Author Topic: OLD FreeSpace Open Installer  (Read 762617 times)

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Offline jg18

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
Installing this was easier than that wall of text that I just read  :D , haven't played this game in ages..

You could clean that wall of text up by just posting this:

#1: get the GOG.com version of FreeSpace 2

#2: open the \FreeSpace2\data\ folder and move the .mve(movie files) from the movie 2, movie 3 folders to the Movie folder..

#3: Download Freespace 2 open and the launcher from here:  http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70692.0 (Launcher 5.5g , and 3.6.12 Final or later, SSE2 version if your CPU supports it)

#4: use WinRAR(ver 4.10) to extract Freespace 2 open(3.6.12 Final or later) to the Freespace 2 main folder \FreeSpace2, extract the launcher with winrar to the same folder..

#5: Open the \FreeSpace2 folder and run the launcher, enable or disable all enhancements you want, set the resolution you want, save it and exit the launcher..

#6: Run the game with the fs2_open_3_6_12r_INF_SSE2 .exe file...

#7: Obviously you add anything else here separating it with ----------------------- or something... breaking it up a bit  :) ..

Also thanks jg18 for posting that wall of text ...it was helpful still, im just suggesting a cleaner way..so that its easier for new people ...it doesn't even have to be like mine obviously  :)
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, BES.

I guess we could call some form of these instructions the tl;dr edition or, more generously, the Quick Start. Like any short list of instructions, it makes a variety of assumptions about the reader, namely that they
  • both know and care whether their processor has SSE/SSE2
  • aren't interested in nightly builds
  • aren't interested in the MediaVPs
  • know what enhancements (flags) they want
  • aren't interested in mods, many of which require the MVPs anyway
Of course, they can learn about these things later, but if they just want to play right now, then maybe something like this is good enough. I don't even think any mention of 7-Zip/WinRAR is necessary, since AFAIK the basic FSO release downloads are (for now) compressed as .zip files, which Windows can handle on its own.

That said, I might be able to make the main list of instructions shorter, although it'll never be as short as this. Note that the absolutely required instructions (which are in orange) in the current instructions are actually pretty short and can't really be made shorter. So there's a sort of Quick Start there already.

In case you didn't see the wall of text that the current one replaced, here it is.

Again, thanks for your thoughts.

EDIT: But if your needs were met after Step 7 or so, why did you read until the end? :wtf: I guess it should be clearer when people don't need to read further...
« Last Edit: October 31, 2011, 08:52:56 pm by jg18 »

 

Offline BES

  • 23
Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, BES.

I guess we could call some form of these instructions the tl;dr edition or, more generously, the Quick Start. Like any short list of instructions, it makes a variety of assumptions about the reader, namely that they
  • both know and care whether their processor has SSE/SSE2
  • aren't interested in nightly builds
  • aren't interested in the MediaVPs
  • know what enhancements (flags) they want
  • aren't interested in mods, many of which require the MVPs anyway
Of course, they can learn about these things later, but if they just want to play right now, then maybe something like this is good enough. I don't even think any mention of 7-Zip/WinRAR is necessary, since AFAIK the basic FSO release downloads are (for now) compressed as .zip files, which Windows can handle on its own.

That said, I might be able to make the main list of instructions shorter, although it'll never be as short as this. Note that the absolutely required instructions (which are in orange) in the current instructions are actually pretty short and can't really be made shorter. So there's a sort of Quick Start there already.

In case you didn't see the wall of text that the current one replaced, here it is.

Again, thanks for your thoughts.

EDIT: But if your needs were met after Step 7 or so, why did you read until the end? :wtf: I guess it should be clearer when people don't need to read further...

Thanks,  the last time I used this I had to manually add an assortment of files together ..it was a lot more files than there are currently, I recently(as of like last week) got the GOG version of the game since my disks got damaged in a move..

So I decided to search for the files I used a long time ago and I found this site(I forgot I even signed up for this site...lol), saw the large amount of info and said "nope that's too much info" , but I came back and decided to give it a go, I only suggested a shorter one, so other people wont see that and never come back, even though its very simple after you give it a shot..

I would have posted my suggestion in one of the 2 threads with instructions but the threads are locked ..so I came here and saw that you posted it here also...so I decided to try to help out..

Thanks for reading my suggestions and understand that im not trying to mess up your hard work on the instructions, streamlining it/making smaller separated sections of info so that its not so intimidating might be a good thing ...

 

Offline Ciotog

  • 20
Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
I'm trying to re-install all the FS2 Open data to my new hard drive after the last one died but the http://www.fsoinstaller.com/ site seems to be down...and all the download links reference it.  Is this happening to anyone else?  I've been able to find previous level installers elsewhere on the internet but these do not work because they are old versions.  If the site is dead, is it possible for someone to send me the latest installer file?  Thanks, sorry for posting to a old topic but I think this belongs here.

 

Offline azile0

  • 28
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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
I am having the same problem. I would rather install the installer than each individual component.
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. <--- There it is.

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Offline Jeff Vader

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  • 212
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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
Yeah, but the Installer (still) sucks and doesn't do what it's supposed to do. Install manually or wait for the new shiny Installer.
23:40 < achillion > EveningTea: ass
23:40 < achillion > wait no
23:40 < achillion > evilbagel: ass
23:40 < EveningTea > ?
23:40 < achillion > 2-letter tab complete failure

14:08 < achillion > there's too much talk of butts and dongs in here
14:08 < achillion > the level of discourse has really plummeted
14:08 < achillion > Let's talk about politics instead
14:08 <@The_E > butts and dongs are part of #hard-light's brand now
14:08 <@The_E > well
14:08 <@The_E > EvilBagel's brand, at least

01:06 < T-Rog > welp
01:07 < T-Rog > I've got to take some very strong antibiotics
01:07 < achillion > penis infection?
01:08 < T-Rog > Chlamydia
01:08 < achillion > O.o
01:09 < achillion > well
01:09 < achillion > I guess that happens
01:09 < T-Rog > at least it's curable
01:09 < achillion > yeah
01:10 < T-Rog > I take it you weren't actually expecting it to be a penis infection
01:10 < achillion > I was not

14:04 < achillion > Sometimes the way to simplify is to just have a habit and not think about it too much
14:05 < achillion > until stuff explodes
14:05 < achillion > then you start thinking about it

22:16 < T-Rog > I don't know how my gf would feel about Jewish conspiracy porn

15:41 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
15:47 < EvilBagel> butt
15:51 < Achillion> yes
15:53 <-INFO > EveningTea [[email protected]] has quit [Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client]

18:53 < Achillion> Dicks are fun

21:41 < MatthTheGeek> you can't spell assassin without two asses

20:05 < sigtau> i'm mining titcoins from now on

00:31 < oldlaptop> Drunken antisocial educated freezing hicks with good Internet == Finland stereotype

11:46 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has joined #hard-light
11:50 < achtung> Surely you've heard of DVDA
11:50 < achtung> Double Vaginal Double ANal
11:51 < Kobrar> ...
11:51 <-INFO > Kobrar [[email protected]] has left #hard-light []

 

Offline MatthTheGeek

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
Nah, don't wait. Just install it manually. My grandmother could do it.
People are stupid, therefore anything popular is at best suspicious.

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Offline General Battuta

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
I'm trying to re-install all the FS2 Open data to my new hard drive after the last one died but the http://www.fsoinstaller.com/ site seems to be down...and all the download links reference it.  Is this happening to anyone else?  I've been able to find previous level installers elsewhere on the internet but these do not work because they are old versions.  If the site is dead, is it possible for someone to send me the latest installer file?  Thanks, sorry for posting to a old topic but I think this belongs here.

The installer is broken; I suggest doing a manual install. They're surprisingly easy.

 

Offline Androgeos Exeunt

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
Nah, don't wait. Just install it manually. My grandmother could do it.

:yes:

It's not that hard, just dropping a bunch of files in the correct folders.
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Offline Goober5000

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
Don't lose hope for the FSO installer; the shiny new one is on its way. :)

 

Offline Molaris

  • 27
Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
I'm always nervous about modding, but the manual install was SIMPLE. it's basically drag and drop or cut and paste guys. don't worry about it....seriously. easiest game to mod EVER!!!!!!!!!!
"Hey, Mike, you think you can toss me my calculations? Thanks! Ah, here it is: "Breach Hull - All Die." Even had it underlined!" -Crow T. Robot-

 

Offline MatthTheGeek

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
That's what I keep saying ! They never listen !
People are stupid, therefore anything popular is at best suspicious.

Mod management tools     -     Wiki stuff!     -     Help us help you

666maslo666: Releasing a finished product is not a good thing! It is a modern fad.

SpardaSon21: it seems like you exist in a permanent state of half-joking misanthropy

Axem: when you put it like that, i sound like an insane person

bigchunk1: it's not retarded it's american!
bigchunk1: ...

batwota: steele's maneuvering for the coup de gras
MatthTheGeek: you mispelled grâce
Awaesaar: grace
batwota: oh right :P
Darius: ah!
Darius: yes, i like that
MatthTheGeek: the way you just spelled it it means fat
Awaesaar: +accent I forgot how to keyboard
MatthTheGeek: or grease
Darius: the killing fat!
Axem: jabba does the coup de gras
MatthTheGeek: XD
Axem: bring me solo and a cookie

 

Offline Cyborg17

  • 29
  • Life? Don't talk to me about life....
Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
It used to be even easier, though.  What better to way to share something you know is awesome than to make it as easy to share as possible?

 

Offline FelixJim

  • 28
  • User 11092
Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
I personally wouldn't be surprised to learn that anywhere up to 50% of people give up at the word "manual". In all fairness, this word for games modding does usually mean a lot of time trying, a lot of time wondering what went wrong, and then shrugging and wandering off to do something else. It is a relatively simple manual install, and ideally people would be enthusiastic enough to take a few minutes to follow the instructions, but with the sheer amount of stuff there is on the Internet, let alone in the world in general, enthusiasm doesn't always comes cheap - someone's early days of FSO should be as absolutely pain-free as possible, and it should be screaming "I WON'T BE ANY TROUBLE" as loudly as possible. Nothing does this as well as the word "Installer".

In other news, I personally liked using the installer just to check the "Tools" option, not anything else. Saved having to located them all manually, so it's a mistake to think that the installer is just for newcomers.
In-Mission Techroom Script v0.4 - See information from the techroom in game
Simple Animation Script v0.2 - Make your own on-screen animations for FSO
Visible Waypoints Script - Makes waypoints visible in-game
Run From File Script - Get around the pesky 31 character limit for script-eval

 

Offline MatthTheGeek

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
someone's early days of FSO should be as absolutely pain-free as possible, and it should be screaming "I WON'T BE ANY TROUBLE" as loudly as possible. Nothing does this as well as the word "Installer".
I have met ten times as many buggy Installers in my life than troublesome manuals. RTFM is always the way to go.

What's the tool option of the installer ?
People are stupid, therefore anything popular is at best suspicious.

Mod management tools     -     Wiki stuff!     -     Help us help you

666maslo666: Releasing a finished product is not a good thing! It is a modern fad.

SpardaSon21: it seems like you exist in a permanent state of half-joking misanthropy

Axem: when you put it like that, i sound like an insane person

bigchunk1: it's not retarded it's american!
bigchunk1: ...

batwota: steele's maneuvering for the coup de gras
MatthTheGeek: you mispelled grâce
Awaesaar: grace
batwota: oh right :P
Darius: ah!
Darius: yes, i like that
MatthTheGeek: the way you just spelled it it means fat
Awaesaar: +accent I forgot how to keyboard
MatthTheGeek: or grease
Darius: the killing fat!
Axem: jabba does the coup de gras
MatthTheGeek: XD
Axem: bring me solo and a cookie

  
Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
What's the tool option of the installer ?
Installs VPView, ANIview, ANIbuild, Modelview, VPmage, that kind of useful tools.

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
I have met ten times as many buggy Installers in my life than troublesome manuals. RTFM is always the way to go.

Yeah but most people simply won't do that. Do you really want to drive people away from the community because they lack the time or inclination to read the manual when they first get here?
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

[ Diaspora ] - [ Seeds Of Rebellion ] - [ Mind Games ]

 

Offline MatthTheGeek

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
People that don't read the manual are the ones that will post inane "It doesn't work FIX NAO" demands whenever they hit trouble, instead of actually spending 2 min looking it up. We don't need to encourage that kind of behaviour.
People are stupid, therefore anything popular is at best suspicious.

Mod management tools     -     Wiki stuff!     -     Help us help you

666maslo666: Releasing a finished product is not a good thing! It is a modern fad.

SpardaSon21: it seems like you exist in a permanent state of half-joking misanthropy

Axem: when you put it like that, i sound like an insane person

bigchunk1: it's not retarded it's american!
bigchunk1: ...

batwota: steele's maneuvering for the coup de gras
MatthTheGeek: you mispelled grâce
Awaesaar: grace
batwota: oh right :P
Darius: ah!
Darius: yes, i like that
MatthTheGeek: the way you just spelled it it means fat
Awaesaar: +accent I forgot how to keyboard
MatthTheGeek: or grease
Darius: the killing fat!
Axem: jabba does the coup de gras
MatthTheGeek: XD
Axem: bring me solo and a cookie

 

Offline karajorma

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Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
So you only want the manual reading elite to actually play the game? Yeah, that's an attitude that will help the community grow.

I enjoy having people playing the stuff I make. Which means I'm willing to do more work but means I get a ****load more people playing. You can do whatever you want with your mods but I suspect the rest of us would rather welcome new players with something they already understand how to use, like running an installer, rather than welcome them with a page of text and saying "Do that to play the game."
Karajorma's Freespace FAQ. It's almost like asking me yourself.

[ Diaspora ] - [ Seeds Of Rebellion ] - [ Mind Games ]

 

Offline MatthTheGeek

  • Captain Obvious
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  • Frenchie McFrenchface
Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
So you only want the manual reading elite to actually play the game?
Last time I checked, you don't need a PhD to read a manual. You just need a few minutes of your time, which you're going to spend anyway if you want to play the game.

EDIT: I'm sure all our players would love to know in how a high esteem you consider them if you think manuals are only to the reach of the most elite of them.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2012, 05:17:49 am by MatthTheGeek »
People are stupid, therefore anything popular is at best suspicious.

Mod management tools     -     Wiki stuff!     -     Help us help you

666maslo666: Releasing a finished product is not a good thing! It is a modern fad.

SpardaSon21: it seems like you exist in a permanent state of half-joking misanthropy

Axem: when you put it like that, i sound like an insane person

bigchunk1: it's not retarded it's american!
bigchunk1: ...

batwota: steele's maneuvering for the coup de gras
MatthTheGeek: you mispelled grâce
Awaesaar: grace
batwota: oh right :P
Darius: ah!
Darius: yes, i like that
MatthTheGeek: the way you just spelled it it means fat
Awaesaar: +accent I forgot how to keyboard
MatthTheGeek: or grease
Darius: the killing fat!
Axem: jabba does the coup de gras
MatthTheGeek: XD
Axem: bring me solo and a cookie

 

Offline FelixJim

  • 28
  • User 11092
Re: FreeSpace Open Installer! Download it now!
I don't think the trouble really lies in the difficulty of a manual install (although these things always do seem more difficult when you're unfamiliar with the terms and folder hierarchy involves - but I could imagine myself having to double and triple check I was putting things in the right place - it's painfully easy, for example, to extract something to Freespace2/mymod/mymod by accident unless you understand how it's meant to be structured, and then not know what has gone wrong). I think the problem is that a lot of people correctly estimate their modding capability as near-zero and as such will stick to automated procedures almost religiously (this is a fairly sensible attitude most of the time, but it does mean we'll be losing potential players until the shiny new installer comes about).

It's just hard for people to judge how much prior knowledge is expected of them when they spot "manual", and unfortunately "more than I know - forget it" is probably a common guess (maybe this could be addressed in the thread title?).
In-Mission Techroom Script v0.4 - See information from the techroom in game
Simple Animation Script v0.2 - Make your own on-screen animations for FSO
Visible Waypoints Script - Makes waypoints visible in-game
Run From File Script - Get around the pesky 31 character limit for script-eval