Mod Dev Version DL

Originally posted by Second Chance

Ok, major problem MajorTom! With the mod deactivated, I unzipped the new version over the old, then ran the batch and hit c to update.

this is the odd part:

If the mod is deactivated, and you run the batch it shouldn't even give you an option (deactivate or continue) to select.
It will just run, copy the files and and then say it's activated.
Apparently the mod was activated (at least as far as batch is concerned) when you updated. Otherwise you wouldn't have had an option to choose from.

But why does the mod never work after the first activation? Now it just permanently says the mod is active.

We had this problem before: there is apparently something specific to your system that causes the problem.
It's most important we figure out why.
I can't induce any of my systems do what you've described here (but I'll keep trying until we figure it out!
The batch works flawlessly on my 3 PCs (Win98, Me, XP) and also on Tarcoons PC (XP)

When I started EoC, it started normal (no mod). I ran the batch and it said the mod was active, so I hit e to deactivate it. Then EoC wouldn't start at all. Turns out, the batch deleted my flux.ini. So now I have none! Fortunately, I have a backup of my tediously tweaked flux.ini file, so I'm not crying.

The setup works like this:

Batch looks for the presence of an .ini file in the folder:
StarWarsA1/backups/ships/multiplayer if there is an .ini file in there it assumes the mod is activated. (because it put them in there as it activated the mod)
Are any files in that folder write protected?
Batch can't deactivate the mod if a file in that folder is write protected. (in fact, none of the files should be write protected!)

(as a result of this, I'll change batch to check for the attribute first, before it copies or moves any files in the future)

If batch concludes that the mod is deactivated, it copies the flux.ini thats currently in your EOC directory into the folder player/sp_configs. That could be why your flux got deleted: Something must have made batch 'think' the mod was deactivated even though it wasn't.
Question: is the file thats currently in your folder StarWarsA1/player/sp_configs "yours" or someother version?

On a different note:
Maybe your SP flux.ini is so "tweaked" that the game won't run with it in the first place and thus always reverts to the defaults.ini?
If that happens the game will rewrite your flux.ini anew.

Here's an idea. How about a batch.log file for the activator? Then you can see exactly what it's doing, and why.

I'll check into that. But you won't see anything if it does things "right" while it still produces errors.
Batch outputs lots of stuff to the screen. Can you scroll the DOS window on Win2k (and make some screen shots of it for me) for the time being?

*edit*
It also moved all my mods into a folder called mp_mods in the main EoC folder and deleted my mods folder. And now when I start the regular game and go to the extras screen it lists all the folders in my my main EoC directory as mods, i.e. bin, configs, resource, etc.

Could you tell me exactly what the batch file changed so I can deinstall manually.

Thats wierd! and could be a clue to whats going wrong on your system.

(Is there something wrong/unconventional with the search_paths in your tweaked flux.ini?)

The mods stuff works like this:
Batch checks first (just to be sure) if there is a folder in your EOC directory named "SW_SP_mods". (If said folder exists it aborts with an error message). If the folder doesn't exist it renames your mods folder to SW_SP_mods.
It then checks for the existance of a folder named "mp_mods" in your EOC directory. If there is no such folder existant it moves a folder named "mp_mods" from StarwarsA1 to your EOC directory.
Batch then renames the folder mp_mods in your EOC directory to mods.

When you deactivate the mod, it moves the folder mp_mods back into your StarWarsA1 directory and changes the name of the folder "SW_SP_mods" back to "mods".

I haven't the slightest idea how folders like resource, configs ect could get into the mods folder (or mp_ mods or whatever) ???? Are there "resource", "configs" ect. folders actually in a folder named mods in your EOC directory?

Do you currently have a folder named "SW_SP_mods" in your EOC directory? (if so your SP mods should be in there).
Last Question:
Above you wrote "mp_mods" did you perhaps mean "SW_SP_mods"?

I just noted:
Batch doesn't do an error message if a "mp_mods" folder already exists in your EOC directory, it just won't move the folder. However it will still rename any "mp_mods" folder in your EOC directory to mods. Thats an error possibility and I'll fix that.


Iwar2 Multiplayer Fan Site

I've tested everything I can think of and cannot get my game to show the effects you have. I could not get it to delete flux by any means whatsoever.

Do you perhaps have multiple installations of EOC on your PC?

it is important to note:
All the file copying and switching around is only done for MP game files that have nothing to do with the SP game. None of the .exe, .dll or .ini files used in the SP game are changed or moved in any way. The whole copy process is only there to move the modded MP files so you can play an unmodded MP game when you are in normal SP mode.

The only SP game relevant files manipulated, are the flux.ini and the mods folder.
In our case, switching the flux.ini via a batch is basically just an easy way of changing the search_path so the game can read the files in the StarWarsA1 folder. The mods folder is renamed, so no mods can interfere with the MP game. (but no contents are changed in it)

If you want to manually deactivate the mod to play a normal SP game all you have to do is rename the mods folder back to mods and put your own flux.ini in the EOC directory and start. thats it! (then, the game doesn't even know the Starwars folder exists because the search path doesn't point to it)

btw: through testing I found out a check for write protect attributes is not necessary, on win98 or XP. The batch file still moves them. So that can't be the problem unless Win2k complains about write protected files where other systems don't!

I'm totaly stumped! [xx(]


Iwar2 Multiplayer Fan Site

Hi MajorTom, I managed to uninstall the mod manually myself, thanks. So, now on to answer your questions and hopefully get this Win2K problem solved.

If the mod is deactivated, and you run the batch it shouldn't even give you an option

Well, it did. I chose c, to update and continue. And I know the mod was successfully activated and deactivated earlier because I played the mod and then played the SP game afterwards. However, I did not run the batch file again until I updated, so I have no info on what happened after I ran the deactivation. And even though the SP game worked after deactivation, I have a feeling that the batch probably said it was activated anyway (when I updated, I didn't look). Maybe that's why it gave me an option instead of just updating.

Batch looks for the presence of an .ini file in the folder:
StarWarsA1/backups/ships/multiplayer if there is an .ini file in there it assumes the mod is activated. (because it put them in there as it activated the mod)
Are any files in that folder write protected?

No, and these are the files that are currently in there (remember, the mod always says it's active):

cutter.ini
fast_attack.ini
fighter.ini
heavy_corvette.ini
police_interceptor.ini
storm_petrel.ini
tug.ini
fighter.lws
interceptor.lws
vssver.scc

Question: is the file thats currently in your folder StarWarsA1/player/sp_configs "yours" or someother version?

There's nothing in that folder. It's empty. So it wasn't my flux.ini, or any other. In fact, there was no flux.ini in the entire game directory!

Maybe your SP flux.ini is so "tweaked" that the game won't run with it in the first place and thus always reverts to the defaults.ini?

No, it's not tweaked that strangely. It just took me a long time, and many tries to get just the right numbers. Either way, I backed up the original defaults and copied my custom flux as the new default.ini anyway, so I know it works.

(Is there something wrong/unconventional with the search_paths in your tweaked flux.ini?)

Nope, they're the same as everyone else's.

I haven't the slightest idea how folders like resource, configs ect could get into the mods folder

They didn't. Flux is actually listing the contents of the EoC main folder on the mods screen. [?][?][?]
Actually, I think I figured this part out. There was no mods folder in the main directory. And it seems that without a mods folder, the Extras screen just lists the contents of the main directory.

Do you currently have a folder named "SW_SP_mods" in your EOC directory?

Nope, never saw one.

Above you wrote "mp_mods" did you perhaps mean "SW_SP_mods"?

Nope again, all my mods were moved by the batch into the folder mp_mods in the main EoC directory.

Do you perhaps have multiple installations of EOC on your PC?

Nope a third time . This is even a fresh installation, and the only one.

I've removed everything associated with the mod out of EoC and I'm going to try it again with the new D/L. This time I'll expect trouble and look for things that could be helpful.

The problem always seems to be the same: After the first batch activation and the subsequent deactivation, the mod always remains deactivated even though the batch file says it's activated. So I can never get the mod to run a second time, and I can never deactivate it to try reinstalling.

mailto:second_chance@cox.net
The Ultimate Guide To Modding: I-War 2 - Edge Of Chaos (on hold during SW MP mod)
cartoons.sev.com.au/index.php?catid=4
.

If you didn't have a mods folder thats probably what is screwing things up. You did patch the game to F14.6 ??? Are you sure???

Explanation
If the ships are in the folder: StarWarsA1/backups/ships/multiplayer
The mod is activated! (at least as far as batch can tell)

your problem is, there is no flux.ini in the folder StarWarsA1/player/sp_configs. But! the ships are still in the backup folder. That puts you in a kind of limbo state!

When the mod is activated your flux.ini from the SP game should be in that folder, because batch moved it there when it activated the mod (or at least should have)

Fix
(we have to get you into a correct "activated" status.)
- first put a copy of your flux.ini (the one you tweaked for the SP Game) in the folder StarWarsA1/player/sp_configs
- if you have a folder named mods in <EOC directory> rename it to temp_mods
- Now make a folder in <EOC directory> named "SW_SP_mods" and copy the mods you have into it that you want to use for normal SP games.
- delete the folder temp_mods
- look for a folder named mp_mods in StarWarsA1 (it should have 3 mods in it)
- copy mp_mods into your <EOC directory> and rename it to mods (if there is a folder named mp_mods already in <EOC directory> delete it first)

Now run the batch. It should give you the options c or e.
Type e.
You should get a readout at the end of the dos window
..... "the game is now in SINGLE PLAY mode"........
.....................................................

(If you don't get that readout please do screen shots of the whole batch procedure in the DOS window and send them to me)
if you did get the expected readout:
Start a game (you should be in SP mode) and then quit it to desktop.

start the game again (in SP mode) check if you have the mods in "extras" and then quit the game to desktop.

Now run the batch. it should run without a query and when it's done simply say:

..........STARWARS MP Mod is activated ..........
.................HAVE FUN .....................

Start the game you should now be in the Starwars GUI.

If that works you're all set.

I'll fix the batch for future installations so it aborts if there is no mods folder in the EOC directory, so this can't happen to someone else.




Iwar2 Multiplayer Fan Site

If you didn't have a mods folder thats probably what is screwing things up. You did patch the game to F14.6 ??? Are you sure???

Silly rabbit , of course I had a mods folder. The batch file deleted it.

I will do what you say and report back. Thanks for the help.

mailto:second_chance@cox.net
The Ultimate Guide To Modding: I-War 2 - Edge Of Chaos (on hold during SW MP mod)
cartoons.sev.com.au/index.php?catid=4
.

I've dl'ed the same version that gave SC a few problems, but am waiting for the "All Clear" to unzip and install it just to be sure it won't f my EoC game. Unlike SC, I doubt I'd be able to get all my tweaks and mods back easily (hrs and hrs of dialup download time spent collecting all this stuff over the years) if they were deleted Maybe it's time for a backup folder...

I run things on a W98 machine so I'm not anticipating any problems, but I'll wait another day or so until I have your collective assurances that its OK, or else provide us with a new version for DL. (btw, are we going to use version #s for clarity?)

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