Steam Users

[DimeBagHo]

I would like to get the next version of XGM to install cleanly for Steam users. Unfortunately I don't have the Steam version of RTW so I need some help with testing and with gathering some information.

First I need to know is some details about the Steam desktop shortcuts for RTW, BI, and Alexander. If you have any of these installed via steam could you please: (1) Go into steam, select the My games tab, then right click on each of them and select "Create desktop shortcut"; (2) Go to your desktop, right click on each of the new shortcuts, select "properties", make a note of the "Target" and "Start in" lines, and then post them here.

[CaesarVincens]

Here ya go. I have RTW Gold (free when I pre-ordered ETW through Steam)
Anyway, I can only make a short cut for RTW, not BI, though there may be a way to do it that I don't know about.

Target line:
"C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 4760

Start in:
"C:\program files\steam"

[DimeBagHo]

Thanks CV. Can you launch BI at all?

[CaesarVincens]

If I could figure out it's app number, yes. Otherwise, I have to launch it through Steam itself.

Edit:
After doing a bit of sleuthing, I've found that BI was never released individually on Steam, this means that there is no app number for it, there should be one for Alexander however. Either way, I believe the user will still have to set the mod switch themself.

[DimeBagHo]

In Steam can you check the properties for BI and see if there are any launch options set?

[CaesarVincens]

That's the thing, there is no BI, nor RTW, there is only Gold, which then has the option to launch either RTW or BI. And it gets more complicated if one purchased complete, because that includes Alexander.

Anyway, I figured out what the app number for Alexander is, it's 4770, that's for the expansion by itself, I'll see if I can get the complete edition's app number.

Looking at it a bit more, it may be that if you get complete, you really just get them both at the same time, instead of a third product.

[DimeBagHo]

I see. Hopefully the option to choose RTW or BI will continue to work with the extra launch options required for XGM. I'll put together a new version of the installer for testing.

[CaesarVincens]

Yeah, the launch options still work. I have XGM installed into that directory, and it works fine. Though, I haven't tried choosing RTW instead of BI.

[DimeBagHo]

CaesarVincens: I've uploaded the test installer. When you run the installer it should check to see if you have RTW installed with steam, and then ask you if you want to install XGM with Steam.

[Leckan]

Target: "C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe" -applaunch 4760

Start in: "C:\Program Files\Steam"

I also got the option to play both BI or RTW when I start through Steam. I just got RTW Gold so when I click "create shortcuts" I just get RTW Gold on the desktop.

[CaesarVincens]

I tried the installer, worked like a charm, except I can't use anything BI specific through the desktop shortcut, since it always load RTW.

[Cal20]

I have Alexander on steam but Vanilla and BI are from a CD and since I don't use the ALEX.exe (BI instead) for xgm. I can get BI and Vanilla exes to run as non-steam apps but cannot use XGM since it runs through the BI exe therefore does not have an exe of its own.

Here are my Alexander command lines:

Target :"C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam\steam.exe" -applaunch 4770

Start in : "C:\Program Files\Valve\Steam"

[DimeBagHo]

Thanks for the reports.

CaesarVincens: Does that mean that the default install doesn't work? I think you should get the BI version of XGM, so if the RTW exe launches it should not work.

If that's the case it would probably be best to limit Steam users to just the RTW and Alex versions of XGM.

What happens if you provide the extra launch options through Steam instead of through the desktop shortcut. Does it still launch RTW without giving you the option of launching BI?

[CaesarVincens]

If I open up Steam and launch through there, I do have the option of using BI, but if I use the shortcut, no option. And I know I'm getting the BI version, because I got an error message to the effect of "horde units aren't supported in this version"

[DimeBagHo]

What happens if you point a shortcut directly to the BI exe? I've been playing around with some demos in steam and they seem to start up OK that way.

[Leckan]

What happens if you point a shortcut directly to the BI exe? I've been playing around with some demos in steam and they seem to start up OK that way.

I can only play your mod on BI since when I try to start through just RTW then I get an error, it says;

"script error in xgm/data/descr_sm_factions.txt, at line 77, column 1.

"horde_min_units":This feature is not supported"

If you can get anything out of that

[DimeBagHo]

I've uploaded a third version of the test installer. This one mostly handles BI/Steam installs, except for the last step of changing the launch options for RTW/BI in Steam. I could do that as well, but I don't like the idea of disabling the original RTW and BI games.

Installs for the RTW exe or Alex exe with Steam should be fully automated.

[CaesarVincens]

I created a shortcut from the BI.exe in the steamapps folder, I set the -mod switch. No dice, says "Failed to find Steam". I add the "-applaunch 4760", still doesn't work.

[DimeBagHo]

OK, looks like it just won't work for BI. I will set up the installer to handle RTW and Alex automatically, and include instructions in the readme for people who really want to use BI.

[gingerbill]

i purchased and downloaded on steam 'RTW complete' , which includes RTW gold and alexander . I didnt bother downloading alexander but RWT gold downloaded and installed fine . I think downloaded XGM , it installed fine after i pointed it to my .exe'

but when i run XGM i get a message saying 'failed to find steam' , and says something about BI connecting to steam on my firewall , that just then loads up the steam community page .

If i double click the romeTW-BI.exe it gives the same message . RTW stilll loads up fine though.

Would really like to play this mod , so any help be great.

Merged from another thread. -DBH

i'm having the same problem (started a thread before noticing this one) , XGM gives error 'failed to find steam' and i have 'RTW complete' from steam.

will using that new installer fix it for now? or can i manually get it to work ? Should i delete the old XFG folder then install that new one?

thanks

edit , i ran the new installer , chose the 'steam' option , chose 'total war gold' option , but i get the "horde units aren't supported in this version" error too