Ok, I took some time to fully read the "Future of Arc" blog and here are my thoughts of upcoming "cool" features coming to Arc.
(really long list of well-made points)
I still don't see what I gain from Arc? So again I ask, how about I just have a simple game launcher that connects me to the game network, provides necessary software patches, and closes as it launches the game?
This in full.
As a lifer since launch, when and if it becomes mandatory to choose between Steam and Arc, I will be choosing instead to uninstall and never look back.
I've never liked Steam, and ARC is just a much inferior and far more marketing-ish and adware-like version.
If you're hell-bent on forcing this down our throats, PWE/Cryptic, give me a timeline so I can properly say goodbye to one of the only two games I bother to play. If not, a simple uninstall will be the only thing to mark the occasion.
If they want to lure players to use ARC or watever, they are doing the opposite with those stupid offers. 20 lobi?? haha, its even funny. The shuttle?? almost nobody plays on shuttle in STO, and only per account??? really really funny.
If they cant even know how to make "gifts", they should just stop doing so, because it is embarrasing.
Ah, but do you remember how mentaly mental everyone went when they were told Half Life 2 required Steam? And how utterly bobbins it was to start with?
See that swing over by that roundabout?
Yeah. 15 years ago, only a few users had internet. A lot of people had a lot of "excuses" to not having a computer or internet. Its something simliar with steam lol. I dont see the point of complaining about steam, it is a clean, stable plattform, and it is universal. Everybody uses it, cuz it is starndard now, it does not consume more resources (well a little but it is insignificant) and it has no spyware. Whats the problem with steam??
I mean, if i have steam, of course why the hell i will need arc?? seriously?? i dont use steam or arc right now, to launch the game (hell i dont even use the game launcher either xD) but i will be perfectly fine using steam, but not arc. I dont understand why the hell we need to use another front-end, if the universe already have steam.
I will understand it if, the front-end was something temporal that it dissappears when you launch the game, but another front-end like steam.. no, no no.
Yeah. 15 years ago, only a few users had internet. A lot of people had a lot of "excuses" to not having a computer or internet. Its something simliar with steam lol. I dont see the point of complaining about steam, it is a clean, stable plattform, and it is universal. Everybody uses it, cuz it is starndard now, it does not consume more resources (well a little but it is insignificant) and it has no spyware. Whats the problem with steam??
I mean, if i have steam, of course why the hell i will need arc?? seriously?? i dont use steam or arc right now, to launch the game (hell i dont even use the game launcher either xD) but i will be perfectly fine using steam, but not arc. I dont understand why the hell we need to use another front-end, if the universe already have steam.
I will understand it if, the front-end was something temporal that it dissappears when you launch the game, but another front-end like steam.. no, no no.
Not everyone uses Steam. Personally, I don't play many PC games, and I've never had a reason to get anything from Steam. (Although with that being said, two of the games I do play have been added to the Steam library)
Anyways, Arc doesn't use much resources when you're playing STO.
I think ARC is a great initiative of the company.
They need more time to improve this: patience and good will is the solution.
Have the impression we dont gonna be disapointed with this change...
Greetings
Steam just launches the game launcher, and you can just copy the folder and run from another place, I keep my game in C:\Program Files(x86)\Star Trek Online. I doubt that part will change unless they drop the game from Steam. The annoying part about Arc is all the registry entries it makes. A tool that hacks those entries to run the game from any folder you like would be great, it just takes time to write.
Steam just launches the game launcher, and you can just copy the folder and run from another place, I keep my game in C:\Program Files(x86)\Star Trek Online. I doubt that part will change unless they drop the game from Steam. The annoying part about Arc is all the registry entries it makes. A tool that hacks those entries to run the game from any folder you like would be great, it just takes time to write.
It's currently unnecessary. I installed Champions via Arc and I can use it without Arc.
It's currently unnecessary. I installed Champions via Arc and I can use it without Arc.
My champs files became corrupted by ARC (forcing me to use arc to launch it to play), is there any way to download champs without arc now, or is all lost? I was hoping to make a kids cartoon about Cat Crusader, but havent been able to get my current CO files to work.
EDIT: I checked on the champs forums too, a lot of people are having this problem, with no alternative but to download the arc beta/permanent launcher.
My champs files became corrupted by ARC (forcing me to use arc to launch it to play), is there any way to download champs without arc now, or is all lost? I was hoping to make a kids cartoon about Cat Crusader, but havent been able to get my current CO files to work.
EDIT: I checked on the champs forums too, a lot of people are having this problem, with no alternative but to download the arc beta/permanent launcher.
NP, I just found a way! Champions Online for sale (2009 cd-rom new in box) now once I install it by disc and commit to another end user agreement from cryptic, they will be in violation of 2 legal contracts if they nullify this game launcher too, not just my STO one. (Caitian win!) =^.^=
Since installing ARC, and when it is running I am having video issues on Screens #2 and #3. Chrome doesn't perform well anymore, and drop downs and context menus fail and flicker.
My feedback is rather simple. I don't want Arc and will not use it. I haven't taken any of the give away items despite many of my friends taking the free items and then discarding the program.
I'd like to see a balance in terms of navigation ease on the website for those that don't use Arc vs those that do. It's quite difficult to access things that used to be easy to get access to. Like product code redemption, character copy etc.
Not skimming the whole thread, so I don't know if this has been asked/answered yet.
Will there be a voice chat system included?
If there would be a voice chat system that everyone in STO has by default which beats the utterly broken Vivox, is kinda independent from the game servers and is fleet wide usable.
That would actually be a very pro argument for ARC for me.
Simply for convenience sake.
And yes, I know there are lots and lots of people who use mumble and teamspeak and ventrillo, etc, but one program that is available to all STO players would be more convenient.
Not skimming the whole thread, so I don't know if this has been asked/answered yet.
Will there be a voice chat system included?
If there would be a voice chat system that everyone in STO has by default which beats the utterly broken Vivox, is kinda independent from the game servers and is fleet wide usable.
That would actually be a very pro argument for ARC for me.
Simply for convenience sake.
And yes, I know there are lots and lots of people who use mumble and teamspeak and ventrillo, etc, but one program that is available to all STO players would be more convenient.
Just has to have the quality, too.
Well, they have a listing that says "Chat System Updates" that allow for other chat types, so I wouldn't be surprised if they tossed in voice chat.
NP, I just found a way! Champions Online for sale (2009 cd-rom new in box) now once I install it by disc and commit to another end user agreement from cryptic, they will be in violation of 2 legal contracts if they nullify this game launcher too, not just my STO one. (Caitian win!) =^.^=
Umm, no. This claim has been forwarded before - and been shot down Reread the ToS. It's very carefully worded, and obligates Cryptic to practically nothing, just like most documents of its ilk.
It's quite simple, really - if you just utterly refuse to use Arc, then one day you will no longer be able to play the game. And you will have no more legal recourse than someone who purchased a car in 1973, and doesn't want to purchase unleaded gasoline today.
Umm, no. This claim has been forwarded before - and been shot down Reread the ToS. It's very carefully worded, and obligates Cryptic to practically nothing, just like most documents of its ilk.
It's quite simple, really - if you just utterly refuse to use Arc, then one day you will no longer be able to play the game. And you will have no more legal recourse than someone who purchased a car in 1973, and doesn't want to purchase unleaded gasoline today.
Such a pessimist, have a little hope would you. I know I can get through to em!
I dislike invasive programs like this...when halflife2 came out and demanded I download Steam I did...played a few days and hated it (steam not HL2)..i gave away the game and deleted steam...it has not nor will it ever darken my hard drive again...nothing like this will EVER turn my PC into a console...even tho ive only played for 6 months now, and have grown to truly love this game, if ARC is ever required I will drop this game like a hot stone...period
Support System Improvements: Currently you need to go to many different links in order to access support for your game. We're working on streamlining this for easier access in Arc.
Does that mean you actually are going to start provide proper support with people actually sending those replies that is hinted about in the in game reply to support requests? :P
Maybe you will even fix that problem some of us have now that makes support side send multiple redirects and thereby stop some of us to get at support side at all? :rolleyes:
And please hire a few more so that that poor lad at support gets some help and actually get time to help players with problems before seasons pass without help or replies and new problems keep on piling up. :P
A test server is supposed to be used to properly test patches before patching anything....
My champs files became corrupted by ARC (forcing me to use arc to launch it to play), is there any way to download champs without arc now, or is all lost? I was hoping to make a kids cartoon about Cat Crusader, but havent been able to get my current CO files to work.
EDIT: I checked on the champs forums too, a lot of people are having this problem, with no alternative but to download the arc beta/permanent launcher.
Some in Fleet had problem with just using ARC. If they installed game first on steam and then on ARC it started to work. :P
A test server is supposed to be used to properly test patches before patching anything....
It's quite simple, really - if you just utterly refuse to use Arc, then one day you will no longer be able to play the game.
And that will be the day the game (and PWE as a whole) deserves to die.
Your car analogy doesn't even come close to holding up. That car would be dead of old age before the gasoline became an issue. PWE is ramming an intrusive, resource-hogging, completely non-beneficial square peg into a hole that doesn't even exist. And they couldn't care less about our feedback, as evidenced by them ignoring any comment that isn't fawning worship or your style of volunteer damage control.
Less corporate shilling and more facing reality, please. PWE's mouthpieces STILL have yet to give any straight answers with regards to how Steam-based launches will happen without requiring Arc, they STILL haven't justified their pet project's attempts to dig its hooks into every part of the host computer, they STILL have yet to offer a valid excuse for the amount of memory and bandwidth Arc eats up ("it's a beta" does not count), and they STILL haven't offered even a token functionality on Arc that isn't a flatly inferior version of something else.
Some people think Arc doesn't take up much resources or run a lot because of Task Manager. Take a look at what Resource Monitor shows happens when you power up Arc. And I mean with Memory, Disk, and Network tab. Especially how much reading the multiple things Arc does with Disk.
Task Manager is just for those who don't know better
___________________
"There is no problem in the universe that can't be solved with a bribe, a paid assassin, or an overpowered fighter." - Chubain from Jumpgate Evolution
The day PWE forces arc on the players is the day they are going to lose a lot of people. PWE fails to understand that a lot of people play STO only for STo. They don't care about ARC and it offers nothing of consequence in terms of improving the STo game play experience. How hard is that to understand?
The day PWE forces arc on the players is the day they are going to lose a lot of people. PWE fails to understand that a lot of people play STO only for STo. They don't care about ARC and it offers nothing of consequence in terms of improving the STo game play experience. How hard is that to understand?
For some Chinese fat cat? All but impossible. Being a rich businessman in China requires a certain amount of assumption that the consumer will swallow absolutely anything that gets pushed at xir.
I think that the STO team, and indeed most of the PWE staff on this side of the Pacific, knows all of what you said damn well by this point. They're just powerless to do anything about it, or even to express displeasure without risking their salaries. It's the overpaid executives at the head of the company that are running it into the ground.
I'm switching to Steam as soon as the options drop to ARC and Steam. And I will continue to hope that ARC dies an early and horrible death.
Umm, no. This claim has been forwarded before - and been shot down Reread the ToS. It's very carefully worded, and obligates Cryptic to practically nothing, just like most documents of its ilk.
It's quite simple, really - if you just utterly refuse to use Arc, then one day you will no longer be able to play the game. And you will have no more legal recourse than someone who purchased a car in 1973, and doesn't want to purchase unleaded gasoline today.
I find it very telling that they never corrected you, as you have been right from the beginning in saying PWE will make ARC mandatory, and your followups to my resistance have been helpful in showing the Steam users my point. People kept telling me to just use steam-just use steam, but both of us knew better. I may have looked like a troll during this, but all I have done has had an important meaning and reason! Once mandatory ARC and the new Tier system goes live, I bet many of you will wish you would have said something too! Trust me when I say that the added tier upgraded nerfs wont be the only thing to darken your doorway.
Once you guys know where im coming from, you will know im not against other players or the game! Just the buggers who are trying to fix things that didnt need fixing, and ignoring the things that we have been asking fixed for a long time now!
Once you guys know where im coming from, you will know im not against other players or the game! Just the buggers who are trying to fix things that didnt need fixing, and ignoring the things that we have been asking fixed for a long time now!
Thats how i think as well. But unfortunately, as you think as well, this is not going to change, because all the people keep asking things to be improved / revamped and they keep asking for new content, new ESD, and many things, instead of asking cryptic to fix bugs or important fails that are there since ages ago. A lot of people complains of a lot of bugs, but then they never complain when a weekly patch does nothing but just improve a little non important thing here and there, and thats it. The only thing they can say is "good job cryptic", when it should be the opposite. And the bad thing is, people who writes in the forums are maybe 20% of the people who actually plays the game.. so, if people who writes here cant even be more realistic, honest and direct than the other ones.. well, as i said so many times, dont expect the game to be alive in 2016. And in 2015, when we all would need to use arc, well, lol, imagine a game full of bugs and glitches everywhere, plus the need to use arc.. erm, and star citizen release = 60% of the player base of STO will be out, and of course after that, the game will be over. People are happy when they see cryptic making a new season, a new cstore ship, a new galaxy bundle, a new reputation system (even if it will be even worst), but they never complain about anything, ever. Its incredible. And when they found something that they dont like, they post something in the forums and they "ASK" cryptic to fix it lol.
I just hate hipocresy. And now people is very happy, but in 2 years they wil be discovered that they should have been more honest and complain about almost anything all the time. Because thats the only way to make cryptic change their minds. If they dont gather money, they will need to find the cause of it. The cause will be that the game is so bugged and so filled with fails, that people lost their patience. A lot of people did already, but the next year will be epic, i tell you.
The day PWE forces arc on the players is the day they are going to lose a lot of people. PWE fails to understand that a lot of people play STO only for STo. They don't care about ARC and it offers nothing of consequence in terms of improving the STo game play experience. How hard is that to understand?
The problem is, you think ARC cares about people leaving the game cuz of the need of using ARC.
Cryptic is doing nothing to fix bugs, and the game is worst day after day, do you think they care about that?? why should they? if their own customers dont care? same goes to PWE. They will force you to use ARC and they dont care if people leave. Because still there will be a lot of people that will be playing the game. Because as i said, there are a lot of kids playing and a lot of people that for em, having new stuff its all, it doesnt matter if they need to use ARC, or if they have a game full of bugs and fails, while they have they new great ship and their new earth space dock.
Comments
This in full.
As a lifer since launch, when and if it becomes mandatory to choose between Steam and Arc, I will be choosing instead to uninstall and never look back.
I've never liked Steam, and ARC is just a much inferior and far more marketing-ish and adware-like version.
If you're hell-bent on forcing this down our throats, PWE/Cryptic, give me a timeline so I can properly say goodbye to one of the only two games I bother to play. If not, a simple uninstall will be the only thing to mark the occasion.
If they cant even know how to make "gifts", they should just stop doing so, because it is embarrasing.
Yeah. 15 years ago, only a few users had internet. A lot of people had a lot of "excuses" to not having a computer or internet. Its something simliar with steam lol. I dont see the point of complaining about steam, it is a clean, stable plattform, and it is universal. Everybody uses it, cuz it is starndard now, it does not consume more resources (well a little but it is insignificant) and it has no spyware. Whats the problem with steam??
I mean, if i have steam, of course why the hell i will need arc?? seriously?? i dont use steam or arc right now, to launch the game (hell i dont even use the game launcher either xD) but i will be perfectly fine using steam, but not arc. I dont understand why the hell we need to use another front-end, if the universe already have steam.
I will understand it if, the front-end was something temporal that it dissappears when you launch the game, but another front-end like steam.. no, no no.
Anyways, Arc doesn't use much resources when you're playing STO.
My character Tsin'xing
You can find/contact me in game as @PatricianVetinari. Playing STO since Feb 2010.
They need more time to improve this: patience and good will is the solution.
Have the impression we dont gonna be disapointed with this change...
Greetings
My character Tsin'xing
My champs files became corrupted by ARC (forcing me to use arc to launch it to play), is there any way to download champs without arc now, or is all lost? I was hoping to make a kids cartoon about Cat Crusader, but havent been able to get my current CO files to work.
EDIT: I checked on the champs forums too, a lot of people are having this problem, with no alternative but to download the arc beta/permanent launcher.
My character Tsin'xing
NP, I just found a way!
After I uninstall ARC, these problems go away.
ARC is a resource parasite.
I'd like to see a balance in terms of navigation ease on the website for those that don't use Arc vs those that do. It's quite difficult to access things that used to be easy to get access to. Like product code redemption, character copy etc.
Will there be a voice chat system included?
If there would be a voice chat system that everyone in STO has by default which beats the utterly broken Vivox, is kinda independent from the game servers and is fleet wide usable.
That would actually be a very pro argument for ARC for me.
Simply for convenience sake.
And yes, I know there are lots and lots of people who use mumble and teamspeak and ventrillo, etc, but one program that is available to all STO players would be more convenient.
Just has to have the quality, too.
Well, they have a listing that says "Chat System Updates" that allow for other chat types, so I wouldn't be surprised if they tossed in voice chat.
It's quite simple, really - if you just utterly refuse to use Arc, then one day you will no longer be able to play the game. And you will have no more legal recourse than someone who purchased a car in 1973, and doesn't want to purchase unleaded gasoline today.
Such a pessimist, have a little hope would you. I know I can get through to em!
EDIT: Ive been going at it Errol Flynn style!
Does that mean you actually are going to start provide proper support with people actually sending those replies that is hinted about in the in game reply to support requests? :P
Maybe you will even fix that problem some of us have now that makes support side send multiple redirects and thereby stop some of us to get at support side at all? :rolleyes:
And please hire a few more so that that poor lad at support gets some help and actually get time to help players with problems before seasons pass without help or replies and new problems keep on piling up. :P
A test server is supposed to be used to properly test patches before patching anything....
Some in Fleet had problem with just using ARC. If they installed game first on steam and then on ARC it started to work. :P
A test server is supposed to be used to properly test patches before patching anything....
And that will be the day the game (and PWE as a whole) deserves to die.
Your car analogy doesn't even come close to holding up. That car would be dead of old age before the gasoline became an issue. PWE is ramming an intrusive, resource-hogging, completely non-beneficial square peg into a hole that doesn't even exist. And they couldn't care less about our feedback, as evidenced by them ignoring any comment that isn't fawning worship or your style of volunteer damage control.
Less corporate shilling and more facing reality, please. PWE's mouthpieces STILL have yet to give any straight answers with regards to how Steam-based launches will happen without requiring Arc, they STILL haven't justified their pet project's attempts to dig its hooks into every part of the host computer, they STILL have yet to offer a valid excuse for the amount of memory and bandwidth Arc eats up ("it's a beta" does not count), and they STILL haven't offered even a token functionality on Arc that isn't a flatly inferior version of something else.
Task Manager is just for those who don't know better
"There is no problem in the universe that can't be solved with a bribe, a paid assassin, or an overpowered fighter." - Chubain from Jumpgate Evolution
For some Chinese fat cat? All but impossible. Being a rich businessman in China requires a certain amount of assumption that the consumer will swallow absolutely anything that gets pushed at xir.
I think that the STO team, and indeed most of the PWE staff on this side of the Pacific, knows all of what you said damn well by this point. They're just powerless to do anything about it, or even to express displeasure without risking their salaries. It's the overpaid executives at the head of the company that are running it into the ground.
I'm switching to Steam as soon as the options drop to ARC and Steam. And I will continue to hope that ARC dies an early and horrible death.
I find it very telling that they never corrected you, as you have been right from the beginning in saying PWE will make ARC mandatory, and your followups to my resistance have been helpful in showing the Steam users my point. People kept telling me to just use steam-just use steam, but both of us knew better. I may have looked like a troll during this, but all I have done has had an important meaning and reason! Once mandatory ARC and the new Tier system goes live, I bet many of you will wish you would have said something too! Trust me when I say that the added tier upgraded nerfs wont be the only thing to darken your doorway.
Once you guys know where im coming from, you will know im not against other players or the game! Just the buggers who are trying to fix things that didnt need fixing, and ignoring the things that we have been asking fixed for a long time now!
Thats how i think as well. But unfortunately, as you think as well, this is not going to change, because all the people keep asking things to be improved / revamped and they keep asking for new content, new ESD, and many things, instead of asking cryptic to fix bugs or important fails that are there since ages ago. A lot of people complains of a lot of bugs, but then they never complain when a weekly patch does nothing but just improve a little non important thing here and there, and thats it. The only thing they can say is "good job cryptic", when it should be the opposite. And the bad thing is, people who writes in the forums are maybe 20% of the people who actually plays the game.. so, if people who writes here cant even be more realistic, honest and direct than the other ones.. well, as i said so many times, dont expect the game to be alive in 2016. And in 2015, when we all would need to use arc, well, lol, imagine a game full of bugs and glitches everywhere, plus the need to use arc.. erm, and star citizen release = 60% of the player base of STO will be out, and of course after that, the game will be over. People are happy when they see cryptic making a new season, a new cstore ship, a new galaxy bundle, a new reputation system (even if it will be even worst), but they never complain about anything, ever. Its incredible. And when they found something that they dont like, they post something in the forums and they "ASK" cryptic to fix it lol.
I just hate hipocresy. And now people is very happy, but in 2 years they wil be discovered that they should have been more honest and complain about almost anything all the time. Because thats the only way to make cryptic change their minds. If they dont gather money, they will need to find the cause of it. The cause will be that the game is so bugged and so filled with fails, that people lost their patience. A lot of people did already, but the next year will be epic, i tell you.
The problem is, you think ARC cares about people leaving the game cuz of the need of using ARC.
Cryptic is doing nothing to fix bugs, and the game is worst day after day, do you think they care about that?? why should they? if their own customers dont care? same goes to PWE. They will force you to use ARC and they dont care if people leave. Because still there will be a lot of people that will be playing the game. Because as i said, there are a lot of kids playing and a lot of people that for em, having new stuff its all, it doesnt matter if they need to use ARC, or if they have a game full of bugs and fails, while they have they new great ship and their new earth space dock.
It's in the works.