Same here, when i saw a quest to buy zen after the first 500 points I knew what that was. Never mind the fact that Arc crapped out on me so bad I had to reinstall the software just to get it to start up again without crashing after clicking the icon. The only time I'll use it now is if they offer things like the Khan outfit. Otherwise it's not stable enough to use regularly.
You have received [Arc]! *Examine* "Yo! We hear you like launchers! So we put a launcher on your launcher for the launcher of your game launcher EXE file!"
Same here. I do get Bing points on a daily basis, which gets me XBOX $$$ for free at a slow pace, but since I have a script in Chrome for the search portion and the remainder is just clicking 2-5 things in Edge, it's worth my time.
Installing Arc is definitively NOT worth my time, specially when it hijacks my STO installation through evil registry entries. On top of that, I don't have the patience or HD space to deal with "quests" that are really a cheap ploy to make you install games in the hope they stay there forever.
I use Arc every day for the quests. I then shut it down (plus the hidden icon) and fire up STO from the EXE file. If you have the disc space you can install several of the games and you will be making points every day. Remember, you only have to get to the launcher screen to get the points.
I used $20 of Arc points when I bought my 31st C ship pack.
Since I only play STO, and on an extremely casual basis right now, my Arc level is absurdly low. Level 10.
I almost have 5000 points to trade in for 500 Zen, though. So there is that bright spot.
One of the many Tellarite Goddesses of Beauty!
If there are posts here that do not appeal to you, or opinions you disagree with, the best way to deal with that is to resist the urge to add comments. Instead, engage with the content you like! Don't feed the trolls!
just out of curiosity i booted Arc. you have to play non -sto games to get the zen. yeah I have no interest in blacklight or jade dynasty so I'm not playing them for a week for 500 zen
As has been said, you don't actually have to *play* the game, just activate the launcher and you get credit. I've installed a few games to use strictly for Arc quests and all my zen goes to STO. You do have to specify game/server before you can redeem the points.
Now a LTS and loving it.
Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything.
I'm a console player that linked my account on Xbox One to Arc, which granted me an ingame Khan's uniform unlock; but that seems to be the only benefit of having done so? I did all of the Arc account setup which gave me enough credits to get a Star Trek Online feline pet, which I can't actually use on console?
Are you beginning to see the futility and pointlessness of Arc yet?
None. I'm here to play STO. On occasion to check out my CO chars. Not(!) to play Arc. Although that MMO "Ark" looked interesting last time I checked. There are not related I assume?
Also, if you don't use Arc, how to you launch the game?
1)Install via steam
2)Install via old installer if that's still out there
or
3)Stop using arc and go into the actual directory STO is installed in and launch the launcher manually
curious why so many of you don't run arc? Arent all the freebie codes they give away require arc now?
Freebie codes?
With enough games loaded...
Yeah, no. I don't have uber fiber broadband. Downloading games actually takes time. And that's not even considering the HDD space.
As for how I run the game without Arc.... I started STO years ago. Still using the good old pre-Arc launcher. I've never had the Arc software installed in the first place.
"He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
you just have to hit the play button in arc itself to get credit for that day...hell, you seemingly don't even need the actual GAME installed, just the launcher that the button is linked to
Except Jade Dynasty.... That one is coded strangely and will DL game updates whenever you open Arc... Unless you reconfigure Arc to turn that off. I forget where that is though. MOST games don't do that. Forsaken World is another weird one in that it likes to run updates whenever Arc is open... but it's really just updating it's LAUNCHER, not the whole game. Jade Dynasty seems to simply not have a launcher of it's own.
Aside from occasionally seeing pretty pictures on launchers, I have never played any those games. :P I only play STO, Champions, and occasionally tinker with the Neverwinter Foundry, but I don't play the actual Neverwinter game itself.
Funny how half the replies are soapboxing against free zen.
I would argue that the "free zen" encourages people to make purchases.
This program, though reasonably normal at times, seems to have a strong affinity to classes belonging to the Cat 2.0 program. Questerius 2.7 will break down on occasion, resulting in garbage and nonsense messages whenever it occurs. Usually a hard reboot or pulling the plug solves the problem when that happens.
Well, since I figured out where my STO.exe launcher was at. I was able to put a shortcut to it. Now I can halfway play it on my laptop. At least some things. It's still laggy as all get out, but not nearly what it was. Now maybe I can do DOFFs/Admiralties/etc, as well as work at the Lukari ship trait.
Before I did that, I couldn't even navigate on ESD.
So I can do my Arc quests, then sign out of Arc and launch STO.
It'll work till I get my desktop running again. I may even be able to manage Flying High if it takes that long.
Now a LTS and loving it.
Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything.
curious why so many of you don't run arc? Arent all the freebie codes they give away require arc now?
Freebie codes?
With enough games loaded...
Yeah, no. I don't have uber fiber broadband. Downloading games actually takes time. And that's not even considering the HDD space.
As for how I run the game without Arc.... I started STO years ago. Still using the good old pre-Arc launcher. I've never had the Arc software installed in the first place.
It's a shame--I do have uber fiber broadband and about 3TB of storage. And if they're giving away free money, I'm up for it.
Well, since I figured out where my STO.exe launcher was at. I was able to put a shortcut to it. Now I can halfway play it on my laptop. At least some things. It's still laggy as all get out, but not nearly what it was. Now maybe I can do DOFFs/Admiralties/etc, as well as work at the Lukari ship trait.
Before I did that, I couldn't even navigate on ESD.
So I can do my Arc quests, then sign out of Arc and launch STO.
It'll work till I get my desktop running again. I may even be able to manage Flying High if it takes that long.
Yeah, its unfortunate their "overlay" seriously doesn't work with this now-required dx11 totally kills graphics performance if launched from Arc.
I'm pretty sure at least some of the Arc games will actually have option to automatically create a direct shortcut when you install them. Dunno about STO though, because I had it installed already when I got Arc.
I think the Thousands part can be quantified. Every ten levels you have 5000 points that turns in for 500 zen. So lvl 90+ should be 4500 zen over time.
Though according to my math teacher in jhs, nothing is actually free. Buy one get one free is really 50% off. In this case it is work a few minutes everyday for a few weeks per 500zen.
Originally Posted by pwlaughingtrendy
Network engineers are not ship designers.
Nor should they be. Their ships would look weird.
Yes. It's work a few minutes a day for several weeks and get zen. Should be the equivalent of the stipend that lifers get. Now I'm building some up before I redeem it and using my stipend to buy a few keys to sell to build up ec at the same time.
I do want that 9-pack T6 sci bundle. Maybe by the time I work out the zen for it, another ship sale will be going on.
Really, it's no trouble at all to launch a few launchers/sign into Arc every morning. Us poor people are willing to work for our zen.
Now a LTS and loving it.
Just because you spend money on this game, it does not entitle you to be a jerk if things don't go your way.
I have come to the conclusion that I have a memory like Etch-A-Sketch. I shake my head and forget everything.
Comments
And I'm working towards a T6 Vesta ship pack-the nine-pack. Yes, I know it's going to take forever, but I'm patient like that.
Same here, when i saw a quest to buy zen after the first 500 points I knew what that was. Never mind the fact that Arc crapped out on me so bad I had to reinstall the software just to get it to start up again without crashing after clicking the icon. The only time I'll use it now is if they offer things like the Khan outfit. Otherwise it's not stable enough to use regularly.
You have received [Arc]!
*Examine* "Yo! We hear you like launchers! So we put a launcher on your launcher for the launcher of your game launcher EXE file!"
Same here. I do get Bing points on a daily basis, which gets me XBOX $$$ for free at a slow pace, but since I have a script in Chrome for the search portion and the remainder is just clicking 2-5 things in Edge, it's worth my time.
Installing Arc is definitively NOT worth my time, specially when it hijacks my STO installation through evil registry entries. On top of that, I don't have the patience or HD space to deal with "quests" that are really a cheap ploy to make you install games in the hope they stay there forever.
I used $20 of Arc points when I bought my 31st C ship pack.
Put a shortcut to the .exe on your desktop:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Star Trek Online\Star Trek Online.exe
Better yet, get an existing install, take it into a fresh copy of Windows, put it in:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Cryptic Studios\Star Trek Online
and make a shortcut to:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Cryptic Studios\Star Trek Online\Star Trek Online.exe
Works like a charm, and no Arc or Steam bloatware if you don't want it.
P.S. I don't have the ARC path because I refuse to use it.
But I take breaks from the game from time to time.
Originally Posted by pwlaughingtrendy
Network engineers are not ship designers.
Nor should they be. Their ships would look weird.
I almost have 5000 points to trade in for 500 Zen, though. So there is that bright spot.
If there are posts here that do not appeal to you, or opinions you disagree with, the best way to deal with that is to resist the urge to add comments. Instead, engage with the content you like! Don't feed the trolls!
Are you beginning to see the futility and pointlessness of Arc yet?
Anyhow, I don't use arc, I like to have my games on one system in one place so I launch from Steam.
1)Install via steam
2)Install via old installer if that's still out there
or
3)Stop using arc and go into the actual directory STO is installed in and launch the launcher manually
Freebie codes?
Yeah, no. I don't have uber fiber broadband. Downloading games actually takes time. And that's not even considering the HDD space.
As for how I run the game without Arc.... I started STO years ago. Still using the good old pre-Arc launcher. I've never had the Arc software installed in the first place.
Took the words right off my typing fingers.
"He shall be my finest warrior, this generic man who was forced upon me.
Like a badass I shall make him look, and in the furnace of war I shall forge him.
he shall be of iron will and steely sinew.
In great armour I shall clad him and with the mightiest weapons he shall be armed.
He will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight him.
He shall have such tactics, strategies and machines that no foe will best him in battle.
He is my answer to cryptic logic, he is the Defender of my Romulan Crew.
He is Tovan Khev... and he shall know no fear."
Aside from occasionally seeing pretty pictures on launchers, I have never played any those games. :P I only play STO, Champions, and occasionally tinker with the Neverwinter Foundry, but I don't play the actual Neverwinter game itself.
My character Tsin'xing
Funny how half the replies are soapboxing against free zen.
I would argue that the "free zen" encourages people to make purchases.
Like the T6 Ship emails they send out a couple of times a year. And, no, Arc is not required as you can input the codes here on the website.
Before I did that, I couldn't even navigate on ESD.
So I can do my Arc quests, then sign out of Arc and launch STO.
It'll work till I get my desktop running again. I may even be able to manage Flying High if it takes that long.
It's a shame--I do have uber fiber broadband and about 3TB of storage. And if they're giving away free money, I'm up for it.
Level 70, by the way.
I play on PS4 but would not use if I had a PC.
I'm pretty sure at least some of the Arc games will actually have option to automatically create a direct shortcut when you install them. Dunno about STO though, because I had it installed already when I got Arc.
Oh, and zero.
I think the Thousands part can be quantified. Every ten levels you have 5000 points that turns in for 500 zen. So lvl 90+ should be 4500 zen over time.
Though according to my math teacher in jhs, nothing is actually free. Buy one get one free is really 50% off. In this case it is work a few minutes everyday for a few weeks per 500zen.
Originally Posted by pwlaughingtrendy
Network engineers are not ship designers.
Nor should they be. Their ships would look weird.
I do want that 9-pack T6 sci bundle. Maybe by the time I work out the zen for it, another ship sale will be going on.
Really, it's no trouble at all to launch a few launchers/sign into Arc every morning. Us poor people are willing to work for our zen.