FreeSO launcher

kickout29

kickout29

New Member
I was thinking about working on a FreeSO launcher that allowed users to download updates and revert older builds with a single action.
 
There is my concept on the forums already, somewhere in LRB's thread, if you need an idea for UI.
 
pisarz1958 said:
There is my concept on the forums already, somewhere in LRB's thread, if you need an idea for UI.
Click to expand...
hm?
I already made it, but then nobody used it and it pretty much just lost attention. I turned your concept into a fully working demonstration and even made it so that you could retrieve the latest master branch update, still nobody used it; don't know if you remember, but you complained about crashes and I never managed to fix 'em (I don't have Windows 10). Heck, even Rhys gave me advice instead of shouting at me and being all Rick and whatever. Here.
 
Well, since it's crashing on startup, it's kinda hard to use it, but that's just my opinion. I mean, I usually prefer stuff that crashes a while after startup. And my favs are the ones that don't crash at all. It just feels more useful.
 
Yes, generally things that don't crash are pretty swell.

We'll have an official launcher closer to the time, when the patch iff game structure has been worked out.
 
bennerman said:
Considering "Titanic" is literally the least offensive "crashing" reference I can make, LRB's launcher isn't in very good company XD
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Xezno's Titanic Sims Online
I'll probably refine my own launcher later with a design/layout I've been working on for a short while now (combining the best parts of Metro, Material and the Mac layout - whatever the fuck that's called - as well as some extra modernisation).
 
LetsRaceBwoi said:
and the Mac layout - whatever the fuck that's called
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It's called Aqua (Though Aqua itself is not the design philosophy anymore...)

Just a little tip, don't combine to many different designs... some things better stay separated.
 
Tirea said:
It's called Aqua (Though Aqua itself is not the design philosophy anymore...)

Just a little tip, don't combine to many different designs... some things better stay separated.
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Material's colours + Metro's layout + Aqua's icons = nice
 
Everything depends on the execution. You really need to have experience with graphic design or it'll always come out looking off, or unprofessional.
 
I can help with design ;D But I've got only expertise with Photoshop, Pixlr editor and en bit of Illustrator.

I would would prefer a launcher in TSO-style though?:D:D
 
It's not finished (news items haven't been implemented but will be fetched using the blog RSS feed), but here you go:
upload_2015-12-22_19-10-32.png
Everything works apart from the aforementioned news section, but the settings cog is temporary and the blue tile hasn't been decided yet - suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
LetsRaceBwoi said:
It's not finished (news items haven't been implemented but will be fetched using the blog RSS feed), but here you go:
View attachment 1095
Everything works apart from the aforementioned news section, but the settings cog is temporary and the blue tile hasn't been decided yet - suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
I know it's not finished and all, but I just want to suggest some things that would improve the "mockup" of you launcher:

1 - Don't use a blurred background if you put textureless tiles on top of it (even the "designers" of the Windows 8 Startmenu were smart enough to avoid that). It cut's right through the background and makes the tiles feel like "holes" or really bad visual artifacts. Try to make them pop out of the background.

2 - If you decide to use multiple blurred images as the background of the launcher itself, try to use one image at a time and make the images fade between each other. Don't just use one image in full res and then fill the canvas with various other chopped up images...

3 - If you have mutiple tiles for different actions/sections in the launcher, either use the same color for every tile or use colors that complement each other, don't use red on one tile and blue on the other. Using different tones of "the same" color is much more appealing and easier on the eye.

As you said you're not finished and since it's your launcher you can do whatever the hell you want with it, but I just wanted to give you some advice/tips, if you follow them is up to you.
On a more positive note, I do like the icons you use and you made a great choice with the font!
 
Tirea said:
1 - Don't use a blurred background if you put textureless tiles on top of it (even the "designers" of the Windows 8 Startmenu were smart enough to avoid that). It cut's right through the background and makes the tiles feel like "holes" or really bad visual artifacts. Try to make them pop out of the background.
Click to expand...
upload_2015-12-23_8-50-41.png
Tirea said:
2 - If you decide to use multiple blurred images as the background of the launcher itself, try to use one image at a time and make the images fade between each other. Don't just use one image in full res and then fill the canvas with various other chopped up images...
Click to expand...
I tried it, but it looks a bit like a cheesy 90's advert, so I guess I'll have to keep modifying it until it looks right :p
Tirea said:
3 - If you have mutiple tiles for different actions/sections in the launcher, either use the same color for every tile or use colors that complement each other, don't use red on one tile and blue on the other. Using different tones of "the same" color is much more appealing and easier on the eye.
Click to expand...
upload_2015-12-23_8-54-12.png
Tirea said:
As you said you're not finished and since it's your launcher you can do whatever the hell you want with it, but I just wanted to give you some advice/tips, if you follow them is up to you.
On a more positive note, I do like the icons you use and you made a great choice with the font!
Click to expand...
I would much rather have used San Francisco or Roboto, but considering nobody has those installed by default it would be a pain in the ass to load and apply to each label :p
 
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Can't you make it that it installs the font when you installatie the launcher? The Sims 2 used Benguiat Gothic I think and that's a n Adobe font I think?
 
LetsRaceBwoi said:
I would much rather have used San Francisco or Roboto, but considering nobody has those installed by default it would be a pain in the ass to load and apply to each label :p
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You could always bundle the font with your application, in this case the launcher.
The problem is that fonts like San Francisco come with a license that often prohibits the use of the font on any OS where it isn't pre installed or that the license itself states you mustn't redistribute the font with your app, you are only allowed to use it if it's already pre installed.
 
Tirea said:
You could always bundle the font with your application, in this case the launcher.
The problem is that fonts like San Francisco come with a license that often prohibits the use of the font on any OS where it isn't pre installed or that the license itself states you mustn't redistribute the font with your app, you are only allowed to use it if it's already pre installed.
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Exactly. Roboto uses the Apache 2.0 license, which states that you can redistribute it as long as some conditions are met.
 
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