Hard Light Productions Forums
Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => FS2 Open Coding - The Source Code Project (SCP) => Topic started by: SirSwirly on October 02, 2004, 04:59:29 am
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I bought this game when it first came out and loved it but for whatever reason stopped playing it. I was paging through the Hall of Belated Fame on Home of the Underdogs and when I noticed FS2 on there I went hunting for my old CD's but couldn't find them. After downloading the Underdogs' version I found the game wouldn't run. The launcher would open but the game itself wouldn't. I tried to update it but it wouldn't let me do that either. Home of the Underdogs suggested that this Source Project you guys have going here was one way to circumvent updating my program but I'm not too well versed with this stuff and don't really know what to do.
I realize I may be posting this on the wrong board, if I am I should ask that someone please tell me where the appropriate place to ask for help might be: I just didn't know where else to go!
-Trevor
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[scp][/scp]
[wiki][/wiki]
:welcome:
Quote this post to see how much auto-text I use... :)
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I didn't explain my situation too much in my last post because I didn't want to waste too much space, if indeed I was, but perhaps I had better give out a few more details.
I not having any Open Source problems yet because I haven't gotten to that stage yet: I can't even get the game to run without it.
-Trevor
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That's odd. I extensively tested the version and it worked perfectly. Are you sure you have extracted everything correctly to the game folders?
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I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "extracted everything correctly to the game folders" so I'll just tell you what I did.
1) Downloaded 200mb file from Underdogs
2) Extracted it all into a file on my desktop
3) Ran the Launcher and from there tried to run the game.
At this point the game makes like it's going to boot up, i.e. the screen goes black but it just stays black. I Ctrl+Alt+Del to end the tast and I see FS2 is not responding.
I have also tried installing the open source launcher and .exe: when I try to launch the game from there I get a teensie tiny bit further becase I see the title screen instead of a black screen, but it just freezes there. A Ctrl+Alt+Del shows that the Open Source FS2 is also not responding.
-Trevor
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Maybe you need the VPs (media-vps (http://dynamic4.gamespy.com/~freespace/fsdoc/index.php/media%20VP) and vanilla-vps (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,16047.0.html))
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I guess I don't really know what I'm talking about, but if I did need the VP's that wouldn't really explain why the game wouldn't work before I tried to run it through the FSO .exe right?
-Trevor
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It would be useful if you give us your computer specs.
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Heh, I guess I was waiting for someone to give me permission.
OS: Windows XP Hom Edition Version 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600
CPU: Athlon(tm) 1.1 Ghz
384 MB RAM
Graphics Card: GeForce 2 Pro
I'm not sure if I need to include anything else...
-Trevor
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I think it's service pack 2, which makes you trouble but i could be wrong.
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How can I test your theory?
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Reinstall your system or test it on an other (similar) comp w/o sp2.
Or try compatibility-mode on both exe's.
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Although I like this game very much I don't think I'm willing to reinstall windows to get it to work.
As for compatibility mode, I tried to run it on debug mode through FSO and I got the same undesirable result.
I appreciate your help, but there must be another way besides a reformat, right? I mean we're not even sure if the windows pack is the problem.
-Trevor
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It's probably not, I get no performance changes from 1 to 2 and FS2 and FSO still run. The HOTU version of FS2 is shady to put it mildly; it's got some hack workarounds to keep the downloads small, but requires a good bit of setup.
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Originally posted by SirSwirly
2) Extracted it all into a file on my desktop
Hmmmm. I dislike this step. Try installing it somewhere other than directly to your desktop.
Although I have no other idea about this problem after you've gotten FS2 to work you'll probably want to follow the FAQ link in my sig for more help with the HotU version.
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I don't know where else I might extract it if not my desktop. I have since moved it around, as of right now it's in a directory two folders removed from the c: drive so I don't think that's the problem.
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Have you re-run the launcher's setup menu (or rather, have you run the setup menu at all?) Or, if you're using SCP, the latest SCP launcher. Some registry stuff has to be set up before the game works, and occasionally someone forgets to do that.
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I have the very latest Source Code Project launcher and I've tried running it with all the troubleshooting flags on and still the game immidiatly crashes when it starts up. I get as far as a static "Freespace SCP" screen and when I CtrlAltDel I see the program is not responging.
The registry thing you mention sounds as if it may have some potential, did you mean by "occasionally someone forgets to do that" that I should have done something (because I don't think I've done anything to my registry, at least not manually) or did you mean the Underdogs version forgot to do it?
I wouldn't keep pestering you fine people with my petty problems, but I think this game is quite bad ass and I'm sick of all the Wing Commander Prophecy missions =p
-Trevor
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I'm happy to help someone get this game running so don't worry about it.
There are a couple of registry files available on both FTP servers that claim to be important for the HotU version to run properly. The SCP launcher should have set the registry up properly but you may wish to give them a try.
Do you have a file called errorlog.txt (or something similar) in your FS2 folder? IF so tell us what the main part of it says (They'll be a whole load of numbers too which we don't need but what's important is the lines right at the start cause they say what caused the crash).
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I have no errorlog.txt or any file that might resmble it but that's not suprising since the game crashes before it really even starts.
As for the registry files on the FTP's, how might I locate those? I don't have a whole lot of experience with FTP's so imagine you're explaining this to a ten year old.
-Trevor
P.S. I'd like to thank everyone so far for their politeness and patience.
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C:\Games\FreeSpace2\?
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Figured it was quicker to upload them myself than tell you how to use an FTP program :D
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/karajorma/freespace/Downloads/HotU_Registry_Files.zip
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Sweet manna from heaven, it worked!
Thank you so much for your help karajorma, you're a credit to your profession.
And thanks to everyone that tried to help too.
-Trevor
P.S. Woo hoo!
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Welcome to HLP, SirSwirly. Glad you got your stuff all working now. :)
:welcome:
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The reg files worked? That kind of surprises me cause I just recommended them on the theory that nothing else had worked and they were worth a shot.
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May be he used the launcher with the vanilla-exe not a scp-build.