Problem with an old game.

[T-Bone]

OK guys, time to get your thinking caps on. Me and KillCrazy have recently been trying to have a LAN of Yuri's Revenge. I have a legitimate copy of both RA2 and YR with serials. Now, at first we only played RA2 and over the LAN and after working out the IPX protocols and such we were able to have some games without problem. Today though we installed YR and tried to play that. Now at first it said we couldn't connect to each others games as the serial number was in use, which is gay tbqh as RA2 and even Tiberium Sun never had these issues. So we tried finding other serials, dubious I know, but using these serials whoever was using it would have all thire troops blow up roughly two minutes into any game.

Essentially, what I am asking for is a way we can have a LAN of YR without having to fund EA's assimilation campaign by buying another copy as I think that is unfair and shouldn't have to be justified.

Rep for a solution from both me and KC. Get looking chaps!

 

[elDiablo]

Hamachi. Makes a VPN (Virtual Private Network) over the internet which makes your computer think it's in a LAN. You install the program, register (for the free account), log in. One of you makes a network and one of you joins it (or join the TheHavenNet network) - and ask Ronin, waterproofbob, Piacular or fluidicspace for the password as I don't want to post it). And boom! You can play LAN games over the internet with the new IP that Hamachi gives you. Enjoy!

 

[thatbloke]

I think he knows about Hamachi (and is quite peobably using it). The problem is that they both have the same serial key for their copy of the game. When they try to connect to each other it won't let them connect because the serial keys are the same

We tried a couple of keygens but neither seemed to generate a valid code.

 

[Tetsuo_Shima]

In my past experiences with Command and Conquer games playing over a LAN negates the serial-code issue; I think it might be only proper online, ranked play that takes the CD-Key into account. It should be fine to play over a Hamachi virtual LAN using the same CD-Key (I think). Unless Yuri's is a special case that won't allow duplicate CD-Key LAN games, that is ...

 

[elDiablo]

[not needing a key for lan]

What he said thatbloke If not, if you both bought YR, then you should have 2 keys! Which, again, aren't checked when online.

 

[KillCrazy]

Just to straighten out the scenario:

We were both in the same network, T-Bone on his PC and myself using his laptop both connected to a router. We used a CD duplicator so we could both have the disc and both be able to start the game on the two computers having only the one real copy of Yuri's, which of course means we are both using the same key.
This was the first step of getting the game to work, as it asks for the CD in the game at all times to be able to play. We have done the same with red alert 2 and were able to play before.

Next, we simply started a network game going, and within about 30seconds of the game, one of us, usually me with the copied CD, would have our base destroyed as if surrendered, and be out of the game.
Bizarrely, when we gave up and decided to play Red Alert 2, T-Bone's base was destroyed after 30seconds, prompting us to go back and play Tiberian Sun. This is bizarre as we were able to play RA2 only a week or so before trying Yuri's.

 

[Ronin Storm]

There's something odd with their CDs. I bought a copy of C&C:Generals to play with Rojaws some while back. I bought only one copy and installed on both PCs and mounted it as a virtual CD on each. I'd get this "base blows up 2 minutes in" effect for one or the other of us. I think there's something about the CD that causes the effect, like a serial stamp on it or something.

 

[Tetsuo_Shima]

KC - I don't know why that is happening ... If the worst comes to the worst, I have a copy of Yuri's and a CD-Key you could use if you want.

Ronin - You don't need to make virtual CDs in Generals, as I discovered one day when playing with my little bro. All you do is install Generals on both PCs with the same copy of the game, start the game up on one PC with the disc, and then once the game has loaded to the main menu you can take the CD out and start the game up on the other PC (even with the same CD-Key).

EDIT: Actually, this goes by the assumption you are playing in the same room and can pass the CD to each other. If you are far away then this is obviously unfeasible.

 

[Ronin Storm]

All you do is install Generals on both PCs with the same copy of the game, start the game up on one PC with the disc, and then once the game has loaded to the main menu you can take the CD out and start the game up on the other PC (even with the same CD-Key).

Ah ha. Unfortunately, I took the game back years ago so that's all a bit moot now. Thanks though.