Load Screen: Would like to permanently select 64-bit CoH

[Vorlonagent]

In the homecoming load screen I'd like to permanently select 64-bit COH rather than choose it each time.

[MunkiLord]

This

[justicebeliever]

This is personally my #1 pet peeve right now...I just want to click the big "PLAY" button, and then I have to remember to click the 64 bit app first...

 

It's a wonderful, wonderful world, when ones' biggest pet peeve is having one extra mouse click...

[PaxArcana]

+1

[Widower]

This would require a new launcher. The good news is that we'd quite like to have a new launcher; the bad news is that we'd quite like to have a lot of things, and some of those things take priority.

[Snakebit]

40 minutes ago, GM Widower said:

This would require a new launcher. The good news is that we'd quite like to have a new launcher; the bad news is that we'd quite like to have a lot of things, and some of those things take priority.

 

Is there a development roadmap anywhere?

[MetaVileTerror]

Regrettably, the "official response" on that merely seems to be a "thumbs up" on a generic boiler plate statement that is entirely hollow and hurtfully dismissive:

 https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/9193-current-dev-road-map-section-of-development-forum/

[justicebeliever]

18 minutes ago, MetaVileTerror said:

Regrettably, the "official response" on that merely seems to be a "thumbs up" on a generic boiler plate statement that is entirely hollow and hurtfully dismissive:

 https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/9193-current-dev-road-map-section-of-development-forum/

How is that dismissive?  You aren’t a customer here, just a guest.  It’s like staying a relatives house while you are traveling and being upset they won’t give you a menu for the week.

 

Now if we get an officially licensed server...then we become customers, and my expectations would change.

[Sura]

I can see this as a legit request, and I think the response from the developers is absolutely fine.

 

I just don't close the launcher.  It takes up very minimal resources on my machine, and as long as I'm not starting it up from scratch every time it stays on 64 bit.  My computer is almost a decade old and I don't notice any difference in performance leaving the launcher open.  

[Vorlonagent]

12 hours ago, Sura said:

I can see this as a legit request, and I think the response from the developers is absolutely fine.

 

I just don't close the launcher.  It takes up very minimal resources on my machine, and as long as I'm not starting it up from scratch every time it stays on 64 bit.  My computer is almost a decade old and I don't notice any difference in performance leaving the launcher open.  

I feel fine with the developer answer.  I haven't seen the backend code which drives the answer that we'd need a new launcher however.  It could be as simple as "the launcher has no ability to remember local settings and getting that set up is a huge pain that touches a lot of other things."

I'd actually prefer an explanatory answer such as this, but I can also see where someone else would use that as a reason to start an argument with the dev (this is the internet) so I have to accept a vague answer.  At the end of the day they're writing code for this game (without getting paid) instead of playing it and that merits some respect.

[MetaVileTerror]

Assuming the question was asked in earnest, and what followed wasn't just meant to demean, I break it down as thus:

Someone in a position of authority creates an imbalance in power by its nature, and it's my understanding that the etiquette is to act with responsibility and make reasonable efforts to attempt to offset said imbalance.

Using the listed example:  It would be like asking as a houseguest "what's the plan for meals?" and being snorted at, then mocked for asking.

 

Specifically to the post linked, we had what I feel was a very reasonable request for improved communication and transparency.  Then a reply which appears farcical was made, which was punctuated by a mocking call for there to be no continued discourse.  The development lead then "thumbed up" that post putting it as the defacto response at the top of the thread, which gives me the impression that they value the idea of communication with extreme disdain.

 

I understand that this is a passion project for the volunteers, that they have limited time, and that there are a number of factors which may challenge efforts to improve communication.  Indeed, the sticky-thumb may have even been made without reading the same specific context in to the post.  But ultimately the read I got from the situation there is "communication isn't worthwhile.  It's a joke."

I do hope it was only a little misunderstanding or an isolated moment of whimsy, and that a roadmap is actually in the works.  Or call it whatever you want; some level of communication which gives reasonable specifics in to the direction of development, with attention given to prioritization.  This sort of thing is generally a best practice anyway in development, and I feel the community should be included.

 

Ultimately, I know I have no authority or decision-making power here (see the above power imbalance).  I'd just like to go on record with my view of the situation in the hopes that I can articulate myself clearly enough to give my opinions some positive weight in the eyes of those who do hold that power.  Or, if failing to be compelling in my initial attempt, to encourage a continued dialogue to uncover what factors may hold back others from seeing merit in what I would like to share, and then attempt to mitigate those factors reasonably.

[StrykerGaming]

On 9/7/2019 at 6:03 AM, Vorlonagent said:

In the homecoming load screen I'd like to permanently select 64-bit COH rather than choose it each time.

This very much. Maybe they can add a choice in the settings (like they have for closing Tequila window after launch) where we can choose this as an option.

[GM Sijin]

The order of the items is dictated by the manifest, ergo it has to be the same for everyone. They could change the manifest to have the 64 bit option be the top option, but then anyone who wanted to run the 32 bit option by by default would be in the same situation. There might be a case for asking for the order to be swapped, but I have absolutely no data to support that, personally.

[Malclave]

I'm guessing an 8-bit launcher is probably not in the works at all?

 

[MetaVileTerror]

How large is the Manifest file?  Could we have "Manifest-32dflt" and "Manifest-64dflt" which players could choose from?

[Vorlonagent]

4 hours ago, GM Sijin said:

The order of the items is dictated by the manifest, ergo it has to be the same for everyone. They could change the manifest to have the 64 bit option be the top option, but then anyone who wanted to run the 32 bit option by by default would be in the same situation. There might be a case for asking for the order to be swapped, but I have absolutely no data to support that, personally.

I can see arguments on both sides of changing launcher order.  While most people use 64 bit versions of Windows these days, the launcher has already set a precedent for 32-bit at the top of the list.  Switching the two would throw some people off.   Not wanting to inconvenience other people, I would support leaving the order of choices as-is.

What I was hoping for was that the launcher had a config file where a default choice other that 32-bit Homecoming could be stored after being set in Options.  The launcher would only behave differently if the user went into Options and modified the default choice.  And then the only difference is a different choice would be highlighted on launcher bootup.

Edited September 9, 2019 by Vorlonagent

[GM Sijin]

1 hour ago, MetaVileTerror said:

How large is the Manifest file?  Could we have "Manifest-32dflt" and "Manifest-64dflt" which players could choose from?

The Manifest is just XML and is quite small. And while it would be possible to do that I suspect that's not a solution they'd like to implement at this time.

 

1 hour ago, Vorlonagent said:

What I was hoping for was that the launcher had a config file where a default choice other that 32-bit Homecoming could be stored after being set in Options.  The launcher would only behave differently if the user went into Options and modified the default choice.  And then the only difference is a different choice would be highlighted on launcher bootup.

This might be something that could be implemented, but the thing is Homecoming's isn't the only manifest, so however this works would have to be pretty generic and not interfere with other manifests. It would likely have to be something as simple as "select list item X on manifest load".

 

Honestly they'd like to replace Tequila with something better, so I'm not sure we'll see much in the way of changes to it at this point.

[StrykerGaming]

7 hours ago, GM Sijin said:

The order of the items is dictated by the manifest, ergo it has to be the same for everyone. They could change the manifest to have the 64 bit option be the top option, but then anyone who wanted to run the 32 bit option by by default would be in the same situation. There might be a case for asking for the order to be swapped, but I have absolutely no data to support that, personally.

Simple solution. Offer a 32-bit Tequila and a separate 64-bit Tequila launcher to download.

[Vorlonagent]

18 hours ago, GM Sijin said:

The Manifest is just XML and is quite small. And while it would be possible to do that I suspect that's not a solution they'd like to implement at this time.

 

16 hours ago, StrykerGaming said:

Simple solution. Offer a 32-bit Tequila and a separate 64-bit Tequila launcher to download.

I am not a dev and don't play one on TV.  But I wouldn't want Homecoming to support more than one manifest or one launcher. 

Development starts to become a nightmare of "did I make change A to all of my manifests or launchers?" and what happens when the inevitable happens and I didn't.   This is why I asked for something in Options.  So the Launcher is the same for those who simply want to play the game but can be changed for those of us who want to hunt around the Options to change a setting.
 

18 hours ago, GM Sijin said:

This might be something that could be implemented, but the thing is Homecoming's isn't the only manifest, so however this works would have to be pretty generic and not interfere with other manifests. It would likely have to be something as simple as "select list item X on manifest load".

I'm good with that.  It could only be an issue if the devs change the order of choices and that's something they want to think long and hard about regardless.

 

18 hours ago, GM Sijin said:

Honestly they'd like to replace Tequila with something better, so I'm not sure we'll see much in the way of changes to it at this point.

Makes sense.  Not want to put time in a tool that's not going to be around for the long haul.  I would ask that you pass this idea along for whatever launcher that comes next.  It's an itch.  Annoying out of all proportion to the actual effect it has on game enjoyment.

 

Thanks for your time, GM Sijin.
 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Vorlonagent