Command Line Switches - the Basics Thread - Conquest of Elysium 3

I see now that there should have been a short tutorial in the manual for how to use command line switches.

Basically, a command line switch is an extra option used when starting the game, to enable or disable some feature. For Windows users, do this:

- Right click on the desktop shortcut for CoE3
- Select Properties
- In the path, it says something like "C:\Program Files\coe3\coe3.exe"

That's an indication of what it does when you double click on it, it goes to that directory and runs that program.

If you want to use command line switches, add them to the end of that path and then it will use them when you double-click on that icon.

For example, add --rename in there to able renaming commanders by pressing the n key.

I hate to do it, but I have a question: I have the shortcut, it is in my start menu. (It's all in German, but I think I have the right idea.) There are 4 tabs there when I right click on it and select properties. There is nothing like "path" there. Two of the fields are greyed out. Is this because this obviously is a link which Desura created?

In other words, if you are the Edi who was a beta tester, are you playing a different .exe?
Or in yet other words: How can a person like me, who bought this from desura, change her shortcut link?
And what exactly do you mean by "--rename" I mean do you put two dashes in there, and do you have to put quotes around it? SORRY and thank you

Yes, I am the same Edi. That user name just happened to be already taken here on Desura, so I had to use this alternate name instead.

I'm still running on the separately downloaded installer I used for the beta. You can download a separate, standalone installer from Desura if you want to try it that way. Or if you go to your CoE3 installation folder, right click on the coe3.exe and select Send to > Desktop (create shortcut) That shortcut at least should be something that you can modify in the way described in the opening post of this thread.

For the switches, most of them use the two dashes -- in front of whatever the switch is, in this case --rename that I used as an example. No quote marks.

Edited by: Edirr

If you launch the game from the Desura client you can do it another way.

Right click on game
properties
The put all switches (e.g. --nosound) in user launch options

If you are using Windows, that command line with the quotes should not be changed. Add any switches AFTER the second set of quotes.

And only add them to the TARGET: line, not the START IN: line

Edited by: gp1628

For Linux users:

Basically you don't need to start Desura to launch CoE3 if you downloaded the game via Desura.
Depending where you installed Desura you can easily add switches. you'll find CoE3 binaries in ./desura/common/conquest-of-elysium-3
Simple launch the binaries in the terminal and add the switches you want to use.

If you want the switches permanently edit coe3.sh and add the switches to line 14.
e.g. "$BIN" --rename --window

Or copy coe3.sh, rename it and give it different switches, so you can set up CoE3 with different options. Then you can choose to launch CoE3 quickly with the switches you want to use for a specific game.

Switches that are available in CoE3 v.3.00

-v --version Print version info and exit
--noedgescroll Don't scroll map when mouse is at the edge of the screen
-b --battlereports Don't show battles when they occur, create reports instead.
--fastexit Never ask for confirmation on quit.
--autosave=NAME Save game every turn and with this name
--gamelog=NAME Create a game log of current standings with this file name
--movedelay=X The time in milliseconds for the map movement by a human player (0=instant).
--aidelay=X The time in milliseconds to show each AI move. (0=don't show).
--showindeps Show when the independents move
--noshowindeps Don't show when the independents move
--showallies Show when allied computer players move
--noshowallies Don't show when allied computer players move
--rename Allow renaming of commanders
-u --fullscreen Fullscreen mode
-w --window Windowed mode
-f --nofade Don't use fade effects
-t --textonly Run in text only mode (only for servers)
--maxfps=NBR Maximum frames per second (default 50)
--opacity=NBR Alpha in % for GUI windows (default 90)
--crossalpha=NBR Alpha in % for crosses that mark followers (default 75)
-s --nosound Disable all sound
--musicvol=NBR Volume for music 0-100 (default 100)
--fxvol=NBR Volume for sound effects 0-100 (default 90)
--defsound Use default sound device
--defsound Use default sound device
--jack Use this sound device
--pulseaudio Use this sound device
--arts Use this sound device
--alsa Use this sound device
--oss Use this sound device
-S --server Start game server
-c --client Connect to game server at startup
--port=NBR Use this port number
--ipadr=ADR Connect to this ip-adr
--mapeditor Start the map editor
-n --newgame Start new game
--loadgame=FILE Load a previously saved game
--loadmap=FILE Load this map for new game
-r --randommap Use random map for new game
--mapw=NBR Width in squares for random maps (default 50)
--maph=NBR Height in squares for random maps (default 36)
--society=NBR Society type for new games (0-6, 0=random, 1=dark ages, ...)
--northpart=NBR Percent of map for northern type terrain (default 80)
--clusterstart Enable clustered start for allied players
--commoncause A player only loses if no one on the team has a citadel or commander
-d Increase debug level

Edited by: Thalic

cross-posted from the other forum
I will try to cover the various uses of command switches. Some popular ones for personal (non-server) use would be...

--autosave=
--battlereports
--rename

My desktop icon for CoE3 (on WinXP) has the TARGET line reading like this....
"C:\Program Files\coe3\coe3.exe" -dd -f --rename --battlereports --clusterstart --commoncause --showallies --mapw=77 --maph=77 --autosave=DUH --gamelog=scores.txt

I also have separate CoE3 icons on my desktop with other switches for CoE3_network games and CoE3_Server

Excuse me, I cannot seem to do this.
After a while searching, I was able to find where Desura installed COE to, and found the .exe, and made a shortcut link to it.
I click on the "properties" after right clicking on my shortcut link, and in the "target" (this is all in German, but I think this is what "Ziel" should be), I change it to the following:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Desura\Common\Conquest of Elysium 3\coe3.exe"--rename
so I added two dashes and the word rename, outside of the quotes.
I cannot exit the shortcut window -- I get a windows popup which says (in German of course) that the name is invalid, please check the name and the path and try again.
Can you please say for the computer illiterate what I am doing wrong?
This is Windows 7 Home Premium, and I am pretty sure I have admin rights, and this is the version that Desura installed for me. Thank you.

There should be a space between the switch and the quote.

Maybe a stupid question, but how do I use the switches on a mac?

A SPACE does it -- thank you ioticus

The --battlereports switch isn't skipping battles for me at all (I'm assuming that is what it does). I have the following switches going and everything works fine except the battlereports:

"D:\Games\Conquest of Elysium 3\coe3.exe" --rename --battlereports --gamelog=GameLog.txt

Renaming works within the game and I get my GameLog.txt output just fine, but the attack notices and combat screen still come up like normal. Any ideas as to what I'm doing wrong would be swell.

_________________________ *E D I T * _____________________________

*Semi-Resolved*
I was changing the command line switches and testing all this with a previously saved game which used no command line switches upon creation. The --rename and --gamelog switches appear to work per session, but the--battlereports switch seems to be inherent to the save game file. Is this a bug or a feature?

Edited by: Shardz

Replied to you in the bug thread, but it's at this stage a feature. Games started with --battlereports will always behave as if the switch was active and games started without it never change behavior either.

For Mac OS one way to get this done is the AppleScript Editor.

Just open it and add:

do shell script "open -a '/Applications/coe3.app' --args --rename --battlereports --window --gamelog=CoE3.txt"

Note that the --args is required! Add the normal CoE parameters after it. "--rename --battlereports --window --gamelog=CoE3.txt" in my example.

You can run it from the AppleScript Editor. When you prefer a 1-click starter you can make your own "App" by using Automator:

Open Automator -> choose "Application" -> select "run AppleScript\" from the actions and drag and drop it -> add your above script to the marked place: (* Your script goes here *) -> Save it -> use this to start your CoE3

(worked for me in 10.7 - Lion)

Edit:
You can directly use shell script command in Automator, you don't need AppleScript at all:

Automator -> choose 'Application' -> drag/drop "Run Shell Script\" -> add the following command:

open -a '/Applications/coe3.app' --args --rename --battlereports --window --gamelog=CoE3.txt

Save this and use it to start CoE3

Edited by: calmon70

Thanks calmon70 - great info.
Just to clarify, by

Someone wrote: add your above script to the marked place: (* Your script goes here *)

calmon70 means add the shellscript text:

Someone wrote: do shell script "open -a '/Applications/coe3.app' --args --rename --battlereports --window --gamelog=CoE3.txt"

Putting a link to the compiled .scpt file from AppleScriptEditor doesn't work.
I mainly wanted to add the autosave script as I keep underestimating the opposition.

Thank you very much for the Mac instructions!

I know nothing about Macs and this is more of the kind of stuff that needs documentation from the point of view of the end user. Especially since I thought my oepning post in this thread was crystal clear, then get asked what is a command line switch. Serves me right for not taking into account that many here probably never had to deal with a command line before.

Edited by: Edirr

Calmon, Brainlego - thank you. For some reason my CoE3 crashes when I try this script in the apple script editor.

(German OS Lion on a 2011 Macbook Pro)

Anything to check for? I tried removing most of the switches, to no avail.

Someone wrote: Process: coe3 [15354]
Path: /Applications/coe3.app/Contents/MacOS/coe3
Identifier: com.illwinter.coe3
Version: coe3 version 0.1 (1.0)
Code Type: X86 (Native)
Parent Process: launchd [216]

Date/Time: 2012-02-21 07:45:17.078 +0100
OS Version: Mac OS X 10.7.3 (11D50b)
Report Version: 9

Interval Since Last Report: 662828 sec
Crashes Since Last Report: 7
Per-App Interval Since Last Report: 30945 sec
Per-App Crashes Since Last Report: 7
Anonymous UUID: 76D076AE-7BB1-4E13-AF44-DDDCF6E77613

Crashed Thread: 0 Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread

Exception Type: EXC_CRASH (SIGABRT)
Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000000, 0x0000000000000000

Sorry, silly question coming up. I've applied the rename switch but can not see how or where to actually rename my Commanders. Could you help?
Thanks.

View the commander stats, press the n key. It says that in the manual.

I prefer LAN games to single player, so i made 3 shortcuts with command line switches. This switches really helped me to speed up multiplayer games (this is for windows):

1) --ipadr=192.168.0.198
This one launches game as usual, but when you go to Network --> "Connect to server" you will only need to fill out port without IP (you will connect to 192.168.0.198 IP address). Handy when you like to reload your saved games frequently while playing on LAN.

2) --autosave=ABC --server
This one starts the game and sends you directly to server setup screen. Also makes autosaves every turn named ABC (when acting as server). Im using it when hosting a game.

3)G:\Games\coe3\coe3.exe --autosave=ABC --server --loadgame=ABC
This one also starts the game and sends you directly to server setup screen, but additionally will load autosaved game "ABC" when you press "Load game".

My game .exe path is G:\Games\coe3\coe3.exe, so put your exe path instead. Hope this helps LAN players out there.

calmforce wrote:
Anything to check for? I tried removing most of the switches, to no avail.

That error message doesn't really tell me anything.
So did you compile the script, run it, coe3 starts and then it crashes?
I gather coe3 works fine just running the regular app?
Maybe copy/paste the script in here exactly as you have compiled it.

Thanks Edirr. I will read the manual, honestly. I know you put a lot of work into it.

Thanks again.

brainlego wrote:

calmforce wrote:
Anything to check for? I tried removing most of the switches, to no avail.

That error message doesn't really tell me anything.
So did you compile the script, run it, coe3 starts and then it crashes?
I gather coe3 works fine just running the regular app?
Maybe copy/paste the script in here exactly as you have compiled it.

I used the script, that calmon70 posted. I put it into the apple script editor, run it and it crashed. CoE3 works normally without the scripting. I tried saving the script, but it comes out the same.

As much as I try, I can´t get the apple script to work. Terminal works fine, my input with terminal is:

Someone wrote: /Applications/coe3.app/Contents/MacOS/coe3 -b --rename

when I use this script in the script editor, it crashes:

Someone wrote: do shell script "open -a '/Applications/coe3.app' --args --rename --battlereports --window --gamelog=CoE3.txt"

Not sure why it crashes for you. Does it work when you open your bash shell (Terminal, iTerm) and use:

open -a '/Applications/coe3.app'

If yes, try to add the parameters here and test again, if no I would start checking your running processes (memory, cpu, etc.)

edit: by using Automator you can also configure to direct use shell script command

So Automator -> choose "Application" -> drag/drop "Run Shell Script\" -> add the following command:

open -a '/Applications/coe3.app' --args --rename --battlereports --window --gamelog=CoE3.txt

You can also use it in the way it works for you (i.e. with the Contents Path you note)

Edited by: calmon70

Terminal works, with and without parameters.

I can´t get it to work with automator, but mainly because I don´t know how to use it. I am new to the mac and the OS is in German, so I can´t use the english commands.

Thank you for your help - it works fine with the terminal for me :-)