Need Alien Crossfire

<HU<K · February 13, 2002, 23:18

I love Alpha Centauri, but like the rest of the net, I can't find it anywhere except Ebay for $50. Is anyone willing to either sell an old copy, burn me a copy in trade for something, or even share it on Morpheus? Does anyone have any other suggestions about getting it? Thanks.

vootguy · February 13, 2002, 23:44

It's hard to believe that Firaxis pulled a game that people are willing to pay so much for online. If they made a downloadable version and charged $25 for it, people would be waiting in line to give them money. Have a PDF version of the manual included in the package. It would hardly cost them anything.

Hey Firaxis... LET US GIVE YOU OUR MONEY. We have it... we want to give it to you... so let us send you our money.

<HU<K · February 14, 2002, 00:00

Is there any way to cobble it together from the Alpha Centauri and the Crossfire Demo? I know the Demo has a limit, but maybe with the exe from the full version and a few graphic files...

Lefty Scaevola · February 14, 2002, 00:08

EA controls the production and distribution of smac-x, all Firaxis gets is royalties.

Darius · February 14, 2002, 12:50

Have you looked at other recent threads on this same subject, such as this ? It has several leads.

Lee Johnson · February 14, 2002, 22:53

Yeah, it's hard to believe that EA flooded the channels with the budget jewel case edition of SMAC, but didn't toss in Alien Crossfire. I've never seen the contents of the Planetary Pack, but I'd almost wager money that it's all on one CD. Is that the case?

Now I see that SMAC is in a big EA shovelware collection... still without Alien Crossfire. *sigh*

Archaic · February 15, 2002, 02:52

You'd win that bet. All on one CD, with the proper hardcopy manuals + Prima's (rather worthless) strategy guide.

The Andy-Man · February 18, 2002, 14:29

i got my SMAC for £8 (bout $15)

andyman69@thefreeinternet.co.uk

and we can try an sort sumthin out if you want.

EDIT: i just realised you may be wantin alien corssfire, and that i dont hav and am looking for myself - not that i know what it actuall is

Jac de Molay · February 20, 2002, 12:05

Quote:

t's hard to believe that Firaxis pulled a game that people are willing to pay so much

Couldn't agree more. They had pulled the game off the market just when I was understanding the intricacies of original SMAC.

I still keep my eyes around in the bargain bins of the big box stores in the vain hope I will find a copy...*sigh*

Perhaps some serious thought should be given into generating an online petition for Firaxis and EA.

Dave

gwillybj · February 23, 2002, 20:09

Quote:

Originally posted by DetroitDave
Perhaps some serious thought should be given into generating an online petition for Firaxis and EA.

Maybe Firaxis could get its products away from EA and go with a distributor that will actually distribute them since there are so many people who still want them. And include the two separate bound manuals, the two Tech Tree wall charts, and the Map of Planet poster.

<HU<K · February 23, 2002, 20:42

I finally got a copy of AC today from Software First in England. They apparently are willing to send software overseas, even though others have stated that it is not legal.

Dreifels · February 23, 2002, 21:53

It is legal. There is nothing in GB against it.

http://www.softwarefirst.com/Produc...WebRef=10081089

Alpha Centuri Alien Crossfire IBM £4.99
Ea Product Code : 10081089

(This item is available for immediate despatch)

Dreifels · February 23, 2002, 21:58

Quote:

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola
EA controls the production and distribution of smac-x, all Firaxis gets is royalties.

It's a sample again (as so much other made same mistakes) that good programmer make bad legal contracts and/or have bad solicitors and at last they had loosen their own product or an unclear legal situation.

Hydro · February 28, 2002, 09:56

I have a question on software compatibility. Will software from the UK work in the US, or are there differences? My guess is no, but before getting AC from SoftwareFirst I'd like to make sure!

Anyone have any info on this novice question?

Hydro

Dreifels · February 28, 2002, 10:20

Quote:

Originally posted by Hydro
I have a question on software compatibility. Will software from the UK work in the US, or are there differences?

Sure. All windows language versions are compatible. You can take a French or a German or a UK version, no problem. You also can later copy the language files of one over an other language. I.e. you buy a German version and get later the UK language files, simply copy they. Then you have the UK version.
The language files are here:

http://alpha-centauri-stuff.cjb.net/

<HU<K · February 28, 2002, 10:24

There is no difference that I can determine. I also got my software from softwarefirst. Everything (including the crack) works fine for my computer. They shipped it out really fast for an overseas transaction. I got it in about a week and a half.

A previous post mentioned that it was legal in GB. I didn't mean that there were laws against exporting the software. What I meant is that usually software distribution companies have contracts that limit the distribution of software to different regions. For example, the DVD regions are an additional method of controlling that. That's why companies like the european Amazon.com will only ship to specific contries...because 99% of the software they are selling have contractual restrictions.

On one other note, I saw on a post of a different thread (I think it was on this site) that using the crack is OK if you own the game. If you are in the US, this is not true. The Digital Millenium Copyright Act prohibits anyone from circumventing any form of copy protection. Since the SafeCD stuff on Alien Crossfire is copy protection, it is technically illegal in the US. (Not that it will stop me from cracking it). The music and software companies are lobbying the US congress now to enact legislation that would make it a crime to create a "digital system" without putting some sort of copy protection on it.

Dreifels · February 28, 2002, 12:10

Quote:

Originally posted by
A previous post mentioned that it was legal in GB. I didn't mean that there were laws against exporting the software. What I meant is that usually software distribution companies have contracts that limit the distribution of software to different regions

Right, but that is not a problem of the customer. That is only a civil law contract between the distributors, and if one may made no clear rules or doesn't watch the rules carefully or the other has such a good position as big reseller to the distriburor that the distributor will say nothing in fact, then also nothing happens.
In any way, the customer (user) never has to watch such. It's only a problem of the sales company.

Hydro · March 1, 2002, 00:33

I tried SoftwareFirst, but the site bombed on me when I got to step 3 (the $$ part). I got some funky error (it was ASCII-numeric gibberish, so I don't recall the text) on a cable and later on a dial up connection. I'd hate to have to call them in the UK, since that would likely cost as much as the AC!

Any advice?

Dreifels · March 1, 2002, 01:04

Try it again. From here it works fine. Little slow, but that's all.

Hydro · March 1, 2002, 10:03

I've tried 4 times, and each has failed. I e-mailed the company for advice. Until then I'll sit tight.

Thanks.

Dreifels · March 1, 2002, 10:11

and switch on activeX and javascript.
Simply click this line:
http://www.softwarefirst.com/Product...ebRef=10081089
or use the advanced search right above and look for "PC" and "Alien Crossfire"
or copy paste
"www.softwarefirst.com/Product.asp?WebRef=10081089"

Hydro · March 7, 2002, 14:25

I FINALLY got my web order to work after three e-mail chats with SoftwareFirst's web support, since they had no idea why it wasn't working. They even thanked me for helping them debug their system.

Alien Crossfire was a bargain at about $7 US. Shipping was a tad pricey, though, from the UK. It should arrive in 7-12 days.

Thanks for the help!

Hydro

<HU<K · March 7, 2002, 17:35

Don't worry, it will be worth the wait. I have had Alien Crossfire for almost a month, and I love it. It's just more of the good stuff I love from Alpha Centauri.

Hydro · March 7, 2002, 18:14

I've had Alien Crossfire since it came out. I am buying another 2 copies for a backup and as a gift to a friend (who I infected with AC - hehehehe). My bad laptop almost munched my original Alien Crossfire disk, and I was barely able to resurrect it by one of those Disk Doctor doohickeys.

Hydro

<HU<K · March 7, 2002, 18:24

Why not make a backup copy with a CDr? The latest CloneCD copied mine. The copy works without the cd crack, also.

Lefty Scaevola · March 7, 2002, 18:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Lee Johnson
Yeah, it's hard to believe that EA flooded the channels with the budget jewel case edition of SMAC, but didn't toss in Alien Crossfire. I've never seen the contents of the Planetary Pack, but I'd almost wager money that it's all on one CD. Is that the case?
*

Nope, It was two separte regular boxes wrapped up together in plastic.

NorthSwordsman · March 7, 2002, 19:06

Check out this thread at CGN. I've found a source for SMAX that is still selling.

http://www.civgaming.net/forums/show...=&threadid=837

Dreifels · March 8, 2002, 00:53

Quote:

Originally posted by NorthSwordsman
Check out this thread at CGN. I've found a source for SMAX that is still selling.
http://www.civgaming.net/forums/show...=&threadid=837

Hey, that'ts nothing other than a refer to
http://www.softwarefirst.com/Produc...WebRef=10081089
and if you read this trhead here little more above, you see that just that source already was reported:
use the advanced search right above and look for "PC" and "Alien Crossfire" or copy paste
"www.softwarefirst.com/Product.asp?WebRef=10081089"

NorthSwordsman · March 8, 2002, 01:07

Well, excuse me. I did not read the above posts before posting.

Supply Crawler · March 8, 2002, 15:02

Quote:

Originally posted by Dreifels
and switch on activeX and javascript.
Simply click this line:
http://www.softwarefirst.com/Product...ebRef=10081089
or use the advanced search right above and look for "PC" and "Alien Crossfire"
or copy paste
"www.softwarefirst.com/Product.asp?WebRef=10081089"

After a few weeks of looking, I could not get a copy of SMAX in e-bay, so I try this place. They shiped form UK to Canada (regular airmail) in less than 2 weeks, for about $20 (canadian) total. Thanks for the tip!