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Bob: By default there is no folder called "Mods." If you found a folder in the ThirdWire directory with the sub-directories you listed (Controls, Missions, Objects, Pilot Data, & Screenshots), then THAT is your "Mod Folder." We call it the "Mod Folder" because that's where third-party mods go, but it's not named "Mods" (unless you re-name it as FastCargo describes). From the Expansion Pack ReadMe: By default your Mod Folder should be located here: Windows XP: \Documents and Settings\[username]\My Documents\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam\ Windows Vista: \Users\[username]\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam\ Windows 7: \Users\[username]\Saved Games\ThirdWire\StrikeFighters2 Vietnam\ The "StrikeFighters2 Vietnam" in either \SavedGames or \My Documents is your "Mod Folder" by default. Eric Howes

Boostjunky: What AAA types are appearing improperly? Eric Howes

Boostjunky: You wrote: Ahh, then what you're seeing is mobile AAA, which the game mixes in with ground units in campaign. The WOV Expansion Pack GroundObject directory includes a number of mobile AAA types: 51CalPit BTR-ZPU BTR-ZU-23 KS-12 KS-19 KS-30 M-42 M163 M1939 M35_Quad nv_dshk S-60 Zil-157_ZPU-1 ZPU-2 ZSU-23 ZSU-57 If you'd like to make them stop appearing along with regular infantry and tanks, open the DATA.INI for each and change the GroundObjectRole to STATIC_AAA. Eric Howes

BoostJunky: Which campaign were you playing? Are the AAA showing up for both sides or only Enemy units? Eric Howes

stingray77: That should work. Eric Howes

Jomni: You asked: No, because the only thing that I've seen so far that might affect users is the cockpit position on the A-6A/B and the F-5B. And the solution there is simply to revert to the default COCKPIT.INI files that are already included in the Expansion Pack (if, that is, you were on the Dec2009 patch and applied the COCKPIT.INI files for those aircraft from the Jan2010 or Feb2010 Update packages). When I produce updated versions of the four base Expansion Pack files I will update the ReadMe to reference the Feb2010 patch instead of the Dec2009 patch. Maybe something new will emerge that needs attention, but so far I haven't seen it. Feb2010 patch level users should treat it like the Dec2009 patch level and apply the custom Dec2009 files, with the exception of the COCKPIT.INI files for the Intruders and the F-5B. Eric Howes

RichardG: There is no "new gold update." The four base install files for the SF2V Expansion Pack have not changed. TK released a Feb. 2010 patch for all SF2 titles. I released a "Feb. 2010 Refresh" for the Expansion Pack a week or two earlier, but that is not the same as the ThirdWire Feb. 2010 patch. If you already have the "Jan. 2010 Update" for the Expansion Pack installed, I would suggest applying the Feb. 2010 patch from ThirdWire. Start the game once to verify that it was applied properly. Then install the "Feb. 2010 Refresh" for the Expansion Pack. FWIW, I will be rolling all the various updates and refreshes for the Expansion Pack into an updated set of base install files, but I haven't done that yet. Eric Howes

Jomni: Oh, yes. I've encountered it. Without naming names, here's what I've dealt with after purchasing some of the payware I've bought over the years: - Poor flight models, which I had to either tweak myself (with what limited skills I have) or even replace entirely with working flight models from other, similar aircraft; - Packages that un-rared or un-zipped into a holy mess of files, with items misplaced or even missing, folders improperly embedded in other folders, etc., etc. Straightening out the mess to get working aircraft took some time. - Poor documentation, which is inexcusable. If I'm paying for it, it better come with a decent ReadMe at the very least. The lack of good documentation simply sends the message, "We don't care." - Poor design: with one model I purchased, an external underwing pod was built into the aircraft model itself, meaning that no alternate ordnance could be loaded on that pylon; - Configuration errors: with another model I purchased the developer had not only neglected to include the proper drop tanks for the aircraft, but worse (so I discovered after being told that the developer figured his paying customers could find suitable ones themselves on one or another download site) the DATA.INI and LOADOUT.INI weapon station numbering was mismatched, meaning that you couldn't even use third-party tanks without hacking the .INI files first. Again, if I'm paying you for it, it better work "out of the box." - Abysmal support: one payware developer I've encountered is notorious for telling his paying customers to go pound sand when they report issues he doesn't feel like fixing. In my favorite support "incident" of all time, he told another customer who reported a bug on a public forum, "There's a fix out there for this some place. Go find it." Absolutely stunning. - Abysmal QA: that same developer suffers from comically atrocious QA -- it seems that testing before release is haphazard or minimal in some areas. At the very least, he has a version control problem -- he often doesn't know what is in (or isn't in) the packages he released and is regularly surprised when customers report this, that, or the other is missing (or ask "what is THIS doing in here"). Now, I work for a software company myself. If it's software you're dealing with, you can expect bugs (and I do). But some of the payware developers I've encountered need to rethink their approach as well as their commitment to their paying customers. And, btw, there is plenty of payware out there of high quality, so please don't let the above lead you to believe that all payware developers are alike -- they're not. As one other poster noted, there are varying levels of quality in both the freeware and payware camps. Eric Howes

Folks: You may have noticed that TK has released a Feb. 2010 patch for SF2. I have done some quick testing with the SF2V Expansion Pack -- see my post here: http://forum.combatace.com/topic/53093-just-when-you-thought-you-had-caught-up/page__view__findpost__p__387780 I'll tell you right up front, though, the answer to the question is: no, the trees/clouds issue is not fixed. Eric Howes

Folks: You may have noticed that TK has released a Feb. 2010 patch for SF2. I have done some quick testing with the SF2V Expansion Pack -- see my post here: http://forum.combatace.com/topic/53093-just-when-you-thought-you-had-caught-up/page__view__findpost__p__387780 I'll tell you right up front, though, the answer to the question is: no, the trees/clouds issue is not fixed. Eric Howes

Folks: And the answer to the question amongst SF2V Expansion Pack users is: no, this update does not fix the dreaded trees/clouds rendering issue that reared its ugly head in the Dec2009 patch, so users upgrading to Feb2010 will need to continue using the Dec2009 "disappeared trees" workaround (found in the "Feb. 2010 Refresh" package for the Expansion Pack). It does, however, look like TK has backed out the changes made in Dec2009 to cockpit positioning (as he said he would). So, if you run into cockpit position problems with the A-6A/B and the F-5B, revert to the original COCKPIT.INIs for the those aircraft, which you can find in the 3rd and 4th .7z files of the base SF2V Expansion Pack download. In the quick testing I just did, I noticed no other issues or problems -- that's with the Dec2009 files from the "Feb. 2010 Refresh" package applied. I'm sure there are other subtle changes that will emerge over time, though. Eric Howes

Badfrank: Thanks for the info. Then it looks like SF2V standalone users have two options: 1) Delete the the A-4B and A-4B_65 from the \Objects\Aircraft dir in their Mod Folders 2) Reinstall SF2V as part of a merged install (SF2 first, then SF2V) There are three units in the Rolling Thunder campaign that use the A-4B_65, but all three have the A-4C_65 listed as Alternate Types. In the mean time I will add the A-4B and A-4B_65 to the "Optional" installs folder with appropriate instructions in the ReadMe. Best, Eric Howes

Badfrank: Is your installation also a standalone SF2V install? RichardG: I tested all A-4B variants on my various test installs of the two Expansion Packs last night and encountered no problems. In fact, we make almost no changes to the A-4B or the _65 variant in SF2V. So, my best guess is that the A-4B & A-4B_65 are not part of a default SF2V standalone install. You can test this by temporarily renaming your SF2V Mod Folder to something else, then starting the game and letting the game generate a fresh new Mod Folder. Does that Mod Folder contain an A-4B and A-4B_65? Eric Howes

Richard: Which version of the Expansion Pack -- SF2V or WoV? Which patch level of the game are you playing at? And which specific model of the A-4B? Eric Howes

Hi All: Yes, the "Feb. 2010 Update" has itself been updated. It contains all the fixes and updates from the "Jan. 2010 Update" and original "Feb. 2010 Update" plus the following new items: FIXES - adjusted rudder on F-8s - added AF number decals to A-7D - tweaked most F-4J textures - tweaked some F-4B_Late textures - tweaked ENVIRONMENTSYSTEM.INI - adjusted service dates of SA-2F launcher for WoV 2006 - minor tweaks to other aircraft UPDATES - added damage textures to a number of aircraft - added Nam Phong RTAFB to TARGETS.INI for both terrains - added CA_Stary's Ejection Mod 1.0 - added Pappa Goat & krfrge's smoke-marking effects for infantry - added two new skins for the F-105F - added Streak Eagle's etched glass radar textures to most F-4s I'm hoping this will be the last such update before I roll all the various updates into an updated set of main installer packages. Best, Eric Howes

Hi All: Yes, the "Feb. 2010 Update" has itself been updated. It contains all the fixes and updates from the "Jan. 2010 Update" and original "Feb. 2010 Update" plus the following new items: FIXES - adjusted rudder on F-8s - tweaked most F-4J textures - tweaked some F-4B_67 textures UPDATES - added damage textures to a number of aircraft - added Nam Phong RTAFB to TARGETS.INI for both terrains - added CA_Stary's Ejection Mod 1.0 - added Pappa Goat & krfrge's smoke-marking effects for infantry - added two new skins for the F-105F - added Streak Eagle's etched glass radar textures to most F-4s I'm hoping this will be the last such update before I roll all the various updates into an updated set of main installer packages. Best, Eric Howes

Taterd: See the ReadMe for the SF2V Air & Ground Expansion Pack. You need to copy the cockpit folder from the FOTI mod to the folders for the following aircraft: A-6A A-6B EA-6A EA-6B KA-6D EB-66C RB-66C Eric Howes

MC.202: See my reply to RichardG above on SF2I-compatibility. Version 1.0 of the Expansion Pack was built 6 months before the Dec2009 patch and, thus, does not support it. In particular, you will see the dreaded trees/clouds issue with the older version of the VietnamSEA terrain included in this version of the Expansion Pack. Other things will be broken as well. Only version 2.0 with the "Tiles Update" and "February 2010 Update" supports the Dec2009 patch. Eric Howes

andqui: In order to fly Red aircraft for either single missions for campaigns, you'd need to make the appropriate aircraft flyable (using the several mod packs available here at CA), and then edit the campaign files to add player flyable units. Best, Eric Howes

andqui: Ah, that explains it. I've edited the first post in this thread to remove the links, which are long since obsolete. Eric Howes

andqui: What are you trying to download? Be specific -- give a link to the download page. Eric Howes

andqui: Wait a bit and try downloading later. The server may have been having temporary issues when you tried. Also, be sure to clear your browser cache before re-trying. Eric Howes

Hi All: A "February 2010 Update" for both the SF2V & WoV Air & Ground Expansion Packs is now available. These updates incorporate all the fixes and updates from the "January 2010 Updates." Please look through the ReadMe that accompanies each before installing. Eric Howes

Hi All: The "February 2010 Update" for the SF2V Air & Ground Expansion Pack is now available. It incorporates all the fixes and updates from the "January 2010 Update." Please look through the ReadMe before installing. Eric Howes

Hi All: The "February 2010 Update" for the WoV Air & Ground Expansion Pack is now available. It incorporates all the fixes and updates from the "January 2010 Update." Please look through the ReadMe before installing. Eric Howes