[Itsara]

Hey, i was wondering what options i should have on for FSO?  I have of course 3.6.  My specs:

Pentium 4;  2.66 GHz  Windows XP
768 DDR Ram
Intel Extreme Graphics  (in process of updating)


So any help on what options to have on to have the best performance would be appreciated, thanks.

[Flaser]

Get the launcher if you haven't.

For starters: glow and spec and use large textures
If it still goes well:jpgtga, then pcx32

To get the effects you will have to get both glow and shine maps for the ships (Check Lightspeed's latest shinemap development thread).

Beside those you can install better effects and high-res effects.
These don't need further flags.

BTW I recommend ambient_factor 75 - this low default lighting will make the new effects stand out a lot better and it also gives a feeling of shading to the game.

[Itsara]

Thanks.  Where do i get the ambient_factor 75?

[Trivial Psychic]

Just add it into the "custom flag" space.

[Lightspeed]

lets see:

-spec
-glow
-env (and alpha env if you're daring )   <-------- not available with 3.6
-pcx32
-jpgtga
-fov 0.39
-ambient_factor 75
-targetinfo          <-------- not available with 3.6
-dualscanlines     <-------- not available with 3.6
-2d_poof
-snd_preload
-fps

Bet I have forgotten some, but those are the most useful ones.

[Itsara]

I am having a strange problem.  Before i install 3.6, everything is fine, but once i install it and check the flags i want to use and go to play it, it says that there is an error with my ships and weapons tables.  So then i go into the tech room and there is no ships or anything.  Here is the error: C:/projects/freespace2/code/weapon/weapons.cpp

Then the same thing for the ships.tbl.  Any suggestions?  Thanks

[karajorma]

Are you trying to run FS2 Retail with the media vps installed? Cause if so you can't. You'll have to remove them if you want to play retail (although I've got no idea why you'd want to)

[Itsara]

So what do i have to do if i want to use the media.vps?  Thanks by the way.

[karajorma]

If you want to run FS2 Retail and FS2_Open simply move the media.vps into a sub folder before using retail.

Why on Earth do you want to use Retail anyway?

[Itsara]

I'm new at this, but what else would i use besides retail?

[Col. Fishguts]

The 3.6 exe?
Make sure you select the FS0 exe (that came with the 3.6 zip) as the target in your launcher.

[Itsara]

I do select the FSO.exe in my launcher and i still get the errors.  I install FSO in my Freespace2 folder and then i select FSO.exe in my launcher and click Apply.  Then i choose what flags i want and click OK.  Then if i try to run it, it gives me the errors with my tables.

[wolfdog]

Clicking OK closes the launcher window... after clicking OK... do you restart the fso launcher and click run, or do you start te retail fs2 launcher and  start fs2>???

[karajorma]

Originally posted by Itsara
I do select the FSO.exe in my launcher and i still get the errors.  I install FSO in my Freespace2 folder and then i select FSO.exe in my launcher and click Apply.  Then i choose what flags i want and click OK.  Then if i try to run it, it gives me the errors with my tables.

Are you running a mod or an unmodified version of FS2_Open? Are you sure?

Do a search for *.tbl in your Freespace2 folder.

Also tell me what vp files you have other than

# root_fs2.vp
# sparky_fs2.vp
# sparky_hi_fs2.vp
# stu_fs2.vp
# tango1_fs2.vp
# tango2_fs2.vp
# tango3_fs2.vp
# smarty_fs2.vp
# warble_fs2.vp

[Itsara]

Well this is odd.  I found out that even though i specify fso.exe in the launcher the first time and click Apply, i still have to use the launcher if i want to run FSO.  If i specify fso.exe then click Apply and then click on my FS2 icon, i get the errors.

[StratComm]

Haha, yeah.  You will.  That shortcut still points to the vanilla FS2 executable, not the open one that you have selected.  If you want to be able to run it from a shortcut, you need to make one for FSO rather than using the one the game installed.  Alternately, make a shortcut to the launcher and go from there.

[Itsara]

I swear before when i had FSO installed that i just clicked on the icon on my desktop and it would work, but maybe not.

[Itsara]

Another question (hopefully the last).  How do i get that ambient factor to work?

[StratComm]

-ambient_factor x.xx in the custom flag line, where x.xx is a floating point number preferably between 0 and 1.  I think it can go over but then you're increasing the ambient level from retail, and who would want that?

[Itsara]

Ok i really think this is the last question.  Where do i put the Shinemap and Glowmap files i got from Lightspeed?

On another note.  I finally got my FSO to work and already have a problem.  Every single time i play it, it does the samething.  In the very first mission after the Psamtik and Belasarius jump in and the Psamtik fires on the Belasarius.  About a couple seconds after the beam hits the Belasarius, my game freezes and i have to reboot.  And i know the problem isnt because i have too many flags on because the game runs perfectly smooth and fine until then.