diff --git a/source/src/client.cpp b/source/src/client.cpp
index 32d77496..74e790e0 100644
--- a/source/src/client.cpp
+++ b/source/src/client.cpp
@@ -192,8 +192,8 @@ void toserver(char *text)
 
 void echo(char *text) { conoutf("%s", text); }
 
-COMMAND(echo, ARG_VARI);
-COMMANDN(say, toserver, ARG_VARI);
+COMMAND(echo, ARG_CONC);
+COMMANDN(say, toserver, ARG_CONC);
 COMMANDN(connect, connects, ARG_3STR);
 COMMAND(connectadmin, ARG_3STR);
 COMMAND(lanconnect, ARG_NONE);
diff --git a/source/src/command.cpp b/source/src/command.cpp
index 0ea31792..c6bca904 100644
--- a/source/src/command.cpp
+++ b/source/src/command.cpp
@@ -307,10 +307,11 @@ char *executeret(const char *p)                            // all evaluation hap
                         case ARG_2EST: intret(((int (__cdecl *)(char *, char *))id->fun)(w[1], w[2])); break;
                         case ARG_IVAL: intret(((int (__cdecl *)())id->fun)()); break;
                         case ARG_SVAL: result(((const char * (__cdecl *)())id->fun)()); break;
-                        case ARG_VARI:
-                        case ARG_VARIW:
+                        case ARG_VARI: ((void (__cdecl *)(char **, int))id->fun)(&w[1], numargs-1); break;
+                        case ARG_CONC:
+                        case ARG_CONCW:
                         {
-                            char *r = conc(w+1, numargs-1, id->narg==ARG_VARI);
+                            char *r = conc(w+1, numargs-1, id->narg==ARG_CONC);
                             ((void (__cdecl *)(char *))id->fun)(r);
                             delete[] r;
                             break;
@@ -456,6 +457,36 @@ void whilea(char *cond, char *body) { while(execute(cond)) execute(body); }    /
 void concat(char *s) { result(s); }
 void concatword(char *s) { result(s); }
 
+void format(char **args, int numargs)
+{
+    if(numargs < 1)
+    {
+        result("");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    vector<char> s;
+    char *f = args[0];
+    while(*f)
+    {
+        int c = *f++;
+        if(c == '%')
+        {
+            int i = *f++;
+            if(i >= '1' && i <= '9')
+            {
+                i -= '0';
+                const char *sub = i < numargs ? args[i] : "";
+                while(*sub) s.add(*sub++);
+            }
+            else s.add(i);
+        }
+        else s.add(c);
+    }
+    s.add('\0');
+    result(s.getbuf());
+}
+
 #define whitespaceskip s += strspn(s, "\n\t ")
 #define elementskip *s=='"' ? (++s, s += strcspn(s, "\"\n\0"), s += *s=='"') : s += strcspn(s, "\n\t \0")
 
@@ -526,8 +557,9 @@ COMMANDN(loop, loopa, ARG_3STR);
 COMMANDN(while, whilea, ARG_2STR);
 COMMANDN(if, ifthen, ARG_3STR);
 COMMAND(exec, ARG_1STR);
-COMMAND(concat, ARG_VARI);
-COMMAND(concatword, ARG_VARIW);
+COMMAND(concat, ARG_CONC);
+COMMAND(concatword, ARG_CONCW);
+COMMAND(format, ARG_VARI);
 COMMAND(result, ARG_1STR);
 COMMAND(at, ARG_2STR);
 COMMAND(listlen, ARG_1EST);
diff --git a/source/src/command.h b/source/src/command.h
index 18d1ac3b..3bafa176 100644
--- a/source/src/command.h
+++ b/source/src/command.h
@@ -72,7 +72,8 @@ enum    // function signatures for script functions, see command.cpp
     ARG_1EXP, ARG_2EXP,
     ARG_1EST, ARG_2EST,
     ARG_IVAL, ARG_SVAL,
-    ARG_VARI, ARG_VARIW
+    ARG_CONC, ARG_CONCW,
+    ARG_VARI
 };
 
 enum { IEXC_CORE = 0, IEXC_CFG, IEXC_PROMPT, IEXC_MAPCFG, IEXC_NUM }; // script execution context
diff --git a/source/src/console.cpp b/source/src/console.cpp
index 3c89b156..750aa51a 100644
--- a/source/src/console.cpp
+++ b/source/src/console.cpp
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ void inputcommand(char *init, char *action, char *prompt)
 
 void mapmsg(char *s) { s_strncpy(hdr.maptitle, s, 128); }
 
-COMMAND(saycommand, ARG_VARI);
+COMMAND(saycommand, ARG_CONC);
 COMMAND(inputcommand, ARG_3STR);
 COMMAND(mapmsg, ARG_1STR);
 
diff --git a/source/src/docs.cpp b/source/src/docs.cpp
index a9784bd3..1e4f66fe 100644
--- a/source/src/docs.cpp
+++ b/source/src/docs.cpp
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ void docwritebaseref(char *ref, char *schemalocation, char *transformation)
         if(id.narg != ARG_NONE && id.narg != ARG_DOWN && id.narg != ARG_IVAL && id.narg != ARG_SVAL)
         {
             fprintf(f, "\t\t\t\t\t<arguments>\n");
-            if(id.narg == ARG_VARI) fprintf(f, "\t\t\t\t\t\t<variableArgument token=\"...\" description=\"TODO\"/>\n");
+            if(id.narg == ARG_CONC || id.narg == ARG_CONCW || id.narg == ARG_VARI) fprintf(f, "\t\t\t\t\t\t<variableArgument token=\"...\" description=\"TODO\"/>\n");
             else
             {
                 int base = id.narg >= ARG_1EST ? ARG_1EST : (id.narg >= ARG_1EXP ? ARG_1EXP : (id.narg >= ARG_1STR ? ARG_1STR : ARG_1INT));