Bugs: NCsoft Launcher

Please note we are only able to test the PC version of the NCsoft Launcher at this point.

If you have both the NCsoft Launcher and Training Room installed:

1. Run the NCsoft Launcher shortcut to get the latest update.
2. Double-click CITY OF HEROES TEST in the NCsoft Launcher’s game list to play.

If you do not have the NCsoft Launcher but have the Training Room installed:

1. Click the NCsoft Launcher link: http://us.ncsoft.com/en/launcher/ncsoft-launcher.html
2. Click Download Now.
3. Follow the instruction to install the NCsoft Launcher.
4. The NCsoft Launcher will start at the end of the installation.
5. Double-click CITY OF HEROES TEST in the NCsoft Launcher’s game list to play.

If you have the NCsoft Launcher but do not have the Training Room installed:

1. Run NCsoft Launcher shortcut to get the latest update.
2. The NCsoft Launcher will start.
3. Create a copy of the NCsoft Launcher desktop shortcut.
4. Right click on the new shortcut and open the Properties option.
5. In the Target window, add the following flag to the end of the line:
[space]/LaunchGame=CohTest
6. Run the shortcut.
7. The NCsoft Launcher will open, starting a City of Heroes Test installation.
8. Click Install.
9. If you are on Windows Vista or Windows 7, confirm the UAC prompts. (if UAC is turned on).
10. After the installation completes, double-click CITY OF HEROES TEST in the NCsoft Launcher’s games list to play.

If you wish to post feedback related to this feature, please use the corresponding feedback thread here.

Just downloaded and installed NCSoft launcher. Confirmed UAC prompts. After the program finished installing this error message appeared.
"Error:System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception: Access is denied atSystem.Diagnostics.Process.Kill()
at NC.LauncherStub.Program.MainImpl(String[]args, Boolean&handlerInstalled)
at NC.LauncherStub.Program.Main(String[]args)"

I am running Win7 servicepack 1 (just released on Tuesday).

*edit: I re-downloaded and installed again this time it WAI.

The launcher hangs at "checking for updates" when run under Wine 1.3.14 on Linux.

I clicked the city of heroes button (in the sidebar) with a copy of city running in the background and error:
An unhandled exception(''console' is undefined') occurred in NCLauncher.exe [5416]

After telling my debugger to go away the button works fine but still. There's an error Visual Studio 2010 is catching.

While installing test:
An unhandled exception(''console' is undefined') occurred in NCLauncher.exe [5092]

another edit: Running Windows Vista

While updating the test client on Windows XP SP2, I got a dialog saying "NC Launcher Error" "Attempted to read or write protected memory. This is often an indication that other memory is corrupt". When I moved the mouse over the "OK" button, I got this crash dialog:

Unhandled exception has occurred in a component in your application.  If you click Continue, the application will ignore this error and attempt to continue.

Cannot access a disposed object.
Object name: 'ExtendedWebBrowser'.

See the end of this message for details on invoking 
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.

************** Exception Text **************
System.ObjectDisposedException: Cannot access a disposed object.
Object name: 'ExtendedWebBrowser'.
   at System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser.get_AxIWebBrowser2()
   at System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser.get_Url()
   at NC.Launcher.SmartParts.WebDetailView.RefreshPage()
   at NC.Launcher.SmartParts.WebDetailView.m_idleTimer_UserIdleChanged(Object sender, IdleTimeArgs e)
   at System.EventHandler`1.Invoke(Object sender, TEventArgs e)
   at NC.Launcher.Services.IdleTimer.OnUserIdleChanged()
   at NC.Launcher.Services.IdleTimer.set_IsUserIdle(Boolean value)
   at NC.Launcher.Services.IdleTimer.CheckForIdle()
   at NC.Launcher.Services.IdleTimer.m_timer_Tick(Object sender, EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Timer.OnTick(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Timer.TimerNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v2.0.50727/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
_Launcher
    Assembly Version: 1.5.25.1
    Win32 Version: 1.5.25.1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/NCSoft/Launcher/_Launcher.EXE
----------------------------------------
NC.Logging
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/NCSoft/Launcher/NC.Logging.DLL
----------------------------------------
System
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
NLog
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/NCSoft/Launcher/NLog.DLL
----------------------------------------
System.Runtime.Remoting
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Runtime.Remoting/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Runtime.Remoting.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/2.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Security
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Security/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Security.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Design
    Assembly Version: 2.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 2.0.50727.3053 (netfxsp.050727-3000)
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Design/2.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Design.dll
----------------------------------------
UnRar.Net
    Assembly Version: 1.0.4065.37600
    Win32 Version: 
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Program%20Files/NCSoft/Launcher/UnRar.Net.DLL
----------------------------------------
msvcm80
    Assembly Version: 8.0.50727.3053
    Win32 Version: 8.00.50727.3053
    CodeBase: file:///C:/WINDOWS/WinSxS/x86_Microsoft.VC80.CRT_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_8.0.50727.3053_x-ww_b80fa8ca/msvcm80.dll
----------------------------------------

************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
    <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

The Launcher isn't showing my Euro version of the game - it's only showing the American one, and the American Test and Beta servers, and is telling me I need to install a Euro verison even though it's already installed.

Okay, left something about this in the feedback thread. Should probably put it here so it gets looked at.

Okay, quantitative analysis here:

Test System:
Lenovo ThinkPad T61p
4GB RAM
Windows XP 32-Bit.

Memory Usage:
CoH Launcher on startup: ~25 MB
After Idle: 2.756 MB Leaks up to 4.048 MB after 30 minutes and stable after that.


NCSoft Launcher on Startup: ~56 MB
After Idle: 3.7 MB Immediately starts leaking memory.
First time startup after 5 minutes: 8 MB
Second time startup after 5 minutes: 11 MB
Third time startup after 5 minutes: 11 MB

Leaving it run causes it to, slowly, continue to leak memory. Usually in single to double KB increments over time.

Clicking on the linked image above will take you off the City of Heroes site. However, the guides will be linked back here.

Try selecting the install option - I did that for my Euro version, and it didn't download the entire game - it just checked all the files.

When running the launcher under an account without administrative rights, either in XP, or under Windows 7 with UAC disabled, the following message appears every time the launcher starts:

"You are NOT running the NCLauncher as administrator. If UAC is enabled you'll need to accept NCAccess so your game registry can be updated."

After clicking OK, ncaccess.exe crashes:
EventType : clr20r3 P1 : ncaccess.exe P2 : 1.0.0.0 P3 : 4b686183
P4 : mscorlib P5 : 2.0.0.0 P6 : 4be90358 P7 : 2cf0 P8 : 46
P9 : system.unauthorizedaccess

After closing that, the launcher appears to work okay.

After playing with the options, I can find no way to get rid of the annoying (and incorrect) message.

The message is incorrect because neither City of Heroes nor its updater in any way needs administrative access to the system to function correctly. CoH can be easily installed into a directory that has change permissions for an unprivileged user, and it stores all its settings under HKEY_CURRENT_USER. Even without the crash, I'd consider it a security bug that the launcher is pestering users to give it more access to the system than it actually requires. Don't perpetuate the run-everything-as-admin fallacy that so many Windows programs fall victim to.

The old cohupdater functions perfectly in this configuration on both Windows XP and Windows 7 (after tweaking UAC on Windows 7 to not stupidly assume cohupdater.exe needs admin rights because of the file name).

Players outside of the US/Europe (case in point: South America) keep getting the old updater to run. NCSoft Launcher won't patch it. Reinstalling everything won't fix it: it's an IP restriction issue.

I'm getting this Error Message when I'm done updating both Beta and Test.

fromVersion
Parameter name: fromVersion cannot be an empty string.

I try to Repair it nothing happens after the repair same message.

I can get it to launch the game for both live and beta servers but when the game loads I have no visible mouse pointer arrow...

When I switch back to the CoH updater to launch the game normally for both test and live servers I have my mouse pointer arrow back...

Running Vista...

Got another case of an incorrect error message.

If running as a non-administrative user, it's checking if the builtin Users group has Full Control over the install directory. If it doesn't, it pops up a warning and asks to "correct" it, which will fail if UAC is disabled.

However, it checks for that specific ACL entry, rather than testing if it has write access to the files. In my case, I have a Games group that has change permission to the CoH install directory. When running as a member of the Games group, the updater is able to successfully update the install (after canceling the warning message and confirming that I really want to cancel it). The only way to keep it from prompting every time you start it is to grant full control to Users. Even Modify access (which is all you really need) doesn't make it happy.

Instead of checking if it has that particular permissions bit, the updater should first attempt to update the files, and then pester the user to change permissions only if that fails.

Bug.

DOES NOT WORK WITH EXISTING CEDEGA ENGINES

There's a particular tune running through my head right now. It's by Toby Mac. Some of you might have heard of it.

It's ShowStopper.

Here's the big problem. The NCSoft Launcher requires usage of the .NET Framework.

.NET is not supported on either OSX or Linux.

That means that this launcher is knocking out a significant number of your existing players. More than likely, it's knocking out your most effective testers and the players who give you the most detailed and thorough feedback. E.G. the players you really don't want to be torquing off in the first place.

Somebody in Paragon Studios needs to grab NCSoft by the ear and yank them into a back corner, and put the brakes on switching to the NCSoft launcher until the launcher gets redone in QT/Webkit

If NCSoft is bound and determined to force a unified launcher on players, NCSoft NEEDS to use a development API and UI Rendering Engine that is platform independent

DO NOT USE A PROPRIETARY VENDORS API / UI RENDERING ENGINE

Now, yes, I am being a bit blunt on forcing QT/Webkit. Why? Because it's probably going to be the quickest and easiest toolkit / UI Rendering Engine combination to not only get help on, but also turn around and get a viable software solution for testing out on.

If NCSoft had made the transition to QT/Webkit... you know, back in 2010, this wouldn't be an issue today.

If NCSoft wants a unified launcher? Fine.

It needs to be done right, and it needs to be able to integrate with the existing software support structure. It needs to be done in such a way that it will not remove the ability of any of the existing players ability to access and play the game.

I'm not able to get this working with wine, and it will be disappointing when I'll have to stop playing the game because I can't launch it anymore. No, I'm not going to switch to windows, no I'm not going to go buy a mac.

http://sourceforge.net/projects/ull/ is an old, old project to provide a linux-native launcher for NCSoft games. Perhaps something like that could be provided to us?