addendum to shortcut

[monkeydog]

Occasionally I run across a map where the author has included a read-me file with instructions to make an addendum to the shortcut to the game on the desktop. BHD maps are the only ones I've noticed with this. The instructions usually say to right click on shortcut, go to properties and change the text so that there is a " /d " after dfbhd.exe
I'm curious as to what thats all about. I did it once and promptly came up with a 64 bit sub system error and ended up eventually redoing the whole dang computer. Dont know if the /d thing had anything to do with it or was just coincidence, but have not fooled with it since.
Could anyone enlighten me as to what this shortcut addendum is all about?
Thanx!

[Reaper]

The mission has files added to the down load besides the .bms and .til files.
The short cut tells the game to load files from out side the pff. If you don't follow the instructions those files will not load when the map does.

Examples would be terrains, bin files, and wac files. In some cases you would miss things like ammo rain or the mission briefing. In other cases such as a terrain the mission should sys dump.

The command line added to the short cut helps someone that may not know how to pack the files in the pff. It's the easest way to get the files loaded with out using a bat file or a utility to pack the pff.

As far as I know there would be no reason adding the command line to the game short cut should have messed up your computer. It is a very common practice for map makers.

Heres a link with command lines for C4, BHD uses many of the same commands it will give you a better idea what the command line does.

http://nightcrewncs.proboards32.com/index.cgi?board=c4tech&action=display&thread=1130298413

[monkeydog]

Thanx Reaper, let me ask you one more- If you play a mission that requires the command line and then you want to go to another that does not require it, will it hurt anything to leave it there? In other words, if you know that 4 out of 10 maps that you will be playing require the command, could you go ahead and type it in and leave it even though 6 out of the ten do not require it?
Thanxs Reaper, I appreciate the info!

[RAB]

You can leave the command line in. With the command line present when a map cycles it will check the folder for any files that the map might need. If none are there it will continue as usual.

I'd have to say the problems you had before were coincidence. I've used the /d command for C4 and BHD to access wac files for some maps. Never had any error problems though.
Other command line parameters that are available for C4, BHD and JO are
/d -Read resources from directory
/r -Record Demo(single player only)
/p filename - playback demo
/l -Turn on error log
/s -Save scores
/vt -Record tgas of playback (BHD & JO only)
/sys -Get system information
/? -Show this list

I've got C4, BHD and JO and have used the /? to check the list on these. It's possible they work for DFX also but don't have the game to check.

[monkeydog]

Thanx RAB! Got a couple maps to go back and check out now. Glad to hear the error was probably coincidence, got a little gun shy after that!
Thanxs for the info, and hope yall have an outstanding day!

[Bluetiereign]

You can leave the command line in. With the command line present when a map cycles it will check the folder for any files that the map might need. If none are there it will continue as usual.

I'd have to say the problems you had before were coincidence. I've used the /d command for C4 and BHD to access wac files for some maps. Never had any error problems though.
Other command line parameters that are available for C4, BHD and JO are
/d -Read resources from directory
/r -Record Demo(single player only)
/p filename - playback demo
/l -Turn on error log
/s -Save scores
/vt -Record tgas of playback (BHD & JO only)
/sys -Get system information
/? -Show this list

I've got C4, BHD and JO and have used the /? to check the list on these. It's possible they work for DFX also but don't have the game to check.


I'm intrigued by the record demo thingy there RAB.. What exactly is it and how exactly do you do it ? I tried just putting those in command lines and saw nothing ( in C4).

[RAB]

I just tried it with BHD and got nothing either. Not even sure what type of file it would create but I checked all files by modified date and had nothing new in the folder. I wonder if that's another one of the things added in the game that there were plans on finishing at some later date.

[Q-dad~TAG]

Demo recording existed for DF2, but maybe it has been removed from the later games. Anyway, it wasn't very reliable, and once I re-played a recorded demo, my character tried sniping at AI soldiers with hand grenades, lol...

[ArcticWolf]

NL installs and removes quite a few links to them from their files. I think one reason why they leave so much garbage in them is to increase the file size and for crc checks.