I'm getting a message "Original games do not fade". What's going on here?

FADE is a copy protection software feature incorporated into OFP. If you're getting this message, OFP is under the assumption that you are not running a legitimate copy of OFP. FADE can make playing OFP extremely annoying or absolutely not worthwhile.

Some owners of legitimate original OFP CDs are afraid that the FADE copy protection scheme might be affecting their copy because they think that some instability issue they have with OFP might be caused by FADE. While BIS is unable to provide exact technical specifications on what FADE is and how it works, they have stated some facts about FADE that might be helpful:

• When FADE is activated, it does not affect major technical parameters of the game. It does not produce any visual distortions. It also does not make OFP run slower. When encountering any problems of this nature, it is very likely you are experiencing some compatibility problems between various parts of the operating system, computer hardware and OFP. Checking out The FAQ's Troubleshooting section is recommended, as it may help you fixing the problems you have.
   
• When FADE is activated, it affects gameplay aspects of the game. This may include (but is not limited to) the following: reduced accuracy of some weapons, reduced weapon performance, increased enemy hit endurance and increased player injuries.
   
• If someone tries using an illegal version in which an attempt was made to remove or disable FADE copy protection, OFP might easily exhibit signs of instability. Removing copy protection includes changing program code in many various areas, which leads to increased application instability. Many illegal versions are known to contain such instabilities, causing the game to crash during various gameplay events.

BIS and CM have stated that these are the major aspects of FADE technology and they are triggered by using counterfeit versions of the game,  no-CD cracks, trainers or cheats. The solution is to only use the original retail version of OFP as installed from the CD, as well as applying only original upgrades and patches from official OFP web sites.

However, there have been recent complaints by OFP customers with legitimate copies of OFP who are nevertheless getting this message or other symptoms that appear to be FADE related and are unable to play OFP. If you're one of these legitimate customers, contact CM's customer service by email.