greatdipanshu
Right off the assembly line
MISSION :- Saving Private Saves.
As every 16-year old boy with a computer, I am absolute fan of Half life 2, but unfortunately, so is my brother. There’s actually nothing wrong in that, but I hate it when games don’t have that profile system, and my brother overwrites my saves. However being a DOS maniac I am, I managed to draw a solution, which I would like to share. This would work with every such game provided you know the folder in which save files are kept and you have different users.
Note:- We will not use any external software
Note: :- This mechanism may not be cool if the game has large save files, and your system is slow.
Let my game folder be X:\hl2\save\
Though my mechanism isn’t the best, but I kept it simple. If you know batch-editing you may improve it.
And all you maniacs and geeks, this is an idiot’s guide, so don’t flame me if you think it’s laughably simple and stupid, and I provided too much of details.
I will assume your name is pl1 and others is pl2. (it doesn’t really matters), and the last time pl2 was the one who played the game.
Note:- I suggest you back-up the save directory, and as you may have guessed, I am not responsible for anything.
Note:- If your game has some directories with the same name as I am telling you to make, simply use different name – Wasn’t that obvious.
Create a directory ‘other’ and another ‘temp’ in X:\hl2\
Copy all save games to other (X:\hl2\save\ to X:\hl2\other - wasn’t that obvious).
Create a file p.yes in X:\hl2\ ( Open notepad, save and type “pl2.yes" as filename, this ensures file is not saved as pl2.yes.txt, and yes this file would be blank. )
Create in same way and in same directory pl2.yes
Now create a file pl1.bat with following content :-
Code:
IF EXIST pl2.yes (
xcopy save temp/Y
deltree save/Y
xcopy other save/Y
deltree other/Y
xcopy temp other/Y
ren pl2.yes pl1.yes
)
Lets diagnose it
If pl2 has previously played (if pl2.yes exists) then copy the save games (save) to a temporary directory( temp ) and delete the contents of ‘save’, copy other players saves (other) to save directory (save) and delete the contents of ‘other’ and finally copy the saves in temporary directory to other directory. Then rename pl2.yes to pl1.yes, since pl1 will play now. Whew! Read it again slowly if you missed something.
If pl2.yes does not exist, pl1 played previously and a there is no need to change the saves.
/Y doesn’t ask for confirmation of file deletion or over-writing.
A simple question, why did not I used a rename command? Because, at least in the version I use, the rename command will not complete, if a duplicate file or directory already exist. Of course I could have used temporary names and deleted them after use, but I myself prefer this approach.
Note :- We have same files currently in ‘other’ and ‘save’ as I assumed both pl1 and pl2 had their save files in same directory before this, you may try to separate them if you can, but it doesn’t even really matters.
Now create a file pl2.bat as :-
Code:
IF EXIST pl1.yes (
xcopy save temp/Y
deltree save/Y
xcopy other save/Y
deltree other/Y
xcopy temp other/Y
ren pl1.yes pl2.yes
)
I think you don’t need a explanation again, just vica versa.
Now place pl1.bat in pl1’s windows startup ( just create a shortcut in ‘start up’ folder in ‘programs/ all programs’ in start menu, a easy way is right-click choose Send to -> Desktop, this will create a shortcut on desktop. Then copy the shortcut in ‘startup’ folder. To open the startup folder in a window, browse to the folder in start-menu, right-click and choose open, though dragging is no big deal, but remember this is an idiot’s guide.). Similarly save a shortcut of pl2.bat in his/her startup folder ( You may need to ask him/her/them to do so, if you don’t have access, logged in as their user ).
Note:- We cannot use ELSE to combine these two files and make a universal batch file, as it may introduce a risk of overwriting files if accidentally the batch file is re-executed, by the same user who just logged in. ( Accidents do happen. Okay? )
Note:- This mechanism can be used to personalise anything on your disk
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Date : 29/12/2K6, just kicked some alien b*tt,
Completed Nova Prospekt, had some Coke,
Watched ‘Saving Private Ryan’ for the
12332253463234236342342th time.
And now going to rest for eternity.
Good Bye World.
As every 16-year old boy with a computer, I am absolute fan of Half life 2, but unfortunately, so is my brother. There’s actually nothing wrong in that, but I hate it when games don’t have that profile system, and my brother overwrites my saves. However being a DOS maniac I am, I managed to draw a solution, which I would like to share. This would work with every such game provided you know the folder in which save files are kept and you have different users.
Note:- We will not use any external software
Note: :- This mechanism may not be cool if the game has large save files, and your system is slow.
Let my game folder be X:\hl2\save\
Though my mechanism isn’t the best, but I kept it simple. If you know batch-editing you may improve it.
And all you maniacs and geeks, this is an idiot’s guide, so don’t flame me if you think it’s laughably simple and stupid, and I provided too much of details.
I will assume your name is pl1 and others is pl2. (it doesn’t really matters), and the last time pl2 was the one who played the game.
Note:- I suggest you back-up the save directory, and as you may have guessed, I am not responsible for anything.
Note:- If your game has some directories with the same name as I am telling you to make, simply use different name – Wasn’t that obvious.
Create a directory ‘other’ and another ‘temp’ in X:\hl2\
Copy all save games to other (X:\hl2\save\ to X:\hl2\other - wasn’t that obvious).
Create a file p.yes in X:\hl2\ ( Open notepad, save and type “pl2.yes" as filename, this ensures file is not saved as pl2.yes.txt, and yes this file would be blank. )
Create in same way and in same directory pl2.yes
Now create a file pl1.bat with following content :-
Code:
IF EXIST pl2.yes (
xcopy save temp/Y
deltree save/Y
xcopy other save/Y
deltree other/Y
xcopy temp other/Y
ren pl2.yes pl1.yes
)
Lets diagnose it
If pl2 has previously played (if pl2.yes exists) then copy the save games (save) to a temporary directory( temp ) and delete the contents of ‘save’, copy other players saves (other) to save directory (save) and delete the contents of ‘other’ and finally copy the saves in temporary directory to other directory. Then rename pl2.yes to pl1.yes, since pl1 will play now. Whew! Read it again slowly if you missed something.
If pl2.yes does not exist, pl1 played previously and a there is no need to change the saves.
/Y doesn’t ask for confirmation of file deletion or over-writing.
A simple question, why did not I used a rename command? Because, at least in the version I use, the rename command will not complete, if a duplicate file or directory already exist. Of course I could have used temporary names and deleted them after use, but I myself prefer this approach.
Note :- We have same files currently in ‘other’ and ‘save’ as I assumed both pl1 and pl2 had their save files in same directory before this, you may try to separate them if you can, but it doesn’t even really matters.
Now create a file pl2.bat as :-
Code:
IF EXIST pl1.yes (
xcopy save temp/Y
deltree save/Y
xcopy other save/Y
deltree other/Y
xcopy temp other/Y
ren pl1.yes pl2.yes
)
I think you don’t need a explanation again, just vica versa.
Now place pl1.bat in pl1’s windows startup ( just create a shortcut in ‘start up’ folder in ‘programs/ all programs’ in start menu, a easy way is right-click choose Send to -> Desktop, this will create a shortcut on desktop. Then copy the shortcut in ‘startup’ folder. To open the startup folder in a window, browse to the folder in start-menu, right-click and choose open, though dragging is no big deal, but remember this is an idiot’s guide.). Similarly save a shortcut of pl2.bat in his/her startup folder ( You may need to ask him/her/them to do so, if you don’t have access, logged in as their user ).
Note:- We cannot use ELSE to combine these two files and make a universal batch file, as it may introduce a risk of overwriting files if accidentally the batch file is re-executed, by the same user who just logged in. ( Accidents do happen. Okay? )
Note:- This mechanism can be used to personalise anything on your disk
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Date : 29/12/2K6, just kicked some alien b*tt,
Completed Nova Prospekt, had some Coke,
Watched ‘Saving Private Ryan’ for the
12332253463234236342342th time.
And now going to rest for eternity.
Good Bye World.
