Final Fantasy X -X2 Remaster in Steam: Skip Launcher

[fromlostdays]

I was going to try and tackle this myself, but I can't even figure out the first step via google.

The ultimate goal would be to have this version of the game imported into launchbox, twice, in one instance loading right to final fantasy x, and the other loading right to final fantasy x-2. 

So I guess the first step would be to figure out how to skip the launcher screen.

The second step would be importing it twice with different names (x and x2)

The third would be to somehow have launchbox communicate that the first instance of the game launches x, the second x2.

Is this even possible?

To be clear, it's a really niche issue, and I basically just want to do it because I been working on a comprehensive Final Fantasy playlist and those are by far the best versions of those games.

Thanks for any help!

 

 

 

 

[coasternd]

I bet an Auto hot Key Script would get the job done. I've been considering writing one for most of Square's Final Fantasy games since virtually all of them except VI have a launcher. I'm not super skilled in Auto hot Key, but I'm working on an implementation with it and Visual Basic at work for this random imaging software we use so I can automatically export from Excel Spreadsheets to PDF and then use AHK to get those PDF's into our Imaging Platform with one click of the mouse. 

My thought process is once you write the script in AHK, you can use AHK's Compiler to generate an individual EXE file for each of the two games, FFX and FFX-2.  Then I'd point LaunchBox/BigBox at the AHK EXE files I would have just created instead of the actual launcher app. 

This is all just a theory though. Yoy might have to use something  like Global Steam Controller to generate controller  schemes  to go along  with it if you happen  to use that, though I'm not totally sure. If I have some extra time I'll play around with it and see if it works. Its something I too have wanted to do myself for a while anyway.

Anyway, if you want to, I'd go check out AutoHot Key and give it a try a different see if it does what you want. I think LaunchBox even includes a copy of AHK in it's Root folder if I'm not mistaken. If you Google it, it's a free download on AHK's website.  

Edited May 27, 2018 by coasternd

[Chris Kant]

most of the FF PC Games have a separate EXE to start without the launcher.

 

like there is a FFX.exe and a FFX-2.exe in the folder. but I have no idea who it would work if you have the steam version. I would like to know it as well

[fromlostdays]

So the good news is the steam version does have both exes, and you can import them into launchbox separately! Thanks for the tip, I don't know why I didn't think of checking that.

There is some bad news though, mostly for bigbox/controller users. The first is that if you launch this way, the xbox button to steam overlay doesn't work properly. There are some games that support controllers but don't have a selectable "Exit game" option without actually hitting the "esc" key. 

Secondly, FFX and X2 are those kinds of games. You can't exit without hitting the esc key, and since the steam overlay doesn't work, you're going to have to use a keymapper.

Lastly, when you do esc exit the game... for some reason it THEN brings up the launcher. So you'll launch the game from bigbox, exit it, bigbox will show back up, then the launcher will pop up. I have no idea why. I have this game modded so that the launcher supports controller inputs, so I can just exit it, but that's ugly. I still want to suppress the launcher somehow.

Anyway, I'm a lot closer, so thanks! Since I'm not the only one interested, I'll make sure and post when and how I get it working properly.

 

 

[coasternd]

That's mainly why I suggested writing an AHK script, you should be able maintain your mapped controller within Steam and use overlay etc.