Profile (Command Line Parameter)

Command Line Parameter

-profile ID

Set profile for launching the game (live / diag / beta / pre).

• ID is the name of the launch profile.

Options are:

Profile IDs	Description
live	Live Client. Used for the live Homecoming game service.
diag	Homecoming Diagnostic Client. This profile can only be used with the Homecoming Launcher and can not be used directly in the command line nor in a Windows shortcut as a launch parameter with cityofheroes.exe.
beta	Beta Client. Used for Beta Testing an upcoming patch or revision.
pre	Prerelease Client. Used for quick-release tests that doesn't involve a major revision to the Live Client.

-profile directs the game client to the specified launch profile on start-up. A launch profile contains information about which "packages" the game requires, as well as instructions on how to launch a program, and what configuration options can be set. News feeds and server status are also provided on a per-profile basis. A "package" is a collection of files that are required for the game to run. There can be multiple packages.

Launch profiles are typically used in combination with the Homecoming Launcher, and are how the Homecoming launcher communicates with the game client. Profiles can, and do, share much of the same information.

One important difference is the location of the default folder. Each profile usually has its own default folder when the game client starts, and the location of that folder will be under the specified profile name in the Settings directory. For example, in a typical City of Heroes: Homecoming installation, the default folder is located at <COH install directory>\Settings\Live. However, for a launch profile named "Rajesh", for example, the default folder would be <COH install directory>\Settings\Rajesh. An exception to this is the Diag profile for the Diagnostic Client which uses the standard Live default folder.

The -profile command can be used to create new profiles other than the standard four above, however the practice is not recommended. When a new profile is created it will not contain all of the information given from the Homecoming Launcher. Options and settings can be saved separately in a new profile, however there's very little benefit to doing so.

When starting the game from the command line (without a launcher), either the -profile parameter or the -legacylayout parameter is required to configure the game client correctly. Launching the game without the one of these parameters is highly discouraged. Both of these parameters need be placed first before any other parameters in the command line so that files and options are loaded in the correct order.

Note: The current -profile launch parameter is not the same command as the old /profile slash command.

Example

-profile live