I placed this post also in the NON-GOG-Gifting thread, but wasn't able to mark it there as question, so I repeat that one here once again:

Last week I successfully installed Star Wars Empires at War. It runs smooth and without problems. But the Expansion Forces of Corruption, immediately after starting the setup asks for the CD/DVD-Key, and when I enter this, it says, that the code is invalid.

Hey, what does this mean? I never have unpacked this game, it was still in the plastic last week, I have freshly opened the package and there, my code is counted as invalid. Personally I have the suspicion, that the code was cracked and therefore no longer valid.

My questions are now:
a) did anyone else have this problem with his/her CD/DVD-Key for Forces of Corruption?
b) Is there perhaps anyone, with a spare, unused Key for this game?
c) ...or is there a trick, which one has to know, to get that code working?

I am running a computer with Windows Vista, but as I had no problems, starting Empires at War, I think, Forces of Corruption should run as well.

Thanks for the hint - BUT: as I was not able to install already FoC, I am not sure, how I should install the patch, except it works also for EaW 1.

By the way: why is everytime Steam mentioned? I have searched on Steam for this game already, but I found neither EaW nor EaW FoC? So, where are those games on Steam?


OK, I was able to patch EaW, but it didn't change the installation of EaW FoC, sorry, it still say, that that damn code is invalid.

Well I take the risk and enter the code here, as it continues saying, that the code is invalid, it will not help to try it out: BUT perhaps anyone sees here some letters or numbers, which could be changed?

2e8e-758-8ef-0402-gm01 I have already tried to write the letters as capital letters and also already tried, to enter the numbers over my NumPad, and also tried to writhe capital O instead of 0 (zero) - it always says, code invalid. Stupid setup.exe! Maybe I'm gonna try to enter B instead of 8?

it is here: http://store.steampowered.com/app/32470/?snr=1_7_15__13

Of course it's in a bundle...

As to install issues, I'd check out Lucasarts.com support section. Maybe write them and ask? If it were me, I'd completely uninstall and reinstall, run the patch and then see if it works. Also is your Vista system running SP2? Frankly, Vista has so many issues you might want to consider upgrading to Win7.

In fact: my first reaction was to write lucas arts, but after 48 hours, they only replied, that they don't support European players and redirected me to Activision, but there I didn't found FoC in their acitve Support list, and I will for sure not phone from Switzerland to Germany. There was also a phone-number for Switzerland, which doesn't seem to be working anymore, since the game already has an age of several years. I am rather fourious, that a code never used before should be invalid now.

But perhaps I am gonna buy this from steam, as your link showed up the EaW Gold Pack - perhaps this is the simpliest solution.

Are you talking about the Gold pack? I got it off Amazon and it worked flawlessly which makes it the only Lucas Arts game I ever got that DID work without a major problem.

Nope, the problem is, that I am talking about the first Retailversions of the game. I've seen in the meantime the Goldpack on Steam and will probably uninstall my EaW-Version and buy the Gold-Package from Steam. What I am still wondering, is simply, why my Gamecode is refused. As I already told, I never had installed the game before and it really came out of the plastic-emballage, so no one ever had a sight of that game-key until I had opened the package.

I am not sure now, if this refusal is due to a technical problem, or if the code has been cracked. Looking at the format, I could imagin, that it was possible for an experienced code-cracker to reproduce it with some kind of algorythm - but there migth also be a problem with the "new" system. But I cannot imagine, how this technically would be possible, especially, as I was able to install EaW without any problems.

It is also hard for me to pay now another 20 Euros, being about CHF 25.00, knowing, that I for sure did pay already much more than 20.00 Euros when I bought those two retailversions.

As I am still short on money, CHF 25.00 for a game, that I already bought, is definitely too much. If it were at least buyable on gog for a moderate prize - but they haven't the game on their list. :(

It's only $8 - $10 on USD on Amazon, not counting shipping, if that helps. I think everyone should have this game and I buy it for you if I had the money! :D

Thank you, that is nice, but as I already have seen the Gold Package on Steam, I won't buy it on Amazon. You say it, also if the prize is moderate, they always add delivery-costs and it always needs extremely long, to receive the things from Amazon. On steam I am sure, that I also will receive directly with the first installation all updates necessary and never will have to worry, to miss any further updates. Though I heavily doubt, that there will be real actual upadetes today. But I definitely like the setup and the game-mechanism. and as I am really enthusiastic about the whole Star Wars Universum, I want to play this game.

I also still play Kotor on Steam and was absolutely happy, because my own hardcopies weren't working anymore on my computer, that steam still offers them. And the Steam-versions do workl

I also have an SWtOR-Account, so due to my shortness of money I stopped paying the member-fee. But I'll have to encounter, how it plays without the advantage of Member-Access, especially how the flashpoints work, when you use only the f2p-access.

Hello there, please consider this thread as resolved. I got help from within that forum and now both EaW and FoC are running well on my computer. You are right, after I finally was able to install FoC it needed this patch in addition and then it was working fine. Thanks again for your assistance too.

Hey, great news!! Glad you got it working!

There was no mistake with the FoC-Version, except, that my original key was corrupted - don't ask me how that happened. Someon from within that forum wrote, that he just had bought some special version and therefore had one FoC key (unused) spare, and he gifted me that key. Absolutely awesome and really, I am absolutely happy about that, because the Gold package isn't cheap, especially considering, that I have both the games bought as hardcopy and at full prize.

But it really was working. After installation was executed, the FoC didn't quite start up, but I then had to make that patch-installation which was recommended to me in this thread, and after that, it really startet correctly.

But I was only able to solve this problem because someone of that forum had read this post and helped me then with that key.