[Christopherger]

Forgive please in advance lack of knowledge, I am hoping to
be able to play the FreeSpace 1 campaigns in FS2 using the
Port that i found on the net, can anyone help me understand
how to use the files that are available for the basic game port
and the scenario files, etc.? Does one load them into FS 2 retail
or do we need to place them carefully with a tool?  Any assistance
or  guidance to a thread much appreciated in advance. 

[karajorma]

First off. Are you using FS2 or FS2_Open? It makes a difference to where you put things.

If you're using FS2_Open there's a guide on what to do here.

[Christopherger]

I will be using FS2, havent gotten to FS Open yet.

Thanks for the quick reply. I may need to have this topic moved to the
conversion area, sorry if I opened the thread in the wrong place.

Thanks very much.

[karajorma]

Well an admin or moderator will come along and move it in good time.

In the meanwhile if I remember correctly the download is just as a bunch of .vp files. Just stick them in your main FS2 folder and everything should work if that's true. Remember the names of the filenames you've added as you're going to have to move them when you install FS2_open or when you want to play any other mod.

Do not attempt to play other mods with the port installed. You'll get very weird things happening if you try

[Christopherger]

Thank you again K, very much. To learn very basic things
is a great help to get started in this vast universe.  I shall
set up a seperate set of CD's for the port and shall not
mix it with other mods, for strange things enough happen
in my own universe, and entering an entirely new one,
I hope to have some semblance of expectability or at least
a sense of it. thanks again very much.

[karajorma]

No need to do a seperate install. Just make sure you delete (or simply move) the FS Port VP files before installing anything else.

It's much easier to do this sort of thing with FS2_Open installed.

[Christopherger]

OK, Roger that. I see that it may be best to learn FS Open set up asap. I am still getting the ISO's done for FS2 retail, once that is done and into one of my working machines for this era of game (1999) I will be advancing into learning FS Open thanks for the tip on this.

[Christopherger]

The files listed as available for download to create the port of FS1 to FS2 are:

Freespace Port 2.3 (12.8 mb) - The new definitive version of the Port. This download includes only the essential files needed to play.

PORTED CAMPAIGNS
Awakenings (112 kb) - The classic FS1 campaign ported to FS2.


OPTIONAL PORT ENHANCEMENTS

1024x768 INTERFACE ART
sparky_hi_fs1 (18.0 mb) - This VP contains the interface art necessary to enjoy the FSPort in hi-res mode.


ULTRA-HIGH-RESOLUTION TEXTURE MAPS
fsport_hi-res (6.3 mb) - This VP contains the ultra-high-resolution texture maps for all FS1 ships and many FS2 ships and is nice to have even if you're not running the Port. To use these maps at their highest resolution, you will need to alter your registry. Details are supplied in the included readme.


GLOW MAPS
fsport_glow (0.2 mb) - Glow maps for the Port.


SHINE MAPS
fsport_shine (4.8 mb) - Shine maps for the Port.


FS1 MEDIA

MUSIC
warble_fs1 (39.1 mb) - This VP includes all in-game music from Descent: Freespace: The Great War and Silent Threat. Requires the SCP music.tbl to enable the tracks in-game.

COMMAND BRIEFING ANIMATIONS

All CBANIs (79.3 mb) - Contains all four categories listed below.

Campaign CBANIs (40.1 mb) - Generic animations, like freighters dropping off cargo, flybys of cruisers, etc.

Nodemap CBANIs (8.0 mb) - Animations of nodemaps and starcharts, showing fleet movements and system affiliations.

Ship CBANIs (14.6 mb) - Technical analysis of the assorted ships in the game, including fighters, bombers, and other ships.

Weapon CBANIs (16.6 mb) - Technical analysis of all the player-useable weapons.


VOICE FILES
These are the voice files used for command briefings, mission briefings, in-game messages and debriefings.

All Voice Files (51.7 mb) - Contains all four categories listed below.

Act I Voice Files (14.1 mb) - From Operation Thresher to the capture of the Taranis.

Act II Voice Files (11.0 mb) - From the introduction of the Lucifer to the destruction of Vasuda.

Act III Voice Files (11.6 mb) - From the discovery of the Ancients to the destruction of the Lucifer.

Silent Threat Voice Files (15.1 mb) - Voice files for the ported Silent Threat campaign.

Awakenings Voice Files (18.5 mb) - Voice files for the ported Awakenings campaign.


EXTRA MISSIONS
These are other missions, some using the port, and some you can play online.

Download Multiplayer Mission 1- "Black Omega". This has been formatted to play on non-modded Freespace 2, so you can try it if you aren't comfortable tweaking your copy.

Download Multiplayer Mission 2- "Clash of the Titans". of Freespace.

Download Freespace Demo Mission- "Eve of Destruction

I am hoping that by putting these all into the FS2 file, the port will allow
me to play the FS1 campaigns, but I was not sure if the first file mentioned is
somehow an EXE that will allow this or if I will need to tweak the FS2 set up
to access the FS1 campaigns.    i would ask at the site these come from
http://www.3dactionplanet.com/hlp/hosted/fsport/website/  but could not find
any contact e mail or access and the forums there arent working...

I am hopeful to somehow be possibly able to do some of FS1 before FS2 to get
the back story.

[Goober5000]

Easy setup:
1) Download the "Freespace Port 2.3" file.
2) Unzip it into the "Freespace 2" folder.

That's it. If you want any of the extra enhancements, download them and unzip them into the "Freespace 2" folder the same way.  If you want to play a different mod, you'll have to move fsport2_3.vp out of the way first.

Also, don't attempt to use the retail EXE if fsport_music.vp is in the "Freespace 2" folder.  It crashes the retail version of the game.

[karajorma]

What those downloads most likely contain is VP files. A VP file is simply a package of files (Like a zip or rar file but uncompressed). What you do with them is stick them in your main FS2 folder. (or in a folder called fs1port if you've got FS2_Open and then select the same folder in the mod tab of the SCP launcher)

When FS2 or FS2_Open runs it instantly goes looking for the files it needs and the VP files are one of the places it looks. If you've put the VP file in the right place the game finds these FS1 port files before it find the FS2 files and runs with them instead. (Now you see the danger of running another mod with the port. Other mods are also expecting that they will be found first and if they aren't you get odd things happening).

If you are running FS2_open grab all the downloads. If you are only using retail ignore shine and glow and music.

BTW the forum is actually here on HLP. The link just needs updating on the FS1Port website.

EDIT : Trust Goober on this one above me. He's much more familiar with the port than I am

[Christopherger]

THANK YOU , and THANK YOU, both,
I am much more comfortable now, understanding things with the port, and I did read your suggested link to the explaining of the way the files work with FS Open and Mods, helped a lot. Bit by Bit this wet nosed ensign is gaining ground with all of this, and I do so much appreciate the willing and kindly help with it all. I will be VERY careful of using mods, and hopefully will advance quickly into the FS Open
range of things. I wondered about the glow maps as I had not seen much on them in the original documentation for the retail game......
Thanks again.

[Christopherger]

Thanks to the Moderators or whoever moved my topic here where it belongs...
   a bit, thanks so much Goober and K,
I found the F1 Music files combined with the missoins in two files listed on
a stickyed topic in the Port area here, one from SuperCoolAl and one from
Mongoose, the one from SuperCoolAl had the instructions:

-------------------------------
FSPort Missions with FS1 Music
-------------------------------

Missions edited by SuperCoolAl

Requirements:

FSPort v2.3
warble_fs1.vp
fsport_music.vp

Instructions:

Extract all the missions to the data\missions directory

which i thought about as I read your linked instructions on using mods with
FS Open, Karajorma, I was not able to tell if the music files will work using the
port FS1 with FS 2 retail.....

From what you suggest Goober, I can use all the files on the port, but
need to be careful NOT to try to start up FS2 Retail, with the music enabling
file fsport_music.vp    does this mean i can still play the FS1 files with the
FS port WITH music, or do I need to do the FS Open to get the music with
them? ......I have seen other posts where they cant get the music to play with
the port.     

[Goober5000]

The music format in FS1 was three ambient tracks and three battle tracks.  In FS2, this was changed to one ambient track and three battle tracks.  Therefore the SCP is required to play the FS1 music in FS2 as it was originally designed.  Technically you could just sacrifice the two tracks if you wanted to stick with retail, but nobody has wanted to do that.

The downside is that this is one of the few SCP features that crashes retail FS2.  So I separated the crashing part into one small VP file, fsport_music.vp.  This is to make it easy to disable if you want to run retail.  (Of course, you could just bypass the whole issue by sticking it in a mod folder and using the -mod command line, but you haven't gotten that far yet. )

Playing the FS1 music in FS2 requires four things.  Missing one of them will cause FS1 music not to play:
1) the SCP
2) fsport_music.vp
3) warble_fs1.vp
4) changing the music tracks in the mission file (SuperCoolAl and Mongoose have done this already)

That's the long explanation for the short answer.  Basically almost all of the Port is designed to run on retail; the music is one of the few things that requires the SCP.

(I must be feeling in a generous mood today.  Usually I don't give such detailed explanations; I wait for somebody else (it usually ends up being karajorma) to do it. )

[Christopherger]

Goober5000, thank you so very much for your kindess in posting such detail, it
helps me a lot, it was overwhelming to face the technical issues AND the training
to get into space with the actual games all at once, I put it all away for a day...
and now I think I am brave enought to go back in. Thanks so much for these details, I am understanding more now. I cant do music in the port without SCP, or FS OPen......And Karajorma has also be VERY VERY generous with help, you all are very kind to us out here.

By the by, does OPen FS work with Windows 98 SE, with a Pentium II Dell 4100 Coppermine 1.1 Ghz, 40 GB HDrive, 512 RAM, GeForce FX 5500 Vid card ( it says there is no 3D acel but FS 1 Demo worked at least to get into the training mission)....and a Audigy Z2 S Snd Card...??  I saw a post that some of the
VP files need a high end system to run, especially the special effects.

Thanks so much for the help to this cadet level joiner...I will do what I can to repay in the distant day that I am knowledgable and do some modelling, etc, which I enjoy from my art background...but that may be a ways in the unguessable future!!!!   I found CoolMan's set of VPs by the way and am hoping to use them to build my FS2 OPen, add the port, and then to use SuperCoolAI 's files for FS 1 or Mongoose's.