13 replies to this topic

[Alymbic]

Not sure if this would be the most appropriate place for this, but I'm sure the powers that be will shift it as needed.

Its really simple to get the steam overlay to work with MWO. But first, why would you want to? Steam overlay and integration provides multiple advantages:

• Allows players to see if their friends are online and playing without starting the game
  
• Allows your friends to see you are playing the game (a not so subtle hint that they should be playing with you)
  
• The overlay allows players to communicate, via text chat or voice, with other Steam users who are online (allowing players to coordinate without having to run other software than steam)
  
• Allows you to easily take and upload screenshots through Steam
  
• The overlay also allows people with single monitors to browse the internet after dying without having to alt-tab out (and, because it isn't minimised, you can easily see when the match ends)
  
• Opening through steam minimises the amount of desktop link clutter

So, how do you add MWO to Steam? Its easy.

• Go to Add a Non-Steam Game
  
• Select MWO, then click Add Selected Programs
  
• In your library, right click MechWarrior Online, go to properties
  
• Go down to the Target: box, and add the word flowthru to the end of the line
  
• Start MechWarrior Online through steam. Ensure both programs are running in administrator mode to reduce possible errors.

Example of the target box with the added text (This may change depending on your install location):
"M:Piranha GamesMechWarrior OnlineBin32MechWarriorOnline.exe" flowthru
[note in the above the forums have deleted my \'s in the filepath automatically]

Example of the overlay in the mechlab (will change depending on steam skin, also, this picture is at 2560x1440p, will scale and looking clearer at your monitors native resolution):

Edited by Alymbic, 20 May 2014 - 02:54 AM.

[Redshift2k5]

I've tried the Steam overlay, mainly for the hint-hint to show my Steam friends that I'm playing MWO.

[Alymbic]

Redshift2k5, on 20 May 2014 - 03:04 AM, said:

I've tried the Steam overlay, mainly for the hint-hint to show my Steam friends that I'm playing MWO.

Indeed. I've had people in my unit ask how I got it fully working, and rather than just putting together a guide on our forums, I thought I might as well throw it up on here for everyone.

Just try not to have the overlay open on a loading screen, as I'm sure a few players know, a lot of games can have some temporary delay/graphic issues with an overlay open while loading.

[Reno Blade]

Thanks for the guide.
I use Steam to launch MWO since a while now, but I never had the overlay working.
It still is/was usefull to show others I play MWO now and not Diablo3 or other games

[Redshift2k5]

Unrelated: Who makes all those DHB sig banners?

[Grimmrog]

This works?

I tried the same thing 2 days ago an following happened:

I added MechwarriorOnline.exe via "Add non Steam game" and added 'flowthru' to the target
When I was starting it via Steam, Steam only shortly recognized me beeing "Ingame" before it threw me back to "Not in game" status. But still MWO was running.

I had to change the target after importing into "MWOClient.exe" flowthru to make steam actually keep recognizing that I am still in the game.

Edited by Grimmrog, 20 May 2014 - 04:50 AM.

[Redshift2k5]

Grimmrog, on 20 May 2014 - 04:48 AM, said:

This works?

I tried the same thing 2 days ago an following happened:

I added MechwarriorOnline.exe via "Add non Steam game" and added 'flowthru' to the target
When I was starting it via Steam, Steam only shortly recognized me beeing "Ingame" before it threw me back to "Not in game" status. But still MWO was running.

I had to change the target after importing into "MWOClient.exe" flowthru to make steam actually keep recognizing that I am still in the game.

I think it needs to be MechWarriorOnline.exe and not MWOClient.exe iirc

[Grimmrog]

Redshift2k5, on 20 May 2014 - 05:00 AM, said:

I think it needs to be MechWarriorOnline.exe and not MWOClient.exe iirc

Well, directly adding MWOClient.exe was resulting in an Error when trying to start the game. The game then said it has to run through MechwarriorOnline.exe.

But that didn'T worked to keep me Ingame as status. I had to change this into said MWOClient.exe.
I'm Runnign Win7, if that may have an influence on the outcome.

But I gonna recheck this when I am at home.

Edited by Grimmrog, 20 May 2014 - 05:07 AM.

[shellster]

For people still trying to achieve, this, you might be interested in this little helper I wrote:
https://github.com/s.../master/Release

You can download the source and compile it if you don't trust the exe. Put MechLaunch in the same folder as the official exes (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Piranha Games\MechWarrior Online\Bin32), the point Steam at it, instead of any of the official files. It will launch MechWarrior, and stay open until all the MechWarrior Exe's are closed.

The reason this is needed, is you have to launch MechWarrior with the MechWarriorOnline.exe, but that executable immediately launches the MWOPatcher.exe, then closes. After patching, MWOPatcher opens MWOClient.exe then closes. Because the original file isn't open anymore, Steam thinks you are out of the game.

[Reno Blade]

I use the "flowthru" at the end of the exe now also for other games and it works nicely.

Edited by Reno Blade, 24 May 2014 - 01:45 PM.

[ShadowStriker]

Due note that this method does not work for some players (myself included). I had to use the "-nopatch" extension and find the MWOClient in the programs folder in order for it to work. I'm not entirely sure why it doesn't work properly. Would be nice to see MWO be natively supported by steam.

Any word on MWO being brought to steam?

[Rogue Jedi]

last I heard Russ was planning putting MWO on Steam sometime this year, I think he said late summer in one of the town halls but do not quote me on that

[Orionmech]

Hi , its weird that this game isnt on steam, on steam you can easy buy stuff for a game.

[Not A Real RAbbi]

@OP: Great post! Thanks.