Hunter answered everything satisfactorily, but there's some stuff I'd like to add.
Hey, um... question, but it looks like the installer deletes the .zip files after install. Could there be made an option to keep them?
Sure, I can do this. The question is, why?
And another option to do a local install from a user-specified directory, only downloading updated parts?
I don't think I'm understanding this correctly. You want to have the Installer search for files, first from a local location, say D:\, and if it doesn't find them there, or if they're outdated, to get them from the web?
If I'm correct, why don't you just copy the files to the install directory, then run the Updater?
(e.g., for burning a CD/DVD and installing from it 4 distribution to friends who don't have a high-speed internet connection. Also, this would save some bandwidth for whoever is hosting the files possibly.)
How to easily distribute FreeSpace Open using the Installer:
1. Run the Installer, give it an empty folder (say, C:\FreeSpace2 instead of C:\Games\FreeSpace2 ). Select the sections you want to include in your distribution.
2. Once it finishes, copy the Updater exe and the "rt" folder to C:\FreeSpace2\Installer
3. Zip up the entire C:\FreeSpace2 folder.
4. Create a readme file that says:
Steps to Install FreeSpace Open:
1. Unzip the zipped folder to C:\Games\, so that the included folder is at C:\Games\FreeSpace2
2. Make sure you're connected to the Internet.
3. Run C:\Games\FreeSpace2\Installer\FreeSpaceOpenUpdater.exe
4. Follow the prompts, and it will make sure that your install is up-to-date.
5. Run C:\Games\FreeSpace2\Launcher.exe
6. Make sure that OpenGL is selected on the Video tab.
7. Make sure that the box on the Mod tab says mediavps
8. Go to the Features tab, and select the options you want. Double-click an option to find out more about it.
9. Hit Apply, then Run.
10. Have Fun!
11. If you have problems, visit www.hard-light.net
5. Burn the readme file and the zipped folder to a disc.
6. Give it to people.
but when the dos window disappeared there were neither the FS1 nor the FS2 .ogg files
You shouldn't need to download them again. The .oggs are there, they've just been packaged into a .vp file. If the intro movie plays, then they're there.
Ummm... Turey, I can comfirm that the .ogg cutscenes are not downloaded in your installer. Your installer points to:
http://www.fszmirror.com/files/FS1OGGcutscenepack.zip and
http://www.fszmirror.com/files/FS2MVEcutscenepack.zip
which are not there anymore. They are now at:
http://www.fszmirror.com/files/FS1OGGcutscenepack.vp
http://www.fszmirror.com/files/FS2OGGcutscenepack.vp
Steel01
Yeah, I know. That changed this morning, and I'll fix it now.
EDIT: Should be fixed now. Tell me if there's any more problems.