Non-default launch option shortcut for games

[ナオヤ]

Some games (for example TW Shogun 2, Warhammer Vermintide, Civilization V) have multiple launch options when right-clicked in Library window. Is there a way on the Steam client's side to make a shortcut for a specific launch option, instead of just default one? I know of only one game (Civ V) that allows creation of shortcut straight for chosen options, but shouldn't that be a really simple thing to do for Steam (the options are already there when you right-click after all)?

[ナオヤ]

Civ V can run in Dx11 or Dx9 mode, the game lets you create separate shortcut for both so you can launch the game in chosed mode while skipping the launcher.

[ナオヤ]

The thing is - Civ 5 launcher can create steam url shortcut to steam appid, adding custom parameters to launch specific executable. Steam ALREADY HAS options for launching game in a non standard way but only from right click menu or while selecting game and clicking "play" in the library (and the default desktop shortcuts and quick launch list from tray icon always launch game assuming client chose first available option). I was simply wondering if it's possible to make steam url shortcut to that specific choice (say, I'd add "/2" or "-launch 2" to it's properties).

Edit: just look at the screenshot below - I'd like to create shortcut directly to second launch option (without launcher). Default shortcuts always launch with the first launch option.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1582289880

[Wicked]

So any news about this?

[ナオヤ]

For now, the best thing I've found is using https://steamdb.info/ to check launch options of any given game (lookup a game -> configuration -> launch options section) to create a custom direct shortcut.

[Amega]

Faced the same problem. In the end, did you manage to make a shortcut for a specific launch option? I don't see how steamdb.info can help with this, besides that I know exact numbers for each configuration.

[ナオヤ]

Цитата допису Amega:

Faced the same problem. In the end, did you manage to make a shortcut for a specific launch option? I don't see how steamdb.info can help with this, besides that I know exact numbers for each configuration.

Well, to answer you more directly: when you lookup a game on steamdb.info and check it's Configuration section, you will see multiple launch options with specific details on which file is launched and with which arguments (if any). You can actually make steam launch custom executables via arguments as well but that's not something I've had to done recently (especially in combination with regular arguments).

[Amega]

Цитата допису Naoya:

Well, to answer you more directly: when you lookup a game on steamdb.info and check it's Configuration section, you will see multiple launch options with specific details on which file is launched and with which arguments (if any). You can actually make steam launch custom executables via arguments as well but that's not something I've had to done recently (especially in combination with regular arguments).

That's the problem I'm facing now: there is a tool inside a game (Starbound). It can be launched from that dialog (Mod Uploader Tool), but I don't see a way how can I force Steam to launch this exact option. This is crucial because I can't launch this tool directly (I mean .exe file): it won't have "connection" to Steam and will fail to run. So, summarizing, I want any sort of shortcut or a command-line to launch the tool whithout that pop-up dialog. I've been search for the whole day today, and didn't find anything working. There are some games which support this: you could launch them as

steam://launch/<AppId>/option1

(2,3) - and that would launch the exact option. But that is not the case with Starbound, unfortunately.

You can actually make steam launch custom executables via arguments

Would be glad to know how to do it.

[ナオヤ]

Hmm, since I also own Starbound here on Steam I was able to look directly into it and realized Steam's solution to auto-select launch option still only ever applies to clicking "Play" in library. Meaning, this whole new feature is almost as useless as it was before. :/

If you want to launch custom .exe (whatever it is) you go to game's properties an in General section at the bottom (launch arguments field) type:

"FULL PATH TO .EXE" %COMMAND%

It works even from shortcuts, however it will replace all launch options (AFAIK) and you won't be able to launch the game until you revert the change.
Basically you can have shortcut to easily launch Mod Uploader (and mod uploader only) or you'll have to launch mod uploader from library. The most usefull (but still rather useless) compromise is to set Mod Uploader as default launch option so it's one-click launch from library, and then you can just as easily launch the game directly from other methods (tray icon, desktop shortcuts, url shortcuts).

[Amega]

Oh, didn't know I could specify cusom exe exactly there :) But luckiliy, I seem to have found a solution, although it's not very trivial. I managed to launch the tool using SteamCMD: it allows to explicitly specify the launch option I want to launch (in this particular case it is launch option 8). There still a strange issue present, but at least the tool launches ))

[ilw]

Цитата допису Amega:

Oh, didn't know I could specify cusom exe exactly there :) But luckiliy, I seem to have found a solution, although it's not very trivial. I managed to launch the tool using SteamCMD: it allows to explicitly specify the launch option I want to launch (in this particular case it is launch option 8). There still a strange issue present, but at least the tool launches ))

Can you explain more?

[Jack Schitt]

Цитата допису Naoya:

Some games (for example TW Shogun 2, Warhammer Vermintide, Civilization V) have multiple launch options when right-clicked in Library window. Is there a way on the Steam client's side to make a shortcut for a specific launch option, instead of just default one? I know of only one game (Civ V) that allows creation of shortcut straight for chosen options, but shouldn't that be a really simple thing to do for Steam (the options are already there when you right-click after all)?

Yes. Here's an easy and quick way to do it.

On Windows go to the game's exe and right-click on it > Create Shortcut.
When the shortcut is created Right-Click on the shortcut > Properties
There will be a "Target" line text field with the file path in quotes in that text field. Enter one space after the quotes and type in the launch options you want to use separated by a space.

For example a shortcut's Target line for Half-Life's path on my computer is:
"D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Half-Life\hl.exe"

If I wanted to force it to run in a window, for example I would add -sw:
"D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Half-Life\hl.exe" -sw

If I wanted to force it to windowed mode, force directx9, and enable developer mode:
"D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Half-Life\hl.exe" -sw -dx9 -dev

Use the shortcut with the launch parameters to launch the game or add the shortcut as a non-Steam game to your library list.

[Wicked]

Um dude. Steam already implemented this feature. Now when you select the launch option you want, there's a "make it default" option.

[ナオヤ]

Цитата допису Rizibizi:

Um dude. Steam already implemented this feature. Now when you select the launch option you want, there's a "make it default" option.

It doesn't work as you'd expect it though.
This "custom default" option only works when launching the game/app from library (that's why I proposed earlier to use default option for mod uploader, since you could still launch game directly by using desktop shortcut and possibly tray icon option). It's ignored when using URL shortcuts (the kind of shortcuts that Steam itself creates automatically) and the game is launched with default option instead (when you set it to "ask when starting the game" in options, you won't even get a prompt when using desktop shortcut).

[Lightningtow]

Sorry for the necro, but Google took me to here, hoping this'll help someone in the future.
Yknow how when you launch the game from within Steam, it'll prompt you to pick the startup option? And you can choose 'pick this as default, change from within settings later'? You can make it so clicking the desktop shortcut opens that dialogue (or skips it and chooses your default, if you've selected that)

Change the shortcut from the default of `steam://rungameid/<id>`
to
`steam://launch/<id>/dialog`

Hopefully this helps you, future person looking thru posts ^^

PS I figured that out from this page, may help you figure out a more advanced startup config if that's what you're looking for https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Steam_browser_protocol

[Steven]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.