Unofficial Patch 1.5.9.005 (released in December 2022) adds a new awesome feature: Debug Console.
This console existed in Singleplayer DEMO, but the part of the code allowing to enable it was removed later in Multiplayer DEMO and official releases of the game. Some hotkeys mentioning the Debug Console already existed in UP1.5, but I was never able to trigger them. After few years of research I managed to re-create the part of the removed code, so now everyone can feel like an EE2 developer! The Debug Console is available for all UP1.5 versions (including Developers one).
How to activate the Empire Earth II Debug Console?
A Debug Console in the Release version of the game brings some risks. Although most (if not all) of the Debug Console commands didn't have any effect in multiplayer games - I decided to create an authorization system anyway, for the peace of mind. The Authorization system allows EE2.eu to track which player (and when) enabled the Debug Console, and in case of abuses restrict access to it. It also helps to temporarily pause the other UP1.5 Launcher features, for example Crash Reporting system.
Here's how to get started:
Make sure your Unofficial Patch 1.5 version is 159005 or newer.
1. In UP1.5 Launcher click on the "Change UP1.5 Settings" button.
2. In the "Insert a custom configuration command" field, type:
AllowEmpireEarth2DebugConsoleStartup=1
...and click "Submit". This will allow the UP15_GameHelper.dll to load the Debug Console components on game start.
3. Start the game, and then switch (ALT+TAB) to the "Unofficial Patch 1.5 - Maximization Helper & Game Tweaker" window.
4. Click on the "Need any help? Got a question? Click here to open chat!" button in order to open the Support Chat.
5. Make sure that the "Name" field contains your nickname, and then type the following command in the "Message" field:
/EnableDebugConsole
You should get a feedback that the Debug Console was successfully enabled.
6. Switch back to the game window and use the CTRL+SHIFT+TAB hotkey to toggle the Debug Console.
The Debug Console in Unofficial Patch 1.5 was restricted not to work in the Multiplayer Lobby and in the started Multiplayer games. However, if for research purposes somebody needs access to the console in the restricted parts of the game - please send a message on the Support Chat, and I might be able to temporarily allow it for your unique identifier.
Usage Example: How to build a long bridge?
The Empire Earth II Debug Console allows you to change the default variable values without restarting the game. Such variables can be stored in the myconfig.cfg, config.cfg or myconfig_sim.cfg to be loaded on game startup. However this brings problems like version incompatibility on Multiplayer. Using the Debug Console is a much simpler method for 1-time tweaks.
Have you ever dreamt of building a super long bridge in your scenario? It's simple!
1. Toggle the Empire Earth II Debug Console using the CTRL+SHIFT+TAB hotkey.
2. Navigate to the "CONFIG" tab.
3. Find: "Bridge Utils", and double click on the "s_fBridgeMaxLength" variable.
4. Type your new maximum length value and press ENTER.
- EE2_ScreenShot_2022-12-20_00.12.00.289.jpg (416.84 KiB) Viewed 755 times
Usage Example: Toggle Terrain Grid
Would you like to build a nice city and keep the straight angles for your roads, walls and buildings?
1. Navigate to the "CMDS" tab.
2. Double click on "TerrainGridToggle" (or just type it manually) and press ENTER.
- EE2_ScreenShot_2022-12-20_01.10.55.649.jpg (453.9 KiB) Viewed 755 times
Summary:
The Debug Console is an awesome utility which will be enjoyed especially by the modders or maps / scenarios designers. Unfortunately, this is an unstable tool, so the game might crash on using certain commands. Please make sure to frequently save your games / maps / scenarios when you're about to use the Debug Console commands.