One big starter pack: How?

[necxelos]

First of all: Hello everyone, I'm new guy here (but in no way new to the game itself). I just installed my heavily dusted copy of FA to play it again (not many RTS out here and PA still have a long way to go). As I allways like to have something new (even if I install long abandoned games) I did a quick research (actually 4-5 hours worth of research) and I pretty much know what I want from the game for now (this is not yet the part with long list of questions ).

1) FAF-Patched Game (not necessarily FAF itself) - this is most recent, balanced and stable version according to my research so it's the way to go.
2) BlackOps Complete (which means BlackOps Unleashed, BlackOps ACU upgrade, BlackOps Special Units) here is the new part. When I uninstalled my FA long time ago BOU was still one big beta that smelled with a "mod" 5 miles away. Now it looks more like a decent expansion, pretty much balanced and long supported. Also I like having most of SupCom2 experimentals in game (even though they are named differently).

So I managed to download the 2 things above and here come the questions:
I. BlackOps related;
- What version of BlackOps is most recent? For some unknown reason (may be my tired eyes) I'm quite sure I've seen somethingV7 downloading via FAF (after clicking create BOU game). Which is strange because in FAF vault there is V6 and internet shows V6.04 as most recent.
- Are there any differences between what I can download here (http://forums.gaspowered.com/viewtopic.php?t=31172) and what is downloaded via FAF?
- Can I somehow compare the files (I can't find where FAF stores mod files and patch files)? General rule says that if files are identical in size they are identical in any other way...
- Does FAF version of BlackOpsUnleashed unclude BlackOps:Advanced Command Units, BlackOps:Special Weapons, BlackOps:Naval Rebalance?
- If answer to question above is negative - how can I add them?

II. FAF related;
- How can I launch game itself (to play with bots) with multiple mods? I found somewhere here example of adding /init"blahblah" to the .exe file in bin directory but I didn't find any example of doing it with multiple /init lines. This question is strongly related to two questions above (submods to BOU), although I consider playing with Nomads as well (would be nice to have both).
- Can I use FAF to set up LAN game or do I need to use built-in-game lobby to connect to my friends?

III. Custom Installer related;
- Is there any way to cook custom installer for a PC (my netbook) that will install FAF-Patches and BOU files? I'm thinking about custom .rar that unpacks everything into correct folders but to do so I must first gather all the files that I need inside that .rar... I need to isolate patch files that affect game itself, mod files (if FAF-BOU is somehow different/better then the generic one I already downloaded from the internet) and maybe take LOBBY too if it can be used to play offline.

SUMMARY OF WHAT I INTEND TO ACHIEVE:
1) Have a game installed offline (I have CD),
2) Have all the patches installed offline if possible (2 on CD, but the most important 3623 is from FAF),
3) Have everything BOU has to offer installed offline if possible,
4) Have some new maps installed offline (FAF seems to have the biggest map-pack to choose from available anywhere),
5) Be able to play against bots (sorlan AI, cause I believe normal AI wont work with mod anyway),
6) Be able to play against my friends via LAN (after repeating steps 1-4 above for their PC's).

Thanks in advance for answers to my exceptionally long post.

P.S. 1-6 are not really questions but are open to comments as well if You see that I'm not getting some nuance properly.
P.S.2. If someone gets the impression that I dislike any online-based services - that's partially true. I hate DRM and I have trouble trusting anything that's not physically in my possession (not to mention GPG is the very proof that nothing lasts forever). I have nothing against FAF at all (why should I - maybe I even start playing online at some point) but being able to store everything on my Pendrive to install with one->few clicks offline is really a big thing for me.

[necxelos]

Considering the fact that noone replied so far I'll update a little:
1) I'm quite sure now that FAF store all it's files (including FAF-Cooked mods) in 2 folders: installation one and ProgramData one (silly hidden folder ehh). I'm not 100% sure if this is all but size comparison of files downloaded and total folders size tells me it may be. Last test for me would be to RAR this two folders, uninstall the Game and FAF completely and then install from RAR instead of using installer and then patching via FAF-Application.
2) Downloaded maps on the other hand are stored in some insane location in .../Users/...<(BlahBlah)>.../MyGames/... and I'm not sure if files stored there are everything that's needed to play on downloaded map. QUESTION: Are they?
3) HERE IS QUESTION: I still don't have any idea how to merge FAF-Versions (which seem to be improved over GPG-Forum ones) of mods to play with multiple of them (BlackOps and Nomads for example) nor do I have any idea how to play LAN with multiple mods and FAF patches. QUESTION: Any ideas?

P.S. Nice, active community - 45 watches on my topic but 0 responses. I really don't believe that noone ever tried to make his life easier and prepare cooked RAR to have everything stored in one place and being able to install with double click on his RAR.

[EDIT] Also I seem to have the exact bug mentioned here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3813 which is still unsolved (May 2013).

[Exotic_Retard]

first of all, welcome to the community!

ummmm bit of a wall of text so i didn't get that much, but this is what i know:

you can visit the mod vault and download whatever mods you want, then enable and disable as needed in the host game dialogue - but i would suggest to NOT play with mods as they are badly balanced and everyone plays normal faf
i don't play mods so i don't know, but blackops and nomads in one seems like a not great idea to me... :/

FAF manages mods and maps for you. if you don't have a mod/map when joining a game, it will prompt you to let it install them and you should have it in ~5seconds.
this means there shouldn't be a need to go poking around install folders and such - most things can be done from the client itself.
if you need a mod/map its best to either join a game with it, or go to the vaults and search there.
also latest patch here is 2629, and its installed automatically if you join/host a game.

don't play offline. the lobby can do everything for you, and lan is irrelevant here - you can play through the lobby and it is usually better.
bots can be added to a game as well, if you need them (just make a pass-worded game and add bots)
if you must, you can run the faf version from C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin\ForgedAlliance.exe but really, there is no need, and you can meet many other new players here with us.

on top of that, you get access to replays and tutorials and 1v1 ladder and more.

to summarize:
play through the lobby, not offline unless you have no internet - there is no advantage.
visit the vaults if you need things, they are specially made to work with faf
faf manages everything for you!
just use faf for everything basically.
good luck, hope to see you in the lobby chat!

[necxelos]

Thanks for reply Sako.

The problems with "FAF do everything for me" go like:
- What if FAF becomes vaporware (at some point it will - nothing is eternal)? I can't backup files and patches and all goes to ashes?
- What is the profit for me of playing against bots (single-player match) while being online? Sound to me like legendary by now Assassins Creed "allways connected" DRM instead of an application that is designed to make my life easier.
= This is why I'm looking for a way to have everything backed up, kept together and installable again every time I feel like doing so.

As for mods I really want to have something new in the game. Nomads, BlackOps, those are reasons to come back to the XXXX year old game (plus the fact that RTS genre is dying and there aren't any good RTS games out here except for PA which looks more like "we need 2 more years" than "nearly finished product"). Some Java/Lua lobby is just a small addition. Content, this is what matters to me - and judging by "Why everyone in Country YYYY only play BlackOps" - not only to me.

Also I was pointed out in priv that my post may look like piracy. The answer is NO. I don't pirate, I have SupCom + FA shiny and legit which doesn't mean I'm okay with DRM. I stay connected only when I play games online and that is the healthy habit. Even Steam works both Online and Offline.

[Exotic_Retard]

if you must, you can run the faf version from C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin\ForgedAlliance.exe but really, there is no need, and you can meet many other new players here with us.

on top of that, you get access to replays and tutorials and 1v1 ladder and more.

and the chat as well, and people are willing to help you and teach you to play (see personal trainers)


the other thing is is that were a small community and having the lobby being used helps us
and if faf does become vaporware (god forbid) then you can play it offline (see above), just copy paste the directory and don't run it via lobby- backed up
-this makes your first point irrelevant

also i'm not sure everyone DOES play blackops... here, some people do, but I'd guess 90% or more play without mods (maybe I'm wrong, zep can provide real info)
(in mod vault it has ~700 dls when there are ~8000 players on the server rankings)
to me its just not fun because it has a lot more units, but they are all very badly balanced, and promote turtling and long slow boring games : )
- this decreases the strategic value to the game - your only choice is to just sit and build nukes or w.e.

also we have a coop campaign with the new balance patches (its also made for playing alone) and that's only online
and galactic war, lets not forget that

if i were you, i would play with fellow people here (more fun than with bots+ get to meet people), but the offline version is always available if you want it that much

not sure why i'm advertising online to you, its entirely your choice at the end of the day

[Ze_PilOt]

The day FAF has to stop, it's likely that me or someone else will do an offline pack with all the mods/maps/whatever.

The problem currently is that everything is constantly evolving, and it's hard, if not impossible, to keep such archive up-to-date.
Not only someone will have to compile everything, but also make sure it run correctly, and that access is easy from an user point of view.
The immediate reward for that hard work is also very low. It doesn't make the community more alive.

Having a limited time to do it, it feel like a waste of it as everything is available from a simple click in FAF.
It's really not like Assassin Creed online mode, far from it.

Also, you seem quite happy that FA still have new shiny things being done for it.
You have to realize that it's only possible because of this community. And as every community, it can only live if enough people are part of it.

So using FAF work offline is actually killing the development, and it's more than probable than the final nail in the coffin will be the lack of online players.

Don't worry, we are far from that, but even if you don't play with people, even if you don't speak in the chat, seeing the "online players" number growing is really the ONLY thing that motivate coders, artists, casters and tournament directors to do new revolutionary things (like coop campaign, mission editor, nomads, new GFX, IMBA Cups, ...) for FA.

And maybe one day, you will find that these people are friendly, and will start talking to them and play some nice cooperative missions with them
That day, my goal will be achieved

[necxelos]

You have to realize that it's only possible because of this community. And as every community, it can only live if enough people are part of it.

People being virtually online (but not really available for any activity at all) =/= community. Community are by definition people who communicate, share their ideas and help improve the game in some way. They don't need to play it at all actually and certainly not online. I could say that there is more use a person who plays (let's imagine it) Nomads campaign then reports every bug, share his ideas on wider backstory, maybe even participate in creating some fan-art and generally promote Nomads faction in some way. This person may never ever touch the competetive part of the game but already had bigger impact than 90% of "my ego = my number of games won/my trueskill/my elo".

So my point is (although You may disagree) that shuting the doors down for offline-lovers are actually making the community smaller, because all You have left are semi-competetive-players. With full offline support and making "something-like-expansion-that's-built-in-FAF-for-good" You could drag here people that like me had their SupCom CD's long forgotten and covered in dust. Also competetive players would be happy too because even when they whine and say otherwise they really appreciate new content. Because it's allways a new thing to learn in otherwise stagnated (by which I mean stagnant meta).

So yes - I vote for including Nomads in next FAF patch as a feature not a mod and doing same thing for at least 10-15 units for every faction from other mods (BOU for example).

P.S. Nomads offline has wrong icon - they have "random" icon instead of their own in Faction Selection screen.

[Ze_PilOt]

I don't get why you think that online players = only competitves.

A lot of casual are playing. A lot of people play coop missions. A lot of people play only with AIs.

The point is : Being offline doesn't bring anything more, but cut you from the community. Because if are not online, you obviously can't post on a forum

If you want to support FAF, the only way is to go online. Because everything FAF has done is for the online players. You can be sure that the mods you like would have been dead without online.

And once again, in a perfect world, there would be an offline mode, and a extension, and a new campaign with 20 interesting missions, and .... and...
We don't have infinite resources. We have to concentrate of the most important features, and for FAF, it's the online game.

[ColonelSheppard]

This person may never ever touch the competetive part of the game but already had bigger impact than 90% of "my ego = my number of games won/my trueskill/my elo"

honestly that's this person's personal problem