Chris Priestly
Community Coordinator
Joined: 17 Oct 2001
From: Behind an Evil desk in Marketing |
 Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 09:46PM |
To help people understand the technical requirements for Mass Effect PC we have put together this handy FAQ with the minimum and recommended PC specs, SecuROM information and answers to the more frequently asked questions.
Minimum System Requirements for Mass Effect on the PC
Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista
Processor:
2.4+GHZ Intel or 2.0+GHZ AMD
Memory:
1 Gigabyte Ram (XP)
2 Gigabyte Ram (Vista)
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 6 series(6800GT or better)
ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)
Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes
Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers
Internet Connection
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Recommended System Requirements for Mass Effect on the PC
Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista
Processor:
2.6+GHZ Intel or 2.4+GHZ AMD
Memory:
2 Gigabyte Ram
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or higher.
ATI X1800 XL series or higher
Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes
Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers – 5.1 sound card recommended
Internet Connection
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Like a great predatory piano, I sit silent in the darkness. Until it is time to attack and then I strike in a cacophony of violence and ivory keys. |
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Chris Priestly
Community Coordinator
Joined: 17 Oct 2001
From: Behind an Evil desk in Marketing |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 09:48PM |
SecuROM
SecuROM is the copy protection and security program included in Mass Effect PC.
Mass Effect PC uses SecuROM which requires an online activation for the first time you play Mass Effect PC after installation. After the first activation, SecuROM requires that it re-check with the server within ten days in order to revalidate the CD key. If it can't contact the server before the 10 days are up, the game still runs and it will re-check until it is successful. If the check is not successfully performed within the 10 day period, Mass Effect will not run until an online check is successful.
Each copy of Mass Effect comes with a CD Key which is used for the SecuROM activation and for registration here at the BioWare Community.
SecuROM does not require the Mass Effect DVD to be in the drive in order to play, it is only for installation.
_________________
Like a great predatory piano, I sit silent in the darkness. Until it is time to attack and then I strike in a cacophony of violence and ivory keys. |
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Chris Priestly
Community Coordinator
Joined: 17 Oct 2001
From: Behind an Evil desk in Marketing |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 09:55PM |
F.A.Q.
Q: Will my PC (or a specific element of my PC) run Mass Effect?
A: As long as your system is above the minimum requirements, you will be able to run Mass Effect for the PC.
Q: Where do I get help for any problems with MEPC?
A: Official support for Mass Effect PC will be handled by EA. There will also be a technical support forum in the Mass Effect community for fans to help each other.
Q: Why does MEPC need to reactivate every 10 days?
A: MEPC needs to authenticate every 10 days to ensure that the CD key used for the game is valid. This is designed to reduce piracy and protect valid CD keys.
Q: What happens if I want to play MEPC but do not have an internet connection?
A: You cannot play MEPC without an internet connection. MEPC must authenticate when it is initially run and every 10 days thereafter.
Q: What happens if I install and activate MEPC with an internet connection, but then do not have an internet connection after 10 days? Can I still play MEPC?
A: No. After 10 days the system needs to re-authenticate via the internet. If you do not have an internet connection you will not be able to play until you are reconnected to the internet and able to re-authenticate.
Q: Can I play MEPC on my laptop PC?
A: Yes, as long as your laptop meets the minimum system requirements and, periodically, has a connection to the internet to authenticate your game.
Q: How many installations will SecuROM allow from my copy of MEPC?
A: Since SecuROM has nothing to do with the installer, you can install and uninstall on the same machine over and over again without any problems. SecuROM also allows you to activate the game on 3 different machines.
Q: Q: What happens if I exceed 3 activations?
A: Your first 3 activations will still work, but any subsequent activation will not work.
Q: When does this authentication check occur?
A: The check is ran automatically when you start the Mass Effect PC exe. In other words, it tries to authenticate when you start to play the game.
Q: There were some problems with authentication servers for games like BioShock. Is EA ready for the influx of MEPC players? Will we be able to play our games when we get them home?
A: Yes, EA is ready and we are confident there will be no server problems. EA has assured us that they have their authorization systems and customer support staff in place and ready for the launch of Mass Effect for PC. Anyone having issues with getting the game activated will be able to contact EA Support and get their problem resolved.
Q: What happens if I play, then go away for 2 or 3 weeks? Would the game load, re-authorize and carry on, or would i need to contact EA Support for whatever is necessary?
A: The game would work just like the first time you played it. The number of days you are away doesn't matter.
Q: When EA acquired Bioware, I knew that using SecuROM would be one of the major changes since EA is one of the most powerful Securom supporters.
A: Actually, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old republic, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect all use SecuROM in some manner.
Q: How will the game servers work with the authentication?
A: Mass Effect does not have game servers, so this is not an issue.
Q: Who runs the SecuROM servers? Is it BioWare, SecuROM or EA?
A: EA runs their own SecuROM servers.
Q: Does the game re-authenticate every 10 game play days or every 10 calendar days?
A: It re-authenticates based on calendar days, not game play days.
Q:You did say that SecuROM re-authenticates silently and we don’t need to do anything at our end to make this happen. Is that right?
A: Correct, when you go to run the game, the re-authorization takes mere moments during the game startup. There are no dialogs, no progress bars, nothing for you to enter or confirm. It just works.
Q: What if for any reasons my CD-Key was banned and/or doesn’t work?
A: You would contact EA Support and they will work with you to get it running again.
Q: What happens in the future if I want to play MEPC and EA has shut off the servers?
A: If that should ever happen, BioWare would address this problem.
We will try to update the FAQ qith more questions and answers as they arrise. Thanks everyone.
_________________
Like a great predatory piano, I sit silent in the darkness. Until it is time to attack and then I strike in a cacophony of violence and ivory keys. |
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Cinnabar Din
Moderator
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Mass Effect PC
Sonic DS
Joined: 15 Mar 2004
From: Some backwater in the Orion Arm |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:05PM |
Chris, I've asked this before, but I wonder if it got buried in all the other posts:
any word on hardware changes and how it will (or won't) affect the need to re-activate. Specifically, how big/what kind of changes can you make in your system before you'll be forced to burn one of your 2 extra activations?
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It's rogue, dammit, ROGUE!!! |
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senduran
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR Xbox
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
Mass Effect
Joined: 18 May 2002
From: Cambridge, England |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:08PM |
Quote: Posted by Derek French:
There are no external programs with SecuROM. It is completely contained in the wrap of the executable. There are no other programs or processes that run, other than was is with MassEffect.exe
Is it possible to get extra confirmation on this? People on other forums refuse to believe it.
For example:
Quote: Even if it is wrapped around the .EXE program, do you know for certain that it won't:
a.- Install a null key in the registry
b.- Create a syntax incorrect directory that will prevent me from removing it
c.- Demand a system reboot if I have used Process Explorer (A Microsoft certified application by the way)
d.- Refuse to run the game if it detects Daemon Tools in my system even though the game doesn't NEED a CD after activation?
Is there any doubt at all that all the SecuROM code is inside the main executable and will be 100% gone from the system if the game is uninstalled normally?
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ulath666
Game Owner
 NWN 2
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:08PM |
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[removed off-topic comment] Edited By Derek French on 05/06/08 22:31 |
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Althernai
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 25 Feb 2002
From: St. Genis |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:17PM |
Quote: Posted 05/06/08 22:08 (GMT) by senduran Quote: Posted by Derek French:
There are no external programs with SecuROM. It is completely contained in the wrap of the executable. There are no other programs or processes that run, other than was is with MassEffect.exe
Is it possible to get extra confirmation on this? People on other forums refuse to believe it.
I'm pretty skeptical on this as well. SecuROM and its kin (StarForce, SafeDisk, etc.) have generally dumped garbage of varying degrees of toxicity into the registry and sometimes went as far as installing an entire driver into the OS. Part of the reason I think this change may not necessarily be a bad thing is this promise of it being entirely contained in the executable (though it does sound too good to be true). |
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MysterD
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 09 Nov 2001
From: Massachusetts, USA |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:17PM |
Does the installation number work like Bioshock's?
So, if I install MEPC, my count of 3 activations drops to now 2 activations left, correct?
And if I uninstall MEPC on that PC, will I need to online to get a "revoke" credit? And if I so do, will my number of activations leftover be incremented by one again, bringing it back up to 3 in total? |
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Shugart
Game Owner
 NWN
SW: KotOR PC
Joined: 09 Feb 2003 |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:19PM |
Unbelievable. It seems that people pick the most inane things to complain about.
Bioware - An invisible background check every 10 days is a TOTALLY reasonable anti-piracy check. This is much preferable to having to find my DVD and insert it in the drive each time I want to play.
Please do what you need to do to protect your hard work against piracy. Yes, it is a shame that legitimate consumers need to be "burdened" with copy protection. It is also terrible that we need the "burden" of a police force in the real world too.... but get over it.
I would MUCH prefer that PC devs do something that helps curb piracy than watch my beloved PC gaming hobby be relegated to the dust bin of also-rans.
Is it *honestly* a problem to have your computer call home to verify the copy?? I'm honestly missing the onerous burden placed upon the user with this one.... |
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Lothar IB
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
Joined: 21 Jun 2002 |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:20PM |
I'm tired of copy protection that doesn't work and causes problems for people who actually buy the game and does nothing to reduce piracy.
EA lost my dollars and trust a long time ago, bioware is moving in that direction. |
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Guhndahb
Game Owner
 NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 20 Aug 2002 |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:22PM |
There is a point which I believe Derek has not addressed although it was asked about at least once. (I read all of his posts in both relevant threads and did not see an answer; if I missed it I apologize.)
Can we deactivate in order to free up an activation slot?
I consider the inability to deactivate a complete deal breaker with the exception of Windows and Office, and the lack of it with those products has earned MS my continued enmity. Unlike Windows and Office, however, I can live without a game, even one I'm anticipating as much as Mass Effect. If EA provides a method to deactivate (even through an external tool like 2k did for Bioshock) then I will not alter my plans to purchase MEPC. However, if this ability is not planned, I'll have to regretfully abandon the purchase despite my level of anticipation.
If deactivation is not currently planned, I request that you please reevaluate it. I'd be happy to present my reasons for the necessity of deactivation if you would like. I cannot stress the importance of that necessity enough.
Thank you for any information you can provide on this point.
(Off-topic: That was very frustrating, by the way. I wrote up a similar post in the 2nd copy protection thread and it was locked while I was composing. The body of my post was lost. You may want to adjust the forums to handle such situations more gracefully than simply dropping the post. I usually remember to copy to clipboard before submitting a post, but, of course, I forgot.) |
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ulath666
Game Owner
NWN 2
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:22PM |
Another thing i want to know:
Does the authentication only send the CD key? Im guessing not since i can only have it "active" on 3 computers at the same time. Exactly WHAT info will be sent will be sent except the cdkey? And will the same info be sent every time it authenticates?
And you do realise you want to answer the questions here correctly now and dont have a sony moment when we all find your rootkits?Edited By ulath666 on 05/06/08 22:23 |
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stefan9
Game Owner
 NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
SW: KotOR PC
Jade Empire:SE
NWN 2
NWN 2: MotB
NWN 2: SoZ
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 05 Oct 2002
From: Pretoria,south Africa |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:30PM |
This needing an active internet connection is going to cause issues for gamers in the third world.
Many gamers here in SA only have access to the internet at work.
Not going to affect me but I hope EA/Bioware took this into consideration. |
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Royas
Game Owner
NWN
NWN: SoU
NWN: HotU
NWN 2
Mass Effect PC
Joined: 23 Jun 2002 |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:31PM |
Quote: Posted 05/06/08 21:03 (GMT) by Derek French
We have been told that this is the protection system for EA PC titles going forward, starting with Mass Effect
Nice, guess EA has decided they really don't want to even pretend to treat their customers well. And it's equally nice that Bioware has decided the same. I'd rather have honest contempt than hypocrisy any day of the week. Good bye, so long, enjoy the PR beating that you are inevitably going to receive when MEPC actually gets released. What's really funny is EA makes the calls (yeh, it won't change you guys at all, uh huh) and you are the one who's going to take the blame for it. Up to today, I've defended EA when other people refer to it as "the evil empire" and such-like. Guess I won't be doing that again.
Edit: No swearing here please. Edited By Royas on 05/06/08 22:44 |
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Derek French
Technical Producer
Joined: 16 Oct 2001
From: Euphoria |
Posted: Tuesday, 06 May 2008 10:42PM |
Quote: Posted 05/06/08 22:05 (GMT) by Cinnabar Din
Chris, I've asked this before, but I wonder if it got buried in all the other posts:
any word on hardware changes and how it will (or won't) affect the need to re-activate. Specifically, how big/what kind of changes can you make in your system before you'll be forced to burn one of your 2 extra activations?
Its a hard question to answer simply because it is so hardware and situation specific.
I have changed my video card on my computer and nothing happened. But then a different type of video card change may trigger it.
Quote: Posted 05/06/08 22:08 (GMT) by senduran
Is it possible to get extra confirmation on this? People on other forums refuse to believe it.
Beyond me saying it twice, I don't believe that there would be anything I could say that would convince you.
Quote: Even if it is wrapped around the .EXE program, do you know for certain that it won't:
c.- Demand a system reboot if I have used Process Explorer (A Microsoft certified application by the way)
We use Process Explorer here. It no longer requires a system reboot if you use it, but you do have to exit Process Explorer. That is a SecuROM thing.
Quote: Posted 05/06/08 22:17 (GMT) by MysterD
So, if I install MEPC, my count of 3 activations drops to now 2 activations left, correct?
Incorrect. We wrote the installer and it has nothing to do with SecuROM or activations.
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DISCLAIMER: The above statement was made with the currently available information. Its true right now (check the time stamp on the post) but may not be in the future. Relax. Chill. Enjoy life. Thanks! |
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