feat(network): Add debug command-line automated match startup

Core/GameEngine/CMakeLists.txt

@@ -547,6 +547,7 @@ set(GAMEENGINE_SRC
     Include/GameNetwork/NetCommandWrapperList.h
     Include/GameNetwork/NetPacket.h
     Include/GameNetwork/NetPacketStructs.h
+    Include/GameNetwork/NetworkAutoStart.h
     Include/GameNetwork/NetworkDefs.h
     Include/GameNetwork/NetworkInterface.h
     Include/GameNetwork/networkutil.h
@@ -1141,6 +1142,7 @@ set(GAMEENGINE_SRC
     Source/GameNetwork/NetPacket.cpp
     Source/GameNetwork/NetPacketStructs.cpp
     Source/GameNetwork/Network.cpp
+    Source/GameNetwork/NetworkAutoStart.cpp
     Source/GameNetwork/NetworkUtil.cpp
     Source/GameNetwork/Transport.cpp
     Source/GameNetwork/udp.cpp

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/LANAPICallbacks.h

@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ extern const Color acceptFalseColor;
 void lanUpdateSlotList();
 void updateGameOptions();
 void setLANPlayerTooltip(LANPlayer* player);
+void StartLANGame();
 
 //Enum is used for the utility function so other windows do not need
 //to know about controls on LanGameOptions window.

Core/GameEngine/Include/GameNetwork/NetworkAutoStart.h

@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/*
+**	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
+
+#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+
+#include "Common/AsciiString.h"
+#include "Common/UnicodeString.h"
+#include "GameNetwork/LANAPI.h"
+
+// TheSuperHackers @feature bobtista 10/08/2026 Automate network match startup
+// for multi-instance testing.
+class NetworkAutoStart
+{
+public:
+	enum { MIN_EXPECTED_PLAYERS = 1 };
+
+	enum Mode
+	{
+		MODE_NONE,
+		MODE_DIRECT_CONNECT,
+	};
+
+	enum Role
+	{
+		ROLE_NONE,
+		ROLE_HOST,
+		ROLE_JOIN,
+	};
+
+	static Bool setMode(AsciiString mode);
+	static Bool setHost(Int expectedPlayers);
+	static Bool setJoin(AsciiString hostAddress);
+	static Bool setLocalAddress(AsciiString localAddress);
+	static Bool setPlayerName(AsciiString playerName);
+	static Bool setMapName(AsciiString mapName);
+	static Bool setTimeoutSeconds(Int seconds);
+
+	static Bool hasArguments();
+	static Bool isEnabled();
+	static Bool shouldOpenDirectConnect();
+	static void markDirectConnectOpened();
+
+	static AsciiString getMapName();
+	static UnsignedInt getLocalAddress();
+	static UnicodeString getPlayerName();
+
+	static void updateDirectConnect();
+	static void updateGameOptions();
+	static void onGameCreate(LANAPIInterface::ReturnType result);
+	static void onGameJoin(LANAPIInterface::ReturnType result);
+	static void onLocalAddressSet(Bool result);
+	static void onGameStartFailure();
+	static void onGameStart();
+
+private:
+	static Bool validateConfiguration();
+	static Bool checkTimeout();
+	static void fail(const char *message);
+};
+
+#endif

Core/GameEngine/Source/Common/CommandLine.cpp

@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 
 #include "PreRTS.h"	// This must go first in EVERY cpp file in the GameEngine
 
+#include <limits.h>
+
 #include "Common/ArchiveFileSystem.h"
 #include "Common/CommandLine.h"
 #include "Common/CRCDebug.h"
@@ -35,6 +37,7 @@
 #include "GameClient/TerrainVisual.h" // for TERRAIN_LOD_MIN definition
 #include "GameClient/GameText.h"
 #include "GameNetwork/NetworkDefs.h"
+#include "GameNetwork/NetworkAutoStart.h"
 #include "WWLib/trim.h"
 
 
@@ -484,6 +487,101 @@ Int parseYRes(char *args[], int num)
 }
 
 #if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+static Bool parsePositiveInt(const char *text, Int &result)
+{
+	if (text == nullptr || *text < '0' || *text > '9')
+		return false;
+
+	UnsignedInt value = 0;
+	do
+	{
+		const UnsignedInt digit = *text - '0';
+		if (value > ((UnsignedInt)INT_MAX - digit) / 10u)
+			return false;
+		value = value * 10u + digit;
+		++text;
+	} while (*text >= '0' && *text <= '9');
+
+	if (*text != '\0')
+		return false;
+
+	result = (Int)value;
+	return true;
+}
+
+Int parseAutoNetworkMode(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	if (num > 1 && NetworkAutoStart::setMode(args[1]))
+		return 2;
+
+	printf("Invalid -autoNetworkMode. Supported value: direct\n");
+	exit(1);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+Int parseAutoNetworkHost(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	Int expectedPlayers = 0;
+	if (num > 1 && parsePositiveInt(args[1], expectedPlayers) && NetworkAutoStart::setHost(expectedPlayers))
+		return 2;
+
+	printf("Invalid -autoNetworkHost. Pass an expected player count from %d to %d and do not combine it with -autoNetworkJoin.\n",
+		NetworkAutoStart::MIN_EXPECTED_PLAYERS, MAX_SLOTS);
+	exit(1);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+Int parseAutoNetworkJoin(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	if (num > 1 && NetworkAutoStart::setJoin(args[1]))
+		return 2;
+
+	printf("Invalid -autoNetworkJoin. Pass a dotted IPv4 host address and do not combine it with -autoNetworkHost.\n");
+	exit(1);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+Int parseAutoNetworkLocalAddress(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	if (num > 1 && NetworkAutoStart::setLocalAddress(args[1]))
+		return 2;
+
+	printf("Invalid -autoNetworkLocalAddress. Pass a dotted IPv4 local address.\n");
+	exit(1);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+Int parseAutoNetworkName(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	if (num > 1 && NetworkAutoStart::setPlayerName(args[1]))
+		return 2;
+
+	printf("Invalid -autoNetworkName. Pass a non-empty player name.\n");
+	exit(1);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+Int parseAutoNetworkMap(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	if (num > 1 && NetworkAutoStart::setMapName(args[1]))
+		return 2;
+
+	printf("Invalid -autoNetworkMap. Pass a non-empty map path.\n");
+	exit(1);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+Int parseAutoNetworkTimeout(char *args[], int num)
+{
+	Int timeoutSeconds = 0;
+	if (num > 1 && parsePositiveInt(args[1], timeoutSeconds) && NetworkAutoStart::setTimeoutSeconds(timeoutSeconds))
+		return 2;
+
+	printf("Invalid -autoNetworkTimeout. Pass a positive number of seconds.\n");
+	exit(1);
+	return 1;
+}
+
 //=============================================================================
 //=============================================================================
 Int parseLatencyAverage(char *args[], int num)
@@ -1141,11 +1239,23 @@ static CommandLineParam paramsForStartup[] =
 	// (If you have 4 cores, call it with -jobs 4)
 	// If you do not call this, all replays will be simulated in sequence in the same process.
 	{ "-jobs", parseJobs },
+
+#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+	{ "-autoNetworkMode", parseAutoNetworkMode },
+#endif
 };
 
 // These Params are parsed during Engine Init before INI data is loaded
 static CommandLineParam paramsForEngineInit[] =
 {
+#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+	{ "-autoNetworkHost", parseAutoNetworkHost },
+	{ "-autoNetworkJoin", parseAutoNetworkJoin },
+	{ "-autoNetworkLocalAddress", parseAutoNetworkLocalAddress },
+	{ "-autoNetworkName", parseAutoNetworkName },
+	{ "-autoNetworkMap", parseAutoNetworkMap },
+	{ "-autoNetworkTimeout", parseAutoNetworkTimeout },
+#endif
 	{ "-nologo", parseNoLogo }, // TheSuperHackers @tweak Is now available in Release builds.
 	{ "-noshellmap", parseNoShellMap },
 	{ "-noShellAnim", parseNoWindowAnimation }, // TheSuperHackers @tweak Is now available in Release builds.

Core/GameEngine/Source/GameNetwork/LANAPICallbacks.cpp

@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
 #include "GameLogic/GameLogic.h"
 #include "GameNetwork/FileTransfer.h"
 #include "GameNetwork/LANAPICallbacks.h"
+#include "GameNetwork/NetworkAutoStart.h"
 #include "GameNetwork/networkutil.h"
 
 LANAPI *TheLAN = nullptr;
@@ -243,6 +244,9 @@ void LANAPI::OnGameStart()
 		if (!filesOk || TheMapCache->findMap(m_currentGame->getMap()) == nullptr)
 		{
 			DEBUG_LOG(("After transfer, we didn't really have the map.  Bailing..."));
+#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+			NetworkAutoStart::onGameStartFailure();
+#endif
 			OnPlayerLeave(m_name);
 			removeGame(m_currentGame);
 			m_currentGame = nullptr;
@@ -271,6 +275,10 @@ void LANAPI::OnGameStart()
 		// Set the seeds
 		InitRandom( m_currentGame->getSeed() );
 		DEBUG_LOG(("InitRandom( %d )", m_currentGame->getSeed()));
+
+#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+		NetworkAutoStart::onGameStart();
+#endif
 	}
 }
 
@@ -515,6 +523,15 @@ void LANAPI::OnPlayerJoin( Int slot, UnicodeString playerName )
 
 void LANAPI::OnGameJoin( ReturnType ret, LANGameInfo *theGame )
 {
+#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+	if (NetworkAutoStart::isEnabled())
+	{
+		NetworkAutoStart::onGameJoin(ret);
+		if (ret != RET_OK)
+			return;
+	}
+#endif
+
 	if (ret == RET_OK)
 	{
 		LANbuttonPushed = true;
@@ -605,6 +622,15 @@ void LANAPI::OnGameList( LANGameInfo *gameList )
 
 void LANAPI::OnGameCreate( ReturnType ret )
 {
+#if defined(RTS_DEBUG)
+	if (NetworkAutoStart::isEnabled())
+	{
+		NetworkAutoStart::onGameCreate(ret);
+		if (ret != RET_OK)
+			return;
+	}
+#endif
+
 	if (ret == RET_OK)
 	{