The Blue Sun Mod
 

The Blue Sun Mod has gotten a facelift thanks to the hard work of Thrillseeker and SilverGirl. The new portraits joefoxx made for Lambert, Alena, Gorres, Kelly, Miguel, Mindow, Paco and Paquito has been added so far, hopefully he'll have time to complete the rest in the future. D_F_N has sorted the JA2 mercs giving them much needed attention, they are now much closer to their JA2 counterparts in terms of stats.

A special thanks to all the testers for helping out, it really speeds up development time and produces a better end product. And a big thanks to Sprut for once again making the installer.

This will most likely be the last version of the Blue Sun Mod, the coming year wont leave me much time to continue developing it. But do not despair, there are already very talented people working on other mods for 7.62. Hopefully we'll be able to play an English version of the HardLife Addon in a near future as well, I'll try to help with the translation effort once it starts.

And remember, I will always have time to help anyone interested in modding 7.62, so my knowledge of the game structure and quirks will never be lost. Just PM me your questions and I'll do my best to help.


How to install:

1: Install 7.62 in a new folder, like C:\games\7.62\. Do not install the game in the default folder like "Program Files" or "User".

2: Mount or burn the bsm_2.1.iso image.

3: Run the setup.exe and choose your installation options.
(The installer includes the Unofficial Patch 1.06, media.pack files and everything else needed to make the game work, but remember to check the right options. It also has an option for our German players who can select the German Unofficial Patch and GCP files, and the Russian Compatibility Patch(RCP) for owners of the Russian version of the game.)

4: Run the BlueSunMod.exe to start the game.

Download from Yandex.Disk

Download from Mega

Download Torrent

Size: 840MB

MD5: 2D5265507F54A8DDB5B4F4C24559FCC2

Keep in mind that the launcher uses code injection, which is considered bad behavior by most antivirus programs. It is a false positive, there are no viruses in this mod, but you need to add the BlueSunMod.exe to your program's Trusted Files/Exception List. I recommend turning off your antivirus program and disconnect your Internet before you start installing the mod, and adding BlueSunMod.exe to the Trusted Files when you start up your antivirus program again. Don't start the game before this is done, or it will remove the file it considers a threat.

Have fun and don't forget to save often

R@S

argh i'm so torn about this...

what are the changes? i kinda don't wanna restart yet...
but sooner or later i will have to do so anyway to get my new items.

i'd really love to get that ski mask done beforehand tho.

There are only some minor changes, mostly fixes but a few new things as well. For those who has the final beta there's some new weapons and a new car. But I recommend you finish your current game before you start a new one with the latest version.

I went ahead and did it anyway.. just so i can update the next thing i want to release in a few minutes.
bye bye old savegame....

Here are some inspiration on new items
 

I think there are already enough items of normal specs. The game simply calls for stats improving items and some new mods or techs to guns. You know e.g.:
ski mas(+10stealth), night_ops_outfit (+80 stealth and silent movement at night),
Targeting system built in helm (+20 to accuracy when shooting w/o scopes),
surgery kit (req: medic 75+, heals lost/blacked out health),
statis injector(req.:medic 60+, 50% chance of revival of recently fallen member-% dependant on med skill, aplicable only within 3 minutes since the merc was shot down),
camo blanket (when used the merc hides under the camo blanket, +200stealth/near invisibility, is droped off if the merc moves),
flask of water with pipes (cant figure out a world for it, simply a flask with pipes which would go from the flask to mouth and make the flask useable at any time directly from belt menu 'drink' endurance gain would be like 75%, cuz it would require more time to drink enough water to fully refresh the soldier but u dont need to put away ur gun),
Radio backpack (call for heli backup-start video heli flying in and shotting its eggs down-end of video, 15%chance per enemy unit to drop dead=hit by the gun from the heli) call for ur guys at your base to come and get all eq. looted-items will be amde accesible at your crates at your base), call for available reinforcement(opens the possibility for real wide warfare battles) from the area, both your own or your alies, %30 percent chance that someone will come for assist depending on your status in the world, during battle it is useable only once, else it is useable every hour - i would like this to also work for enemy patrols-simply it would be important to shot down the radio guy, before he calls reinforcements/for balance he will call them only if the battle seems to be lost and not directly from the start).
Treasure map fragments (sometimes to eb found on dead bodies, getting a set would open a new location on map, where something good can be found).
gas masks and gas grenades /upon arming a really wide area will cuz all units within to lose heatlh depending on the agression of the gas).
medics vest (+15 to med, skill), gunners vest(overall weight caried is reduced by 40%, allowing to cary more ammo without endurance and speed losses-restricts vest and backpack only to ammo,everything else is droped off and cant be put in/against spoilers).
medic uniform(req.: no gun equiped, -35% to acuracy and lesser threat of atackers of the merc with this uniform, not aplicable on bandits as they dont give a f, about red cross ideology),
flares/flare guns(req.: ownage of base with heliport and pilot, or nearby ally army base, creates a sector leaving zone, with 30sec cool down for alowance of evac, call for emergency evac can be also an option of the radio backpack)
thermo gogles: see all enemies in front of you (e.g. 50yds range) ignoring walls and heavy cover or stealth outfits.
outfit with leg support (like an unifrom, decreases energy drain from running and moving)
outfit with arms support(decreases energy drain from having ur gun in ready-to-fire stance)
outfit with body support (additional protection from explosions pulses also can help merc to withstand a hit which would normaly cuz him to drop down)
headset (special inventory item, req.:activation and assignement to soldier from the special items pack in inventory-all units with acivated headsets share enemy intel=one spots an enemy, everyone is aware of it and can shoot on it even if its not in visual contact-good for hitting enemies behind covers or doors=one unit spots-other blind shoots on its reported position-no more enemy-out-of-sight notifications when the f....s move behind trees and so on.
heart beat sensor-inventory activated, shows location of enemy units on mini-map (good for the last units search).
satelite scan(req.:backpack radio or something similar, scan area for hostiles - needs to be payed for afterwards at some guy in town(cia representative or something similar otherwise problems will ocure), scaning takes like 40secs and afterwards shows all units on map for 1-2 minutes depending on reputation of main char. by the provider :-D

I guess some are easy to implement and soem are harder, ut still doable, but quite time consuming. Maybe at least i inpired someone. got more ideas but that would made this too long to read.

BTW.: R@S i gaved up on the tank programing, spent a lot of time texturing it but i simpy cant make it to fire correctly. Controls were arrow based so u had to mvoe it manualy, but it simply stucks in terain too much, mainly cuz the trees are indestructible. OMG. Also i got my nerves off when trying to animate characters to enter , leave it-omg had a friend working on it, but looks like we took more than we could handle. Items simply miss to much useable parameters to make it all work so we gived-up with this. started our own project, from the scrap :-D. I am digging in python and he in blender :-D to make it cooperative enough :-D

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/336...suniform01.jpg

Download v0.2 Here (adds a female version)

it has the camouflage effect of the sniper camo suit.

it also contains the ski mask head and instructions on how to use it.

additionally it upgrades the vendors in puerto viejo and all barmen around the country to sell the new uniform and nightvision goggles right from the start of the game. rico reyes in cali cantinos now randomly sells all uniforms that are in the game.

this is an addon to the Blue Sun Mod 1.01

any attempt to use it without BSM or the wrong version of it might severely damage your game so be warned!

**virus/malware found in unofficial patch**
 

DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE UNOFFICIAL PATCH 1.06!!

When i extracted the patch from the .rar file, my anti-spyware/adware program (Spybot-S&D) detected malicious content within the patch files!
The file is infected with a malware called "Fraud.DesktopSecurity2010", instructions on how to remove it can be found at the official Spybot-S&D forum:
http://forums.spybot.info/showthread.php?t=55102

Edit:
False alarm, folks.

aww shucks, my evil plan to infect my good friends with a bad thing has been foiled. Just kidding:-P

'Tis a very weird thing. Even if spybot reports that issue, there's no "Fraud.DesktopSecurity2010" anywhere to be found. My best guess is that it's a false positive, it's likely since the new archive includes a bat file and those are notorious for causing false positives.

But I could be wrong, a confirmation from others would help. Like, has anyone found the "Fraud.DesktopSecurity2010" on their computers after installing the patch?

The warning didn't come from the .bat file, it came from the file "azp.exe".

I just downloaded the unofficial patch and scanned it with Avast which is much superior antivirus program and found nothing. It probably is a false-positive result from Spybot.

Thanks Harry, you made it so that I can sleep better tonight:)

I also checked the "Date Modified" on the AZP.EXE and it was like 2007 or something, another little clue that it might be a false positive. I also checked it with AVAST, and AVG on my laptop, no virus/spyware found. And I must have installed the patch more than 5 times and I checked the regestry, program Files folder and such, no spyware.

Hey, thanks for confirming the positive negative thing for me, almost crapped myself when the AV app lit up :grin:

RE: Shapecharge

You should install the Free version of Avast; I used to use Spybot years ago and it would report alot of false positives.

http://www.avast.com/en-ca/free-antivirus-download

Well you ahve to think this thign over at this point.

If returning false positives is better than silent protector?

I had installed nod, avast, eset, kaspersky, avg and other things and simply every one ahd its backdoors. I have an eye on the recent NOD comercials and maybe I will try it out buit at this moment I have isntalled comodo. This dick showed a lot of activity and popped up almost every second after isntalation but that was the thign I wanted, Continual in depth control of system, I checked the first things it popped up, some i check to be trusted, few I blocked and voala, no more popups after the initial setups.

The program also has instalation routine - this means that you can set it to isntall mode when you are trying to install something and it will ignore few things which would otherwise be considered as threat, this means .exe and other executables and autotriggers, mostly .tmp bastards from comercials.

Has a number of different scan setups and system core checks, also tracks all net activity, inbound and outbout connections, which makes it easier for me to find intrusions.

Also keeps nonstop eye on root directories and registry, all changes are reported immediately and asked to either allow or block them :-D boy i like this thing, mostly because of no more troubles with auto update hooks and comercial sites autostarters :-D. So far the thing that finaly satisfied me.

Looks very good but maybe the bad is yet to come as it was by all pc defenders i had :-(.

I use the Free Comodo Firewall program. I havn't tried their newer Antivirus though I see on their website that they have one now. I've tried about 20 antivirus programs so far. I think Avast is one of the best I've seen for finding viruses and spyware. Although from the ratings Kapersky is supposed to be the best.

NOD crashed my system and I had to do a repair install of my operating system, so I personally won't recommend it.

yep, i also seen that kaspersky was supposed to be the best, yet experience aproved it of being ram-eater. Mix its eating style with this game and man what would come out then? :-D

avast has free licence for noncomercial use and so has a lot of users, and from this amount you simply must find a few guys who say that its the best but frankly, not. I found my registry regularly infected with viruses and/or damaged also, its weak against key loggers, and backdoor spies. I even had experience when after update avast set all exe files to be viruses, omg :-D :-D , thats about the last experience from avast, afterwards i uninstalled it. I still recomend it to neighbours as even a dumbass can work with it and update his licence and so I dont ahve to come over and over to them and fix their fucked up pc, simply because I f.... on them and dont give a d... about their pc infections as long as they dont want anything from me.

Another thing, although you update, avast is allways behind and out-of-date when compared to the updated libraries of nod and etc. Its simply a trick for dumbs. Thats my opinion over it, based on 3 year experience.

Well I'm sorry to hear of you negative experience with Avast.
Me and hundreds of other people I know have never had a problem with it, you seem to be the exception.

Avast was rated number #1 and
"having excellent virus and spyware detection rates according to antivirus test results from AV-Test.org."

http://freebies.about.com/od/securit...-antivirus.htm

AV-Test.org is an independant virus testing lab.
http://www.av-test.org/index.php


The two worst antivirus programs I ever had were; NOD and Norton. They both infected and corrupted my system.
They also chew up ram like crazy. Avast is easy on resources and it updates atleast once a day its virus database.

bad experience, sadly but true. Hundreds of users? TO me numbers dont matter I prefer opinion of one advanced user then thousands of 'users'.

over 80% users are beginners, hacking them is automatic and doesnt even require a man but just a tricky worm, so yes I dont care about the opinions of hundreds ;-).

secondly, free softs can not and will not have comparable quality to paid soft, oterwise all the tech. labs would go bankrupt as they are needless.

for sample. Go on avast for three months. Then use NOD free scan, check registry and all disks on advanced level and wait for surprise :-D


Believing that u are safe is also hackers wish :-D.

In my experience, a good firewall is much more important than a good anti-virus prog. I started using Sunbelt Kerio a while back and am very pleased with it. I use Comodo on my laptop and that's a good one as well.

But this is supposed to be a thread about a mod called Blue Sun, could we get back on topic?:grin:

OK, sorry for the off topic R@S :-(

and thx for the firewall tip, I will try it out :-).

I've been playing this mod for some while now and enjoying it so far.
But I ran into a problem with the "backstabbing" mission:
After the car bomb situation and the ambush, I encountered a border guard whom I managed to bribe, but afterwards when I try to leave the area, the arrow representing the truck on the world map screen seem to disappear instead of following it's designated route.
Is this a bug or am I doing something wrong?

Edit:
I solved it by waiting a few hours on the mapscreen :P

Hi just started playing this mod. love that you let us get the base mission off the jump.. my question is that since the SR25 was remove from the box in the base, will I be able to buy it later in the game? cos I never saw the rifle in the shop when I play the normal game. It would really sock if I cant get that rifle any more since it my fav weapon in the game.

CTD at start?
 

First, thank you for improving one of my favorite (if flawed) games!

Unfortunately, I am having problem running the newest version of Blue Sun Mod. I re-installed 7.62, and applied unofficial patch. At that point, the game ran fine. Then, I installed Blue Sun Mod on top of it, and now it crushes whenever the first map loads after the character creation. :confused:

I am using Win7 64bit, and Gamersgate version. I am suspecting that the modified e6.exe included in the mod is causing problem with secuROM (GG version needed to be activated first), but I am not very sure. Thank you for the help.

How about rename modified E6.exe(3.38Mbytes) to another name & run it directly?
Also, keep E6.exe secuROM ver.(6.77Mbytes) on your 7.62 directory.

I'm not sure this works as a solution. But I recommend to try this way.

^ Thank you for suggestions. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to help...

Invisible backpacks, merc agent=requested merc not showing up...
 

I'm thoroughly enjoying 7.62 with this mod installed. That said, I have a few questions...

I've noticed that there are super-specialized backpacks for sale at the bar in the first town the player spawns at at the very beginning of the game. These packs are nicknamed "Drugs, Collimeters," etc., etc. In spite of their different names and icons, the item layout in the packs are the same.

I'm at level 3 and so far, in spite of their price differences, they're all empty upon purchase. Is this correct? What special purpose (if any) do these backpacks serve?

The merc-agent charges me a lot more than "just" $1,000 to bring in a merc for me. Also, the merc doesn't always appear even though I coughed up the money. Is this because my funds are too low to actually hire them, or are they spawning someplace else, or...?

In spite of being at Level 3, I still haven't been able to hire anyone due to how low my funds are...Is this a normal progression? I seem to recall being able to hire a partner fairly early in Brigade E5.

Thanks in advance!

I have beaten the Blue Sun Mod. I believed I haven't found out almost everything in the mod and I am happy to help people out. If anyone has any questions and using Steam ( I don't like using MSN or whatever), feel free to add me robinlovesshare on Steam. I will be able to answer most if not all your questions. :)

About the invisible specialty-backpacks...map?
 

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the item-specialty-backpacks are invisible while they're WORN, but become visible when they're placed on the ground. Is this a bug, or...?

:confused:

The labelled backpacks are meant for reducing clutter in the car, no further secrets behind those.

I haven't had any problems with the merc agent, they spawn at one of the entry points and then walk to the hotel. The agent then takes some time off, depending on how expensive that merc was.

A propos expensive, I'm not having any problems with the money in BSM. There's a free and pretty good merc you can get right away by going to Santa Maria. Solve his quest either way and there you go, won't need Benicia except for muling duties :)

Why's the "Forbidden Zone" inaccessible to me...?
 

Dr. Q.,

Thanks for your help. I'm guessing that by the "free" merc you mean the drunkard at the bar? I'm avoiding him like the plague! Still, I never thought of him acting as a pack mule, so the next time I'm there he's "hired."

I've come to the realization that I'm "stuck" mid-storyline. Near the beginning of the game, I went all the way North to acquire an illicit means to get into the Forbidden/Restricted Zone. I paid approximately $500 to play an "Easter Egg" game to get it, and although I succeeded at this, no new map location was generated Southward.

I then went and spoke with the Minister who wanted me to kill the Marauders. I'm spoke with the Marauders' leader and made a deal with him, got his dog tags as proof that he's dead, and returned them to the Minister in order to get the paperwork to get into the Restricted Zone. I had to start a new dialogue with this Minister in order for him to know that I was ready to go South, and...

Nothing happened, not even a new map listing.

What am I doing wrong? Am I missing something simple, is it a bug, or...?

Thanks again for the help!

no you will just have to go exploring on your own =)

having done this mission means that you can now travel in the restricted zone
(marked by the borders around those 5 different cities you can see right from the start)

there are a few other cities and other sectors outside + theres a chance to get random encounters with bandits... those are a good way to hone your fighting skills and collect some loot.

for that it is very advisable NOT to miss that drunkard guy in the bar in santa maria.. because he will give you your first car.

beeing able to put loot in your trunk is essential if you wanna hunt bandits and not loose most of the loot after battles and it also greatly increases your traveling speed. (note that there are a few missions that don't work if you have a car... mainly escorting the german guy in puerto viejo and the assault on the convoy if you decide to work for tanya. if you want to do these missions, simply ask a bartender to look after your car for a while.)
the drunkard will also allow you to do quite a few missions for the corrupt policeman in sagrada. just give it a try, these missions are hilarious. you can fire him afterwards if you don't like paquito..

and Dr.Q was mentioning benicia, she is basically a free merc.
talk to the foreigner in the campecino hospital, he will ask you to save her from his overprotective father in santa maria. then instead of delivering her to her lover right away, you can just keep her in your team for free until you need that spot for hiring an 'actual' merc. (theres a non-violent way to solve this quest.. look around the forums if you can't discover it yourself, i explained it somewhere)

MoreDread,

Well, I can't tell you how good it is to know that I wasn't "wasting" my time going waaaaaaay down south, enter that cloud, and just to see what would happen. So, the fact that I can even enter that region demonstrates that the Easter Egg mission worked, although I didn't know it yet!

In a way, having to explore that region with no assists makes it feel more foreboding, almost like living "Heart of Darkness." Interesting!

Now I have to get those "free" mercs, because my first encounter in the canyons was quite a challenge with me and the one merc I did hire, Warlock. Help is definitely needed from this point onward.

One thing that I miss from Brigade E5 is that a majority of these maps seem more restrictive both in the absence of vertical tactical options and with depicting regions that certainly look accessible to humans, but are made off limits in the game. The "Jungle" map is a good example of this. Those mounds look approachable to me!

The canyons map is the first map I've fought on where the threat of the lower and upper elevations kept me nervous. I hope that there's more of this down the road.

Thanks for your tremendously detailed response. It's got my interest level piqued! :grin:

mine crashes after installing this
 

I'm having the same problem as Gnomy, and I did what Legionnaire=M= suggested, but this still happens. I installed everything perfectly. I'm also running the Gamersgate version but on a 32bit XP pro os.

There is another issue I have. When I run the PatchMe.bat I get an error message that looks like this:
This application has failed to start because MSVCR71.dll was not found. Re-installing the application may fix this problem.

Anyone have any ideas, and what is that .dll about?

Forgot to say; mine also crashes after character creation, and it worked fine before the BSM install

microsoft visual c++ runtime components.. this is what you need, google vcredist or follow this link, then download, install and try again.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

Thanks for the help. I was looking around, found some answers, my friend sent me the file, and everything works perfectly now.

Good job but...
 

This mod is great but I think they are missing some weapons such as pistols SIG SAUER for example and have too many variations of Mosin Nagant and AK47, you can put a Mauser 98, a pt24/7, a MT40 and a RT410 from TAURUS, some modern variations of the 1911, some real guns. except for that everything is great, keep up the good work.:grin:


sorry for my bad English, I used the google translator.:mrgreen:

I would like to see the DSR-50, and the new m14. And a few older SMG's would be nice too. Anyone feel up for some 3d modelling?

a LUGER P08 and a MP40 would be nice.

I having a problem on paquito first mission. whem i press "give that key" the game crash back to windows. any sugestion?

Do you have a car when you do that mission? And what does the log file say about the CTD?

I don't have a car and the CTD says nothing.

The log file must say something, even if it's just a [Warning] it might give me a clue to what the problem is. But since noone else has reported such an issue it might be your installation.

To everyone
The more info you give me on the issues, the easier it is for me to find the problem. Please include your installation info, log entries and whatever you think might help solving the problem.

I have reinstaled the game and the mod and nothing. with the version 0.9 it worked fine.

NOTE: i put the version 1.01 under the 0.9. if i put just the 1.01, the game doesn't start

like i said before, when i press "give me that key" the game close back to windows, with no explanation.

There you have it then, the 0.9 version is probably screwing things up for you.

Did you have any problems installing the Unofficial Patch? A failed installation of the patch might be the reason the 1.01 version wont work for you.

I think that windows is not allowing the patch to install the right way. My operating system is Windows 7 64 bit home premium edition. Could you help me with this?





















website to save youtube videos

its been said before.. do not install the game to you program files folder.. instead choose a different folder like c:/games/7.62 .

the program files folder can be a bit complicated if you don't have complete admin rights on your version of windows and lots of software that was written pre 7/vista doesn't run properly

then unpack the unofficial patch to a temporary folder.. move its contents to your game dir and run the batch file.
the latest BSM requires the unofficial patch and won't run without it.. the 0.9 had a previous version of the patch included which is why i think that it almost works if you have it pre installed... however it contains old files of BSM which are obsolete now and cause conflicts.

after that try installing the latest BSM again and it should work.


i hope that helps

it worked for me this way and so it should for you.

I tried that but now that screen in the thumbnails apear.

It says that the program did something real bad and was killed.

1: Install 7.62 in a new folder, like c:\games\7.62. DO NOT intstall the game in your Program Files or User folder, that will cause problems with vista/win7

2: Extract the Unofficial Patch to a temporary folder, then copy those files to your game directory. Make sure the PatchMe.bat and azp.exe are copied, sometimes they'll get stopped by anti-virus progs. If they do, add them to the exception list and copy them again.

3: Run the PatchMe.bat and watch as the command prompt packs the files. If you get any error messages, make a note of them. It might be useful if you need help problem solving later. If any files are marked as reaqd-only, they'll get added to the archive but not deleted afterward.

4: Extract the Blue Sun Mod files to a temporary folder, then copy them to your game directory. Make sure ALL files gets copied, the exe file might get caught in your anti-virus. If it does, add it to your exception list.

5: Run the game.

If you still have problems, check the log file located in your \7.62\Log\ folder. A log file will be created every time the game crashes and is very good at spotting missing resources and the like.

Finally the games is working. The patch doesn't have extracted complete, some of the patch files were missing but now its ok:-P.

Just the "enter_dev_mode" => "shop" that stop working but the game is fine, Thank you for helping me.:grin:

Having a perpetual CTD
 

Then again, the Patchme.bat failed to work, so I'm not surprised... also Windows 7 64-bit.

Installed the game to a "root drive:/Games/7.62 - High Calibre" folder, then unzipped the Unofficial Patch... albeit, straight to said directory. Here's the error message I got when trying to run Patchme.bat (mind you as admin):Nevertheless, afterward I extracted the Blue Sun Mod 1.01 to a temporary folder and moved its contents to "root drive:/Games/7.62," then tried to run the game at 1024x768 full-screen. So far the game will run, but CTD when I start game, at least with Cameron.

FWIW, I'm able to use the Editor, but there's almost nothing in the "Armor" category except for a Tripwire, and I find that I cannot remove any of the vertical Foregrips or collapse/"fold" the Modified M4A1 stocks... is this intentional, or a bug?

It seems you missed the second(2) step in the install instructions in the above post where I mention the need to make sure the azp.exe actually gets copied to the game directory. I think it gets blocked by your system and you need to add it to the exception list. The same goes for the Files.a and Directory.a files, make sure they're in the game fiolder before you run the PatchMe.bat file.

The shop issue is known, but I haven't gotten any confirmation if my fix for it works. This bug only happens to some people, I don't have that problem, so it's very hard for me to see if I fixed it. My latest attempt can be found here, just copy the files to your game directory and make sure the RenderedItems folder is empty to make sure you re-render the old screwed up images.
http://rapidshare.com/files/399965405/BSM_1.01_Fix1.rar

The foregrips in not meant to be taken off, it's due to some engine limitation so you have to live with it. It's also the reason they can't be bought in shops, only ordered though Uribe.

The stock issue must be on your end, it works fine for me. Which version of the WEAPONINFO are you using? Could be that I messed up the alterative one, if that's the one you're using.

Hey R@S, good to see you're still modding for the game. I had a few quick questions for you, if you have the time.


I haven't played 7.62 since last November or so, which at the time your mod was still going by the name "BFX". My personal computer was damaged about 5 months ago, and I've been too busy to get it fixed. But I'll finally be ordering replacement parts next week, so pretty soon I'll be able to play the game again.

I noticed that your newest mod version is being called "BSM" now. I read up on the BFX topic and did notice a few changes being made to that mod, and I've also read this topic. Unfortunately, I'm still not understanding the differences between BFX and BSM versions.


My question is, can you provide me with a summary list of features/changes between the BFX mod (circa 11-2009) and your new BSM mod? For example, I see that you mentioned you found a way to boost the max weapon count from 256 to 4k+, a major improvement.


One thing that I did notice is that both in the original game and also with the mods, many of the items found throughout the game have uses/functions/etc that are never clearly explained. A perfect example being the field manuals. If one didn't spend hours reading the forums, you'd have no clue in hell what those damned things even did for the game. There are also some items where their general use/function might be guessed, but their in-game descriptions leave the player guessing how/where/when to actually use those items.

Has anyone considered creating some sort of "database" or Wiki for the game and/or BFX/BSM mod to include the weapons, items, characters, etc available? Something that might be capable of explaining what the various items are used for, how they are used, or even what items have no use at all. This would benefit the game quite a bit, and lower the learning curve and aggrevation level that many players might experience. In many cases the steep learning curve and complications figuring things out might be forcing many prospective players into simply giving up.

Welcome back

What's new since last time you played? The major thing is oc the new weapons, and some old one has been put back in as well. There's some new missions too, and the BSM quests has now been tied together so it's like a new faction to work for. It goes first the cops in Sagrada, then the Boblings at the harbor and finally the Blue sun guys at their base. If you finish those quests it'll lead you to your original target Fakirov/Bashirov. There's also a new weapon ordering system, but it's only one guy that has this ability. Then there's some other minor tweaks, like when the player base is available, the border check is removed and the first rebel encounter is also gone.

There was a database in Reloaded that did what you asked for, but it never got translated. I think there's also a "Travelling Guide" made by Toneone1 in German somewhere, but that deals with missions and how to complete them successfully.

Someone with knowledge of the game could edit the ITEMINFO file and write better descriptions of the items, but there's a limit on how many letters there can be in every item entry and one would have to be very succinct. I'm too lazy to do it myself:-P

Unfortunately I got the same error when I manually copied the files to the game root directory. In all cases I'm merging the folders and "move/replace" (overwriting), and the three files ARE in the game's root directory "root drive:/Games/7.62," PatchMe.bat is in that directory, and I'm running it through "run as administrator," not relogging.

Would try out your fixes for the shop and the WEAPONINFO, but I have to get the Unofficial Patch to work first, much less BSM...

EDIT: That is to say, unfortunately your instructions did not resolve the issue successfully; the three files were successfully copied, but it did not work. :( Do I have to do this on an admin account?

Yeah, the last time I played was around November of 2009, I've been pretty busy since then. I never got to finish the game using the BFX mod, but I was already having a good time with the new weapons and items.

It'll be good to see some new quests. A few of the quests that I do remember were a little "stupid", they seemed to have bugs or issues that didn't make sense or would end up causing problems. I'm hoping that most of that has been cleaned up, if not then I can leave more detailed feedback when I get the game up and running again. Overall though, the new quests added something fun to do when the normal stuff got boring.


I wouldn't mind looking into the ITEMINFO file once I get things running again. As both a former US Army soldier and civilian law enforcement, I have plenty of experience with weapon systems and tactical equipment. I could take a look at the descriptions and see if any need revised, or if anything is missing.

My main concern was for the game overall. It would be great to have some sort of Wiki set up that explains the weapons, items, vehicles, etc so players know what to do with everything. While most weapons in general are obvious, there are a few accessories that might not be as obvious to casual gamers. And then of course you have those oddball items like the firearm manuals that nobody really knows WTF they are there for.

Maybe I can look into setting up some type of Wiki, but I'll need help when the time comes. I'm sure we have enough active players and forum users that would be willing to post some stuff there.


Thanks for the heads up, I look forward to checking the game out again soon. Should be about 2 weeks before my PC is repaired (I hope), and then I'm ready to rock.

By the way, does anyone know the contact information of the people responsible for producing/developing the game?

@Chortles
Are you familiar with the Security Center(not sure if that's what it's called), in your control panel? There's a page there called Quarantine and I wan't you to see if the azp.exe got stuck in it. If it is add it to the exception list. If not, check your anti-virus and firewall as well. Since you're certain the patch files got copied to your game directory, there must be someting preventing them from beeing run in your installation directory, otherwise you wouldn't have any problems. Others have reported similar problems and have gotten it to work, maybe checking the old threads to see what they did to resolve th issue.

It seems that my attempt to fix the cheater chop inventories failed, but I've made a new fix that might work:
http://rapidshare.com/files/40349500...1.01_Fix_2.rar
Just copy the files to your game directory and delete all the files in the RenderedItems folder before starting the game.

@Ninja2dan
Apeiron seems to be offline, so contacting them is almost impossible. Here's a link to their forum, if they ever come up again:
http://apeiron-games.ru/forum/index.php

The guy who was most helpful, Snowie, has left the company and the other guys never answered any queries, so I'd say it's almost impossible to contact them. You could try asking over at the HLA site, they know much more about the game than anyone and might be able to help you.

So I take it they have no plans to produce another release or expansion? Such a shame, because with a little more work and updating they could have made a ton of money.

There are a lot of other soldiers that I know, as well as LEO and similar professionals, that find little interest in most of the games out there. But when we come across a game like 7.62 it just makes us say "Wow, awesome". It has all of the features that we enjoy, and we're more than happy to continue purchasing expansions and new releases.


It's nice that the game is capable of modding, but there is only so much that can offer. You have done a great job at creating some new and interesting features, adding in new weapons and items, and generally giving the game a second life. But in all honesty, there is only so far your mod can go. I love the new features, but part of the reason I stopped playing it half-way through was because so much of the game just seemed like the same old thing. Sure, the original game was enjoyable the first time through, but once you know the storyline, once you know the missions, the replayability is very limited.

And that's where expansions are supposed to come in. They add new locations, new items, new storyline, new characters, new features. They give the game a new life, and that's really what this game needs. But if the dev team has given up on it, that's not only disappointing but senseless.

The only thing we can't do is make new maps, all the other things, like new missions, weapons, characters and features are all possible. I just found out that the HLA guys has started making new functions in the code which opens up the possibilities even more. But expansions with new locations is what the game needs, it's the weakest point of the game, the limited number of maps and the lack of a map editor.

One can oc place the player and the enemies in varied position to create different tactical problems, but that's not enough. I would like to add as many maps as possible from 7.62 Reloaded, but I think that violates some copyrights and might put me in a bad situation. They should consider releasing it in Europe, even if it is in Russian, the fans would quickly make a translation and the resources from these 2 games would make it easier for modders.

And the dev team never gave up on their baby, they just ran out of money to continue developing awesome games. I would do anything to support those guys. They've created something new and brilliant, something a market based system that we have in the rest of the game development world never does, and they deserve a better fate.

Depending on the mod, sometimes there's enough content to keep trying out the little things... I believe that v1.13 has had the same issue for JA2, but even so I've returned to it every now and then, and hopefully Blue Sun Mod going forward extends the life of 7.62 for me beyond what it would have been.

R@S, the patch problem seems to have been solved by either giving the game directory an exception in Microsoft Security Essentials, running Patchme.bat from the Command Prompt instead of the Windows Explorer GUI, or both; that also solved the Modified M4A1 stock issue, which does extend/collapse normally. (I do admittedly find it redundant though for there being both "stock collapsed" and "stock extended" versions of the otherwise exact same weapon in the shops... it's a lot of screen clutter if you ask me, kinda like all of the ARMA2 weapon "variants.")

I do find it strange/unfortunate though that the "modified"-type stock, akin to the Magpul UBR, is not an option for the M4 unless I want to run some sort of rig with an underbarrel device (UGL or VFG) or in 6.8x43 or 7.62x39.

RESOLVED :
Well it seems that, even though i deactivated spybot, my patch installation was still corrupted, I tried again and after 3rd attempt it worked lol.... xD My bad sry !

Hello there ;)
Well i tried to install BSM 1.01 exactly how it's written on the website, tho i can't make it work...
And yeah i have spybot but deactivated it when i installed patch otherwise he tells me the patch has a virus (which is fake i suppose)

I retrieved the error message out of the logs though :

How could I fix it please ? :p

Thanks for this mod btw it looks awesome (even tho i still need to try lol ! xD)

EDIT : i tried applying fix 1 & fix 2 and I still get the same error message :o

@Chortles
I'm very glad you finally got it working and am sorry for your troubles.

If the latest fix doesn't resolve the cheater shop tab issue where items are missing, someone reported that if you run the game in winXP SP3 compatibility mode it should work again.

You'll notice that in the "real" shops there isn't as much clutter since it only shows the folded version if it's available, it never shows both versions unless you sell an unfolded one. And your gripe with the M4 stocks is just a matter of cosmetics, but if it annoys you that much I can easily add a normal M4 with the alternative stock. I'm always willing to improve the game to please the players:grin:

That's part of the primary difference between game expansions or updates, the addition of new maps/locations. You can change the weapons, items, characters, etc all you want but if you keep dropping them into the exact same cities on the exact same map, there just isn't going to feel like much difference.

I'm not aware of what this "Reloaded" version of the game is, but it sounds like some sort of expansion that was released only for Russian market? What kind of changes does that version have in regards to maps and locations? And if it hasn't been released, has anyone tried to contact the publisher about it?

And if the development team didn't "give up", why is it that I can't find any contact information for them? Was 7.62 their first and only release? I just can't see a company going bankrupt and closing like that with a product of this quality.

As you suspected, Reloaded was ony released on the Russian market and it's a linear game, not a sandbox type like 7.62. It's actually a lot like Silent Storm, you have a base where you store your gear and get your missions. The best thing about it is that it adds around 10 new locations that are compatible with the 7.62 engine, and those maps are really nice, from a tactical stand-point. I dunno if anyone has contacted 1C about releasing it outside Russia, but the game is almost 2 years old, they might think that's not in their best interest.

The developers, Apeiron, has also made Brigade E5, published by Strategy Firts, and their latest SPM game Man of Prey, published by Buka(which has been bought by 1C).

They also started working on another title called Capitulum but never found a publisher for it. It's also a SPM game based on a famous book taking place in a post apocalyptic setting.

I'm not sure you're aware that 7.62 was plagued with bugs when it was first released, as was Brigade E5. And in both cases the devs and pubs seemed to be in a disagreement on long term product support, which resulted in an even bigger mess, no official patches. But one good thing came from that, it made the community a tight-nit group that helps one another and keeps improving the game on their own.

As there are so numerous topics for the mod i post that here too.


Hello,

First thank you for the mod.

But i have a problem. Maybe a scripts.

So

-i have a fresh install of 7.62
-Installed 1.06 unofficial patch
-installed BSM 1.01

I started a new game, did the quest to have the border pass but when i pass the border nothing happen.
So i continue on the map until i'am attacked by bandits (not by the scripted soldiers of Tanya)
I already reached once the location of her camp on the map but there's nothing and i can't do anything.

Is there a fix ?
Thank you.

Oh, my rig:
-P8400 2.4Ghz
-4Go Ram
-9650M GT 1Go
-Seven x64 ultimate.

I actually just recently finished playing Silent Storm and the expansion Sentinels, it just happens to be one of the few games that works on my loaner laptop until my primary PC is fixed.

I found that game very disappointing overall, but it did have some interesting aspects such as destructible environments that allowed you realistic alternate movement methods throughout structures. The mission system kind of sucked though, as I thought there were far too few actual missions and the "encounters" were nearly identical.

I'm curious how the new locations in the Reloaded version work, and how they might actually be able to blend with the original 7.62 game. Are the locations of the same design quality? And how might they work with the current 7.62 map system?

As for 1C releasing the game outside of Russia, age of a game isn't really a primary factor for them. There are games that have been out for over a decade that are just now being released outside their original markets because the publishers feel there is enough demand to profit from. That's all the Reloaded version needs in order to make a US/UK release, enough interested customers to prove that the conversion would bring in a profit. If only a dozen people would buy it, that's hardly enough to justify the cost.

And in all honesty, I don't think too many gamers would buy the Reloaded version. The majority are probably just like those on the forums here, who would wait for the "enhancements" to make their way into the original game via a mod instead of just playing the new version itself.


I looked up the game Man of Prey, and it lead me to the Buka company site but the game was still listed as Q1 2009 release. Man of Prey appears to be based on a book "Marauder" about the post-apoc. There are a few screenshots of the WIP, but nothing else really detailing the game or its development progress.

And after looking up info on Capitulum, it also appears to be a post-apoc setting, but made it far enough to offer a downloadable demo. The storyline for that game is a bit outside of the scope that I generally look for in games, and it looks like too many others agreed (which is why nobody was interested in publishing).

Still, the overall system of that used in 7.62 could have really been made into some great software with a little more work around the edges. Seriously, as a developer and advisor myself I am fully aware of how many players out there would actually dump some cash on a new version. To have such a product somewhat available and to not produce it, it's retarded. It's like discovering the cure to cancer, and just locking it away for nobody to see.


I would love to come in contact with some of the developers to pass on some comments, suggestions, or just advice on their potential market. I'd even be willing to go so far as to helping fund the development of a new game based on much of the features found in 7.62, but I just don't know how to even contact any of them.

Such talent, such potential, it really sucks to see it all go to waste.

Man of Prey has been released in Russian under the name "Marauder", and an English localization was supposed to be released as well. But news has stopped coming about it and they might've put it in a bin.

Reloaded is basically the same as 7.62 in both quality and design, they just removed the Sandbox element that causes so many bugs. The maps and other resources are very much compatible.

I'll see if any of my Russian contacts know how to contact them, if they do I'll forward the info to you in an PM.

Hear hear :!:

There are tons of strategy/tactical gamers who would love this next evolution of a turn-based system. Relaxing thoughtful gameplay without being hustled along by ticking clocks. One step further than the old boardgame-based Jagged Alliance clones.

Well, actually... hmm. I ended up using the shop tab fix, which worked in correcting the "Armor" tab so that the accessories (i.e. optics) are displayed and available for equipping. Problem is, in the editor the weapons' non-rendered portraits disappeared! :D Well, a lot of them...

Was the BMP folder supposed to disappear when I used "Patchme.bat" successfully? I noticed that there was no such folder when I applied the fix, so the "BMP" folder only contains an "ITEMS" subfolder, which contains "AMMO-85.E5B," "M18A2.E5B," and "M61-BIPOD.E5B"... curious. I've actually got a folder that contains all of the original post-installation folders and files that would have been overwritten by patch 1.06, and I notice that its BMP folder is of course far more extensive; perhaps I was doing something wrong with regards to the patch and installing Blue Sun in the first place. (My thoughts on having to do a clean install again? BOHICA.)

I do agree, the special M4 stocks are a cosmetic thing, don't trouble yourself too much over it for my own sake, considering that I can't pay you for this. :P Thank you for clarifying the issue with the "real" shops; I usually use the editor modifier to check out the various gear combinations.

I just don't see why a game company would go about spending so much money on developing a title, only to release it to such a limited market. All they need is a few hours/days of work in translation to market it to other countries and make some serious extra income, but by not doing so they have lost out in a big way. Same thing with the Reloaded version. Are their execs a bunch of morons?

If you were given permission from the dev team, do you think it's actually possible to use the Reloaded maps/towns with the BSM mod, or maybe a Version 2 of it? If so, it might be worth pushing a little harder to get in contact with them. If they aren't willing to get it done themselves, maybe giving approval for the community to do it would promote even a minor increase in sales to make it worth their wild.

I would really appreciate if you can find someone, somewhere, that is part of their dev team (and speaks English) that I could contact about possible future expansions or products. I know more than enough gamers interested in such a product that might be willing to support funding or other means to get something done.

Just look at what the game offers compared to other similar games out there. The character models aren't bad at all, even if limited in quantity they do not lack in quality. The item and weapon system is outstanding, one of the things I found most exciting about the game was the fact you could heavily customize your weapons and actually see every little change in game on the weapon models. You add a scope, and you can see it on the weapon in game. You modify this, swap out that, and it shows exactly as it should.

Then look at some of the other features. Grenades for example are done super badass in my opinion. There is no magic sphere of death, grenades function in a realistic manner. Outside of the immediate blast radius you have actual fragments of shrapnel that project outwards. Get hit by some frag, you're fried. Hide behind something, or just get lucky, and you live another day. I found myself constantly stopping in the middle of a firefight just to look around and see where all of the shrapnel hit, sometimes laughing my ass off when someone was just barely missed (like some idiot civilian running into the fire zone).

There are just so many features present in the game that really attract people like myself that really thirst for realism and tactical options. The market for games like this is very high, but in order to actually attract those buyers you need to know how to pull them in, how to advertise. If I had the resources of a team like theirs, I could easily pull in some serious sales. Hell, over 50% of the military personnel I know would snatch a game up faster than a bullet if they knew it existed. That's thousands of prospective buyers in just one little ring, not even taking any advertising into account. Imagine the possibilities.

They are sitting on a gold mine, but from my eyes it looks like they are too lazy or just uninformed, and it's costing them a lot of money. Sooner or later, someone else is going to beat them to it.

I'm glad that the fix did the job, and for the non-rendered weapons I think a simple "delete all files in the RenderedItems folder" should fix that. That is if you dint already do that, and I just moved the problem with my "fix"

Yup, it should've been moved into the AZP archive when the patch was run. And i made it as simple as I could with the fix, that's why those files are outside. But for the next release they'll be packed in the BSM.AZP archive.

Still haven't heard back, but will prolly know by tomorrow

About Reloaded, I think it's 1C that owns the publishing right, so you could try contacting them. I recommend sending a PM to Nike-it, a very helpful character that can point you in the right direction and should know who would be the best person to ask.

I've been playing this game for more than 2 years, and modding it for 1, and I still find new thing that blows my mind. The latest was discovered when I was playing around with the player skills. Even if the whole system is still a secret, from what I can tell it's a very complex and dynamic one. As I always say, the more you play this game, the more you realize what a great game it is:)

Once the new skill system has been tested and approved, I'll release a new version of the mod, including all the fixes as well. I've had some time to play it and found that some of the weapon attachments should appear earlier in the game, and I seem to have forgotten to add the new EOTech to the shops.

As you suggested, I sent a PM to Nike-it from 1C. His reply is below:

So it appears that 1C is no longer in direct business with Aperion anymore, and the Aperion web site links all come up with a dead site. So at this time, I have no clue on how to contact Aperion or any of the active staff associated with 7.62 now.

And as for 7.62 Reloaded, he stated that Buka owns the rights and not 1C, which is odd because the Buka site news post dated July 2008 stated that 1C had acquired ownership of Buka. I'll ask Nike-it in another PM specifically about that, hoping that I'm not just chasing ghosts.

If somewhere along the line I can acquire permission from the rightful owners of the Reloaded version to use some of the content with community mods created for the original version, then we'll see what happens. It won't be a permanent solution but at least it might provide a little more playability from the game while we wait for the next release.

OK, I talked with my Russian friends and they'll try to find some contact info for you. I'll send you a PM once I get it. However, while talking to them they gave me some pretty good arguments why I should include the maps from Reloaded in my mod, and I'll dot it! Yes, you read it right, I'm going to include most of the maps from Reloaded in the next version of BSM:grin: After all, I'm not making any money off their product and it might even increase their sales if there's an active modding community.


But I still recommend contacting Buka, they're the ones that published Apeiron's latest SPM game and might be convinced that the concept is worth saving and keep developing.

I went ahead and sent a message via email to Buka, using the address provided by Nike-it. If I'm lucky, I'll get some kind of contact information for the dev team from Aperion. If not, at least I might be able to convince someone to look into releasing the Reloaded expansion outside of the Russian Federation.


And yes, you are correct. In theory, I don't see any problem "borrowing" certain features from the Reloaded expansion to be used in a public community mod for the original 7.62 game. Some might argue about ownership rights issues, but as a developer myself I would have to disagree.

If the Reloaded expansion had been released to additional markets, then it could be considered a problem because using features from that expansion in a mod for the original game might mean people purchase less copies of the expansion in order to use the mods. But in this case, where the expansion is not available to most of the gaming market, using features from that expansion will have zero negative effects on sales.

In fact, once gamers try out some of the features in such a mod, their interest in the expansion might be increased even further. This means that if/when the expansion is finally released to the US/UK market, the number of prospective buyers will have increased therefore increasing their profit potential. It's a Win-Win for everyone.


I had read a post somewhere else on the internet that some of the community over at the Strategy First forums were already doing a public community translation of the Reloaded expansion, and were 2/3 done with it at the time of that post. But I can't seem to access the Strategy First forums, so it's impossible to find any further information out on that subject.


If you follow through with adding the maps from the Reloaded expansion into your mod, it could go one of two ways. Either nobody will say anything about it and you'll be free to continue using those features until someone says otherwise, or you'll be contacted by someone with ownership rights asking you to cease using their content.

If the second option does happen, at least you'll then have direct contact with someone immediately associated with the ownership rights and will therefore be able to request direct permission to use the content.

The only reason I can see anyone denying permission is if they do in fact plan to release a US/UK version of the expansion.


Good luck, hopefully my computer will be up and running again in time to see the additions myself. I'm looking forward to it, keep up the great work.

Yeah, your computer should be up and running by the time the next version is realeased. I think it'll take a month or two before it's ready. I only have one vacation week this month, but if I use my time wisely I'll get a lot done that week.

I already have 5 maps from Reloaded ready to be implemented, I was playing around with them a while back and now I only have to add them to the global map, create some character places and script the missions to go along. I think that Tang and the Blue Sun faction will be the quest giver for most of those mission. I might also re-arrange some of the Bobling missions, the book of Koans and the 12 pages will prolly moved to another character and will not be campaign sensetive. Those were my first ones and not very fun, if moved they won't be important and it'll make it less boring.

Yeah, seems that deleting all files in the RenderedItems got the weapons to show up in the editor now, thanks for that. :)Sounds good to me, I was just wondering considering that now I have a BMP folder that only holds the fixes.I have several questions about items thusfar...

Is "the new EOTech" something besides the EOTech Holosight 552? I noticed that it does not have the bright red reticle in its 3D model, while the "EOTech Collimator" does... either way though, the Aimpoint Collimator Desert at this time rules them all and I wouldn't use any other atop my "WR" gun. :P

Possible balance issue -- why is the UMP40 higher damage (45-76) and higher accuracy (38) than the UMP45 (13-68, Acc 36)? Also wondering where you're getting your damage numbers on some of the Short-Barreled Rifles (SBR), i.e. the SCAR-L CQB having higher damage than the HK416 10.5-inch despite them having almost identical barrel length.

Also, Is the HK416 10-inch w/ Foregrip supposed to be a fixed-stock weapon? *Also finds it amusing... though odd... that by default it comes with a C-Mag* Mainly wondering since it seems to be one of the only shortie-M4s in 5.56x45, and some of the claimed damage numbers are confusing-seeming. (Can you tell I have a thing for SBRs yet? ;) )

From what the "Diagram" explanation of weapon ballistics shows me, there's no benefit to sticking magnifying optics (i.e. the ACOG) onto short-barreled weapons? I see that the apparent accuracy for hipfire and snapshots goes down, while the "using optic" accuracy is always just below the "standard" line (I assume meaning 'maximum theoretical accuracy'). In contrast, the laser increases hipfire accuracy -- though why not snapshot? -- and a "reflex"/"red dot"/"collimator" sight increases snapshot accuracy, though I don't see anything that affects 'aimed' accuracy...

Phew, that's a load off my chest, very glad the fix seems to do its jod:)

The EOTech Holosight 552 is the new one, the other one if from the BE5 mod Immortal Bada$$

Damage is based on what ammo you're using, but one has to consider penetration ability and a lot of other factors. But since I'm no expert on the subject there must be a lot of those weird inconsistencies in the mod.

HK416/HK417 also comes from Immortal Bada$$, and they come with no folding stock. I guess it was the weapon limit that made it that way.

It's a very complex system, and the diagram doesn't always show you the true values. I'm not sure I can answer this question so I better shut up:)

From what I read and seen, there's quite a few inconsistencies in the displayed damage ranges given when mousing over an unloaded weapon.Strange, but okay. Wonder if that can be fixed? Because here's its new look lately, with a 'new' H&K polymer magazine for the AR-15 magazine well.

Incidentally, here's the only known photos of a special HK416 variant with G3/MP5-style collapsible stock (as opposed to the M4-type stock), a longer flash hider and a 9.3 inch barrel; no word on what's become of it, as H&K has never acknowledged its existence.

Last SBR linking... for now: Colt Sub-Compact Weapon with 10.3 inch barrel. (The buttplate folds upward into the rest of the stock.) :-P
Nevertheless, it's curious to see that none of the aiming devices seem to affect aimed fire, only hipfire (lasers), snapshot (red dot/collimator/reflex), or adding "using optic" (magnifying riflescopes).

I can't do anything about the stocks for the HK416/417, their models are mode with the stocks as is and can't be replaced.

I would take the stats of the weapons with a grain of salt, you need to use them in battle to get a sense of their true potential. The stats and diagrams are based on a few ini settings, while in battle there are more than those ini settings used. For instance, the Optics doesn't really show you the increased range and accuracy of the weapon, and it doesn't really check what ammo is used in that combination. So use the weapon in battle and you'll get a better sense of how good it actually is. And then there's the whole "Familiarity" thingy you get once you have used a weapon a bit. That is also not shown in the weapon stats but shows in the little things, like how quick you raise, aim and reload it. It's a very complex system and the more you play the better you'll get at finding weapons that suits your gaming style.

Fair enough, regarding their stocks... for now. :grin:I actually was not aware of the Familiarity thing, thank you for explaining that! I still feel that the stated numbers are inconsistent, but hopefully I'll find the in-game weapons more consistent in practice. As it is, I'm still trying to figure out the difference between "Shooting" and "Gunfighting"... (The optics discussion also tied into my internal debate over where to allocate points under the current system, instead of your planned class system.)

The last time I played a game like this was JA2 v1.13, where unfortunately it eventually became the case that "7.62x51mm battle rifles on semiauto with 7x scopes are king." :P Well, okay, from what I've heard about Afghanistan that may be realistic... but still. :-P Much commendation to you over this mod still.

After getting fed-up with vanilla because of the Mafioso brother shoot-out I decided to install the BFX mod. Great, right?

Sadly, wrong.

I do a clean install of the game and then try to install the 1.06 patch. Instead I immediately get a message that the MSVCR71.dll is missing. But I HAVE the latest vcredist installed...

Ignoring that problem I then install the mod and run the game.

After I set-up my character the game then crashes after a few seconds of showing the splash screen, with the usual "the game did something bad..." window, but with no explanation for the crash.

And if I try to mark the entire folder as not read only the game CTDs even before going into main menu...

HELP!!!!

EDIT: I have the newest vcredist (2010) and the newest .NET (3.5 SP1) installed. I'm THIS close to deleting the Blue Suns rar file permanently off my computer and just playing the vanilla version.

EDIT EDIT: my vanilla game's version is 1.11 build 286

Okay, fixed it! :)

All I had to do was google MSVCR71.dll, download it off the first site I found and then install it into C:/Windows/System32.

Then I just ran patchme.bat, installed the mod and the game runs! :)

Thanks R@S for amazing work on this mod!

There are some very powerful weapons in the mod using the .50 BMG and .338 Lapua, but I've tried to level them out a bit by giving them long prepare and aiming times. I haven't tested them that much and they still might be too powerful, will check that next time I'm on high CGL's and the enemies are well equipped.

There are some tactics that makes the game too easy sometimes and I find myself constantly trying different tactics to make the game a little more challenging. I get an adrenalin rush when I succeed with a daring rush up to an enemy and hip-shooting him to death:D In those situations the AI is stupid, they usually start making some movement that costs them too much time, like crouching or standing up.

When fighting in cites the AI uses a tactic where they bunch up around a corner, then 2 of them rush out a few yards. When they do that another enemy usually quick turns out from behind the same corner and shoots at you. That's the one you should kill first, preferably by aim-at-point before he appears(then your shot will only take 0.05 sec), then throw a quick aimed burst at the other ones. I've had situations where I've killed 4 enemies with my one guy when they tried that tactic, but it's a sweet feeling when they fail:)

Regarding the weapons, it's nice to see a good assortment of firearms and accessories, but you want to be careful of what you add. I prefer to see weapons that are actually in use, not rare or prototype weapons (like the gyrojet). That also means taking precaution on the use of uncommon or experimental calibers.

From how I remember the game based on the original version and earlier BFX mod, there weren't many locations where the high-powered marksman rifles would come into serious use. The cityscape locations only have a few long-ranged open lanes, and as you mentioned elsewhere the enemy has a tendency to jump behind walls or around corners, making precision shots with those weapons very difficult. And on the random-encounter maps, few had long open lanes due to the foliage or terrain. Even my M24 was not used too often, mostly just for initiating contact or picking off guards along the top walls of a prison.

But I haven't seen any of the Reloaded maps, maybe some of them include more open and distant lanes that would allow clean shots with the Barret and similar rifles. But it's still not a bad idea to include them, just in case. If the player feels he can't position himself in good firing positions, he can opt for a "smaller" rifle such as the M24 or a tricked out G3/PSG-1/MSG-90.


And I know what you mean about tactics needing to be shuffled at times. When I played the original game through I used the same tactic in the towns nearly every time. I would spawn in at the location closest to the hospital, and make a mad rush for the rooftops. Half of my team would take one side, the other half of the team the other side. Each team would have a marksman for those long-range shots, an assaulter to watch the ladder, and a grenadier packed with frags to toss over.

I would put everyone in the prone, one watching the stairs while the other two were near the edge closest to the streets. Then I'd kneel with one of the marksmen, pick off the best enemy I could, and then prone again. If they tried coming up the ladder, BANG! And when I heard them all rushing around underneath me I'd just start lobbing frags at the contact spots.

When the majority were dead from grenades, I'd start peeking over the edge and picking off the survivors. Near the end, I'd usually get a few that refused to climb the ladders or come out from behind corners/walls. If necessary, I'd send a man or two down to clean up, then it was loot time.


After a while this routine got boring, so I tried other methods. I would sometimes rush everyone into a one-door room, place everyone in line like a firing squad, and open up on the enemy as they tried to make entry. Various tactics worked, others didn't. But the maps themselves were what ruined it for me, there's only so many tactics you can use on the same maps before your brain starts to rot.


So what's the deal with the Reloaded maps. What kind of locations are they? Are they new towns, random encounters, etc? How are they added to the master map already in place? Any chance of throwing up some screenshots of a few new locations?

I'm also curious how the new weapon limit is working out. What is the new "max" for weapons/items? Is there anyone still actively making new weapons or capable of doing so if requested? Have you thought of adding new items yet?

If you need any assistance with weapons, equipment, etc then I'd be happy to help. I'm a weapons expert, and I'm currently a military advisor for another PC game. I could assist in item descriptions, realistic data for weapon systems, reference materials, and other aspects that could be useful. If you need any help, feel free to ask.

What's this 7.62 Reloaded that's been mentioned a few times, but never properly explained? An official expansion perhaps?

The realism vs game balance is a tricky one, and I tend to lean towards balance. Since I'm modding this game to increase the fun, not add a lot of micro-management that hinders the flow of the game, I almost always sides with balance. I could've added stuff like not being allowed to carry guns in cities, but that would mean that you'd have to leave your weapon in the car or on the ground everytime you enter a city. Or not being allowed to talk to character while you have a weapon in hand, being forced to shoulder it. A lot of time spent on pointless actions that disrupts the fun, just for the sake of realism. If I learn how to make those settings controlled by an INI file, then I'll consider adding them. But for now I'm not good enough and have so many other things to do, it'll have to wait.

I've heard the argument that some weapons are only prototypes and has no place in Algeira countless times, and IMHO that argument is flawed. Where does it say that this game takes place now and not a couple of years in the future when prototypes might have been produced in larger numbers? Having said that, I do agree that the gyrojets has no place in the game, but my argument is that they are so bad and no fun, they're a waste of space. That's why they've been removed from this mod. But other prototypes, like the Jackhammer and such, are fun to use and I'll leave them in the mod no matter what. You'd have to pry them from my cold dead hands;)

The new weapon limit is 4096, the mod has 400 variation of weapons, both modifed and folded ones included in that number. For the time being I have no 3d guy, but hopefully another capable guy will came along and help out. And I can always ast the HLA team if I can borrow their new additions, they've never turned down any of my requests. What a great bunch, eh:D

I had a guy working on realistic weapon characteristics, but he's been working on that for more than 6 months and never seemed to get anywhere. So I got tired of waiting and made a few adjustments myself, and I'm by no means an expert, or interested in it. So if you have time I'd be grateful for anything you could offer in that department. It's the WEAPONINFO file that needs to be altered, and if you need help I'll gladly explain what all the entries are for and what they do when altered.

Then there's the ITEMINFO debacle, I was in such a hurry and had so little spare time, some of them are incomplete. Some better explanations and descriptions would be great, but I think that's too much work for just one guy.

Here's 6 maps from Reloaded that I've added, they're mostly walled off bases, some have a bit of forrested surroundings . Then there's 4 new Random Encounter maps, 2 of which is open space ones and the other 2 is winding passages. I dint bother making screenshots of them, gotta leave some things to your imagination.

Aerodrome
http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/41/aero1o.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/138/aero2.jpg

Angars
http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4341/angz.jpg

DT Camp
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/8523/74719234.jpg

Fuel Compound
http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/9840/fuel1.jpg
http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/1510/fuel2.jpg

Radio Station
http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/801/radio1.jpg
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/2227/radio2ai.jpg


Tutorial
http://img815.imageshack.us/img815/3195/tutorial1.jpg
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/8418/tutorial2o.jpg

This looks great!

Btw., what 7.62 Reloaded? An official expansion pack?

Also, is it just my imagination or did you really remove the only Zastava weapon that was in the game?

If you manage I'd be really grateful if you would at one point include some Yugoslavian weapons, like the M76, M70B1 and the M70AB2 (it was the gun I was assigned when serving my tour in our country's military and it's also supposed to be much better than the Kalašnikov),...

7.62 Reloaded is a stand-alone sequel to 7.62. There are some differences though, it's linnear and only have a handful of new items.

It's your imagination, the Zastava is still in the game;) Try the cop trader, Campesino special trader, or the trader in Ciudad-de-Oro. They should carry it as will the rebel depot traders.

If I had the models for any of those Yugo weapons I would add them, that's how it is:)

Thanks for the explanation.

That's great news. Even though I didn't enjoy myself back, nowaday I tend to look back at them with fondness. Maybe I'm just weird...

Models? Like what (I've never done any modeling for games before)? You mean photos on which to base that weapon and data for it?

That's easily fixed:

------------------------

Zastava M70AB2 (with a light metal folding stock, the ones with fixed wooded stock are M70B1):

Calibre: 7,62 x 39 mm
Fully loaded and ready weight: 4110 g
Capacity: 30 bullets per cartridge
Length: 960 mm
Length of barrel: 415 mm
Muzzle velocity: 725 m/s
Maximum range: 6000 m
Effective range: 400 m
Speed of fire: 650 bullets/min.

Among other differences from the AK it's that with an adapter that comes with every rifle you can fire off Tromblons (Tromblon mines).

Tromblon:
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y88...9-66andM70.jpg


M70AB2:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...Hunter_la5.JPG

http://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datoteka:Zastava_M-70_.jpg

Some info
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zastava_M70B
http://www.oocities.com/dswahilly/AP_M70.htm

------------------------

RT-20 (Rucni top 20 mm - Hand Cannon 20mm) Anti-material sniper rifle
-

Caliber: 20x110mm Hispano
Operation: manual operated, bolt action
Barrel: 920 mm
Weight: 19.2 kg with scope and bipod
Length: 1330 mm
Feed Mechanism: single shot, manual loading
Maximum effective range: about 1800 meters
http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sn56-e.htm

http://world.guns.ru/sniper/rt-20.jpg

http://world.guns.ru/sniper/rt20_1.jpg


cartridge size comparision: .50 BMG (top) and the 20x110mm Hispano (below)

http://world.guns.ru/sniper/20hs404.jpg



------------------------

ZASTAVA M-76 sniper rifle:
http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sn65-e.htm

Calibers: 7.92x57 Mauser; also 7.62x51mm NATO and 7.62x54R
Operation: semiautomatic, gas operated, rotating bolt
Barrel: 550 mm
Weight - rifle with scope: 4.2 kg
Weight - empty cartridge: 0.23 kg
Length of rifle: 1135 mm
Length of barrel: 550 mm
Muzzle velocity of bullet: 730 m/s
Feed Mechanism: 10 rounds detachable box magazine
Max pressure of gunpowder gases: 3200 bar

http://world.guns.ru/sniper/m76-1.jpg

-----------------------------

ANOTHER INTERESTING YUGOSLAVIAN SNIPER RIFLE

Zastava M93 Crna strela (Black arrow) .50 calibre sniper rifle

Caliber: .50BMG (12.7x99mm); also available in 12.7x108mm
Operation: manual bolt action, rotating bolt
Barrel: 1000 mm
Weight: 16 kg
Length: 1670 mm
Feed Mechanism: 5 rounds detachable box magazine
http://world.guns.ru/sniper/sn59-e.htm

http://world.guns.ru/sniper/black-arrow1.jpg

http://world.guns.ru/sniper/black-arrow2.jpg

I think that having to sling arms or conceal weapons would be going a little too far even it that option was possible. There are holsters in the game already that accept a pistol and keep it "concealed", which would be more than sufficient for that purpose. But if your character is on a mission where he is packing an M249 or SVD, he's going to be using that weapon shortly after entering the town. So needing to conceal the weapons like that would be pointless really, since you're about to start slinging lead all over the place.

And having to shoulder a long arm while talking to someone is also not needed. Just because someone has a rifle in their hands doesn't mean they are holding it in an "aggressive" manner that might upset or intimidate the person they are speaking with. So don't worry about that kind of detail, you're fine without adjusting it.

I haven't really seen too many weapons in the earlier versions that I did play that would have been considered "prototypes", but the Gyrojet was a perfect example. What I mean is firearms or equipment that never was, is, or ever will be used as an actual production weapon system (or at least outside of the special-order market). The Pancor/Anderson "Jackhammer" is questionable, because I am pretty sure the USAS-12 was also in game already. The Jackhammer was a cool design, but never made it into production and never will. The benefits it offers is a 10-round drum, fully-automatic capability, and bullpup design for "compact" size over other shotguns. But the USAS-12 is also select-fire capable, and has both 10-round magazines and even 20-round drums. I've fired the USAS-12 many times in real life, and it's one hell of a nice weapon. Still, my point is that the Jackhammer is not really something that I would consider worth removing, but I would hope that nothing is used that is way off the realism scale.

That isn't just regarding "prototype" designs, but also the use of regular-looking firearms using oddball calibers. For example, there shouldn't be any .454 Casull firearms in game because it's a very uncommon caliber. You sure as hell won't be seeing ammunition in some 3rd-world country, and even in places like the US those rounds are quite rare.

Not that one has been added yet, but stuff like a 9mm AK-47 is another example of something that should never be added, no matter how "cool" it looks.

The game that I'm a DEV for is a mod for BF2 called "Project Reality". We have a whole team of model and texture artists, coders, etc and have already been using a lot of custom-made items. I wonder if any of our models could be ported over to the 7.62 system easily, in case we have something on our end that isn't already in game yet. If it's possible, I'm sure I could get permissions from the rest of the team.

Off-hand there aren't really many weapons that I can think of suggesting for future addition. Although I wouldn't mind hearing what else the HLA team has made lately. Mostly I was thinking about weapon accessories, uniform (character model) changes, and personal equipment. Those new maps bring a lot of new ideas to mind.

Trying to get the weapon data in game accurate shouldn't take that much effort. If it is that difficult, then you really don't need to make everything 100% accurate to their real-life counterparts. The overall idea is to just make them "as realistic as possible within reason". You don't need muzzle velocities to match precisely, but you obviously want an M16A2 to be shooting hotter than a M1911A1.

Since I'm not a coding guru myself, I don't think I'd have much help to offer in that aspect. And it sounds like it takes a bit of coding and some serious testing to get things working right. I'd probably mess things up more than fix it, especially if your other guy was working on it for 6 months and still made no progress.

Now that does sound like something I could manage. It'll be a bit before I could actually get to work on it, I'd need my PC repaired and the game running again so I can preview an item in-game while writing the description to make sure it all looks acceptable.

I'd just need to know if there are any character limitations, restrictions on certain character types (no symbols, etc), and how "detailed" you want the descriptions to be. Noob terms or Soldier terms basically.

All I can say is "Wow". Seeing those images, it looks like they are of the exact same quality, matching the maps from the original game. That's great because they will blend in perfectly without looking like some modified content.

The military-style design to several of those new maps is cool, and can lead to a lot of new scripting/quest ideas. The terrain is nicely mixed, and looks to be well laid out and designed to look like a real location. The Aerodrome looks beautiful!

About the map you have labeled as "Tutorial", I'm assuming that it was used as part of the tutorial in Reloaded. I'm curious, are any of those targets reactive, or are they just stationary objects? Most likely just stationary, but I can dream.

Yes, 7.62 Reloaded is an "official" expansion pack, but unfortunately it was only released in the Russian Federation and is only available in Russian language. There were a few people working on translating it, but the location that those posts were (SF forums) is currently dead/closed.

And which "Zastava" weapons are you talking about? I can't really remember there being any in the game. All of their weapons were just clones of other weapon systems. The M76 was a modified clone of the SVD. The M70 series were just AK-47 clones. The M84 was cloned after the PK series. Why have the original weapon systems and then add duplicate copies with the only difference in game being the item name?

I have personally fired nearly every Zastava firearm in production as well as their "parent" firearm that they were cloned after. And from personal experience, they performed no better or worse. That was just a false rumor started by people from Yugoslavia, simply because it was "their firearm". Just like Americans claim that American cars are best, or Japanese claim that their electronics are best. People will almost always prefer a product made in their home country, and claim it as being better out of pride. Nothing against anyone from those countries, Yugoslavian firearms were not of poor quality. But I just never saw anything that would say they were better either.

@beepbeep
Sorry, I should have said 3d models for the game. I saw 2 weapons there that already has similar models in the game, and by copying their models and adding their ini entries, they could be added. But I'm not in the right place to add new weapons right now, too busy with scripting.

@Ninja2dan
I think your 3d models can be ported over to 7.62, but one needs to use 3dsm 5, it's the only version the act exporter works with. Since I only have 3dsm 9 I couldn't do it myself, but I'm sure I know someone that has version 5 that could help with the exporting. I know for a fact that one can do a similar thing with weapons from STALKER, and those weapon models are of a very high quality.

To alter the weapon characteristics isn't that hard, it's just a matter of ini editing a few values. If you know what those values do, it wont take that long to complete. The difficult thing is find a balance between the weapons, and since the maps isn't that large one needs to respect the range limits to keep the different types weapons apart, from pistols all the way up to anti-material guns. And testing that is what takes much time.

The tutorial map, not sure what you mean there. The shots will show on it, the decals are there. But if you mean they fall when shot, I think not. The map meshes for the maps are a bit rigid in that respect, something the devs changed in Capitulum and Man of Prey.

I've gotten some help lately with creating new uniforms, there might be a new line of them in the upcoming release. I think I'll leave them faction neutral, but if work progresses with the Blue Sun Quests I might consider adding them to that faction.

There are 2 new weapons in the latest HLA I'd like to add, the Magpul Masada and the old German MP40 Submachine-gun. I think I'll ask them about it tomorrow.

I'm not sure what weapons, if any, you'd find of use from the game I work with. The majority of the weapons are all custom made by our staff, replacing the original weapons from the "vanilla" game. They are of pretty high quality in their core file, being "down-graded" during export to meet the poly requirements of the game.

All of the weapons are current military issue, with the exception of a few weapons used by the Insurgent faction. We have quite a few factions in game as well, so the weapon list is pretty large. But a lot of those weapons might not even be desired in a game such as 7.62, such as the RPG or AT-4. But if you're looking for military weapon systems, and it's not in BSM already, just let me know and I'll see if I can get the models for you. You mentioned you're a bit busy now, so there's no hurry on it.


As for the weapon data, that was actually part of my concern. The ranges used in the game are not extended enough to make full use of the larger-caliber weapon systems such as the Barret. I'd have to find a large open area to do the ballistics testing to try and get everything matched up properly, and I'd need some instructions on how to actually create a "copy" installation that will allow easy and rapid access to the testing location. Something to think about in the future, but I think I'll look at the other areas first.


And yeah, that was what I meant in regards to my question about the Tutorial map. I was wondering if they had somehow added the ability for the targets to be reactive, meaning the "fell down" when hit. I had strong doubts that it was possible, but figured I'd ask just in case. Oh well.


I'm curious, how "easy" is it to actually create new missions/quests? How well do they tie together, such as having multiple-outcome scenarios that string along like a tree? Is it basically just creating a storyboard, writing out each mission, and then creating some sort of script that ties them together?

Is there a limit to the number of overall missions used in the mod? Are there any other limitations or complex problems that interfere with creating new missions? Things such as max enemy/civilian characters per mission/map. I know there isn't a map editor, but is there any way to add objects to a map, such as a backpack that must be located and picked up? Or can this only be done by looting from bodies?


I'm asking a lot of questions because I'm hoping to help come up with some new ideas that will expand the mod further while we wait for a new version to be released (if ever). I really like this game, probably my #1 on the list, so I'd like to help keep it alive if at all possible. I've done a lot of game development in the past, so I'm sure I can come up with some useful stuff. I just need to have a better understanding of the game engine and its limitations/capabilities. You're kickin ass, but this is too much work for one or two people to handle alone.


Edit: I also forgot to ask, do various objects/materials have different damage/penetration values? Such as doors being made of wood having different penetration values than doors made of steel? And do the various projectiles per caliber have different penetration values? If so, I'd have to conduct additional testing during the ballistics modification to ensure their penetration values were in line as well.

I've made this clever little character called a map guide, when talking to him he'll transport me to any map I like. I could easily add a few enemies on any map to easy your testing. It would be a matter of starting a new game, talk to himand he'll get you directly to the action. In combination with the shop cheat this would make it all too easy:D

Once I've found a suitable file host, and some spare bandwidth, I'll upload the Reloaded maps, fix the guide map encounters and send you the link. Just let me know when your computer is up and running.

Sure, if you have a little knowledge of programming C/C++ it isn't very difficult. I had most problems with the Object relations, but once I figured out how that worked it all became very easy. I just check the vanilla missions to see what functions are available and the copy them to fit my story. But I had a lot of help from Deadhead when I first started, and I really tested his patience I think:grin:

There isn't any limit to how many missions the game can handle, at least not that I know of. And having a lot of civies or enemies on one map just causes a lot of lagging, so I've never tested to see if there was an upper limit there either.

Adding items to a map is simple, I think the function is "call AddSectorItem" nnd then you specify which map, map place and item. Easy piecy:) The exact syntax can be found in one of the random missions, nr 7 if memory serves.

I'd be more than willing to help you get started on scripting, I know from experience that it's much easier when you have someone to rely on for tricky things.

I also have some good news, I just got the source code for the outsourced mod and am looking at it right now. It appears that externalizing stuff to inis is much easier than I thought and I'm going to incorporate it into the BSM source to make them compatible again. What a sweet thing. A million thanks to guineapig for his generosity.

EDIT: I forgot about the materials and penetration. There's a file in the ini folder(AZP archive) called PHYSMATERIALS where you can alter the material properties. In the AMMOINFO file there are several entries used to calculate the bullet properties, such as penetration, tumbling, probability of shattering on impact and several others.

Sounds good. It might take another month or so before my computer is fixed, depending on what is actually wrong with it. I have done all of the testing I can do myself, but without secondary components I can't test anything else. I'll be taking it in for a diagnostic tomorrow and will know for sure what part is fried. I'm guessing it's the video card, and I can't remember if it's still under warranty or not. If it is, the RMA will take about a week. If not, it won't be until next month before I can afford a replacement.


Once my computer is running smoothly again and I have the latest mod version installed, I'll go ahead and start asking for guidance on learning the scripting system and which files need looked at. I haven't done game scripting in over 6 years, and even then I was a fill-in instead of a full-time coder. But I'll give it my best shot, learning the system will help get new features added quicker and easier.

It's good to hear that there are actually different data files to determine values of materials and ammunition. Without destructible environments, having some capability of shooting through walls does come in handy. But I'm guessing that the AI is not capable of such a tactic, shooting through walls at your mercs when they hear you moving around?


What is the "Outsourced Mod" that you mentioned? What does it do?

The Oursourced Config mod is a little thing that externalizes some settings, like starting money, merc salaries and random encouter settings. It also adds the ability to change the random missions available at the bartenders and traders. These can be considered a cheat if used the wrong way, but it also has a few other functions, like the collateral damage setting and the convoy mission fix where the AI solders on your side wont go hostile if you throw a nade in their vicinity.

Check the \INI\outsourcedconfig.ini file for more info.

Which version are you thinking of? The Magpul-exclusive prototype, the Remington/Bushmaster Adaptive Combat Rifle (ACR; Bushmaster for civvie, Remington for military version), or what The Firearm Blog called "The-ACR-As-Magpul-Intended-It-To-Be"? :P

I dunno, but here's what it looks like:
Magpul Masada
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/7606/magpul1.jpg
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/927/magpul2.jpg

I've added a banker in Puerto Viejo. I started by using the one from ECOmod but ended up re-writing most of it. Let me tell you, I had some serious problems trying to figure out how to calculate the interest rate on the account. I left the loaning system pretty much intact, but I plan to alter it since it wasn't really complete in the ECOmod. Guinneapig said he was going to add some debt collectors but never got that far in his work. I think I'll do it, maybe add some Repo men to steal the player's car if the repayment is overdue, not just start fighting with the player. That'll be a great incentive for honoring your debts and paying your bills on time:)

For now the banker uses the same place as the ECOmod one, but I plan to make a mission for him. I haven't decided if I'll put him in Puerto Viejo or the player base, I want him to be accessible whatever faction the player works for.

Since the new class system is almost complete, it's time to start thinking about the global AI and the capturing of cities. Since I first must add the Reloaded maps so that I don't have to do that after it's complete, I'll wait a bit until they're uploaded and I have a few willing testers. In the meantime I'll be working on improving the outsourced mod and I hope people will share what they would like to see in this next project. How should it work? What should militia cost? Should there be several levels of militia, like in JA2?

At what phase of the game, or CGL, does the player begin having militia available? If it's fairly early on, I think I'd like to see several "levels" of militia available. Something that allows you to pay a fee to upgrade them, with the max level depending on current CGL. The higher the militia level, the better equipment they are likely to have. And, if possible, the higher-level militia will also get a little better skill?

As for cost, I really don't know. It's been so long since I played the game last time, and I don't even really remember ever having used the militia for anything. They basically just sat at my base, which was never even attacked. Their fee should be equal to their quality and function though. If they make it a lot easier for the player to survive a battle, then they should be priced accordingly. Remember that the easier a battle, the less ammo is used, and the more loot can be picked up. So the easier the battle, the more profits.


With your suggestion about vehicle repo, what happens to any equipment in the trunk?

The equipment will be lost. But since the HLA guys made a user function that can store the ecuipment, I might be able to provide it later, if the player pays his debt.

As the banking system works now, if the player defaults on his loan, the bank account and all the money the player has will be set to 0, even if the player actually has the money to pay it back.

The militia, recruit, regular and elite, will have different stats depending on their level, if that's the way we'll go. And they'll have better equipment to, and all this will reflect in their cost. Maybe also add the possiblity to send them to capture towns, it's how the current system works. But it's still only in my head, and I'm not sure where this'll lead, that's why I'm asking for input.

In the vanilla game I did try capturing towns on my own, but nearly every time I would lose the town just minutes after I left it. And it didn't matter if I was working towards the Government side or the Rebels side, the towns would always revert back to someone else's ownership.

I'm wondering if you guys have been able to successfully capture and hold a town after leaving it, without having to place militia there. And what benefit does capturing a town actually have? This isn't Command & Conquer, towns don't provide additional income or resources, so I don't know what the purpose even is.


Knowing that about the banking system, I can't see myself ever using it. Knowing that even if I had $2m in cash, if I for some reason forgot to pay towards a loan for only $150k, I'd actually lose the full 2m instead. Not worth the risk. But what about people that owe $100k, and only have $25k in cash? If the loan defaults, they'll lose the $25k but their debt will be cleared back to $0?

The same goes for the auto repo. The player could have over $1m worth of items in the trunk, but if they are late on the payment they not only lose their car but also the entire stockpile of items inside it. Those just seem like overly-harsh punishments for being late on a payment for what ever reason.

I think I'd rather see something that is a form of punishment, but more along the lines of an annoyance and reminder to get their payment made. The idea of random encounters from "The Muscle" would work well for this. But instead of sending a group of well-armed thugs after the player's group, how about a larger force with low-tech weapons? This way the player can't exploit the encounters as a means to stockpile on weapons and ammo. Using more enemy will in theory overwhelm the player's group, and even if the player survives with minimal injuries the annoyance of these frequent battles might get them motivated to pay their bill. What do you think?

on the Magpul Masada and on militia
 

R@S, your "Magpul Masada" actually makes me think of the Remington ACR (supposed military/LE version of what was the Masada, while Bushmaster is responsible for the horrendously overpriced civilian ACR), but with "MOAR RAILZ." :D I see the collapsible/side-folding stock and the side/bottom rails, and it looks like you're using the 10.5" barrel; only critique is that the 12 o'clock rail isn't full-length. So long as it's not a "redundant" gun with only aesthetic difference (I've already slotted it into the "rails-accessorized close-quarters carbine" role in my head), cool by me.

Please note that "levels of gear" are already accounted for with existing generic NPCs; just take a look at "BS_Soldier.inv" for example in the editor, where you have several different equipment sets across and within CGLs.

I should note though as a JA2 player, one rather "unbalancing" thing about v1.13 is that because your local support (and thus mine income) doesn't drop when you stall, there's no impetus or urgency in going aggressive against the Queen's holdings. Once I take Drassen's airport sector and the mine sector, I then proceed to hunker down for weeks on end to train militia and my mercs, the latter usually by importing mercs to act as trainers for high-LDR/high-WIS mercs who can then act as training cadres (both for other mercs and for militia). Eventually the outcome will outstrip my expenses, especially if I can get away with letting contracts expire on the higher-priced mercs; then take Alma (whose "gun range" sector gives a bonus to Marksmanship training to mercs training the skill there), and eventually it just grows to the point where I can afford the "luxury" of using Skyrider's $100-per-sector helicopter service as a regular ferry.

R@S, I'd still like to be able to do this in BSM, but just keep this anecdote in mind when designing the militia. (I should note that even with high LDR and the Extended Ear headset, the JA2 v1.13 militia AI was extremely inconsistent with following orders.)

I have to admit that I'm not a fan of the class system simply because of "forced specializing" but I'd be willing to try out whatever version you've got at the moment. At one point I had my Cameron carrying a suppressed SR-25, a M4 Super 90 (M1014), an M1A (or M14 "proper" variant), and a full-auto AR, mainly using "Aimed" mode, which should tell you something about where I'm coming from on this and what my preference is. (Though I recognize that the vanilla game does "force specialization" by its point allocation method of customizing each merc, on top of their basic traits.)

If you don't wanna play with the class system, I've added a turn on/off function in the outsourcedconfig.ini file. I'll do this for anything new I add that might be in conflict with realism.

I know that there are many people that dislikes anything that isn't based on realism, but most of the criticism I've gotten is from people that has never actually tried it, only read about the changes on a forum. A long time ago I made some changes on grenade damage and got a lot of flak for it, but once people had actually played a little with the new setting the criticism ceased. The lesson here is, never complain about something without having at least given it a shot:D (this isn't aimed at you Chortles, you just left the door open for me to get this off my chest:))

When talking about the 3 levels of player guards, I was mostly meaning their attributes. But I will give them different gear, the recruits will have cheap stuff while the elites will have the expensive imported stuff.

The economy will be a big task to delve into, and I agree with you regarding JA2, I tend to do the same as you there. Luckily there are a lot of factors that will be part of it, and with a lot of work we might get it to work. There is of course always possible to trick any system, and since there's an "Easy Money" option in the game, one could easily bypass any system we make.

I had an idea last night before I fell asleep, that always happens to me.

As you might know, if one hires a merc you can tell him to wait for you, and if that place is a "Standard" sector he'll wait until his contract ends. It might be possible to add some dialog options to a waiting merc, like train militia. So if the player wants to train the existing militia, he'll have to recruit a merc for it and leave him in that town. We could then play with the merc salaries to tweak the economic system. I think this will be worth investigating.