PSU: AotI Gameguard

[RandomMcPerson]

It's been a long while, but I felt like playing through PSU again (offline story mode, of course) yet every time I try to start story mode, I get a "Failed to connect to Gameguard update server" message.

What does this mean, exactly? This never used to happen. I saw somewhere saying that I should shut off my firewalls, but I don't really know what a firewall is. I use Norton Antivirus, and I clicked the "Disable Smart Firewall" option but I still get the message when trying to play PSU: AotI.

Does anyone know what the problem could be, and how to fix it? I'd love to play through the game again

[Dhylec]

You can't connect to Sega servers anymore. PSU online has been closed for years (http://www.pso-world.com/news/02243-english-pcps2-psu-servers-closing-march-31-2010) now.
If you really wanna play offline you must find way to bypass gameguard to play offline, yes even offline.

[RandomMcPerson]

Well, like I said, I was trying to play in offline story mode. I wasn't trying to connect to the network. I know you can still play in story mode, since I've done it a long while back, long after the servers were closed.


If you really wanna play offline you must find way to bypass gameguard to play offline, yes even offline.

How would I bypass gameguard? But besides that, I'm positive I've played offline story mode before long after the servers were shut down, so I'd think I should still be able to. It's just the gameguard problem I'm having. Does no one know how to fix it?

[RandomMcPerson]

So, nobody knows what I can do? I would really like to play through the offline story mode again

[Anduril]

So, nobody knows what I can do? I would really like to play through the offline story mode again
Like Dhylec said, you need to fins a way to bypass GG. The GG server for AotI was still running for a while after they shut down the servers, ---which is when you probably remember playing--- but it was taken offline a few years ago.

[RandomMcPerson]

Odd, I could have sworn I last played something like five months agp. Well, maybe I'm mistaken. Either way, do you know how to bypass the gameguard, in that case? It seems a shame to have spent money on the game only to no longer be able to play it. I have no idea how to do something like that

[Anduril]

That falls into a grey area, so you're best off searching the internet with specific terms.

[RandomMcPerson]

What do you mean by grey area? I just want to play the game. I've run some searches but I couldn't come up with anything other than people talking about cheating, and I've found nothing about PSU: AotI. I'm not really computer savvy so all this is way beyond me. I just don't understand why I can't play a game I want to play. I paid for it, I should be able to play it offline.

[Anduril]

What do you mean by grey area? I just want to play the game. I've run some searches but I couldn't come up with anything other than people talking about cheating, and I've found nothing about PSU: AotI. I'm not really computer savvy so all this is way beyond me. I just don't understand why I can't play a game I want to play. I paid for it, I should be able to play it offline.
DRM is the reason you can't, and I meant grey area in terms of what we are allowed to post about here on the forums and via PM. While we are allowed to discuss this, we aren't allowed to give links or specific names of places that partake in the intentional modification of the game in order to bypass Gameguard or "crack" the offline AotI launcher.

[RandomMcPerson]

I still don't really understand, but I guess it means I can't play it anymore? That's.. really sad. Well, thank you for the information, anyway

[Anduril]

I still don't really understand, but I guess it means I can't play it anymore? That's.. really sad. Well, thank you for the information, anyway
Basically, game companies think they can stop players cheating by implementing software like GG to ensure that players have a legitimate copy, but as seen here, it often time punishes those who do legitimately own the game when the authentication servers go down. You can play, but you have to locate a "fixed" .exe for Phantasy Star Universe Ambition of the Illuminus.