Nier: Automata is rather good if more than a little sexy. The PC port, not so much. The FAR (Fix Automata Resolution) mod aims to fix that, making 1080p actually 1080p and getting it to run faster and better due to optimization. It also comes with a piracy check and that – well, that hasn’t gone down so well.
Our Matt (and his rig) was not impressed with the Nier: Automata PC port.
As reported by Kotaku, installation of the mod will get you to accept a license agreement, then check if your copy is legitimate. If it is, you get a nice little flag in your settings menu that says you’re not a pirate. Well done. If not, well, here’s the mod’s creator Kaldaien to explain:
“Nothing malicious happens if you fail this check, you’re just presented with an infinite license screen that you can click Accept on but since you don’t respect licenses the license doesn’t respect your click.”
As a simple explanation of reactions to the above, see this now-locked Reddit thread that was shut down due to “people targetting and harassing the modder.” According to that same thread, Kaldaien is “infamous” for similar tricks, like blacklisting individual users and implementing similar anti-piracy measures.
Less angry, more industrious pirates have already grabbed Kaldaien’s source code, which he provides freely on Github, and made versions of the mod that run on pirated versions. He also says his anti-piracy checks are not a moral judgement on his part (though he doesn’t “think highly of people that do it”) but to stop his tools being used for illegally unlocking DLC. More on that over on GAF.
If you want the mod, it’s available via the Steam forums. Everything’s calmed down a bit after the initial explosion of anger.