Unofficial" copies of NWN are unsupported.  So if during installation anything goes amiss, like can't be upgraded, missing/corrupted files, toolset doesn't open/work properly, game crashes, FPS is low... or a litany of other typical problems, you will flying by the seat of your pantaloons trying to get it to work.  Why risk all the potental headaches for a modest re-investment into a game that is worth its weight in gold (for many of us, anyway)? 
               
               

               
            

[Baaleos]

               Lol,

That just means you need to be sure about where you 'ahem'...acquire your Copy.



Neverwinter nights is already at final patch stage, 1.69 at least, as far as I am aware, is the latest and final supported version of nwn by bioware.



Your also forgetting that Neverwinter nights is a 'game', and as such, children 'can' be the ones playing it, and they may have saved up their pocket money and all sorts of things to get their original game discs.

Re-investment is not always an option, and in my mind, not necessary.

I am a legal owner of Neverwinter nights, Hordes of the Underdark and Shadows of Undrentide - As such, I will acquire my copies anywhere, anyhow, and anytime I need - and thanks to Bioware's Forums for keeping my CDKey's safe, I will continue to use that methodology. I have no moral quams with this methodology, because I have already given my Cashy Money to Bioware and the retailer. If anything, I am saving the environment by now using/purchasing more game cd's.



Essentially, Im not buying the same thing twice - thats just senseless.



I will say however, that for about a week, I did lose my CD2 of nwn, and as such, I downloaded a cd image, mounted it, just to get past installation, and then found my CD2 again a week later. I was not about to wait 24 hours for the shops to open, to go and buy a new copy of the game, just because one disc was temporarily missing in my tip of a room (yes - I need to clean it but that asside)



The solution was simple for me - wait 24 hours, or go onto some website, and download the disc I was missing which would take 20 minutes.



When I first purchased nwn, I was like 18, unemployed, and no source of income, it was a case of saving up money for me to buy Neverwinter nights - Granted - I am in a very very very good job now, and could go and buy multiple copies of nwn especially considering how cheap it is now, but even on Principle - I bought the game once, im not buying it again.

"Unofficial" copies of NWN are unsupported.

Bioware will 'try' to support us, if we have a genuine CD Key.

They will never refuse service to people who have bought their product.

Granted - Service may be dwindling, and no future patches etc, but they will not point blank say - 'Show me your game disc, I wana make sure you have a real disc before I deal with your support request'.



One thing I would love Bioware to do, is do it like Blizzard Entertainment do it with Battle.net.



You register your CDKey online, and then you can download the game client to your computer.

No quams about lost cd's, scratched cd's etc.

I had a Diablo 2 disc, that was missing, and then discovered that I could download my game client 'legally' via the Battle.Net



If we have supported Bioware, by giving them our money, we dont suddenly become less entitled to service, just because the physical disc is lost under a multitude of clothes and rubbish in your room - because, we dont suddenly stop being their customer.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Elhanan]

               ^ Have to disagree. I have aquired three sets of the game so as to try and adhere to the EULA. Their game; their rules. In return, I get to keep looking at the face in the mirror, as well as knowing I am helping friends in the industry.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Elhanan, 01 février 2011 - 01:33 .
                     
                  

            

[Baaleos]

               

Elhanan wrote...

^ Have to disagree. I have aquired three sets of the game so as to try and adhere to the EULA. Their game; their rules. In return, I get to keep looking at the face in the mirror, as well as knowing I am helping friends in the industry.

Bad for the environment though. Lol
I bought a single copy of the games,  keep my CDKeys safe in the knowledge that the physical Disc's are meaningless, and 'acquire' the cd image if I ever lose the cd's themselves. I still supported the industry, I just did it without wasting resources or damaging the environment. My Mirror still shows my reflection, and I dont feel guilt over the creation of replacement discs for my own personal use.

If Bioware supported Legacy users, and provided Digital Downloads for people with genuine CDKeys, I would love that.
eg If I bought my nwn in 2003, and still had the CDKey, I would love to be able to download the game client from the official Bioware website.
CD-Less gaming is better for the environment. :-)

Everyone has their own point of view, and should be encouraged to voice it.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               The point is why is Vltionis talking about it? Because he is richer than Bill Gates? I doubt it.

I remember some part of my life when that kind of questionning mattered.

You pay for the idea, not the plastic. About if we complain because the DVDs are too fragile?

I suppose if you buy now NWN on the net, and happen to loose the file for some reason, you're supposed to get it for free just by proving you once purchased it, right?

Probably not...



Ego te absolvo a peccatis tuis, Vltionis... in meo nomen.

               
               

               
            

[Baaleos]

               

I suppose if you buy now NWN on the net, and happen to loose the file for some reason, you're supposed to get it for free just by proving you once purchased it, right?

More recent, and up-to-date game companies operate this methodology.
Blizzard, PlayNC/NCSoft, Steam etc
And yes - Direct2Play and GoG -
You buy the game, and can re-download it as much as you want.

In fact, I got Neverwinter nights 2 Platinum (or whatever version it is - with both expansions) via Steam, I can re-download it as much as I want - no extra cash required.
What I will admit though, is that Steam use special mechanism's to make sure that you cannot play 2 copies of the game at the same time . eg - You must be logged in, to play, and you can only play at one logged in location at a time. This is as I said above - an example of 'You are entitled to use one copy of the game, at any one time,' or rather, 'You can keep, a single-usable copy of the game' You can redownload it as many times as you want, but for all intensive purposes, downloading the same thing  5 times, wont count as 5 copies of the game, because it is un-usable as 5 distinct copies of the game.

It doesnt 'seem' like much of a stretch to expect Bioware to support a similar system for their own products. We after all, buy the game, not the disc. The game might encompass the Disc, but we do not 'just' own the disc.

But that being said, I would say that the reasons that Bioware do not provide such a service, is because of infrastructure reasons.
They are not the 'sole' owners of NWN, and as such, they might get into fisti-cuffs with atari, if they did endorse, or provide digital downloads of their product.
Digital Downloads might be seen as a source of income or retailing, or even advertising for them, that they had not agree'd on with Atari before game launch - Legal Issues and Bickering etc
We like to think of Game Companies, Developers and Publishers as one happy family, but in reality, they arent. There is internal squabbling, blame games, and all sorts of things they dont like to admit to. eg - Company A outsources to Company B, and Company B does something wrong, or misses something - Company A gets mad.

The only reason Steam and other digital/online 3rd party retailers are able to provide NWN and NWN2 via download, is because of extensive negotiations between all parties involved.


We also get a set of consumer rights the moment we pay our cashy money for that game. Whether or not they are relevant, is open to interpretation, and potentially region of the world we reside in.

I would love to be able to read the EULA's listed at the bottom of this screen (the link) but alas, here at work, the site is blocked -Bioware must have naughty stuff on it.

One could argue that having an EULA that is ownly 'read-able' after purchase is complete, eg - inside the Disc itself, or in an instruction manual, is somewhat immoral. How can we agree to terms of conditions, before we have access to read them. (Ask the guy in the shop to take the manual out so we can read it? - In which case we are stuffed if it is one of those Platinum golden oldie game discs, where the manuals are pdf's)
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Baaleos, 01 février 2011 - 02:25 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Elhanan]

               As I recall, once you purchased the NWN1 DLC, you could dowload those as often as you needed provided you had the key.

For me, I doubt if I will ever download another full game, as my prior experience leaves me w/o the needed manual, notes, etc to play it, Plus it took quite a while, and my time is valuable to me.
               
               

               
            

[Baaleos]

               I will agree with you on that note
It is nice to have a game manual. Alot of the old classic games, repackaged into 'Diamond/Platinum' editions, now come with silly little pdf's.

I remember as a kid, I used to ask my mum and dad if I could open my 'games' early (before my birthday), just to read the manuals. I especially liked the Diablo Manual, even the smell of it, it smelt like parchment or really classy paper. Lol

Of course my School Teachers had concerns about why I was coming into school, and drawing lots of pictures of Sucubi with their, ahem, virtues showing, and lots of blood and guts etc.

But hey, thats what happens when your 11 years old, and playing Diablo.
I remember my first encounter with 'The Butcher' - "Ahh, Fresh Meat!!!!!
Multiplayer games were so good back then, because they were so new. I sometimes feel that Multiplayer games have been 'done' to death, and arent as good as the golden oldies.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par Baaleos, 01 février 2011 - 03:49 .