How do I start a game with command line options?

[Kimball]

I cannot get a shortcut to start SE4 using the correct mod path. Any suggestions? I have looked at the example in the history.txt file and cannot seem to make it work right. Thanks.

[Taera]

what do you mean? is it possible to run a game with certain mod using a simple shortcut???

[Kimball]

Yup, added in V1.39, I just can't make it work. It sure would make life a lot easier....

[Taera]

Where did you find it? Never heard of it. Lets see... well i dont know, guess somebody will need to try it out.

[Kimball]

Check out the "history.txt" file for Version 1.39. It is explained there. It seems simple enough, I just can't make it work right.

[Taera]

well i cant rightly test it as i dont realy have mod savegame except for... hmm... lets see...

haha! it works!
I'll post the text here:
"E:\Games\Space Empires IV\Se4.exe" "E:\Games\Space Empires IV\savegame\illea.gam" " " "1" "TDM-ModPack"

EDIT: The blank space is for the password

[ October 11, 2002, 04:24: Message edited by: Taera ]

[Suicide Junkie]

I think the key is to have a single space inside the quotes for the parts you are not using.

[Taera]

The key is also to give complete path to your savegame

[Kimball]

Man, I tried that exact method and it still will not work. I created a shortcut on my desktop and filled in the appropriate text and nothing happens. Weird.

I have been trying to do it with a multi-player, turn based game, maybe that is the problem.

[ October 11, 2002, 13:16: Message edited by: Kimball ]

[geoschmo]

The complete savegame path is not needed, even though they show it being used in the history.txt examples. All you need is "savegame/gamname.gam". This is true whether or not you are using a mod.

Of course using the complete savegame path doesn't hurt, it's just not necessary.

Geoschmo

[geoschmo]

Kimball can you copy|paste into the thread here exactly what you are doing?

Geoschmo

[Kimball]

Here it is Geo.

"D:\Space Empires IV\Se4.exe" "d:\space empires iv\savegame\test.gam" " " "1" "test"

I am trying to start a multi-player, turn based game in the right mod directory. Thank you!

[ October 11, 2002, 13:24: Message edited by: Kimball ]

[geoschmo]

So you are using mod data files in a mod folder called "test"? And there is no password for player 1?

[Kimball]

"D:\Space Empires IV\Se4.exe" "d:\space empires iv\savegame\test.gam" " " "1" "test"

The mod directory is "test" and the game was setup as turn based, different machines, with the multiplayer game filename being "test." There are two human players, and I am trying to open player one.

I just replaced "d:\space empires iv\savegame\test.gam" with "d:\space empires iv\savegame\test_1_24001.gam" for the path and it worked.

[geoschmo]

Ah, turn based. I missed that you were doing a turn based game. Yes, that explains it. You will need to change the .gam file name every turn remember.

[Kimball]

Fantastic, thank you! It will quite a bit easier to just edit the shortcut with the most recent turn than to open SE IV, load game.... Thank you!

[geoschmo]

I think there are some quirks though with opening turn based games from the command line. I have heard that your ships may lose their movement for that turn if you do it that way.

[Taera]

Still it is useful if you tend to save in the end of the turn, like i do. I play a turn to the end and save it and then leave the game.