Hello there, I'm totally new here, so let me introduce myself:
I'm me. Who are you?
Anyway, it's nice to be here, looks like a great place!
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Now that that is out of the way, let me say that I yes I did just play Freespace 2 for the first time the other day(from HOTU) , but I got the bargain edition of FS1+Silent Thread for $10 in '01 or '02.. '01 I think. and played through that totally. I also played D1+2 back in the day (and D3 in late '03) so I'm not totally new to this stuff, but FS2 still knocked me right out of my chair; I mean, wow, just soooo very awesome. (haven't even tried fs_open yet, either!)
But man, FS1 and 2 just have made it impossible to go back to (really enjoying) D1-3. Those are so boring and pointless now...
Now, on to what I need help with, big time: I have owned FS2 (sci-fi sim of the year edition) since Aug '01, but the outer edge of the FIRST CD is damaged (or something, can't actually SEE anything wrong)!!! Talk about frustrating! So I get over 90% of the way through the install and.... pure pain(back when I still had hope of actually doing so, during the ~6 or so attempts I made at it back when I first got it). So I have had it (the box, not the CDs
) gathering dust since then, since I put off taking it back more than 30 daze and then put off going through the hoops to get a replace from Interplay past them declaring obsolescence (no more copies, period) I have been up a crick without a paddle, totally. Until I discovered it on Home of the Underdogs! Huray! So I went through the game these past few nights and just totally got drugged up on what I had been missing, stayed up way to long and had a blast. But:
The main problems are:
1. I am still on dial-up, getting the stuff missing from the HOTU download from Fractux's FTP is a huge headache.
1.5. I might not have to download hardly anything fromt he FTP site if I could find out how to extract anything from the NON-STANDARD(wont open with winzip, etc) main (~614mb) .CAB file on the first CD! (remember, over 90% of it seems to work, so I should be able to somehow extract most of it's contents.) So uh, anyone know the best ways to try repairing or cleaning a CD at home, or perhaps something I could buy?
2. The OpenGL DLLS fromt the FTP don't want to work.
3. The updated FS2.exe and patch with reg keys from the FTP is fine except... it won't patch the "freespace2.exe" fromt HOTU("contents don't match")! So I dare not replace the "FS2.exe" until that is sorted out, nor do I want to tempt fate by using the "proper" reg keys. So I would love to know where to get a valid freespace2.exe
4. What the hell is the difference between "sparky_hi_fs2.vp" and "sparky_fs2.vp"?!?!?! Besides 1 being 5 megs bigger than the other.
5. The INDIVIDUAL simulator missions seem to have been left out of the HOTU download... (they exist, right?)
6. Sort of ties in with #1.5 above: This SCI-FI Sim of the Year Edition version of FS2 I have says 20 bonus missions are included, on the front of the box so I am even more desperate to get into that cab file than just to avoid the huge downloads.
7. Is the HOTU freespace2.exe and FS2.exe edited to not require (as in, not use when they ARE there) the .vp files left out?
*phew* Can't think of much more at the moment, but thanks for your time and effort, and certainly also for that great FTP and having this HLP community here in the first place!
Later, when I am sufficiently confident you all won't bite my head off I will post a big bag of (hopefullY) somewhat fresh, perhaps totally original, ideas I have fs_open/Ferrium, but for now,
-Have a great day, laters.