May patches released for SFP2 and SFP2V

[+331Killerbee]

First off, If You think that You've screwed Up Your "Core". Uninstall, Install and Patch. Other than that. The "Core" should never be messed with. As far as different Installs. I have 4 going. 2 of SF2 and 2 of SF2V. They are called out By different Options.INI's that point to the "Modded" Folders....... Yes, under Vista. Works in XP too....

Edited May 15, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[+Dave]

First off, If You think that You've screwed Up Your "Core". Uninstall, Install and Patch. Other than that. The "Core" should never be messed with. As far as different Installs. I have 4 going. 2 of SF2 and 2 of SF2V. They are called out By different Options.INI's that point to the "Modded" Folders....... Yes, under Vista. Works in XP too....

 

 

What about the exe? How does it know which install to use? Or is the options.ini take care of it too?

[+FastCargo]

Cool! Guess I'll have to buy SF2 and SFV to see what all the fuss is about...

 

Just as I got my supa merged Gen 1 install working...

 

FC

[+331Killerbee]

My Main Drive is C:, Of course. But I have two HD's in My System. C: and F: . I have My "Core" installed on F:. In the <UserName> Saved Games/ThirdWire/StrikeFighters2 or StrikeFighters2Vietnam, All I have is the Folders with the Options.INI's in them Pointing to My F: Drive where My Modded Installs are. Each Options.INI, Each Modded Folder.......I name mine, StrikeFighters2 MODS1 and StrikeFighters MODS2. StrikeFighters2Vietnam MODS1 and StrikeFighters2Vietnam MODS2........

Edited May 15, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[GwynO]

What about the exe? How does it know which install to use? Or is the options.ini take care of it too?

 

The only reason I can see to have separate game folders is to test between SFP2 on its own, SFP2V on its own, and a merged install on its own. If so, you should just click on the exe in the separate game folders, or make a shortcut from it yourself renamed as appropriate. I didn't realise you could have different versions of the options.ini in the saved game folder, but if so, I don't see a problem in keeping several versions of the games running in that case.

[+331Killerbee]

What about the exe? How does it know which install to use? Or is the options.ini take care of it too?

 

Yes.....The .EXE is controlled By the Options.INI.....You control which Options.ini is being read by which Option.ini you have in either StrikeFighters2 or StrikeFighters2Vietnam Folder.......If You have a "Merged" Install, Two .EXE's will be created. One for SF2 that will have a "Light" Border around it, And one for SF2V that will have a "Dark" or black Border around it. You can control Your MODs Folders by controlling Your "Options.INI's". How You handle them determines how many Installs One can have.......

 

It's a matter of "Copy and Paste" then to reflect the Mod You want to run. Just copy over the Options.INI for the Mod Folder You want to use........

Edited May 15, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[+Dave]

Yes.....The .EXE is controlled By the Options.INI.....You control which Options.ini is being read by which Option.ini you have in either StrikeFighters2 or StrikeFighters2Vietnam Folder.......If You have a "Merged" Install, Two .EXE's will be created. One for SF2 that will have a "Light" Border around it, And one for SF2V that will have a "Dark" or black Border around it. You can control Your MODs Folders by controlling Your "Options.INI's". How You handle them determines how many Installs One can have.......

 

I think I'm tracking Gunny. Any chance you can post the data from your options.ini and shows us the nuts and bolts of it?

[+331Killerbee]

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showt...40&start=40

[+331Killerbee]

That was under XP......I've since Upgraded to Vista. Works the same way though......

[+Dave]

http://forum.combatace.com/index.php?showt...40&start=40

 

That seems simple enough. Thanks

[+gerwin]

I understand the point about direction, here from a guy who complained so bitterly about the fact that avionics keeps getting sweeped under the rug as the focus of the game becomes more and more graphics oriented, but even I like the better graphics now I can have them for free, that is out of the box with no added FPS hit! Plus there are some steps in the right direction in other places

Good to read about your opinion on graphics versus other features. And indeed, I might not fully agree on the graphics emphasis of SF2, but it is still Strike Fighters and as TK works on it over time he will surely put in great new features in a solid way.

 

I don't know about running in Windows 2K though, that might be the problem there, otherwise your processor is better than mine and a lot of Thirdwire games limitations come not from GPU, but like all flight sims, from CPU limitations from the complex nature of the code, a lot of math/physics is involved that doesn't have anything to do with the GPU. Hopefully you won't feel you wasted your money when your new system becomes affordable, just look at it like getting something you will want in the future in advance, like croissants the night before breakfast.

Probably. There is an unofficial direct-X 10 for XP , maybe I will install that when I am bored. My processor is also 2GHz, the AMD ratings of the time like '3000+' differed from the actual megaherz.

"wasted your money".. you mean on the current and feature SF2 games? Well, I put much more time in the games then money anyways ;) .. But as it stands I will probably not buy the other games of the SF2 series until they cover the same Aircraft/Terrains as the original. At that time I will decide.

About PC hardware, solid state disks are what I am interested in, if only to just try one out for the heck of it. Also DDR3 RAM sounds nice. Loading times will be very fast with that.

 

The mega merged install is something that is now native to series 2 plus you won't see aircraft where they aren't meant to be thanks to the user list ini.

The 2008 games also have a 'Limitednationlist' tag for this. But I suspect it doesn't work 100% correct. Also I use my own iniswitch tool to quickly change installed aircraft and groundobjects and their default nation+skin. works well. : )

[+331Killerbee]

Ran the Whole WOX Line on a Machine that can be considered Slow, even comparied to Yours, gerwin. SF2 and SF2V will run on DX9c Machines. Runs great.......Updated the same Machine with Vista and DX10.....Results: Excellent!

 

I have no need of any of the Eariler Titles......Unless I want to go backwards......

[+Sundowner]

I have no need of any of the Eariler Titles......Unless I want to go backwards......

 

 

Same here... :yes:

[+Dave]

Same here... :yes:

 

I have porting most of my stuff. The rest is going on DVD and being put away.

[GwynO]

Assuming you want separate SFP2, SFP2V AND a separate merged install. Step by step.

 

Standalone SFP2 install:

 

Install SFP2 to wherever you want, for the sake of argument to D:\SFP2, patch it. (only the latest SFP2 patch needed)

Go to saved games folder, Thirdwire, SFP2, open options.ini and look for the mods folder line, tell it to use any folder you like, for the sake of convenience D:\SFP2\smods.

 

Now, this will be your SFP2 only install. So rename the Thirdwire folder in saved games (add an x), just to be sure, add an x to options.ini making it options.inix, these steps are so that the next installer won't see the game, so it will leave it alone.

 

Standalone SFP2V install:

 

Install SFP2V to wherever you want, for the sake of argument to D:\SFP2V, patch it. (only the latest SFP2V patch needed)

Go to saved games folder, Thirdwire, SFP2V, open options.ini and look for the mods folder line, tell it to use any folder you like, for the sake of convenience D:\SFP2V\vmods.

 

Now, this will be your SFP2V only install. So rename the Thirdwire folder in saved games (add an xx), just to be sure, add an xx to options.ini making it options.inixx, these steps are so that the next installer won't see the game, so it will leave it alone.

 

Standalone merged install:

 

Install SFP2 to wherever you want for the merged install, for the sake of argument to D:\SFP2VMERGED,

Install SFP2V to exactly where you put SFP2 for the merged install, so in this example to D:\SFP2VMERGED This is your standalone merged install, patch it. (only the latest SFP2V patch needed)

Go to saved games folder, Thirdwire, SFP2V AND SFP2, open BOTH options.ini and look for the mods folder line, tell it to use any folder you like, for the sake of convenience D:\SFP2V\mmods.

 

To use the SFP2 OR SFP2V ONLY installs, just rename the Thirdwire folder in saved games (E.G. add an xxx to the Thirdwire folder created by the merged install) and delete the x(s) from whichever one of the previous, standalone installs you want to use.

 

Different mods within each game install:

 

Within each core install on D drive in this example, you have a mod folder, either smods (SFP2 standalone install), vmods (SFP2V standalone install) or mmods (SFP2/V merged install). You can have as many total game/mod conversions as you want, for example, ODS2, OTC2, NF5 etc ad infinitum without ever needing a separate install, all you have to do is put all the mods for whatever modification into THE mods folder (either smods, vmods or mmods) and when not in use, rename it by adding an x. For example, if you want to install both ODS2 AND NF5 to the merged install described above, install either game mod first, doesn't matter, the mods folder will still be called "mmods". After this total mod is installed, simply rename the folder (add an x) and run the game, this will create the base mods folder, titled mmods for you to then install the next total game mod. When you want to use, swap out the x(s) so NO NEED to keep fiddling with the mods folder line in the options ini.

Edited May 15, 2009 by Kopis n Xiphos

[+331Killerbee]

I'll go even Futher.....You know those Zip Drives? Sometimes called "Flash Drives".......

 

Your Mods Folders can be "Plug and Play".....hint, hint.

[GwynO]

Gerwin, I forgot about your ini switch tool! I didn't try it out yet, will have to! Until all the issues with effects and porting are sorted, my uber merged install of series one games is still the one I play for pleasure the most. Your cat pack utilities have been indispensable and invaluable tools.

 

I'd forgotten about AMDs creative attitude to naming processors also! Do try to get the latest DX9c as this does pretty much all of what DX10 does in relation to Thirdwire games as of now. Hopefully will help increase your FPS.

 

I can't wait for solid state drives either! Theoretically cheaper, faster and above all solid state and nearly unbreakable. Seeing as Ipods and the like have been going in that direction for years I see no reason for not having them in PC's other than undercutting the existing market. Probably by the time they are cheaply available in the market they will have some inherent weakness built into them so as to keep the manufacturers busy and us broke

[+331Killerbee]

Check out what Intel has for a Win7 MotherBoard. It'll amaze You. All SATA.....4 PCI-e Slots.......RAM Slots up to 16GB.... Wild....

[+JediMaster]

Guess I'm one of the few knuckleheads around here who play TK's sims in MP! Although I have SF2/V merged install, it still gets less time than my installs of ODS, NF4, FE+exp, and WOI as they all have MP that I fly coop on.

 

I'm just sad TK didn't feel MP was worth the effort to make more of it than the WOX series had, let alone dump it for Vista's sake.

[GwynO]

I'll go even Futher.....You know those Zip Drives? Sometimes called "Flash Drives".......

 

Your Mods Folders can be "Plug and Play".....hint, hint.

 

That was the great thing with Gerwin's uber merged directions for series one, can you believe the entire series, SFP1, WOV, WOE and WOI all fit, merged together onto a thumb drive!! I took it to college with me and played on the machines there in free time in a very conspicuous manner to get more people hooked. I mean to get more people to have a look Warning though!! No matter how much people ask... do not let them borrow your stick! I had mine password protected. Direct all interested parties straight to the Thirdwire store!

[GwynO]

Guess I'm one of the few knuckleheads around here who play TK's sims in MP! Although I have SF2/V merged install, it still gets less time than my installs of ODS, NF4, FE+exp, and WOI as they all have MP that I fly coop on.

 

I'm just sad TK didn't feel MP was worth the effort to make more of it than the WOX series had, let alone dump it for Vista's sake.

 

At least there is a slight glimmer of hope, from what he said about it on the Thirdwire forums, he hasn't ditched the idea permanently, more like Microsoft ditched it as the mp feature relied on a now discontinued MS service, the reason for not prioritising MP was made for several reasons, but it is not a total dead loss, may appear again at some point down the line and as with everything in this series, in a new and improved way! But look at it like this, you are probably going to get MP in series 2 before I get my hands on LORAN, LABS, Offset, Dive toss, DIANE, CCRP etc. But it's all good

[+331Killerbee]

Guess I'm one of the few knuckleheads around here who play TK's sims in MP! Although I have SF2/V merged install, it still gets less time than my installs of ODS, NF4, FE+exp, and WOI as they all have MP that I fly coop on.

 

I'm just sad TK didn't feel MP was worth the effort to make more of it than the WOX series had, let alone dump it for Vista's sake.

 

You're not a Knuklehead. It's just a limitation of DX10. With DX11 comming with Win7, This might cure MP Problems. TK didn't rule out MP...Just put it at a Low Priorty for the moment. With that said, This engine would be Idea for that Capability as all MP Players would have to have the same MultiPlayer Install.....A problem in the past...

 

Yhea....What He said above....

Edited May 15, 2009 by 331Killerbee

[+331Killerbee]

One last thing to keep in mind......WOX Series is 7 Years Old. SF2 is just 7 Months.........

[+331Killerbee]

A Question came Up.....What happens If the Game doesn't read or You haven't got the Modded Folder or Zip Drive in the right place?

 

All the Game's .CAT Files are in the "Core". It Defaults to basic Game and is still playable.

[GwynO]

It creates a vanilla mods folder, titled and placed according to the options.ini in saved games. Everything seem to be getting a lot easier in the new format.