[Creash]

Hello all,

I've been a long time player of Freespace 2 for years now and have for months enjoyed the glory that is 'The Babylon Project'.  While I thought things couldn't get any better, I then found and DLed the Wing Commander Saga game!

There is only one problem though.  I am an avid FRED user and use it constantly to create missions for both Freespace and Babylon Project.  However, I've been digging through the folders of Wing Commander Saga and can't find a specific FRED program related to it.  I assumed it would naturally come with one, as did the Babylon Project with the mission editor (which is practically identical to FRED minus lil' options).

I am curious......where/how can you get FRED to work with Wing Commander Saga Prologue?  I am dieing to make some custom maps and scenarios but have not idea how to unlock it....or even know if I have it 

Do you have to be on the development team for that kind of access?  I thought having FRED for Wing Commander would go without saying since it's allowed for Babylon Project and be open to anyone.  Hope you can help folks.  Thanks.

[Starman01]

Since everything went very fast in the end (after the release of SCP 3.6.9 and our own) we haven't packed FRED into the download.

However, all you have to do is to download the new version here :

http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,44291.msg904548.html#msg904548

put it in your WC-Saga folder and launch the editor

[Creash]

Excellent!  Thank you very much Starman 

Now, is this 3.6.9 something I should put in my Babylon Project and Freespace 2 folders as well?  Also, I don't know how to activate the Launcher that comes up for Wing Commander and Babylon Project for Freespace 2 itself.  If I'm to use 3.6.9 for Freespace 2 to help it along better, I am going to have to use that same Launcher with Freespace 2  itself somehow right?  That will be my last question I believe if all goes well since you and others on the forums work so well.  Hope you can bring an end to the questions to allow the beginning of some great mission creating and game play! 

P.S. - What overall does this 3.6.9 thing do?  Make the game run faster?  Run with better graphics?  I'm lucky to figured out how to get them to work with the games, let alone what they do 

[Tolwyn]

Actually all you need is this package:

scifi3d.org/downloads/prologue/FRED.rar

It includes both 3.6.9 builds of FRED.

Saga is shipped with the 3.6.9 EXE already (RC8, but it is identical, as far as Saga is concerned, with the final build)

[Creash]

Sorry, just need to clarify some things...

1) Should I put the fs2_open_3_6_9.exe in Wing Commander Saga and Babylon Project, then select them in the launcher to improve performance?

2) How do I get that same launcher to run for normal Freespace 2 so I can choose the fs2_open_3_6_9.exe?  Or, is it as easy as just putting that file in the Freespace 2 folder and somehow it just works off the best one?

3) Is fred2_open_3_6_9.exe superior to normal FRED?  If so, should I therefore put them in the Freespace 2 folder as well as the two stand-alone-games and work out of those to produce better quality missions?  (NOTE: Minus some HTML error I am able to byepass, the FRED utility DOES work for Wing Commander Saga...thanks again Starman1  )

4)  How does 3.6.9 help things along?


Sorry about all the questions    Hope I'm not causing trouble.

[Shade]

For TBP, I think they still have some media compatibility issues with newer builds, so you should stick with what you use now unless you want to use their beta release. For normal FS2, absolutely. Just make sure to grab the 3.6.8 Zeta mediaVPs + patches from the upgrade forum, or you'll have the same media issues as for TBP. Also for FS2, there's a launcher included with the download Starman pointed to, just stick that in your main FS2 directory and run it, then select the 3.6.9 exe.

P.S. - What overall does this 3.6.9 thing do?  Make the game run faster?  Run with better graphics?  I'm lucky to figured out how to get them to work with the games, let alone what they do  Tongue

Mainly, it contains the least bugs and is the most stable release in a long time. Graphics currently depend more on the mod in question than on the specific build, at least until bumpmapping and shaders are implemented (at which point there will be a leap in quality once people start using those features). The one major thing 3.6.9 final has compared to builds a couple of months old is builtin support for Theora movies.

[Tolwyn]

Sorry, just need to clarify some things...

1) Should I put the fs2_open_3_6_9.exe in Wing Commander Saga and Babylon Project, then select them in the launcher to improve performance?

Babylon: perhaps. Saga: no. All you will achieve is breaking shortcuts. wcsaga.exe is 3.6.9

2) How do I get that same launcher to run for normal Freespace 2 so I can choose the fs2_open_3_6_9.exe?  Or, is it as easy as just putting that file in the Freespace 2 folder and somehow it just works off the best one?

You mean you would like to use SCP with vanilla FS2?

3) Is fred2_open_3_6_9.exe superior to normal FRED?  If so, should I therefore put them in the Freespace 2 folder as well as the two stand-alone-games and work out of those to produce better quality missions?  (NOTE: Minus some HTML error I am able to byepass, the FRED utility DOES work for Wing Commander Saga...thanks again Starman1  )

What kind of HTML errors?

4)  How does 3.6.9 help things along?

3.6.9 is supplied with 3.6.9 so...

[Creash]

3) Is fred2_open_3_6_9.exe superior to normal FRED?  If so, should I therefore put them in the Freespace 2 folder as well as the two stand-alone-games and work out of those to produce better quality missions?  (NOTE: Minus some HTML error I am able to byepass, the FRED utility DOES work for Wing Commander Saga...thanks again Starman1  )

What kind of HTML errors?


I easily byepass it.  Though, I haven't played a FRED made mission yet to see if it may cause problems.  Here's what  it says when I open the file....

You are not running in HTML mode for FRED.  Although HTML mode isn't required, there may be some crashes when trying to render the new high polygon models.  To enable HTML mode, create a shortcut to FRED, right-click into properties and add "-fredhtl" to the end of the string in the "target" box.

(reads over what he just typed)

Creash = Dink.  Had I bothered to read the message I could just do what it clearly says to do 

I'll give that a go as well as getting 3.6.9 working with Freespace 2.  Then, I should be all set.  Here I go! (moves to mess with files 'n' such)

[Creash]

Yup, did everything you guys said plus what that 'error message' wanted...and BAM!  Things are working GREAT! 

You folks here at Hard-Light are defiantly on top of your game.  I salute you and thank you for making these wonderful products for the public and at no numerical cost. 

We should get you guys to sneak into the Star Wars Galaxies development team and see if you can liven up 'Jump to Lightspeed' as well as the main-game and bring it back to its former glory while your at it! 

One again, thank you so much.  Now time for hours of blowing up Mimbari, Kilrathi, Shivans....3 games for the price of one...now THAT'S a good deal! 

[Shade]

Ah, that. Not HTML, HTL It's not something that will cause problems unless you use model with a very high polygon count, it's more of a notification than an error message really. It's nice to have -fredhtl turned on though, gives a nice speed increase in rendering.

[Bobboau]

there are a lot of added features to FS2 missions that can only be added witht the newer builds of FRED, unless you want to do all of your mission building in note pad that is.

[Creash]

Ah, that. Not HTML, HTL It's not something that will cause problems unless you use model with a very high polygon count, it's more of a notification than an error message really. It's nice to have -fredhtl turned on though, gives a nice speed increase in rendering.

One thing I've noticed though is that having the grid-lines option appear under visuals on the ship chasiss to make them more visable/easier to move around don't work when using the -fredhtl.  Since this is only pertains more to for Wing Commander editor and the ones for Freespace and Babylon 5 work fine as is, I've learned to compromise with that fault in the editor considering how well everything has been turning out   It does make things run more smoothly and quickly when moving about FRED though, that's for sure minus this one glitch.

One other problem that happens too though is the game crashes to desktop when you attempt to edit your ship-type or weapons load out at the briefing screen before a mission (player made mission).  Have they not made this option available in Saga yet, so should I make sure I put the right fighter and weapons ahead of time to do the job I guess?

[Starman01]

Indeed, we have neither bothered to make interface art nor have we made any Icons available. Therefore, entering the ships or weapon selection will crash the game.

Since Sandman is only 2nd lonnie, he is not allowed to change his loadout (which is our excuse for not doing those )  You will need to
fill those graps yourself I'm afraid.

(edit) on second thought, there isn't even an orignal interface for those two screens available, since we didn't include the orginal interface, so you will first have to add those files to the game (though don't ask me which one, they are numerous and I don't know )

[Creash]

Righto.  Good to know it's not something wrong on my part causing that crash at the load-out screen.  All well, just gotta use the ships of choice in the mission editor, so that's no big deal to get around.  Seems all the bases are covered for a bit then, no complaints at all. 

Just can't wait for you guys to get us some more ships and hopefully a starbase or two to add on to the current selections.  Thanks again and great work guys!