Topic: Starfleet Command Orion Pirates 2500-2563 HD (Unofficial Patch)

[Tumulorum Fossor]

We need a step by step guide for OP in the Win10 age for dopes like me...
Nice youtube channel!!

[Captain Adam]

Step 1: Purchase Windows XP, never let go. 

[d4v1ks]

I'm kindy of working on a new release for Orion Pirates, aka 2563.
This "unoffical patch" will include the lastest fixes made by Tar, wich are described here.
The client and server packages will include a new tool that emulates the directory services hosted by Dynaverse. This tool will allow you to create a true LAN server, for example, without the need of any external services, except QTracker which at the moment does all the client authentication and keeps the public server list.

Example:

[Tumulorum Fossor]

This is awesome.

I'm so glad OP is hanging around!

[d4v1ks]

This is awesome.

I'm so glad OP is hanging around!

You are welcome!

[d4v1ks]

Here are some screenshots of the last battles on GameRanger.
I used the 2562 HD Patch + OPplus 4.0 combo! 
Great job Adam, on those backgrounds. We just gotta to love them!
Thanks for your hard work.

[Tumulorum Fossor]

Carlos, help for a Win10 idiot:
I've made a ISO of my OP CD. But after mounting, when I click either Autorun or Setup.exe (even if running as Administrator & with Panda Antivirus disabled and dropping desktop resolution to 800x600), the SFC OP install window and music comes up, and I click the INSTALL graphic button, but then nothing happens and window disappears.

I know once I get to the stage wherein it asks me where to install, it goes to C:\Users\[username]\Documents\my games (or whatever subfolder)\Orion Pirates

Then i install the "SFCOOP 2500-2562 patch" (running the exe FROM folder I installed SFCOP).
Then I install opplus_40_models.exe (or the "no models" version if preferred).
Then adjust the StarfleetOP.exe properties to Reduced Color Mode, 16-bit color. and recommended sfc.ini [3D] changes to get 60fps.
Then adjust lowres in sfc.ini per my own monitor/graphics cards abilities such that:
lowres=3  (1366x768 or 1440x900)
lowres=5  (1600x900 or 1680x1050)
lowres=6  (1920x1080 or 1920x1200)
Then I try to get the cool new nebula/star/planet/grid graphics installed (no idea where to get those or how to install, but not anywhere near there now).

Note I've used YOUR extracted ISO/SFC file from my Documents folder, prepatched to 2552, and it seems to run FINE. But I wanted to learn how to do it myself, AND to apply your patch and future patches, I wanted to be able to install base OP, then be able to patch it up to most current.  Besides, I know 2563 with Tar's changes is upcoming.

Oh, one last question: the location of the ISO file itself shouldn't make a difference, right? I have THAT in my Documents folder too.

Any ideas?

Thanks for everything!

[d4v1ks]

I've made a ISO of my OP CD. But after mounting, when I click either Autorun or Setup.exe (even if running as Administrator & with Panda Antivirus disabled and dropping desktop resolution to 800x600), the SFC OP install window and music comes up, and I click the INSTALL graphic button, but then nothing happens and window disappears.
(...)
Oh, one last question: the location of the ISO file itself shouldn't make a difference, right? I have THAT in my Documents folder too.

The only thing that comes into my mind is that the ISO you made is somehow corrupted.
I also had a lot of issues trying to save old CDs, cleaning them well and then doing a lot of attempts to save their images. But some just get damaged behind recover, even if it is a single portion of their surface.
I don't have any problems installing OP from my ISO image. But these days i just use a zipped backup. I just drag and drop it in my documents folder, and then add its path to the registry (using a *.REG file).

I know once I get to the stage wherein it asks me where to install, it goes to C:\Users\[username]\Documents\my games (or whatever subfolder)\Orion Pirates

Then i install the "SFCOOP 2500-2562 patch" (running the exe FROM folder I installed SFCOP).
Then I install opplus_40_models.exe (or the "no models" version if preferred).
Then adjust the StarfleetOP.exe properties to Reduced Color Mode, 16-bit color. and recommended sfc.ini [3D] changes to get 60fps.
Then adjust lowres in sfc.ini per my own monitor/graphics cards abilities such that:
lowres=3  (1366x768 or 1440x900)
lowres=5  (1600x900 or 1680x1050)
lowres=6  (1920x1080 or 1920x1200)
Then I try to get the cool new nebula/star/planet/grid graphics installed (no idea where to get those or how to install, but not anywhere near there now).

(...)

Any ideas?

You are doing the same steps i do.
Don't see anything unusual here.

About the space backgrounds package...
You should ask Captain Adam about it. He is the author.

[Tumulorum Fossor]

Are you running Win10 x64 which has driver verification on by default?
Did you turn off driver verification?

[d4v1ks]

I'm just using a standard installation of Windows 10 Home x64. Nothing fancy.
To mount my CD's ISOs i use the free edition of Daemon Tools.

[Tumulorum Fossor]

Maybe I could get to an XP PC, install base OP, copy entire installed folder to USB drive (zip if necessary), port it to my Win10 PC to Documents folder.

You think that might do it? That would bypass the entire issue, and I'd have a USB drive with base OP ready to go!

Also how do you regedit the location of the file?

[d4v1ks]

After you install the game, open the "regedit.exe" and to a search for "Taldren".
You will find something like this:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Taldren\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates]
"Directory"="c:\\users\\d4v1k\\documents\\My Games\\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates"

Click on it, and in the "File" menu select "Export..." to save it as a file.

[Tumulorum Fossor]

Okay BIG successes to report I think!
My laptop runs Win10 x86, with native desktop at 1920x1080 resolution.

Installing off the OP CD led to only seeing the graphic with the INSTALL button, which, when clicked, would cause the window to disappear showing the desktop but no install.

Using ISO had the same result.

Trying to copy files from the ISO to a folder on the laptop gave me the .cab files off the disk, but I was unable to expand them.

So, went to a different XP machine and installed OP from the CD, but chose a folder path to emulate what I wanted on my Win10 laptop: ( C:\User\[My name]\Documents\my games ). Incidental note: I did NOT install Gamespy Arcade stuff. This created the default folder substructure but in my Documents folder, ie C:\User\[My name]\Documents\my games\Taldren Software Inc\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates .

I copied that entire folder, folder tree and all (including appropriate subfolders), to a USB drive from the XP PC.

I THEN used regedit on the XP to find [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Taldren\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates]
"Directory"="C:\\Users\\[My name]\\Documents\\my games\\Taldren Software Inc.\\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates", which I selected, and in "File" menu, selected "Export" to save it as file "Starfleet Command Orion Pirates.reg". I copied THAT reg file onto the USB drive as well as the intact extracted folder tree from the SFC OP install.

I edited that reg file to be of format: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Taldren\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates]
"Directory"="c:\\users\\d4v1k\\documents\\My Games\\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates" (which essentially meant I just had to add the WOW6432Node subfolder)

I ejected the USB drive and brought it to the laptop.  I copied the "Users\[My name]\Documents\my games\Taldren Software Inc\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates" folder from the USB onto my laptop's C: drive, leaving the entire subfolder structure INTACT.

I copied the Starfleet Command Orion Pirates.reg file from USB onto my desktop. Double-clicked on it and OKAYED the installation of the entry into my registry of the Win10 laptop.

For the heck of it, I then ran StarFleetOP.exe to see what would happen. Lo and behold, I got a full screen but low res launch of SFC OP v2500.  I launched the first tutorial, and it was working... for about five minutes, then FROZE. Oh, well...

But I kept on.  I moved the downloaded and unzipped SFCOP 2500-2562.exe patch to the Starfleet Command Orion Pirates folder, ran it, and directed the patch upon the prompt to the proper directory.

i then ran StarFleetOP.exe one again. This time, I got an upper left corner black window on the desktop, and nothing else. No sound, images, or anything. I closed the process with Task Manager.

I THEN performed the 60fps adjustments to StarfleetOP.exe Properties>Compatibility Tab>Settings, ticked the Reduced Color box & set the pulldow bar to 16-bit color.
I also edited sfc.ini under the [3D] section to lowres=6, which corresponds to my desktop resolution as per:
lowres=3  (1366x768 or 1440x900)
lowres=5  (1600x900 or 1680x1050)
lowres=6  (1920x1080 or 1920x1200)

Then, expecting nothing, I clicked StarFleetOP.exe again and...
...OMG it works! I ran the same first tutorial, and kept it running for 10-15minutes without crash.

I still have to install firesoul OP4+.
Carlos, you using firesoul OP4+ with or without models?

And PAGING CAPTAIN ADAM! I need to get the improved space textures PLEASE!

I'm psyched that I THINK this got it working!

Excuse length of post, but I wanted to share, and hopefully get others going in the right direction.  Thanks, Carlos!!!!

PS - Not joking about Captain Adam.  I NEEDS those textures!!!!!

PPS:
Carlos, I don't want to screw this up.  Two questions:

1) Did I do anything wrong by NOT installing GameSpy from the v2500 initial install?
2) Where should I install the SFCOP 2562 Server (if I want to try to run one at SOME point...)?
3) Just curious: are you using firesoul's OP4.0+ WITH or WITHOUT models? Philosophic question I guess...

[d4v1ks]

Okay BIG successes to report I think!
My laptop runs Win10 x86, with native desktop at 1920x1080 resolution.
(...)
1) Did I do anything wrong by NOT installing GameSpy from the v2500 initial install?
2) Where should I install the SFCOP 2562 Server (if I want to try to run one at SOME point...)?
3) Just curious: are you using firesoul's OP4.0+ WITH or WITHOUT models? Philosophic question I guess...

I'm glad you were able to make it work. Looks nice right? 
That gamespy stuff doesn't work anymore. QTracker has a similar software, but i think it doesn't support SFC yet. Maybe noone has made the request!
I installed the server in the same place of the game, just for convenience.
In the pictures above i was using OP4.0+ with models, because it is what people use on GameRanger these days.
I'm happy for you. Hope you have fun with it.

[Tumulorum Fossor]

Thanks! Most of the issues I'm convinced are from RESOLUTION issues than anything else.  And running from document folder.

So I owe it to you, Carlos!

Re: installing Server to same directory as the game, there are many files which are duplicate names (and most of them look to be the same file, but some have different dates).

Should one simply replace game files with the duplicates in the server?

Sorry if stupid question.

Also, with FireSoul OP4.0+, the installer asks if one wants to install:
-Start Menu Shortcuts
-ESG SoundLoop Fix
-Update Dynaverse2 Directory Servers
-Missig Fighters - Fix broken shortcut and start-in directory

Should I do any of these as I already patched up using the 2500-2562 patch?

OH, THANKS Capt Adam! Great textures!

[d4v1ks]

Re: installing Server to same directory as the game, there are many files which are duplicate names (and most of them look to be the same file, but some have different dates).
Should one simply replace game files with the duplicates in the server?
(...)
-ESG SoundLoop Fix

Don't install it in the same folder of the game!
I was referring to something like:

Client - > "C:\Users\[My name]\Documents\Taldren Software Inc\Starfleet Command Orion Pirates"
Server -> "C:\Users\[My name]\Documents\Taldren Software Inc\SFC OP 2562 server"

2 independent folders! 

About the extra features on the OP+ installer i just installed the "ESG SoundLoop Fix".

[Tumulorum Fossor]

Hey Carlos, does EZIni (2.0) play nice with new resolutions enabled by changing sfc.ini's "lowres" values to 3,5, or 6?

EZIni doesn't offer those resolutions. But does using EZIni corrupt manually changing the lowres values?

I think EZIni thinks this is true (prepatch 2562):
lowres = 0 (800x600)
lowres = 1 (640x480)
lowres = 3 (1024x768)
lowres = 4 (1200x960)
lowres = 5 (1280x1024)
lowres = 6 (1600x1200)

But postpatch, as you set it ...

lowres=3  (1366x768 or 1440x900)
lowres=5  (1600x900 or 1680x1050)
lowres=6  (1920x1080 or 1920x1200)

So that means that if using EZIni with modern PC, when setting by EZIni to 1600x1200, you're REALLY setting for 1920x1080.

Right?

[d4v1ks]

if using EZIni with modern PC, when setting by EZIni to 1600x1200, you're REALLY setting for 1920x1080.
Right?

Right

[d4v1ks]

I've finished packing the 2563 update (client and server).
I will test it a bit before release.
It will add some aditional fixes (scanners and sensors fix, hydran plasma UI fix, directory services emulator, ...), and it will change the default shields and spacedust textures.
I don't plan to update it in the near future.

[Tumulorum Fossor]

AWESOME!
Will it be a standalone patch 2500>2563 or a sequential patch 2500>2562>2563?
Can you incorporate the ESG sound fix from FireSouls OP 4.0+, since you're cleaning EVERYTHING ELSE up?