Question about the way the SF2 series files install/change when you are doing a full merged install

[+dtmdragon 2,606]

Hi guys,

 

 

I’ve got a question about the way the SF2 series files install when you are doing a full merged install, does each consecutive game that is installed (eg SF2, SF2 Vietnam and so on…) override the common base files or edit them?

 

I ask as I have had SF2 Europe/ Israel merged for quite some time and have edited a lot of userlist.ini files for a lot of stock Migs. I now have Strike fighters 2 and Strike fighters 2 Vietnam so I will be doing a full game merged install. So I want to know if the base un packed userlist.ini files will be changed in anyway by adding SF2 & SF2 Vietnam to include airforces that are in these earlier games or are they ALL already in the userlist.ini files from SF2 Israel/Europe base files that I have already edited?

 

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dan.

[Wrench 9,426]

Yes. All are replaced/combined with newer ones All catfiles are updated.

 

 

Yes, all will be overwritten and might need reextraction to cross-check what you want to 'see' in each terrain.

 

Any you'll loose any flyable AI aircraft, as their main ini is overwritten. So, if you want to keep the MiGs and Su's and AI Hunters flyable, create a copy of the main ini (ie: "save as", for example, xHunter4.ini or xMiG-17F.ini, etc)

That issue is coverd in the KB, to, under "Patching Made Easy" or something like that

 

and they MUST be installed in order ... meaning,

 

SF2

SF2V

SF2E

SF2I

SF2I Exp.1

 

wrench

kevin stein

Edited July 12, 2010 by Wrench

[+dtmdragon 2,606]

Yes. All are replaced/combined with newer ones All catfiles are updated.

 

 

Yes, all will be overwritten and might need reextraction to cross-check what you want to 'see' in each terrain.

 

Any you'll loose any flyable AI aircraft, as their main ini is overwritten. So, if you want to keep the MiGs and Su's and AI Hunters flyable, create a copy of the main ini (ie: "save as", for example, xHunter4.ini or xMiG-17F.ini, etc)

That issue is coverd in the KB, to, under "Patching Made Easy" or something like that

 

and they MUST be installed in order ... meaning,

 

SF2

SF2V

SF2E

SF2I

SF2I Exp.1

 

wrench

kevin stein

 

Cheers wrench, I aw aware of renaming each aircrafts main ini as these are overwritten in the mods folder during an install, personally I re name my entire mods folder and then merge it back into the new mods folder that is created from the fresh install/installing a patch etc (I check the change list file first incase any changes have been made to cat/ini file I have extracted and changed). So what I mean by my question is how are the cat files changed that haven’t been extracted. Because if I do what I have just explained above, when I merge my old mods folder into my new one after I reinstall all the SF2 games I will end up with my changed userlist.ini file in each of my Mig aircraft folders. These userlist.ini files will be the ones I extracted and changed when I just had SF2 Europe/Israel merged. So what I am getting at is will the un extracted userlist.ini files in the cat folders have been changed by adding SF2 & SF2 Vietnam to my merged game? I was thinking probably not as the files I originally expanded and changed were when I had SF2 Israel installed and that is the latest of the SF2 games so assumable has the most up to date userlist.ini files with it? However that is assuming that when you merge in a new game all the older (un extracted cat) common ini files are over ridden by the game that has just been installed and is the latest in the series. How ever if un packed ini files are changed and added to as opposed to over ridden my userlist.ini files could have users missing from them. If you get what I mean? If I am making any sense lol

 

Cheers,

 

Dan.

[+dtmdragon 2,606]

Basically I want to know about the original game files that we extract in order to mod them. If each consecutive game that’s installed overrides the previous files that are common to both games then my changed userlist.ini files will still be correct as I had SF2 Israel when I changed them and SF2 Israel is the latest game in the series. But if each consecutive game just changes or edits the common files it shares with the previous game (eg SF2 Vietnam and SF2 Israel both have a Mig-21M in them so both games have a Mig21M userlist.ini file) then I will have to re extract and re mod my userlist.ini files.

 

 

[Wrench 9,426]

With any luck (oh! that word!), they'll stay the same. If not, it's a simple matter to re-extract from the various and sundry objects cats. Most likely, they get expanded, what with the blending of the cats. As with data inis, that might be a good idea, as sometimes TK sneaks in small changes to the flight modeling.

 

As we all know, 99.9% of the loadouts are incorrect anyway (ALL the MiGs for sure!)...but keeping the corrected loadout inis safe is a good idea (of course, you'll have to fiddle the Rhinos, to re-split the Sparrow stations so the jammer loads in one; group 4, and 3 sparrows into group 5)

 

what I've done, is just toss out my extracted cats, and reextrat the new ones. Of course, having the HD space helps too!

 

wrench

kevin stein

 

note to self ... restart the "Loadout Fixes Thread" in the SF2 KB.

[DWCAce 19]

Once again I'm reinstalling my Gen2 games. When I install SF2, it sets up a 'merged' folder. When I go to install SF2V, it defaults to 'Strike Fighters 2', with nothing happening to the merged folder. Suggestions?

[Wrench 9,426]

Did you run the SF2V exe? That'll create a mods folder for SF2V, with all the vietnam stuff.

 

Even though, in a full-4 merged, you can access everything from the sf2 exe, i'd reccomnd running EACH exe, thereby creating seperate mods folders for every game. That way you can mod VN, for example, to exactly the way you want it. Having only those Aircraft and ground objects specific to that theatre.

 

Same for SF2I; in fact you can split that into 2, with the expansion pak being limited to the new 48 war, the expanded suez, and having the regular SF2i for 67 and later.

 

the attached screenie shows what I"m saying

 

wrench

kevin stein

[DWCAce 19]

Looks like it installed correctly. I guess I hit the panic button too soon. Thanks!

[+dtmdragon 2,606]

With any luck (oh! that word!), they'll stay the same. If not, it's a simple matter to re-extract from the various and sundry objects cats. Most likely, they get expanded, what with the blending of the cats. As with data inis, that might be a good idea, as sometimes TK sneaks in small changes to the flight modeling.

 

As we all know, 99.9% of the loadouts are incorrect anyway (ALL the MiGs for sure!)...but keeping the corrected loadout inis safe is a good idea (of course, you'll have to fiddle the Rhinos, to re-split the Sparrow stations so the jammer loads in one; group 4, and 3 sparrows into group 5)

 

what I've done, is just toss out my extracted cats, and reextrat the new ones. Of course, having the HD space helps too!

 

wrench

kevin stein

 

note to self ... restart the "Loadout Fixes Thread" in the SF2 KB.

 

Cheers for the help wrench.

 

Dan.