DLC Screwed up my Mod Folders Aircraft inis

[danwatto]

I've setup 5 different mod folders, all finished with all the campaigns, aircraft, terrains and mods I like.

 

However once I installed a DLC, it has removed some of the modded aircraft from the flyables list. Specifically installing DLC removed the cockpit and loadout lines from the Vampire ini among other things.

 

I think I need to reinstall all my mods Objects folders after the DLC. Is there any other way to fix this easily?

 

Does DLC really have to be this hard? Why does installing DLC have to mess with the ini files? Is TW considering an installation method that won't touch the mod folders?

[mikeymead]

Yep, it does have a tendancy to do that.

 

Best way is to make copies of all the modified inis of the stock aircraft that you have made flyable and then rename them.

 

That way when this happens all you just have to open the copies, then "save as" the ini that has been changed by the DLC install.

 

Also I tend to buy or at least install all my DLC in blocks so that I can minimise how many times I have to do this.

 

It's a pain but I can't see it getting any better.

[danwatto]

Thanks Mikey,

 

Do you know the scope of what the installer does? Is it only the aircraft inis I have to save?

 

Or does it also affect ground objects, terrain etc?

 

I don't think I'll buy DLC anymore, I don't mind the money at all. It's just too much hassle when you have everything setup nicely and it gets messed up.

Some of the mod content is so good it's worth as much as DLC anyway.

[Gr.Viper]

On the next run after you install a DLC (or a patch) the game resets all the stock ini's. If you want to keep them, hide them in a different folder until the update storm passes and then copy them back.

[mikeymead]

I've only ever had to save the the inis for the stock aircraft that I've made flyable and then its only the main iny and sometimes data ini (if its been modified) that I've had to change.

 

Downloaded add on aircraft (not DLC) should be ok.

 

An other way of doing it is to make a copy of the whole aircraft folder, keep only your made flyable stock aircraft in it and after every time you've added a DLC aircraft copy and paste it over your mod folder letting it overwrite.

 

mikeymead

 

 

[MigBuster]

DLCs ive found tend to initialise the install the same way a patch does - bit of a pain for modded installs

[DoctorQuest]

For good or ill, I always try to leave the "stock" mod folders as is and create new folders specifically for modded installs. It is easy enough to do and it seems to avoid this type of issue.

 

Keep in mind......TK has given us a sim that is very, very easy to mod but he can't be expected to support all the various mods out there (and keep the price reasonable). I don't have an issue with the idea that you mod a stock aircaft in a stock mod folder at your own risk. Yes, I need to re-copy a handful of EXEs when I put a patch on but that is far easier that worrying about what INIs were touched in my stock mods folder(s).

[liamp51]

This is what I do. First, I go to my SF2:I mod folder (IE: the main modd folder, not Objects or something, the base SF2:I mod folder.) and rename it to xStrikeFighters2 Israel. Then run the stock SF2:I, and that will create a new unmodded SF2:I folder. Then install ALL your DLCs. After their done installing, find the DLC aircraft you installed and drag them out of the Aircraft folder to your desktop or something. Then, delete the unmodded SF2:I folder that the game created when you ran it. Rename your modded install back to StrikeFighters2 Israel. Then all you have to do is drag and drop your DLC aircraft from your desktop to your modded "Aircraft" folder, and Wallah! Hope that helps!

 

liamp51

[+CrazyhorseB34]

Thats what you get for buying 50 different versions of the same aircraft that are for the most part already modded for free here. Not one single DLC aircraft is really worth buying unless you have an unrelenting fetish for Hunters. (please detect the humor in this post)

[Wrench]

this post in the SF2 Knowledge Base was of no assistance?

 

http://combatace.com/topic/55746-patching-made-easy-part-deux/

[danwatto]

Wrench I don't think it was posted, you're the first I post the link.

 

Good to know there's a knowledgeable article on it though thanks I'll read it tonight.

 

Maybe I can learn how to change cockpits too

[Wrench]

we'll teach you...don't worry about that!!! muuuuuaahahahahahahahahaaaa (<--- evil laugh)

 

"once you start down this path, forever will mods dominate your destiny"

 

 

--

another cheat, is to just rename the whole /Objects folder to xObjects, run the patch or DLC, they copy/paste/move the new aircraft folder (if DLC) into the old xObjects, and rename back.

 

effects, terrains, menus, sounds, etc are NOT effected (affected?) by either patching or DLCs, at least in my experience. Campaigns, however, may be.

Edited October 30, 2011 by Wrench

[Lexx_Luthor]

W, can't you install DLC into a dummy game, then copy over the new thing into your real game?

 

Recall the advice often given, which I have always done, to unzip downloaded mods into a blank folder outside the game, then copy stuff over to the game. Can DLC be installed like that, or at least some of them like airplanes (not AI DLC of course).

[danwatto]

Wrench yes its addictive, I stayed up late last night flight testing all the campaign mod aircraft and rating my favorites so I know which order to fly all the campaigns. I then modded my loading screens with High res photos and grabed sound and music mods from SF1. I might replace some cockpits some NATO fighters planes have cockpits low low resolution maybe from SF1 era that are not nice to use on a 2560 resolution screen.

 

Lexx I think it can't be copied because DLC would be stored in Cat files although just a guess.

 

Also DoctorQuest - note I don't use stock mod folders, all mine are with renamed exes. The DLC install still mangles them because it actually messes them when you first run the game it initializes again.

 

So if it's only the AI planes that are affected, the list of corrections to do is not so bad really. I made a list of AI only planes from all the titles and it's quite small. Small compared to the number of flyables in something like NATO fighters lol.