Changes to the launcher.

Well no, since it's two totally different skill sets. The one has no bearing on the other beyond giving access. I don't really care how it looks, I'd just like it to work reliably to get me connected to the game.

Different people handle those things, for example I don't develop anything that's why I have time to answer questions. The people that work on the launcher are not the same ones that develop the game. They talk to each other and consult but different groups.

It does? You could have fooled me (sitting here watching it whirr away as normal ...) And the character drop down is pretty useless if you play multiple regions. Selecting a Kaladim toon when you're on a euro setup install is never actually going to work well. It obviously stores the character list centrally somewhere as the most recently used toons listed at the top bear no relation to the particular installation setup currently in use.

ROFLMAO!!

Oh, lovie, I'm glad it loads better for some folks now; on mine, from the moment I click on the PLAY button, to the time I'm finally at the Character Select screen or actually in-game with a chosen character, it's taking around FIVE MINUTES on average these days. As far as I'm concerned, nothing's been fixed for the better; it's been made way WORSE, and not just cosmetically. >:-/

Though tbh, I'm not sure if any behind-the-scenes changes to the LaunchPad have an affect on the ginormous login lag these days. :-/

Uwk

I never log in via the Launchpad, however logging in is slow for me, too, and sometimes fails and drops to the Character Select Window.

Ostensibly, we're supposed to be using the LaunchPad, because Reasons (it hoovers up the most recent updated version or something doing it that way only?). The few times I don't use it, actually, are when the LaunchPad itself seems to be actively messing up everything (most of last night), and I just mutter about the appearance change ("Not good. Very bad." --Peace, Wizards) in passing as an aside, for the most part. ;->

Uwk
Copy Editor to dead-tree version newspapers, so yeah, the new visual placement of an important item is puzzling

I actually like the new position for character select. It's more centered than right or left. I also like the next button for more characters. Went through all my accounts to see if I really liked it or was just being contrary to this threads opinion. Surprised myself by liking the next button. I feel all my characters, especially on the account with a lot of characters, are more organized.

The launcher does load faster on my system. This is a plus. It does slow down if I try to jump from one account to another too quickly. It may speed up after the second set of servers is upgraded. I do have alts spread across servers.

So, for now, my opinion of the new launcher appearance is positive.

In my opinion, looks like a cross between Ravenloft and Tomb of the Lizard King. @Ttobey, what say you?

Some will like, some won't, as with any UI change. It'd also be cool if we could choose a different background than Seru for the character select screen.... something from Wracklands (especially temple area) or AC (especially Maiden's Eye) would be neat, especially for those of the Freeport / Neriak persuasion....

Jesus you people will complain about anything. It's no wonder this game and community is the way it is. The launcher is different! OMG that bush in Antonica wasn't there before! WTF why are the materials I've been using for 10+ years and are burned into memory no longer showing their tier! Let's burn down the forums with more nonsense! That will whip those nasty nasty developers and producers into shape!

Here's a tip. Pretend to be professional, a normal person, and offer feedback.

lol, problem with offering feed back is: When it doesn't line up with someone else's feed back the other person is "complaining".
Here is another thought though, every time a post is seen by someone as being negative, it doesn't actually have to be responded to. LOL
I love sharing my opinions, and my opinions always differ from some one elses though, I don't mind. I"m a pro. I simply attack them for being different! dumb people /pft

Ok to be more specific so where the character select is now is smaller and harder to find (now i know where it is obviously not as much but still its tiny), everything on the screen is almost same sort of colour so it all blends, when you drop down the character select list even that slightly blends in, i dont have bad eyesight but if im seeing it blending id hate to think wat bad eyesight people are seeing, As for where that other person stated they like how the character select has a next button, well the old one had the next button as well lol and as for performance with loading, hasnt changed for me at all Ive nvr really had any problems and thats still the same.
As for complaining, ok maybe i was a bit hasty when i first came on and made my UGH and YUCK statement on how I didnt like it but I stand by that first comment but at least I have explained it a bit more now that I have actually considered more on why I dont like it..
This is what forums are for, to be able to rant/vent/complain/congratulate/celebrate all things EQ2 that either makes us happy or sad, yes we all also can disabuse people of notions, lol at others or help when it is needed and where we can, just as long as we dont get down and start abusing/ridiculing rudely others for their opinions

This. I don't mind the updated launcher, but there was no apparent reason for the change to the character select drop-down feature. Yes, I WILL get used to it very quickly, but if it wasn't broken, then why did they fix it?

I don't particularly care for it, but then again, I don't spend a lot of time there so I don't really care what it looks like. I load it up, select a character or launch to the character select screen or go to account management. I have no need to spend an extraordinary amount of time looking at the launchpad.

I like the new launcher, its got a much cleaner look than the old brown torn paper look the old one had that looked like it was done by a 3 year old with crayons.
Now if they would just finish polishing up what the launcher leads to we can all enjoy a happy trip through our home away from home.

i like the new launcher... I kinda prefer the character select to the left and the drop down feels the same as before... It kinda reminds me of everquest 1 launcher...

The only thing I don't like about the new launcher is how ugly it is. The initial screen where you type in your account name and password clashes with the color theme and hurts my eyes.

I don't mind it. It's something different, and I suspect, in about two weeks after seeing it, others won't mind it either. If we're going to complain about something, let's make sure it's important. Otherwise, if we whine about everything, nothing will have importance. When a Catholic priest swears, you pay attention....just sayin'.

Ummm.... depends on the priest. I can think of several pastors from the home country that frequently employed "sentence enhancers." Usually after a wee nip of the holiday Jameson's.

I like the new design, but if it annoys people, then maybe the drop down can be made bigger and moved to the right? I'm ok with that too.

Really? I was thinking it's a vast improvement in that regard. It's generally darker and no longer has all the eye-strain red coloured borders so my eyes are much happier with it.