It is kinda "funny" how all PWE communications have gone silent regarding this Arc disaster lately..
My guess is that 95% of the PWE/Cryptic staff has the same opinions about this as 95% of the playerbase seems to have but don't dare speak up. *shrugs*
Sorry for double post, delete the other one if necessary.
Since we get no serious responses to our concerns about this I'm now trying Steam as a last attempt at avoiding Arc and still be able to play STO in the future. I love the game, but Arc will never be installed on my PC until it's optional.
No one playing STO really wants Arc, that's the truth. I've seen many valid reasons for not wanting it and some stupid responses from PWE. (Sorry BranFlakes).
For a while I thought of starting a petition and making a small "No to Arc" website to get attention to our concerns, but I think and hope this ship will do like Titanic all on it's own.
.....I have never experienced ARC, but I am running my game from my old installer and so far have not encountered anything trying to install ARC.
.....I have found an old post on how to install STO without ARC. But it's old, so who's to say it still works.
.....I already have STO on steam. I don't usually log into it from there. However, if forced to choose between ARC and Steam, Steam wins hands down. I already have friends there.
.....If you haven't tried steam, I recommend it. The steam community is a good one and the client is unobtrusive.
>>>>>.....I stand corrected, you can use alternate email addys with the Steam STO launcher. <<<<<
i will never use ARC and if ARC is forced on to me i will let my account fade into oblivion but i will also say if steam does not ever have to see the light of ARC i will from then on use sto via steam sorry PWE cryptic sto only reason i have account with the both of you i do not care for your other game nor will i ever
.....If you're running multiple STO accounts from various email addys, you would have to have a separate steam account for each STO account. Not a huge hurdle, but one to be aware of.
From what I can see Arc is some...Launcher client thing.
I just don't get why it's so aggravating, don't most MMOs have this??
Yes, Arc is a Launcher, but for PWE's games. You're right, most MMOs have this and some companies, like Blizzard and OG Planet, use unified launchers for their games. This is why Arc is.
The biggest complaint I've seen is that many players don't want this because they'd rather use the Launcher provided by Cryptic instead of something PWE is offering. I've seen many reasons - from the understandable (they use old computers) to the tin-foil hat-wearing ridiculous (it's a piece of malware that's seeking to transmit all of their data to China).
I have a vague understanding of what Steam is. So, it's like a launcher to play STO, but I still don't fully understand why people hate it. I'm only asking because I'm worried about downloading it after reading some of the posts in this thread.
I have a vague understanding of what Steam is. So, it's like a launcher to play STO, but I still don't fully understand why people hate it. I'm only asking because I'm worried about downloading it after reading some of the posts in this thread.
Thanks for the replies!
Unless you have an old computer (probably something like 5-6 years old), don't worry about it. I've downloaded both Arc and Arc Beta and both run fine on my computer. The only big difference is that it uses up a little more computer power than it should, but it's nothing compared to Google Chrome or Firefox.
A lot of the threads on there is just either people who just don't want change or are trying to frighten people. Do what YOU want to. If you want to get Arc, get it. These people aren't going to charge into your house and demand that you join them in boycotting Arc no more than PWE coming into your house and demand you use Arc.
Actually, wrong. Steam doesn't care about PWE/Cryptic accounts as long as STO is installed on a computer, anyone who has it on their account guard or approves it through account guard can play STO through the same steam account.
Actually, wrong. Steam doesn't care about PWE/Cryptic accounts as long as STO is installed on a computer, anyone who has it on their account guard or approves it through account guard can play STO through the same steam account.
.....When I set up my steam STO back in the day I had to link my steam account to an STO account. I set up another free PW account just to test it but I was unable to log into STO thru steam account using the alternate STO account. Presumably because I had already linked my Steam account to my real STO account.
.....If someone else with multiple STO accounts would test this and chime in then it would be confirmed. (I don't mean multiple toons I mean multiple accounts using different email addys.)
>>>>>.....I stand corrected, you can use alternate email addys with the Steam STO launcher. I was finally able to log into STO thru Steam using my alternate email account <<<<
.....I can see why peeps would be concerned about ARC.
.....From a very basic point of view, cryptic has a horrible number of coding issues and programing problems. I wouldn't want anymore of their software on my computer than I needed to run the game for that reason alone.
.....Several people have said that it uses even more resources that STO already does. It doesn't matter if it's a little or a lot of resources, it simply isn't necessary.
.....From a security standpoint, it's not really about the software. It's about how much you trust the people writing it and that have access to it.
.....I played AVA for a while. It's a F2P FPS. But none of my friends would install it because it has a root kit in the anti-cheat portion of the software. I never knew it was there until they told me about it. I never had a problem with the game, my computer, or my data. But none of my friends were willing to take the risk that someone would take advantage of the hole in their system.
.....It was hell trying to uninstall the root kit when I finally stopped playing AVA. And China is leading the way in cyber-crime. But I kept on playing AVA even after I found about the root kit. And I would probably go back and play AVA again based on the fact that I never had a problem when it was installed. But this time I might make sure it was on a computer that didn't have access to my financial information.
.....So it's really up to you to decide if anything in ARC really is a risk to you or not.
i will never use ARC and if ARC is forced on to me i will let my account fade into oblivion
Same here. I'll enjoy the game until Arc is forced upon us, then I'll move on. My trust in PWE that they won't misuse their new launcher is about as big as my trust in the Nigerian royalty who keep contacting me.
If Arc is forced on us (with it's massive-for-no-reason-that-anyone-will-answer install size) and possible root kit (we all have a generally good idea why they won't answer that either)...I'll have to consider my lifetime sub and the LoR Legacy Pack a massive loss of cash and move on.
Id like to give some feedback on the latest update of ARC.
the visual style is a huge improvement and i like the big hot-bar on top that shows the latest hot items. in that way its actually better than the website.
however the things i am truly interested in are not in my field of view. there is a you tube caption in the way that should be placed in the media tab.
often I use ARC not to log into STO but to read up on the latest developments. as i said before this news is hidden from my sight. I need to search for it instead of having it readily available to me. also its outdated; the latest season 8 devblog is #37 on arc while as of now #41 is posted on the website.
so in short its visually more appealing while having a significantly decreased user experience and in not up to date(lagging behind the website several days).
THE NEW CRAFTING SYSTEM IS TERRA-BAD First of all it's not even a crafting system! It's just a dumb game system that's nothing more than a glorified slots machine.
second the "special items" you hope will be the saving the saving grace are messed up to.
Well, I haven't tried ARC, and don't plan to, because I use Steam.
I don't see PWE taking away the Steam functionality because you can buy Zen with your Steam Wallet - if PWE were to take away Steam functionality, they'd cut off a source of revenue.
So, I believe Steam (non-Arc) functionality is not going away.
If Arc is forced on us ...I'll have to consider my lifetime sub and the LoR Legacy Pack a massive loss of cash and move on.
Since you've already made the investment I'd look at using Steam. I like it and have been a Steam member for years. (Since the days of the Orange box) I've purchased a lot of games from Valve as well. It's a great resource.
There is also a post on how to install STO without ARC. Although it may be out of date.
There's a nice, simple question with no room for wiggling and tap-dancing. DEVS: Does the Arc install include a root kit, yes or no?
Generally speaking if there is a root-kit they aren't going to tell you. The devs for AVA wouldn't admit it even after it became common knowledge that AVA did have one.
Honestly? I hate it with every fiber of my being. I hate it so much, I just finished removing it. I hate it so much that I will NOT be downloading or playing any PWE games other than STO for the foreseeable future.
FYI, I wanted to get Champions Online and PWI, but the ARC client is so terrifically awful that I decided not to download them before I removed the client. Please do NOT continue development of ARC.
This sums up my feelings pretty well, although Neverwinter was the game I had been considering until it insisted I install it through ARC. If anything forces me to play STO through ARC that will be the end of it too.
Since you've already made the investment I'd look at using Steam. I like it and have been a Steam member for years. (Since the days of the Orange box) I've purchased a lot of games from Valve as well. It's a great resource.
There is also a post on how to install STO without ARC. Although it may be out of date.
I already do, I did say that 'if it's forced on us'. Which I'm hoping is unlikely, due to the fact they sell C-store packs and zen on Steam already. (In fact, I have 236 Steam games currently...that may or may not constitute a PC addiction).
Well, this little note: "*Note: Even though a new Arc client is available for download, all Game Launchers will remain in their current form during the beta." (emphasis mine) suggesting that sometime in the future (after the beta) you're considering making me install bloated adware for other PWE games in order to let me play STO has convinced me not to try any other PWE games for the foreseeable future, and frankly to begin stepping down my investment in playing STO too . . .
I do not want to allocate resources to a bunch of background always-on self-starting "utilities" for each of my games and hesitate to use even small clients like Steam; the ARC game LAUNCHER that requires 2-4GB of RAM and 1+GB of disk space* in addition to the game is a complete non-starter. How many #_(<!\@ ads is PWE planning to store on my HDD that you want more than a GB of space?!?
*Full system specs courtesy of PWE: "Windows 8/7/Vista with 2-4GB of RAM, or Windows XP SP3 32bit with 512MB of RAM. 1GB of HDD space or more recommended. Please note - Each game has different system requirements that vary from ARC's. Please compare your system!"
Comments
My guess is that 95% of the PWE/Cryptic staff has the same opinions about this as 95% of the playerbase seems to have but don't dare speak up. *shrugs*
Sorry for double post, delete the other one if necessary.
No one playing STO really wants Arc, that's the truth. I've seen many valid reasons for not wanting it and some stupid responses from PWE. (Sorry BranFlakes).
For a while I thought of starting a petition and making a small "No to Arc" website to get attention to our concerns, but I think and hope this ship will do like Titanic all on it's own.
/Rant
.....I have found an old post on how to install STO without ARC. But it's old, so who's to say it still works.
.....I already have STO on steam. I don't usually log into it from there. However, if forced to choose between ARC and Steam, Steam wins hands down. I already have friends there.
.....If you haven't tried steam, I recommend it. The steam community is a good one and the client is unobtrusive.
>>>>>.....I stand corrected, you can use alternate email addys with the Steam STO launcher. <<<<<
system Lord Baal is dead
(Sorry, I'm a bit of a noob.)
@f4tamy | Sad Pandas
do you know what steam is? if so its that but only for PWE/cryptic games
system Lord Baal is dead
I'd like to know too.
I play STO through Steam.
From what I can see Arc is some...Launcher client thing.
I just don't get why it's so aggravating, don't most MMOs have this??
Thanks for the tip.
Yes, Arc is a Launcher, but for PWE's games. You're right, most MMOs have this and some companies, like Blizzard and OG Planet, use unified launchers for their games. This is why Arc is.
The biggest complaint I've seen is that many players don't want this because they'd rather use the Launcher provided by Cryptic instead of something PWE is offering. I've seen many reasons - from the understandable (they use old computers) to the tin-foil hat-wearing ridiculous (it's a piece of malware that's seeking to transmit all of their data to China).
Thanks for the replies!
@f4tamy | Sad Pandas
Unless you have an old computer (probably something like 5-6 years old), don't worry about it. I've downloaded both Arc and Arc Beta and both run fine on my computer. The only big difference is that it uses up a little more computer power than it should, but it's nothing compared to Google Chrome or Firefox.
A lot of the threads on there is just either people who just don't want change or are trying to frighten people. Do what YOU want to. If you want to get Arc, get it. These people aren't going to charge into your house and demand that you join them in boycotting Arc no more than PWE coming into your house and demand you use Arc.
Actually, wrong. Steam doesn't care about PWE/Cryptic accounts as long as STO is installed on a computer, anyone who has it on their account guard or approves it through account guard can play STO through the same steam account.
Only a few that I'm aware of, I know Gameforge has one, that's what's forever sworn me off using them
.....When I set up my steam STO back in the day I had to link my steam account to an STO account. I set up another free PW account just to test it but I was unable to log into STO thru steam account using the alternate STO account. Presumably because I had already linked my Steam account to my real STO account.
.....If someone else with multiple STO accounts would test this and chime in then it would be confirmed. (I don't mean multiple toons I mean multiple accounts using different email addys.)
>>>>>.....I stand corrected, you can use alternate email addys with the Steam STO launcher. I was finally able to log into STO thru Steam using my alternate email account <<<<
.....From a very basic point of view, cryptic has a horrible number of coding issues and programing problems. I wouldn't want anymore of their software on my computer than I needed to run the game for that reason alone.
.....Several people have said that it uses even more resources that STO already does. It doesn't matter if it's a little or a lot of resources, it simply isn't necessary.
.....From a security standpoint, it's not really about the software. It's about how much you trust the people writing it and that have access to it.
.....I played AVA for a while. It's a F2P FPS. But none of my friends would install it because it has a root kit in the anti-cheat portion of the software. I never knew it was there until they told me about it. I never had a problem with the game, my computer, or my data. But none of my friends were willing to take the risk that someone would take advantage of the hole in their system.
.....It was hell trying to uninstall the root kit when I finally stopped playing AVA. And China is leading the way in cyber-crime. But I kept on playing AVA even after I found about the root kit. And I would probably go back and play AVA again based on the fact that I never had a problem when it was installed. But this time I might make sure it was on a computer that didn't have access to my financial information.
.....So it's really up to you to decide if anything in ARC really is a risk to you or not.
DEVS: Does the Arc install include a root kit, yes or no?
And that is "not interested".
Sorry, devs. But I'm more than happy with Steam.
Same here. I'll enjoy the game until Arc is forced upon us, then I'll move on. My trust in PWE that they won't misuse their new launcher is about as big as my trust in the Nigerian royalty who keep contacting me.
the visual style is a huge improvement and i like the big hot-bar on top that shows the latest hot items. in that way its actually better than the website.
however the things i am truly interested in are not in my field of view. there is a you tube caption in the way that should be placed in the media tab.
often I use ARC not to log into STO but to read up on the latest developments. as i said before this news is hidden from my sight. I need to search for it instead of having it readily available to me. also its outdated; the latest season 8 devblog is #37 on arc while as of now #41 is posted on the website.
so in short its visually more appealing while having a significantly decreased user experience and in not up to date(lagging behind the website several days).
First of all it's not even a crafting system! It's just a dumb game system that's nothing more than a glorified slots machine.
second the "special items" you hope will be the saving the saving grace are messed up to.
I don't see PWE taking away the Steam functionality because you can buy Zen with your Steam Wallet - if PWE were to take away Steam functionality, they'd cut off a source of revenue.
So, I believe Steam (non-Arc) functionality is not going away.
Since you've already made the investment I'd look at using Steam. I like it and have been a Steam member for years. (Since the days of the Orange box) I've purchased a lot of games from Valve as well. It's a great resource.
There is also a post on how to install STO without ARC. Although it may be out of date.
Generally speaking if there is a root-kit they aren't going to tell you. The devs for AVA wouldn't admit it even after it became common knowledge that AVA did have one.
This sums up my feelings pretty well, although Neverwinter was the game I had been considering until it insisted I install it through ARC. If anything forces me to play STO through ARC that will be the end of it too.
I already do, I did say that 'if it's forced on us'. Which I'm hoping is unlikely, due to the fact they sell C-store packs and zen on Steam already. (In fact, I have 236 Steam games currently...that may or may not constitute a PC addiction).
Holy hardcore gamer batman!
I do not want to allocate resources to a bunch of background always-on self-starting "utilities" for each of my games and hesitate to use even small clients like Steam; the ARC game LAUNCHER that requires 2-4GB of RAM and 1+GB of disk space* in addition to the game is a complete non-starter. How many #_(<!\@ ads is PWE planning to store on my HDD that you want more than a GB of space?!?
*Full system specs courtesy of PWE: "Windows 8/7/Vista with 2-4GB of RAM, or Windows XP SP3 32bit with 512MB of RAM. 1GB of HDD space or more recommended. Please note - Each game has different system requirements that vary from ARC's. Please compare your system!"