Activating product on Steam

[Nirahtci]

I've played this game before and I know it's great. Saw it on Steam for fifteen dollars and that's a fantastic deal.

My problem with it is that Stardock still has not sent me a serial number, nor is it a registered product on my Stardock account.

I'd REALLY like to play, however it appears I'm caught in some stupid DRM ploy/bad customer support.

Anyone know what I should try?

[Nirahtci]

Just realized there's a "CD Key" button on the steam page.

One of those days you feel incredibly short sighted and stupid I suppose.

[Tempest_Wales]

Urggghhhh, you still have to register it to a Stardock account. The store page didn't mention anything about that. What a waste of money. Don't want the game now.

[wrath89]

Urggghhhh, you still have to register it to a Stardock account. The store page didn't mention anything about that. What a waste of money. Don't want the game now.
Not at all.

If you get the game via Steam you don't have to do anything via Stardock.

In order to play online, though, you will need to create an account with Ironclad Online, the Sins multiplayer server - but that's as simple as pasting in your CD key and email address. There shouldn't be any problems.

[Tempest_Wales]

Not at all.

If you get the game via Steam you don't have to do anything via Stardock.

In order to play online, though, you will need to create an account with Ironclad Online, the Sins multiplayer server - but that's as simple as pasting in your CD key and email address. There shouldn't be any problems.

When I "ran" the game from steam, I get a big Stardock register window with CDKey, account name, account email and the buttons, register or quit, and a link to make a stardock account.

I'm not going to make an account with Stardock, I'm already using steam. I've put in for a refund.

[Whippersnapper]

Stardock is harmless. Missing out on this amazing game is your loss, then.

[fileosoft]

I'm not going to make an account with Stardock, I'm already using steam. I've put in for a refund.

When you have buy your Windows OS in the next door shop, do you have ask a refund because you need to register/activate it via Microsoft?

The account on Stardock is only needed for online play... since the game have no copy protection and without direct DRM, the Stardock registration is the only way for them to know that you are a legit customer and allow your to use their ICO server for online play.

Unless something what changed with the steam version of the game, a simple double click of the game exe start the game... normally, you don't need steam running for play with sins

[Tempest_Wales]

When you have buy your Windows OS in the next door shop, do you have ask a refund because you need to register/activate it via Microsoft?

The account on Stardock is only needed for online play... since the game have no copy protection and without direct DRM, the Stardock registration is the only way for them to know that you are a legit customer and allow your to use their ICO server for online play.

Unless something what changed with the steam version of the game, a simple double click of the game exe start the game... normally, you don't need steam running for play with sins

I don't recall having to make a Microsoft account with my details to tie that license to it, or that the game costs £120. But whatever, I'm fed up of having to sign upto this and that, spreading my details further and further into every 2bit software/IT company, and hope they don't get hacked, or sell on my information. It's getting worse, and I will not stand for it and feed that system. I already got my money back and I'm looking to buy something in the Autumn Sale!

So good day Sirs, and enjoy your game!

[fileosoft]

I don't recall having to make a Microsoft account with my details to tie that license to it

You don't need... license is tie to your computer... and Microsoft have all the needed data about your computer... they know the last piece of your hardware without needing asking you something...

But whatever, I'm fed up of having to sign upto this and that, spreading my details further and further into every 2bit software/IT company, and hope they don't get hacked, or sell on my information.!

Is "Tempest_Wales" you real name? Don't you have a private personal e-mail and a junk e-mail ( .hotmail by example ) for registration... don't you live : streetwithoutname 987, 654321 Jupiter_Moon in the Sun state...

I already got my money back and I'm looking to buy something in the Autumn Sale!

So good day Sirs, and enjoy your game!

Yours loss... this is a great game... at a very low price...

[Psydotek]

Stardock is harmless. Missing out on this amazing game is your loss, then.

W3rd. Stardock is right up there with Valve and GOG.com (CD Projekt) when it comes to awesomeness.

[select20]

Lol, has to be a troll. I was a little put off at first seeing I had to register, but I literally took me like 1 minute to do it. In a sense, i can understand his frustration, registering for stuff like this, your info does get put out and you get so much junk mail.

I'm not saying this company will do that, but in general that is what happens. Ever since I started using Steam, I've bought like 20 games, having to register more than half. I get so much junk mail now it's stupid. Marking them as 'Spam" doesn't help either.

[Vargas78]

To be honest, i'm keen to avoid stardock and had hoped steam would resolve this issue. It's not that i dont want to give detais out, but because my real life friend who bought the game had a problem with their registration system, the website didnt recognise his key there was an issue with a new publisher (kalypso i think) and the keys they gave. Because of this he couldnt download any patches.

He had to send a photocopy of his receipt to their office or a scan via email. Problem was, he got it for like four pounds from morrison supermarket with some grocery shopping, and lost the receipt. He couldnt be bothered to pursue the matter due to the low price and he's more a console gamer anyway, but i thought the stardock system was out of order so i now avoid them.

A system that provides such bad customer service, to host a website that doesnt recognise it's own keys due to business structure changes, deserves to be boycotted in my opinion.

[wrath89]

To be honest, i'm keen to avoid stardock and had hoped steam would resolve this issue. It's not that i dont want to give detais out, but because my real life friend who bought the game had a problem with their registration system, the website didnt recognise his key there was an issue with a new publisher (kalypso i think) and the keys they gave. Because of this he couldnt download any patches.

He had to send a photocopy of his receipt to their office or a scan via email. Problem was, he got it for like four pounds from morrison supermarket with some grocery shopping, and lost the receipt. He couldnt be bothered to pursue the matter due to the low price and he's more a console gamer anyway, but i thought the stardock system was out of order so i now avoid them.
From what I've heard, Kalypso has had some very serious problems fulfilling their end of the contract, especially in recent patches. Stardock and Ironclad should really have dropped them by now in favor of a more reliable distributor.

I blame Kalypso for being horrible and Stardock for continuing to do business with them.

[fileosoft]

I blame Kalypso for being horrible and Stardock for continuing to do business with them.

Well, i have a Kalipso version... and it is true that they are not the best...

As for Stardock choice of European distributor, a history lesson is needed... When the game was ready to be released a few year ago, nobody was thinking that "sins of a solar empire" will become a top game... and it was difficult for them to find a distributor...

Now, after more that 2 million copy sell, Stardock was able begin work with more reliable distributor... for example, there is snowball studio ( http://www.snowball.ru/sins/ ) for sins gold ( russian name of Trinity )... Snowball studio make his own patch with localization... something that Kalypso have fail to make...

For French, German and Spanish, there is non-official 1.34 translation, made by modders or by devs from Stardock... can find them on the sins forum from Stardock...

Pretty sure that for the planned Rebellion, Stardock will be able to use more reliable distributor... Steam being one of them...

[Overt.Enemy]

Not at all.

If you get the game via Steam you don't have to do anything via Stardock.

In order to play online, though, you will need to create an account with Ironclad Online, the Sins multiplayer server - but that's as simple as pasting in your CD key and email address. There shouldn't be any problems.

Well I bought the game on Steam and as soon as you launch it this huge registration GUI comes up. And here's the best part - it doesn't work on my machine! So I installed Windows XP on a virtual machine and it works from there <sigh>. Wow, I'd love to try Rebellion after playing Sins for hundreds of hours. Hope they fix this soon. Also...why EXACTLY do I have to register if I bought the game directly from the Stardock website???