[Eagle1oh7]

Hi all, new here and the nostalgia bug bit me recently when I was Youtubing gamer stuff.  Anyways, I've held on to FS2(original 3 discs) for 10 years or so and would like to install it on my Macbook Pro, it's the latest and greatest from last year.  Well, I found the tutorial for my platform and did everything to the letter and when I run the wxlauncher and select the final Inferno build I get the black screen other users with different OSes are reporting.  I run it in a window and the error box displays the following "Web cursor bitmap not found" and the three reasons:

1.  I'm running FSO from somewhere other than the FS2 folder(which is in my Applications folder)
2.  I've corrupted the install by modding(doubtful)
3.  I haven't even installed it which is BS.

The file that is non-existent or something is:  /users/cliffgordon/fs2_final_export/projects/Xcode/.../.../code/graphics/2d.cpp Line 608

So am I somehow missing a file of sorts?  It really has me frustrated.  Thanks for any solutions

[The E]

This error means that FSO cannot find any of the retail FS2 files. Make sure that the FSO executable is in the same directory as the various .vp files, and try again.

[Eagle1oh7]

It is in the same directory as the FS2 folder in my applications and the VPs were copied to the same.  I have an fs2_open.ini file in my library, could that be an issue or is it a problem inherently found in Lion?  I check the FAQ, but it seems that I've done nothing wrong.

[jg18]

The fs2_open.ini file is used on OS X and Linux in place of the Windows registry. It stores configuration data like your selected screen resolution. It should be in the folder Macintosh HD/Users/<YourUsername>/Library/FS2_Open/ . It probably doesn't have anything to do with this issue, though.

If you're installing from retail CDs, isn't there a 1.2 patch that you need? Or apparently Game of the Year versions of FS2 retail already have the patch? Which version of retail do you have? (I'm going off of the information here.) Hopefully someone more knowledgeable about installing from CDs can post here. The instructions don't really cover the details of installing from CDs, just because it's pretty rare that someone does that. Most people install the GOG version.

EDIT: 1.2 patch is here. It looks like you only need the Root_fs2.vp file that's in the .rar archive file.

EDIT 2: Can you try finding the FSO executable that you're using in OS X Finder and double-clicking on it to start FSO, just to make sure that the issue isn't with wxLauncher? Make sure that before you try doing that, you've run wxLauncher and checked "Run in a window" and then run FSO from wxLauncher, just to make sure that FSO will run in a window. That way, if you get a black screen, you'll be able to close the window.

[Eagle1oh7]

I was suspecting that maybe it is a patch that I need, but how would I install it?  I have an original release not a GOTY that came bundled with Silent Threat remake.  There should be another guide for those of us that still(miraculously) held on to otherwise useless pieces of plastic for the better part of the decade.

[jg18]

To be honest, I'm not sure that not having the patch is the problem, but as for applying it:

(1) Get Keka, which will allow you to open the patch, which is a RAR archive file.

[Memo to TPTB: Could we get a .zip version of the patch, since zip is natively supported on all platforms?]

(2) Open the patch file (available in the link in my previous post) by double-clicking on it after you've downloaded Keka and put Keka.app in your Applications folder. There should now be a folder called HotUv1.20Pack in the folder where you opened the .rar file. In that new folder, there should be some .exe files and Root_fs2.vp. You can ignore the .exe files.

(3) Rename the copy of Root_fs2.vp that's already in your FreeSpace2 folder to Root_fs2.vp.old, just in case.

(4) Copy the Root_fs2.vp file to your FreeSpace2 folder.

Also, just to make sure, when you look at your FreeSpace2 folder in OS X Finder, does it look something like this?



The MediaVPs_3612 folder is only there if you downloaded the MediaVPs.

I use the data/players folder to hold the HUD presets, which are files called hud_1.hcf, hud_2.hcf, and hud_3.hcf. They were in the retail install.

The wxlauncher.app doesn't have to be in your FreeSpace2 folder, though; it can be in your Applications folder or anywhere else.

[Eagle1oh7]

ok, I was able to install the patch the same way I was able to install FS2 with Crossover, it looks the same minus some of those VPs that aren't on the discs, I suppose you downloaded them?  I'm in the process of putting everything I need back into the same directory and going for another attempt now that I patched it.

[jg18]

Wait, your FS2 install doesn't have all of the .vp files in the screenshot? Those files were in the GOG version of FS2; I didn't have to download anything else to get them. All of them are required to be able to play. Which ones are you missing?

[Eagle1oh7]

I don't have the Root_fs2.vp, smarty, sparky, sparky hi, and stu_fs2.vp. I have all the ones on the disc.  But, maybe I know what I might have done wrong beside the fact that I have a bunch of other files that you don't like the SquadWar and Uninstaller apps...

[jg18]

That's strange. Those VP files are all from FS2 retail, which is why you need all of them to play. For example, Root_fs2 has the missions and some other things, smarty/sparky/sparky_hi_res have graphics (I forget exactly what), and stu_fs2 has the voice acting.

Could you check other folders in your FS2 install to make sure those VP files aren't in some other place? I wish I could be more precise, but I'm not familiar witth installations from retail CDs.

[Eagle1oh7]

Ok, so I didn't actually use the bottle, but I used the other FS2 folder in a different directory.  So I have to pretty much delete all the files in Data and place the MVE files inside.  I'll go off of your config, save for the upgrades, and it should finally work.  Does FS1 install in the same manner?

[jg18]

Ok, so I didn't actually use the bottle, but I used the other FS2 folder in a different directory.  So I have to pretty much delete all the files in Data and place the MVE files inside.  I'll go off of your config, save for the upgrades, and it should finally work.

I have to admit that I don't quite understand what you said.

The only files from FS2 retail that you absolutely need to be able to play are those 9 VP files, since they're the retail game data. You'll probably also want the cutscenes (MVE files, unless you download the OGG version of the cutscenes, which takes up a bit less disk space), though, which should go in FreeSpace2/data/movies/.

Does FS1 install in the same manner?

The best way to play FS1 is using the FreeSpace Port (FSPort), which is FS1 converted into a mod for FS2/FSO. The current release thread, which includes install instructions, is here.

[Eagle1oh7]

Ok, I got it now. Intro played(will download hi-res cutscenes) and just loaded the first training mission.  Using the enhanced VPs should just be a matter of downloading them and dropping them in the same directory correct?

[jg18]

The OGG cutscenes aren't high-res, they just take up less disk space. The MVE ones are fine. mjn.mixael is working on a high-res version, but that's a long-term project.

The MediaVPs (graphical enhancements) should go in a MediaVPs_3612 directory within the FreeSpace2 directory, like in the screenshot above. Release thread with details is here.