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Thread: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

  1. #1

    Default [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Hello everyone,

    I work on a Hotseat Launcher for Rome: Total War with which you can play campaigns with multiple players (online), similar to the Hotseat Launcher for Medieval 2.

    Since there are no commands like in Medieval 2 to do this easily with launch parameters the program uses process editing / injection / hacking to do things like starting the game, saving, quitting etc automatically.
    An external folder share program like DropBox is still needed to transfer the save game files between players. At the moment only the Steam Version (not BI or Alexander) is supported.
    I know that there exists already the RTWMC, but since the Hotseat Launcher uses code injection, it works much more automatically and has more potential to fix the problems the RTWMC (and the HL currently) has.
    Also the GUI needs to be polished.

    Currently it has the following features:

    • automatically starts, loads, saves & quits the game & creates a new campaign
    • mod support
    • session list for multiple sessions at once


    The following features are planned and may or may not be added in the future:

    • support other versions (f.e. BI & Alexander)
    • autosolve all battles option
    • show the current turn number
    • show a notification when it's the players turn
    • save your last camera position (currently reset to the last player's position)
    • drop players if their faction dies
    • player diplomacy (currently you negotiate with AI)
    • save your automanaging settings (currently resets every turn to ON in all settlements)
    • event messages at turn start (found a spy etc)


    I uploaded my code publicly to GitHub: https://github.com/Sh0wdown/Rome-HotseatLauncher

    I am happy to answer any questions or consider improvement proposals.
    You could also help me by testing the current state and report bugs.
    F.e. is starting the program as an admin required for it to work?

    How to use (rushed):
    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Settings menu:

    Here you can add your Rome installations from which you later need to choose from (BI, Alexander or extra installation directory for mods).
    The path has to be the base directory of your installation (i.e. something like ".../Games/Rome Total War").
    The program seeks for different .exe files itself. Currently only the Steam Version (no BI or Alexander) is supported.
    You can also check some options like whether Rome should start in windowed mode or without audio.

    The Session List:

    Your current sessions are shown here with some information. The most left column shows a "✔" when it's your turn. You can start your round by clicking on the "Start" button.

    Click on "Create" to create a new session.

    You can choose your installation, mod, campaign, a game name and the transfer path. In the end all session files will be copied to "TransferPath/GameName" (f.e. "D:/DropBox/Rome/Testy/").
    The left faction column shows all campaign factions, the right faction column shows which you want to make available for players to choose from.
    This cannot be changed later! (However if factions remain unplayed they will be controlled by the AI)
    The two checkboxes "Autosolve Battles" & "Manage everything" don't do anything yet.


    Now if another player wants to join a game he has to click on the "Add"-button in the Session List and navigate to the transferred session path:


    The session should be added to the list:

    Now, there is a "!" in the left column, because no installation has been chosen yet.

    Click on the "Set Installation" button to open the following menu:

    Here you have to choose an installation which has the same version, mod folder and campaign folder (only those are showed anyway).

    After clicking accept you can choose the faction you want to play. You can change your faction whenever you want (when there are free factions left).


    Now you should be able to take part in the session:

    Last edited by Frunk; July 08, 2017 at 04:11 AM. Reason: Edited as per user request.

  2. #2

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Version 0.5.5


    • The (hopefully correct) turn number is shown in the session list.
    • Fixed a bug which calculated the wrong "current faction".
    Last edited by Frunk; July 08, 2017 at 04:11 AM. Reason: Edited as per user request.

  3. #3
    Carferry's Avatar Laetus
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    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Great idea, but I am having trouble adding a second player, I create the session with dropbox, and when I select add I select the session folder from above, it says "a session by that name is already in use," so I type in a name, and then nothing happens. Thanks

  4. #4

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Quote Originally Posted by Carferry View Post
    Great idea, but I am having trouble adding a second player, I create the session with dropbox, and when I select add I select the session folder from above, it says "a session by that name is already in use," so I type in a name, and then nothing happens. Thanks
    I guess you started the same HotseatLauncher-Application (.exe) twice? If you want to start the launcher multiple times and testplay vs yourself you need to create copies of the .exe-file in different directories and start them there.
    That's because the HotseatLauncher creates some files and folders in its directory (configuration & saved sessions), so if you start the same .exe it tries to access files/folders which are already in use by another started launcher.

    Thanks for the report, I should add an actual installation guide with this info and maybe I can also add a(n error) message or smth to prevent this.

    tl;dr: Start multiple HotseatLaunchers from different directories each.

  5. #5
    Carferry's Avatar Laetus
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    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Ok I got it working, thanks. Also a suggestion, I you should add an option for a short campaign onto your to do list (if its possible of course). Thanks

  6. #6

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Small Update 0.5.6

    - Added checkboxes for short campaign, arcade battles & no battle time limit in the creation screen.
    Attached Files Attached Files

  7. #7

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    So uh what happens when the AI attacks you? Does it allow you to fight the battle or auto resolves automatically? It works for me but we haven't gotten to this yet.

  8. #8

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Quote Originally Posted by Showdown View Post
    Small Update 0.5.6

    - Added checkboxes for short campaign, arcade battles & no battle time limit in the creation screen.
    So I started a co op campaign and the first turn I could manage the settlements myself. But every time I play a second turn has the military build auto manage thing that I have to manually uncheck. I am wondering if this is something i've done? It is not game breaking but it will get annoying late game when I have to uncheck 40 or so settlements.

  9. #9

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Quote Originally Posted by JowyJowyWoop View Post
    So uh what happens when the AI attacks you? Does it allow you to fight the battle or auto resolves automatically? It works for me but we haven't gotten to this yet.
    If it's your turn and you start the game, all the AI-Factions which come inbetween the last player and you are handled from your game before your faction.
    If your faction gets attacked by one of those factions you can choose how to fight since your game handles them.
    When one of the factions after your's and before the other player's faction decides to attack you, it will automatically auto-resolve.
    Fixing this problem might be hard.

    Quote Originally Posted by JowyJowyWoop View Post
    So I started a co op campaign and the first turn I could manage the settlements myself. But every time I play a second turn has the military build auto manage thing that I have to manually uncheck. I am wondering if this is something i've done? It is not game breaking but it will get annoying late game when I have to uncheck 40 or so settlements.
    That's normal (the other RTWMC mod has the same problem). But I've already looked into it and will fix it eventually.

  10. #10

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Showdown View Post
    If it's your turn and you start the game, all the AI-Factions which come inbetween the last player and you are handled from your game before your faction.
    If your faction gets attacked by one of those factions you can choose how to fight since your game handles them.
    When one of the factions after your's and before the other player's faction decides to attack you, it will automatically auto-resolve.
    Fixing this problem might be hard.
    Just ran into this problem, my friend lost a huge army and I figured someone bribed it but it turns out he lost 4 battles he never fought. Hope you find a fix.

    Another thing, will diplomacy between players (like say you're julii and a friend is brutii, after civil war you may want to stay allies) be added? Because atm I believe you can't actually use diplomacy with a player but rather with an ai. So if you wanted to stay ally after civil war you'd have to use a crap ton of cash, and hope your friend would gift it back.

    Also it's great so far. I hope you continue to work on it. I couldn't get RTWMC to work for me. Also do you know if there are similar programs for med 2? I found some but they seem to be for an outdated version.

    That faction thing sounds hard to fix. I think you'd have to have a way for both players to be playing at once for it to work. At least to respond to ai. Would make it more than a hotseat thing then though.
    Last edited by Frunk; July 17, 2017 at 08:39 AM. Reason: Posts merged.

  11. #11

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Quote Originally Posted by JowyJowyWoop View Post
    Also do you know if there are similar programs for med 2? I found some but they seem to be for an outdated version.
    I based mine on this one for Medieval 2: http://www.twcenter.net/forums/downl...o=file&id=1961

  12. #12

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    This totally slipped my mind last time but while we're playing we got to about turn 20 or so. I was first player and my friend said he got some senate missions but I only got the first one given (Take segesta for julii). I dunno if this is just my personal experience or are senate missions bugged?

  13. #13

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    So it works only with the Steam game?

  14. #14

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    wait where do we put this code

  15. #15

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Anything new?

  16. #16

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    I hope that this mod develop more versions. =)

    ROME TOTAL REALISM ANABASIS FORUM: HERE

  17. #17

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Any updates?

  18. #18

    Default Re: [WIP] Rome: Total War - Hotseat Launcher

    Greetings Showdown,

    My name is John Lasheras and I am an amateur programmer. I am interested in working with you on a ML AI for RTW + a working live multiplayer campaign through hotseat hackery along with ML AI's in VMs (virtual machine instances) running on a server/servers owned by me or anyone who wants to use our potentially prospective collaborative mod..

    I've got some ideas and was wondering if you wanted to collaborate soon. Please see this thread:

    https://www.twcenter.net/forums/show...7#post15989137

    Sincerely,
    John Lasheras

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