Lost in Addon hell?

[walker 0]

Hi all

The addons solution is simple. BIS should start using something like Yoma's Addon Sync.

Until then players can Go here:

http://dev-heaven.net/projects/list_files/yoma-addonsync2009

Download the latest Addon Sync. It does all the downloading and launching of ArmA with the correct mods for you! No messy folder fixing or or mod shortcuts!

Finding a place to play the easy way with Yoma's.

You can browse hosts using Yoma's now so this is the easiest way to find places to play :

1) Start Yoma's.

2) Maximise the window

3) Select the Find Servers tab

4) Press search, it will take a little while to populate the table the first time.

5) Increase the width of the mods field so you can see it clearly

6) Click the Play field title (short for players) you may have to do this twice so that the server with most players is at the top!

7) Find one you like the look of; and double click it.

8) The Yoma's ArmA Launcher will start

9) You may need to update your addons if you have not played on that particular server for a few days, or before. If not then just skip to 10)

a) Select the Download Addons tab. (If the server you are connecting to does not run a Yoma's repository this tab will not be available but all is not lost! See addendum)

b) Press the Check for addons link; let it find what addons you need.

c) Then press download addons; this can take while if it is MOD you do not already have like say ACE, as it is downloading thousands of new aircraft, soldiers, weapons, tanks, and vehicles etc. With some mods you may be downloading whole islands.

d) If it is more than 80 mb go make a cup of coffee/pot of tea and read the newspaper, or select Random Article in Wikipedia and learn something interesting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random.

e) Once it has all downloaded you may also have an option to remove old files, I generally say Yes to this.

10) Select the Launch Game Tab

11) In the bottom right hand corner press Launch ArmA.

12) Yoma's will automatically launch ArmA with the correct Mods for you.

Not just addon download and launch

Yoma's is a windows based tool with an easy to understand interface and has lots of other features like:

i) an advanced search function, including a friend finder

ii) various table ordering views in the Find Servers tab.

iii) A listings of who is playing on each server

iv) Includes a self update tool

Yoma's can be used by server admins too in order to

*i) maintain the servers addons

*ii) update a server repository from a central source.

*iii) run an easy to maintain and use repositories of your own community addons

Addendum

Not all servers run a Yoma's repository or include in their server set up a link to one yet. :(

In that case:

W) You need to look in the Find Server tab at their Mod folder list in the Mod field,

X) Then find a server that has the same Mod folder list and that does have a repository with those Mods.

Y) Alternately contacting the server admins via their web site or comms package will also help get details of a Yoma repository they use.

Z) Or just play on another server.

This advert was brought to you by a walker who is pissed off at answering the same question, time, after time, after time... :p

Kind Regards walker

Edited April 25, 2010 by walker

[sickboy 13]

I wish I had such helpful fans :D

[Yoma 0]

Tnx Walker that was very nice.

[orangeman 10]

Needs a sticky. Very helpful.

Although when I'm trying to download addons/join a server (U.S. SOCOM), I get a message on Yoma saying, "Download failed. The underlying connection was closed: An unexpected error occurred on a receive."

When I try and connect w/o Yoma, I get stuck at the Wait for Host screen. Sucks because it's one of the only active US servers I can join with low ping.

[walker 0]

Hi Orangeman

U.S. SOCOM is a good server but do not run their own Yoma Repository :(

Dont worry! Download from another servers that has the same addons eg Kellys or Zeus.

Kind Regards walker

Edited April 15, 2010 by walker

[orangeman 10]

Hi Orangeman

U.S. SOCOM is a good server but do not run their own Yoma Repository :(

Dont worry! Download from another servers that has the same addons eg Kellys or Zeus.

Kind Regards walker

Thanks! That explains a lot lol.

But when I try and join their server manually, I just get stuck at the Wait at Host screen. Does that mean I've been banned? :(

EDIT: Just left the game minimized while waiting for host and I eventually connected. This happened twice already. Anybody know why it takes so long to connect?

Edited April 15, 2010 by orangeman

[whisper 0]

Complicated, large and scripted mission that has run for a long time has many things to update on a client that connects late in the game, because many many things have changed from the start status of the game (that the clients knows because he downloaded the mission file) and the current status.

In such mission, the later you enter the game, the longer it takes to connect, because you receive lots of updates

[walker 0]

Hi orangeman

What whispers says.

U.S. SOCOM and many othe communities use Dynamic coops like Domination and CTI's like Warfare to bring in recruits when the server is left open to the public. These are common recruiting Modes. The other is Berzerk.

A CTI like warfare or a dynamic coop like domination or indeed any mission does dammage to the environment and land all the time it is being played. Wars create a lot of trash. Wrecked tanks and dead bodies all over the place, destroyed vilages and towns, knocked down trees and street furniture, new bases built, abondoned bases left to crumble. The longer the games is played the more trash, it all adds up to a big sychornisation between a server and new clients. It is also one of the reasons servers crash, read up about mean time between failure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mean_time_between_failures

There is an argument there for using limited time missions, like Berzerk as a recruiting mission, but getting people to play Berzerk as a team requires effort and strong commanders on each side. For a clan to provide 3 people two commanders and one Admin 24 hours a day it has to be big.

Dont confuse a server in recruiting mode with what it is like when its community play on it; they are not always the same, if they have a number of community players on it at the time they will try to imbue it with the communities ethos, but they are not always there, they may just be running a log file or poping in and lurking to work out who is worth recruiting.

The choice of what Recruiting Mode you use often has a relationship to what missions the clan plays. Domination gets used because it engenders a lot of team play and it is easy for clan observers to pick out who is a team player as well as identifying who the TKs and Griefers are.

Kind Regards walker

Edited April 15, 2010 by walker

[orangeman 10]

Wow, thank you both for the helpful posts.

[walker 0]

Hi orangeman

We are lucky to have a nice community in ArmA. By the way in you previous post you said about making it stick but there is already a sticky ArmA manuals post and this thread is linked from it. ;)

Kind Regards walker

[=FI=Sacktime 10]

Got a quick question, haven't been able to find any answers with the search function. What is CA?

Here let me explain in more detail. When I try to join a server with mods that I know I have I get a pop up window saying

Warning director does not exist:

C:\Games\ArmA 2\CA\Addons

Please download the correct.....bla bla bla

What is this CA folder, as I don't have one, should I make a CA folder and drop all my mods into it?

[hund 0]

I believe "CA" is the basic BIS version of the game. Basically if you haven't been messing around with the original addons folder in you game root directory (always a very bad idea), you shouldn't have a problem with CA. If your addons aren't loading, make sure to check that your command line is set up properly.

A common problem is that the -mod=@mymodfolder doesnt point to the actual folder where you put your addons. Another common hickup is that you forgot to create an "addons" folder inside your @mymodfolder folder. The addons go into this subfolder.

[walker 0]

Hi =FI=Sacktime

What version of ArmA 2 are you running?

You need to be running ArmA 2 version 1.05 and the Hotfix.

Are you joining servers that is running the beta?

Are you running the Beta and joining servers that are not?

Are you using Yoma's which is the purpose of this thread?

Kind Regards walker

[=FI=Sacktime 10]

Hi =FI=Sacktime

What version of ArmA 2 are you running?

You need to be running ArmA 2 version 1.05 and the Hotfix.

Are you joining servers that is running the beta?

Are you running the Beta and joining servers that are not?

Are you using Yoma's which is the purpose of this thread?

Kind Regards walker

1. Version 1.05.62017 with Hotfix

2. Have the beta but not using it.

3. Most servers seem to be running 1.05.62014

4. I am using Yoma's addsync

I am also using Alpinestars latest launcher, but this shouldn't be an issue as I'm attempting to join servers through Yoma's addsync.

What I have done since my last post is rip ArmA 2 out and reinstall, patched up and added the fix, to ensure I didn't mess up the Addon directory.

I attempted to join a server and was successful by just ignoring the error message and choose to launch anyways, needles to say the last hour was wasted running around the map, never seeing any action, another sour point with me regarding multiplayer, next time I'll take the fuel truck and drive there. ;)

God it's hard to promote this game with all these issues.

[Yoma 0]

-What OS are you using?

If it's Vista or Win7 you may have dirty stuff in your Virtual Store folder...

Google it.

-Try updating ACE through my tool and connecting to Kelly's Heroes (i know their server is good so...), click "required addons" before launching.

-Do you get any errors when installing Arma2 / patching Arma2. Did you use the correct patches?

-Note that the whole ACE2 concept is a progressing BETA kind of thing with all the up and downsides that come with that.

[Meanstreak 10]

Hi there,

First of all let me thank you very much for this application which to me, not being very computer savvy, is a Godsend.

I am however even having problems with this simplified way of getting the right add-ons which the servers require.

The problem that I'm having is that I cannot get the window to show which allows you to download the correct add-ons. I've read the help section but still having no luck.

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

[=FI=Sacktime 10]

Thanks Yoma, I successfully connected to Kelly's Hero server and was able to play with out any issues, other than that nagging message saying,

Warning director does not exist:

C:\Games\ArmA 2\CA\Addons

Please download the correct.....

I choose the option to proceed and I was able to get online. So apparently it is working. If I have any other issues I'll let you know via this forum.

[walker 0]

Hi there,

First of all let me thank you very much for this application which to me, not being very computer savvy, is a Godsend.

I am however even having problems with this simplified way of getting the right add-ons which the servers require.

The problem that I'm having is that I cannot get the window to show which allows you to download the correct add-ons. I've read the help section but still having no luck.

Thanks in advance for any pointers.

Hi Meanstreak

Not all servers run a Yoma's repository or include a link in their server set up to one yet. :(

In those cases you need to look in the Find Server tab at their Mod folder list in the Mod field, then find a server that has the same Mod folder list and that does have a repository with those Mods.

Contacting the server admins via their web site or comms will also help get deails of a Yoma repository they use.

There has been talk of central repository and peer system based Yoma's to further automate this. My own thought is that BIS should include a Yoma's type repository in the core setup of ArmA. I am sure Yoma would be happy to help them with this.

Kind Regards walker

[Sekra 10]

I wish I had such helpful fans :D

All you gotta do is make your software good enough for the fans to love it! Right now you are "forcing" it down everyones throat with a below-par UI and UI is slow as hell. I love the idea of Six Updater but the implementation is horrible. Take UI style and speed from Yoma, core from Six Updater and you would have my love forever. :p Also the need to manually check for version updates for Six Updater and manually having to update it is a pain (I dont know what the software thinks its updating but at least with every 0.X version update you have to manually reinstall it if you want it to work). Of course the best solution would be if these kinds of systems could be integrated straight into Arma either by the devs or give the modders some sort of API to work with. And sorry about being totally offtopic from the thread...

[nunoviegaslopes 10]

Hi,

1st of all congrats for writing this thread, concise and to the point!

Now, I was trying to run Yoma's but I'm stuck at 9-a) because there is no Download Addons tab! There's also no Check for addons link. I'm using the latest Yoma's version - 2010_04_15 1.0.59 Beta.

I keep ACE2 updated through Six Updater Suite so I'm not really sure if Yoma's is working or not.

Thanks!

[Meanstreak 10]

Hi,

Now, I was trying to run Yoma's but I'm stuck at 9-a) because there is no Download Addons tab! There's also no Check for addons link.

Same problem I'm having, still can't get my head round it but then I'm a bit of a thicko with computers :confused_o:

[walker 0]

Same problem I'm having, still can't get my head round it but then I'm a bit of a thicko with computers :confused_o:

Hi Meanstreak and nunoviegaslopes

I have edited the first post and added an addendum that explains what you are experiencing and gives several possible solutions to this case. :)

In the long run we need something like Yoma's addon sync to be integral to ArmA along with central repositories or perhaps better still a Peer to Peer system active when ArmA is offline to share the load across lots of computers. This would mean every server would link to a Yoma type repository on start along with the addon check when a client joins the server.

I suggested a server farm technology as being the long term answer for:

a) The addon synchronization problem (a set of Yoma repositories)

b) And for a server/client to deal with mission synchronization for JIP on large games storing Game state change data so that game server bandwidth was not hogged by telling a new client what lampposts/trees and buildings were down in the map and where all the new units were and the dead bodies and tank wrecks etc.

Kind Regards

Edited April 19, 2010 by walker

[Meanstreak 10]

Walker, many thanks for trying to explain what I need to do, is there an easy way of telling if a server has a repository of mods or is it just click and cross fingers? I have tried a few but no luck yet..

I have Silent Hunter games which use JSGME for downloading and installing mods which is a blast to use for anyone incompetent like myself, I can see the potential in this wonderful piece of software by Yoma though, anyways I'll keep trying as I would love to try out the ACE mod.

Cheers!!

Edited April 19, 2010 by Meanstreak

[nunoviegaslopes 10]

Ok, I got it.

If you double-click on a server in the Find Servers list, you never have the Download Addons tab! I tried with Kellys Heroes and it isn't there. But if you add the server to your favorites and double-click from there you always get the Download Addons tab. In this case when you click on the Check for Addons button you sometimes get a not found error, probably because there's no repository.

Either something was changed in the latest Yoma's version or this has something to do with .NET versions, which seems odd.

[Meanstreak 10]

Ahh, nice one nunoviegaslopes, that's were I was going wrong.

Many thanks.