ok.. so about the key you can buy for unlocking.

[carnage665]

will you be able to keep using the same key for unlocking the game... or will it only work like one or 2 times. (i format my computer from time to time, so i'll need a key that i can use to re-install the game each time i do a format). otherwise it would suck.. i cant afford to buy a key every i format my comp
Anyone have any info on this?? cant seem to find it on the forums..

grtz

[Zolyx]

All we've been told is that the DRM will be relatively minor, and it is confirmed that the boxed retail version of Torchlight will not have DRM at all.

[tomagabriel]

I am planning (for a long time now) to wait for the boxed version. I just hope I'm able to wait. Well, there are a couple of games I bought twice... No, I'm not obsessed, it just happened. You know how life is...

[carnage665]

crap, so what your saying is that i'll have to wait for the boxed version if i want to able to re-install the game as many times as i want? any info for when the boxed version will be available and in what stores? (damn i really wanted to get as soon as it was released the 27th)

[Kardiophylax]

Boxed version is not due until January as I recall. I would suggest buying the downloadable version. For one thing, it allows more of the profit to go directly to the developer without the costs associated with retail distribution. It is also only $20, which is roughly the cost of a couple of pizzas (which are eaten, digested, and subsequently disposed of forever), so I don't see it as a really high price to pay.

You may want to consider making an image of your computer once you have it reformatted and have your basic applications and torchlight installed. Then when you need to "reformat" your PC, you could simply reimage it and you'd have all your basic apps back in place. As far as I know, there would be no need to worry about the Torchlight activations if the product is already activated on the image.

[Seer]

The thing is some people like me can't buy online so hoping I can buy the retail version in a store

[Hygiliak]

crap, so what your saying is that i'll have to wait for the boxed version if i want to able to re-install the game as many times as i want? any info for when the boxed version will be available and in what stores? (damn i really wanted to get as soon as it was released the 27th)

You should wait for a dev to reply before jumping to any conclusions, since this is not a metter that has been explicitely discussed as far as I know.

[Marsh]

crap, so what your saying is that i'll have to wait for the boxed version if i want to able to re-install the game as many times as i want? any info for when the boxed version will be available and in what stores? (damn i really wanted to get as soon as it was released the 27th)

You should wait for a dev to reply before jumping to any conclusions, since this is not a metter that has been explicitely discussed as far as I know.

Hey looks it's a dev replying! So the thing is that it really depends on who you buy it through or at. For example you could actually play for the game per-session using Wildtangents wildcoins. Or you could buy the game through them and I believe it's like 5 unlocks before you have to contact them. Then there is steam; which once you buy it you can play it anywhere and install it anywhere. Then there are about a billion other online distributors with different rules.

With that said we still can't say who you can buy the game through yet( it's totally stupid but contracts are contracts - and hopefully very soon we can ). If you do buy it through our site - well we haven't decided how many unlocks you'll get yet but you will have a limited number.

As far as the box version - sorry but it won't be out on the 27th.

[Michael]

I personally plan on buying this game twice... once on the 27th, and also once the disc copies hit the shelves.

Actually more, since I plan to buy the disc as gifts for at least my two nephews, maybe more.

[Axler]

My biggest concern was, due to crumby bandwidth at my house i will have to download it from a friends house and transport it to my house to do the install. But it sounds like this wont be a problem. As long as its not a direct to drive in a installed format. It sounds like i will be able to transport it and install on my computer and use the key with my slow bandwidth to do the unlock. I am kew with all of that.

And if torchlight is selling it direct... Why would i buy from anywhere else???

[Shagsbeard]

My only hope for the process is that it's clear and explained without euphamizing it to the point where we don't understand what we're paying for. Hellgate and Sacred 2 have both bitten me in the butt, so I'm a bit gun shy when dealing with a new game. It's amazing to me that the industry has mess up developement, production, and delivery to the extent that they have.

[Skeeter]

I Have a PC and a Macbook.

If, after trying the demo, I decide to purchase a key and unlock the game on my PC....will that same key unlock the game on my MacBook when OS X version is released?

[Shardz]

I Have a PC and a Macbook.

If, after trying the demo, I decide to purchase a key and unlock the game on my PC....will that same key unlock the game on my MacBook when OS X version is released?

I would have to say yes on that one as they probably won't change their algorithm for the port. You will most likely be charged with another unlock if you buy the download version...and how many unlocks you get depends on the distributer you purchase the key from.

[Skeeter]

I Have a PC and a Macbook.

If, after trying the demo, I decide to purchase a key and unlock the game on my PC....will that same key unlock the game on my MacBook when OS X version is released?

I would have to say yes on that one as they probably won't change their algorithm for the port. You will most likely be charged with another unlock if you buy the download version...and how many unlocks you get depends on the distributer you purchase the key from.

That's kinda what I thought Shardz. And the thing is if I end up really liking this game, I won't mind buying a second key anyway. At $20 it's a bargain and two keys is still less than one of most.

If I do like and buy it will be straight from Runic, more change in the dev's pockets and I like supporting the little guys.

[Hygiliak]

If you do buy it through our site - well we haven't decided how many unlocks you'll get yet but you will have a limited number.

Let me ask you a question. Do you really believe in the usefulness of this limited unlock mechanism, or you implement it as part of an agreement/law/whatever?

[Shardz]

If you do buy it through our site - well we haven't decided how many unlocks you'll get yet but you will have a limited number.

Let me ask you a question. Do you really believe in the usefulness of this limited unlock mechanism, or you implement it as part of an agreement/law/whatever?

I imagine they have limited amount of unlocks to protect themselves from piracy basically. There isn't much stopping someone from uploading their digital download with the serial key to torrent sites and having 1,200 people jump on it in one hour. This would at least cap the unlock to a few installs...and it really wouldn't be worth someone doing that as their key is linked to their personal info in a database. However, as Travis mentioned, it's almost impossible to stop illegal distribution of the game and I think the install limit keeps the good guys in check more than the bad ones. It's like having locks on your car doors...those are only for honest people as the thieves will just bust through them. I also think that they intended those limited unlocks to be for your own personal use and not a network. For the price of one key you could install the game to X amount of computers (like at a University) and that wouldn't be very fair to Runic. Unfortunately, the good guys pay for the bad guys actions it seems.

[travisbaldree]

We're probably just going to throw a bunch of unlocks on there - 10 or more. We don't really want it to be a hassle, and we'll probably use the absolute minimum protection possible for our own distributed versions. The reason for this is really that we want to do an unlock demo because, to be frank, they just sell better. If someone doesn't have to download the game, and then download it AGAIN if they want to buy that, it's just a better experience.
So my preference is to make it very very light DRM with a large-but-limited number of unlocks. If you buy the game, I don't care if you install it on every PC in your house.

[Hygiliak]

We're probably just going to throw a bunch of unlocks on there - 10 or more. We don't really want it to be a hassle, and we'll probably use the absolute minimum protection possible for our own distributed versions. The reason for this is really that we want to do an unlock demo because, to be frank, they just sell better. If someone doesn't have to download the game, and then download it AGAIN if they want to buy that, it's just a better experience.
So my preference is to make it very very light DRM with a large-but-limited number of unlocks. If you buy the game, I don't care if you install it on every PC in your house.

Point taken.

[Michael]

Here's another question, kind of off the topic... will Torchlight come with some kind of Perfect World game hub install or anything (kinda like how you got the Wildgames thing with Fate) or will it be completely stand alone? I'm guessing there will, at minimum, be a Perfect World splash screen that might have some kind of ads for their other games?

Just curious.

[Shardz]

That is a good question and yet another reason why I'll probably pick this game up at Runic. As much as I loved Fate, I wasn't wild about having the Wild Tangent driver on my computer at all. But, I will say this; the Wild Tangent program works great at Frys and at computer stores! I ended up buying my new 24" LCD monitor by loading up Fate through the Frys Wild Tangent account and was playing it right there in the store and gave me an accurate representation of what the monitor looked like. Granted, you could always uninstall the Wild Tangent stuff, but on my personal computer at home...I just want the game and to keep the spam in the can.