[Droid803]

If you really have absolutely no way of re-buying it or using your old CD, I'd assume you could jury-rig something using FSO, the MVPs, custom interfaces like from FSPort, and standalone projects using the FSO engine like TBP.

[karajorma]

That's why the comments were so terse most likely. Since people didn't notice you were away, as a regular member everyone expected you to know better.

[Topgun]

did you try doing what I told you?

[Charismatic]

Wait, we used to have several hosts distributing it for free. Why is it now looked badly upon, and bannings? Why don't we just perfer or reccomend you buy it but have the free option as well?

[neoterran]

Maybe this thread deserves a sticky 

[chief1983]

Haven't we already stickied threads that explain this?  It's in giant print at the top of the installer thread, the installer website covers it...

[Mongoose]

Wait, we used to have several hosts distributing it for free. Why is it now looked badly upon, and bannings? Why don't we just perfer or reccomend you buy it but have the free option as well?

The entire reason the game was once distributed for free was because there was no legal source to obtain it.  Now that there is, the free options are not only redundant, they're also counterproductive to the very noble goal that GoodOldGames is trying to achieve (not to mention blatantly illegal).  As far as official forum policy is concerned, it's GOG or the highway from here on out.

And I think we already have enough stickies that no one ever reads without slapping another one up there.

[Jeff Vader]

it's GOG or the highway from here on out.

Tits GOG or GTFO?

It's in giant print at the top of the installer thread, the installer website covers it...

The Support board covers it... twice.

[Titan]

so glad i installed way back in june 

[chief1983]

Buy it you little freeloader

[Jeff Vader]

*cough* Uh... yeah! Buy it, you little bum.

[pecenipicek]

Go back in time and buy the boxed set as i did. BACK IN 1999.

[eliex]

Managed to buy one of the few surviving retail copies of FS2 out in the world last year on Ebay after searching for about 2 years. 

[IceFire]

I now do understand the legal issues. I haven't played for 4 months cos I was moving house... obviously things have changed since then. I didn't know that Freespace's status had changed from abandonware to re-releaseware. One of the most wondefurful things about the FSO project has been its community spirit / raising a phoenix from the ashes / free, nature.

I'm just upset as to the brusque and abrupt nature of the comments posted. Especially since I'm an old member who's been playing for ages. I've had this before on forums.. people forget that posts are posted by REAL people. I certainly would be polite in real life. Especially if the issue was an important one... to get the point across. At the end of the day this is just a game, one we all play for recreation. We must respect one another!

Flint

This may just be my interpretation but the folks who have posted so far have been fairly informative and helpful...so I may suggest that you're being just a bit sensitive on this.

Yes FreeSapce 2's status in our minds has changed from completely abandoned to being sold again legitimately.  We're happy to see it being sold by such a forward thinking organization and I think I'm on the whole really quite pleased by the way that Good Old Games is handling all of this.  Actually I would suggest that if the credit card you have doesn't work with their site that you at least have a go at contacting them.  They are a bit of a startup group to my knowledge...I'm sure a friendly suggestion would be helpful to them.

I hope you're able to work something out.

[jedimasterseth]

Sensitive? I emailed GoG yesterday as u suggested and got a terse reply saying too bad about my card type and warning me of the dire consequences of copyright infringement. I just want to f***ing play the game even! That's all! And I feel locked out. It's no wonder ppl resort to torrents... I DON'T CONDONE them, but when ppl begin to chastise you for asking for genuine help and u get bollocked, then...

May I suggest that we all chill out and stop taking all this so seriously. Having come back from a 4 month hiatus (so am perhaps taking a neutral view), I can say that ppl are getting WAY too finicky about FSO. It's for fun guys! Of course legality is very important, but isn't this a free open community project?

Stay Chilled!

[jedimasterseth]

PS Titan - thanks for the helpful suggestions!

[Mongoose]

The Source Code Project and MediaVP upgrades are free community projects, but the original game content was never part and parcel of that arrangement.  The retail games were only distributed out of raw necessity; before GoG came along, the literally only other alternative was to bend over and take the price hit of an $80 copy of the game on eBay.  Because the community so appreciates what GoG is doing for the game (and of equal importance, because the community isn't looking for a cease-and-desist letter), the decision was made that the retail downloads were no longer necessary.

Just out of curiosity, if you don't mind sharing, what sort of credit card do you have that GoG won't accept?  And does your bank have some sort of check/debit card program that would allow you to withdraw from your checking account online?  I have a Visa debit card myself, and it works exactly the same as a credit card for online purchases.

[FUBAR-BDHR]

No PayPal account?  You can use just about any credit card there and GOG takes it. 

[General Battuta]

isn't this a free open community project?

The SCP enhancements are. Freespace 2 isn't and never has been legally free.

Remember, the reason we don't have a Freespace 3 is because Freespace 2 didn't sell. Help correct that.

[Mongoose]

Remember, the reason we don't have a Freespace 3 is because Freespace 2 didn't sell. Help correct that.

He already did; he's said several times that he has a retail copy of FS2 in storage a few hundred miles away.  Leaving aside the question of why it had to be put in storage to begin with, if I were in that particular situation, I think I'd personally feel that downloading a copy of the games could be justified, though I equally wouldn't expect that any information on how to do so could be posted in public here.