DescentBB

Time to dust it off and give that old game some new life.

FS2_Open 3.6.5 is here! Don't forget to check this forum for recent builds.

This is what alot of the in-game models look like. (You read that correctly, in-game.)

Before anyone complains about hardware, this screams on my GF4 Ti4600. Hell, I even maxed out the fps on my old GF3 Ti200.

I'll second MD. The SCP is the most amazing community-based software program I have ever seen, and they have dome awesome things with a 5-year-old game engine. I had the SCP previously, but the new build and recent new VP file releases have upped the ante again. Truly great stuff. Plus, our very own Inquisitor is the project manager.

And to think I just installed it yesterday...

MD, you are LATE!

I installed 3.6.5. a week ago

I recall getting decent framerates playing FS2 on a system with integrated video back in 1999. Doubt it's much worse now.

That model doesn't look too bad, although whether it's actually much of an improvement on the original is hard to say - FS2 didn't need much improvement...

Well, maybe it does now.

Is this a add on like Silent Threat?

Ahh, doesn't matter too much if he's late just as long as he lets some people who didn't know know. (like me )

I forgot how much I loved Freespace. I think I'll give it a fly through again.

EDIT: Actually, I think I need to wait until I get a new computer. I forgot that I had uninstalled Freespace 2 and now my computer is so screwed up anyway I can't install it again.

Have you guys checked out thier Babaylon 5 mod? Pretty slick.

Are there any new campaigns? How about openGL support?

Woodchip, FS2_Open is a community-based open-source project dedicated to making improvements to the Freespace 2 source code. Volition released the FS2 code a few years ago, and since then, coders in the FS2 community have been working on making improvements to it. Just some of the improvements that have been made are OpenGL support, specular mapping (shine and glow maps), environmental mapping, higher resolution textures, HTL support for high-poly models, new pilot file formats enabling multiple campaigns to be in progress on one pilot, and dozens of new sexp expressions for the Freespace 2 Editor (FRED). Beyond these standard features, coders have been experimenting with other projects, such as stencil shadow support and cockpit models, that might be implemented in the future. Linux and Mac versions are works in progress, I believe, and should be standardized in the near future. The download consists of the FS2_Open executable, a new launcher, and several media VP files that contain the enhanced models, textures, effects, and table files.

Sirius, FS2 was an amazing-looking game for its day, but these enhancements let it stand head-to-head, I believe, with most recently-released games. That shot doesn't do it justice; once you see the new effects in-game, your jaw will drop. Add to that the great gameplay and storyline that have always been there, and you have one of the best games of all time in my opinion.

Avder, there were many great campaigns and mods released before the SCP, but it's allowed the mods to get bigger and better. Right now at HLP there are several major mods in the works, including total conversions for Star Wars, Wing Commander, and Babylon 5. There are also some major original mods in the works, such as Inferno, which includes over 100 original ship models, Machina Terra, and Blackwater Ops. This year should be a big one, as some of these mods will hopefully be released. As for the OpenGL support, it's lagged behind Direct3D for a while, but the most recent release (3.6.5 and any subsequent recent builds) have ironed out most of the bugs. It doesn't support environmental mapping as of yet, but if you have an ATI card, it's the only way you'll get to experience shinemaps (due to bugs in the driver code).

I'm aware that I sound like a walking FS2 commercial, but trust me, this game is worth it. If you don't have it, download the version on Home of the Underdogs, get the missing files, and install the Source Code Project. You won't be disappointed.

O.K. I want to try this out. I load FS2...then what?
I'm not really swift on some of this so...step by step what do I do?
A link is fine if there is one.

Ohh... sounds like it's worth a look see!

All righty then...

I'm assuming you've got the full version of FS2, patched to 1.2. If you have the Home of the Underdogs version (which, because of legal issues, I won't link to; use Google if you must), you'll need to download some extra files, which are available from a community FTP server. You can find details about it in this thread and details about which files you'll need on this page. At any rate, after you have a full version of FS2 patched to 1.2, you need to download the FS2_Open files. The first thing you'll need is the actual executable file. The most recent official release, 3.6.5, is available in the thread that MD linked to. However, I'd highly recommend this more recent test build. Among other things, it now featuers specular mapping for OpenGL. Here it is. Keep an eye on the recent builds forum that MD linked to; most of the newer builds in there contain newer features than the last official release. The next file you'll need is the new launcher; you can find that here. If you're interested in creating FS2 missions, you'll need the latest copy of FRED, available here. Up to now, installation is easy; just put the launcher, executable (with included .dll files), and FRED in your main Freespace 2 directory. They won't overwrite anything. I'd also recommend making a shortcut to the launcher on the desktop; it makes it easier to start everything up.

Now you'll need to download the VP files. These contain all of the new models, textures, sounds, and effects used by FS2_Open. You can find all of the VP files on this page. Note that "mv_zpack" contains all of the VP files except for "mv_aseffects." Also, unless you have a very slow computer, you shouldn't need "mv_loplanets." Once you download all of these files, you'll need to put them in the FS2 directories. You can just dump them in the main folder, but I prefer something different. The launcher supports a "-mod" flag that specifies a certain folder where all the files for a particular mod are kept. This makes it very easy to change mods by just selecting a differnt folder. That being said, I'd advise creating a folder called "SCP" or "Enhanced" in your main FS2 folder and installing the VP files in there.

Now, you're ready to run the launcher. One side note: to configure a joystick, you'll have to use the original FS2 launcher, since the Open launcher doesn't have a tab for it. On the first page of the launcher, you'll see a "Browse" button in the upper-right, use it to find your FS2_Open.exe. Next, go to the Video tab and select Direct3D or OpenGL. You might have to experiment to see which runs better for you, but if you have an ATI card, you'll need to use OpenGL to see specular mapping. Unfortunately, OpenGL doesn't support environmental mapping right now, but the shinemaps are more than worth it. After this, go to the Features tab. In this tab, go to "Select Mod" and choose the folder where you installed the VP files. (Important note: folder names must be one word only.) Next, scroll down the different list types and start turning on features. Here's what I have on; this represents just about everything you need: specular, glowmaps, 32-bit textures (although this can cause performance issues), mipmapping, stop fog intersect hull (use only in D3D), another pair of scanning lines (just aesthetic), target info next to target (very useful), 3D warp (by preference; you should also check out 3D radar if you're interested), environmental mapping, and use alpha for env mapping. After this, hit "Apply" to save your settings, and you're all set!

I was just playing this the other day. I have FSO 3.5 - looks like I'll need to upgrade. Awesome game. One of my favorites.

It's late and I don't feel like reading.
What's FS_Open?

...

...read it anyway. Tomorrow maybe. Not that hard to find. Topic title kinda gives it away anyway...

Downloading FS2 must be absolute hell, considering it's a 3 CD game - unless they skipped the movies? Would still be large...

Anyway. I might as well reinstall it considering the discs are practically right next to me...

I wouldn't say FS2 has a "great story". It would have a great story if the story had an ending of some sort, but it just kinda hangs at the end of the campaign. If FS3 ever happens, or if the ending gets incorporated into a mod, then it can be called a "great story", but until then, it's an incomplete story. (FS1 had a great story, and FS2 has what could be the basis for a great story, but it needs an ending of some sort.)

Lothar, from what I understand, Volition had initially planned a sequel, but things never panned out. Even so, I consider it to be a fantastic story. I, for one, am incredibly grateful that not everything is explained at the end of the game; if it was, then the vast majority of the fantastic mods and campaigns of FS2 would be almost meaningless. The speculation about the unsolved mysteries of FS2 has kept the FS2 community full of ideas and creativity; it amazes me sometimes how many interpretations can be gleaned from the game's plot. As for the game itself, I consider the plot to be much better than that of FS1; you get a greater feeling of hopelessness, of being overwhelmed; plus, there's more plot twists, and there are a greater variety of missions. Does something like Into the Lion's Den ring a bell with anyone?

I don't like what they've done to the Subach HL-7... they've gotten rid of its lovely purple

sold my copy almost 2 years ago. I got it initially out of sheer curiosity and couldn't stand it... Rest in pieces.

Liquid Fire wrote:MD, you are LATE!

I installed 3.6.5. a week ago

Good for you. The only reason I didn't post about it when it came out was because I didn't really think many people cared.

Duper: They just released 3.0 of "The Babylon Project" just a couple of days ago.

avder: OpenGL support was added AGES ago. Its still got some bugs to work out (taylor's beta build crashes occasonally, but he and I are trying to fix that bug once we narrow down the cause.) but the official release build will work fine for now.

Defender & Woodchip: You might want to actually read the FAQ. It'll answer the majority of your questions.

As far as downloading FS2, its perfectly legal. There are links in the sticky in the General Freespace forum.

Just kinda skimming here, but do the new ships include the fancy animated lightmaps that the one fellow was making? The last few builds didn't have them, and you had to install them seperatly.

Yes, the new shinemaps and glowmaps that Lightspeed made are included in the new media VPs.

MD, what's your name at HLP? I'm registered as Mongoose.

O.K., I've reloaded my retail FS2. It already has the 1.2 patch and FRED.
Now I've downloaded the 3.6.5 Build. I'm just going to drag and drop it into the general FS2 file or one of the sub-files?
I've also downloaded launcher 5. Drag and Drop to same area as 3.6.5?
Does Launcher 5 then replace the launcher that comes with the game?

MD-2389 wrote: Duper: They just released 3.0 of "The Babylon Project" just a couple of days ago.

the last version I d/l had a virus in it. More specifically, a Trojan.

Woodchip, both the launcher and the 3.6.5 executable should go in your main FS2 folder. No, the launcher won't replace your original launcher; you can still play "vanilla" FS2 even with the SCP installed. I'd advise making a shortcut to the launcher on your desktop to make it easier to access. I'd also recommend getting the latest build by Taylor that I linked to in my above post, especially if you have an ATI card. The builds in the Newest Builds forum usually have bug fixes/new features not included in the official releases. For example, another one released recently allows fully rendered ship models in the ship loadout area, instead of schematics.

I think I got everything downloaded.
At the start of the readme file it says something about fs2_open.vp. I don't see it as part of what I downloaded. Readme says it is to be used with fs2_open 3.6.5. ??????

Woodchip, the reference to fs_open.vp is out of date. The separate VP files that you downloaded are all that you need. Regarding 3.6.5, the VP files you have will work with that official release or any new build afterwards.

I ran the new launcher, used browse to find:
\20050103-win32\fs2_open_T-20050103.exe
Closed launcher, reopened launcher and hit "run"
Nothing happened. Do I start the game with the old launcher or do I have to do something else with the new launcher5? The tabs in the new launcher all worked after I browsed for the above.

"After this, go to the Features tab. In this tab, go to "Select Mod" and choose the folder where you installed the VP files."

I put the launcher5 doohicky in the same folder where the fs2_open is and now I can open mod.
All that is in there is:
200050103-win32
When I hit O.K. I get a message:
Mod directory cannot contain a space.
I'm confused.

All right...both the new FS_Open executable and the new launcher go in your main Freespace 2 folder. Double-click on the new launcher to run FS2_Open. (As I said above, creating a shortcut to this will prevent you from having to open your FS2 folder every time you want to play.) When you've opened the launcher, browse to find the FS2_Open executable. Make sure you do this on the "Welcome" tab, not the "Features" tab. Once you have your executable selected, hit "Apply" to save its location. Next, you'll want to click on the "Features" tab. Under "Select Mod," select the folder where you installed the VP files. If you followed the instructions that I posted above, these should be in a folder named something like "SCP" or "Enhanced" inside your main FS2 folder. The name of this folder cannot contain any spaces. The select mod window is not used to select the executable; it's used to select the folder where the mod you want (in this case, the media VP files) is. After you've done that, make sure to hit "Apply" again. Now, go to the Video tab and select either Direct3D or OpenGL. Then, go back to the Features tab and scroll down the list, selecting what features you want. In one of my above posts, I listed the ones you should be looking for. Once you're done everything, hit Apply again, and then hit Run. FS2_Open should then load. If you're still having problems, I could post some screenshots of the FS2 directories and the launcher.

Top Gun wrote:All right...both the new FS_Open executable and the new launcher go in your main Freespace 2 folder. Double-click on the new launcher to run FS2_Open. (As I said above, creating a shortcut to this will prevent you from having to open your FS2 folder every time you want to play.) When you've opened the launcher, browse to find the FS2_Open executable. Make sure you do this on the "Welcome" tab, not the "Features" tab. Once you have your executable selected, hit "Apply" to save its location. Next, you'll want to click on the "Features" tab.

I'm good to go up to here

Top Gun wrote: Under "Select Mod," select the folder where you installed the VP files. If you followed the instructions that I posted above, these should be in a folder named something like "SCP" or "Enhanced" inside your main FS2 folder. The name of this folder cannot contain any spaces. The select mod window is not used to select the executable; it's used to select the folder where the mod you want (in this case, the media VP files) is.

This is where it falls apart. All the vp files I put in a folder named "SCP". SCP is in the main FS2 folder. SCP does not show up in the select mod window. All that is in the select mod window is a folder called 20050103-win32. This folder is also in main FS2 folder. Should I put the SCP folder inside the 20050103-win32 folder?

There shouldn't be any folder called 20050103-win32 in your directory. Is there anything in it? I don't know what's going on for you, but when I hit "Select Mod," I get a directory listing of the entire FS2 folder. I'm then able to select any mod folder that I want. Is nothing coming up for you when you hit "Select Mod"? If not, are you sure that it's pointing to the main FS2 directory?

Did you download and unzip a snapshot of the CVS by mistake, Woodchip?

Dude, why are you sticking the SCP VP files into a seperate directory? Thats just plain dumb. Just dump everything into the Freespace2 dir, run the launcher, pick the build exe you wish to use, and click run. Its really just that simple.

The -mod tag is meant for you to be able to have actual mods installed without having to play the VP shuffle. Lets say you downloaded "The Babylon Project". All you do is take the VP files for it and stick them into a folder IN the Freespace2 main directory (ie: c:\games\freespace2\TBP\). Then when you want to play said mod, click the "select mod" button on the launcher and navigate to that folder, and just select the folder. Click me for image Click OK and you're done. You've selected for FS2_Open to use that mod instead of the FS2_Open standard VP files, and it will run accordingly. When you're done with that mod, all you do is go back to the launcher and click "No Mod" and you're done. It will automatically read from the FS2_Open VP files from that point on.

If you have any questions Woodchip, catch me on ICQ or AIM. ("168701920" and "Chris VG1" respectively)

Top Gun: I actually did use "MD-2389" on HLP until Shrike renamed my account to "Vertigo1" because he was more familiar with that handle since I use it on another forum we both used to frequent.

Sorry, Woodchip; I should have given you the easy way to do it, rather than the needlessly complicated one that I use. I'm a little obsessive-compulsive about organizing things, so I decided to stick the Open VPs and the .avi files of the cutscenes in their own folder, to reduce the clutter in the main directory. Also, since I have multiple mods installed, it's almost become a force of habit. Speaking of the cutscenes, I don't think anyone's mentioned those yet. FS2_Open can't read the original .mve cutscene file format, but it is able to read .avi file formats. There is a utility that you can download to convert the .mves into uncompressed .avis, and then use a program like VirtualDub to compress them, but they're also available for download off of the FTP server that I mentioned in one of my earlier posts. If you're interested, just download the .avis and dump them in the main folder.

O.K. I corrected a few things and I get something similar to what MD shows. One problem was I didn't have any mods So I downloaded one called "WAR" and put it in its own folder like MD has with the TBP folder. It shows up in Select Mod but when I highlite it and hit O.K. I get the same "Mod directory name can't contain space" message.
Something isn't named right.

I got it fixed. I had the main freespace folder labled
"freespace 2" instead of "freespace2" hence the spacing issue.
Now when I go and hit run it takes me to the main freespace start up screen and then I go into view campaigns where I can choose either the main freespace2 game or the mod I highlighted in launcher. I'm assuming mods are like side campaigns within the main freespace universe?
Sound is much better btw, as are the graphics.
Is there anyplace I can down load Babylon without have to join fileplanet or other similar sites?

Wow, I actually got this stuff working. I saw something mentioned about ATI, but are there any reasons to use OpenGL over Direct3d with an nVidia card?

Woodchip, some mods/campaigns are fan interpretations of events before/after/during the events of FS1/2. Mods like Inferno, Blackwater Ops, and Machina Terra fall under this category, as do such campaigns as Derelict, Homesick, and the Aeos Affair, which are some of the best fan-made campaigns. Others take place in completely different universes. For a few examples, see the Babylon Project, the Wing Commander mod, the Starfox mod, and the Star Wars total conversion. A few others are done as humor/spoof campaigns; see both "Deus ex Machina" and "Just Another Day" for good examples. Of course, nothing in any mod or campaign is canon to the Freespace universe, but it's nice to be able to express one's own ideas about it. As for the FilePlanet question, I think that's the only place that that mod is available right now. Some of the other mods are available from different mirrors, though. For the largest selection of missions/campaigns, check out the Volitionwatch Archives.