[el84]

Testing changes in multi might be annoying if you are prompted to insert the CD every time.  Eliminating the nag is very easy:

Comment out lines 5560 thru 5585 in .\Network\MultiUI.cpp

Like this:

Code: [Select]

int multi_create_verify_cds()
{
/* int player_count = multi_num_players();
int multi_cd_count;
int idx;

// count how many cds we have
multi_cd_count = 0;
for(idx=0;idx if(MULTI_CONNECTED(Net_players[idx]) && !MULTI_STANDALONE(Net_players[idx]) && (Net_players[idx].flags & NETINFO_FLAG_HAS_CD)){
multi_cd_count++;
}
}

// for the beta, everyone must have a CD
#ifdef MULTIPLAYER_BETA_BUILD
if(multi_cd_count < player_count){
return 0;
}
#else
// determine if we have enough
float ratio = (float)player_count / (float)multi_cd_count;
// greater than a 4 to 1 ratio
if(ratio > 4.0f){
return 0;
}
#endif
*/
// we meet the conditions
return 1;
}


[CP5670]

Actually I think it might be nice if we removed the CD checks altogether as it only works half the time (at least for me) and is just something that nags the player every now and then. (I really hate having to change CDs for games )

[Redfang]

I agree. CD checks can be very annoying.
 
Edit: Also, I think this is pretty interesting forum.

[el84]

Havent looked for CD check in single yet. The change above will not prevent FS2 from looking for a CD, but it will eliminate the "must have 1 CD for every 4 players" nag in multi.

Here's a simple fix to eliminate the CD check itself (multi only, I think):

In .\GlobalIncs\PSTypes.h find:

Code: [Select]


#if defined(MULTIPLAYER_BETA_BUILD) || defined(E3_BUILD) || defined(RELEASE_REAL)
#define GAME_CD_CHECK
#endif


Change to:

Code: [Select]


#if defined(MULTIPLAYER_BETA_BUILD) || defined(E3_BUILD) || defined(RELEASE_REAL)
// #define GAME_CD_CHECK
#endif


It might be cleaner to just remove all calls to the CD check routines, but sometimes it is just plain easier to do a 1-line sledgehammer fix. Note that this probably won't eliminate CD checking in single.

Edit:
Looks like this will remove all CD checking in single and multi. Please note that I have not tested this at all.

[Fineus]

Sounds useful to me, having to change disks just to play one mission in the single player campaign is annoying.

[TurboNed]

Originally posted by Thunder
Sounds useful to me, having to change disks just to play one mission in the single player campaign is annoying.

What happens to a poor sap on a minimum install who has the wrong disc in at a certain point?  If the game doesn't prompt for a disc change, how would he know which disc the data that's needed by the game is on?

  --TurboNed

[LtNarol]

keep CD checks but add a stipulation to only check for a CD if certain files are needed and not found.  Like if the player tries to play the original campaign but didnt do a full install, the thing does a CD check.

[EdrickV]

The trick about CD checks is there are several different CD check functions. Some can be disabled by that define noted above, which is only useful if you're compiling a release build. If you're compiling a debug build that define isn't used anyways. The debug build also defines No_CD_Check.

[Setekh]

Originally posted by Redfang
Edit: Also, I think this is pretty interesting forum.

Uhhh... how so?

[Zeronet]

Originally posted by Thunder
Sounds useful to me, having to change disks just to play one mission in the single player campaign is annoying.

The joys of my DVD version

[Anaz]

did you know that you don't have to swap CDs if you have a modded .tbl file?

[Kazan]

leave al lCD checks in place - copy protection - we don't want to be stepping on V's toes, i've never had a problem with FreeSpace 2 annoying me about CDs unless it needed files

[Fozzy]

Originally posted by el84

Code: [Select]


Change to:
[code]
#if defined(MULTIPLAYER_BETA_BUILD) || defined(E3_BUILD) || defined(RELEASE_REAL)
// #define GAME_CD_CHECK
#endif


I thourt that FS would crash if you did this, coz if somthing was refering to it FS would crash, ime probably wrong

Kazan, i always get bugged with cd checks, every time i play a single player level, and i did a full install, i think this will be a good idea, and would snap that version up, well before i even think about new types of beam.

[NotDefault]

Originally posted by Kazan
leave al lCD checks in place - copy protection - we don't want to be stepping on V's toes, i've never had a problem with FreeSpace 2 annoying me about CDs unless it needed files

That's true, but maybe if it were modified to only require one of the CDs, or something along that line.  It would be slightly worse copy protection, but I don't think they'd mind too much.

[CP5670]

Kazan, i always get bugged with cd checks, every time i play a single player level, and i did a full install, i think this will be a good idea, and would snap that version up, well before i even think about new types of beam.

I would agree there; I get nagged with the CD thing quite often, many times when I least expect it, and it can become a real pain after a while. The strange thing is that it sometimes works and doesn't bother you at all at other times. (have found no explanation for this yet) Besides, there is probably some crack out there somewhere anyway; copy protection is downright useless these days.

[TurboNed]

Even without a crack, there's no copy protection on the discs themselves.  Someone here tell me that they don't have access to a CD burner and I'll be VERY surprised.  (-:  Disabling CD checks isn't helping copy protection AT ALL.

  --TurboNed

[CP5670]

That's true as well; there are many ways to bypass the protection schemes even without that. Copyright protection is really a thing of the past, as far as games are concerned. (remember those older games where they suddenly bothered you in the middle of the game and asked you to enter some secret code from the manual? ) I usually do all of my gaming during the night when it is pitch dark, and it is almost impossible to see what CD I am dropping in, so I usually ended up either putting in the wrong CD (and finding out about it after I had inserted the CD) or tripping over furniture in the room when trying to get to the CD rack. Eventually I got so fed up that I went around the internet and got a crack for every game I had.

[TurboNed]

Originally posted by CP5670
I usually do all of my gaming during the night when it is pitch dark, and it is almost impossible to see what CD I am dropping in, so I usually ended up either putting in the wrong CD (and finding out about it after I had inserted the CD)

Am I the only one who's got too many CD drives to keep track of what's in them all - and manages to have (twice, now) put a second disc on top of a first in a drive when it's dark?  Neither one of them gets read when I do that - really bugs me 'cause I smell funny things, and the drive doesn't work, and I'm not always quick on the uptake....  (-:

  --TurboNed

[CP5670]

LOL, I end up doing that "CD pile" thing every now and then as well, and then start wondering why it is telling me that the CD cannot be read. I have two CD drives (one normal 52X and one 16/10/40 CD-RW) but some games don't work properly if I install them from one drive and play them later from another, so I tend to stick to just the main drive for CD reading.

[EdrickV]

Don't see what's so hard about having CD 2 (or the DVD) in a drive. I've been leaving it in one of my drives for a while now and haven't had any problems with CD checks. Of course, I haven't been playing online, but I wouldn't think that would matter.

Incidently, the FS2 CDs are 680 MB so I don't think it could have been copied by using regular 650 MB CD-Rs. And it did check the size. Of course, the 700MB CD-Rs would change that, but as far as I know they were made long after FS2 came out.