New Launcher Coming

[Velea]

Dear Istarians,

We're just about to begin on a new launcher and there's ideas floating around about how to best proceed:

Option 1: Keep with .NET and upgrade to 2.0 or 3.0. We know lots of people have this installed and it will play nicely with Vista. Least amount of work.
Option 2: Go with Java - it's friendly for our Linux players and appealing since we feel just a little slighted with how Vista treated us. Plays well with Vista. Medium amount of work.
Option 3: Full executable with minimal dependencies - no prerequisites other than what ever goofiness we'll have to jump through for Vista. Greatest amount of work.

We know we're only reaching out to only those players who visit the forums (and a vocal lot you are) - but we hoping your opinion will carry to the majority and help us select how to best proceed forward.

Thank you,

Istaria Development Team

[Zexoin]

I like option 2

[Shur]

I would vote for option three. I presently use the old stand-alone launcher. I don't like being chained to opening my web browser to start a game.

[Pharcellus]

None of these options necessarily require the browser, Shur.

The current standalone launcher requires .NET be installed as well as the browser-launched one.

I think (hope) Velea is talking solely about a standalone launcher.

[velveeta]

i voted for 2, tho 1 would work as well - i voted for 2 because there are peeps who can't get in with vista at all. java seems to work well with vista, so i am thinking of those folks.

basically for me, anything that allows me to get back in game after a reboot is great!!

[Silverblaze]

I voted for option 1...But I dont care which so long as there will be no complications with my XP operating system and I dont have to make any major changes to keep playing.

I am not super computer literate. Likely shoeing how dumb I am atm.

[Dhalin]

Nearly every other MMORPG out there has its own fully-stand alone launcher and doesn't even touch .NET, or anything like it. It has its own logon system, and everything.

It sounds like a lot of work, but it is one of those things that makes Istaria look so... aged... when we used outdated systems to interface with the game. A lot of work, yes, but man it would be worth it in the end run to see the game look a bit newer and younger, might revitalize it some. I wonder if some newer players are turned off by the fact they have to use IE (the worst browser out there) jsut to create a character, or do anything with their account.

Everyone knows by now, that you either use Firefox + Adblock + Noscript or risk getting infected by the mass of viruses that have been known to slip through IE's lack of security. It is one of the reasons I *never* touch IE for anything *but* Istaria (and that is only because I Must because Firefox doesn't work last I checked).

Having a 100% stand-alone executable, that could manage your account, create new characters, and log in would be super, and just perfect, and would add a LOT more security to Istaria. A lot of work, but very worth it. Forcing your users to use a third-party program that introduces a myriad of security risks just isn't the best thing, if it can be avoided in any way possible.

Edit:

None of these options necessarily require the browser, Shur.

The current standalone launcher requires .NET be installed as well as the browser-launched one.

I think (hope) Velea is talking solely about a standalone launcher.

Don't you still need to log into horizons.istaria.com with IE and only IE to create a new character, set up an account, or make changes to your account? Just opening IE, you are taking risks.

[Nidhoggr]

I strongly believe Option 3 will have the best benefits to the community, however depending on coding with Vista and time issues may outweight this. If Option 3 isn't viable, then Option 1 takes my vote. I would rather not deal with Java.
Also, Dhalin, IE isn't a such of virus magnet as you are lead to believe. Plenty of apps the minimize threats, and the best protection not to venture into areas that are questionable.

[Knossos]

If any one of these launchers:

• Removes the last remaining obstacle to Istaria being Vista compatible, and
• Allows a suitably high percentage of current active subscribers to continue to have any non-Vista OS Istaria compatible,

Then one may ask how many subscriptions to Istaria have been dropped as the players have replaced hardware and are faced with the Vista OS and cannot or choose not to replace Vista or dual boot the Vista and XP?

Should this be a significant number of players, and if the Vista compatibility is not established prior to plot reclaim, there may be some who will not come back with the advent of Vista compatibility as in some cases their plots may no longer be available to them.

While Virtrium has probably already considered this issue and has dealt with it as they see fit, there are times in the busy world that details escape due attention.

If viable my clear choice would be option 3

Knossos

[Pharcellus]

This won't have any effect on the game itself becoming Vista-compatible. That requires refactoring work on the client itself.

Personally, I don't see what the difference is between .NET and non-.NET. I can compile to either as a target with present compilers, and there are no real compatibility issues that I have seen in any of my apps.

Now, if you wanna talk Linux, I imagine the standalone would work better, since the game has to run under WINE anyway. Plus, if you start detaching yourself from Microsoft-dependence, you can actually build a launcher which can be compiled for either OS.

[Adwene]

I didn't pick an option, because of a lot of the reasons brought up in these posts.

Personally I'd love an easy executable that works similar to the log in systems in wow, where I don't have to keep loading up my browser when I want to change characters.

However to change my account details in almost all games, I do have to access a web site - even wow.

How easy is it to update the current system for account management, AND add a laucher for character creation/deletion/character selection? Was you planning to have these as a combined fuction in a new launcher?

Right now the launcher has options that could be removed...

[gopher65]

I'd say go with whatever is:

a) the fastest to implement properly,
b) the option your coder is most familiar with.

Also, I agree that having to use the website for anything other than account management (Ã** la carte options, payment, etc) kinda sucks. Things like making a character and patching should be included in the launcher.

[awdz]

I can't vote on this because I have no clue on what would be best with my set up.
I just want to be able to play, and jumping online quickly is better than slowly.

[Vaz]

Java is the most multiplatform. I vote #2.

[rizo/nawkia]

as long as it becomes vista compatable i dont mind which and if yall need tester for vista ill be one:P

[Kulamata]

I've always been the odd felinoid out... I never minded the original launcher, and I'm happy with the current one. I've used IE forever, with Norton firewall and anti-virus, never a problem with viruses.

So I'd be happy with the easiest to implement, as it adds nothing to gameplay, and there's a cost of opportunity, the cost of not using those resources to do something else.

Since this implies Vista effort and progress, it is, in its own way, good news.

[RuneDragoon]

Java was designed originally to run pretty much on anything. So with that said, it is the language to use if you want to reach out to all platforms. I find myself sitting on the fence between java and option 3...

[Tcei]

Despite now having a Vista machine (cant get XP to load *cries*), I voted 3, I'd much rather have one app that does the patching, deletion and creation of new characters, ect. Rather than having to go through a browser to do it. Honestly the only reason you should have to go through a browser for anything game related would be account/billing spacific reasons, and possibly tech support.
If for somereason you decide to go with 1 or 2, please for the love of all things make it compatable with FireFox. IE, is from personal experience, and extreamly weak and vunerable browser.

[Vahrokh]

Despite the appeal, Java is bloated and overkill for a launcher and has caused issues in the companies I worked in. The multi-platform thing is also true... to an extent. Probably not evident in a small app but if you go larger you'll waste more time putting OS fixes than the time savings it's supposed to bring.

Between runtime size, download of updates, memory usage, it has also nasty slow down issues on older computers.

All of this to implement a pre-launch software that would happily run on open source C++ / Delphi components (or free dot net nowadays you have to have installed anyway and will sit unused) with a fraction of the resources used.

[Cerjar]

Full executable with minimal dependencies

Why? Because of the "minimal dependencies". Every dependency means players, who habe problems starting the launcher. The introduction of the .net patcher was a desaster in my opinion. Even now, still sometimes people have big problems to get the game running, because of the .net dependency. The first step into the game has to be as easy as possible.

To minimize the work i would start with a simple Login-Feature-only Client. Every other feature can be done afterwards. The Account management e.g. can still be done over a web browser, many other companies do it as well, and i dont see why this should make any real problems as long as there are no browser-dependencies.