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| The Homecoming Launcher is the officially supported patching application for Homecoming: City of Heroes. It was released in Issue 27 on October 2020. | | The Homecoming Launcher is the officially supported patching application for Homecoming: City of Heroes. It was released in Issue 27 on October 2020. |
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| Homecoming Launcher has the following features:
| | It has the following features: |
| * Faster patching. Homecoming Launcher uses modern packaging methods and compression to achieve a much faster patching experience than prior launchers. | | * Faster patching: it uses modern packaging methods and compression to be much faster than prior launchers. |
| * Portable application. Once installed, the Launcher exists only in the folder it is installed in with no Registry Keys, Library Files, or other components required. Backup and moving is as simple as copy & paste. | | * Portable application. Once installed, it exists only in the folder it is installed in with no registry keys, libraries, or other components required. Backup and moving is as simple as copy & paste. |
| * One click play. Once patched, any card on the left (referred to as profile) can be launched by clicking Play, or clicking on the card once it says "Ready". | | * One click play. Once patched, any profile on the left can be launched by clicking on it. |
| * User-Mode. Homecoming Launcher does not require any Administrator rights to install or run (with a key exception noted in [[#Requirements|Requirements]] below.) | | * User mode. It does not require any administrator rights to install or run (with a key exception noted in [[#Requirements|Requirements]] below.) |
| * Multi-launch. Enabled on any system by visiting Options and clicking a check box. The Launcher runs in single-launch mode by default (only one copy of the Game Client can run at a time.)
| | * Opt-in patching. Users who do not want to patch Live or Prerelease profiles do not have to. Simply ignore them; uninstalled profiles take up no additional space. |
| * Opt-in patching. Users who do not want to patch Live or Prerelease profiles do not have to. Simply ignore them. | | * Manifest-free. It does away with manifest addresses for patching. (However, it does not install Titan Icon or Paragon Chat). |
| * Manifest-free. Homecoming Launcher does away with manifest addresses for patching. Because it uses a "chain-of-trust" method that reaches the Homecoming CDN directly, Homecoming Launcher is designed for Homecoming: City of Heroes use only and does not patch any other games or tools. (Titan Icon and Paragon Chat are no longer included.) | | * Smart install. On first run, it will detect an existing Tequila installation and optionally copy the Issue 24 files to speed up the first installation. |
| * Smart install. On first run, Homecoming Launcher detects an existing Tequila launch and asks to copy the Issue 24 files to speed up installation and patching on first use. | |
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| == First Time Use == | | == First Time Use == |
| # Download the [https://manifest.cohhc.gg/launcher/hcinstall.exe Installer] from Homecoming Servers.
| | These instructions are for Windows users only: |
| # Run the installer.
| | === Download and run the installer=== |
| # Installation directory: it will ask where to install the files, with "C:\Games\Homecoming" as a default. It will also ask to install a shortcut on the Desktop and Start Menu for you.
| | [https://manifest.cohhc.gg/launcher/hcinstall.exe HCInstall.exe download from Homecoming]. |
| # First run: Only if Tequila is installed. It will ask whether you want to copy Issue 24 files and import certain files. Your screenshots, modifications (anything in /data under Tequila), power customizations, costumes, and logs will be copied over to the new client. (For space saving reasons, screenshots and architect files will not be copied. Those will need to be moved/backed up on your own.)
| | === Choose the installation directory === |
| # After installation is completed, the installer will exit and run the Launcher for the first time. You can click the download icon on any profile to start patching immediately.
| | It will ask where to install the files, with "C:\Games\Homecoming" as a default. It will also ask to install a shortcut on the Desktop and Start Menu. |
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| == Requirements == | | ====Warnings==== |
| Homecoming Launcher needs no additional software to run. Unlike Tequila, it does not use .NET 3.5 to operate.
| | * Do not install it in the same folder as your Tequila installation. |
| | * Do not install in "C:\Windows". |
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| The game client still requires Visual C 2015 Runtime to start. If the runtime is not found, Homecoming Launcher will prompt to install the runtime on the first run. Visual C 2015 Runtime '''requires administrative rights''' to install (either from an Administrator Account in Windows, or a username/password for one-time use typed by an admin.) This is the only time Homecoming Launcher will require such privileges.
| | === First Run === |
| | After installation is completed, the installer will exit and run the launcher for the first time. You can click the download icon on any profile to start patching immediately. |
| | ==== Moving from Tequila ==== |
| | If you used Tequila before and are satisfied with the Homecoming Launcher installation, you may choose to delete the Tequila folder to save space; they are completely independent of each other. Note that the install process does not copy screenshots and [[Architect Entertainment]] data, so ensure those are saved before deleting the Tequila folder; and note that unlike Tequila, multiboxing must be enabled specifically in the new launcher. |
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| == Updates == | | == Other Platforms == |
| On occasion, updates to Homecoming Launcher will be automatically downloaded and installed. This is fully-automatic: if an update is present, the Launcher will close immediately, update itself, and return to the display.
| | ''Please see: [[City of Heroes on Mac]] and [[City of Heroes on Linux]] for info.'' |
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| == Troubleshooting ==
| | For devices not able to install City of Heroes, recommended [[Game Streaming]] methods also make it possible to play City of Heroes on unsupported devices, such as Android, iOS, and Chromebooks. |
| Most of Homecoming Launcher is automated as possible, however, there are times where the Launcher has issues.
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| ;I installed Homecoming Launcher in the same directory as Tequila, now neither will launch the game.
| | == Requirements == |
| :Homecoming Launcher requires a NEW DIRECTORY. It changes the folder structure of the client, and very few files & directories from Tequila match up to the new client folder locations. They can not run from the same folder.
| | The launcher needs no additional software to run, but the game client requires the [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145 Visual C 2015 Runtime] and will download it if not present. Administrative rights are required to install it. This is the only time the launcher will require such privileges. |
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| :We suggest starting over in a new folder if you did this. If Homecoming Launcher doesn't find your Issue 24 files, you'll need to copy any files you need from the old locations to the new ones yourself. [https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/23315-filesystem-migration-where-does-this-file-go-now/ There's a forum thread with more information.]
| | == Updates == |
| | | On occasion, updates to the launcher (as opposed to game updates) will be automatically downloaded and installed. |
| ;When I run Homecoming Launcher, the screen is all black. -OR- I can see parts temporarily, but they disappear or turn black after moving away.
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| :In the desktop shortcut, right-click, choose "Properties" and modify the Target line to the following:
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| :<pre>"C:\Games\Homecoming\bin\win64\launcher.exe" -nowdl</pre>
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| :(Substitute the "C:\Games\Homecoming" part with the actual location you installed the game. And INCLUDE THE QUOTES above - They allow spaces in the file name if needed.)
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| :Note that this is a fallback to GDI rendering, which may not be as responsive as using the default.
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| ;Homecoming Launcher shows "Ready" on the game, but does not patch even when closed and reopened. When I launch the game, I get "Wrong Version" errors.
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| :Close the Launcher. Head to "settings\launcher\profiles" at the directory where the game is installed, and delete all the .json files you see. This will force them to be redownloaded. Restart Homecoming Launcher, and it will show the profiles as not installed. Click on the Install button, and it will update the files normally. (The client isn't being reinstalled from scratch. Any files that are correct will be verified and not changed.)
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| ;Homecoming Launcher doesn't launch the game. I get an error stating "The code execution cannot proceed because VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found. Reinstalling the program may fix this problem."
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| :Either Windows Update has downloaded an update to Visual C 2015 Runtime that requires a system restart, or a reinstall of the runtime occured with another program that affected the one City of Heroes depended upon.
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| :Note also that the architecture is important: if you are starting from scratch and you install "Visual C 2015 Runtime (x32)" on your system, you cannot use that runtime to play City of Heroes in x64 mode. You can either open the Settings panel on Homecoming Launcher (click the gear in the upper right) and set the Architecture to 32-bit (not recommended for newer systems), or go to the Microsoft website and install the x64 runtime. [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145 You can find it here.] (Click Download, then choose "vc_redist.x64.exe".)
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| :If you are on an older system that does not support 64-bit, your only choice in all of the above is 32-bit. "Visual C 2015 Runtime (x64)" will fail to install in the first place, you must choose "vc_redist.x32.exe" in the link above, and in Homecoming Launcher set your profiles to 32-bit mode.
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| ;I want to use Titan Icon and/or Paragon Chat. How do I install them with Homecoming Launcher?
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| :Those tools are incompatible with Homecoming Launcher. If you wish to use those tools, one possibility is keeping Tequila around and updating both Homecoming Launcher and Tequila separately.
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| ;If Homecoming Launcher is a Portable App, can I use it with a cloud-sync file service, such as Dropbox, Microsoft 365, or Google Drive?
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| :Yes, however setup and maintenance is on your own. A good idea is disabling "passive update" features so running a patched client on another system doesn't cause errors (an example: on Microsoft OneDrive, right click on the client folder and choose "Always Keep On This Device". Check your sync status on all of systems and get in the habit of waiting for "Up To Date" before starting Homecoming Launcher.)
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| == Command Line Use ==
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| Homecoming Launcher also has a command line app to use to perform patching and launch the game by script. Assuming you choose the default directory, and you use the 64-bit client to play the game, the file is located in "C:\Games\Homecoming\bin\win64\launchercli.exe".
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| The following arguments work with LauncherCLI.exe.
| | This is automatic by default: if an update is present, the Launcher will close immediately, update itself, and restart. You can disable this behavior and only allow manual updates to the launcher with a single setting change. |
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| {| class="wikitable" |
| | == In-Depth Information == |
| ! Command
| | For settings, troubleshooting, and other information, please see the [[Homecoming Launcher Manual]]. |
| ! Example
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| ! Description
| |
| |-
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| | list
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| | > launchercli list
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| | Shows a list of installed profiles and their ID names.
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| '''Profiles by ID:'''<br />
| | == See Also == |
| live: Live Client. Used for the live game service.<br />
| | * [[Game Client]] |
| beta: Beta Client. Used for Beta Testing an upcoming patch or revision.<br />
| | * [[Homecoming Launcher Manual]] |
| pre: Prerelease Client. Used for quick-release tests that doesn't involve a major revision to the Live Client.
| | * [https://forums.homecomingservers.com/installation-guide/ Getting Started Guide - Homecoming Forums] |
| |-
| | * [https://forums.homecomingservers.com/topic/23091-homecoming-launcher-public-beta/ Homecoming Launcher Public Beta - Homecoming Forums] |
| | install
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| | > launchercli install live
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| | Installs a given profile by ID Name.
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| |-
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| | uninstall
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| | > launchercli uninstall beta
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| | Uninstalls a given profile by ID Name.
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| |-
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| | update
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| | > launchercli update pre
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| | Performs updates on the given profile by ID Name. Shows a progress counter and returns to command prompt when finished.
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| |-
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| | verify
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| | > launchercli verify live
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| | Performs a file check on a given profile by ID Name. Once all the files pass or fail validation, returns to command prompt when finished.
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| |-
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| | launch
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| | > launchercli launch live <nowiki>[''arguments'']</nowiki>
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| | Selects the given profile by ID Name and launches Homecoming: City of Heroes. Returns to command prompt once the client shows the "Loading" graphic.
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| The <nowiki>[''arguments'']</nowiki> area (no brackets needed) is where you can enter command-line arguments for the [[Game Client]] to launch. It's not needed to start the game, and certain arguments have been removed concerning Homecoming: City of Heroes (-authserver isn't accepted any longer, for example.)
| | [[Category:Game Client]] |
| |-
| |
| |}
| |
Homecoming Launcher window, with all profiles ready to launch.
About
The Homecoming Launcher is the officially supported patching application for Homecoming: City of Heroes. It was released in Issue 27 on October 2020.
It has the following features:
- Faster patching: it uses modern packaging methods and compression to be much faster than prior launchers.
- Portable application. Once installed, it exists only in the folder it is installed in with no registry keys, libraries, or other components required. Backup and moving is as simple as copy & paste.
- One click play. Once patched, any profile on the left can be launched by clicking on it.
- User mode. It does not require any administrator rights to install or run (with a key exception noted in Requirements below.)
- Opt-in patching. Users who do not want to patch Live or Prerelease profiles do not have to. Simply ignore them; uninstalled profiles take up no additional space.
- Manifest-free. It does away with manifest addresses for patching. (However, it does not install Titan Icon or Paragon Chat).
- Smart install. On first run, it will detect an existing Tequila installation and optionally copy the Issue 24 files to speed up the first installation.
First Time Use
These instructions are for Windows users only:
Download and run the installer
HCInstall.exe download from Homecoming.
Choose the installation directory
It will ask where to install the files, with "C:\Games\Homecoming" as a default. It will also ask to install a shortcut on the Desktop and Start Menu.
Warnings
- Do not install it in the same folder as your Tequila installation.
- Do not install in "C:\Windows".
First Run
After installation is completed, the installer will exit and run the launcher for the first time. You can click the download icon on any profile to start patching immediately.
Moving from Tequila
If you used Tequila before and are satisfied with the Homecoming Launcher installation, you may choose to delete the Tequila folder to save space; they are completely independent of each other. Note that the install process does not copy screenshots and Architect Entertainment data, so ensure those are saved before deleting the Tequila folder; and note that unlike Tequila, multiboxing must be enabled specifically in the new launcher.
Other Platforms
Please see: City of Heroes on Mac and City of Heroes on Linux for info.
For devices not able to install City of Heroes, recommended Game Streaming methods also make it possible to play City of Heroes on unsupported devices, such as Android, iOS, and Chromebooks.
Requirements
The launcher needs no additional software to run, but the game client requires the Visual C 2015 Runtime and will download it if not present. Administrative rights are required to install it. This is the only time the launcher will require such privileges.
Updates
On occasion, updates to the launcher (as opposed to game updates) will be automatically downloaded and installed.
This is automatic by default: if an update is present, the Launcher will close immediately, update itself, and restart. You can disable this behavior and only allow manual updates to the launcher with a single setting change.
In-Depth Information
For settings, troubleshooting, and other information, please see the Homecoming Launcher Manual.
See Also
