BIS' New Game Launcher

[spanishsurfer 58]

SITREP #000062

"Soon thereafter, we hope to also get the game launcher to Dev-Branch, and the add-on publishing tool to the Arma 3 Tools suite."

Anyone know how the game launcher is going to work?

Will this allow an AUTO-download of mods/content like Playwithsix does?

If that's the case this will be one of the biggest changes to Arma in a LONG time. Servers admins will have ZERO reservation about using custom content if we know that any user can log into any server and not have to worry about custom content since it will be automatically taken care of.

HUGE addition if it works right!

[Brisse 78]

Publishing and downloading will be done with steam workshop. The launcher is probably just for choosing start up parameters with a GUI.

[CaptainObvious 95]

Alongside useful basic functionality - such as command-line parameters - this separate executable helps to organise, maintain and load mods.

The launcher plays at least some kind of role with mods and addons.

[kilroy the nerd 14]

I think it just sorts out which mods you wanna use, not unlike going into Expansions and loading or unloading various mods. Although, if it had a serverbrowser built in so you could download mods off it before you load the game, that would be amazing.

[CaptainObvious 95]

Although, if it had a serverbrowser built in so you could download mods off it before you load the game, that would be amazing.

That's what I'm thinking (wishing) too.

[spanishsurfer 58]

Seriously, this sort of idea is a game changer. Especially for us server admins. No longer will we be limited on what mods/content we can provide as no player will have a disadvantage. On our server I have requests all the time for more content on the server but can't do it because it would crush our player numbers.

Warfare CTI with all of the vehicles, aircraft, weapons, skins, available from the community at my disposal would really make for some amazing gameplay.

BIS, if you're reading this, there's absolutely NO reason why your launcher couldn't simplify the addon/mods process and completely automate it as sickboy and other community devs have done (all for free too!). A player should only have to find a server, click to join it, and every mod/addon the server requires of a user should automatically download and install. That's what I'd like to see.

Thank you.

[the_demongod 31]

I have a basic arma 3 launcher already. It is not the job of the launcher to download & install mods, that will be the work of the steam workshop.

All the launcher does is allow you to create mod profiles and launch the game, eliminating the need to change your enabled mods in game, as well as allowing you to easily launch different presets of mods. It's incredibly useful.

[spanishsurfer 58]

I have a basic arma 3 launcher already. It is not the job of the launcher to download & install mods, that will be the work of the steam workshop.

All the launcher does is allow you to create mod profiles and launch the game, eliminating the need to change your enabled mods in game, as well as allowing you to easily launch different presets of mods. It's incredibly useful.

I have been using a basic launcher like you describe for YEARS but there are other launchers out there that do EXACTLY like I've described in my post above. There's no reason BIS can't implement it in a way that allows automatic download/install of mods available on specific servers before you even launch the game. If you haven't used Playwithsix or the new Arma 3 launcher check them out Demon.

[CaptainObvious 95]

I have a basic arma 3 launcher already. It is not the job of the launcher to download & install mods, that will be the work of the steam workshop.

All the launcher does is allow you to create mod profiles and launch the game, eliminating the need to change your enabled mods in game, as well as allowing you to easily launch different presets of mods. It's incredibly useful.

I'd like to install, manage and load mods and addons inside the same software I use to launch the game itself.

[demerzell 10]

Im sure it will be download mods from workshop. But i'm also sure that at least half of the modders will refuse to use the workshop. XD

[miketim 20]

@demerzell

I agree, I feel like most modders wont use it.

Especially the high quality ones.

A bunch of shitty modders are going to throw their 5000 reskin mods onto the workshop, but good quality mods won't be present there, I am sure of it.

I feel like it will split the modding community, at least hopefully there is not content stealing like garrysmod, in the ArmA community that will be a terrible, horrible event.

[CaptainObvious 95]

I agree, I feel like most modders wont use it.

Especially the high quality ones.

A bunch of shitty modders are going to throw their 5000 reskin mods onto the workshop, but good quality mods won't be present there, I am sure of it.

How can you be so sure? There's plenty of high quality missions in the Workshop already, why would it be any different with mods?

[Maio 293]

@demerzell

I agree, I feel like most modders wont use it.

Especially the high quality ones.

A bunch of shitty modders are going to throw their 5000 reskin mods onto the workshop, but good quality mods won't be present there, I am sure of it.

I feel like it will split the modding community, at least hopefully there is not content stealing like garrysmod, in the ArmA community that will be a terrible, horrible event.

How can you be so sure? There's plenty of high quality missions in the Workshop already, why would it be any different with mods?

Please refrain from calling them shitty :) Novice or inexperienced would have been a better choice.

[demerzell 10]

Possible mod size limitation. Ignorance. It's not armaholic not play with six not arma sync etc...

We already have playwithsix and still there are a lot mod just on armaholic. XD

[RuairiAU 1]

BIS, if you're reading this, there's absolutely NO reason why your launcher couldn't simplify the addon/mods process and completely automate it as sickboy and other community devs have done (all for free too!). A player should only have to find a server, click to join it, and every mod/addon the server requires of a user should automatically download and install. That's what I'd like to see.

Thank you.

^^^This.

The whole addon loading process needs to change and we need to get rid of Play with Six. Play with Six is a buggy workaround for something that should be done in the game - worse still, it's fracturing the community as new players don't know anything about it. People should be able to join any server and arma should take care of the prerequisites.

The server should determine mandatory and whitelist mods, then load them when you join (or prompt to download them). In the server browser when you join a server, it should pop up a list of mods used - mandatory ones will be greyed out, optional ones will have a checkbox beside them.

For example, I may have a mission that requires Alive and MCC, but I also whitelist shacktac hud, weapon resting and speed of sound. When a person joins they'l get a list of all 5 mods and be able to toggle the shactac hud, weapon resting and SoS. If they don't have a mod, there will be a link to download it.

[L3TUC3 32]

I don't know what features the launcher will include, but by the looks of it I'm sure it mostly involves workshop.

I feel it's really a long overdue quality of life improvement for new players that get easily overwhelmed with the mod system and don't want to touch it out of fear of "breaking the game" or just don't feel confident enough to try (there's a lot of threads on botched mod installs). The launcher will ease them into the world of mods with some automation, instead of fling them into a maze of separate websites, forum threads, utilities and other hoops to jump through to find the experience they want. It can be a really poor experience for a novice Arma player that might just make them put the game down. Modability is one of if not the strength of the arma series, but the usability side has been rather spartan to say the least. This ought to help newbies out a bunch.

Once they figure out how the system works, they'll naturally progress to more advanced methods like manual downloads, PW6 or other custom repo launchers.

I'm very happy BI decided to take a look at it as I felt this has been ignored for far too long.

[x3kj 1247]

i hope this isnt just a standard gamelauncher like we are used to from many other games... Play, Settings, Mods and thats it.

[eliott 10]

This will probably replace PlayWithSix !

[kilroy the nerd 14]

It may not still, as long as there are people not putting their mods on Workshop. A lot of modders from Arma 2 seem to dislike Steam and are scared of their work being placed under a different name on Workshop. As long as there's an alternative, there will still be a sizable number of mods that can't be found without PWS or Armaholic.

[Tonci87 163]

The real problem are the license issues. As far as I know steam workshop means that everything you release is basically owned by Steam. Correct me if I´m wrong.

[CaptainObvious 95]

The real problem are the license issues. As far as I know steam workshop means that everything you release is basically owned by Steam. Correct me if I´m wrong.

I think Valve can't "own" addons made for a third party software.

The EULA is so strict to avoid any kind of loopholes to be abused, not to give Valve a chance to use submitted user generated content as they please, this is the case with most EULAs.

[Sterlingarcherz101 15]

If it is just a basic run of the mill mod launcher for aiding noobs., It is a waste of resources.

If it is one that downloads and updates according to server you are joining as suggested in the tread then. It is a game changer. And will expand armas communities and player base .bringing lots of joy .

[vegeta897 13]

The real problem are the license issues. As far as I know steam workshop means that everything you release is basically owned by Steam. Correct me if I´m wrong.

You aren't completely wrong, but the implication you're making is far-fetched. Reserving rights to do things is not the same as ownership. You still own content you create. These license terms are there to cover their own asses from getting sued by users for doing what the workshop is supposed to do. You see terms like this on literally any website that lets you submit content. For example, Valve needs the right to distribute your work, because that's the entire point of the workshop. Producing derivative works is also a right they need in order to generate thumbnails of the images you submit. Valve is a 100% trustworthy company when it comes to this kind of thing. The community backlash would be incredibly fierce and detrimental if Valve were to actually rip off somebody's work.

[Maio 293]

If it is just a basic run of the mill mod launcher for aiding noobs., It is a waste of resources.

If it is one that downloads and updates according to server you are joining as suggested in the tread then. It is a game changer. And will expand armas communities and player base .bringing lots of joy .

Any move towards simplifying mod management should not be considered a waste. It's no PlaywithSix, but in combination with the Steam Workshop it will shorten the process of actually getting in-game and playing/editing.

[spanishsurfer 58]

Any move towards simplifying mod management should not be considered a waste. It's no PlaywithSix, but in combination with the Steam Workshop it will shorten the process of actually getting in-game and playing/editing.

Sure it wouldn't be a waste but there's no reason it CAN'T be like or better than PlayWithSix. To release just a basic arma/mod launcher would be so amateur and disappointing. This tool done right could really change the game and the player count would increase as word got out.