[AdmiralRalwood]

this is peculiar, according to the installer I have already done this and it says mods up to date.

Why did you install the FreeBSD binaries?

[X3N0-Life-Form]

"When in doubt, select everything" is a fairly common behavior when dealing with an unknown piece of software.

Also, the installer really needs some sort of reset button for that fsoinstaller.properties file.

[jr2]

"When in doubt, select everything" is a fairly common behavior when dealing with an unknown piece of software.

Also, the installer really needs some sort of reset button for that fsoinstaller.properties file.

Have suggested before.  Maybe hide it under Advanced > reset Installer to factory default or something so users don't click it willy-nilly, but it needs to be there IMHO.

[Yarn]

So you really installed the game to C:\, not something like C:\whatever_folder\maybe_another_folder\? (In other words, does the location that has a "data" folder and files named "FS2" and "root_fs2" also have folders named "Program Files" and "Windows"?)

Yes, C:\ freespace2

Installing to "C:\freespace2" is not the same as installing to "C:\" (which would mean installing to no folders at all, something you should never, ever do). And the location (the folder, not the drive) that you installed to doesn't have folders named "Program Files" or "Windows". So, the correct answer to my question is "no", not "yes".

[mikethemadmonk]

I made a new folder C:\ Games\ Freespace2 old\, as advised in the installation guide in this forum.
When I installed the installed fs2_open _3.7.2_RC1 I found that some of the entries already ticked but grayed out.
In the installation guide, step 4, it says open the launcher you downloaded, the wx launcher I presume; and click the browser tab! At this point I am stumped, there is no browser tab until I click on the Standard setup button, this shows the three files in the C:\games\ freespace2old folder but nothing else.

[Yarn]

You mean this guide: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=78710.0?

When that guide refers to "C:\Games\FreeSpace2old", it's not telling you to install the game there; instead, it's telling you that if you already have a folder called "C:\Games\FreeSpace2" (i.e., a folder called "FreeSpace2" in C:\Games), you should rename the "FreeSpace2" folder to "FreeSpace2old". (And it case it's not clear to you, this is meant to be done before beginning to install the game, not after.)

Step 5 of that guide (not step 4 as you said) was written for an older and outdated launcher, not wxLauncher. (And where exactly do you see a "standard setup button"? I can't find it in either launcher.)

[mikethemadmonk]

Thanks Yarn, well that clears things a bit. When It was stated that the original game was needed and installed, I assumed that the Freespace 2 open should be installed into the same folder, it just seemed the correct step.
So you are telling me that I should install into a different folder?
You are correct, I meant "Basic settings"
Does this game work perfectly in windows 10.

[mikethemadmonk]

Sorry to be a complete nuisance but I'm at a loss here! You stated that Freespace2-open should not be installed into the same folder as the original game. Tried once again and please see attachment

[attachment DELETED!! by Strong Bad]

[Yarn]

FreeSpace 2 Open requires the original files to run, so you must install it to the same folder that has FreeSpace 2 (usually "C:\Games\FreeSpace2" if you installed from the CD version). I never told you not to do this.

Yes, FS2 Open should work fine in Windows 10, but the original retail installer (the one on the CDs, not the FreeSpace Open Installer) probably doesn't. The GOG.com version of the game (which costs only $10) should install fine, though.

[X3N0-Life-Form]

OK, there seems to be a lot of confusion around here, so let's start over and sum up all of it in 3 steps :
- install Freespace 2
- run the installer and point it to wherever Freespace 2 is installed
- install then run wxLauncher and point it to wherever Freespace 2 is installed (which you now also contain Freespace Open)

[mikethemadmonk]

Ok, think you have hit the nail on the head. I have had the boxed version for over fifteen years. Tried to buy the GOG version but the browser download dropped out twice and I lost patience! Asked for a refund. They refused.
Will try again. Thanks for your patience fellows, I am a very old gamer.

[mikethemadmonk]

Well that didn't work either. Installed GOG Galaxy and downloaded the game from there. Installed it C:\program files\games\ freespace 2 old , then installed freespace open. Nothing seems to have changed. Why is it asking me to put in cd2 from the old boxed game?
How do I get my Warthog joystick to work, Jesus this is really getting my goat.
I fly A-10s , Blackshark, P51 and other planes in DCs Eagle Dynamics, the setup compared to this is simple to get working correctly.
Have posted my setup, please peruse and tell me what I have done wrong this time.  AnyBody.

[attachment DELETED!! by Strong Bad]

[Jeff Vader]

Grab wxLauncher, install it to your aptly named C:\Program files\freespace 2 old\ directory, then run it.

[Yarn]

First of all, do not install FreeSpace 2 to anywhere within Program Files, as doing so will make troubleshooting and mod installation a lot harder. I recommend uninstalling the game and then reinstalling it to a location outside Program Files, like C:\Games\FreeSpace2. (And there's absolutely no need to add "old" to the folder name, despite what you may have mistakenly gathered from the manual installation guide.)

Second, do not install wxLauncher to the same location as your FreeSpace 2 installation; it's supposed to be installed to a different location. The default one (either C:\Program Files\wxLauncher or C:\Program Files (x86)\wxLauncher, depending on your system) is fine.

EDIT: The game was asking for a CD because you deleted the data2 and data3 folders. Despite what the manual installation guide says, leaving those folders will do no harm at all because FS2 Open never tries to read from them. (And I recommend ignoring that guide and using the FreeSpace Open Installer instead.)

[mikethemadmonk]

I had no choice, GoG Galaxy downloader installed the game there, don't really see how I can change that.
I have already deleted those files from Data 2 and three, I seem to be getting different advice than the setup guide on this site.
In the remote possibility that I ever get this game to work, could anyone tell me how the get my Warthog joystick to work within the game, other wise it's all a waste of time if I cannot fly with it!

[Herra Tohtori]

At the risk of putting too many spoons into the soup...


The only files you need from the original game are the VP files. These include the necessary game data - models, textures, tables, missions etc. - that the game executable needs to run.

FS2 Open, at its core, is the update to the game executable. Other mods, such as FreeSpace Upgrade (or MediaVPs) include updates for the game data files, making the game look much better, but for copyright reasons we cannot just distribute the game completely. That is why the original VP files are still required, making it necessary for people to own and install the original game, then FS2 Open on top of it.

I'm fairly sure it is possible to change the GoG installation path to avoid installing games on Program Files (such as if you want to put the games on a different drive altogether), but finding the option and reinstalling the game might be simply waste of time if you already have the game installed once.


The simplest way you can avoid odd install locations is this:


1. Go to your GOG.com FreeSpace2 install location.

2. Select and copy all the .VP files in there (I'll include a list at the end of this post).

3. Create a new, simpler directory path, such as C:\FreeSpace2\ or G:\Games\FreeSpace2, it doesn't really matter as long as the game is out of Program Files - the main issue with that is Windows UAC which may try to police and prevent any changes to files in Program Files, which could become very awkward very quickly as you try to use other programs (such as FreeSpace Open Installer) to update or install additional stuff there.

4. Paste the .VP files into the new, empty directory, and nothing else besides them - this will help prevent clutter. You don't need the old game executables or other stuff - although the FRED2 documentation/tutorials are extremely useful introduction to actually using FRED2 Open as well, so peruse them at your discretion.

5. Run the FSO Installer (the java program) and point it to the new, fresh FS2 installation directory you just created. The program, ideally, should take care of the rest, and build you a modern FSO installation around the old, but still required, VP files.



I hope that clears the confusion about the requirements and (what I've found to be) the best way of making a fresh FS2 Open installation!


The list of original VP files is:

root_fs2.vp
smarty_fs2.vp
sparky_fs2.vp
sparky_hi_fs2.vp
stu_fs2.vp
tango1_fs2.vp
tango2_fs2.vp
tango3_fs2.vp
warble_fs2.vp

[Goober5000]

I had no choice, GoG Galaxy downloader installed the game there, don't really see how I can change that.

You said you had the original CDs that came in the boxed edition.  There's no need to install the GOG edition if you install from CD.  And the default CD install location is C:\Games\FreeSpace2.

[Klaustrophobia]

I had a hell of a time getting my old CDs to read last time I installed FS2.  Maybe he had to use the GOG version.

[mikethemadmonk]

Thanks once again for all the input guys.
Followed your instructions Herra, to the letter, not sure if I am quite there yet. Please peruse my attachment and tell me your verdict. The launcher is telling me that it failed to set video.
No idea why. The Warble vp file wasn't there in my gog download but I did as instructed.
So does my setup look like it should?

[attachment DELETED!! by Strong Bad]

[Jeff Vader]

Run the Launcher as an administrator?