Some installation questions

[Blackdogkt 0]

Greetings everyone.

 

Well, where do i start? I wanted to try phase2 before deciding on buying phase3, but i had lost my original CFS3 discs and only had backup images of the CDs (i make a habit of backing up my games to keep the original discs in good condition). So, naturally i had to fiddle with nocd exe files and the likes to get OFF phase2 to work. After i managed to bypass the copy protection i encountered another problem...mission files would not load.

 

I searched the FAQ and found out that it's got something to do with regional settings (i run a Greek winXP version) and that i would have to reinstall everything after having first selected US or UK regional settings. By the way, i have a suspicion that this is all about the decimal point. We use a comma sign while US/UK use a period sign as the decimal point, so i thought that this might be causing some problems during the installation, what with the mission scripting and all that fancy programming stuff. First question is, in case i'm right in my assumptions will i be able to keep my regional settings and only alter the decimal point symbol in the future? It's doable via control panel options, but will OFF work if i just change the decimal point symbol or do i have to select complete US regional settings?

 

Anyway, i changed to US regional settings and set off reinstalling.

 

So where's the problem? Well, according to the FAQ on Polovski's homepage i was supposed to wipe everything clean. So i didn't only delete OFF folders, namely (drive)\program files\microsoft games\cfsww1 and (drive)\program files\microsoft games\scenery, but i also uninstalled CFS completely. Then the FAQ said to remove the OFF manager's registry entry which i did, plus the hidden folder in c:\my documents\(username)\application data\microsoft games. I did that too.

 

When i tried to reinstall CFS3 it went without a hitch but in the end it told me that i had specified an incorrent folder. I didn't even know what that folder was supposed to be, as the error message wasn't giving me enough information about what the folder was, or what it wanted to do with it. So i clicked on retry (or was it cancel? tried both but it doesn't ask you for a new folder path, it just seems to skip the problem if you click any button 4-5 times). Nevertheless, the game ran just fine, i fired up a QC as per the FAQ's suggestions and then exited the mission, CFS3 and set off reinstalling OFF phase2. Well, when the install was complete i received a message that it could not continue and it removed itself from the drive.

 

Fast forward a couple of days, i have reordered a copy of CFS3 and i received it today in the mail. Luckily for me it's the 2008 Ubisoft version on a single DVD, which eliminates the need to have the disc in the drive. I try my luck installing and i get the same message upon completing the CFS3 install. CFS3 runs fine again, but i bet if i try to install OFF phase2 i'll receive the same error message and it will not complete.

 

I'm thinking maybe i could manually create the hidden folders in c:\my documents\(username)\application data\microsoft games before installing OFF phase2, their names are CFS3 and CFSWW1, right? The reason i'm tempted to try this is because ever since my initial install/uninstall/reinstall sequence with CFS3, the installer seems to remember the custom path i gave it. When you first run it and click on custom installation, it defaults to drive c. However, on my PC every single reinstall attempt after the first one (both with the backup CD images and the new DVD version) remembers that my preferred path was on another drive (F:\program files\microsof games\etc etc). So i'm thinking that maybe some information about my previous installations has remained hidden in either the registry or the application data folders and it defaults to that path, but it can't find the folders i removed and gets confused.

 

Any ideas?

 

P.S. Maybe i'm wasting too much energy on this, because in 1-2 days i'll have a brand new clean PC to install CFS3 and OFF phase 2 on, but it wouldn't hurt if i could sample some of the goodies earlier. I just want a quick fix of WW1 combat before my phase3 DVD arrives

[crash101 0]

S!

 

Not the right place to ask but being new here please excuse me!.

I just receved my copy of BHaH in the mail and unlike other games/sims it came with no manual or guide just a disk. Is this the way they ship? my MS CFS3 is on its way but the lack of documentation is troulbling- if this is normal can someone let me know?

 

Thanx

 

 

[Parky 8]

Yep,

 

That's normal. If however, you were to go here: http://www.overflandersfields.com/FAQ.htm you'll probably find a whole boatload of useful info. Then if you stumble around this forum a bit, you'll find everything else you need to know, and probably a whole lot of stuff you don't need to know, but it's there for the taking anyway.

 

Cheers,

 

Parky

[crash101 0]

Yep,

 

That's normal. If however, you were to go here: http://www.overfland...lds.com/FAQ.htm you'll probably find a whole boatload of useful info. Then if you stumble around this forum a bit, you'll find everything else you need to know, and probably a whole lot of stuff you don't need to know, but it's there for the taking anyway.

 

Cheers,

 

Parky

 

 

I appreciate that info and will look there and hunt and peck. After other WWI combat sims - this looks REAL- another thing, I know Trackir is the norm but have users here had any success with FacetrackNOIR? I just found it and have been d---ng around with it, says OFF is supported. Any Gurus ready to comment?

thanx everyone!

[ReDDoT 0]

I appreciate that info and will look there and hunt and peck. After other WWI combat sims - this looks REAL- another thing, I know Trackir is the norm but have users here had any success with FacetrackNOIR? I just found it and have been d---ng around with it, says OFF is supported. Any Gurus ready to comment?

thanx everyone!

 

Hello crash101

Click > FaceTrack

 

Have a nice day!

[crash101 0]

I think you'll find that most of the Gurus around here use TRACKIR in one form or another

 

 

S! thank you, Its comforting to see nothing changes. ROF has its 'GURUS' and OFF has its 'ELITE', and you both have ' noobs' nice! The forum fanbois and Jason's delusions of grandure were some of the reasons ROF went in the trash. I have a low tolerance for BS in it's myriad forms. Everyone forgets they were new at one time and someone helped them out. But hey! it seems to be the same on any type of forum. Getting back on track- Trackir is too costly for many gamers, even trackir4 is 105$ at the NP site. And forget Ebay for this one, you wont get a deal very often on this item. I have loaded up the new freeware face track app from their site and bought the MS v3000 webcam- so far it does what it says, enough so that I sent them a Paypal. And thats the bottom line for me, i'm only here to fly

[ReDDoT 0]

S! thank you, Its comforting to see nothing changes. ROF has its 'GURUS' and OFF has its 'ELITE', and you both have ' noobs' nice! The forum fanbois and Jason's delusions of grandure were some of the reasons ROF went in the trash. I have a low tolerance for BS in it's myriad forms. Everyone forgets they were new at one time and someone helped them out. But hey! it seems to be the same on any type of forum. Getting back on track- Trackir is too costly for many gamers, even trackir4 is 105$ at the NP site. And forget Ebay for this one, you wont get a deal very often on this item. I have loaded up the new freeware face track app from their site and bought the MS v3000 webcam- so far it does what it says, enough so that I sent them a Paypal. And thats the bottom line for me, i'm only here to fly

 

Dear crash101,

I think TrackIR is really not a must if you want to fly OFF BHaH !

I own TrackIR5 standart version. But I am using it only at weekends if I sit very long on my PC. Have 4 children around me thats why I am not leaving the TrackIR over my monitor while I am at work. After work I am flying only one campaign mission or a quick dogfight without mounting the TrackIR.

The Joystick hat-switch can handle the view very well. You can switch with "Scroll Lock" button on your keyboard between free-view and snap-view. And you can configure two buttons extra on your joystick for zooming in and out. Believe me I have the same results without TrackIR.

 

Edited April 18, 2011 by ReDDoT

[+Polovski 460]

Welcome Blackdogkt and crash101.

 

@Blackdogkt:

 

The freeware Phase2 is officially unsupported. Our very small team is slaving away on p4 currently so cannot offer much help on old free Phase 2 questions but you may find help in the P2 sub forum if any user is there who can help in similar siuation. Also there is info in the FAQ which although for the commercial Phase 3, will in part will apply to Phase 2 in some areas - such as regional settings - although P3 needs less tweaking in that area normally it still may need some as in the FAQ). Yes there are registry settings left over and a clean uninstall is required, again search through the FAQ you'll probably see similar for Phase 3 mentioned on removal (can't guarantee it as a lot has improved and changed in P3 +)

 

One caution, older versions of OFF such as Phase2 may not work on Vista or Windows 7 (OFF P2 was made way before).

 

Newer versions such as Phase 3 and the Hat in the Ring expansion were well tested on Vista and also works fine on Windows 7 (32 and 64) with a couple of settings (FAQ).

 

@Crash101

For Phase 3 there is a manual (3 in fact) in the MANUALS folder in \OBDSoftware\CFSWW1 Over Flanders Fields. Also again see the FAQ right at the start it tells you this, plus points to some great key guides.

 

Cheers

 

Pol

 

FAQ is linked from our main website as per my signature.

[crash101 0]

Free track, is gone, facetrack doesnt alwys work- after speaking with the developer in holland he couldnt get it to work with face API or any of the webcam baed headtracking programs- it works for some and not others. Didnt work for me-thats OK I asked Gous about the freetrack files and he told me the only ones that work are the old files.. I installed a new copy of CFS3 and a new copy of OFF - followed all directions. My question is this, is OFF supposed to look like CFS3 ( old) maybe I didnt install it properly? I get all the right menus but it looks like an OLD game I got the impression from the adverts it was sleek, this is not- it looks old. Thats fine - if thats how its supposed to look, I expected a more modern look- it looks chunky. As far as complaining about the fanbois and the self styled 'legends' I could never stand a big shot- wether hes' in a PC or in front of me at the Home Depot.

 

 

[crash101 0]

It's basically true . . Most the Guru's, have started playing OFF, in Phase 2, at a time which maybe or maybe not Free Track of any kind, even existed. Myself while I hardly consider myself a computer Guru. I do know a bit about OFF as I started in Phase 1, May 2006. I believe OFF itself started in Christmas 2005. I got my TRACKIR4 about 18 months into Phase 2 at a cost of $180. Previously I used my Hat Switch. The first time I ever heard of Free Track was roughly six months later, used by one of our members in Greece. GOUS used it only because of the VAT in Greece, put the price of Trackir way out of the reach of the common man. SHOULD I have kept abreast in the advancements of FREE TRACK . . .and WHY ???

If you used more energy reading . . . . . and less energy complaining . . you might have seen this: Tips & Cheats #42 . . . in the Knowledge Base

 

Posted 06 September 2009 - 02:04:02 PM

 

How to Build a Free Track . . . for those who can't stretch their budgets, or sneak Trackir past the Wing Commander

 

 

 

Most times in any European country the Value Added Tax, or the VAT as it's known, puts the purchase price of the Trackir Hardware out of reach of the comman man

So a solution MUST be found

 

 

 

Cant resist this one last comment. The term ' wing commander' no doubt is a ' subtle' reference to 'the wife' who controls the purse strings. I have yet to meet the man who doesnt bend over when the wife comes in the room but talks BIG as he looks over his shoulder- great stuff!

[themightysrc 5]

"I get all the right menus but it looks like an OLD game I got the impression from the adverts it was sleek, this is not- it looks old. Thats fine - if thats how its supposed to look, I expected a more modern look- it looks chunky."

 

Hi Crash,

 

I'm no guru, or even particularly that knowledgeable about setting up OFF, but I would say from my experience that it's easy to load all the files, and then it's a right bastard to get set up so you get the best from it. You would do very well - if you haven't already done so - to go through, painstakingly, the OFF hints/tips on the graphics setup, particularly with regard to the type of video card you have. I didn't when I first got OFF, and I was absolutely appalled at the graphics: they looked completely s**te. And it was down to the fact that I'd neglected to read through and follow the accumulated wisdom available here and on OBD's website.

 

If you have done all that, then I suggest you post up a few screenshots here so others can try to diagnose the issues. Also, what's the spec of your PC? I assume it's butch enough to run OFF OK? What video card are you using? Are you playing OFF on the highest resolution you can manage - I'm on 1440 x 900, which isn't great (but the best my system can manage), and OFF looks pretty reasonable when fired up (although I dearly wish I could get something that would really show off what the graphics can be like, as seen in various videos....).

 

Good luck!

 

Cheers

Si

[+Polovski 460]

The screenshots and movies on the website are what it looks like on a good system you need to check you have installed it properly if it's no where near those. Follow the FAQ closely at the top.