Author Topic: (newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)  (Read 3265 times)

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Hello there, I'm totally new here, so let me introduce myself:
I'm me. Who are you?

Anyway, it's nice to be here, looks like a great place!
-

Now that that is out of the way, let me say that I yes I did just play Freespace 2 for the first time the other day(from HOTU) , but I got the bargain edition of FS1+Silent Thread for $10 in '01 or '02.. '01 I think. and played through that totally. I also played D1+2 back in the day (and D3  in late '03) so I'm not totally new to this stuff, but FS2 still knocked me right out of my chair; I mean, wow, just soooo very awesome. (haven't even tried fs_open yet, either!)

But man, FS1 and 2 just have made it impossible to go back to (really enjoying) D1-3. Those are so boring and pointless now...

Now, on to what I need help with, big time: I have owned FS2 (sci-fi sim of the year edition) since Aug '01, but the outer edge of the FIRST CD is damaged (or something, can't actually SEE anything wrong)!!! Talk about frustrating! So I get over 90% of the way through the install and.... pure pain(back when I still had hope of actually doing so, during the ~6 or so attempts I made at it back when I first got it). So I have had it (the box, not the CDs :)) gathering dust since then, since I put off taking it back more than 30 daze and then put off going through the hoops to get a replace from Interplay past them declaring obsolescence (no more copies, period) I have been up a crick without a paddle, totally. Until I discovered it on Home of the Underdogs! Huray! So I went through the game these past few nights and just totally got drugged up on what I had been missing, stayed up way to long and had a blast. But:

The main problems are:
1. I am still on dial-up, getting the stuff missing from the HOTU download from Fractux's FTP is a huge headache.

1.5. I might not have to download hardly anything fromt he FTP site if I could find out how to extract anything from the NON-STANDARD(wont open with winzip, etc) main (~614mb) .CAB file on the first CD! (remember, over 90% of it seems to work, so I should be able to somehow extract most of it's contents.) So uh, anyone know the best ways to try repairing or cleaning a CD at home, or perhaps something I could buy?

2. The OpenGL DLLS fromt the FTP don't want to work.

3. The updated FS2.exe and patch with reg keys from the FTP is fine except... it won't patch the "freespace2.exe" fromt HOTU("contents don't match")! So I dare not replace the "FS2.exe" until that is sorted out, nor do I want to tempt fate by using the "proper" reg keys. So I would love to know where to get a valid freespace2.exe :)

4. What the hell is the difference between "sparky_hi_fs2.vp" and "sparky_fs2.vp"?!?!?! Besides 1 being 5 megs bigger than the other.

5. The INDIVIDUAL simulator missions seem to have been left out of the HOTU download... (they exist, right?)

6. Sort of ties in with #1.5 above: This SCI-FI Sim of the Year Edition version of FS2 I have says 20 bonus missions are included, on the front of the box  so I am even more desperate to get into that cab file than just to avoid the huge downloads.

7. Is the HOTU freespace2.exe and FS2.exe edited to not require (as in, not use when they ARE there) the .vp files left out?

*phew* Can't think of much more at the moment, but thanks for your time and effort, and certainly also for that great FTP and having this HLP community here in the first place!

Later, when I am sufficiently confident you all won't bite my head off I will post a big bag of (hopefullY) somewhat fresh, perhaps totally original, ideas I have fs_open/Ferrium, but for now,

-Have a great day, laters.
-I am not signing this.

 

Offline grilox

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
I'm new too!

Anyway, I can only answer the single mission ones, as that it appears that they are multi-player only,because thats the only way I have been able to play them.

 

Offline an0n

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
:welcome:

Don't touch my ****. Don't ask about FS3.
"I.....don't.....CARE!!!!!" ---- an0n
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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Let's see what I can answer.

3 - Well, there are some ISO's for download around here somewhere.  Or you could just use FSOpen, since that's a totally different exe.

4 - Sparky_hi contains the data files neccessary to play the game at 1024x768 resolution.  While FSOpen can play it at that resolution without them, it won't look good, and your HUD will have a misplaced Lead target indicator and target brackets.

5 - Actually, they don't seem to exist.  My retail FS2 has no standalones.

7 - no.  It still uses the VPs.  It just includes blank files for the big ones - all audio filenames are present, but there is no content to them, just a filename.

 

Offline NGTM-1R

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Re: (newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Quote
Originally posted by Sinsearach

4. What the hell is the difference between "sparky_hi_fs2.vp" and "sparky_fs2.vp"?!?!?! Besides 1 being 5 megs bigger than the other.

5. The INDIVIDUAL simulator missions seem to have been left out of the HOTU download... (they exist, right?)


4. sparky_hi_fs2.vp is the hi-res versions of the ship textures.

5. Yes. Somebody has a link to downloading them in their sig somewhere.

Quote
7. Is the HOTU freespace2.exe and FS2.exe edited to not require (as in, not use when they ARE there) the .vp files left out?


7. It is, in a way. Some of the data folders of the HOTU download are full of placeholders, which take precedence over the actual VPs. Not that the HOTU VPs are anything but placeholders as well.

If you have replaced the fake HOTU VPs with the real ones, you'll still be getting those placeholders. In that case, delete the contents, or the whole, of the voice, music, intelanim, and cbanim folders. That will give you fully functional briefing/intel anis, ingame music, and briefing voice.
"Load sabot. Target Zaku, direct front!"

A Feddie Story

 

Offline Vertigo1

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Have you taken the disk to another computer and tried installing FS2 on it?  Unless it has some rather deep scratches, it should be able to read the CD just fine.
Gargoyles, Season 1.  Buy it, or DIE! :)

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
anon: Hey don't worry I'm not a fecal freak, but whats this about Freespace 3? No way.... got a link/screenies?? Does this fs_open thingajig have anything to do with it?

-heh
-I am not signing this.

 

Offline Deepblue

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Just don't say anything about it... Especially when connected to the words "Derek Smart."

 
(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Damn Vertigo.... DOH! I actually didn't think of that, no joke. The simplest things always escape me! I definately need to try that. But I really, REALLY doubt it.

but BTW the rest of you: WOW, great feedback and help!
thanks namely to:
phatosealpha
ngtm1r
Vertigo1

I think I get it now... the .vp are just like quake1-3 pak(pk2/3) files, where you can have modded files load instead if just placed in corresponding places to mirror the originals in the stock pak files! Things are comming to gether now, much clearer, thank you all.

Just two  more questions for now, if sparky__hi_fs2.vp is the high res, then what is sparky_fs2.vp? It is only about 5 megs smaller, is it the 800X600 textures???

AND

I managed to get the movies not availble on the FTP from discs 2 and 3, which seem to work fine, now once I also manage to get the other files not included in the HOTU download, what ALL folders/subdirs can I delete from my Freespace 2 dir? that is to say, ngtm1r: are those that you mentioned the complete list of everything that needs removing once the real stuff is in place? and what about tangoa/tangob? I see 2 dirs with those names, and then a full size (~24meg) .vp file and a 1k .vp file.

-Laters
« Last Edit: December 12, 2004, 02:00:04 am by 2346 »
-I am not signing this.

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: (newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Quote
Originally posted by Sinsearach
3. The updated FS2.exe and patch with reg keys from the FTP is fine except... it won't patch the "freespace2.exe" fromt HOTU("contents don't match")! So I dare not replace the "FS2.exe" until that is sorted out, nor do I want to tempt fate by using the "proper" reg keys. So I would love to know where to get a valid freespace2.exe :)


There's quite a funny story behind that. As far as I've been able to gather the HotU version ships with the files from the 1.0 version of the Root_fs2.vp but the 1.2 exe files.  The exe files on the FTP are actually the 1.0 versions so that HotU users can install the patch. Understandably the 1.2 patch gets horribly confused if you try to run it to patch the 1.2 exes. Rather than bothering with the patch the best thing to do is to simply download the Root_fs2.vp from the FTP as apart from the exes it's the only file altered by the patch. If you'd prefer a HTTP transfer I keep a copy of the 1.2 version here.

Quote
Originally posted by Sinsearach
4. What the hell is the difference between "sparky_hi_fs2.vp" and "sparky_fs2.vp"?!?!?! Besides 1 being 5 megs bigger than the other.


Sparky contains all the main game data. The ships and texture maps are found in sparky_fs2.vp. Despite the difference in filesize the contents of the two are actually quite different.

Quote
Originally posted by Sinsearach
7. Is the HOTU freespace2.exe and FS2.exe edited to not require (as in, not use when they ARE there) the .vp files left out?


As others have stated the HotU version has a bunch of placeholders in the freespace 2\data folder as well as the tangoa.vp and tangob.vp files. The easiest way around the problem is to simply rename data to dataOLD (or whatever you like) and stick those two extra vp files inside.  
 Make a new folder called Data and you're sorted. If you want to keep your pilot file and current mission progress simply copy across the entire players subfolder from dataOLD.
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

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Offline grilox

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Quote
Originally posted by phatosealpha


5 - Actually, they don't seem to exist.  My retail FS2 has no standalones.

 


Try Multiplayer next time, they exist.

 
(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Ah, I see.  I was expecting something more along the lines of the old gauntlets from FS1.

 

Offline Carl

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Re: (newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Sinsearach...

:welcome:

Welcome to HLP!
Exits are to your left, flamethrowers are to your right, but don't bother using them, they are filled with water. shotguns are under the seat, but they are empty, to you'll have to poke people with them. the real weapons are in a locker that can only be opened by an Admin, V god, or hyperitelligent shade of blue or aquamarine. do not go crawling in the air ducts. if you absolutely must, and you see a shivan, it's probably me. give me your lunch and i'll leave you alone, unless you put too much mayonasse in the tuna. There is no FS3. Beam-free-all.
"Gunnery control, fry that ****er!" - nuclear1

 

Offline Getter Robo G

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Is this like a first?  I've never seen Carl post a welcome before. (and I have to agree, too much Mayo in the Tuna is a SPACING OFFENSE!) ;)
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Offline grilox

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Re: Re: (newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Quote
Originally posted by Carl
Sinsearach...

:welcome:

Welcome to HLP!


Sure, you only welcome ONE of the new people :(


:D

 

Offline Annorax

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Re: Re: Re: (newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Quote
Originally posted by grilox


Sure, you only welcome ONE of the new people :(


:D


:welcome:

 

Offline Carl

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Quote
Originally posted by Getter Robo G
Is this like a first?  I've never seen Carl post a welcome before.


i've done it several times :nod:
"Gunnery control, fry that ****er!" - nuclear1

  

Offline Setekh

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
Grilox and Sinsearach, welcome to HLP. :)

:welcome:
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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
If you would like a link to download the ISO's please visit  and request one. here
« Last Edit: December 14, 2004, 08:23:41 am by 2010 »

 

Offline Kie99

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(newcomer) Just Played FS2 for the first time.... whoa (HELP!)
:welcome:
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