[dunkelgrun]

I posted this in a reply over at SimHQ, but the more people see it the better, as it might explain why certain things in HSFX are like they are.


Everyone assumes that the HSFX mod package, which is now being used to underpin the 'unified' mods, was designed for this purpose. It wasn't. We in 242Sqn, and the squads we fly with, have been using HSFX for a long time now, through its A-G then v2 & v3 incarnations until the present v4. HSFX was built to allow us to fly in Scorched Earth campaigns and contains the featured mods that WE need for those campaigns.
Many of the mods that you, and others, like have been rejected by us for one reason or another. Some caused conflicts, some weren't very good, some we didn't like and some we hadn't tried. Others just weren't necessary for our purposes.

However, Charlie Chap, the main man behind HSFX, didn't do this all on his own. He believes in cooperation and is always in touch with any modder who wishes to be so. Thus, when it was found that HSFX 4 was going to be in compressed .SFS format, shipping along with Prof's excellent installer, then the other modding groups were immediately aware of this.
AAA, SAS, etc realised that this was the way to go and decided to adopt the HSFX package as the basis for all mod packs. All jolly good, unification of the mods - well done everybody said.

But, and here's the rub, because of this what you now get as the 'unified' mod pack is OUR mod pack, designed by us, for us. The features in it are designed for 242Sqn, 102nd, IAF.101 etc, i.e. the groups we fly with, so it's inevitable that it won't suit everyone.

So, by accident really, you are stuck with what we like, but at least its fully customisable. You can add whatever you like to it very easily. Yes, it is a nuisance that some of your favourite stuff gets overwritten (it removed my splash screens that I now need to put back) but there it is. Perhaps a small price to pay for a mod pack that isn't bloated beyond belief, and you now have a game that loads in seconds once more.

What is missing from the pack, is this explanation of how HSFX came to be the 'unified' pack. Hope this goes a little way to towards rectifying that.


:cheers:

[fish]

Good explanation. I like the mod pack and it was easy enough to make a new folder and name it MODS and add what ever I want. Thanks for the mods.

[Trooper117]

What's needed is a blow by blow account of how to add more mods, or change mods to the way that we want them.. HSFX may load faster, but for me, thats it.. many of the sounds are completely wrong now for my tastes.. how do I get at the presets and sound files, because many are not at the settings I want.
We are hearing time after time, 'it's just a matter of dropping your new mod into the MODS folder to change things back'.. no it's not, we need to access all the other relevant ini files etc, that need to be changed in order for many mods to work..
Lets have somebody from your lot drop a full list of 'how to' and the complete whereabouts of everything in the mod file structure, as we are now getting many questions from punters on how to adjust stuff, and for many its groping about in the dark..
That would be a major help.. and much appreciated.

[Steambat]

Good explanation. I like the mod pack and it was easy enough to make a new folder and name it MODS and add what ever I want. Thanks for the mods.

Totally, agree! It's ease of use and ability to add other Mods is tremendous giving the game an even more extended life. All personnel involved with this project should be immensely proud of themselves and deserve an all round pat on the back from everyone! :cheers:

[Spinnetti]

What's needed is a blow by blow account of how to add more mods, or change mods to the way that we want them.. HSFX may load faster, but for me, thats it.. many of the sounds are completely wrong now for my tastes.. how do I get at the presets and sound files, because many are not at the settings I want.
We are hearing time after time, 'it's just a matter of dropping your new mod into the MODS folder to change things back'.. no it's not, we need to access all the other relevant ini files etc, that need to be changed in order for many mods to work..
Lets have somebody from your lot drop a full list of 'how to' and the complete whereabouts of everything in the mod file structure, as we are now getting many questions from punters on how to adjust stuff, and for many its groping about in the dark..
That would be a major help.. and much appreciated.

Well, just hang out at the SAS site, and yeah, you can too mod your stuff. There is a replicated STD folder in the mods folder so you can adjust the contents to add or modify your own content.... Best IMO is to start with UP - new version out shortly, which includes HSFX as its base, then mod or add anything that HSFX/UP didn't include to your liking. You can add individual mods that add or override existing function, or even add more packs on top like the "Fusion pack" content..... Fusion pack has a bunch of different sounds, and you can mix and match them, and edit the files too - I did. its really pretty great overall compared to the last state IL2 was released in... Just takes a little more research to "catch up" with all everybody is doing. Remember nobody is getting paid, so running a mod helpdesk is not their primary function....

[Rowddy]

i'm getting pretty annoid tbh i was away for like 2 months and my whole MOD world is upsidedown i came back installed the UI1.2 etc got it all working fine again and then i read it will be abbanded because we all have to switch to HSFX so i did by now i have to get used to the switch from XP to windows 7 and now also to HSFX (which confuses the crap out of me btw with conversion of sfs.files to install MODS) and now i read this.

I NEVER found the loading times long tbh in UI1.1 + UI 1.2 but yeah this is a bit shorter. and now i read we should go to SAS for UP?? i hear that will abbandon also in due time.

SO gentlemen please consult with each other make an arrangement or whatever and go sit on one line for everyone's sake. I just want an installer for my MODS what isn't to complicated is compatible with the official 4.09 and all the MODS i ever wanted.

or maybe i should play whatever other game i have lying around and wait till Storm of War is released and uninstall Il-2 for ever

S!

[Bearcat]

I had load times up to 2:35 with UI 1.2. I prefer the HSFX based mod packs by a mile....

[skyomish]

I had load times up to 2:35 with UI 1.2. I prefer the HSFX based mod packs by a mile....

I'm With you. UI loaded in 3-4 mins. HSFX 45 sec maybe.

[kapteeni]

IMHO HSFX 4.1 is by far the best modpack because of it's online capabilities. However for us who wants to toy with different mods, it is not that good, because we don't have the possibility to unpack SFS files with SFS exctractor. I hope that this will be solved ASAP.

I'm still using my AAA UI 1.2 and SAS versions for that. I hardly fly online.

And as DK said, it is fairly easy to add all the mods that you want.
Because huge amount of mods, it is virtually impossible to make 1 pack to rule them all.
We all need to study hard and try to customise our own games just like we want.
It is not easy, but it sure is fun. If you have enough ziggies and beeer and no naggin GF or wife....

This computer game has forced me to study computers more than anything ever. And i was working as a PC support and teacher about 2 long years. (I almost had burn out there. LOL! Imagine 150 PC and you as a helpdeskman. I work as a cook now!)
Keep up the good werks guys. This is still the best combat air simulator ever!
Kap

[Trooper117]

What's needed is a blow by blow account of how to add more mods, or change mods to the way that we want them.. HSFX may load faster, but for me, thats it.. many of the sounds are completely wrong now for my tastes.. how do I get at the presets and sound files, because many are not at the settings I want.
We are hearing time after time, 'it's just a matter of dropping your new mod into the MODS folder to change things back'.. no it's not, we need to access all the other relevant ini files etc, that need to be changed in order for many mods to work..
Lets have somebody from your lot drop a full list of 'how to' and the complete whereabouts of everything in the mod file structure, as we are now getting many questions from punters on how to adjust stuff, and for many its groping about in the dark..
That would be a major help.. and much appreciated.

Well, just hang out at the SAS site, and yeah, you can too mod your stuff. There is a replicated STD folder in the mods folder so you can adjust the contents to add or modify your own content.... Best IMO is to start with UP - new version out shortly, which includes HSFX as its base, then mod or add anything that HSFX/UP didn't include to your liking. You can add individual mods that add or override existing function, or even add more packs on top like the "Fusion pack" content..... Fusion pack has a bunch of different sounds, and you can mix and match them, and edit the files too - I did. its really pretty great overall compared to the last state IL2 was released in... Just takes a little more research to "catch up" with all everybody is doing. Remember nobody is getting paid, so running a mod helpdesk is not their primary function....

I hear what you are saying, but I have 4 different installs of this bloody game on my HD at the moment and I don't want another!.. I'm trying to get a HSFX install up to the spec I want, not what they have provided, so I need info, and I suspect so do many others.
I want to use HSFX as a base, and then add my content, or change their content to what I want. I could do this with the UI as I understood the layout and had access to the relevent files to change anything I wanted.. at the moment I can't do this.

[Rowddy]

I had load times up to 2:35 with UI 1.2. I prefer the HSFX based mod packs by a mile....

I'm With you. UI loaded in 3-4 mins. HSFX 45 sec maybe.

tbh i don't mind that waiting but that's my opinion i spend now 6x as long to figure-out how to disable a cloudsMOd or install a new MOD (which i didn't succeed yet in both cases) and then there is the sfs.conversion thing too. lol yeah it's all lot better now NOT!

And since i fly only offline, i don't care at all if it's better with online flying. I just never use that. What i do know is that it takes the fun out the whole thing for me. It grows well beyond my understanding capabillity's

[macdknife]

i cant even get HSFX to work at all
keeps stoping at difint spots after the first page
all i can play is 4.09m with it in rushion
i tryed going to 242s sight cant regster on it at all
or conact ammastor to find out whats wrong

[skyomish]

Mac I made a post at 242 for you . Hoping for a answer.
Will keep you posted.

[macdknife]

thank you
and thanks for all the help

[Triad773]

That was a good explanation to me. I tried HSFX 4.1 and yes it is good, loads fast- and that is very cool. I ran into a little trouble updating some of my other fav mods tho. I went back and looked around the 242 site and figured out what you had explained. Consequently, that caused me to try UP 1.8. I got that working okay, and it currently seems about as easy to update as UI 1.2 was. But as I noticed, while a virgin install of UP (or HSFX for that matter) will load fast as intended; but start dropping in your olde MapMods folder, maybe some planes and such, and watch your load times increase

But hey- it's a tradeoff. Customized means longer load times, while the more stuff they pack into those SFS files in the next releases of either will widdle that time back down I imagine.

Choice is good

Thanks to all involved 8)