How to: launch DDO from command line

[AtomicMew]

How to: launch DDO from command line

This isn't new by any means, but I think it's been pretty much forgotten by the DDO community. About 5 years ago, a few linux users built their own bash program/script launcher for LOTRO, since the default didn't work in wine. (http://www.bmx-chemnitz.de/~mfr/LOTRO/) What I've done is modify this file to work for windows and take command line parameters. You can download the modded file here: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B58...Eg4RzloWkRjQTA

How to get this to work:

1. Download cygwin (http://www.cygwin.com/), install, and be sure to include the W*GET package (without the * lol forum bug).
2. Add the cygwin bin folder to the windows environmental path.
3. Open the script in a text editor and find the line with the "gameDir=C:/'Program Files (x86)'/Turbine/'DDO Unlimited'" parameter and change it to whatever you use.
4. The bash script takes three command line parameters: 1) account name, 2) password, 3) server number (see below). For example, to run from a batch file, create a batch file and add the line:

   bash ddolauncher.script USERNAME PASSWORD 5

5. That's it! Run the batch and enjoy loading DDO with a simple double click

You can also change the game client language. Find the "languages[0]=english" line and change the language. Also, the patcher functionability was removed. To patch your game, just run the original launcher once.

Since most of the heavy lifting was not done by me, I have no intention to attempt to port this into a more windows native format. Part of the fun was in understanding what was going on and getting it to work. For those interested, good luck!



Server list, subject to change of course:

0: Wayfinder [DE]
1: Ghallanda
2: Argonnessen
3: Thelanis
4: Sarlona
5: Khyber
6: Cannith
7: Orien

DDOclient.exe also has a few additional command line parameters which you can add in, I don't know what everything does. The logging parameter sounds promising though.

-a, --account : <string>: Specifies the account name to logon with.
--authserverurl : Auth server URL for refreshing the GLS ticket.
--bugurl : <url> : Specifies the url that should be used for reporting bugs.
--chatserver : Specify the chat server to use.
--connspeed : <0.0-640.0>:Connection speed in Kilobits/sec for the server-client connection. 0 Defaults to speed searching
-r, --create : <name> : Character Name you would like to play (does not create character)
--debug : <32 bitfield>: Controls what kinds of debug outputs are enabled.
-f, --franchise : <string>: Specifies the franchise name.
--gametype : <string> : Specifies the game type used for supporturl and supportserviceurl.
--glsticket : Load gls ticket data from specified registry key.
-z, --glsticketdirect: <string>: Specify ticket data.
--glsticketlifetime: The lifetime of GLS tickets.
--HighResOutOfDate: Tells the client that the high resolution texture dat file was not updated. We will not switch into very high texture detail..
-h, --host : [host/IP]:Specifies where to find the server to talk to.
--keymap : <file> : Base file for the keymap. Will also look for <filename>c.extension and <filename>s.extension for meta keys
--language : <string>: Language to run the client in.
--outport : <1-65535>: Specify the outgoing network port to use.
-p, --port : <1-65535>: Specify the server port to contact. See 'host'
--prefs : <string>: Specify the preferences file to use.
--remotemouse : Optimize for using a mouse over a remote connection.
--resource-set : <string>: A comma separated list of available resource sets. The last set is the default.
--rodat : Opens the DAT files readonly
--safe : Force SAFE display settings.
--supportserviceurl: <url> : Specifies the url that should be used for auto submission of in game support tickets.
--supporturl : <url> : Specifies the url that should be used for in game support.
--usechat : Specify that the client should connect to a chat server.
-u, --user : <name> : Character Name you would like to play
--usetdm : Enable the download manager
--voicenetdelay : <int>: Specifies the voice network delay threshold in milliseconds.
--voiceoff : Disables the Voice chat system.
--wfilelog : <64-bitmask> : activates file logging for the specified weenie event types. Alternately, logtype enums seperated by ',' are enummapped and or'ed together.
--wprintlog : <64-bitmask> : activates print logging for the specified weenie event types. Alternately, logtype enums seperated by ',' are enummapped and or'ed together.

[petden]

cool. it works thanks.
it's is perfect for multiboxing, because it doesn't check if the game is already running. so you don't have to have multiple copies of the game folder.

[AtomicMew]

Glad it worked for you

[Gimpinator]

+1

I'm glad I stumbled across this. Thanks a bunch

[Kahath]

Passing a password as a command line parameter is such an epic security fail. Why? Because the call sticks around in your .bash_history (most people won't know they have one), and you can read the command line arguments from a third party process while you bash script is running.

So please use this with caution.

I still have my command line python launcher around, which I could upload compiled for Win if anybody is interested.

[AtomicMew]

Passing a password as a command line parameter is such an epic security fail. Why? Because the call sticks around in your .bash_history (most people won't know they have one), and you can read the command line arguments from a third party process while you bash script is running.

So please use this with caution.

I still have my command line python launcher around, which I could upload compiled for Win if anybody is interested.

Thanks! That's good to know, but if someone has already hacked into my computer, I have bigger problems than them reading my DDO password. In the same note, Chromium stores user passwords in plain text, so I don't see why I would care about this and not that. :P

Secondly, yes, I'd love if you could post your python code! That would be really helpful. I'd love to have this run in windows natively instead of using the ugly workarounds for launching multiboxes

[Kahath]

Thanks! That's good to know, but if someone has already hacked into my computer, I have bigger problems than them reading my DDO password. In the same note, Chromium stores user passwords in plain text, so I don't see why I would care about this and not that. :P

That's why you should not let any application you do not trust store your passwords ;-)

Secondly, yes, I'd love if you could post your python code! That would be really helpful. I'd love to have this run in windows natively instead of using the ugly workarounds for launching multiboxes

Will do shortly!

[Kahath]

You can find the python script here: https://github.com/n0la/ddolauncher

I had to fix it up for DDO: Unlimited, because the last time I used it I was still on the European servers
The script itself is a mess, it came from a time my python magic was weak.

[Backley]

How do I get the batch file to not leave the extra command window open when the game opens?

[Bogenbroom]

Dammit Mew... now I am obligated to have your man-babies. Arg!

[Aliss7]

I'm having one problem when I start ddo with this script... in mouselook mode, the pointer doesn't disappear and I get both the pointer and that circular reticule on screen. Additionaly, the pointer kind of tracks separately from the center reticule, so it's really annoying.

Anyone know what I'm talking about and how to fix that? It would be awesome, because this is a nice way to launch ddo straight into your toon.

Edit:

Ok, I found a solution... I switched from mintty to rxvt and for some reason that doesn't cause the issue. Probably some weird mouse interaction with the script and mintty. I'm pretty freakin' happy. From cygwin I can both check my raid timers and I can launch ddo straight into the toon I want.

[AtomicMew]

How do I get the batch file to not leave the extra command window open when the game opens?

There's no good way, because anything you launch in cygwin (generally) closes when cygwin closes regardless of whether you use fork or nohup etc. One way is to output the parameters into a text file and launch it from a native batch file.

Fortunately, kahath has graced us with a python script, which is better for windows since it can run native:

https://github.com/n0la/ddolauncher (see above posts)

This is what I am using now. I'll get around to updating the original post sometime.

[AtomicMew]

I'm having one problem when I start ddo with this script... in mouselook mode, the pointer doesn't disappear and I get both the pointer and that circular reticule on screen. Additionaly, the pointer kind of tracks separately from the center reticule, so it's really annoying.

Anyone know what I'm talking about and how to fix that? It would be awesome, because this is a nice way to launch ddo straight into your toon.

Edit:

Ok, I found a solution... I switched from mintty to rxvt and for some reason that doesn't cause the issue. Probably some weird mouse interaction with the script and mintty. I'm pretty freakin' happy. From cygwin I can both check my raid timers and I can launch ddo straight into the toon I want.

Cool

How are you checking your raid timers from cygwin? I am interested to know.

[Aliss7]

How are you checking your raid timers from cygwin? I am interested to know.

I hacked up a bash script a little while ago that I still use:

checktimers.sh raid check script
http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=361554

Unfortunately myddo doesn't show epic raids, so CitW doesn't show up , the one I care about more recently.

[Bogenbroom]

Okay, I've been using this for a little while now and I have to say it has vastly improved my game experience. Game performance even seems to be improved.

I would like to ask one question... is it possible to run commands at login this way? For example, if I wanted to log in and auto-load my /importoptions file or run /quests at login. (or "/death count" teehee)

Danke!

[Devachan]

I've been trying to use the Python script linked above, but being an absolute newbie at this kind of thing I haven't managed to get it to work.

I have downloaded Python for windows from here: http://www.python.org/download/releases/3.3.0/ (production release 3.3.0)

Then I downloaded the script (ddolauncher.py) from here: https://github.com/n0la/ddolauncher

I didn't really know where I should save the script and run it from, so I put it in the same folder where i installed python.

Then I tried to run the script from a windows dos terminal screen (i.e. type cmd to open the dos terminal). I changed directory to the python install folder, then to run the script I typed:
python ddolauncher.py -s Thelanis -g [my install location] [my ddo game login]

It starts but then I get the following error message:
File "ddolauncher.py" line 4
<!DOCTYPE html>
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

Is the script broken or am I doing something wrong?

[Aliss7]

It starts but then I get the following error message:
File "ddolauncher.py" line 4
<!DOCTYPE html>
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

You saved the website's source code not the script's code. There's a link called raw which will display only the text of the source code which is what you want to save and run. Here's the direct link to the "raw" script:

https://raw.github.com/n0la/ddolaunc...ddolauncher.py

[UurlockYgmeov]

nice. had to modify script since wasn't seemingly working (most certainly operator error) with install on my DDO only dedicated drive on E:

other than that and the servers down - sweet..... will see if it does allow me to multibox easily...

[UurlockYgmeov]

You can find the python script here: https://github.com/n0la/ddolauncher

I had to fix it up for DDO: Unlimited, because the last time I used it I was still on the European servers
The script itself is a mess, it came from a time my python magic was weak.

+1 OP and to Kahath for the scripting and thread!

[Devachan]

You saved the website's source code not the script's code. There's a link called raw which will display only the text of the source code which is what you want to save and run. Here's the direct link to the "raw" script:

https://raw.github.com/n0la/ddolaunc...ddolauncher.py

Awesome, thanks. Now I just get 'The given server appears to be down', so hopefully all will be good when the servers are up.

In the OP, there is a list of command line parameters which the DDO Launcher will accept. Any idea how to make use of them with the python script?

I'm particularly interested in -u, --user : <name> : Character Name you would like to play, so that I can bypass the character selection screen and launch straight into the toon I want.