What did SF2 Exp Pack 2 add to other titles?

[malibu43]

The only SF2 titles I have merged are SF2 and SF2E (just for the desert terrain). SF2V and SF2I are stand alone installs.

 

TK mentioned that installing Exp Pack 2 in merged installs would result in some additional goodies, but I never saw what those were exactly. I'm trying to figure out if it makes sense to go with a fully merged install with all the appropriate renamed .exe's for NF4+, SF2V, and any others comming down the road (KAW, etc...), or keep my separate installs.

 

Pro for merged install

- I get the mystery goodies from Exp Pack 2 (what are they?)

- less hd space (is this even true?)

 

Con for merged install

- Stock stuff available in modded installs. For example - stock SF2V aircraft, campaigns, and terrain (stock VietnamSEA, yuck!) can be selected and might be confusing. Too many selections in all the drop down menus.

 

Thoughts?

Edited December 9, 2010 by malibu43

[Wrench]

Lets see ....

I have a full merged, PLUS each one in it's own mods folder. The advantages, spoken of myriad times in threads beyond number, are that you can custom tailor EACH mods folder to fit exactly what the Theatre/Era should contain. Is there/Can There be a lot of duplication? Sure; it's to be expected

 

Other than the 'total conversions' we/I'm working one, that gives 6 game installs. Don't forget, too, that ALL campaings can be run/accessed from the MAIN SF2 install. So, add an additonal 3-5 (Indo-Pak, Iran-Iraq, DS, KAW, and whatever else is hiding out there)

 

It's End User's Choice, based on HD space (hell, I've used up just under 50% of my 750gig HD already! Of course, some of that is p0rn )

One can, and should, always thin down the mods folders, removeing unwanted/uneeded aircraft taht don't fit the time frame or theatre (like PLAAF Migs over Central Europe -- but that's what the userlist and terrain's LimitedNations statements are for, hopefully -which still dosent' explain the occasional Soviet Meteor!)

 

wrench

kevin stein

[malibu43]

I know I can go through and remove the unwanted aircraft from the mod folder, but I have been unsuccessful at getting unwanted stock campaigns to not show up. The same I think for terrains. These folders aren't created by the game in the mods folder (so I can't just delete them), and I've tried putting dummy folders in their place with no .ini files, but it hasn't worked. And even just to get rid of unwanted aircraft, it can be a lot of work.

 

Although , if I can get the unwanted stock terrains to not show up, that coupled with userlist.ini should take care of the unwanted aircraft. I need to give this another try... or maybe someone's got it figured out and I just need to be "enlightened".

 

But my original question was what does Exp Pack 2 add to a merged install that it doesn't add to a SF2E-only install? I'm assuming it's some additional flyable aircraft...?

[+Dave]

Yes merge it all, life is easier all around, deleted what you don't want in each individual sims mod folder. 15 mins of your life for lots of enjoyment.....priceless.

[malibu43]

OK. I'll give the merged install a try next time the opportunity presents itself. If I don't like it I can easily revert back to separate installs (something not possible back in the WoX days!).

 

And I answered my own original question about additional Exp Pack 2 features in a merged install by... wait for it... READING THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AT THE TW WEBSITE!

Edited December 9, 2010 by malibu43

[+Dave]

OK. I'll give the merged install a try next time the opportunity presents itself. If I don't like it I can easily revert back to separate installs (something not possible back in the WoX days!).

 

And I answered my own original question about additional Exp Pack 2 features in a merged install by... wait for it... READING THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION AT THE TW WEBSITE!

 

 

You read a readme? HOW DARE YOU!!!

[+daddyairplanes]

next he'll say he read a Playboy for the articles!

[Slartibartfast]

next he'll say he read a Playboy for the articles!

 

What and you dont ???

[+Stary]

what's p0rn?

[+Soulfreak]

Yes go for a full merged install!.

But there for you should have all game install

files for June 2010 level.

Just did it on monday.

Damn all goes great, only stupid thing

(as Wrench told before), Meteors & Hunters with red stars...

 

p0rn??? ----> Ask my friend Google, he will tell ya!

[+PureBlue]

1 full merged install, many mod folders, much flexible this way.

[+Stary]

just like pureblue, 1 fully merged with mods folders, and separate ones for each title created during installation process

[Bossco82]

I know I can go through and remove the unwanted aircraft from the mod folder, but I have been unsuccessful at getting unwanted stock campaigns to not show up. The same I think for terrains. These folders aren't created by the game in the mods folder (so I can't just delete them), and I've tried putting dummy folders in their place with no .ini files, but it hasn't worked. And even just to get rid of unwanted aircraft, it can be a lot of work.

 

Although , if I can get the unwanted stock terrains to not show up, that coupled with userlist.ini should take care of the unwanted aircraft. I need to give this another try... or maybe someone's got it figured out and I just need to be "enlightened".

 

But my original question was what does Exp Pack 2 add to a merged install that it doesn't add to a SF2E-only install? I'm assuming it's some additional flyable aircraft...?

 

If you dont want the stock terrains to show up in say SF2V merged, extract the stock campaign folders into the SF2V mods folder, leave the .ini's in the campaign folders but point them to a terrain that doesn't exist in the campaignxxx.ini works for me. I have SF2V merged and its heavily modified to my own liking mine only shows the other stock terrains.

[malibu43]

If you dont want the stock terrains to show up in say SF2V merged, extract the stock campaign folders into the SF2V mods folder, leave the .ini's in the campaign folders but point them to a terrain that doesn't exist in the campaignxxx.ini works for me. I have SF2V merged and its heavily modified to my own liking mine only shows the other stock terrains.

 

Thanks Boostjunky! I thought I had tried that already, but now it seems to work!

 

I created a file named desert.ini with NOTHING in it, and dropped that in my Desert folder. That removed the desert terrain from SF2E (but then I deleted the file, cuz I do want that terrain!). Same thing for the stock campaigns.

 

Merged it is!!!

[malibu43]

Just a quick question, again, related to unwanted stock items: Does the user list.ini only limit what AI aircraft/objects are used in a mission, or does it also limit what aircraft the player can select based on the selected terrain? I hoped it would do the later, but some initial attemps seem to show that the user can select any aircraft for any terrain...

[Fubar512]

Just a quick question, again, related to unwanted stock items: Does the user list.ini only limit what AI aircraft/objects are used in a mission, or does it also limit what aircraft the player can select based on the selected terrain? I hoped it would do the later, but some initial attemps seem to show that the user can select any aircraft for any terrain...

 

 

All one needs to do with a merged install, is to simply run the executables for every title. That creates seperate folders for each and every sim (SF2, SF2V, SF2E, SF2I, EXP1, EXP2, etc etc etc).

 

Then one goes into the desired version's mod folder, and removes whatever models do not belong with a given title/terrainset. One now has separate, and historically accurate titles within a merged install, that can be accessed by simplying clicking on that title's executable. Now, everyone who thinks this is too hard, raise their hands and stand up. Everyone else, hit the floor

Edited December 9, 2010 by Fubar512

[malibu43]

All one needs to do with a merged install, is to simply run the executables for every title. That creates seperate folders for each and every sim (SF2, SF2V, SF2E, SF2I, EXP1, EXP2, etc etc etc).

 

Then one goes into the desired version's mod folder, and removes whatever models do not belong with a given title/terrainset. One now has separate, and historically accurate titles within a merged install, that can be accessed by simplying clicking on that title's executable. Now, everyone who thinks this is too hard, raise their hands and stand up. Everyone else, hit the floor

 

Ooh! Pick me! Pick me! J/K

 

It was not too hard. Only took a few minutes, although it was hard to determine for some aircraft (like all the MiG-21's and -23's) which ones belonged in which title. I may try and put together a list to help with that. Or just run each stock .exe (non merged) to get the aircraft folder and then snap a screenshot.

 

With my last question about userlist and limited nations, I was just trying to make sure I understood how it all worked.

Edited December 9, 2010 by malibu43

[Fubar512]

In a perfect Third Wire world, the userlist sets which service an aircraft or ground object may belong to, and the limitednations.ini which nations appear on a given terrainset.

 

However, it's not a perfect TW world, and I've encountered Soviet Meteors and Indian Vampires over North Korea in 1952, limitednation and userlist files notwithstanding...

[Wrench]

Don't forget, too, that said limited nations MUST be listed in the terrains _Nation.ini, along with the LimitedNations=True statement in the main ini

 

Examples:

 

[Terrain]

TerrainFullName=Iran/Iraq

DataFile=IR_data.INI

TargetFile=IR_targets.INI

TargetTypeFile=IR_types.INI

MovementFile=IR_movement.INI

NationsFile=IR_nations.INI

BriefingText=IR_briefing.INI

DogfightFile=IR_dogfight.INI

DogfightOnly=FALSE

WaterMap=IR_Water.bmp

//CatFile=..\GermanyCE\GermanyCE.cat

CatFile=..\Desert\Desert.cat

LimitedNations=TRUE

GroundObjectTexture=tan

Longitude=44.0

Latitude=33.0

 

[Map]

FilenameFormat=PlanningMap%d.bmp

Width=1000000.0

Height=1000000.0

NumZoomLevels=3

 

[WeatherChance]

ScatteredChance=50

BrokenChance=25

OvercastChance=4

InclementChance=2

 

and, the important one...

 

[Theater]

TheaterName=Somewhere Over Iran and Iraq

Location001=Iran

Location002=Iraq

Location003=Kuwait

Location004=Neutral Territory

Location005=Saudi Arabia

Location006=Bahrain

Location007=Qatar

 

[LimitedNationList]

FriendlyNation001=IRAN

EnemyNation001=IRAQ

 

The locations ONLY exist to create the well, loctaions, for various target areas (as stated in the terrains _targets.ini)

 

[TargetArea001]

Name=Dezful EW-GCI Site

Position=501801,644677

Radius=1000

ActiveYear=0

Location=1 <---

Alignment=FRIENDLY

 

[TargetArea143]

Name=Doha

Position=868092,132304

Radius=6000

ActiveYear=0

Location=7 <----

Alignment=NEUTRAL

Target[001].Type=mosque1

Target[001].Offset=0,0

Target[001].Heading=270

 

In my experience, the limited nations is mostly for campaigns, in single missions it seems that all the playas can show up (well, again that depends .. I've NOT encounted PLAAF Fresco's over Tel Aviv, but have encountered, as mentioned before, North Korean/Soviet Meteors/Hunters over Korea)

 

The only real way to find out who belongs were, is extract ALL the objectdata cats, READ every single one of the userlists for the aircraft in question, and delete their aircraft folders from the era/theatre specific mods folder. (and that STILL might not work!).

 

wrench

kevin stein

[SFP1Ace]

From Meteor's data.ini:

 

[MissionData]

NationName=RAF

AircraftRole=FIGHTER

AircraftCapability=DAY_ONLY

ServiceStartYear=1949

ServiceEndYear=1957

Availability=VERY_COMMON

Exported=TRUE

ExportStartYear=1950

ExportEndYear=1971

ExportAvailability=COMMON

ExportedToEnemy=TRUE <----------------------------------- Cultprit????

PrimaryRoles=SWEEP,CAP,INTERCEPT,ESCORT

SecondaryRoles=STRIKE,CAS,SEAD,ARMED_RECON,ANTI_SHIP,RECON

NormalMissionRadius=240

MaxMissionRadius=710

Ceiling=13411.0

MinBaseSize=MEDIUM

 

What do you think?

[+Soulfreak]

From Meteor's data.ini:

 

[MissionData]

NationName=RAF

AircraftRole=FIGHTER

AircraftCapability=DAY_ONLY

ServiceStartYear=1949

ServiceEndYear=1957

Availability=VERY_COMMON

Exported=TRUE

ExportStartYear=1950

ExportEndYear=1971

ExportAvailability=COMMON

ExportedToEnemy=TRUE <----------------------------------- Cultprit????

PrimaryRoles=SWEEP,CAP,INTERCEPT,ESCORT

SecondaryRoles=STRIKE,CAS,SEAD,ARMED_RECON,ANTI_SHIP,RECON

NormalMissionRadius=240

MaxMissionRadius=710

Ceiling=13411.0

MinBaseSize=MEDIUM

 

What do you think?

 

I think that´s the reason why sometimes Blue Aircrafts show up with enemy Decals.

[SFP1Ace]

Yeah I think so too. My guess is that this entry set to true overrides userlist.ini in some way.

Edited December 10, 2010 by SFP1Ace

[Wrench]

Well, that should mean you'd be seeing Red Air Mystre IVAs, too, as India is classed as an Enemy Nation in the nations ini. Where the MystreIVA data ini states..

 

[MissionData]

NationName=France

AircraftRole=FIGHTER

AircraftCapability=DAY_ONLY

ServiceStartYear=1955

ServiceEndYear=1975

Availability=COMMON

Exported=TRUE

ExportStartYear=1956

ExportEndYear=1973

ExportAvailability=RARE

PrimaryRoles=SWEEP,CAP,INTERCEPT,ESCORT

SecondaryRoles=STRIKE,CAS,ANTI_SHIP

NormalMissionRadius=300

MaxMissionRadius=465

Ceiling=15240.0

MinBaseSize=MEDIUM

 

 

looks like a quick ini edit is in order, huh? (include the Spitfires, Vampire 5/9/52, and some of the Hunters)

 

wrench

kevin stein

[+dsawan]

I would do merged all of them but be prepared to get external hard drives for specific conflict installs. So far I have 2 external western digital drives in addition to my sfp1 stuff I still use. External drives are easy to had at low prices these days.

[JediMaster]

Maybe the game is less restrictive on the 3rd party terrains (where you've all mentioned seeing out-of-place plane/nation matchups) compared to the stock ones?