FE2 Mod HELP

[OneoftheLost 0]

Hello everyone! I'm completely at a loss here. FE2 just doesn't seem to be moddable.

 

I keep seeing threads about mods, and there is a download section, but mods just wont work on my x64 Windows 7 system.

 

As an example. Guitarclassic55's replacement menus are in the right location, and I have followed the install to the letter, but the game still launches as default FE2

 

http://combatace.com/files/file/6685-guitarclassic55s-replacement-menu-screens-with-movie/

 

I never see any new menus. Is it not compatible with Fe2?

 

Sorry for being new. :)

 

(Also. How in the heck do I speed up the pan speed for the view? My hat switch is great and all, but the in-game pan speed is stupidly slow. Any ini settings for this?)

 

Thanks for your time!

[OneoftheLost 0]

This is why you dont do things at 3 in the morning! Problem solved. If a mod could delete this that would be great.

 

:)

[Panama Red 22]

I am glad you figured out your problem. Actually FE2 is easier to mod than FE1, you just have to read the SF2 Knowlwdge Base and you can see how to mod FE2. This is because SF2 and FE2 use the same modding convention (like SF1 and FE1 used their same modding convention).

[33LIMA 972]

And to develop the SF2-FE2 family relationship theme that Pamama rightly mentioned, it's worth bearing in mind also that many mods designed for the SF TWO series, also work just fine in FE2. Not that you'd want to add Mirage III's or MBTs to FE2, but for example, I'm using a horizon (cloud) mod and a (sky) cloud mod designed for the SF2 series in FE2.

[OneoftheLost 0]

That is interesting. I never saw it that way, but it makes sense. Although I did notice that the menu replacement mod doesn't work as advertised. Case in point, when installed it shows up fine, but won't let me start a career. So Im not sure if that is a mod thing, or a difference between the two games.

 

Also. How do I tell which Peter01 FM is the latest?

 

Lastly. I never did figure out that hat switch issue. Is it not customizable? (I want to speed up panning views in game. The kind you control with a hat switch or trakc Ir.)

[OneoftheLost 0]

That is interesting. I never saw it that way, but it makes sense. Although I did notice that the menu replacement mod doesn't work as advertised. Case in point, when installed it shows up fine, but won't let me start a career. So Im not sure if that is a mod thing, or a difference between the two games.

 

Also. How do I tell which Peter01 FM is the latest?

 

Lastly. I never did figure out that hat switch issue. Is it not customizable? (I want to speed up panning views in game. The kind you control with a hat switch or trakc Ir.)

 

I have to say, these forums are EXTREMELY irritating. While I am sure there is a good reason for not allowing people to edit their posts an hour or so after they post them, I can't for the life of me figure out what it is.

 

Solved my Peter01 FM issue, although I would like to add, a little warning that you can only download so much a day, would be nice.

[Panama Red 22]

If you become a paid member (to support the bandwidth and server storage), the download restrictions are lifted.

[33LIMA 972]

[quote name='OneoftheLost' timestamp='1332169705' post='560464'

 

Lastly. I never did figure out that hat switch issue. Is it not customizable? (I want to speed up panning views in game. The kind you control with a hat switch or trakc Ir.)

 

AFAIK you have to allocate the hatswitch buttons to the pan left/right/up/down key assignments using Options/Controls/Customise; that's what I did anyway and I find the panning is fast enough for me, it's certainly faster then default CFS3 for one. You can also pan around with the mouse, IL2-style. Your panning might speed up if reduce your horizon distance a bit. There may well be a setting inside a file somewhere which can also change the panning speed but I've no idea where that is, if it does exist.

 

While you are waiting for your download limit here to reset, if you haven't already, check out the planes and ground objects availble from the A Team Skunkworks, you have to email to request access and it's well worthwhile.

 

As you may have noticed by now, many First Eagles add-on planes were made in the days of FE(1) and their installation readme's don't describe the slightly different process for FE2; check out Wrench's guide here, which explains the drill, needed first to get the plane into your FE2 'mod' folder, and what you need to do then, to get all its markings ('decals') showing up properly:

 

http://combatace.com/topic/70920-sf1-to-sf2-decals-folder-conversion-quickie-tutorial/

 

As you will have noticed, these forums and the content here are free, thanks to the goodwill and considerable efforts those concerned, and as far as I'm concerned, THAT is nice, regardless of when we get D/L limit warnings or for how long we can edit posts.

[OneoftheLost 0]

I guess I didn't look at it that way. It is very easy to get frustrated with modding, and trying to figure everything out. I am happy that the game has mods at all, as it blows my mind how much the community has added to FE2. I should think of it as 'saving' in comparison to say.. ROF.

 

Also, thanks for all your help Panama and Lima, really making this whole process a heck of a lot easier. Thanks for taking the time to answer. :) S!

 

I have one final question in regards to campaigns. I downloaded Bloody April 1917. It gives a list of planes I should download. Now, I'm a tad bit confused on one thing, what if there are multiple files with the same plane? I.e. different authors and whatnot. Which one should I download? Or does it not matter? The author of the campaign suggests skunkworks, so I might give them a try since they only have 1 model per.

 

Oops, and in regards to Peter01's FM's, you don't need ALL the planes to have it working yes? I can just have the stock planes and a few more, and it will still work properly?

[33LIMA 972]

Yes I agree, modding FE can be tedious and even convoluted at times but the way I look at that is (i) this is 'good tedium' as its extent is down to the fact there's just so much quality stuff so freely available and (ii) all this content transforms FE2 from a great sim with a merely decent planeset and SP campaign into one with a planeset that is so far ahead (and expanding) it'll never be bettered and likewise, the widest scope of an SP campaign system we're ever going to get in a WW1 sim.

 

Re Bloody April, I'm fairly sure that it's important you download the exact planes specified, for any campaign. The planes used are named precisely in the campaign files and if the name doesn't match exactly...well I suspect the campaign will run rather than crash but you won't be able to fly the 'wrong' plane and nor will it appear for the AI. You COULD get around this by hand-editing the campaign files, to rename planes you don't have, with those you do, but it's obviously easier just to choose carefully in the first place. The variety of Nieuports I guess can be confusing for Bloody April but grab all the Nieuport 17s and there's only one DH2, FE8, FE2b, BE2c, BE2d and most of the other planes named in the readme.

 

You will definitely need some Skunkworks planes for this campaign, don't be put off by the unusual registration process, they're a good bunch over there, just be polite :) I don't expect you'll need the Skunkworks Albatros DIII, the campaign must use the one that's been available with FE since the first Expansion Pack was released.

 

NB don't forget the Wrench guide to installing 1st generation planes (most FE planes are made for FE1) into 2nd generation Third Wire sims like FE2 - basically some markings for some planes don't show unless you also copy a 'D' subfolder over to 'Decals, as described here:

http://combatace.com...ickie-tutorial/

 

Re Peter01's FMs, you're quite right, it works fine even if you don't have all the planes it provides files for. I have nearly all planes and just installed the whole FM mod, ending up with a few planes or variants with just data files and nothing else. This didn't break anything. The FM mod does (deliberately) neuter 2- & multi-seater gunners tho, which i didn't want and had to hand-edit back individually to restore their rate of traverse and burst duration.

Edited March 20, 2012 by 33LIMA