posted 02-05- 07:58 AM               

Some of the best world war two online games are played on Friday & Saturday nights from about 21:30 GMT onwards. We use the Cal 12 Server.

In order to be file-compatible with those who fly at these times you must have the following correctly installed and in this order:
Fighter Squadron CD
Patch 1.5
Nations2
Plane Pack 6.0 AND
Plane Pack 6.1
Beta Patch 1.5.2.10

Bavaria Terrain is also widely used online and I'm sure that Tobruk will be too if the reports I am receiving are anything to go by

PRIOR TO INSTALLING PLANEPACK 6.1, BACKUP OR RENAME THIS FILE: data12.par. You'll find it in your Media dir after installing PlanePack 6.0.

Make sure you read all readme's that come with the above downloads especially with regard to whether the download is unzipped/extracted to the FS dir or the Media dir, within the FS dir.

When you are ready to install PlanePack 6.1, first create a Temp folder on your hard drive but not in your FS dir and call it PP6.1 and then extract the PlanePack 6.1 zip file to it. Make sure you have 'use folder names' option checked but not the other two boxes. Once extracted to this Temp folder you will see 4 new folders as well as a html document and 2 other files, data12.par and data13.par.

Now, in your Media dir create a new folder called 'OpenPlane', if it already doesn't exist. Within this OpenPlane folder create another new folder and call it 'planepack61b4'. Copy the above two new data12 & 13.par files and paste them both into this new planepack61b4 folder.

Also in your Media dir you will find a folder called GUI. You will also see a new GUI folder in that PP6.1 temp folder you created. Open up the GUI folder in Media and in it you will see a folder called Art. Rename it to PP6.0_Art and then copy the new Art folder from the new GUI folder in the PP 6.1 temp file and paste it into the GUI folder in Media. In the PP6.1 temp folder you will see a folder called 'Files for Installer Package' and in it is another folder called GUI. In this GUI folder you will see another Art folder and in it is a file called network.bmp. Copy and paste this .bmp file into the Art folder you pasted into the Gui folder in Media.

Almost done. Sorry if this seems a bit daunting but it works for me and at least a doz others I have helped out in the same way.

Okay. Now in your Media folder you will see some cache files which you must delete. Don't worry as they will be rebuilt the next time you fire up the game and/or fly online. These files are called: sdoecache, sdoecache.tex, cache and cache.tex. You may only have these last two files in there but make sure they get deleted or you may encounter some bad graphics probs when you fire up sdoe.

With Patch 1.5.2.10 download, again create a new Temp folder on your hard drive and call it 'Patch 1.5.2.10' and unzip/extract the Patch 1.5.2.10 zip file to it making sure again that you have the 'use folder names' box checked. Once this is done, go into your Fighter Squadron dir and copy and paste the two files, sdemons.ini & keyboard.inp INTO the temp folder called Patch 1.5.2.10. Now in this Patch folder you should also see two .Dat files: feif.dat and servers.dat and you MAY need to keep a copy of these two .dat files on your desk top IF you do not see all the servers listed for some reason when you fire up the game for online.
Now, with the temp folder called Patch 1.5.2.10, copy and paste this entire folder INTO your Fighter Squadron dir and you're done. Lastly, in this Patch 1.5.2.10 folder you will see a new Fighter Squadron icon called app.exe and if you want you should create a shortcut for it on your desktop. It is this new icon you should use when you wish to play online. Double click on this app.exe icon and you should see the words FS Patch Release ver: 1.5.2.10 in the bottom left hand corner of the Pilots' Log Book screen. Click on Options and you will see Tabs for General, Display, Sound, Input and OpenPlane. Click on the OpenPlane Tab and make sure you place a Green dot in the planepack61b4 check box and you are ready!

You may also wish to open up the Display Tab and switch the Renderer to whatever you desire ie, from D3D to OpenGL

If you have any probs pls email me and I'll see if I can be of further assistance to you.

Oh yeah, use may also require the Beta Final for the P-51D. It's a small 444kb .exe file which I can email you should you require it. It should be installed post PP6.1

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