Running Game With Shortcut

[BlackSpectre]

Hi,

 

What is the correct or preferred command line parameters for running City of Heroes with a Windows shortcut?

 

After reading patch notes, I followed the directions and tried this:

 

C:\Games\Homecoming\bin\win64\live\cityofheroes.exe -auth  51.161.76.201 -legacylayout -assetpath piggs -assetpath homecoming

 

But it returns with an error popup stating: "Unable to locate bin/clientmessages-en.bin"

 

I then poked around in the game files and came up with this, and it appears to work:

 

C:\Games\Homecoming\bin\win64\live\cityofheroes.exe -auth 51.161.76.201 -legacylayout -assetpath assets/issue24 -assetpath assets/live

 

Which is the right way to do it? Is there a better or easier way to do this? Thanks!

 

Edited July 8, 2023 by BlackSpectre

[Ago]

Not advised.  Using launcher.exe first ensures the game is patched before you play. 

 

Running the game directly from Windows means if a patch is issued and your client version doesn't match, you won't get to the character select screen until you do patch the client.

 

HOWEVER: You can write a Batch File to patch the game on every run first.  Here's the arguments to use -- https://homecoming.wiki/wiki/Homecoming_Launcher_Manual#Command_Line_Use

[BlackSpectre]

 

 

OK, but why don't 

-assetpath piggs -assetpath homecoming

work? Shouldn't they?

 

In the patch notes it says:

 

 

Quote

 

• The command line arguments -patchdir and -patchversion no longer exist
• For use with existing installs, you should always include the -legacylayout command line argument, or the client won't be able to find certain files
  • This only applies if you aren't launching the game with Tequila or Island Rum
• The new command line argument -assetpath will point the client to the piggs folders, in load order
  • The default is -assetpath piggs -assetpath homecoming for live, and -assetpath piggs -assetpath hc-beta for beta

 

 

Further, in a discussion later in this post the Homecoming dev @CURATOR says:

 

Quote

 

Look at the manifest file and copy the command line parameters from there. You no longer need to manually specify the patch version.

 

wine path\cityofheroes.exe -auth <ip> -legacylayout -assetpath piggs -assetpath <dir>

 

Where path\cityofheroes.exe is the relevant binary for the server you are trying to launch, <ip> is the IP (and port) of the relevant auth server, and <dir> is the relevant directory with patch files for that server.

 

 

So you know what I'm doing... I'm trying to figure out and learn how to use the various command line parameters in the game, specifically in this case -profile, -legacylayout, and -assetpath.  I really have no intention of playing COH using a Windows shortcut, but asking how to use the commands in a windows shortcut would basically tell me how to use the commands and also what their purpose is. I figured it was an easy way to answer the question without putting too much effort into an answer. But if anyone would like to give me the full and wordy explanation, that would be wonderful too. I'm just trying to be considerate. 

 

I am puzzled about why -assetpath piggs -assetpath homecoming doesn't work? Are they broken? Were the directions bad to begin with? Did something change?

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Michiyo]

On 7/9/2023 at 12:11 AM, BlackSpectre said:

 

 

OK, but why don't 

-assetpath piggs -assetpath homecoming

work? Shouldn't they?

 

In the patch notes it says:

 

 

 

 

Further, in a discussion later in this post the Homecoming dev @CURATOR says:

 

 

So you know what I'm doing... I'm trying to figure out and learn how to use the various command line parameters in the game, specifically in this case -profile, -legacylayout, and -assetpath.  I really have no intention of playing COH using a Windows shortcut, but asking how to use the commands in a windows shortcut would basically tell me how to use the commands and also what their purpose is. I figured it was an easy way to answer the question without putting too much effort into an answer. But if anyone would like to give me the full and wordy explanation, that would be wonderful too. I'm just trying to be considerate. 

 

I am puzzled about why -assetpath piggs -assetpath homecoming doesn't work? Are they broken? Were the directions bad to begin with? Did something change?

 

 

 

 

 

 

-assetpath piggs -assetpath homecoming doesn't work, because the layout was changed when the Homecoming Launcher released.   The original live piggs were moved to assets\issue24, and the "homecoming" piggs were moved to assets\live, which is why you have to use those paths.

 

Also, if you're using the Homecoming Launcher, and you're running the above from that install (and it looks like you are from the folder layout to get to your cityofheroes.exe), you don't need -legacylayout

[Ago]

On 7/9/2023 at 2:11 AM, BlackSpectre said:

I really have no intention of playing COH using a Windows shortcut, but asking how to use the commands in a windows shortcut would basically tell me how to use the commands and also what their purpose is. I figured it was an easy way to answer the question without putting too much effort into an answer. But if anyone would like to give me the full and wordy explanation, that would be wonderful too. I'm just trying to be considerate.

 

Seems more efficient to say "I'm writing a technical guide", then I'd have left this alone.  This part of the board is meant for troubleshooting problems so that's where my head was at.  No more out of me. 🙂

[BlackSpectre]

Sorry man. 

[BlackSpectre]

10 hours ago, Michiyo said:

-assetpath piggs -assetpath homecoming doesn't work, because the layout was changed when the Homecoming Launcher released.   The original live piggs were moved to assets\issue24, and the "homecoming" piggs were moved to assets\live, which is why you have to use those paths.

 

Also, if you're using the Homecoming Launcher, and you're running the above from that install (and it looks like you are from the folder layout to get to your cityofheroes.exe), you don't need -legacylayout

Thanks, @Michiyo . Everything you said was very helpful! And you too, @Tock

[Michiyo]

For reference, -profile tells the client which folder to find its settings in, and -legacylayout forces the game to use the registry and old folder layouts for saving binds, logs, etc.

[Number Six]

If you're using files the HC launcher downloaded, and it looks like you are since you have an assets folder, do not use -legacylayout. That will try to use the old structure and make a mess of your game directory.

 

Use "-profile live" instead. -profile and -legacylayout are mutually exclusive, but using one or the other is required.

[BlackSpectre]

Thanks guys. I have one last question I think... it's about -profile. I made a new post about it here.