Third party Launcher is not compatible with Steam's custom installation folders

[Atska]

App: MBII Launcher
Version: 2.1.0.0 (File version reported on Details, there is no clear version for the launcher within the app)

Context
Having multiple directories configured on Steam allows the user to use bigger storage devices such as HDD to store the library while using the SDD just for the app installation. MBII Launcher should be compatible with this setup.

Steps to reproduce
1. On Steam, go to Steam > Settings > Downloads > Content Libraries
1.1. Click on Steam Library Folders, a new window will popup.
1.2. Click on Add Library Folder and select a folder in your computer
1.3. Close all the windows and head to the tab Library
1.4. Right click on STAR WARS Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, select Properties
1.5. Go to "Local Files" tab and click on "Move Install Folder" button
1.6. Select the new folder created on step 3
2. Open the MBII launcher
2.1 Head to Settings and select Engine: JAMP and Click on "Steam Integration", Close the window
2.1 Press "PLAY"

Expected result
The game should be launched with Steam integration

Actual result
An error popups: "Jedi Academy has to be installed in steam's installation folder"

 

[Fluffy |>]

Jamp will only work when you have the game installed in your default steam directory unfortunately. You can either move the install location or switch to mbii client (openjk) and sacrifice steam integration

 

[SnowBlind]

Or get the best of both worlds.

 

[Puppytine]

Oh ffs, you people never learn
You spend too much time and effort for this post, but if you acted smarter and read these forums before posting new threads, you would find out that there is no bug in MBII Launcher; there is a bug in Steam, that doesn't allow third-party programs to start up Steamed games with custom command line parameters.
Movie Battles devs can do nothing about this issue. Go poke Gaben, so they change the way Steam DRM works.

Until then, you have only two options (excluding moving Jedi Academy back to default Steam folder):

1. MBII Launcher => Settings => uncheck "Steam integration" (skip if there's no such checkbox) => Engine => MBII Client => Play.
2. Steam Library => right click on Jedi Academy => Properties => Set Launch Options =>
   

   +set fs_game "MBII"

   Start Jedi Academy via Steam and select multi-player.
   You can also run MBII using MBII Client by executing "Jedi Academy\GameData\Play_MBII_CustomOJK.bat" file.
   Notice: MBII Launcher is still need to be run in the background.

 

[Defiant]

MBII must be installed on the same drive as steam if you wish to use steam JAMP.

One does wonder if this could be worked around using volume mount points, but that's some advanced stuff.

 

[Atska]

You spend too much time and effort for this post, but if you acted smarter and read these forums before posting new threads, you would find out that there is no bug in MBII Launcher; there is a bug in Steam, that doesn't allow third-party programs to start up Steamed games with custom command line parameters.
Movie Battles devs can do nothing about this issue. Go poke Gaben, so they change the way Steam DRM works.

I dont want to be rude, but I spent time doing a good bug report.
However, you lack of understanding the reported bug. I did not want to run MBII with custom line parameters as you mention.
So instead of throwing away 'things that always look the same' (that are not) quickly with a condescending reply I would suggest to just don't reply at all. But is up to you, im just suggesting.

MBII must be installed on the same drive as steam if you wish to use steam JAMP.

One does wonder if this could be worked around using volume mount points, but that's some advanced stuff.

Thanks Defiant, I already tried that (actually thats how I use mb2) but I seems to get the same error.

Overall my game runs fine with the mb2 openjk client, I was just reporting a program bug.

 

[Puppytine]

I dont want to be rude, but I spent time doing a good bug report.
However, you lack of understanding the reported bug.

You maybe spent time, but you didn't actually understand what the issue is, therefore this bug report isn't really that good.

I did not want to run MBII with custom line parameters as you mention.

Fascinating.
You don't want to move Jedi Academy to the drive where Steam is, you don't want to move Steam where JA is installed, you don't even want to start up Movie Battles from Steam library, which, by the way, would be an absolutely handy, comfy solution... So what do you want?
I don't want to be rude either, and probably it's just me, but for a little bit it look like your approach is kinda similar to... may I say... of the approach of a spoiled child?

I was just reporting a program bug.

It isn't a bug with Movie Battles; If it's even a bug, it's a bug of Steam itself.
To launch any mod, not just MBII, it needs to execute jamp.exe with custom command line parameters, specifying directory name of the mod. This is exactly what MBII Launcher does, normally, but unfortunately, Steam DRM is designed the way that it doesn't allow third party software start up game executables with that command line parameters.
This only happens when Jedi Academy is bought on Steam; you see, there are some other versions of JA, from GOG, or retail disk. They don't have Steam DRM, and there is no limitations to where to install those Jedi Academy versions: you can install them anywhere you feel like, and MBII Launcher will start up Movie Battles via those installations perfectly fine.

This is not the only bug with Steam JA; it's reported multiple times that even when installed on proper drive, Steam Jedi Academy randomly crashes right after starting up on Windows 10. You need click like 5 times "Play" button to finally have MBII launched.
It only happens with Jedi Academy from Steam, only on Windows 10, started after one of Windows update and it's not fixed so far. It seems either Microsoft and Steam just don't feel like fixing this bug.

So my point still stands, perfectly valid: Movie Battles devs can do nothing about this issue. Go poke Gaben, so they change the way Steam DRM works.
Or, in my humble opinion, way easier solutions:

1. Use MBII Client (as you already do)
2. Launch Movie Battles from Steam library
3. Move Steam and Jedi Academy to the same partition

 

[Atska]

Thanks for taking the time to re-read my post in order to answer me. Still, you don't get to understand what the problem is. I will try to do it in a small sentence:

MBII Launcher do not recognize any other path than %PROGRAMFILES%/Steam/steamapps/common/Jedi Academy to be a valid steam path. That's pretty much it, im not speaking about launching the game, that's out of the scope of this bug report.

I invite you to follow the Steps to reproduce to find out what I mean. Cheers

 

[Puppytine]

MBII Launcher do not recognize any other path than %PROGRAMFILES%/Steam/steamapps/common/Jedi Academy to be a valid steam path.

Yes, exactly, you're right about that. MBII do not recognize any path except default Steam path as a valid Steam path, true.
And you know why? Because even if Launcher would actually try starting Movie Battles from that customized path, like it did in previous version, Steam wouldn't let it happen, and the error message: "Application load error 5:0000065434" would popup instead. Screenshot of that error is below in this reply.
There are plenty of threads about this error on these forums already:

Technical Issue - Cant launch game

when I open the launcher and press play, immediately steam crashes error : Application load error 5:0000065434

community.moviebattles.org

Error 5:00000000065434

Hello, I had the error cited in the title. I then went to see the FAQ of the installation problems on the site of MB2 and they told me to change in the parameters of the launcher from JAMP to MBII, except that the box to change this is grayed out and I can not do anything , help me please !

community.moviebattles.org

application load error 5:0000065434 ..... and i cant change jamp to mbII

So first off i installed the mod normally..... everything went fine until that code arrived...... after that i searched for answers in this forum ....... i found them...... for example to move it to the steam folder or change jamp to mbII or type something into steam properties..... NOTHING...

community.moviebattles.org

Launcher - My problem

Hello this is my first post and here is my problem. I read install guide and some post with problems that people have but here is mine and i am sorry in advance if this tread all ready exist. So i have original Steam Jedi Academy and it's set to install in custom location...

community.moviebattles.org

... and so on, go check them out.

im not speaking about launching the game

What? Seriously? So let me go back to the first post in this thread, the post made by you, and quote some important piece of it:

Expected result
The game should be launched with Steam integration

See? You literally talked about launching with Steam integration. Literally.

But anyway, this is not gonna to happen. If you make your way through that Launcher's protection, if you find a method to ignore that warning and click Play button despite the fact Jedi Academy isn't installed in Steam default folder, you wouldn't get Movie Battles running.
The only thing you would receive is small error window, with a pretty vague description, "Application load error 5:0000065434", and that's basically it.
And in my previous post I said that this is something MBII devs can do nothing about, but it wasn't a 100% truth -- while "Jedi Academy has to be installed in steam's installation folder" is way better, user-friendlier than "...0000065434", I think that message could be improved, by adding more detailed description of the issue and displaying more solutions for it. Maybe even providing links to these forums.
Yeah, that would be better.

But anyway x2, even if you really don't "speaking about launching the game", why is that?
Do you really want to get "0000065434" instead of "Jedi Academy has to be installed in steam's installation folder", without actual ability to launch mod with Steam integration?
Would you find it more useful?
Does it make any sense?

 

[Atska]

Thanks for the reply, that was really an informative reply and yes I contradicted myself about the launch/validation thing.

I did the test to get this Steam Error screen and I agree that the problem then is the message reported.
Ran a test linking steam.exe (worked), ran copying everything to steam dir (worked) and ran directly from jamp.exe executable (didnt work and it was expected). However I still think there is a way around with dirty stuff like patching the jamp.exe (like the fnv4gb patcher for Fallout), however I do not want to debate if is right or wrong.

More likely the "solution" to this report is "giving proper feedback to the end user" as you mention

 

[Puppytine]

However I still think there is a way around with dirty stuff like patching the jamp.exe (like the fnv4gb patcher for Fallout)

Maybe there is.
But I want to point out there is already some dirty patching done; When Jedi Academy is installed in default Steam directory, just to make it run, MBII Launcher swaps jamp.exe and jasp.exe before each launch, and it renames them back when Launcher is getting shut down. Without swapping files, MBII via Steam JA won't start even with proper installation in the default folder.
This "Steam renaming thing" is annoying enough on its own, and it's covered on these forums in various topics.

There is also in-memory binary patching to make HUD look prettier in widescreen, though it's not exclusive for Steam version of Jedi Academy: implemented for all jamp (Steam, GOG, CD), but not for MBII Client. This topic is also covered here.

I have a little hope, that maybe, in the future, someday, I'll take a look at this issue. But so far, we have what we have.