Tell me about your [Un]Installing Experiences
Your friendly neighborhood build & distribution engineer would like some input from you all.
I'd like your input on your install and uninstall experiences. This is basically points between download (or disk inserting) and launching the game, plus the uninstall process. What works? What doesn't? What would you like to see in the [un]install process? Comments for all games Telltale produces are welcome!
I'm trying to see what I can do to make the experience better for all of you. This way I can take the time to get the job done right before Season Two rolls around. There are quite a few changes I've already made to our installers since I started in May. The Sam & Max DVD/CD and recently created Bone CDs have my handy work in them. But feel free to comment on older installs like Season One downloads. The worst I can say is that the feature is already put in.
Goes without saying, but I can't guarantee suggestions will make it into production. However, they will be read by me, and that should be worth something. Also, for specific support issues, please head over to the support sub-forums or our support page. We can help with support issues a lot more efficiently there.
Thanks for your input everyone!
I'd like your input on your install and uninstall experiences. This is basically points between download (or disk inserting) and launching the game, plus the uninstall process. What works? What doesn't? What would you like to see in the [un]install process? Comments for all games Telltale produces are welcome!
I'm trying to see what I can do to make the experience better for all of you. This way I can take the time to get the job done right before Season Two rolls around. There are quite a few changes I've already made to our installers since I started in May. The Sam & Max DVD/CD and recently created Bone CDs have my handy work in them. But feel free to comment on older installs like Season One downloads. The worst I can say is that the feature is already put in.
Goes without saying, but I can't guarantee suggestions will make it into production. However, they will be read by me, and that should be worth something. Also, for specific support issues, please head over to the support sub-forums or our support page. We can help with support issues a lot more efficiently there.
Thanks for your input everyone!
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Comments
* Include DirectX (latest build)
* Mute mode: It is nice to have a sound for launching and/or clicking, but that can be made an option
* Previous version warning/uninstall: If S&M downloadables were found, a warning should be displayed allowing the option to automatically uninstall (if the user clicked yes, of course)
* Not install/uninstall but still.... more extras.
This was a somewhat frustrating workaround to a few problems we had, and I'd very much like to not do it again... but I have to ask, why does it bother you? Unless you go rooting around in the disk's file structure, and are someone who is offended by the aesthetics of the \Autorun\ directory in an uncomfortable OCD way, what difference does it make how the autorun files are structured? There are 3 exes, yes, but the autorun experience should be transparent to the end user and appear the same as if there was just 1 file (unless, again, that end user deliberately goes digging around and finds 3 files).
And if we're doing feature requests, could we have those concept art pieces in a DVD gallery, as opposed to a movie? The music is nice, but maybe that could be sorted elsewhere, too?
Just my ideas.
-Kedri
For the disk based versions, we honestly didn't think about including the install. The same DirectX 8 rules apply so having DirectX wouldn't be much of an issue. Still, this is something we'll have to look into for the next set of disks we release.
The thing about previous uninstalls between the downloaded and disk-based installs are save games. We erred to side on caution by leaving them alone. There are a few things that I'm putting in that will better detect and manage download vs. disk-based installs and how they work with each other. Overall I haven't put my mind around how to present the differences between disk and download versions to the user and deal with it accordingly. Guess that will be another thread in the future.
I did redesign the uninstall process for disk'ed games this summer and all future installers. For stuff I made sometime after May, the installer will first present a welcome window where you hit 'Next' to start uninstalling. A dialogue box shows up asking if you want to keep the save games. I thought about having a checkbox in the welcome window deciding on save game status, but people pay more attention to dialogue boxes.
You could use a blu-ray disc...
Just kidding.
Well, imagine this scenario: Autorun disabled
Instruct the user to go to the autorun folder and run the autorun executable. There is a 2 in 3 chance of picking the wrong one (Ok, I know around 90% of the folks out there will know which one to pick, but thats not the point)
If there are technical limitations with the software you use to author the CDs/DVDs or the autorun programs, just drop the "selector" in the root directory and call it "autorun.exe"
Even with Autorun disabled, the disk drive icon will still have the Autorun function and operate the same way. What disabling Autorun does is prevent the computer from running the Autorun function when you insert the disk. The functionality is still there for you to use, just not automatically.
Not to mention that the default action when 2x clicking on a disk icon is to launch autorun, even with it disabled.
The real test is the 'Seg's Father' test. If my father can get to the functions of the disk, then we're good. My father's computer skills are at a level where he knows enough to get into trouble. With that, we're good.
This is different from the 'Seg's Mother' test which is the hardest lot check of all. The 'Seg's Mother' test starts with trying to get my mother to approach the computer in the first place...
And to make things 'better', the autorun menu items in the context menu are not displayed.
This is a screenshot of the context menu. Inserted is the Windows XP installation disk (I'm at work so I can't illustrate with the S&M DVD)
Turning Autorun off via TweakUI, the Telltale Season One disk will display the Play function for the DVD-Video playback, but nothing else. I wonder if putting in specific commands from the autorun.inf will still add the shell commands with autorun disabled. The disk icon does change to what the autorun.inf specifies regardless, so there's hope. Some things to play with in the future.
I got the downloaded versions of the game and enjoyed them alot...but then when I got my disc I had no use for said versions and so uninstalled them...but the folders are left in the start menu and in the install folder...Its just annoying because most people on these forums would have a crapload of stuff on their computers and so having folders that are now redundant on the computer just a waste...plus you then have to go and delete them manually, which may not sound like much but is just an extra step that shouldnt have to be taken imo...actually now that I think about it this has been mentioned already, but I think I should put my weight behind it too...
This one is fixed for future installers including the current disk-based installers for both XP and Vista. For the current downloads, they'll still have the problem. But new titles from now on won't have this issue. Read on for more details.
The problem was our NSIS script wasn't clear on uninstalling shortcuts for all-users or local users. The old uninstallers are looking in the local user Start Menu to remove shortcuts. However, they were located in the All-users portion. Now and future installers specifically set the shortcuts to install and uninstall from the All-Users section of Start Menu shortcuts.
For Vista, I also fixed a problem where the installer was given permissions to add shortcuts to all-users, but wouldn't give permissions to the uninstaller to remove the shortcuts. Shocking that Vista has permission problems, I know.