Hard Light Productions Forums

General FreeSpace => FreeSpace Discussion => Topic started by: Havner on October 16, 2008, 03:34:36 pm

Title: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Havner on October 16, 2008, 03:34:36 pm
As topis says. It always bothered me what purpose they serve? They were never needed in fs2_open, but how official binary used them?

Two big game_dat1.set, game_dat2.set files inside.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Mobius on October 16, 2008, 03:38:06 pm
You mean Tango1, 2 and 3? They store all command briefing ANIs needed. There are three files because the main campaign is divided in three parts. :)

EDIT: 7,777th post! This is called the ALL SEVEN FEVER!!! :D :D :D
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Havner on October 16, 2008, 03:39:43 pm
No, I meant tangoA and tangoB. Tangos 1-3 I know what they are for. When you install the game from CD's there are tangoA and B installed as well.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Mobius on October 16, 2008, 03:48:21 pm
My FS2 has been installed from CDs and I don't have the files you mentioned.

Maybe they're part of the demo package? I removed it over 2 years ago and I don't remember what kind of VP files it had.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Havner on October 16, 2008, 03:50:16 pm
My FS2 has been installed from CDs and I don't have the files you mentioned.

Look inside data2 and data3 dirs. I've just made an install, 3CD version. They are there.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Mobius on October 16, 2008, 03:52:07 pm
I don't have any data2 or data3 subfolders in my FS2 main folder and it should be this way.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Havner on October 16, 2008, 03:55:09 pm
I don't have any data2 or data3 subfolders in my FS2 main folder and it should be this way.

Because you removed them long time ago (or never had if downloaded VPs from net). I'm talking about original freespace2, not about what you prepare to get fs2_open working.

Fact is, with original 3CD install you get those files, whatever you say wont change it.

Now, anyone know what they are for?
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Mobius on October 16, 2008, 03:58:19 pm
Maybe they were an easy way to use minor mods(changing data's name to data2 and data2's name to data should've been enough to switch minor mods).

I don't know what the two set files are for...
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Havner on October 16, 2008, 04:02:18 pm
Maybe they were an easy way to use minor mods(changing data's name to data2 and data2's name to data should've been enough to switch minor mods).

data2 and data3 dirs were equivalent to cd2 and cd3 content I suppose, not used to mod switching. But it doesn't matter where you put those files, it's their purpose that bothers me, like I said, those vp had two files insiade:

game_dat2.set (25MB)
game_dat1.set (84MB)
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Mobius on October 16, 2008, 04:05:36 pm
What does the "set" extension stand for?
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Havner on October 16, 2008, 04:12:25 pm
What does the "set" extension stand for?

You ask me? :-)
Whatever Volition inveted back then. Extention doesn't define the file, it may describe it at best, so it doesn't really matter. Can be anything.

Found this thread now (don't know how I missed it first time).

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,28074.0.html

But still noone knows
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Turey on October 16, 2008, 05:36:08 pm
I guess the only way to find out for sure would be to look at the retail code, which we've got a copy of. Although, I could swear I've run retail without those files before.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Aardwolf on October 16, 2008, 06:37:53 pm
I don't have any data2 or data3 subfolders in my FS2 main folder and it should be this way.

Because you removed them long time ago (or never had if downloaded VPs from net). I'm talking about original freespace2, not about what you prepare to get fs2_open working.

Fact is, with original 3CD install you get those files, whatever you say wont change it.

You came to us asking about something, don't tell us we don't know what we're talking about. Chances are we do.

No, I meant tangoA and tangoB. Tangos 1-3 I know what they are for. When you install the game from CD's there are tangoA and B installed as well.

No, those files are not installed. You would have had to manually copy them from the CD for them to be in your FS2 install directory.

Sorry I can't be more help.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Jeff Vader on October 16, 2008, 06:40:29 pm
They are some kind of retail files. People have succesfully played the game with them and without them.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Droid803 on October 16, 2008, 07:24:32 pm
Still...what is their purpose. They're pretty huge...they have to do something other than eat up disk space.
Also...if it comes with the HOTU version...and are sometimes installed...its slightly strange.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: JGZinv on October 16, 2008, 08:22:16 pm
Tried looking at them under a hex editor?

Tried opening them with Notepad?

Perhaps there's something in there you can read in plain text that would give
you a clue to the contents.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Galemp on October 16, 2008, 09:12:12 pm
Does it have anything to do with 162? :nervous:
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Mongoose on October 16, 2008, 09:32:46 pm
*throws tomato*
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Jeff Vader on October 17, 2008, 03:09:22 am
Also...if it comes with the HOTU version...
The point being that it doesn't. At least it didn't when I downloaded from HotU.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Stormkeeper on October 17, 2008, 03:54:58 am
Ah ... a mystery!

If its allowed, could you zip up the .vps and post it up here? I want to have a look at them for myself.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: nvsblmnc on October 17, 2008, 07:10:48 am
Never seen 'em, never needed 'em.

Bought my (UK) copy of Retail FS2 in 2003 - no demo or other stuff included.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: karajorma on October 17, 2008, 01:21:47 pm
I sense much confusion.

The original big box Retail FS2 CDs do indeed include a pair of files called  tangoA_fs2.vp and tangoB_fs2.vp on CDs 2 and 3 respectively. These are absolutely not needed to play with the game and were not included in the last HotU build (and I should know since I built it :D )

I have absolutely no idea what they are for though.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Galemp on October 17, 2008, 03:59:34 pm
Has anyone... I dunno... opened them??
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Mobius on October 17, 2008, 04:04:25 pm
Maybe they're like one of those April Fool's packages with nothing valuable inside... :doubt:

:lols:
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Snail on October 17, 2008, 04:05:59 pm
Has anyone... I dunno... opened them??
Will do... Stay tuned.


EDIT - Hmm... TangoA_fs2.vp seems to contain only 1 file, game_dat2.set. Anyone know how to open this file? Attempts with Notepad have failed.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Jeff Vader on October 17, 2008, 04:07:56 pm
Has anyone... I dunno... opened them??
Will do... Stay tuned.
:eek2: You wouldn't... You're taking away the mystery. The excitement.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Snail on October 17, 2008, 04:12:27 pm
:eek2: You wouldn't... You're taking away the mystery. The excitement.
I have.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: karajorma on October 17, 2008, 04:42:05 pm
Has anyone... I dunno... opened them??

But it doesn't matter where you put those files, it's their purpose that bothers me, like I said, those vp had two files insiade:

game_dat2.set (25MB)
game_dat1.set (84MB)

No idea what they do.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: pecenipicek on October 17, 2008, 06:28:24 pm
after some mucking about, the closest i have found is that it just might be some kind of a backup of something. .set extension is used by some ancient backup utility on win98.

also, it was created 2 or 4 days before the cbanis in the tango1_fs2.vp (forgot the dates that vpview spewed out.)


hex editors yielded so much fricking text that i gave up on that path aaand.... dunno. i'll try grep next but i doubt anything will come out...


time to get creative.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Stormkeeper on October 17, 2008, 10:26:20 pm
I'd muck around, but I don't have the files.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: FUBAR-BDHR on October 18, 2008, 06:52:46 pm
I always wondered why a game with just over a gig of data would require 3 80min CD's.   Figured it was part of the copy protection scheme to fill up the disks so you would need a burner and software capable of duplicating them which I don't thing was mainstream back when FS2 came out. 
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: Goober5000 on October 19, 2008, 02:59:52 pm
1) The movies, which took up several hundred MB on their own, stayed on the CDs.
2) The tango and warble VPs had to be on every CD, since if the player only did a minimal install, the media needed to be present no matter which CD was in the drive.
Title: Re: What are they for: tangoA_fs2.vp, tangoB_fs2.vp?
Post by: chief1983 on October 22, 2008, 03:49:33 pm
I can confirm that tangoA and tangoB are not installed with the GOTY Edition 3CD set, nor are data2 and data3 folders created.