[SadbutTrue]

Yeah, i tried to do this a few months ago, but i had no luck getting started using Fred and loading user missions/campaigns.  So... I decided I'd try it again.  Once I pick a user campaign I want to use, and download it, where do I put the files?  What plugins and other things do I need to download (texture packs, backgrounds, other objects)?  And what exactly is FS2_open?  Thanks, pardon my stupidity.  Please explain everything in extreme detail.  

[Singh]

you put the .fs2/fc2 files into the /data/missions directory. If its a mission that uses SCP/FSO, then you definately need to download the launcher and the relevant exes.

As for an explanation to what the SCP is, you may want to head to here for a full explanation on the entire thing.

Hope that helps

[Bobboau]

FSO is FS2 after we messed with it's programming.
it's better looking and has more options. though most of what you can do with it isn't going to impress you untill you become a more experienced modder, but what others have done with it will impress you. look in the highlights and get the short demo vid of the death star run for an example of what it's capable of.

[SadbutTrue]

does FSO = SCP essentially?  Thanks, good info so far.  Good stuff whaty ou guys are doing out here.

[SadbutTrue]

alright, i'm looking at the media.vp stuff... a few questions.  First, I have a P4 2.8 H/T, with 1 gig pc3200 ram and a 6600gt... should I install all the updates or will that cause the game to slow down too much?  If not, which ones should I get?  I would think my comp could handle anything the FS engine could throw at it, but I want to be sure.

Also, where do I put the media.vp files so that its easy to get rid of them if need be?

FInal question... I noticed there is a limited edition interplay 20th anniversary edition with 20 extra missions... are these missions worthwhile?  Can you get them without getting the anniversary edition?

Thanks

[karajorma]

When you first played with FRED did you try going to the help and looking at the walkthrough?

If not actually do the walkthrough. It will teach you almost all the stuff you need to know to make missions. My FAQ has lots of info on what you'll want to do after doing that including details of the FRED Academy.

[SadbutTrue]

yeah, i went through the walkthrough, but i couldn't get it to load... we concluded that there was something wrong with a driver conflict or something, and that it wouldnt' work.  I'm not too concerned with FREDing yet, maybe later.  My main concern is how much of the media.vp stuff i can download before my comp starts slowing.  

i also noticed that your link that says FS2_open cannot play cutscenes, or at least the traditional ones.  I tried to download the links for the FS2 movies in .avi format but the links in your sig's site were dead.  Could anyone point me to them?

[karajorma]

Links seem fine to me. Try this one

[SadbutTrue]

any advice on the media.vp stuff?  or how to get those special edition missions?

edit:  Thanks for that link, don't why it wouldn't work earlier.  I downloaded the cutscenes... after playing with them with virtual dub,w here do i put them?  Just in the standard FS2 directory?

Thanks

[karajorma]

You don't need to play with virtualdub (you only need to do that if you were making them yourself from the mve files on the CD).

Freespace 2 will find the movies in any of several locations. The two favourites are in the main Freespace2 folder or in Freespace2\data.

As for your other questions. Your computer should be powerful enough to handle all the media.vp files so I'd probably try that.

The extra missions from the 20th anniversary edition are available elsewhere. I don't know if they're all grouped together and labled as such. The ones on the CD I think were simply taken from the VoltionWatch Archives.