memes

I dont hate them because theyre inconvenient. I hate them because there are so many of them. I don't want more bloatware.

Include the necessary binaries to access your servers in the game's master executable, its not hard.

I don't get the "launcher apologists". Yes, the companies insist on using their own, but I'm not willing to expend system resources on multiple badly made memory-hog software doing fuck-knows-what running simultaneously that I don't even interact with.

imagine a car company adding like another door or lock/2nd key you'd have to open/unlock every time. thats what those represent. we know the 95% of games don't need it. now for ones like paradox interactive games that have mod playlists support and is mostly utilitarian (they do have a little banner ad space for dlc etc), hell yeah thats fine, but when their just gross multi layer ads, odd trophy points shops/weird 2nd store front that smack of walled garden ecosystem shit those can fuck right off.

i mean im also someone who 99% of the time mod out intro/and dev splash screens to save seconds.

Except everyone wants to have their own launcher and they all want to register background services that chew up resources constantly and do god knows what.

For the majority of users, launchers are not only unnecessary but also an unnecessary privacy and security risk, imo. They're running administrative privileges while in the background the entire time, when they only really need to be run for updates. That said, it's not a dealbreaker for me, either, I just don't like these companies in general.

Also, once they discontinue the launcher there's a fat chance the game will not start at all, like it happened with some games tied to M$ Games for Windows live

Well... That's like alot of steps, lol. In UX design, we would call that a violation of the Three Click rule, and obfuscating the expression of user intent.

Like... Do you gain anything from these launchers? I guess Frosty you opt into because you use it to manage your mods. Maybe launching through that is how your mods get bootstrapped. Kay cool.

Epic games, you definitely need and want to use for other reasons-- Shopping for games and managing your library-- but is it really benefitting you to open that app so that you can open the app you actually want to use? Maybe you have a reason that you actually like that better, idk, but I'd rather just open the app that I want.

And then the EA app... What does it offer that makes it worth putting another step between you and your game? Login to the EA account you don't need? DRM? Ads for other games? The premise of most launchers is that the company has some goals that you don't share, and they're willing to add friction to your experience to achieve those.

Some launchers aren't so bad. I dunno what EA's deal is. Speaking of Ubisoft Connect specifically:

• It's an online-only service that forces you into having an account to play... It's not just an extra launcher in front of your game
• Ubisoft Connect is part of their DRM mechanism
• It wants admin privileges on your system
• It leaves processes running in the background when you aren't using it
• And more

Those things aren't necessarily all bad per se, and you'd certainly tolerate them for some apps... But it's a big imposition for the company to insist on, IMO, and part of the reason for the launcher hate.

I didn't downvote btw, I think you're entitled to your opinion and maybe you're fine with the launchers you use... But personally, I just choose not to play Ubisoft games for that reason, even though there are games that I would like to have played.