bdew

Launching multiple clients without killing steam and without any 3rd party software

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I am having problems getting the second client to run. I have the steam_appid.txt file in the WurmLauncher folder. While both steam and Wurm Unlimited open, I try to run the WurmLauncher.exe file. A steam window comes up saying that it is preparing to launch Wurm Unlimited...then the window goes away and then the window switches to the currently running WU client. Any ideas?

 

EDIT: Nevermind. I ended up trying to copy the file from the WurmServerLauncher folder and it worked. It seemed that it didn't like the .txt exten

Edited by McGarnicle

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Yeah that's easiest. 

 

It DOES need to have a txt extension, but if windows is "hiding known extensions", which is the default setting for Windows, and you add a  .txt,  you potentially end up with "steam_appid.txt.txt" without realizing it.

 

Simply copying over the file from WurmServerLauncher solves that (it lets the .txt extension stay hidden if you are using default settings) and it prevents any other  accidental typos while making a new version of the file.

 

Most nerdy types have the default windows setting to hide common extensions disabled, because they like to see exactly what the true filename is. 

 

 

Edited by Brash_Endeavors
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I've been using this method for the last 4 months but suddenly last week it stopped working and I've been using the old method of ending steam task.

Is this method not working for anyone else, or is it just me? Perhaps someone might know what's changed?

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It still works for me.  I tried it again just now to test.

 

In case it makes any difference:

 

  1. I use Win7
  2. I play on Sklotopolis
  3. I have the wurmlauncher.exe pinned to the top of my Start Menu (I am told it may not work launching both from Steam Library, but I have never tested that since I never had an issue and my Start menu is easier to get to)
  4. I have "compatibilities" tab on the executable looking like this pix below (may not matter, I am just posting anything that might be different from how you run it). I can't recall now why I set it like that, probably I had some issue but it was long ago.

Sfy6RES.png

 

 

My rule of thumb anytime something is not working the way it usually does, is reboot the computer so maybe try that too.

 

 

 

Edited by Brash_Endeavors

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Still works for me without problems.... how exactly it's not working for you @Zyzyx?

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On 3/30/2018 at 3:37 PM, Zyzyx said:

I've been using this method for the last 4 months but suddenly last week it stopped working and I've been using the old method of ending steam task.

Is this method not working for anyone else, or is it just me? Perhaps someone might know what's changed?

 

It still works for me, as far as getting multiple alts logged in, but it causes them to occasionally all crash at once, if I'm having more than one moving at the same time. Using the old method, we don't crash.  In other words, we can have 2 alts logged in, but one must hold perfectly still and not even look around or both freeze then crash.

Edited by Batta

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Ah, false alarm. For some odd reason I'd gotten into the habit of hitting the windows key to prompt the app search on win10, then type 'wurm', but the launcher that popped up was using was a web link by steam. I made a shortcut on my desktop for the wurmunlimited.exe in the directory with text file and now it's working fine again. Cheers for the support all the same. :wub:

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I tried to do the steam_appid.txt  method to run alts, but the client crashed with message: "Unexpected crash while setting up login The error was: <Could not start SteamApi Shutting down (Steam is not Running)>"

Does anyone have any insight on this? Has something changed?

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3 hours ago, adonies said:

I tried to do the steam_appid.txt  method to run alts, but the client crashed with message: "Unexpected crash while setting up login The error was: <Could not start SteamApi Shutting down (Steam is not Running)>"

Does anyone have any insight on this? Has something changed?

 

Everything still works.

 

Based on the error message, my first thought is to make sure Steam is running...

 

The most common error I see setting it up is not copying the text file to the correct directory.  Just copy from:

\Steam\steamapps\common\Wurm Unlimited\WurmServerLauncher
on over to:

\Steam\steamapps\common\Wurm Unlimited\WurmLauncher

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For some reason, I was sure that Steam had to be 'not running' when using this method. It works now, thank you very much.

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This absolutely will not work for me. Every time it kills the already running wurm process.  This is in win 10 with steam running.

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I used to be able to run 5 clients at once. Now I can barely run 2. ans even then the second crashes on me alot.  Not sure what changed.

 

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On 3/31/2018 at 10:27 PM, Batta said:

 

It still works for me, as far as getting multiple alts logged in, but it causes them to occasionally all crash at once, if I'm having more than one moving at the same time. Using the old method, we don't crash.  In other words, we can have 2 alts logged in, but one must hold perfectly still and not even look around or both freeze then crash.

I think thats what happens to me.

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I am still have to run five clients at he same time.

 

If your clients are crashing since the last update, go into your settings on the launcher and make sure you have not switched over to the new modern renderer.  If you are trying to use the renderer, make sure you have everything set according to the patch notes.  (You can find them on Steam if you don't want to search for the old Wurm Online ones.)

 

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12 hours ago, Gorwst said:

I am still have to run five clients at he same time.

 

If your clients are crashing since the last update, go into your settings on the launcher and make sure you have not switched over to the new modern renderer.  If you are trying to use the renderer, make sure you have everything set according to the patch notes.  (You can find them on Steam if you don't want to search for the old Wurm Online ones.)

 

This has been happening since a couple of updates ago. It has not just begun now.

 

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While playing with the new beta, I noticed this wasn't working anymore.    Had to do the ol' steam close to get an alt up.

just FYI

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it still works fine for me in the new 1.9.0.0. beta. I have been logging in multiple clients concurrently without issue same as always; they can all move around independently:

 

EJ7JYgO.png

 

 

What shortcut are you using to start the client? I use one I pinned to my Start menu, not from steam pages. Apparently there is some issue in HOW you log in, ie from which shortcut.

 

 

 

 

Edited by Brash_Endeavors

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On 6/23/2016 at 10:16 AM, Xyp said:

Works for me too, you have to launch the actual program you can't use the desktop shortcut created when you installed the game. You can however make a new shortcut right clicking the actual program from the wurm launcher folder and move the shortcut you create to desktop.

 

This is what I do, works fine for me in 1.9.0.0. beta, I never have to kill Steam. 

In case it matters, in the beta I am using: windows resizeable / modern renderer / Windows 7 

 

Edited by Brash_Endeavors

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I am trying to do this work around. but keep failing. I do the exact steps and still it runs as steam? can someone give me a link to a step by step directions with pictures on how to do this? cause im so confused.

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Has anyone tried this on Mac? I've been having some difficulty. Going to try again when I have more patience, but I'm curious to know if any Mac users have successfully employed this method? Thanks in advance!

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Thank you. Works for Wurm Online by changing number to "1179680".

Edited by Kian
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On 2/3/2016 at 7:16 PM, bdew said:

I was screwing around with client authentication today (trying to figure out why i couldn't log in to one specific server), and discovered something...

 

  1. Find your WurmLauncher folder (should be under steamapps\common\Wurm Unlimited)
  2. Create a file named steam_appid.txt inside WurmLauncher folder
  3. Write "366220" in it (no quotes)
  4. Run WurmLauncher.exe (not from steam library!)
  5. ???
  6. Alts, alts everywhere!

 

steam_appid.txt file, with 366220 inside (wurm app id on steam) in WurmLauncher folder disables the relaunch-through-steam check in WurmLauncher.exe, and allows opening multiple clients easily.

 

 Please instead of naming file  steam_appid.txt   right click in the wurm launcher folder and make a new text file and name it steam_appid    then open the file and put 36620 and save.  If you make a file from the start named with .txt it does not find it. 

 

Yep, that simple :)

 

Technical details:

 

During startup wurm calls SteamAPI_RestartAppIfNecessary which checks if the client was launched through steam.

If it wasn't (= was manually launched from the .exe) this function returns true, causing the client to terminate. A new copy is then launched by steam.

For whatever reason, if you have a steam_appid.txt file this function will always return false, allowing the client to proceed without being launched through steam.

Since the check for multiple running copies is in steam itself - it's never checked and you can run as many instances as you want.

Server list stuff and authentication doesn't seem to be affected by this (as far as i can tell).

 

Disclaimer: I have no idea what effects this might have or how legit Rolf or Valve would consider this. Use at your own risk.

 

Added, from here: https://partner.steamgames.com/documentation/drm

 

 

So it's seams to be meant for testing i guess. *shrug*

 

 

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Anyone get this to work with Linux?

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@solmark Works fine for me. I use this "script" to start WU:

env LD_PRELOAD=./libsteam_api.so ./WurmLauncher&

When I don't have steam_appid.txt in there I can not start two instances. When I do I can start as many as I like.

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Thanks for your help @Tyoda as you pointed out, I missed the .txt and now it works great!

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