12.20 --start-server + playing on the same box

[Octal40]

I'm trying to --start-server and that seems to be running correctly.

When I try to then run the game normally, I immediately get an error: "The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process". Clicking "Okay" closes the error and Factorio. I've tried duplicated the app to another directory and that gives me the same error.

Is it not possible to run headless and play the game on the same machine?

Thanks.

[daniel34]

It is possible to run the game several times from different folders, but not if you are using the installer version because they still share the same log/save/mods-folder. (I think the log causes this at startup)

The easiest way to do this is using the zip-version extracted to different folders, it keeps all the data for Factorio in one folder and doesn't read/write outside that folder.

To connect them on the same machine you might have to assign a different port in Factorio\config\config.ini for every instance, however.

[starholme]

I'm sure you realize this already, but the performance impact will be nasty as well. You are running the entire game engine twice, and one copy of the graphics engine. If your machine is fast enough+enough ram, it'll be OK. Any particular reason you want to do this?

[Octal40]

Thanks, daniel34. That did the trick.

starholme, I want to run a dedicated server and play on the same box so that the game world continues to run in case I need to stop playing. That way the rest of the family can continue on. Everything is running very smoothly right now.