Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!ted
From: ted@cs.utexas.edu (Ted Woodward)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Addition to the game porting wish list
Message-ID: <762@lovelady.cs.utexas.edu>
Date: 8 Jun 90 22:31:37 GMT
References: <1552@swbatl.sbc.com> <3145@leah.Albany.Edu> <1990Jun8.150952.12328@cs.umu.se> <36094@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU>
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 48

In article <36094@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> tj@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (Tom Johnson) writes:
 
>This brings up a question---what are the ethics of posting patches
>that remove the copy protection of a game?  I know that I am never able
>to find the manual or hint card or whatever when I want to play a 
>game.  So the first thing I do with a new game is try to patch it so
>it won't ask me any of those annoying questions.  PipeDream is the
>one I have been using the most lately, and I just can't ever find the
>thing with all the little pipes drawn on it, so I patched it so that
>the program doesn't care if you answer wrong.
 
>I guess what I am asking is "Is it OK to post these patches on the net?"

In this case, it's ok.  The reason:  Pirates still asks for the master disk
when you start the game.  Now, a post of THAT fix would probably NOT be ok.

The only think this does is lets you not have to dig out the manual AND the
master disk.  Especially since the manual can be photocopied by pirates of
Pirates :-), while duplicating the master disk presents distribution problems
(instead of a photocopy a doc file can be substituted).

Someone asked for the patch for Balance of Power 1990.  I know, it's a pain
to find the manual for this puppy, especially since they ask for it between
turns 1 and 2, but since it's THE copy protection method, any patch posted
would allow pirates to roam free.

I think a good guideline would be:
If it fixes nuisances, post it.  If it defeats copy protection, don't.

For example, a patch to change the espruar and dethek fonts in Pool of
Radiance would be ok (they're pretty damn unreadable, especially the espruar
rune for 'p'), but a patch to avoid the decoder wheel stuff at the beginning
would NOT be ok.


 
>   Tom
>--
>       Tom Johnson      UCLA Computer Science Department 
>			3413 Boelter Hall, Los Angeles CA 90024 (213)825-6952
>			UUCP:      {uunet,rutgers,ucbvax}!cs.ucla.edu!tj
>			Internet:  tj@cs.ucla.edu


-- 
Ted Woodward (ted@cs.utexas.edu)

Death now has Extra Speed!