SF-less copy of SH3

[Zero Niner]

I'm trying to help a friend who's thinking of purchasing SH3 but is aghast at the idea of Starforce. Does anyone know how to determine whether copies on sale today (he quotes GoGamer selling SH3 at $8) have Starforce removed?
He'd like very much to play the game, but not at the expense of installing SF.

Thanks.

[Whiskey T. Foxtrot]

I am almost positive the version I bought online a month ago does not have Starforce. I see no Starforce files anywhere in the installation directory and no evidence of Starforce anywhere else. Does anybody know how to check to see if it has it?

[Zero Niner]

He knows the download version does not have SF, but he'd like to purchase a copy on DVD.

[Cheapskate]

There are several ways of finding out if a version of SH3 has Starforce.

However most require the game to be purchased or viewed first!! :damn: I don't think anyone who produced a SF-free version ever made this fact known in their sales publicity.

For this reason I've ended up with three versions of the game. 1) The original, 2) a budget version bought this Easter and 3) the Focus International version mentioned in this thread :http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=860646&postcount=6

The first two do have Starforce, the last one doesn't.

Edit: Should mention here that someone in the USA reported a problem with the Focus version which he thought may have been caused by this being for the European market . It doesn't have an obvious area installation code but I can't guarantee that it doesn't have some other form of area protection.

Personally I would have been happy to settle for the Direct2Drive download version. Unfortunately as a European resident I couldn't get it!!

[Laufen zum Ziel]

I have the Direct2drive and love it. No more SF & no more disk insertion.If my PC crashes I can reload for free from Direct2drive.

[Bismarck]

D2D is best imho.

[Antonin]

I've heard that "later" versions of SH3 do not have starforce. Where can "later" versions be purchased? I really prefer to have the game on DVD. I know nothing about direct-to-drive or whatever it's called. Just a personal preference.

I bought an early version of SH3 that had starforce. I loved the game and would be willing to pay full price for a starforce-free copy. I absolutely do not want starforce on my computer ever again.

I have been asking for a couple years in this forum and the SH3 forum whether a "gold" version of the game would be released without starforce, but never got a definitive answer. I also emailed Ubisoft, but got no reply.

[Gato76]

Antonin go to www.focusmm.co.uk there you can get your copy without starforce and already patch to 1.4,i received my copy last week, it cost me only 18.50 with tax us dollars

[Jimbuna]

A lot of the bargain basement discs are now SF free and don't require repeated disc insertion.

For what they cost I'd suggest it's not taking too much of a risk to purchase one first.

[Murr44]

I'm trying to help a friend who's thinking of purchasing SH3 but is aghast at the idea of Starforce. Does anyone know how to determine whether copies on sale today (he quotes GoGamer selling SH3 at $8) have Starforce removed?
He'd like very much to play the game, but not at the expense of installing SF.

Thanks.

Tell your friend he can get a "StarForce free", pre-patched to 1.4b, copy at NWS Online Combat Gaming Store: http://yhst-12000246778232.stores.yahoo.net/ . All your friend has to do is specify that he'd like a later version without StarForce. I bought a replacement copy of SH III about 2 months ago from them & it doesn't require the dvd to play once the game's been installed (your friend should mention that too). I've bought quite a few games from NWS & their service is fast & very reliable.:up: Their price is comparable to GoGamer.

[Antonin]

I've just ordered it from the NWS store, and I'm extremely happy to think that I will probably have it by the (long) Labor Day weekend.

I really enjoyed SH3 during my original installation a couple years back. I also played AoD back in the day. I loved the constant nagging from headquarters: "Get aggressive, U-13!" Heh.

Thank you all for the information!

[phlem]

I just bought two copies from the local Fry's of a bundled SH2/SH3 and they still seem to have StarForce, but do not contain any Install Key Codes. The US publisher, encoreusa.com, has a web page solution: sent them $10 and they will replace "lost or unreadable" serials. Well, that's the price I paid per disk. And the hour drive plus gas from home to Fry's makes the "retailed refund" counterproductive as well. Any ideas? Did I miss something obvious?

I will try the NWS guys if all else fails (since I am trying to outfit multiple machines for some LAN party stuff). I had good luck with them when I gave away "legal" copies of Q2 at a recent game event.

All clues appreciated.

- Phlem (aka Doug)