Remove "preparing to launch ..." when launching a game/program

[Gustav]

After you press 'play' on an application in the Steam library, there pop-ups a tab saying "preparing to launch ..." I think this tab is annoying and that all kinds of pop-up windows should be replaced with a different system.

My recommedation is to add a loading bar somewhere on the Steam UI instead of a pop-up window; nobody likes pop-up windows, unless there is significant information, such as installers and errors, etc.

[Sazzouu]

This pop-up window is not only showing this "preparing to launch" thingy
It also changes to and error message if any error occured while launching this game

So if you add a loading bar to steam, would it be better for you that steam loads a totally different page if an error occurs or would we just go back to our little pop up window?

Valve handled it perfectly fine right there

[Gustav]

Originally posted by B34tZ:

This pop-up window is not only showing this "preparing to launch" thingy
It also changes to and error message if any error occured while launching this game

So if you add a loading bar to steam, would it be better for you that steam loads a totally different page if an error occurs or would we just go back to our little pop up window?

Valve handled it perfectly fine right there

If there is an error I would agree on a pop-up window as it is a special case and not a common occurrence. Nobody likes pop-up windows because they alert your attention, usually over insignificant events, so we might as well use a pop-up window for errors as they actually do require to alert your attention.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

all games on pc clients do this. it is not just a thing that steam does.

[Gustav]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

all games on pc clients do this. it is not just a thing that steam does.

:qr:

Does it matter if Steam is not the only client that to do this? I think not!

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

yes it is.

it is the way the system of checks works for clients.

[Gustav]

Originally posted by cSg|mc-Hotsauce:

yes it is.

it is the way the system of checks works for clients.

:qr:

I have already said that a pop-up window would be great if there is an error or something that does need to be checked or require your attention. If not, a loading bar on the Steam UI would be less annoying.

I don't know if you lack attention or if have poor understanding of the arguments I've brought forward. People like you are what's wrong on the internet.

[cinedine]

It important for the user experience.
If you press a button, you expect results. The pop-up let's you know something is happening. A progress bar somewhere hidden in the UI does not. Despite the fact that you don't always know the progress of starting the game, so you can't update it properly. Or imagine a game starting and crashing imediatley. You could easily miss that and thus obstruct the real issue - the game crashing - and instead claim Steam doesn't work.

The dialog itself is completely unintrusive. It isn't modal, so it doesn't block anything. It isn't ladden with obstrusive graphics or animations. And it will close itself. Normally pretty soon.

[Sazzouu]

Originally posted by cinedine:

It important for the user experience.
If you press a button, you expect results. The pop-up let's you know something is happening. A progress bar somewhere hidden in the UI does not. Despite the fact that you don't always know the progress of starting the game, so you can't update it properly. Or imagine a game starting and crashing imediatley. You could easily miss that and thus obstruct the real issue - the game crashing - and instead claim Steam doesn't work.

The dialog itself is completely unintrusive. It isn't modal, so it doesn't block anything. It isn't ladden with obstrusive graphics or animations. And it will close itself. Normally pretty soon.

You got it boy!
Like he was reading from my mind

[Gustav]

Originally posted by cinedine:

It important for the user experience.
If you press a button, you expect results. The pop-up let's you know something is happening. A progress bar somewhere hidden in the UI does not. Despite the fact that you don't always know the progress of starting the game, so you can't update it properly. Or imagine a game starting and crashing imediatley. You could easily miss that and thus obstruct the real issue - the game crashing - and instead claim Steam doesn't work.

The dialog itself is completely unintrusive. It isn't modal, so it doesn't block anything. It isn't ladden with obstrusive graphics or animations. And it will close itself. Normally pretty soon.

"It important for the user experience.
If you press a button, you expect results." what part of "loading bar on the Steam UI" didn't you understand?

"A progress bar somewhere hidden in the UI does not."

I never said 'hidden', so stop assuming things and don't put words into people's mouth.

"Or imagine a game starting and crashing imediatley. You could easily miss that and thus obstruct the real issue. The dialog itself is completely unintrusive. It isn't modal, so it doesn't block anything. It isn't ladden with obstrusive graphics or animations. And it will close itself. Normally pretty soon."

Just make the pop-up static and not dynamic for crying out loud. I never said it should be dynamic. I did neither say it was intrusive, I sad it caused alertness over insignificant events, telling you that it is launching a game (from a pop-up menu). What i proposed was that we placed it on the Steam UI instead.

[cinedine]

Go to any (good) online store. Add a random product into your cart. You will see a layer telling you that you just added a product into the cart. Why? Normally you would see it in the mini cart which will increase the counter.

It's to tell the user prominently! that the action was successful. As I said, it's an UX thing. And a well regarded one. What makes it annoying to you - the in-your-face is exactly what it tries to accomplish.

I often totally miss the download progress bar on the bottom of the client and wonder why my connection tanked. Or the green notification icon. They are somewhere on your peripheral view and hard to notice if you don't happen to glance at them.

[Gustav]

Originally posted by cinedine:

Go to any (good) online store. Add a random product into your cart. You will see a layer telling you that you just added a product into the cart. Why? Normally you would see it in the mini cart which will increase the counter.

It's to tell the user prominently! that the action was successful. As I said, it's an UX thing. And a well regarded one. What makes it annoying to you - the in-your-face is exactly what it tries to accomplish.

I often totally miss the download progress bar on the bottom of the client and wonder why my connection tanked. Or the green notification icon. They are somewhere on your peripheral view and hard to notice if you don't happen to glance at them.

You've got my argument completely backwards! I was saying that only errors and significant information should be placed in a pop-up window and that launching a game should only add a loading bar on the Steam UI instead of a pop-up window! Neither did I ever argue over how the user store interface or download information should be changed!

My argument only focuses on the game launching process and what's related to that!

[Start_Running]

So what you want is for them to have 2 UI widgets instead of one. Look that popup window is actually pretty effecient. One box, that messages can be pushed to. Sometimes it can alert you to something a miss where you notice that it starts reinsitalling redistributables... look OP. when you start a game, what else do you have your attention on afor that minute?

[Gustav]

Originally posted by Start_Running:

So what you want is for them to have 2 UI widgets instead of one. Look that popup window is actually pretty effecient. One box, that messages can be pushed to. Sometimes it can alert you to something a miss where you notice that it starts reinsitalling redistributables... look OP. when you start a game, what else do you have your attention on afor that minute?

"Sometimes it can alert you to something a miss where you notice that it starts reinstalling redistributables"

I never said to remove this! I said that only significant information should appear in pop-up windows, this being installers and errors, etc.

"So what you want is for them to have 2 UI widgets instead of one."

Yes, and if possible, even remove the pop-up window completely and replace it with a loading icon next to the cursor (UNLESS THERE IS SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR A POP-UP WINDOW, FOR THE 100TH TIME!!)

"when you start a game, what else do you have your attention on for that minute?"

It's not what I currently have my attention at, it's what takes my attention. I think it's annoying to have a pop-up window when my Steam UI is already up. Personally, I miss the times when games represented their own pop-up for the game, that only showed a picture and the name of the game on, not some Steam pop-up that is the same for every game.

How long can it take to make a picture with the name of the game instead of a Steam pop-up? Not long at all! Steam even got 5 game cards for every game!

I would also like to remove the pop-up window copmpletely (UNLESS THERE IS SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION!!), even when the Steam UI is down and replace it with a loading icon next to the cursor. I am sick of redundant information!

It feels as if I need to learn how to write, to dummies.

[Black Blade]

I think there is a few reasons for it to show
1. to alert you that something is happening
A mark on the crosser dose not really do it, as it may be something else on the PC that dose it, the window makes it clear

A load on the side to tell you its starting is not going to be seen enough, as other said it needs to be in your face, so you know its there, that is the point, also when starting a game, what are you doing but waiting for it to open? the window is giving you something while you wait

I am also guessing its its own possess that is also used to call on the game and open it so it can close after the game has started, or wait for an error, so if some problem happen it can crash without crashing all the client

On the over all i think its better then just some small bar somewhere to tell you abut it, i remember using some software that did that, and honestly you miss it at times, as its not shown enough, like the pop up dose

[Sovietball]

Originally posted by Morgow | 긋타왜:

After you press 'play' on an application in the Steam library, there pop-ups a tab saying "preparing to launch ..." I think this tab is annoying and that all kinds of pop-up windows should be replaced with a different system.

My recommedation is to add a loading bar somewhere on the Steam UI instead of a pop-up window; nobody likes pop-up windows, unless there is significant information, such as installers and errors, etc.

Its a little window that dissapears after a few seconds..