Play Network with same serial key?

[Matrinix]

Hello,

I bought Red Alert 3 two days ago, and one of the main reasons I got it was to play Network with my brother; however, it will not let me saying that we have the same serial key... is there a way to play Network without buying another copy of Red Alert 3? Is this a bug?

[Derek]

You have to have two serial keys.

[Sparky9292]

You have to have two serial keys.
Or a keygen and Hamachi will do the trick.

[Bouncing Ball]

Or a keygen and Hamachi will do the trick.
Now why would he need hamachi if he allready is talking about a network? :wtf:

[truefeel]

You have to have two serial keys.

For the same network ???? I thought you could install it legit on 3 different PCs anyway...

[Derek]

Yeah, but iirc you can't play them together. Kind of sucks tbh, but its EA's decision. Its like releasing console games without splitscreen, a lot of people consider it an essential standard for games, and yet some very big budget games don't include it. These are just little things you should consider when making your purchases: If you consider local network play an important feature then either be prepared to buy two copies or look for another game.

Or a keygen and Hamachi will do the trick.
Thats still two keys :p

And one of them is illegal :shifty:

TBH, I can look the other way

[Sparky9292]

yeah for local LAN network play a keygen is all you need.

Anyone remember the good old days where Westwood would let you give one of the two cds to a friend? Or when games like Warcraft 2 allowed spawn copies?y

[truefeel]

Yeah, but iirc you can't play them together. Kind of sucks tbh, but its EA's decision. Its like releasing console games without splitscreen, a lot of people consider it an essential standard for games, and yet some very big budget games don't include it. These are just little things you should consider when making your purchases: If you consider local network play an important feature then either be prepared to buy two copies or look for another game.

That does not sucks, that sucks HARD. I already didn't liked the DRM policy, but that you can't play within the same network with the same serial is really one step too far. I sincerely hope EA looses the lawsuits against it.

This will only encourage pirating and keygens:freek:. EA is shooting itself in their own foot.

[Statalyzer]

No kidding. If you want to get, say, 5 friends together and have a LAN party it's quite ridiculous if all 6 guys have to each buy separately every single game you play. Now all of them playing online against other people shouldn't be allowed, but playing LAN against each other, what's the big deal?

If you have TFD you can play some of the game on LAN though because they don't require the CD after installation. But with RA3 you're likely out of luck.

[Derek]

RA3 doesn't require a CD either, which is really nice. But (from what I have heard, I've not tried myself) the game won't let you play if you both have the same serial key.

[Sparky9292]

RA3 doesn't require a CD either, which is really nice. But (from what I have heard, I've not tried myself) the game won't let you play if you both have the same serial key.

Yeah, I don't have any ethical problems with using a keygen for local LAN play. The keygen wlll not work over the internet (unless you also use Hamachi) so after the lan party, everyone will need to go buy their own copy.

I had like 20 ppl over at my house for a counter-strike lan party a few years back. Half-Life would let you network using the same serial for each installation as long as you didn't try to connect to a server over the internet.

It was free advertising, and most people love the game so much they wanted a valid online key and wound up purchasing it.

There was a recent article on Slashdot on how some game companies are starting to remove the ability to play local network... basically forcing LAN parties to connect to a central server... also assumes that all LAN parties have a connection to the internet.

Starcraft 2 will NOT have a LAN play option. Proof here: http://interviews.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/10/15/1639237

[truefeel]

RA3 doesn't require a CD either, which is really nice. But (from what I have heard, I've not tried myself) the game won't let you play if you both have the same serial key.
Not needing the CD would be a perfect fit for network games, but now it seems only a very very small advantage to a huge disadvantage.

Now I need to use a keygen, which my moral does not like at all.

[Sparky9292]

Not needing the CD would be a perfect fit for network games, but now it seems only a very very small advantage to a huge disadvantage.

Now I need to use a keygen, which my moral does not like at all.

Yeah, but it's immoral to require more than one purchased copy for a single home. It's just plain greedy.

[Coldwar05]

No kidding. If you want to get, say, 5 friends together and have a LAN party it's quite ridiculous if all 6 guys have to each buy separately every single game you play. Now all of them playing online against other people shouldn't be allowed, but playing LAN against each other, what's the big deal?

If you have TFD you can play some of the game on LAN though because they don't require the CD after installation. But with RA3 you're likely out of luck.

I agree, i mean hey its local, not like its online going wide to the world, but i bet some1 going to say but that still doesnt make it right >.> if any1 thinks this...

well its a lil easier then going to buy the game and just to play with ur friends and not with the world eh? am i right here?

[soadfan1]

Use a keygen generated serial for the other pc. That would work wouldn't it?

[soadfan1]

Now I need to use a keygen, which my moral does not like at all.

Heh, you dont need to lie here ya know :P.

No-one in there right mind would chastize you for using a key gen to do that!

Copmpletely different to downloading an entire game for free and using a Key-Gen

If they did think it was wrong Im afraid they need their brains tested.

[The Enforcer]

this thread is kind of pushing the boundaries of piracy here a little too much, therefore i am going to have to close this thread im afraid.

im also pretty sure you've always needed separate cd keys for lan play with the cnc games after they introduced them for tiberian sun