[JimmyB]

Hi everyone - can anyone help me, I've gone round in circles trying to work this out - sorry if this is rather basic stuff!  I have the retail copy of FS2 and have downloaded and run the FSO installer.  So far so good.  I have enabled lots of the features and then run the game.  I take it to make FS2 look good I now did to download some other stuff - and this is where i get lost.  I've seen mention of Media VPs and mods... is there one big download that sorts it all out or do i need to download and install each individual craft one by one and add in? 

Looking at the downloads section on the SCP website I just got more confused... any help appreciated!  Thanks

[Jeff Vader]

If you've used Turey's FSO Installer, there was an option for installing the MediaVPs. These are the graphical enhancements. If you have a folder called \mediavps\ and if it has files in it, you have the MediaVPs. If not, run the Installer again and choose to download the MediaVPs. They are used like any other mod: by selecting the subfolder with the Launcher, from the MOD tab. Details on mod usage in Karajorma's FreeSpace FAQ (link in my signature).

[karajorma]

The FS2_Open Installer will also download several of the bigger mods. If you have folders called Deralict, FSport etc you already have them.

Then all you have to do is pick the mod in the launcher and pick the campaign from the in-game campaign room.

[JimmyB]

Guys - thank you for coming back so quickly.  I have indeed run Turey's FSO installer but i don't see any folders or files for media vps or other mods.  When i click on the MOD tab and "select  MOD" i only have the data folder (which doesn't seem to have any of the files in subfolders?) or ereg, installer or temp.  Is there somewhere i can download the files i need?  I ran the installer again and it hasn't downloaded anything... i originally ticked all the boxes (in the installer) except mac and linux... 

Again thanks in advance, I must be nearly there!!

[Jeff Vader]

  Well, the Installer should download them if the option has been ticked. If it fails, you can download them manually. The release threads are stickied on this very same board. The 3.6.8 Zetas are the latest stable release. The 3.6.10 Betas are newer, btu still beta. If you choose the 3.6.10's, be prepared for some bugs. If you choose the 3.6.8's, remember to download the corresponding patches from the very beginning of the thread.

[General Battuta]

Screenshot of your FS2 directory, please!

[JimmyB]

Thanks everyone, i thought i just posted a reply but it looks like went missing

I've downloaded the VP files and launched the game (not using the MOD Tab) and can see FS2 has much more eye candy. Wow!!  Really looking forward to having a proper session on that

Two last questions - how does the launcher know which files to enable as I have the main three VPs and also core, music, texture.  I have a reasonablly powerful machine 2.5 core duo, 4 gb ram, 8800mt 512k graphics so think i can run the advanced ones, should i delete some of the others? 

I didn't see the patches on the link, do i need to read through a few pages of the thread?

Hope the screenshot works!! 



[attachment deleted by ninja]

[Wobble73]

You have put the media vps in the root folder, they need to be in a folder of their own (preferably "mediavps"). that way the mod folders will be able to find the upgraded stuff, (or if you want to play the retail campaigns, so you can select that folder to get all the new shiny stuff).


EDIT* Move everything starting with mp-710...... and mv-...... into their own folder.

[Jeff Vader]

Indeed. Usually having the MediaVPs in the root folder doesn't cause problems, but it still is polite to have separate subfolders for each and every mod (concidering that the MediaVPs are a mod of sorts).

how does the launcher know which files to enable as I have the main three VPs and also core, music, texture.  I have a reasonablly powerful machine 2.5 core duo, 4 gb ram, 8800mt 512k graphics so think i can run the advanced ones, should i delete some of the others?

The AdvEffects are the worst possible resource hog, so if you have slowdowns, begin the unprettification operation by removing AdvEffects (and the corresponding patch).

The game engine reads data according to certain rules.
1. A selected mod folder is read before the root folder.
2. The \data\ subfolder is read before the .vp files in the folder.
3. .vp files are read in alphabetical order.

I didn't see the patches on the link, do i need to read through a few pages of the thread?

The files beginning with mp-710 are the patches. You'll notice that there are corresponding patches for a few of the files (such as mp-710_adveffects is the patch for mv_adveffects).

[JimmyB]

Guys thanks, that's answered all my questions - really appreciate the help and looking forward to getting stuck in.  It's funny there is a real revival of some of these top games and mods, have any of you played enemy engaged comanche hokum (EECH), that's also had an amazing makeover as has silent hunter iii with the GWX2 mod!  Who needs xbox/ps3!!

[eliex]

. The 3.6.10 Betas are newer, btu still beta. If you choose the 3.6.10's, be prepared for some bugs.

The 3.6.10 beta mediavps biggest bug for me is the screen becoming all choppy whenever there are asteroids on screen. I recommend just sticking to the older but bug-free Mediavps until the 3.6.10 mediavps are released. 

[Jeff Vader]

And I recommend not mixing up the builds and the MediaVPs. Builds are different versions of the game engine. There's nothing wrong with using a 3.6.10 build. On the contrary: it is often even advisable. The MediaVPs are merely a collection of graphical (and on occasion audio) updates. Just contents. Not code as such.