Hard Light Productions Forums

Modding, Mission Design, and Coding => The Modding Workshop => Topic started by: Felix 039 on August 19, 2009, 02:12:53 am

Title: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 19, 2009, 02:12:53 am
Can someone tell me what software do I need to make custom missions/campaigns? And are they free?
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Akalabeth Angel on August 19, 2009, 02:49:22 am
If you look in your freespace 2 directory you'll find a program "Fred2.exe"

this is all you need for missions/campaigns.

If you want to add ships, music, etcetera then you might need some more programs. But they're all free. (unless you want to create new ships yourself, then THOSE might not be free depending on what you use).

What exactly do you want to do?
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 19, 2009, 04:40:02 am
I am currently using a mac but I do have access to a PC, unfortunately I lost my copy of FS2 after copying the original game files so I cannot get the Fred2.exe

I see some ships have different name plates, say GTC call Boom. The ship's engine hull says GTC Boom. Since there isnt a GTC Boom in the FS2 campaign, I assume I have to make it. If I use the same model as a Fernis Class Cruiser, do it auto change the ship plate name?
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 19, 2009, 06:32:32 am
No, the nameplates are a new texture that you have to apply via FRED. Sorry, but for mission/campaign writing using FRED is a necessity. And just so we're clear, FRED2Open should be used.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Rodo on August 19, 2009, 07:58:21 am
you don't need fred to make a mission, but you'll probably loose a lot of time making your mission on notepad.

IRC you get the fred2.exe with the 1.2v patch of the game, so if you have installed the fs original on your pc just hit the update button on the launcher and it will download this patch.

Not sure about this last one though.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 19, 2009, 08:01:44 am
.... Using FRED2 (the original one) is only a good idea if you plan to do something that is retail compatible. If you want to use FS2Open features, (like all the new sexps, for example) FRED2Open is a necessity.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 19, 2009, 08:15:14 am
you don't need fred to make a mission, but you'll probably loose a lot of time making your mission on notepad.

IRC you get the fred2.exe with the 1.2v patch of the game, so if you have installed the fs original on your pc just hit the update button on the launcher and it will download this patch.

Not sure about this last one though.

The thing is, I no longer have my FS2 Disc.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 19, 2009, 08:19:15 am
And you don't need it. If you've installed FS2Open, you have FRED2Open, which is the main tool to create missions and campaigns.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Rodo on August 19, 2009, 08:23:58 am
The FS2 disc is not needed, just an installed version of FS, if you have that just run the retail launcher, or even better, update to FSopen (get the RC3 release exe's) and you should be ready to go as The E said.

Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 19, 2009, 08:27:02 am
Rodo: NO. JUST NO. RC3 IS NOT RECOMMENDED. GET 3.6.10 FINAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,64520.0.html)
Get the FSOpen Launcher from that thread as well.

Seriously, how do people miss those announcements?
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 19, 2009, 08:49:53 am
NONONONO.

---

The game I am playing now is FS2 Open on Mac OS X, and it does not have FRED included for some reason, so I cannot put it in a USB or whatever I might be able to do if I have it in the first place.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 19, 2009, 08:53:55 am
Ah. Sorry, but FRED is windows-only at the moment. There's an effort going into making it cross-platform, but it's only just beginning. So unfortunately, you have to either use Windows, or some sort of compatibility layer (like Wine on Linux) to make it work on MacOS.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 19, 2009, 08:55:48 am
 :hopping:

What I mean is:

I lost my FS2 CD.
I have access to a windows computer.
I don't have the FRED software, so I cannot drag it from my Mac comp to my Window comp.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 19, 2009, 08:59:47 am
What's your problem, then? Just install FSOpen on the Windows machine by copying the FreeSpace 2 directory as a whole. If you download the Windows executables from the 3.6.10 Final release thread, there will be a FRED build included.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 19, 2009, 09:03:23 am
Oh? I'll see if it works... tomorrow hopefully...

Thanks E, its really helpful info. I didnt know Wisdows 3.6.10 Final include that.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 20, 2009, 07:18:56 am
Umm... somethings wrong, I copied the files into the Windows, downloaded the FS2O 3.6.10 for windows and copied it (along with other files in the zip) to the folder as well. When I tried to run the exe (Both FS2O and FRED2O and their debug builds), a screen pop out and say that I do not have OpenAL32.dll, so I went online and downloaded some files (I am not sure if its what I need, I just googled it dl the stuff with OpenAL labeled). I installed those stuff and found that OpenAL32.dll now exist on my system directory, but for some reason, everytime I try running the exe(s), the circle pops up (Im using Vista) indicating its loading something, then stopped after 5-10 seconds. I tried reinstalling the OpenAL but it doesn't work. What did I do wrong?

I am a windows noob btw.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 20, 2009, 07:24:24 am
Can you run one of the debug builds, then post the debug log (fs2_open.log, in the data folder) here? And did you download and use the Windows Launcher in the 3.6.10 Final release thread? As for openAL, this (http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/Downloads/oalinst.zip) should be all you need.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 20, 2009, 07:34:30 am
Can you run one of the debug builds, then post the debug log (fs2_open.log, in the data folder) here? And did you download and use the Windows Launcher in the 3.6.10 Final release thread? As for openAL, this (http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/Downloads/oalinst.zip) should be all you need.

FS2O: I should be downloading from this: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,64520.0.html   Right?
Launcher: I didn't download the launcher, but shouldn't it still work without the launcher? I'l download it now too. Edit: Damn... Where is the launcher?
Debug Build: I couldn't run any of the builds earlier, so no. I'll try it again once I re-download everything. BTW, where's the fs2_open.log for windows?
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 20, 2009, 07:39:38 am
Yep, that's it. And the Launcher IS necessary, I'm afraid, since it sets up all the registry settings FSO needs. It can be found in that thread, or here: http://fs2source.warpcore.org/exes/Launcher55e.zip

And the log is in the data folder in your FS2 directory.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 20, 2009, 07:43:41 am
Ohh!!! Cool, I'll try it now.

Will I need Turney's Installer? How updated is it?
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 20, 2009, 07:45:13 am
Turey's installer is safe to use; it no longer installs old or corrupted data. You'll need to use it if you don't have the mediavps, or the fsport.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 20, 2009, 08:08:48 am
I still don't know where's the fs2_open.log

Launcher's fine but the exe are still refusing to run.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 20, 2009, 08:14:28 am
In the folder where you have put all the FreeSpace data. There is a data folder in there. Look in there.

Select the debug build in the launcher, and run it. Also make sure that the Launcher and 3.6.10 exe are all in the FreeSpace directory.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 21, 2009, 04:38:27 am
Tried it, even the debug refuse to run so no logs. I tried it on another comp. No luck, both are vistas.
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: The E on August 21, 2009, 05:54:39 am
What exactly do you mean by "refusing to run"? And does this happen with the nightly builds as well? This one, for example: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,65233.0.html
Title: Re: What do I need to make custom mission/campaign?
Post by: Felix 039 on August 21, 2009, 08:38:53 pm
The pointer turns into the loading pointer for about 5-10 seconds then returns to normal, as if nothing happened.