MrFlibble
22-09-2012, 11:16 PM
It is no secret that the shareware/demo version of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness includes six unique missions (http://www.wowwiki.com/Tides_of_Darkness_missions_%28demo%29) that are not found in the full version of the game. The demo was released both as an electronic download and as a jewel-case CD, with different version numbers.
The version 1.08sh, which is the CD version, includes the following additional features:
Fully animated introduction sequence (as opposed to a slide-show)
Voice-over narration in mission briefings and the non-interactive demonstration (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEW1dEDTJKE) of the game
CD Audio soundtrack
Previews of other Blizzard games
While I have so far been unable to locate a copy of the entire CD (which would include the high-quality CD Audio music), the installer files can be downloaded here (http://www.warcraft-akademie.de/warcraft2/files.htm). The same version had also been published on a number of magazine cover disks, including PC Gamer April 1996 issue (downloadable from archive.org (http://archive.org/details/pcgamer-coverdisc-1996-04)) and PC Player March 1995 issue (available here (http://kultcds.com/index.php?id=pcplayer&lang=en); this one also includes the previews of Blizzard games from the shareware CD).
Most importantly, the CD contains a VENDOR.TXT file that says:
Everyone can -- and is encouraged! -- to copy, upload and generally pass
around this Program electronically WITHOUT CHARGING FOR IT.
The Program is marked "Shareware" and contains "six playable scenarios". No
right is given by this vendor.txt to copy, use or distribute any other
version, including any version that is registered, or not marked shareware,
or that contains any episodes other than the six original playable scenarios.
The installer also shows this message:
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5457/install000w.png
The shareware version indeed does run without the CD.
All of this suggests that the shareware version in its entirety is eligible for free distribution; it is highly doubtful that, were the download speeds back then comparable to what they are today, Blizzard would have held back some of the content in the demo version.
The version 1.08sh, which is the CD version, includes the following additional features:
Fully animated introduction sequence (as opposed to a slide-show)
Voice-over narration in mission briefings and the non-interactive demonstration (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEW1dEDTJKE) of the game
CD Audio soundtrack
Previews of other Blizzard games
While I have so far been unable to locate a copy of the entire CD (which would include the high-quality CD Audio music), the installer files can be downloaded here (http://www.warcraft-akademie.de/warcraft2/files.htm). The same version had also been published on a number of magazine cover disks, including PC Gamer April 1996 issue (downloadable from archive.org (http://archive.org/details/pcgamer-coverdisc-1996-04)) and PC Player March 1995 issue (available here (http://kultcds.com/index.php?id=pcplayer&lang=en); this one also includes the previews of Blizzard games from the shareware CD).
Most importantly, the CD contains a VENDOR.TXT file that says:
Everyone can -- and is encouraged! -- to copy, upload and generally pass
around this Program electronically WITHOUT CHARGING FOR IT.
The Program is marked "Shareware" and contains "six playable scenarios". No
right is given by this vendor.txt to copy, use or distribute any other
version, including any version that is registered, or not marked shareware,
or that contains any episodes other than the six original playable scenarios.
The installer also shows this message:
http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/5457/install000w.png
The shareware version indeed does run without the CD.
All of this suggests that the shareware version in its entirety is eligible for free distribution; it is highly doubtful that, were the download speeds back then comparable to what they are today, Blizzard would have held back some of the content in the demo version.