Well i can say this , where i live i can go public whit thing whithout geting ban etc.
What i find what ARC doing on you computer and wright it here....
I will broke this bigtime.....
"Perfect World Entertainment Community Rules and Policies"
I dont whant to blame Cryptic fore this one .........bout PWE kiss my...
If i cant get back the Cryptic launcher im done whit this game.
go to your star trek folder and copy a shortcut back to your desk top if you deleted it...
Having recently had some major issues with Star Trek Online running on my computer, I had to uninstall in the hopes that re-installation would fix the issue. Not only have these issues failed to disappear, but ARC has introduced a whole lovely set of new ones to contend with. Not having the patience nor the will to contend with the TRIBBLE that comes with this useless bloatware, I have uninstalled yet again and shall not even bother with STO in the future. A completely useless amendment that didn't need to be made has cost the game at least this one player. Well done, Perfect World!
There are 2 things are reasonably clear, having read the entire thread to this point.
1. The vast majority don't want arc to launch their game.
I see how some of the features might be appealing to the user base, especially if they're done well, but you've got a large, dedicated base, who don't want it.
2. Fact 1 is going to be ignored, and a future update will make it mandatory. B-Flakes has been very careful in his statements, you don't have to read too far between the lines to see it's already been decided.
A third observation from lurking quietly on these forums: Everyone makes threats to leave when they're unhappy, few actually do. PWE knows that. If they make it mandatory, have the guts to follow through, cancel your gold.
I just recently signed up on a renewing gold membership because of the time I put into this game. If I have to have a separate launcher full of ads, to open a launcher of a game I'm paying for, I'm done. Sub cancelled. New game for me. There are just too many other mmo's out that need me to try them out.
I also can't get my friends to download and try the game for themselves, because they see *you have to download something else to play* and a million bad memories of *computers rendered unusable by spyware* come flooding back to them. It doesn't matter if Arc is clean or not, it's a giant deterrent to new users.
In conclusion:
*No* to mandatory ARC launching.
Bring back non-arc download options... Make them small print, hard to find whatever, just make them available. The people interested enough in the game to take the time to look for them, are the same ones most likely to spend on it.
Downloaded STO for a friend today and ran into having to deal with the Arc for the first time, simply put; What A Complete Waste Of Time!!!! What are you thinking. I would prefer to play the game over spending a bunch of time signing in to things that i shouldn't need and haven't needed to play the game.
A third observation from lurking quietly on these forums: Everyone makes threats to leave when they're unhappy, few actually do. PWE knows that. If they make it mandatory, have the guts to follow through, cancel your gold.
.
I can see a lot of people myself included will follow through with this threat to leave quite frankly there is more games getting released lately which I will give my hard earned cash and time to but I play STO for the name only. However I do not like Bloatware software I am not a fan of Steam yet I have it for certain games but use STO original launcher to play the game.
The last time so many people threatened to quit was at season 7 when they tried to remove the dilithium rewards in Season 7. And PWE saw the error and decided to reintroduce them. I can guarantee they will have the same rebellion on there hands if Arc goes live and I for one will go to one of these other games I have already stopped funding this game as there is nothing worth putting my money in game for and the bugs show they aren't solving those so they don't deserve my money.
So arc going mandatory will be the last straw for me and will givw mew thew push to say goodbye to STO for good
NO TO ARC
Vice Admiral Volmack ISS Thundermole
Brigadier General Jokag IKS Gorkan
Centurion Kares RRW Tomalak
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
A third observation from lurking quietly on these forums: Everyone makes threats to leave when they're unhappy, few actually do. PWE knows that. If they make it mandatory, have the guts to follow through, cancel your gold.
I've only spent about two hours in game since this mess started and most of that was finishing up Risian corvette runs I had already started. I have a LTS so my membership status is set, though I would have a really hard time continuing to put money into a Gold membership if I had one. At least maybe I can be a small blurb on the all important metrics.
A third observation from lurking quietly on these forums: Everyone makes threats to leave when they're unhappy, few actually do. PWE knows that. If they make it mandatory, have the guts to follow through, cancel your gold.
PWE would do well to remember Jita IV. Yes, not everyone immediately follows thru with leaving; but irritation stacks, and at some point ppl are massively fed up, and will massively leave.
Or... PWE could do some radical, and actually be considerate of their many paying customers, because they, I dunno, care maybe?! Nah, what was I thinking!?
I gotta admit I'm kinda a noob here. I'm reading posts and not sure how I feel about this.
First thing I'm taking away from all this reading is that it will take up more space on my harddrive than what's been necessary to play the game up till now.
I'm against this.
Second thing I'm reading is that it may have tracker software, software that may interfere with my security software and might put my computer at risk.
Given some of the history of Chinese hacking, and the recent massive Identity theft situation, I'm pretty damned sure that this is something I don't want either.
I gotta admit I'm kinda a noob here. I'm reading posts and not sure how I feel about this.
First thing I'm taking away from all this reading is that it will take up more space on my harddrive than what's been necessary to play the game up till now.
I'm against this.
Second thing I'm reading is that it may have tracker software, software that may interfere with my security software and might put my computer at risk.
Given some of the history of Chinese hacking, and the recent massive Identity theft situation, I'm pretty damned sure that this is something I don't want either.
Does that mean that the launcher troubles we've experienced will gett better? Might it make it worse ??????
I assume there might be mandatory advertisements to endure before I can log in to the game? - I'd be against this as well.
Do I have any of this wrong? Is there something I'm missing ?
Are there any features that I might LIKE about Arc?
I need more info on this feature if I'm to form an opinion.
It's kinda like Steam, but Arc Only have PWI games.
You can see some news about sto, the same news yo can see on the main STO site.
It launches the game laucher, the only difference is you don't need to type your login and password, but you still have to click the "engage" button.
I haven't seen any ads yet, but every time I launch Arc it suggest me about installing Neverwinter
I don't now if it has a tracker
Arc starts a bit faster than Steam, but besides that i don't see any real benefit
"In every age,
In every place,
The deeds of men remain the same..."
Does that mean that the launcher troubles we've experienced will gett better? Might it make it worse ??????
What you'll be getting is a bloatware shell around your existing launcher, spamming you with PWE ads, and cool & new ways to get in contact with all your other friends playing all those other PWE games. Never mind that you just play STO, and are not in the least bit interested in what other games our Chinese Overlords try and get you hooked on. And that you're not waiting for 'personalized ads' from PWE and third parties. And that it thoroughly ticks you off that these ads are personalized because they searched the content of your hard disk. And that ere long you have to agree to the new EULA giving them permission to do so -- or not play the game at all.
And this will really bake your noodle, later on: you realize they could have spend all the time and energy on ARC on fixing the ever-growing and ignored list of bugs, instead.
I think it was on the EVE Online forums, a while back, that someone suggested managers and marketing folks should never be allowed to make real-life decisions on their own; and that their stuff pass a 'Sanity Comity' of sorts first, where all-too-braindead, myopic ideas can be shot down before they ever see the light of day. Had this been the case already, the brass at PWE would have learnt, a long time ago, that the players of STO merely grudgingly accepted PWE took over, but is overall turned off by their vigorous focus on lacing their own pockets with Latinum -- at the expense of a deteriorating game, with an ever-growing list of bugs that no longer get fixed.
It seems to me that it offers me as a player nothing, But will help PWE gather information about me from my computer. Probably to try to sell me things.
I'd be willing to bet that the Arc launcher slows the game launch down, just enough, so that I might notice the offers properly as well.
Cryptic, you have my e mail address, You've used it to notify me of promotions already.
I'd prefer that the contents of my hardrive remain private. I'd prefer NOT to download bloatware that doesn't benefit me in anyway what so ever and just takes up space on my computer.
Now, If you want to increase my stipend, give me a few free lock box keys monthly... I might consider things differently, provided I'm appropriately compensated.
Otherwise, thanks but no thanks - Not saying I'll rage quit or anything, but I would NOT be happy about it being forced on me, when I've done quite well without it up to this point.
im still aksing me what about u talking.... arc will just change the launcher! nothing will be better for us! new bugs, new trouble, new tickets... but no new features!
only one question is important for the most of us.
will be star trek available to steam for the future or is planned to use arc only? some others already asked... but the answer failed. so ill help a little bit. u just need to say 1 or 2.
1 yes, star trek will be available via steam, no removal is planned
2. no only arc is planned for the future!
ans please dont say u dont know that... thats already planned!
many of us are steam users. no one need a second platform. for what? yes new security issues on my local pc. someone was counting the bugs ingame? lol so we know what will happen...
just wanted to chime in and say i will leave if this goes live. STO is fun but i just dont like games that force bloatfare down my throat. Thats Why i dont play battlefield 3, Origin was a bad idea and so is this.
I thought this was pretty obvious, but hey apparently not, lol.
Steam has all the of current packs on it, including teh Steam(runner) one, they're not about to throw all that away just for force us into Arc. Steam advertise every time a new DLC goes into it's store and also each time STO gets an update. There's no way Cryptc would throw all of that away.
Arc is blatantly going to have a few little items as rewards for using it for X amount of time. Play STO for 24 hours you get a pet etc. It's exactly what they did with Raptr, after all.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] @Aquitaine985 Lag Industries STO PvP Fleet - Executive
A Sad Panda of Industrial calibre. 2010: This is Cryptic PvP. Please hold the line, your call is very important to us...
Since I'm a lifer I can't cancel my sub. One thing I can do however is stop buying ZEN. Let's see what happens when they launch a new lock box and no one (yeah right) buys it.
QQ. Has anyone that uses Steam noted whether or not that this also now d/ls and installs ARC?
I'm hoping that the answer is no, as I'm getting a new box soon and don't want to install ARC. I have Steam, due to Saints Row and would rather add STO to my Steam set than use ARC. If it does install ARC through Steam then I just won't bother, sad as I am to let STO go I WILL NOT use ARC...
On a personal note, I have to wonder just what the Devs from PWE that are working on the ARC implementation, think of all the negative reactions here on the forums.
I mean there have been many "topics" over the years that have led to 'Rage quit' posts, but how many have led to posts from players that don't want to quit, that are still actively and happily playing, but feel that this move will be the end of their STO experience. Please, please don't make ARC mandatory, as an option it's a plus... (imho)
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." — Lazarus Long --->Get the Forums Enhancement Extension!
Honestly, I don't think they're even hearing about this.
PWE has issued an order that Arc is to be used for ALL their games and they're to get it out, regardless of player opinion/feedback.
I doubt the board members are saying, your product is getting bad feedback, allowing them to keep working on it in blissful ignorance, thinking they are making something that will be accepted.
At a guess, I doubt Steam and Arc are mutually compatible, so it's incredibly unlikely Steam will host an Arc download.
It would be like Steam offering you a download of Origin.
Bees like honey, they don't like vinegar.
Everytime someone makes a character that is an copy of an existing superhuman, Creativity is sad
So, any bets on when this bloatware will become mandatory?
My guess is with Season 8, and it'll be advertised as one of the big "improvements". They might try throwing in something that'll make it seem like we need it, like being able to set DOff assignments, without launching the game.
So, any bets on when this bloatware will become mandatory?
My guess is with Season 8, and it'll be advertised as one of the big "improvements". They might try throwing in something that'll make it seem like we need it, like being able to set DOff assignments, without launching the game.
The latter they'll likely never do. Just like CCP (EVE Online) will never let you slot skill-training remotely: out of fear you won't actually log in to play the game any more.
QQ. Has anyone that uses Steam noted whether or not that this also now d/ls and installs ARC?
I'm hoping that the answer is no, as I'm getting a new box soon and don't want to install ARC. I have Steam, due to Saints Row and would rather add STO to my Steam set than use ARC. If it does install ARC through Steam then I just won't bother, sad as I am to let STO go I WILL NOT use ARC...
Crysis 2 has one day rudely yanked from STEAM too (it's back, btw). In its absence, the game didn't stop working, and was still being updated/maintained thru STEAM, for those who had already installed in thru STEAM.
My guess is there are legal safeguards in place to prevent games on STEAM from just being moved to another platform at whim. Aka: once it's on STEAM, the publisher (evil EA, in this case) cannot just invalidate your existing install (after all, you legally bought the game; which is not something even a publisher can ignore).
The short of it: I think those of us who currently have it on STEAM are likely able to keep running STO from there, sans ARC.
Crysis 2 has one day rudely yanked from STEAM too (it's back, btw). In its absence, the game didn't stop working, and was still being updated/maintained thru STEAM, for those who had already installed in thru STEAM.
My guess is there are legal safeguards in place to prevent games on STEAM from just being moved to another platform at whim. Aka: once it's on STEAM, the publisher (evil EA, in this case) cannot just invalidate your existing install (after all, you legally bought the game; which is not something even a publisher can ignore).
The short of it: I think those of us who currently have it on STEAM are likely able to keep running STO from there, sans ARC.
The 'legal safeguard' is a contract/licensing agreement'. However, be aware:
1) if it lapses and Cryptic/Steam decide not to renew or continue it, STO will dissapear from Steam and they will likely no longer support the Steam interface.
2) The STO EULA (that you agree to everytime you play, by playing) states they can 'change' the user experience at any time. Thus if they say - "You have to use ARC from <specified date> forward - and if it doesn't recognize your Steam install, you will have to redownload and install STO from scratch and use ARC going forward...."; that's what you'll have to do if you want to continue using STO.
Like most players here in the thread, I DON'T want to be forced to use their new 'ARC' bloatware to launch STO; but if they make it mandatory, it'll be my choice, to bit the bullet and use their garbage add on; or quit STO (and all other Cryptic MMOs); and move on to other games (like say, Star Citizen, if/when it is made available .)
But, once the Steam/Cryptic contract for STO is no longer in force/renewed; PWE/Cryptic can mandate whatever they want with regard you players accessing their software. if you don't like that, you have the option to not use their software.
Formerly known as Armsman from June 2008 to June 20, 2012 PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
That's like saying, you bought a car, but we're removing the tires and steering wheel until you buy our exclusive service contract.
I know I personally do not want to use Arc to access STO at all!
If it comes to that, the tiny amount of credibility PWE has will be gone forever.
Along with my money and status as a regular player!
I'm only going to use Steam to access STO and CO, because it's convenient for me to do so in this way.
If they take it away, well, I'm going to refuse to play their games, because I don't want to use Arc under any circumstances.
But realistically, I doubt they can get away with making Arc mandatory.
And if they're foolish enough to try it, well, they brought the player exodus on themselves.
Bees like honey, they don't like vinegar.
Everytime someone makes a character that is an copy of an existing superhuman, Creativity is sad
Wow. Just noticed this. Hmm.. I plan to upgrade to Win8 in next few months. In doing so I usually safe-format and repartition drive to be sure that everying bad is gone for sure.
If this means, that I will need to install this Arc client just to run STO client that is running on Internet Explorer (something I would gladly get rid of) it's.. no, thank you very much. It will be the end of STO adenture for me. It also means that I will NOT spent any more money on this game because it's not worth to spent money on something that will kick you off in few months.
I just got a new rig, and attempted to install STO on it today. It absolutely required me to download ARC first (but strange that Neverwinter did not).
Well, I closed the window and won't be installing STO on the this computer, which means my account is effectively dead. I've uninstalled Neverwinter as a matter of principle, as well.
In other words, PWE will not see another penny from me for Zen. I have no interest in using ARC (nor do I ever use STEAM or Origin), and won't be forced to install it just to play Cryptic's games.
Comments
go to your star trek folder and copy a shortcut back to your desk top if you deleted it...
example is where mine is installed.
"C:\Users\Public\Games\Cryptic Studios\Star Trek Online.exe"
or if you used steam ...
'C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Star Trek Online'
http://www.risk-gaming.com/content.php
@Datalives
United Federation 55th
1. The vast majority don't want arc to launch their game.
I see how some of the features might be appealing to the user base, especially if they're done well, but you've got a large, dedicated base, who don't want it.
2. Fact 1 is going to be ignored, and a future update will make it mandatory. B-Flakes has been very careful in his statements, you don't have to read too far between the lines to see it's already been decided.
A third observation from lurking quietly on these forums: Everyone makes threats to leave when they're unhappy, few actually do. PWE knows that. If they make it mandatory, have the guts to follow through, cancel your gold.
I just recently signed up on a renewing gold membership because of the time I put into this game. If I have to have a separate launcher full of ads, to open a launcher of a game I'm paying for, I'm done. Sub cancelled. New game for me. There are just too many other mmo's out that need me to try them out.
I also can't get my friends to download and try the game for themselves, because they see *you have to download something else to play* and a million bad memories of *computers rendered unusable by spyware* come flooding back to them. It doesn't matter if Arc is clean or not, it's a giant deterrent to new users.
In conclusion:
*No* to mandatory ARC launching.
Bring back non-arc download options... Make them small print, hard to find whatever, just make them available. The people interested enough in the game to take the time to look for them, are the same ones most likely to spend on it.
Like many others i say no arc.
The last time so many people threatened to quit was at season 7 when they tried to remove the dilithium rewards in Season 7. And PWE saw the error and decided to reintroduce them. I can guarantee they will have the same rebellion on there hands if Arc goes live and I for one will go to one of these other games I have already stopped funding this game as there is nothing worth putting my money in game for and the bugs show they aren't solving those so they don't deserve my money.
So arc going mandatory will be the last straw for me and will givw mew thew push to say goodbye to STO for good
Vice Admiral Volmack ISS Thundermole
Brigadier General Jokag IKS Gorkan
Centurion Kares RRW Tomalak
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
I've only spent about two hours in game since this mess started and most of that was finishing up Risian corvette runs I had already started. I have a LTS so my membership status is set, though I would have a really hard time continuing to put money into a Gold membership if I had one. At least maybe I can be a small blurb on the all important metrics.
PWE would do well to remember Jita IV. Yes, not everyone immediately follows thru with leaving; but irritation stacks, and at some point ppl are massively fed up, and will massively leave.
Or... PWE could do some radical, and actually be considerate of their many paying customers, because they, I dunno, care maybe?! Nah, what was I thinking!?
It took me along time to get the game running, though, so I'm not about to try.
Steam > Arc
Ann Manistee Traverse - Human Science ~~ Oken Miquat - Saurian Tactical
Exin Jor - Joined Trill Engineer ~~ Vartox - Romulan Science
Dn'Dok, son of Ladok - Klingon/Romulan Engineer ~~ Mosa M'ren-faa - Ferasan Tactical
Krushan Twinn - Orion Science
I gotta admit I'm kinda a noob here. I'm reading posts and not sure how I feel about this.
First thing I'm taking away from all this reading is that it will take up more space on my harddrive than what's been necessary to play the game up till now.
I'm against this.
Second thing I'm reading is that it may have tracker software, software that may interfere with my security software and might put my computer at risk.
Given some of the history of Chinese hacking, and the recent massive Identity theft situation, I'm pretty damned sure that this is something I don't want either.
Does that mean that the launcher troubles we've experienced will gett better? Might it make it worse ??????
I assume there might be mandatory advertisements to endure before I can log in to the game? - I'd be against this as well.
Do I have any of this wrong? Is there something I'm missing ?
Are there any features that I might LIKE about Arc?
I need more info on this feature if I'm to form an opinion.
It's kinda like Steam, but Arc Only have PWI games.
You can see some news about sto, the same news yo can see on the main STO site.
It launches the game laucher, the only difference is you don't need to type your login and password, but you still have to click the "engage" button.
I haven't seen any ads yet, but every time I launch Arc it suggest me about installing Neverwinter
I don't now if it has a tracker
Arc starts a bit faster than Steam, but besides that i don't see any real benefit
In every place,
The deeds of men remain the same..."
What you'll be getting is a bloatware shell around your existing launcher, spamming you with PWE ads, and cool & new ways to get in contact with all your other friends playing all those other PWE games. Never mind that you just play STO, and are not in the least bit interested in what other games our Chinese Overlords try and get you hooked on. And that you're not waiting for 'personalized ads' from PWE and third parties. And that it thoroughly ticks you off that these ads are personalized because they searched the content of your hard disk. And that ere long you have to agree to the new EULA giving them permission to do so -- or not play the game at all.
And this will really bake your noodle, later on: you realize they could have spend all the time and energy on ARC on fixing the ever-growing and ignored list of bugs, instead.
I think it was on the EVE Online forums, a while back, that someone suggested managers and marketing folks should never be allowed to make real-life decisions on their own; and that their stuff pass a 'Sanity Comity' of sorts first, where all-too-braindead, myopic ideas can be shot down before they ever see the light of day. Had this been the case already, the brass at PWE would have learnt, a long time ago, that the players of STO merely grudgingly accepted PWE took over, but is overall turned off by their vigorous focus on lacing their own pockets with Latinum -- at the expense of a deteriorating game, with an ever-growing list of bugs that no longer get fixed.
Did I leave something out?!
It seems to me that it offers me as a player nothing, But will help PWE gather information about me from my computer. Probably to try to sell me things.
I'd be willing to bet that the Arc launcher slows the game launch down, just enough, so that I might notice the offers properly as well.
Cryptic, you have my e mail address, You've used it to notify me of promotions already.
I'd prefer that the contents of my hardrive remain private. I'd prefer NOT to download bloatware that doesn't benefit me in anyway what so ever and just takes up space on my computer.
Now, If you want to increase my stipend, give me a few free lock box keys monthly... I might consider things differently, provided I'm appropriately compensated.
Otherwise, thanks but no thanks - Not saying I'll rage quit or anything, but I would NOT be happy about it being forced on me, when I've done quite well without it up to this point.
only one question is important for the most of us.
will be star trek available to steam for the future or is planned to use arc only? some others already asked... but the answer failed. so ill help a little bit. u just need to say 1 or 2.
1 yes, star trek will be available via steam, no removal is planned
2. no only arc is planned for the future!
ans please dont say u dont know that... thats already planned!
many of us are steam users. no one need a second platform. for what? yes new security issues on my local pc. someone was counting the bugs ingame? lol so we know what will happen...
Steam has all the of current packs on it, including teh Steam(runner) one, they're not about to throw all that away just for force us into Arc. Steam advertise every time a new DLC goes into it's store and also each time STO gets an update. There's no way Cryptc would throw all of that away.
Arc is blatantly going to have a few little items as rewards for using it for X amount of time. Play STO for 24 hours you get a pet etc. It's exactly what they did with Raptr, after all.
@Aquitaine985
Lag Industries STO PvP Fleet - Executive
A Sad Panda of Industrial calibre.
2010: This is Cryptic PvP. Please hold the line, your call is very important to us...
I'm hoping that the answer is no, as I'm getting a new box soon and don't want to install ARC. I have Steam, due to Saints Row and would rather add STO to my Steam set than use ARC. If it does install ARC through Steam then I just won't bother, sad as I am to let STO go I WILL NOT use ARC...
On a personal note, I have to wonder just what the Devs from PWE that are working on the ARC implementation, think of all the negative reactions here on the forums.
I mean there have been many "topics" over the years that have led to 'Rage quit' posts, but how many have led to posts from players that don't want to quit, that are still actively and happily playing, but feel that this move will be the end of their STO experience. Please, please don't make ARC mandatory, as an option it's a plus... (imho)
PWE has issued an order that Arc is to be used for ALL their games and they're to get it out, regardless of player opinion/feedback.
I doubt the board members are saying, your product is getting bad feedback, allowing them to keep working on it in blissful ignorance, thinking they are making something that will be accepted.
At a guess, I doubt Steam and Arc are mutually compatible, so it's incredibly unlikely Steam will host an Arc download.
It would be like Steam offering you a download of Origin.
Bees like honey, they don't like vinegar.
Everytime someone makes a character that is an copy of an existing superhuman, Creativity is sad
I always wanted to use the pied piper analogy in a post. Hooray.
Our overlords are finally wielding their power.
Hail to the overlords.
/bows down
Officially Nerfed In Early 2410
My guess is with Season 8, and it'll be advertised as one of the big "improvements". They might try throwing in something that'll make it seem like we need it, like being able to set DOff assignments, without launching the game.
"I love Big Brother!" - Winston & Julia
The latter they'll likely never do. Just like CCP (EVE Online) will never let you slot skill-training remotely: out of fear you won't actually log in to play the game any more.
Crysis 2 has one day rudely yanked from STEAM too (it's back, btw). In its absence, the game didn't stop working, and was still being updated/maintained thru STEAM, for those who had already installed in thru STEAM.
My guess is there are legal safeguards in place to prevent games on STEAM from just being moved to another platform at whim. Aka: once it's on STEAM, the publisher (evil EA, in this case) cannot just invalidate your existing install (after all, you legally bought the game; which is not something even a publisher can ignore).
The short of it: I think those of us who currently have it on STEAM are likely able to keep running STO from there, sans ARC.
The 'legal safeguard' is a contract/licensing agreement'. However, be aware:
1) if it lapses and Cryptic/Steam decide not to renew or continue it, STO will dissapear from Steam and they will likely no longer support the Steam interface.
2) The STO EULA (that you agree to everytime you play, by playing) states they can 'change' the user experience at any time. Thus if they say - "You have to use ARC from <specified date> forward - and if it doesn't recognize your Steam install, you will have to redownload and install STO from scratch and use ARC going forward...."; that's what you'll have to do if you want to continue using STO.
Like most players here in the thread, I DON'T want to be forced to use their new 'ARC' bloatware to launch STO; but if they make it mandatory, it'll be my choice, to bit the bullet and use their garbage add on; or quit STO (and all other Cryptic MMOs); and move on to other games (like say, Star Citizen, if/when it is made available
But, once the Steam/Cryptic contract for STO is no longer in force/renewed; PWE/Cryptic can mandate whatever they want with regard you players accessing their software. if you don't like that, you have the option to not use their software.
PWE ARC Drone says: "Your STO forum community as you have known it is ended...Display names are irrelevant...Any further sense of community is irrelevant...Resistance is futile...You will be assimilated..."
That's like saying, you bought a car, but we're removing the tires and steering wheel until you buy our exclusive service contract.
I know I personally do not want to use Arc to access STO at all!
If it comes to that, the tiny amount of credibility PWE has will be gone forever.
Along with my money and status as a regular player!
I'm only going to use Steam to access STO and CO, because it's convenient for me to do so in this way.
If they take it away, well, I'm going to refuse to play their games, because I don't want to use Arc under any circumstances.
But realistically, I doubt they can get away with making Arc mandatory.
And if they're foolish enough to try it, well, they brought the player exodus on themselves.
Bees like honey, they don't like vinegar.
Everytime someone makes a character that is an copy of an existing superhuman, Creativity is sad
If this means, that I will need to install this Arc client just to run STO client that is running on Internet Explorer (something I would gladly get rid of) it's.. no, thank you very much. It will be the end of STO adenture for me. It also means that I will NOT spent any more money on this game because it's not worth to spent money on something that will kick you off in few months.
Gods of Olympus, PWE has really stupid ideas.
Well, I closed the window and won't be installing STO on the this computer, which means my account is effectively dead. I've uninstalled Neverwinter as a matter of principle, as well.
In other words, PWE will not see another penny from me for Zen. I have no interest in using ARC (nor do I ever use STEAM or Origin), and won't be forced to install it just to play Cryptic's games.