My first post.....eeeeeeek!!!!!
I talked to Lippy a little and sent him some screenies, and a link. The Skipper asked me to put up a post. This had also been brought up two weeks ago in the meeting, but it really didn't seem like there had been any conclusion as far as an official testing of sorts. So........
It would be really neato if I could get 3 pilots to download and install this mod and test it with me. There are also three standalone mods to put in with it that are pretty trick: F8F Bearcat, F7F Tigercat, and the SB2C Helldiver. I have been covertly writing a fakey Rabaul assault campaign showcasing the Navy's "new weapons" vs the Empire's best and boldest. Also included in the cmapaign is another A/C showcased in the mod: A-26 Invader. All of this is on a mod map....yep, you guessed it: Rabaul.........you guys are so good at this!!!
Anyways, the links for the downloads are posted. Here's what you need to start: a farm fresh copy of 4.12.2m......and nothing else. This is a big install, 14 files worth 700mb each plus to small patches. But installation is a cinch, you put them all in a folder on your desktop, then unzip/unpack the first one into your new game folder copied form your clean 4.12.2m...call it "IL2 1946 VP Mods" or some crap. The files include every thing you need to run it, and it's based on some good mods and the SAS Modact 5.3. DON'T BE INTIMIDATED!!! It's no more difficult to deal with htan your HSFX install was. There will also be a new JSGME, so all of the JSGME mods that you know and love can work too, you just have to go find the downloads in SAS and get them for Modact 5.3 instead of HSFX. No biggie.
The results:
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Black_Sheep_18/Squad%20P-38/il2fb%202016-05-03%2020-26-09-40_zpsjp81sal7.png)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Black_Sheep_18/Squad%20P-38/il2fb%202016-05-01%2022-13-37-91_zpsgbrdzs8e.png)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Black_Sheep_18/Squad%20P-38/il2fb%202016-05-01%2022-13-04-33_zpsvn3yooed.png)
(http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag134/Black_Sheep_18/Squad%20P-38/il2fb%202016-05-01%2023-09-31-10_zpsd4qfbxyt.png)
You can probably tell I am totally queer for the F7F.......it's the finest plane I've ever flown on here. Volunteers, hit me up, I can help and we can get started.
~S
The link:
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,50919.msg560947.html#msg560947
Nice post Gunfighter
Was lucky to be there a few weeks ago.
I could feel 4000 horsepower coming up through the tarmac and into my boots -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD8XgX_qXkM
S!
Just a reminder, this will be a stand alone game. Please don't pork your HSFX game.
TD, please disregard this thread.
S!
Im interested as well. I have all the down loads and tried to install them.
The Mega patch went well but the VP Media files are not opening.
The first one opens but stops at the end and does not continue on as designed.
At this point I cannot unzip/open any further zipfiles. I need to get on comms with some one.
I think it has something to do with the extraction method...help!
Somewhere in the next few days I will try to start downloading the files and check this out.
Quote from: _AH_fraggmann on May 23, 2016, 09:00:37 AM
Im interested as well. I have all the down loads and tried to install them.
The Mega patch went well but the VP Media files are not opening.
The first one opens but stops at the end and does not continue on as designed.
At this point I cannot unzip/open any further zipfiles. I need to get on comms with some one.
I think it has something to do with the extraction method...help!
the 1st ones the exe.. the rest unpack as needed???
ok... im on the same boat as Fragg... mega patch no problem... its the vp_modpack.7z.003 that is in a different format and cant be opened?? I have the 2 zipped patches i think go in after the vp_modpack.7z.003 the .003 on the end is just the one i grabbed out of the list of many..
ok.. im thinking we have to dl all 16 parts maybe eh??
Hey Bear..the VP files are said to be self extracting like
the Mega files ..open the first one and the rest follow.
I put all the VP files into one folder on my desk top.
I open the folder and the file icons look funny. I got
the icon with the top right corner folded over and no picture in the center.
Usually you can see the 7z icon or the three book pile, mine are empty,
no icon in the middle at all. :unhappy-059: Isn"t that usually a text or word document icon??
Yes put all 16 in same folder and use 7-zip to unzip the first one and rest will unzip automatically if I remember right. Odds are they had a size limit on file size so the broke it up in multiple parts when they zipped it.
(http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x72/BrotherBear_01/my105_zps6a1texww.jpg)
i think thats what Fragg got too... what do i do to use it?? i dont see unzip as an option?
I have tried 7z and WinRAR to unzip them and it dont like either one :thinking-008:
Yep,mine look like that too Bear
http://www.7-zip.org/download.html
i got that and its doing something... lol ..extract to your game folder i guess :surprised-041:
I got that too..but which one ..I picked the x86 32bit didnt work ..
then tried x86 64 bit this didnt work either..Which one?? :thinking-008:
Im this far from giving up..
Quote from: _AH_fraggmann on May 23, 2016, 10:39:19 PM
I got that too..but which one ..I picked the x86 32bit didnt work ..
then tried x86 64 bit this didnt work either..Which one?? :thinking-008:
Im this far from giving up..
whats your rig?? mines 64 bit
I can open and install the content of the first file into a temp. folder, and thats it.
Once the install to the temp. folder is complete all stops and does not continue
to install the second folder. When I try to open the second folder I get a window
pop up that says "cannot open file as archive".
Im using 7z file manager. Am I doing something wrong? :thinking-008:
I get the same results using WinRaR
Hey JD my last post is written in code. You must hold
it up to a mirror and then read it (wavey) :lol
I think if the 1st one goes youve got it.. just have them all in the same folder.. takes awhile to complete.. mine didnt stray from reading the 1st one either.. its the patches im having issues with now.. why cant they make things simple??
lmao at that code you wrote... hard to break..
I finally got the VPMedia modded game working. JD and I found some missing files
in the first folder. This version of the game is everything they said it is. We also added
5 versions of the F4U as well as the three (3) aircraft listed in Gunfighters previous post.
Here is the link to SAS where the 5 late F4Us are located
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/topic,21760.0.html
Remember, any talk of group functions or campaigns with this version is very premature. We also have'nt messed with any individual aircraft installs of this nature for years for precisely the reasons you mention and the headaches it can cause. I don't know how much enthusiam there is to go down that road again.
DW
Rgr... this is testing only.. no plans for switching over..
Wow, That is an awesome plane set.
Just a reminder to all -
This is a stand alone modded game and should not be included in your HSFX folder.
Also, as a Group we will not be using "Level Stab" for all planes. If you want to use it in your VP modded game, that's fine.
TD, you were never here, and you did not read this post.
S!
H.
S! Gun you we im just waiting for you to get it all right so I do not have to they download all the time and I have to put a bigger driver it the computer first so I can get it all buddy :drinking-29: S! Gator
Just a thought about this, we're running HSFX 7.0.3 with two additional required mods, Expert Mode and the Carrier Takeoff Mod 5.7. Both of these additional mods come with HSFX (We had a couple people missing the Carrier Takeoff Mod and had to make it available but those were isolated cases) so they just need to be enabled in the same way as HSFX itself is and people have what they need to join our games.
If we go the route of adding ten or a dozen or more additional mods to any version, HSFX or VP, we're gonna end up running a game version that is unique to us. So unless people had all those additional mods we've added they would have issues trying to fly with us, they would be missing aircraft, missing ships or missing maps. It seems unlikely anyone but us would have that exact group of additional mods and nothing else. If someone had all those mods they probobly have even more stuff installed in their game too, which opens the door to potential mod conflicts like we've seen in the past like guys seeing red P-51s as blue Bf-109s.
So I think this would end up isolating ourselves in terms of game version. Maybe that's not a concern as the community in HL is not huge anymore anyways but it's something to consider.
DW
I installed a copy of the basic VP mod, not from JD's links but from the source at the SAS website. I did'nt install the extra mods as I think that's kind of a separate issue, I wanted to see what the VP mod itself has in terms of content vs HSFX.
The VP mod is based on 4.12.2 same as what we have now, so it's not bringing any of the new 4.13 gadgets to the table.
There are a few interesting WWII aircraft additions, the B-26, A-26, P-47N and Lancaster. There are some very-late war aircraft that might be fun to mess with in a qual room for poops and giggles, like the Spitfire 21, 22 and 24 and the Gloster Meteor. On the flip side there are a bunch of subtractions from what we have now. Among those missing are all the alternate P-51s including the later war D models. The alternate P-38s are gone, particularly the early F\G\H models. The Spitfire XVIes with the bubble canopy are gone. The Korean era jets seem to be all gone too, if you're into that sort of thing. The long and the short of it is, there are some aircraft additions but there seems to be just as many if not more subtractions.
Same story with aircraft loadouts. There are aircraft that have some additional ordnance loadouts in the VP mod but some other aircraft have fewer loadouts than we have available in HSFX. Again it's kind of a mixed bag.
At first I was not impressed at all with the map selection as there were many missing, then I read the following in the VP thread at SAS :
"#SAS\MAPMODS\MAPS\-all.ini is the secondary, larger ini, its easy to find because its at the same location as the other one. The active maps are the ones which I'd consider for inclusion in an official patch, the deactivated maps need work mainly because they use the textures from the 2001 game or worse. This was a last minute decision, so I didnt think about it much. In my own install I'm cool with 200 maps which have excellent and in some cases cutting edge textures. I should have used two jsgme sets, I may include those in a future patch."
So following those instructions I switched to the other .ini to get all the "deactivated" maps to show, which results in a larger list. Overall there are a few additions here, the Rabaul map, Formosa and North Sea could be useful. Most of the other stuff map wise is what we have in HSFX and had in UltraPack. The only map I can't find in VP is one variant of Cannon's Channel Map that had a more detailed town of Dieppe and it's environs. That's a bummer as I had been tinkering with a Dieppe raid mini campaign awhile back. Overall there are a few map additions.
The included ships in VP is a bit of a step back though. No Yorktown class carriers. No Eagle. There are a number of other ships missing as well. Some mod ships that in HSFX have new 3D models are only repaints of the older stock ships in VP, which is to bad.
The topic of ships leads me into FMB issues and the compatibility of HSFX missions in VP. Though some of the mod ships in HSFX exist in VP, the latter uses a different file and naming structure. So when you load an HSFX mission into VP some ships just are'nt there. This will require either manually replacing them from scratch in the FMB or editing the .mis file and cut and pasting in the new names over the old once you know what they are. Either solution is kind of a pain in the arse. This difference in structure and naming extends to the objects as well, some of them match between the two versions and will show up properly in either, others do not. I tried loading the Fortress Malta warmup room in VP and almost all the runway, taxiway and hardstand sections I added to Hal Far are missing. The sections that should be there exist in the VP object list but the discrepancies in how things are organized between the two versions makes it think it's an object it does'nt have. I remember similar headaches going from UP to HSFX back in the day. I have'nt checked if these issues extend to artillery, armor and vehicles too.
Something that is missing from the VP FMB is Triggers. These allow you to make things happen automatically in missions either based on timing or the actions of friendly and enemy units. I know a bunch of us have made use of these, it would be a major bummer to loose that functionality.
In the end I'm just not feeling it with VP myself, it seems like it would be a sideways upgrade. VPmedia describes it, "I'd recommend this pack to those offliner people who want to (re)play a lot of stock dgen and scripted campaigns with all the community made improvements (new textures, new object 3d, effects, sounds, map repaints, etc) meanwhile enjoying the challenges of the improved 4.12 AI.". Though he does say a couple pages later, "Imho online or offline doesnt matter, as far as I know if everybody has the same modpack you can play online without any problem.". Makes me think the VP mod might be more offline dgen centric.
DW
Wow Dee Dub, that's quite a review. Very extensive.
QuoteMakes me think the VP mod might be more offline dgen centric
I concur.
S!
Great visuals on that video JD, love the new airfield maps.
The fat girl in the cockpit of that P-51 however, will get this new VP mod banned.
Just saying.....
S!
Quote from: _AH_Jetdoc on June 14, 2016, 02:43:07 AM
When I installed the Hawaiians Island chain, there were no hard issues to the install to give a more historical map; the same one that we have been on since UP3 and HSFX.
Do you mean you installed new textures for that map? Cause the map itself is one of the "deactivated" maps but with slightly different ground textures.
Quote from: _AH_Jetdoc on June 14, 2016, 04:00:24 AM
This to show the hard work to bring this flight sim to the front and not let it die this
some of the maps that are being reworked and retextured watch the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVMwN6nf1cE
You know that's not a new video right? We actually have those maps in HSFX right now.
(http://s31.postimg.org/fu381nkff/il2fb_2016_06_14_06_05_18_28.png)
DW
This is getting waaaay to complicated... I trust DWs assessment
Quote from: _AH_Jetdoc on June 14, 2016, 12:21:38 PM
something you said in your review that there is a missing Channel map when I compare the two games in my current HSFX there are 7 channel maps; in my VP mod
game there are 15 channel maps here is a screen shot comparing the two
The map VP does'nt have is Channel 1942-45 vers. Dieppe (Can)(Cat).
Going by your VP screenshot, you are running with the more limited map set. If you follow VPMedia's instructions that I quoted and change that .ini it enables the "deactivated" maps that are still included with VP. For example to directly compare the western front section in your screenshot, it would change to this :
(http://s32.postimg.org/7da6xbaqt/il2fb_2016_06_14_14_04_05_29.png)
And one of the deactivated maps that now appears under the pacific front section is this alternate Hawaii :
(http://s32.postimg.org/sxc9hnk85/il2fb_2016_06_14_14_10_09_66.png)
Which looks alot like the Hawaii you installed separately? Albeit with some slightly different texturing.
(http://s31.postimg.org/5zu1iu87v/il2fb_2016_06_14_14_17_35_67.png)
Your HSFX map set being different is really wierd. All your maps appear to be in one section which seems old school, my HSFX has things divided into sub-sections, comme ca :
(http://s31.postimg.org/680xddl6z/il2fb_2016_06_14_14_23_32_84.png)
It would be interesting to know how many guys are running the one version vs the other.
DW
The map VP does'nt have is Channel 1942-45 vers. Dieppe (Can)(Cat).
This is the Map im using for the campaign im building..
Seems so complex.. Im not sure what your meaning is where you have said theres an update every 3 months? Also seems like theres alot of add ons already.. why is the game so incomplete like this?? Is there things in the installed game that you have to activate?? and if so why.. maybe im not reading this all correctly.. but it seems like alot of work.... and ongoing work.. the game we use now we have used for what .. over a year now without an update?? Seems to work good to me already .. not sure if this is something as a group we need.. but it may be fun to play with.. that is... if we all have the same everything in it as the next guy or there could be issues???
Again.. maybe im overseeing something or missreading.. your hard to follow sometimes..
Quote from: _AH_Bear on June 14, 2016, 10:34:57 PM
The map VP does'nt have is Channel 1942-45 vers. Dieppe (Can)(Cat).
This is the Map im using for the campaign im building..
Unless you are doing something specifically with the Dieppe area, you should be able to use any other Cannon's Channel 42-45 map.
DW
Kinda yea... im about 10 or so mission into it now on the same map.. wouldnt see ok to change now?
That map is in your own list despite the differences from mine, so you should already have the information.
The all.ini entry for it is :
1942_1945_Channel CAN_EnglishChannel/1943load.ini
It shows as this in the maps.properties file :
1942_1945_Channel Channel 1942-45 vers. Dieppe (Can)(Cat)
DW
lol.. neverending.. why isnt it all together from the start?? are we getting this too early?
Nice screenies...How about these from days gone by....
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/SlipponOilGasFire.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/SlipponOilGasFire.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/SpaniaDolinaForrestFire.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/SpaniaDolinaForrestFire.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/SR-1.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/SR-1.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/grab0001090909.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/grab0001090909.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/0206201023-47-51.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/0206201023-47-51.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/SearchandRescueManoeuversfoothillsA.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/SearchandRescueManoeuversfoothillsA.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/Escorts.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/Escorts.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/DownButNotOut.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/DownButNotOut.jpg.html)
Looks good buddy
So kool..fraggmann lives in Winnipeg...do your magic Mr.Wolfe
Quote from: _AH_Jetdoc on June 19, 2016, 08:36:18 PM
The updated #SAS file is now ready for down load just remove and replace with the new file. :drinking-43:
I dont see a link anywhere??
Would it not be simpler to add the new stuff to the existing SAS file
as opposed to deleting the entire SAS folder and replacing it ??
Wolfe..look in the top right corner for "Download"
8.8 Gig file half an hour to D/L WHY???
just post the new stuff and add it to the SAS folder
How difficult could that be..... :unhappy-059:
Hey you're the one that is trying to introduce this version
it only seems fitting you see it through. The people helping you
test this version know their way around their game and know what to do
for assorted installs. That SAS file is over 27 Gigs. There is no need to move
this file ,only add to it. I'll tell you now Im not swapping out SAS folders.
It took 35min. to download it from Drop box then 44 min. to unwrap it then
an hour to install the new SAS folder to my game...not going to happen.
If you could please post the new additions to the SAS folder. This is a faster more efficient
way to do it. You are making it more difficult than it needs to be.
I think... Jetdoc needs to learn how to make a torrent work... i dont know myself how to but i know someone who does..hahhaa... at least that would make the downloads faster... :happy-112:
S~
The larger download is great for those who aren't comfortable manually editing files. I know it takes a long time to upload and download, but I think it's needed for some of the guys that want to try it out.
But what about two uploads? one big one for easy update mode, and another with just the new bits for the guys that would rather install manually and not wait for the big DL?
I'm thinking the smaller zip file with just the new bits would be quick enough to upload to not be too much of a bother, and having a choice of ease of installation with a long DL, or quick DL manual install would keep everyone that's interested on board.
I've been watching VP mod videos. The ear and eye candy seems awesome. This one has birds and Horses to shoot at, (don't shoot the horses).
I really like the external view, it doesn't feel like the camera is attached to the plane. -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpDCoffywRE
This is the link to his channel. -
https://www.youtube.com/user/darko1971/videos?sort=dd&view=0&flow=list&live_view=500
S!
I put them in also...now what??
Today I added the Vampire to my VP game.
What a cool plane. If you would like it..get it here https://www.dropbox.com/s/6w64852cencx4a2/DH_Vampire.rar?dl=0
Simple install. Put the Vampire Gio folder into #SAS folder then add air ini lines and your done.
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/lz551g_6.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/lz551g_6.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/tg274g_4.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/tg274g_4.jpg.html)
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/aviation-aircraft-airplane-war-dogfight-vampire-hawker.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/aviation-aircraft-airplane-war-dogfight-vampire-hawker.jpg.html)
Here are three (3) more jets I added today to my VP Version. The Venoms.
If you like you can get them here..
https://www.dropbox.com/s/77a4ql0ne9xbzj8/3x%20venom.rar?dl=0
Same install as the Vampire.
DH Venom
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/venomfb4bg_70.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/venomfb4bg_70.jpg.html)
Sea Venom FAW.21 Dual Seat
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/seavenboxtop.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/seavenboxtop.jpg.html)
Sea Venom Single Seat
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/DH112_SeaVenom_2.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/DH112_SeaVenom_2.jpg.html)
I also just added the Hawker Sea Hawk to my VP version. Get it here...https://www.dropbox.com/s/lcr8fqgtuddl3ao/Hawker%20Sea%20Hawk%201.01.7z?dl=0
Same simple install as the previous.
(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj237/fraggmann/seahawkcw_title.jpg) (http://s273.photobucket.com/user/fraggmann/media/seahawkcw_title.jpg.html)
I loved that tigercat..... :happy-112: