feat(cli): Add -loadsave option

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/GlobalData.h

@@ -351,6 +351,7 @@ class GlobalData : public SubsystemInterface
 	Bool m_buildMapCache;
 	AsciiString m_initialFile;				///< If this is specified, load a specific map from the command-line
 	AsciiString m_pendingFile;				///< If this is specified, use this map at the next game start
+	AsciiString m_loadSaveGame;				///< If this is specified, load a save game file from the command-line
 
 	std::vector<AsciiString> m_simulateReplays; ///< If not empty, simulate this list of replays and exit.
 	Int m_simulateReplayJobs; ///< Maximum number of processes to use for simulation, or SIMULATE_REPLAYS_SEQUENTIAL for sequential simulation

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/CommandLine.cpp

@@ -719,6 +719,19 @@ Int parseVTune ( char *args[], int num )
 
 #endif // defined(RTS_DEBUG)
 
+// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 22/07/2026 Load a save game file from the command line.
+Int parseLoadSave(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	if (num > 1)
+	{
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame = args[1];
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_shellMapOn = FALSE;
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_playIntro = FALSE;
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_playSizzle = FALSE;
+	}
+	return 2;
+}
+
 //=============================================================================
 //=============================================================================
 
@@ -1159,6 +1172,7 @@ static CommandLineParam paramsForEngineInit[] =
 	{ "-noshaders", parseNoShaders },
 	{ "-quickstart", parseQuickStart },
 	{ "-useWaveEditor", parseUseWaveEditor },
+	{ "-loadsave", parseLoadSave },
 
 	// TheSuperHackers @feature xezon 03/08/2025 Force full viewport for 'Control Bar Pro' Addons like GenTool did it.
 	{ "-forcefullviewport", parseFullViewport },

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp

@@ -774,6 +774,35 @@ void GameEngine::execute()
 	DWORD startTime = timeGetTime() / 1000;
 #endif
 
+	// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 22/07/2026 Load a save game directly from the command line.
+	if (TheGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame.isNotEmpty())
+	{
+		AvailableGameInfo gameInfo;
+		gameInfo.filename = TheGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame;
+		gameInfo.next = nullptr;
+		gameInfo.prev = nullptr;
+
+		AsciiString fullPath = TheGameState->getFilePathInSaveDirectory(gameInfo.filename);
+		TheGameState->getSaveGameInfoFromFile(fullPath, &gameInfo.saveGameInfo);
+		TheGameLogic->prepareNewGame(GAME_SINGLE_PLAYER, DIFFICULTY_NORMAL, 0);
+
+		AsciiString filename = gameInfo.filename;
+		SaveCode result = TheGameState->loadGame(gameInfo);
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame.clear();
+		if (result == SC_OK)
+		{
+			if (TheShell)
+			{
+				TheShell->hideShell();
+			}
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			DEBUG_LOG(("Failed to load save game '%s'", filename.str()));
+			m_quitting = TRUE;
+		}
+	}
+
 	// pretty basic for now
 	while( !m_quitting )
 	{

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GlobalData.cpp

@@ -987,6 +987,7 @@ GlobalData::GlobalData()
 	m_buildMapCache = FALSE;
 	m_initialFile.clear();
 	m_pendingFile.clear();
+	m_loadSaveGame.clear();
 
 	m_simulateReplays.clear();
 	m_simulateReplayJobs = SIMULATE_REPLAYS_SEQUENTIAL;

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/System/SaveGame/GameState.cpp

@@ -73,6 +73,13 @@ static const Int MAX_SAVE_FILE_NUMBER  =  99999999;
 #define GAME_STATE_BLOCK_STRING "CHUNK_GameState"  // block of save game data with game info data
 #define CAMPAIGN_BLOCK_STRING "CHUNK_Campaign"		 // block of game data that has campaign info
 
+static Bool isHeadlessOmittedBlock( const AsciiString &blockName )
+{
+	return blockName.compareNoCase( "CHUNK_ParticleSystem" ) == 0 ||
+		blockName.compareNoCase( "CHUNK_TerrainVisual" ) == 0 ||
+		blockName.compareNoCase( "CHUNK_GhostObject" ) == 0;
+}
+
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 SaveGameInfo::SaveGameInfo()
@@ -1351,6 +1358,10 @@ void GameState::xferSaveData( Xfer *xfer, SnapshotType which )
 			blockName = blockInfo->blockName;
 
 			DEBUG_LOG(("Looking at block '%s'", blockName.str()));
+			if( TheGlobalData->m_headless && isHeadlessOmittedBlock( blockName ) )
+			{
+				continue;
+			}
 
 			//
 			// for mission save files, we only save the game state block and campaign manager
@@ -1448,8 +1459,15 @@ void GameState::xferSaveData( Xfer *xfer, SnapshotType which )
 					// read block start
 					blockSize = xfer->beginBlock();
 
-					// parse this data
-					xfer->xferSnapshot( blockInfo->snapshot );
+					if( TheGlobalData->m_headless && isHeadlessOmittedBlock( token ) )
+					{
+						xfer->skip( blockSize );
+					}
+					else
+					{
+						// parse this data
+						xfer->xferSnapshot( blockInfo->snapshot );
+					}
 
 					// read block end
 					xfer->endBlock();

Generals/Code/GameEngine/Source/GameClient/GUI/Shell/Shell.cpp

@@ -466,7 +466,8 @@ void Shell::showShell( Bool runInit )
 {
 	DEBUG_LOG(("Shell:showShell() - %s (%s)", TheGlobalData->m_initialFile.str(), (top())?top()->getFilename().str():"no top screen"));
 
-	if(!TheGlobalData->m_initialFile.isEmpty() || !TheGlobalData->m_simulateReplays.empty())
+	if(!TheGlobalData->m_initialFile.isEmpty() || !TheGlobalData->m_simulateReplays.empty() ||
+		TheGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame.isNotEmpty())
 	{
 		return;
 	}
@@ -523,7 +524,8 @@ void Shell::showShell( Bool runInit )
 void Shell::showShellMap(Bool useShellMap )
 {
 	// we don't want any of this to show if we're loading straight into a file
-	if (TheGlobalData->m_initialFile.isNotEmpty() || !TheGameLogic || !TheGlobalData->m_simulateReplays.empty())
+	if (TheGlobalData->m_initialFile.isNotEmpty() || !TheGameLogic || !TheGlobalData->m_simulateReplays.empty() ||
+		TheGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame.isNotEmpty())
 		return;
 	if(useShellMap && TheGlobalData->m_shellMapOn)
 	{

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ set(GAMEENGINE_SRC
 #    Include/GameClient/LookAtXlat.h
 #    Include/GameClient/MapUtil.h
     Include/GameClient/MessageBox.h
+    Include/GameClient/SaveLoadFeedback.h
 #    Include/GameClient/MetaEvent.h
 #    Include/GameClient/Module/AnimatedParticleSysBoneClientUpdate.h
 #    Include/GameClient/Module/BeaconClientUpdate.h
@@ -779,6 +780,7 @@ set(GAMEENGINE_SRC
     Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/Menus/WOLWelcomeMenu.cpp
     Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/MessageBox.cpp
     Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/ReplayControls.cpp
+    Source/GameClient/GUI/GUICallbacks/SaveLoadFeedback.cpp
 #    Source/GameClient/GUI/HeaderTemplate.cpp
 #    Source/GameClient/GUI/IMEManager.cpp
 #    Source/GameClient/GUI/LoadScreen.cpp

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/GameState.h

@@ -159,8 +159,9 @@ class GameState : public SubsystemInterface,
 	SaveCode saveGame( AsciiString filename,
 										 UnicodeString desc,
 										 SaveFileType saveType,
-										 SnapshotType which = SNAPSHOT_SAVELOAD  );  ///< save a game
-	SaveCode missionSave();																	 ///< do a in between mission save
+										 SnapshotType which = SNAPSHOT_SAVELOAD,
+										 AsciiString *resolvedFilename = nullptr );  ///< save a game
+	SaveCode missionSave( AsciiString *resolvedFilename = nullptr );	 ///< do a in between mission save
 	SaveCode loadGame( AvailableGameInfo gameInfo );							 ///< load a save file
 	SaveGameInfo *getSaveGameInfo() { return &m_gameInfo; }
 

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/Common/GlobalData.h

@@ -352,6 +352,7 @@ class GlobalData : public SubsystemInterface
 	Bool m_buildMapCache;
 	AsciiString m_initialFile;				///< If this is specified, load a specific map from the command-line
 	AsciiString m_pendingFile;				///< If this is specified, use this map at the next game start
+	AsciiString m_loadSaveGame;				///< If this is specified, load a save game file from the command-line
 
 	std::vector<AsciiString> m_simulateReplays; ///< If not empty, simulate this list of replays and exit.
 	Int m_simulateReplayJobs; ///< Maximum number of processes to use for simulation, or SIMULATE_REPLAYS_SEQUENTIAL for sequential simulation

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Include/GameClient/SaveLoadFeedback.h

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+/*
+**	Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour(tm)
+**	Copyright 2026 TheSuperHackers
+**
+**	This program is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+**	it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+**	the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+**	(at your option) any later version.
+**
+**	This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+**	but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+**	MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+**	GNU General Public License for more details.
+**
+**	You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+**	along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+*/
+
+#pragma once
+
+#include "Common/GameState.h"
+
+void presentSaveResult( SaveCode result, const AsciiString &filename );
+void presentLoadResult( SaveCode result, const AsciiString &filename );

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/CommandLine.cpp

@@ -719,6 +719,19 @@ Int parseVTune ( char *args[], int num )
 
 #endif // defined(RTS_DEBUG)
 
+// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 22/07/2026 Load a save game file from the command line.
+Int parseLoadSave(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	if (num > 1)
+	{
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame = args[1];
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_shellMapOn = FALSE;
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_playIntro = FALSE;
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_playSizzle = FALSE;
+	}
+	return 2;
+}
+
 //=============================================================================
 //=============================================================================
 
@@ -1159,6 +1172,7 @@ static CommandLineParam paramsForEngineInit[] =
 	{ "-noshaders", parseNoShaders },
 	{ "-quickstart", parseQuickStart },
 	{ "-useWaveEditor", parseUseWaveEditor },
+	{ "-loadsave", parseLoadSave },
 
 	// TheSuperHackers @feature xezon 03/08/2025 Force full viewport for 'Control Bar Pro' Addons like GenTool did it.
 	{ "-forcefullviewport", parseFullViewport },

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GameEngine.cpp

@@ -941,6 +941,35 @@ void GameEngine::execute()
 	DWORD startTime = timeGetTime() / 1000;
 #endif
 
+	// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 22/07/2026 Load a save game directly from the command line.
+	if (TheGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame.isNotEmpty())
+	{
+		AvailableGameInfo gameInfo;
+		gameInfo.filename = TheGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame;
+		gameInfo.next = nullptr;
+		gameInfo.prev = nullptr;
+
+		AsciiString fullPath = TheGameState->getFilePathInSaveDirectory(gameInfo.filename);
+		TheGameState->getSaveGameInfoFromFile(fullPath, &gameInfo.saveGameInfo);
+		TheGameLogic->prepareNewGame(GAME_SINGLE_PLAYER, DIFFICULTY_NORMAL, 0);
+
+		AsciiString filename = gameInfo.filename;
+		SaveCode result = TheGameState->loadGame(gameInfo);
+		TheWritableGlobalData->m_loadSaveGame.clear();
+		if (result == SC_OK)
+		{
+			if (TheShell)
+			{
+				TheShell->hideShell();
+			}
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			DEBUG_LOG(("Failed to load save game '%s'", filename.str()));
+			m_quitting = TRUE;
+		}
+	}
+
 	// pretty basic for now
 	while( !m_quitting )
 	{

GeneralsMD/Code/GameEngine/Source/Common/GlobalData.cpp

@@ -994,6 +994,7 @@ GlobalData::GlobalData()
 	m_buildMapCache = FALSE;
 	m_initialFile.clear();
 	m_pendingFile.clear();
+	m_loadSaveGame.clear();
 
 	m_simulateReplays.clear();
 	m_simulateReplayJobs = SIMULATE_REPLAYS_SEQUENTIAL;