First Look at Tempest Launcher


Until now, running games has been done through dragging and dropping NewEngine archives onto the launcher.

While this worked fine at the time it was first implemented, requirements have changed over time, and this is no longer viable.

Not to mention the old launcher was left unmaintained and riddled with major bugs.




The New Launcher

Integrating with the NewEngine software center API, you can now install new games without having to visit the software center in your browser.

When you see a game you want to play, click the "add to library" button to add it to your own library.

Screenshot of the store section of Tempest Launcher.

Alternatively, you may also view more info about the game to see if it interests you.

Screenshot of the info page of a game.

Once a game has been added to the library you may play and/or manage it further.

By default, the most recent version of the game will be installed.

You also get access to the version switcher, reinstalling, and a few extra goodies.

Screenshot of the management page of a game.

In the editor tab, you can create your own games using Tempest Editor.

When creating a new game, a setup wizard will appear to configure your project and get you started.




Extra Goodies

In addition to all of the above, a number of things are done automatically to make the experience as smooth as possible.


When running games, the appropriate version of Tempest Runtime will be automatically installed if not already present.

This is also the case when editing a game with Tempest Editor.


Tempest Launcher checks for updates at startup and notifies you when something new is available.




Privacy

You may entirely disallow Tempest Launcher from connecting to the internet if you dislike the privacy terms.

If internet access is disallowed, Tempest Launcher will NEVER make a request.


When Tempest Launcher starts up for the first time, the following message will appear before any internet requests are made:

Screenshot of the privacy consent screen.

A transcript of the privacy screen is as follows:

Allow Tempest Launcher to connect to the internet?
You may change your consent at any time in launcher settings or through the config file.

If you're using the default content server:
- Your IP will be output to the server's terminal when API requests are made
- Your IP is NOT logged to any files
- Telemetry data is NOT collected

This enables:
- NewEngine software center integration (the "store" section)
- Game version switching
- Launcher updates
- Automatic Tempest Runtime installation when launching a game
- Automatic Tempest Editor installation when editing a game