Adding DLC to older patches..?

[Streakfalcon 57]

I did a search and found similar topics but I'm a bit confused. I just got the dlc AI plane pack 2 and created a stock install at the July 13 level. pack installs as advertised. Now, my main mod install is at the oct 11 level for a variety of reasons you all are very familiar with here at Combat Ace. I tried taking the dlc file from the 13 instal and placing it in the 11 instal dlc folder, I tried updating the version ini in the Oct 11 mod folder. I tried placing the newly created aircraft folders in the mod folder of the oct 11 install. No joy. Has anyone done this with an install older than april12?

[+russouk2004 6,958]

Just use extractor to get them ...and drop folders when sorted into your old install

I did similar  updated a fresh install,then copied them into my 2012 install

Edited December 1, 2013 by russouk2004

[Streakfalcon 57]

Yup, Did that, but when I fly them the lod is not showing up, and of course i can't extract the lod. They do work perfectly in my july 13 install. I'ts like the oct 11 exe's can't "read" the dlc folder. The version ini does say DLC29=True though without me editing it.

[+russouk2004 6,958]

look here...11th post down..

http://combatace.com/topic/78540-may-patch/

[Streakfalcon 57]

Thanks russ, but that is the original post that got me trying this. I have a stock install i created so I could patch to july 13 and then install the DLC. The planes work fine in that install naturaly.  I simply took the DLC file and copied it over, then added DLC 29 + TRUE to my version ini. The oct 11 game doesn't recognize the DLC. When I did what SupGen did,   ........  " just did what was to be a temporary re-install of SF2Europe, July2012 patch to see if I could find what's changed and porked everything up. I took a look at the Version .ini and this is what it said:

 

[Version]
BuildDate=Jun 2012
StrikeFighters2=TRUE
StrikeFighters2 Vietnam=TRUE
StrikeFighters2 Europe=TRUE
StrikeFighters2 Israel=TRUE
StrikeFighters2 Exp1=FALSE
StrikeFighters2 Exp2=FALSE
StrikeFighters2 NorthAtlantic=FALSE
StrikeFighters2 Exp3=FALSE

 

[OnlineNews]
LastUpdateVersion=May 2013
LastDLCCount=28

 

[DLC]
DLCData028=TRUE

 

Interesting, no? So I pasted over the DLC028 into the DLC folder in the new Jul12 install and pasted over the individual aircraft folders as well. Added cockpits, and voila! DLC028 in Jul2012! Whoo Hoo! After that I just rolled everything back to Jul2012. Then today, new DLC! At this point I wasn't really sure if you needed May2013 at all, so I bought DLC029 and ran the Installer;...Bummer! You need May2013! Bummer?...not really. This is what you do. First, go to the ThirdWire download page and download the StrikeFighters2 installer; you'll only need the one. Now, in whatever location your main StrikeFighters2 install resides, (ProgramFilesX86, whatever) next to the ThirdWire folder that's already there, create a new folder and call it ThirdWire2 (or whatever you want, crappy patch, whatever). Run the SF2 installer you just downloaded, and when you get to the window telling you where it's going to install click "Browse" and point it to the ThirdWire2, crappy patch, whatever folder you just created. Let it install. Now, and this is real important, copy and rename the .exe before you run it. Call it May13, crappy patch, you get the idea. Run the .exe and then install the DLC. Run it again and then, copy and paste the relevant DLC file from the DLC folder in the "crappy patch" install to the DLC folder in your "happy patch" (Jul2012) install. Now take whatever precautions you normally take when patching and run each of your .exes. Your Version .inis should look like the one below. You'll have to copy over the aircraft files to your mod folders, but, I don't know, small price to pay? Which brings up something else; there's nothing shady or illegal about this; I (and you) paid for all of it or ThirdWire wouldn't let you d/load it. I just don't want to have the privilage of having all my WW2 installs porked; now you don't have to either

 

 

 

........the lod is invisible. I wonder if because oct 11 is pre NA that the game can't read the LODs in the DLC file? Also I'm not clear on how SupGen used the web installer to get his Temp install (I guess created without the web installer and by a copy paste of an older install) to only update to the 2013 level without automatically applying the DLC with it. When I try to update a 2011 install with the web based installer I can only install the three games i bought plus the DLC 29. It wont let me pick and choose. Can anyone confirm my issue is because my fav install is Oct 11? Just too old?

 

 

 

[Streakfalcon 57]

My OCD is going bonkers over this... Questions...Is the simplest way just to have an install at may 13 level or better just so you can get the DLC installer to work and then just copy over the DLC file to whatever install you like and put it in the DLC folder of that install? I created a may July 13 install just to get the installer to work. In SupGens instructions, why is it important to copy the exe before you run the game? He says copy it and then run the game anyway. What do you do with the copied exe?. He then says install the DLC and run it again. Isn't this the same as installing the DLC into a pre-existing post May 13 install? How did his 2012 install know there was DLC 28 installed? Wasn't it in another folder in a completely separate install?

 

I need more medicine. LOL any help would be greatly appreciated.  

[+eburger68 201]

Folks:

 

There's no need to keep a parallel install of the latest patch level in order to grab the .DLC files for use at an earlier patch level. That's far too complicated and completely unnecessary.

 

All you need is a 7zip install -- right click on the installer that you download from 3rdWire, Extract with 7zip to a folder, find the DLC file in the unpacked folder, then copy it over.

 

Eric Howes

Edited December 2, 2013 by eburger68

[+russouk2004 6,958]

 

All you need is a 7zip install -- right click on the installer that you download from 3rdWire, Extract with 7zip to a folder, find the DLC file in the unpacked folder, then copy it over.

That wont work...as the cat files will be pat files..which arent yet joined\installed to the cat files in previous patch\update

[+gerwin 451]

With SF2NA in march 2012 a new LOD 3D model format was introduced (v8). DLCs after that time use this format. This is still the last LOD format up to this point in 2013. Any base install from 2011 or older cannot read this format.

[Streakfalcon 57]

I thought that might be the case. Thanks for the info.

[+eburger68 201]

Russouk2004:

 

That wont work...as the cat files will be pat files..which arent yet joined\installed to the cat files in previous patch\update

 

It works. I've actually used this very method on a number of DLCs. The .DLC files reside in a separate directory from the .CAT files.

 

This isn't speculation. I've done it. I am currently running at the Jul2012 patch level. I never bothered installing any of later 2013 updates. And I have every DLC through DLC #29 installed at the Jul2012 patch level using the process described.

 

Eric Howes

Edited December 3, 2013 by eburger68

[+Hans Topp 115]

Russouk2004:

 

 

It works. I've actually used this very method on a number of DLCs. The .DLC files reside in a separate directory from the .CAT files.

 

This isn't speculation. I've done it. I am currently running at the Jul2012 patch level. I never bothered installing any of later 2013 updates. And I have every DLC through DLC #29 installed at the Jul2012 patch level using the process described.

 

Eric Howes

 

I check it and really run, i open the sf_dlc**.exe with 7zip and extract to the DLC folder and i have the planes..... Thanks a lot Eburger