Is using the launcher hard? I seem to be fielding a lot of questions on the Help Desk that make me think that the launcher isn't as simple as it could be. This isn't meant for a suggestion thread, but I really need some input here!
Is it hard to use?
- Thread starter Ashzification
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Well, it isn't difficult for me. Of course, I have years and years and years of experience sifting through similar game launchers. I know what to look for and where to look for it.
Someone who is relatively new to gaming or interfaces in general might not agree. Although, I'm not sure why someone like that would be looking into modded Minecraft.
What kind of questions are being asked?
Someone who is relatively new to gaming or interfaces in general might not agree. Although, I'm not sure why someone like that would be looking into modded Minecraft.
What kind of questions are being asked?
Not hard to use, but its sort of useless in my opinion, it holds no benefit over MultiMC that I can think of. Not trying to say its a simple case of FTB Launcher vs MultiMC, but all I use the FTB Launcher for is to download the packs which I import into MultiMC.
If I had to tell you what to improve, I would start with removing the news tab. Instead just include a link the FTB site front page at the bottom of the other tabs. By a link, I mean an actual hypertext link, not the FTB icon which I just recently learned is actually a link.
If I had to tell you what to improve, I would start with removing the news tab. Instead just include a link the FTB site front page at the bottom of the other tabs. By a link, I mean an actual hypertext link, not the FTB icon which I just recently learned is actually a link.
At this point, the questions are all "How can you fix this" with enough information provided to fill the size of a penny paid for their thoughts.
Nearly everyone gets this response, or some modification thereof:
Edit: in reading this:
I think the launcher has it's purpose, for the people "asking" the aforementioned questions.
I find myself (daily) scratching my head saying "wow, people really can get more dumb"
Personally I'd say "no", but then, I say that about command line and terminal based interfaces. My biggest stumbling block was remembering my password when I very first switched to it.
It's complex enough that reading documentation about it is sometimes faster then trial and error (adding mods, for example), but I don't see anything that I feel could be improved. One day our vanilla server owner said "hey we're on MindCrack FTB now", and after few web searches to work out what to download I was off looking for my first rubber tree.
It's complex enough that reading documentation about it is sometimes faster then trial and error (adding mods, for example), but I don't see anything that I feel could be improved. One day our vanilla server owner said "hey we're on MindCrack FTB now", and after few web searches to work out what to download I was off looking for my first rubber tree.
I don't know if that's really the Launcher's fault.
Take any game. Literally any fuckin' game that's accessible to the public and look through their support forums. I personally guarantee you that you will find identical threads.
I think people are honestly just stupid.
I'll redirect slightly:
Is there anything I can change, or add to the Knowledgebase (on the help desk) that will make using, troubleshooting and general fixing easier?
I think part of the problem is that no one reads the available information, but that's just a contributing factor to what will surely be a bald spot at some point.
(There's currently 38 articles in the KB)
Is there anything I can change, or add to the Knowledgebase (on the help desk) that will make using, troubleshooting and general fixing easier?
I think part of the problem is that no one reads the available information, but that's just a contributing factor to what will surely be a bald spot at some point.
(There's currently 38 articles in the KB)
Quite simply:
Make simple instructions for how to use the launcher and every feature, and explain operating systems, how to install, and what to make sure you do not delete. As more crash logs come with different problems, you may simply add that solution to the main article.
Eventually, so many problems will be covered that there will be nothing more to break, for trolls and otherwise.
Make simple instructions for how to use the launcher and every feature, and explain operating systems, how to install, and what to make sure you do not delete. As more crash logs come with different problems, you may simply add that solution to the main article.
Eventually, so many problems will be covered that there will be nothing more to break, for trolls and otherwise.
I've heard the launcher is a piece of crap, from a coder's view, but I don't really know.
I'm more confused about the decisions about the launcher. We have Magic World, but rather than updating that we're getting Magic World 2? We have a FTB Beta pack, yet rather than updating that, they give us private pack codes for pre-release packs. So now I have 2 FTB Ultimates, only one of which is updated, and 2 YogCrafts (even worse than Ultimate because it's an obsolete modpack). The launcher is too crowded, has texture packs a lot of people don't use, and outdated modpacks that should either be fixed up or let go.
I'm more confused about the decisions about the launcher. We have Magic World, but rather than updating that we're getting Magic World 2? We have a FTB Beta pack, yet rather than updating that, they give us private pack codes for pre-release packs. So now I have 2 FTB Ultimates, only one of which is updated, and 2 YogCrafts (even worse than Ultimate because it's an obsolete modpack). The launcher is too crowded, has texture packs a lot of people don't use, and outdated modpacks that should either be fixed up or let go.
Nah Ash, people are just stupid. They want their hand held through every step of the way and that just isn't feasable. If it doesn't have a big red button saying "CLICK ME TO PLAY MINECRAFT!" You're gonna get idiots asking for help.
I refuse to provide any form of support regarding how to use your computer, the internet, and basic brain skills.
God I wish just once I could stream a help desk session lol
Isn't that kind of the point of a help desk?
I can understand not helping people with the launcher, it is very simple to use. But I think a lot of people have problems with more technical things like download locations, firewalls, etc.
I can understand why they wouldn't be interested in helping with the absolute most basic prerequisites to running a game.
Most of that stuff should be covered in a troubleshoot or FAQ, anyways. It hardly deserves a thread all it's own. Most technical questions have been answered long, long ago. People just lack the aforementioned brain skills to find the answers.
It is the Feed the Beast Help Desk, not the windows help desk, not the Java help desk, not the mac, or Nvidia help desk.
If you don't know how to computer, you should learn that first.
I won't teach you how to configure your GPU, how to set up a server, or how to do anything relating to your antivirus. Google is a search engine, and if the user can't be bothered to understand how to use their computer, or find out how, then I won't waste my time teaching them. I'm not a professional programmer, I'm not a Windows or a Mac professional, I don't do networking. I'm not paid, I'm a volunteer, like everyone else in FTB. I clean up the mess that's left behind. I'm a nurse. I enjoy helping people, and I learned how to fix these problems because I like to learn. And now I like to share my knowledge.
Besides, if anyone ever took time to read the articles that I wrote, they would almost never need to open a ticket.
Private e-mails and information
Well, yeah. It should definitely be easy to find FAQs for that whole thing. But if we're just going to say that people lack brain skills in response to problems, why do we have a help desk? I'm not trying to start anything here, but it's simple. Make sure FAQs are easy to access, and ignore the people who can't read. But what's left, that wasn't covered in the FAQ? Is it something that we think is common sense? Maybe that person was just drawing a blank and couldn't figure it out, maybe everyone's not that smart. But if we just cast them away as idiots, why not just post an FAQ and no Help Desk?
That's the thing. FAQs are easy to access. In fact, most support forums tell people to read the FAQs before they post a thread. That's why they're called Frequently Asked Questions.
The problem is that people don't understand that concept. They don't read the stickied post that says "FUCKING READ THIS FIRST". Lack of brain skills.
I'd say Ash is right; if people want to know how to use a computer, there are training courses for that, and every major operating system has at least SOME official documentation available re its use.
Not one single help desk in the world claims to cover every subject. It's not unreasonable to expect users who don't know how to use a computer to go to a relevant info source.
Say the FTB Knowledge base takes on basic OS usage as a subject. It not only needs to cover multiple operating systems, but it needs to be updated when they are, too. Sure, people may commonly need help in that area, but the OS developers offer such support, and there are already many websites out there that supplement it - leave it to them rather then re-invent the wheel.
You wouldn't call your supermarket to ask how to drive a car, even if doing so is involved in grocery shopping.
Not one single help desk in the world claims to cover every subject. It's not unreasonable to expect users who don't know how to use a computer to go to a relevant info source.
Say the FTB Knowledge base takes on basic OS usage as a subject. It not only needs to cover multiple operating systems, but it needs to be updated when they are, too. Sure, people may commonly need help in that area, but the OS developers offer such support, and there are already many websites out there that supplement it - leave it to them rather then re-invent the wheel.
You wouldn't call your supermarket to ask how to drive a car, even if doing so is involved in grocery shopping.
I said computer wrong.
I meant what to download on what OSes(or just -s? Dunno) and how to use the launcher on x or y OS.
I meant what to download on what OSes(or just -s? Dunno) and how to use the launcher on x or y OS.
An example of this:
I had a post 2 days ago, actually 2 posts, by the same woman. Demanding a refund because her child at the age of 10 had downloaded FTB, and posted a ticket asking for help with it. Said ticket had been deleted (likely during the last purging of backlog).
The title was:
*****URGENT REFUND REQUIRED my son's support ticket disappeared with no reply NOT HAPPY **********
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