When using the launcher to direct connect to a given address and port, the launcher should attempt to query the server and present a modal for server details / mods to load before starting the game.
This would be the same modal typically used for joining servers through the internet tabs, like so:

If the server doesn't respond to the query, a warning should be presented indicating that the server may be offline or that the address may be incorrect, but then offer the user to refresh or try joining anyway.
The modal may conditionally lead into the same password prompt seen when attempting to join a password-locked server. In the case of an un-queryable server, this prompt should always be presented and instead suggest that a password is optional.
This feature could be a useful workaround for the (not currently posted) issue where the Internet tab is very slow to refresh when (allegedly) the client has a lot of installed mods.