I just found a cracked version of automation. It is not easy to find but they are there. My question is, you can not disable any such sites?
And no, I will not tell you where
If by hard you mean a 3 second Google search. I doubt that version will be able to update or do multiplayer, but hey every game gets cracked at some point.
About Google I find no working version. I know that every game is cracked, but it goes so fast that surprised me. It is in fact the latest build
so what? look at any other game… guess what? it’s cracked
even WoW is cracked, doesn’t change the fact that it’s still hugely succesful
Yupp, that just happens, nothing we can or want to do about it, because that is wasted energy.
What we’ll do to minimize this in the long run is Steam Workshop support, multiplayer and a demo of the game on Steam. 
That should give the proper version of the game some advantages over the cracked one.
Cheers!
Don’t forget that you have 2 proper version! 
Steam but also Standalone! 
By the way, It’s scandalous that they cracked also an indie game.
I “should/could” understand the “pirate policy” that want to break the system cracking AAA titles, but indie games?!?
Indie games generally are moved by passion, not money!
EDIT: What about the update for the Standalone version? They are 7 days since the Steam release.
Are Standalone version players second row users?!?
[quote=“Killrob”]Yupp, that just happens, nothing we can or want to do about it, because that is wasted energy.
What we’ll do to minimize this in the long run is Steam Workshop support, multiplayer and a demo of the game on Steam.
That should give the proper version of the game some advantages over the cracked one.
Cheers![/quote]
The thing with the standalone version is that we want to iron out the bad bugs before getting it out because people using the standalone version not necessarily can download a new version every few days. Cas is going to look into making that version this weekend after another patch for Steam.
Cheers!
[quote=“mikev1989”]I just found a cracked version of automation. It is not easy to find but they are there. My question is, you can not disable any such sites?
And no, I will not tell you where[/quote]
OMG. What a tragedy! 
Most people that pirate games won’t buy them anyway. If you wasted time hunting cracked copies. What would you gain from that?! NOTHING. Just a waste of time and resources.
Every Steam Game is cracked nowadays. Nothing you can do to stop it.
If anything this just proves the game is getting popular. Which is good.
Your Google-Fu is weak…
Unfortunately you can’t stop it from happening, even with heavy DRM on games they still get cracked. Is it sad it happens to Indie games? Yup, but pirates don’t care about that. On the other hand you could see it as a complement, your game is worthy enough to crack… Actually hang on a minute… uses his Google-Fu Yeah it pans out, can’t seem to find a working cracked version of The Slaughtering Grounds 
All that said, still might not be the best for sales strategy to point this out on the Official forum where people come to find info on the game, maybe this thread should be deleted?
[quote=“Killrob”]Yupp, that just happens, nothing we can or want to do about it, because that is wasted energy.
What we’ll do to minimize this in the long run is Steam Workshop support, multiplayer and a demo of the game on Steam.
That should give the proper version of the game some advantages over the cracked one.
Cheers![/quote]
That sounds like a great approach to this. I admit, I’m one to try-before-buy, but luckily I found my way over to the website here after stumbling across Automation on Steam and then saw that there was a demo available. After about an hour or so of playing with that, I bought the game! The demo had a great balance between limiting access to things enough to make me want to buy the full version, but not so limited that I couldn’t get a good idea of what to expect from the full version (this is something a lot of demos tick me off about). Getting a demo on Steam would surely be a plus, especially with all the nice UI improvements!
Steam as an even better option. Free Weekends. Give people the chance to play the full game for 2/3 days. It’s great for sales, great for people that want to try it and good for people that already have it because during free weekends there’s more people to play online with.
[quote=“Killrob”]Yupp, that just happens, nothing we can or want to do about it, because that is wasted energy.
What we’ll do to minimize this in the long run is Steam Workshop support, multiplayer and a demo of the game on Steam.
That should give the proper version of the game some advantages over the cracked one.
Cheers![/quote]
This sounds like a good approach.
On top of that I would do what Paradox does and lock modding and tech support forums for people who haven’t registered their game on the forum. Maybe even community competitions while you are at it…
Exactly what we do with AutomationHub, since we think the devs deserve every single penny.
You need to validate with your Automation account or else you cant use the website 
[quote=“WizzyThaMan”]
Exactly what we do with AutomationHub, since we think the devs deserve every single penny.
You need to validate with your Automation account or else you cant use the website [/quote]
That’s very stupid. Telling people what to do might be bolstering your ego, but that won’t decrease the number of people who look elsewhere or pirate, quite the contrary actually.
[quote=“BurningBridges”]
Exactly what we do with AutomationHub, since we think the devs deserve every single penny.
You need to validate with your Automation account or else you cant use the website
That’s very stupid. Telling people what to do might be bolstering your ego, but that won’t decrease the number of people who look elsewhere or pirate, quite the contrary actually.[/quote]
I see no problem with having to use your game credentials to access the features of a website explicitly designed for posting content you’ve made in the game itself. (You can view it without owning the game, just not post content)
How is that stupid and encouraging people to pirate the game? (which would then not let them use said community features?)
Anyhow. AutomationHub isn’t run by us, but I’ve no problem with them restricting some of it’s features to people who own the game.
I have no problem with it either. I just won’t use it, and I know a lot of people won’t.
Also he and the poster before suggested locking the Automation forums to only people who go through registration. That will only pi** more people off, and they are more likely to look for unrestricted access.
I think at the moment, the community is a large factor in what makes automation fun. I can honestly say I have spent more time on the forum, making car ads, writing articles and magazine covers than I have actually in the game making cars and engines.
it is fun to make a great car, but it is great to be able to show everyone oh hai gais this is my M3 fighter, come at me, and then have people go whoah, nice power AND efficiency!
I think restricting the forum so only legit purchasers is a good way to encourage people to buy so they can participate in the community.
I suggest the exact opposite. You guys must make up your mind if you want to sell a game or run a private club. If you want the latter, raise the walls as high as you want and make it so that people have to apply before they can even buy your game. Shrink the community to a few 100 or so internet addicts, and you will have a very tidy, very concise forum. But if you want the former make it available to as many people as possible, and live with the fact that some may be using stolen versions or ask stupid questions that you have read before. In the long run, even with the freeloaders and undecided people, number of sales wills slowly rise. But you dont reach these people by slamming the doors shut. If I see a developer do something of that sort I think that they secretly hate their customers, otherwise they wouldn’t try to shut them out.
I dont think anyone said you had to apply to buy the game. The game isn’t restricted to anyone - anyone can purchase right?
But giving access to the community is a bonus if you have paid for the game.
I see your point in that people who have only the demo can’t participate though
Do you mean they secretly hate prospective customers? Its no different to Ferrari saying no you cannot participate in our track days because you dont have a Ferrari.
Or an Audi booth giving away free champagne and strawberries but only if you drive an Audi (true story).
I see giving access as a carrot, you see denying access as a stick.
That was a blatant exaggeration, but I wanted to make it clear that I am here to play a game not to fill out forms and applications.
And yes, the demo users are a good example. Or people who have the full version but wont register. Or people who have neither but want to see what people are talking about. Hell, even people who pirated the game unless they are so stupid as to talk about it. Most of them wont play/post much anyway. But others will realize that it’s stupid and become paying members. Using legit versions has advantages but you dont get that across by imposing disadvantages.