[flavio_shaka]

Hi, my name is Flavio, from Buenos Aires, Argentina and I do not speak English well (sorry for that)   

First, I congratulate you for the great work, and all the effort I've seen of this community, that this game can prevail in the time and also improves.

I´m new here, and in te world of the Freespace Open.
I´m a big fan of this game since the first! (and Star Trek too  )

Perhaps my question sounds stu*id but I do not fully understand that... (sorry for that too xD)

I install a clean freespace copy to install the FSO, mediavps, and everything else. Now, I can play the original campaign with improved graphics. If I understand correctly, I can download campaigns by other projects (Mods) and play, selecting them in the "launcher". Right?

1) But, I don´t understand how work the called "total conversion"... what convert? the entirely game?.. I only know that I can´t use the two at same time.

2) In addition, I found much interesting material that can be added, for example, models of ships of star trek (in .pof files), but I can use it in the game? Or only see it?

Thanks for being patient with the new guy.

Un gran abrazo para todos desde argentina.
Muchas gracias!

[The E]

A Total Conversion is a standalone game that does not require any of the FS2 retail files. The Babylon Project, Wing Commander Saga, and Diaspora are examples of this.

As to your second question, Yes, such models can be used ingame. However, before it is possible to do so, somebody has to make a mod with them, meaning that table entries and such have to be written to make them actually usable.

[flavio_shaka]

ahhh.. yes, now I understand.

Now I understand.
So I was wrong. You can have a version "total conversion" along with an original game (or a MOD) in the same PC because they are two different installations.

As to the second question, I'll have to wait a MOD for use it.    ok..

Thank you very much for your help!
Kind regards.

[Colonol Dekker]

By the way......

[Flaser]

ahhh.. yes, now I understand.

Now I understand.
So I was wrong. You can have a version "total conversion" along with an original game (or a MOD) in the same PC because they are two different installations.

As to the second question, I'll have to wait a MOD for use it.    ok..

Thank you very much for your help!
Kind regards.

Not exactly. The Freespace_Open engine needs two things to run:
1. An executable (e.g. an exe file)
2. Data-Set - models of ships, textures, mission files, table file that describe how things act in game. In retail and finished MODs/Total Conversions these are normally packed as vp files for easier managment.

By now, you can tell FSO to run with whatever Data-Set you want. Just click the "MOD" button in launcher and select the directory of the Data-Set you want.

This could be the Freespac MediaVP folder, in which case you're using files that contain community upgrades to the retail Freespace assets. It could also be a MOD, totally new files created by someone.

When you're no longer using *any* files, from the retail version of Freespace (files released with the game back in 1999), then you're effectively playing a Total Conversion, since beside the engine itself, you're not using anything related to the game.

Why the distinction?

Freespace has an open source, non-commercial license. People can tinker with the source code and build versions themselves. They can distribute these executables, as long as they do so on a non-commercial basis. However the actual game assets are still under copy-right and can't be distributed in this manner.

So if you create a campaign, or game that uses assets from the retail game, end users will need to buy a copy of Freespace as you have no legal means to distribute (all) the necessary files.

If you don't use any assets from retail, you can pretty much distribute the game as you see fit - and as long as you do it on a non-commercial basis - since all asset files are your creation and therefore you have copyright over them, and the executable (the engine if you will) can be distributed on a non-commercial basis. So a Total Conversion, unlike a MOD can be used by people without buying a copy of Freespace.

[flavio_shaka]

....uuuuh I have much for learn...
Thank you very much everyone!

Now.. I think... for example, now I have selected the MediaVP folder in the MOD tab of my launcher, and I playing the original campain whit the new graphics.
When I install a MOD for play a different campain, I´ll select the folder of this MOD in the launcher... in this case, what happen whit all the improvements in the (now unselected) MediaVP folder?

[Rodo]

Now.. I think... for example, now I have selected the MediaVP folder in the MOD tab of my launcher, and I playing the original campain whit the new graphics.
When I install a MOD for play a different campain, I´ll select the folder of this MOD in the launcher... in this case, what happen whit all the improvements in the (now unselected) MediaVP folder?

Te lo explico en español, los mods tienen un archivo que se llama mod.ini dentro de sus carpetas, con este archivo le dicen al juego que recursos debe cargar desde que carpeta.

Estas carpetas se muestran en el flag "secondarylist".

Generalmente cada mod tiene su propio mod.ini con las rutas de todos los recursos que necesita, así por ejemplo cuando seleccionas Blueplanet como mod vas a ver esto en el archivo: "secondarylist = blueplanet,mediavps_3612;"

Ahi lo que le esta diciendo es que cargue los datos de la carpeta blueplanet y a la vez también cargue los datos de la carpeta mediavps_3612, entonces el mod puede usar tanto los recursos de blueplanet como de mediavps_3612.

Cualquier cosa consultame por PM.
Saludos!
Rodo.