So, I have a bunch of things I launch when I start a game session: Elite Observatory, BioInsights Codex Companion and E:D Market connector and of course ED. So, being the fan of automation I have a simple batch file to run everything for me (the commands also check if they are already running).

However, when I launch the game itself this way there is an approximately 50/50 chance that surface textures will be nastily bugged in game, flashing surface textures, blotchiness, velvetting, etc. It is quite bizarre, I cannot think of any reason that this should make a difference, but it does.

Anyone care to reproduce this for a sanity check? How many other people use batch files to start the game? not many I suspect.

Here is what my batch file looks like

@echo off

REM < lines starting with this are just comments.

cd ".3rdpartytools"
wmic process where "name='ObservatoryCore.exe'" get ProcessID | find /i "ProcessId" > nul || (start /min ObservatoryCore.exe)
wmic process where "name='CodexCompanion.exe'" get ProcessID | find /i "ProcessId" > nul || (start /min CodexCompanion.exe)

cd ".TTS4ED"
wmic process where "name='TTS4ED_config_2110_x64.exe'" get ProcessID | find /i "ProcessId" > nul || (start /min TTS4ED_config_2110_x64.exe)

cd "C:Program Files (x86)EDMarketConnector"
wmic process where "name='EDMarketConnector.exe'" get ProcessID | find /i "ProcessId" > nul || (start /min EDMarketConnector.exe)

REM steam://rungameid/359320
REM ^ This is what the batch file used to do to start E:D launcher, 
REM now, with the following lines I just open steam and start it manually
REM instead, this weird little difference results in consistently behaved 
REM surface textures. Odd right!? WTF?

cd "C:GamesSteam"
start Steam.exe 

exit

EXAMPLES

What I used to get about 50% of the time – using the easy benchmark of the on foot training…

about half the time launching the game with the original batch file resulted in this

After dozens of game starts manually (by pressing the green Play button in Steam) I no longer see the blotchy oversaturated, velvety, flashing surface textures, and get this, the correct textures.

WEIRD RIGHT?!

NB: If it makes any difference I am on AMD RX 6800