nocef Command Line option no longer works + moving background images

Hi,

with the new v5.1.10 it seems like the -nocef launch variable no longer functions.

Also, even though I went into the Display settings and Disabled the Background Image Scrolling, the background images now act as a slideshow and change every few seconds.

Is there a way I can disable the moving "web browser" element on the main launcher page?

And is there a way I can disable the background slideshow entirely?

I like using FantasyGrounds because it is clean and does not inundate me in visual information.

Thanks!

P.S. - This is not really a bug, but it would be nice if I was able to change the UI size of the launcher items without changing the size of everything when I open the campaign proper. Compared to the in-campaign UI, the new launcher UI is huge, but if I use the UI settings to shrink it to a reasonable size, the in-campaign UI becomes tiny. This was not an issue with the previous launcher UI since the launcher & campaigns were basically the same scale.

In the previous version of the Launcher the slide carousel on the main page was handled using an embedded Chromium browser (CEF) and the -nocef argument was used to disable the browser. In the new release of the Launcher, the browser has been removed, and the carousel is handled natively. Thus the -nocef argument has no effect. We're taking note of all of the feedback provided on the new Launcher and we'll consider it for future updates. Thanks for your feedback.

Okay thanks, we'll bear with it for now.

It is a bit garish.

I was going to come here and post about the nocef option as well, but I see the question has already been asked. hopefully you can give us an option to disable the carousel because I'm going to have to consider moving elsewhere without that option. I simply won't support having adds in a product I paid for, perhaps it's a bit of an absurd line, but it's the hill I'll die on.

Just a quick addition if I had the option to just have the launcher open by default to My Campaigns that would resolve my complaints

It's extremely common for launch screens to showcase new releases or sales of DLC for the existing product you are using. These are not "ads" in an external sense. We are not showing you McDonald's ads because we think you might be hungry -- or pizza ads, even though some people have actually asked for an order pizza button.

At the end of the day, any company whose primary business is providing a storefront to buy and play RPG game products has to surface those items to customers, or they won't be around for very long. If we can't succeed at selling content for our partners, we will be unlikely to secure new partners, or maintain the existing ones. We already use newsletters, forums, and paid advertising on various platforms. If you launch the game, you will see a single ad (featured product, announcement, etc) before clicking on My Campaigns to launch your game, and more if you let it sit for more than 8 seconds.

You buy things, and that is very much appreciated. There are tens of thousands (or more) users who almost never visit the website, open the newsletters, etc. We have to find a way to communicate with those people and this is probably the most effective option we have. We have also long wanted to put the store directly into the application, so you don't have to leave the program to add something to your game. That isn't anywhere on our short-term or mid-term agenda, but if we could bake that directly into the module activation screen as an option, we think that would be a very good enhancement.

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Originally Posted by ddavison

It's extremely common for launch screens to showcase new releases or sales of DLC for the existing product you are using. These are not "ads" in an external sense. We are not showing you McDonald's ads because we think you might be hungry -- or pizza ads, even though some people have actually asked for an order pizza button.

At the end of the day, any company whose primary business is providing a storefront to buy and play RPG game products has to surface those items to customers, or they won't be around for very long. If we can't succeed at selling content for our partners, we will be unlikely to secure new partners, or maintain the existing ones. We already use newsletters, forums, and paid advertising on various platforms. If you launch the game, you will see a single ad (featured product, announcement, etc) before clicking on My Campaigns to launch your game, and more if you let it sit for more than 8 seconds.

You buy things, and that is very much appreciated. There are tens of thousands (or more) users who almost never visit the website, open the newsletters, etc. We have to find a way to communicate with those people and this is probably the most effective option we have. We have also long wanted to put the store directly into the application, so you don't have to leave the program to add something to your game. That isn't anywhere on our short-term or mid-term agenda, but if we could bake that directly into the module activation screen as an option, we think that would be a very good enhancement.

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1000%

I do appreciate the necessity of encouraging people to go to the store, especially now that the software is Free to Play, but I would find it more pleasant if this link was just a single static banner to the store home page instead of a carousel of products. I suspect that the carousel will make Smiteworks more money, so I wouldn't want you to change the defaults to the static banner or anything like that, but for the people who are bothered by the carousel static store link option would be appreciated.

Additionally I do want to say I hope that getting the store into the launcher ends up on your agenda because I do agree that would be a fantastic enhancement for the user experience.

I know this is a weird thing to get persnickety about, but it doesn't do anyone any good if this is bothering me and I don't say anything until I get fed up and stop using the software and need to move to an alternative. Much better to bring up the issue as soon as I notice it and hope that feedback and tweaks can fix the issue

Sorry, how long do you spend staring at the launcher? Change to the My Campaigns or Join Game tab instead...

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Originally Posted by maddog0

I know this is a weird thing to get persnickety about, but it doesn't do anyone any good if this is bothering me and I don't say anything until I get fed up and stop using the software and need to move to an alternative. Much better to bring up the issue as soon as I notice it and hope that feedback and tweaks can fix the issue

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No need to apologize for providing your honest feedback. Like you mentioned, many people quietly leave when they don't like something. We 100% would rather you tell us about it in advance and we can either adapt it to fit your needs or help explain our reasoning behind a change. Either way, our goal is to keep you satisfied and happily gaming.

According to the release notes for 5.1.11
"[UPDATED] In Launcher, disabling background image scrolling also disables carousel slide transitions."

Unchecking "Enable" for Background Scrolling in the display settings for the launcher appears to have no effect on Carousel auto transitions.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by QuothDRaven191

According to the release notes for 5.1.11
"[UPDATED] In Launcher, disabling background image scrolling also disables carousel slide transitions."

Unchecking "Enable" for Background Scrolling in the display settings for the launcher appears to have no effect on Carousel auto transitions.

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The option disables the transition animation. The carousel slides still appear and do cycle.

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Originally Posted by jharp

It is a bit garish.

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not looking for a flame war or anything — just encouraging a healthy and productive feedback mindset.

everyone’s opinions and reactions are valid, especially when it comes to subjective things like design. at the same time, coming from a professional design background, subjective and limited feedback doesn’t really help developers/designers improve or make meaningful adjustments.

it’s similar to client feedback like “make it pop!” or “it’s not working.” those statements communicate a reaction, but they don’t provide enough information to act on.

it’s much more helpful to follow subjective or emotional feedback with objective goals: what do you mean by “garish”? are the colors too bright? is the logo too large? is the ui hierarchy unclear? is the layout creating usability issues? additional actionable details about what isn’t working can be reviewed, prioritized, and addressed.

with that said, i do have some feedback: the moving graphic creates an immediate and visceral reaction for some people at my table. the notable effects include nausea and a mild sensation similar to vertigo..

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Originally Posted by tahl_liadon

with that said, i do have some feedback: the moving graphic creates an immediate and visceral reaction for some people at my table. the notable effects include nausea and a mild sensation similar to vertigo..

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The disable background option was added in response to similar feedback. I hope it helps the players at your table.

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Originally Posted by pindercarl

The disable background option was added in response to similar feedback. I hope it helps the players at your table.

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thx. i saw them... i called it out just as an example for objective feedback ;-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by QuothDRaven191

According to the release notes for 5.1.11
"[UPDATED] In Launcher, disabling background image scrolling also disables carousel slide transitions."

Unchecking "Enable" for Background Scrolling in the display settings for the launcher appears to have no effect on Carousel auto transitions.

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Saw this when I started my game earlier this week, it was a very big improvement. Just need options for the ads themselves now.