Custom Mod logins on Steam

[Eegore]

  I know this isn't Epoch specific but I have always used a hard copy (CD) of the game since I've owned it prior to Steam.

 

  Now I have a friend that plays on multiple mods with me (Epoch Chern, Lingor etc.) but it seems with Steam she has to start the game, select the mods she wants then restart. 

 

  With the CD shortcut method I can create a shortcut that loads the exact Mod/Addons I want, so if I play 7 mods I have 7 shortcuts and don't have to restart the game each time.

 

  Anyone know of a way to have multiple shortcuts with Steam versions of the game?

 

Thanks

[Black Thorn]

Why don't your friend use DayZ Commander? I'm sure you can make launch parameters as well using the steam launch options, or a .bat file which you can make multiple of. But DayZ Commander is easier and in my opinion better.

[Eegore]

  Because DayZ commander only covers DayZ mods so if we play other non-DayZ mods she has to start the game, de-select all DayZ mods, select another one and restart the game. 

 

  I am sure there are Steam launch options but I don't know how to use them, and I don't know what a .bat file is.  That's why I was asking here.

[Eegore]

if you start the game without dayzcommander then there are NO DAYZ MODS LOADED so what you need to de-select? ^^

 

  Mods that are not related to DayZ.  There are several non-DayZ mods that have been out for years and every time one of those needs to be changed the game has to be restarted.

 

  So if I want to run DayZ then I run DayZ Commander, I get that, but then to run another mod the game needs to launch, deselect the latest DayZ mod then restart.  Would be way easier to just have a shortcut.

 

  To make it easier we could just say that the question is if there is a way to have multiple shortcuts for Steam ARMA without using DayZ Commander?

[Namindu]

you can always make a shortcut, with the predefined mods loaded.

[Eegore]

you can always make a shortcut, with the predefined mods loaded.

 

  Thanks, maybe I am not wording my question correctly.

 

  I do not know how to make multiple shortcuts for Steam that implement the playing of specific mods or addons.  You say I can make a shortcut with predefined mods loaded but I lack the knowledge on how this is done.

[Eegore]

there should be no need to deselect the last dayzmod if you always start it with dayzcommander...

if you start the standard arma2 game it shouldnt be loaded any mod so far... except you have started it and loaded any mod manually before... but then you will also have problems with dayzcommander...

 

one of my mates had this problem at the beginning... installed arma2 and dayzcommander... and the dayzmods... and after the first start (dont know what he did wrong) the dayzmod was always loaded... even if he started the game without dayzcommander...

told him to disable the mod and restart... never had this problem since then...

 

  I understand. 

 

  I do not however understand how to make shortcuts for Steam connected to each mod individually which is my question. 

 

  If I want to make shortcuts for Steam connected to ARMA2 mods, DayZ or otherwise without the use of DayZ Commander in any capacity, how would I do this?

 

Thanks

[vital211]

try play with six its kinda like commander but it has almost every other none dayz mod also including wasteland some firefights and other mods that do not need anything dayz related 

 

the website is http://play.withsix.com/ see if that helps if not i can see if i remember how to make bat files to quick launch other game modes

[Eegore]

try play with six its kinda like commander but it has almost every other none dayz mod also including wasteland some firefights and other mods that do not need anything dayz related 

 

the website is http://play.withsix.com/ see if that helps if not i can see if i remember how to make bat files to quick launch other game modes

 

  Thank you.

 

  I've used Play with Six for years, since it was Sixupdater and am familiar with the methods there.

 

  I was wondering if anyone knew how to make multiple shortcuts for Steam that can be directed to different mods and combinations of mods.

[Eegore]

  So I have been trying multiple methods and every time a different ARMA 2 mod is used I have to select it and restart the game. 

 

  Does anyone use Steam shortcuts?

[Axe Cop]

You need to work on your google skills, took me 5 secs to find this http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/132591/shortcuts-to-launch-game-with-different-launch-options-in-steam

I think you can also rightclick a game in the steam library and click create shortcut to desktop, and then just add the mod line for arma?

Hope that helps

[Eegore]

You need to work on your google skills, took me 5 secs to find this http://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/132591/shortcuts-to-launch-game-with-different-launch-options-in-steam

I think you can also rightclick a game in the steam library and click create shortcut to desktop, and then just add the mod line for arma?

Hope that helps

 

  It helps to a degree.  I have tried the right click / add mod line in the Steam library but that always reverts every launch of the game to the latest mod played thus requiring two restarts each time there is a change.

 

  I will try to figure out where the information on that link goes though. 

 

  Oh yeah and the one shortcut I managed to get the -mod line to enter into somehow doesn't load Chernarus for some reason. 

[Axe Cop]

That is a little weird, maybe check your local ArmA log file it saves how excatley the start parameters were (file location here: http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Crash_Files#ARMA_2_OA)

look for a line like:

== "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead\Expansion\beta\arma2oa.exe"  -skipIntro -noSplash -noFilePatching -world=empty -connect=176.57.142.101 -port=2302 "-mod=C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2;expansion;expansion\beta;expansion\beta\expansion;@DayZ_Epoch"

thats how mine looks like when I'm starting with DayZ commander (I have disabled the "launch using steam" option, ArmA works even without steam running..)

[Eegore]

That is a little weird, maybe check your local ArmA log file it saves how excatley the start parameters were (file location here: http://community.bistudio.com/wiki/Crash_Files#ARMA_2_OA)

look for a line like:

== "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead\Expansion\beta\arma2oa.exe"  -skipIntro -noSplash -noFilePatching -world=empty -connect=176.57.142.101 -port=2302 "-mod=C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2;expansion;expansion\beta;expansion\beta\expansion;@DayZ_Epoch"

thats how mine looks like when I'm starting with DayZ commander (I have disabled the "launch using steam" option, ArmA works even without steam running..)

 

  Is this in the Target or Start in line? 

 

  This is the information I have but it looks wrong.  I am looking to make a shortcut that loads @Air, @Lingor and @Nim addons.  Incidentally none of them appear in the "Expansions" menu in game and I have verified they are in the correct folder.

 

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead\expansion\beta\arma2oa.exe" "-beta=Expansion\beta;Expansion\beta\Expansion;@Air;@lingor;@Nim;" -nointro -nosplash -world=empty

[Axe Cop]

  Is this in the Target or Start in line? 

 

  This is the information I have but it looks wrong.  I am looking to make a shortcut that loads @Air, @Lingor and @Nim addons.  Incidentally none of them appear in the "Expansions" menu in game and I have verified they are in the correct folder.

 

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead\expansion\beta\arma2oa.exe" "-beta=Expansion\beta;Expansion\beta\Expansion;@Air;@lingor;@Nim;" -nointro -nosplash -world=empty

That might be because you are no where specifying the mod-line?? I don't see any "-mod" parameter in your line. :o

change "-beta" to "-mod" maybe, I didn't check everything but that seems wrong

[Eegore]

  Yeah I tried to make another shortcut to test the above command line under the "Target" and the "Start in" areas but now all shortcuts just say:

 

steam://rungameid/33930

 

 

  I tried the following but it won't load Chernarus and I get a mystery "ca" in the expansions menu.

 

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead\Expansion\beta\arma2oa.exe" -beta=Expansion\beta;Expansion\beta\Expansion -mod@CBA;@CBA_A2;@CBA_OA;@air;@Nim;@Adds -nosplash

 

  This is the Epoch shortcut:

 

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\common\Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead\Expansion\beta\arma2oa.exe" -beta=Expansion\beta;Expansion\beta\Expansion -mod@DayZ_Epoch;@lingor -nosplash

 

  Both shortcuts even with separate mod lines will retain the last-played version.  So I have to start the game twice every time I change a mod, like Epoch Chernarus to Epoch Lingor.

 

  I think I will just have to try to find my friend a hard copy of the game and uninstall Steam.

 

  Thanks for the help.

[Axe Cop]

That is no problem with steam, as ArmA2 doesn't even use steam, all steam does is starting the game and nothing else :D

But I had a similar problem you have now with the origins mod some month ago, it would always start with that mod enabled.. remove all mods (just move all folders out of the ArmA mod dir) and than start the game once, (and move the mods back after a game restart).. that should remove all mods since ArmA can't find them anymore, maybe there is a better way but this is easy and fast to do.

 

And if your shortcut is not working for whatever reason, just use bat files and no lnk (shorcuts) files:

create a new file dayz.bat or whatever and put something like this in there

start "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2 Operation Arrowhead\Expansion\beta\arma2oa.exe" -skipIntro -noSplash -noFilePatching -world=empty "-mod=C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Arma 2;expansion;expansion\beta;expansion\beta\expansion;@DayZ_Epoch"

to start the game with only the Epoch mod enabled. that is the DayZ commander start line without your "-beta", it just puts that in the modline, but seems to work :D