OK. Thinking of Taking the Mod Plunge. Recommendations?

[GF_Mastiff]

yea treetop you will enjoy it.

[Asheshouse]

HSFX6 is currently the way to go, cause its the only mod pack which can be installed on v4.11

Best way is to copy your existing installation into a new folder and rename it IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 - HSFX6 (or something like that)

If your OS is Win7 do not nave the installation in the Program Files folder.

Install the HSFX6 files over the new copy of the installation.

Follow the instructions with the pack.

[CWMV]

Yes but if as you said you don't want to use the large packs then 4.10.1 with SAS modact is the way to go.
Installing mods one at a time let's you learn the process better then just extracting a modpack and then enabling via jsgme.
It's howany of us got started using mods. I didn't want anything that effected the FM's but I did want effects and sounds and maps. Modact let me do that.
Then I realised that most of the stock fm's were questionable, and then I started getting into the good stuff.

[Bearcat]

Not for nothing and no disrespect towards the above poster or SAS ... but stick with HSFX. If for no other reason than it is compatible with 4.11.1 and from my understanding will always be compatible with the stock version. It is also designed with online competition in mind.. From where I sit HSFX is the best chance there is to bring some kind of uniformity to this whole thing and a true best of both worlds scenario. UP, DBW & SAS as good as they may very well be as products.. (I always thought that graphics wise UP had the better product.. I don't know why bit it just seems to pop to me.. not that HSFX does not look very good as well.. ) the fact that they are not compatible with the stock sim makes a huge difference to me because TD+HSFX=One very large relatively unified block of material for the sim that s always going to be pretty much current with official versions.

That to me is more important than having each little mod that want or 79 variants of one plane..

[CWMV]

Well he is an exclusivly off line player, his words not mine.
Your preference for HSFX is based on a critera that he doesn't need.
If the OP must have 4.11 then he does have the option of HSFX or customised modact install. SAS has a set of beta buttons and modact working well, and it seems that the majority of the more "important" mods work well in it.

The funny part is that the mod community is already pretty well.unified and working together. SAS and UP are now two sides of the same thing, UP for online and DBW for offline. And now Beowulf has freemodding going full steam ahead working in cooperation with both SAS and UP.

And then theres HSFX over there by its lonsome self.

Bearcat, respectfully I think you may be misleading him with one part of your statement in that you talk of HSFX compatibility with the stock game. I'm not sure what you mean. One could easily take that as meaning HSFX is compatible playing with people who are running the stock game online. Not quite sure if that's true. Otherwise it is exactly the same as any other modpack, it alters the game for a specific goal: DBW for offline, UP for dogfight, and hsfx for coop.

[Bearcat]

Nope that's not what I meant by compatibility .. point taken.. and I think that he knows that .. stock is stock.. but you have a good point.. To clarify, when I say compatibility I mean that it works on top of the now most current version of the sim.. correct me if I am wrong but doesn't UP currently only work with 4.10.1? I read where there were issues trying to get it to work right with 4.11.. some mods worked and others did not.. ? HSFX is not all by it's lonesome.. For me.. the fact that it works with the stock sim .. is important .. As I said not to take anything away from SAS, UP or DBW or B Dub.. who is a longtime time friend of mine and actually opened up the door for me as far as skinning goes by taking the time to explain it to me on Vent one night.. but I think staying connected with the stock sim is important.. and I also think that HSFX is just as good in DFs as UP or the SAS MA..

[CWMV]

"This message is hidden because ACE-OF-ACES is on your ignore list. "
I think if more people used this function these boards would be far more civil!

I see what you mean Bearcat. Yes you are correct that HSFX is the only one currently designed for 4.11 (except Modact custom installs).

The only issue with UP in 4.11 is that it flat out isn't designed for it. I couldn't believe it when I saw people asking why it wouldn't work right in 4.11! (Jeeze guys, RTFM!!!).

There are actually a good bit of mods that work with 4.11 despite being made for 4.10.1 and even 4.09 and earlier. As long as they don't modify classfiles they seem to work well. But using a mod built on the classfiles from earlier games in 4.11 is just asking for trouble.

Personally I had lost my initial desire to stay connected with the stock sim. The attitude of some TD members and these very forums regarding the mods that have in fact kept this sim as popular and up to date as it is was revolting. That has since mellowed quite a bit, probably helps that Oleg has left the building.
additionally the fact that TD has made some really needed additions lately like AI and 6dof (which were already present in mods) has warmed me to them and I look forward to seeing my favored modpacks updated to the new version-but its no deal breaker for me.

I know you didn't mean to take anything away from the other packs, HSFX is your current fav as DBW is mine, and this advocacy on our parts reflects our game play styles.
For the record though, since the removal of coop support from UP I think HSFX probably has it beat there and I'm sure does airquake servers just as well, but for offline there is no beating DBW or modact. Just the fact that I can install and run flawlessly any campaign ever made for IL2 for the last 10 years makes it so.

You know OP, this really is a bad spot to ask about such things.
Why not go to the 242sqn website (home of HSFX as far as I know), SAS1946 or UltraPack and look at what each has to offer?
Beta 4.11 buttons and modact:
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.ph...c,21351.0.html
SAS New members question section:
http://www.sas1946.com/main/index.php/board,204.0.html


But Im tellin you, for offline you cant beat DBW or Modact!

[ACE-OF-ACES]

Originally Posted by CWMV

Bearcat, respectfully I think you may be misleading him with one part of your statement in that you talk of HSFX compatibility with the stock game. I'm not sure what you mean. One could easily take that as meaning HSFX is compatible playing with people who are running the stock game online. Not quite sure if that's true.

Oh it is true!

Any stock 411.1 server can be joined with the HSFX 6.0 mod enabled..

The only time you can NOT join a stock 411.1 game is when you have the EXPERT mode also enabled, and/or if the server enables the crt=2.

That is the neat thing about HSFX sticking close to the official TD/1C updates

Where as UP decided to go their own way making their own version of the game..

A true fork in the road..

That is to say with each official TD/1C update UP gets further and further away from the stock version of the game..

So it is inaccurate to say that HSFX is over there by its lonesome self..

Because HSFX is on the same side of the fence as the official TD/1C version of the game..

Which IMHO is good company! S!

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by ACE-OF-ACES

Oh it is true!

Any stock 411.1 server can be joined with the HSFX 6.0 mod enabled..

The only time you can NOT join a stock 411.1 game is when you have the EXPERT mode also enabled, and/or if the server enables the crt=2.

That is the neat thing about HSFX sticking close to the official TD/1C updates

Where as UP decided to go their own way making their own version of the game..

A true fork in the road..

That is to say with each official TD/1C update UP gets further and further away from the stock version of the game..

So it is inaccurate to say that HSFX is over there by its lonesome self..

Because HSFX is on the same side of the fence as the official TD/1C version of the game..

Which IMHO is good company! S!

I tested this out tonight and it is true. 99th_QBall has a thing we do that is a lot of fun with a full switch DF and he uses stock 4.11.1. He uses the stock plane set and I joined tonight with 6.0 with no problem so I got my tiger sounds, my waving flags, and my no map frame and all the stock goodness. Expert mode? No joy. Tomorrow we will check with CRT 2 just to know. I had a ball ....

[zoomar]

I've been modding with the HSFX series as well, and 6.0 works fine for me. I also am primarily an offline player and HFXS seems to work just fine for offline play. No knock on the other modpacks, but HSFX also is a very easy install. I am by no means comfortable messing with the innards of programs and I've heard the others require a little more effort and...courage. Just make sure you make clean backups of your stock 4.11.1 in case something messes up. You can also use the backups to try out the SAS packs and DBW, which I believe are a bit more complete than HSFX. I will probably do that sometime myself.