After seeing Let's Plays on Youtube about Star Trek Online, I decided to give it a go. Sadly, there is not enough room on the computer I use to install Steam directly on it or Arc. I tried installing Steam to my flash drive and it said no. When I installed Arc onto it, I could change the directory without it saying no. For weeks I have been playing Star Trek Online, despite some crashes, it has been a fun experience. Now, I was playing it today and it crashed. I started it up tonight to start where I left off and Arc has to install an update. After it was installed, I logged in, everything seemed ok for awhile. Then I clicked on the Star Trek Online icon on the Arc window that said Play or something like that. This is where the problem comes in: It minimized the window and I cannot see the Cryptic launcher and I click on it and still cannot see it. Can someone please fix this, the update just messed up the game launcher. Thanks.
Update: I clicked on the game client file for Star Trek Online and it ran well and got to the login screen. I logged in and was connecting to the server. It kept on connecting to the server and then it timed out. That was my last resort and it failed. I hope this gets fixed when they do shard maintenance. I have never had problems as bad as that one. Someone needs to fix that. As for those not wanting to install Arc or Steam on their systems, I understand. This is a game that would run smoother and quicker, if you did not need to download an application like that. Instead of going Arc, they should offer the game executable and allow it to execute without Arc or Steam. Those are my two cents.
Apparently this problem was also happening for those who play Neverwinter as well. So these are the steps I did to solve the problem if anyone else has this problem too.
1. Start Star Trek Online
2. Start Task manager
3. Applications tab
4. Right click on Star Trek Online and press Minimize
5. Right click again and press Maximize (I had to push hard)
(Now launcher is there but Maximized over everything)
6. Escape to close launcher
7. Start Star Trek Online and there is your launcher again, visible and in normal size.
I hope that helps, I will be closing by ticket now. It is solved. Phew!
Ok Cryptic/PWE, a lot of us Beta-Lifetime Vets have taken all these changes over the last couple years and we keep playing. This new Arc launcher is absolutely horrible! No matter what I try I can not get the game to login and start up. There was absolutely no need for another RAM eating program to be added for us to be able to log in.
I have 3 accounts, my Beta-Lifetime Vet account, and two free to play accounts totaling 20 max rank characters of both factions. I am also the leader of two Fleets. It is more than angering to not be able to log in to even check if Starbase missions need added, or even to play at all for that matter. Please get rid of this horribly programmed, unnecessary added, RAM eating game laucher that will not even do what it is supposed to do...Launch the damn game!
You could start the actual game manually via c:/program files/cryptic studios/star trek online/live/GameClient.exe
stardestroyer001, Admiral, Explorers Fury PvE/PvP Fleet | Retired PvP Player
Missing the good ol' days of PvP: Legacy of Romulus to Season 9 My List of Useful Links, Recently Updated November 25 2017!
You could start the actual game manually via c:/program files/cryptic studios/star trek online/live/GameClient.exe
Last time I tried that I couldn't get on because the game requires the launcher to verify your account. If ARC makes that step unnecessary, then I'm all for it.
Or you could just not use ARC, I'm still using the old game launcher I got when I started playing at F2P and I will continue to until it is no longer an option.
I see quite a few posts regarding Arc being a "RAM eater" but rarely is there any data provided to support these claims. I've seen browser tabs using more memory than Arc, so I'm curious about the RAM eating issues people are speaking of. Can anyone elaborate?
Ok Cryptic/PWE, a lot of us Beta-Lifetime Vets have taken all these changes over the last couple years and we keep playing. This new Arc launcher is absolutely horrible! No matter what I try I can not get the game to login and start up. There was absolutely no need for another RAM eating program to be added for us to be able to log in.
I have 3 accounts, my Beta-Lifetime Vet account, and two free to play accounts totaling 20 max rank characters of both factions. I am also the leader of two Fleets. It is more than angering to not be able to log in to even check if Starbase missions need added, or even to play at all for that matter. Please get rid of this horribly programmed, unnecessary added, RAM eating game laucher that will not even do what it is supposed to do...Launch the damn game!
I don't mean to be blunt, but just use steam, or your retail cd if u have one. I never use it for the ram vampricness reason. Its really bad.
I don't mean to be blunt, but just use steam, or your retail cd if u have one. I never use it for the ram vampricness reason. Its really bad.
Now, I'm all for NOT using extra clients and/or systems to launch/manage games whenever possible. I avoid Steam/Origin/or whatever whenever possible, for that reason alone.
HOWEVER!
Arc is by no means or hyperbolic stretch of the imagination a "ram vampire." A blank extra tab in my internet browser takes up more resources. So, I have no idea where you people are getting this bogus idea from.
I dont like the idea of having to load 1 program to load the game
the cryptic launcher is straight to the point, and i like that
the arc launcher seems more like advertising other games, rather than making playing star trek online quicker
however, i think arc technology is responsible for making the game playable with low ram.
i could be wrong, (even when using the cryptic launcher)
if im right, that aspect of arc is good, but other than this, i dont see much point to the new launcher.
thanks for reading my feedback. you have my best wishes in improving arc.
i recently had to uninstall and reinstall sto due to the crashy, trying to fix it. i couldnt even get through a single playthrough of a mission without crashing, (record is 6 crashes on a single playthrough of khitomer) however, now i HAD to install a bs program like 'arc' to install and play sto again, the only difference now is i have log into arc, and log in to the sto launcher adding a needless step. why? i dont need to manage the games i play, sto IS the only video game i play anymore. but now thanks to arc and its uneccesary but madatory step, but it now takes me twice as long to get back in game after a crash costing me even more marks and dil, because i now have to load arc, and then load sto. ive accepted crytic will never fix the crashy issue, as i have been sending a minumum of 5 reports a day since risa ended (when the crashes began) im thinking of just walking away...
I share your opinion, i had to un-install the game due to some many issues related to the game that iam installing and updating and if i don't have Arc open and login in it errors out. Thank you Cryptic and your Chinese overloads with the having to login twice to two different things. Unbelievable, if i don't like the way this acts iam done.
You may have installed arc but you do not have to use it. You can go into the Sto directory and create a shortcut to your launcher. This will let you run the launcher and bypass arc.
You may have installed arc but you do not have to use it. You can go into the Sto directory and create a shortcut to your launcher. This will let you run the launcher and bypass arc.
What a way to miss the point. Read your post and then read the original question again. Get it now? If you don't need to use it, 'why now do we need to install it?'.
You don't have to install Arc. If you're already on Steam you can get it there, and there's a standalone installer still available. And if that ever disappears, I will reupload it and keep a link in my sig.
"Great War! / And I cannot take more! / Great tour! / I keep on marching on / I play the great score / There will be no encore / Great War! / The War to End All Wars"
— Sabaton, "Great War"
I installed it because I wanted to try out Neverwinter Online and Champions Online. I will be playing Neverwinter, it is a fun game. Champions Online is not my game.
The standard procedure is to download these games via ARC, so you have to install it. There is a work arround, but I cannot bothered to search for it. I have no specific problem with this portal. However when I want to play, I use the game's own launcher. I see no point in having any software run in the background that add non to very little to my game experience.
So ARC is on my system but I let it sleep, since at the moment I don't have interest in playing other PWE/Cryptic games.
Edit.
I played a little with ARC and it is in fact an installer, a game launcher, but you can also access the forums and use it to purchase Zen. So it is also a little browser for the PWE/Cryptic game environment. Remember we can all do this without ARC and with not much of a hassle.
Neverwinter has a nice crafting system that can also be accessed via the Gateway. This is also the case with the Neverwinter exchange. Perhaps STO could get a similar crafting system as Neverwinter (it is like the doff system). Nevertheless ARC would have more meaning if we could use it for crafting and the exchange and has the features of the gateway.
Still the question is here, why not do this stuff via the webbrowser. Is there more security to use an own specific browser?
A few months ago, I experienced a problem with STO and had to re-install the game in order to get it to load and work correctly. In order for me to do so, I had to install ARC to get the latest game files.
The only thing I do not like about ARC is that it has all these other PWE Games on it - all of which I will never play and do not care to even know about. No offense to Cryptic/PWE, but I am a hardcore, committed STO player and have logged many, many hours (and spent many dollars) since STO debuted, but I find a resource-heavy tool like ARC to load the one, single PWE game I play to be overkill.
The only reason I have STEAM is to communicate with my Fleetmates out-of-game like we USED TO BE ABLE TO DO with the STO Webmail on the Cryptic Site before PWE Conversion.
Every time I open Arc, it requires me to enter my admin credentials. This is rediculous. And as many others have said, I do not see the reason to force us to use a third party application to open the game. I used to use Steam to open STO, but then realized it was better to log directly into STO and ignore all the extra resource hogs. Yes I have browser tabs that use more RAM, but there is no reason I should have to add an additional layer. I have not even opened any games yet after restarting and Arc is already using 90MB for those that want to talk about numbers.
What exactly does Arc actually do when it's sitting on your computer? It looks very similar to Aeria games "Aeria Ignite" and what that program has is an attached peer interface to use the users bandwidth to torrent game files, easing the companies bandwidth usage and expenses by dumping it on the users.
If that is what Arc is all about, if that is what it is doing under the pretty bells and whistles then all I can say is Hell No.
If something is not broken, don't fix it, if it is broken, don't leave it broken.
I don't mind Arc as I find it useful not having to type in my log-in details every time I wish to play a PWE game (3 of them). Other than that though I agree, it doesn't do much.
As for downloading STO, ugh, it's been 7 hours and I'm still at it. Granted I only have a 4Mbs line but still, if I didn't really want to play this game I'd have given up long ago.
I find it weird, I was having issues downloading the patch after the crashes last night and I ran into an error 36 at the end of the patch. So I fired up arc. Arc then seemed to redownload the entire game even though it's already on my drive. It solved the problem but confused the heck out of me.
"Rise like Lions after slumber, In unvanquishable number, Shake your chains to earth like dew, Which in sleep had fallen on you-Ye are many they are few"
Should make Arc kinda like xfire, but for PWE games
have like a Screen shot, video capture feature, create
a gaming profile on Arc, and a gaming signature and
all that jazz.
Comments
Today i thought i would give it another try as Ciity of Heroes is STILL not back.
Found i was obliged to install this Arc thing before downloading STO but did so anyway.
It won't launch STO - i only get the now legendary 'Cryptic Game Launcher Has Stopped Working' message.
I really am not interested in spending time and effort on trying to get what should be an enjoyable experience to work so goodbye Cryptic Studios.
1. Start Star Trek Online
2. Start Task manager
3. Applications tab
4. Right click on Star Trek Online and press Minimize
5. Right click again and press Maximize (I had to push hard)
(Now launcher is there but Maximized over everything)
6. Escape to close launcher
7. Start Star Trek Online and there is your launcher again, visible and in normal size.
I hope that helps, I will be closing by ticket now. It is solved. Phew!
I have 3 accounts, my Beta-Lifetime Vet account, and two free to play accounts totaling 20 max rank characters of both factions. I am also the leader of two Fleets. It is more than angering to not be able to log in to even check if Starbase missions need added, or even to play at all for that matter. Please get rid of this horribly programmed, unnecessary added, RAM eating game laucher that will not even do what it is supposed to do...Launch the damn game!
Missing the good ol' days of PvP: Legacy of Romulus to Season 9
My List of Useful Links, Recently Updated November 25 2017!
Last time I tried that I couldn't get on because the game requires the launcher to verify your account. If ARC makes that step unnecessary, then I'm all for it.
As we sometimes say in the game Jedi Academy...
GG no RE.
I don't mean to be blunt, but just use steam, or your retail cd if u have one. I never use it for the ram vampricness reason. Its really bad.
I launch the loaders for PWE game directly and skip the thing.
Now, I'm all for NOT using extra clients and/or systems to launch/manage games whenever possible. I avoid Steam/Origin/or whatever whenever possible, for that reason alone.
HOWEVER!
Arc is by no means or hyperbolic stretch of the imagination a "ram vampire." A blank extra tab in my internet browser takes up more resources. So, I have no idea where you people are getting this bogus idea from.
the cryptic launcher is straight to the point, and i like that
the arc launcher seems more like advertising other games, rather than making playing star trek online quicker
however, i think arc technology is responsible for making the game playable with low ram.
i could be wrong, (even when using the cryptic launcher)
if im right, that aspect of arc is good, but other than this, i dont see much point to the new launcher.
thanks for reading my feedback. you have my best wishes in improving arc.
What a way to miss the point. Read your post and then read the original question again. Get it now? If you don't need to use it, 'why now do we need to install it?'.
USS WARRIOR NCC 1720 Commanding Officer
Star Trek Gamers
— Sabaton, "Great War"
Check out https://unitedfederationofpla.net/s/
The standard procedure is to download these games via ARC, so you have to install it. There is a work arround, but I cannot bothered to search for it. I have no specific problem with this portal. However when I want to play, I use the game's own launcher. I see no point in having any software run in the background that add non to very little to my game experience.
So ARC is on my system but I let it sleep, since at the moment I don't have interest in playing other PWE/Cryptic games.
Edit.
I played a little with ARC and it is in fact an installer, a game launcher, but you can also access the forums and use it to purchase Zen. So it is also a little browser for the PWE/Cryptic game environment. Remember we can all do this without ARC and with not much of a hassle.
Neverwinter has a nice crafting system that can also be accessed via the Gateway. This is also the case with the Neverwinter exchange. Perhaps STO could get a similar crafting system as Neverwinter (it is like the doff system). Nevertheless ARC would have more meaning if we could use it for crafting and the exchange and has the features of the gateway.
Still the question is here, why not do this stuff via the webbrowser. Is there more security to use an own specific browser?
A few months ago, I experienced a problem with STO and had to re-install the game in order to get it to load and work correctly. In order for me to do so, I had to install ARC to get the latest game files.
The only thing I do not like about ARC is that it has all these other PWE Games on it - all of which I will never play and do not care to even know about. No offense to Cryptic/PWE, but I am a hardcore, committed STO player and have logged many, many hours (and spent many dollars) since STO debuted, but I find a resource-heavy tool like ARC to load the one, single PWE game I play to be overkill.
The only reason I have STEAM is to communicate with my Fleetmates out-of-game like we USED TO BE ABLE TO DO with the STO Webmail on the Cryptic Site before PWE Conversion.
Link to post to request Out-of-Game E-Mail into the STO Gateway
ARC is nice for some people, but for me, it's too 'advertisey' for games I do not care a thing about.
If that is what Arc is all about, if that is what it is doing under the pretty bells and whistles then all I can say is Hell No.
As for downloading STO, ugh, it's been 7 hours and I'm still at it. Granted I only have a 4Mbs line but still, if I didn't really want to play this game I'd have given up long ago.
---
Should make Arc kinda like xfire, but for PWE games
have like a Screen shot, video capture feature, create
a gaming profile on Arc, and a gaming signature and
all that jazz.
Gateway is good but needs a DOFF add in, and would like to modify ship load out via gateway. would recomend adding fleet chat.