Combined Operations + Mods

[ShockwaveGT 10]

I'm having trouble, while playing Combined Operations, to activate any other mods that I would like to use.

While playing AO or Arma 2 alone, I can see and activate any of my mods, but when launching Combined Operations, this list of expansions does not appear.

I bought Arma 2 German Version Retail, updated it to 1.07, and then bought AO via Steam.

I can play the Vanilla game fine, and still have access to both my addons that I place at either AO or Arma 2 Addon folders.

Can someone please help me out

Edited July 12, 2010 by ShockwaveGT

[L3TUC3 32]

I'm having trouble, while playing Combined Operations, to activate any other mods that I would like to use.

While playing AO or Arma 2 alone, I can see and activate any of my mods, but when launching Combined Operations, this list of expansions does not appear.

I bought Arma 2 German Version Retail, updated it to 1.07, and then bought AO via Steam.

I can play the Vanilla game fine, and still have access to both my addons that I place at either AO or Arma 2 Addon folders.

Can someone please help me out

It's a shortcoming in the way the game currently handles mods and steam launches games (in particular CO).

CO is launched by means of a hacked together script because A2 and OA are installed in two different folders. This is a steam requirement to recognize the two as separate games. The script just creates a launch option for OA to detect A2 content.

The downside is that this method cannot detect any mods. Any launcher program won't work either because the script steam calls will overrule any parameters you set in said launcher.

Until BI can figure out a way with Valve to properly launch CO (I'd just drop A2 content into the OA folder, but that's just me) I'm afraid us steam users are in a bit of a bind.

[esco7800 10]

"open steam go to your library left click on the AO program then right click on properties open set launch options put this in the line "nosplash -mod=@GLT_F16 " without the quotes. And when stem loads it, it will load all mods in this line. you have to have the mods an your AO folder "example @GLT_F16 folder most be an the AO folder.

then launch Combined Operations it works for me but I have both from steam, But try it

[Terror Wolf 10]

Not true in my experience thus far w/ the new ACE mod. As a Steam user, if you input your -mod= calls into the "launch options" under properties for OA and then run CO, any of your mods listed under OA will be available for CO.

*edit

Lol... ^^ beat me to it!

[L3TUC3 32]

I'll try that as soon as I get some time.

Still somewhat confusing with multiple mod folders and whatnot.

[SpyderPB6 10]

Hi.

This is the easiest way I have found to run mods on Combined Ops.

I have steam copies and wrote these regarding that but I figure they will work with any mix and match of Arma 2 and OA.

Post Installation Process:

Running the games together (Arma2 and OA) is not difficult, but running them together WITH mods takes a little run around with command lines.

First go to your OA directory, right click Arma2OA.exe and create a short-cut on the desktop. Right click on that short-cut and select properties.

This is how your command line should look (or similarly for non-steam users) out of the box,

"Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe"

We need to modify it to run Arma 2, OA itself and ACE2 mod.

What we are doing with the command line above is adding this portion:

"-mod=Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2; to point it towards Arma2 and after the semi colon we are adding Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\EXPANSION in order to enable the use this as an expansion. Lastly a semi colon is entered and you may add your typical mods. Be sure that you close out the line with the last " mark.

When all is said and done it will resemble mine below.

"Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe" "-mod=Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma2;Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\EXPANSION;@CBA;@ACE;@ACEX;@ACEX_SM"

That's it, should work.

Cheers,

Mike.

[L3TUC3 32]

Hi.

Epic solution goes here.

That's it, should work.

Cheers,

Mike.

That's just what I've been looking for! Now I can't wait to get back home.

Thanks!

[ShockwaveGT 10]

When all is said and done it will resemble mine below.

"Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe" "-mod=Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma2;Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\EXPANSION;@CBA;@ACE;@ACEX;@ACEX_SM"

Mike.

So I tried this trick but, again, I have a retail version of Arma 2 and bought Operation Arrowhead from Steam.

When I tried your move and clicked on the shortcut, I got an error message:

"Error compiling Pixel Shader PSSpecularAlpha:0"

Anyway, I noticed you linked your mods to the EXPANSIONS folder in Arma OA... Is that where I'm supposed to deposit them?

Thanks for the feedback so far,

Shock

[Pain0815 10]

get arma2 for steam or ao retail

[ShockwaveGT 10]

get arma2 for steam or ao retail

How about a solution before considering this one...

[SpyderPB6 10]

@Shockwave

You shouldn't edit the expansions section at all it simply needs to be in the command line. As for trying to access your OA short-cut what exactly happened?

You went to the directory of OA.exe and then what?

The first thing you want to be able to do to have is have a usable shortcut to which you can edit its command line.

[ShockwaveGT 10]

"Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe" "-mod=Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma2;Y:\ProgramFiles(X86)\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\EXPANSION;@CBA;@ACE;@ACEX;@ACEX_SM"

That's it, should work.

Cheers,

Mike.

I've tried your method again Mike and this time I got a bit further, however, when checking the Expansion list, Arma 2 OA and CBA_OA are ticked (got CBA working, apparently) but ARMA 2 is unticked... Can't tick it either (thus not enable it)...

Any help would be appreciated

[MJK-Ranger 0]

How about a solution before considering this one...

Did you launch ArmA 2: Combined Operations via your steam client?

Open up your steam client and right click on ARMA 2: Operation Arrowhead then select "Launch ARMA 2: Combined Operation"

When you do that, the startup will start "_runA2CO.cmd" located in your ArmA2OA install folder, that file search in your registry for install path for your ArmA 2 and Arma 2 OA, when it's done the game start.

You have a retail DVD version of Arma 2 right? So where is arma2 installed, full path please and i need to know your full path for ArmA2 OA too.

Edited July 12, 2010 by MJK-Ranger

[pchaxor 0]

What a freakin mess. c'mon BIS fix this horse crap will ya?

I don't care who's fault or what not ... just please fix the steam and install path issues.

We want (1) install folder and a easy way to launch our mods.

pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffft

[ShockwaveGT 10]

@MJK-RANGER

Yes, I am well aware that I can launch Combined Operations from Steam.

Arma 2 Path: "C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\arma2.exe"

Arma 2 OA Parth: "C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe"

After Follow SpyderPB6's instruction my ARMA2OA short-cut (desktop) looks like this:

"C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe" -nosplash "-mod=C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\arma2.exe;C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\EXPANSION;@CBA_OA"

After having done that, ARMA 2 was no longer ticked when I launched the game, OA and CBA_OA were.

---------- Post added at 09:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 AM ----------

http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1681586&postcount=432

Worked for me

[RogueScotsman 10]

So how would you go about adding mods to the retail version of CO?

I heard OA made it easier to manage mods so you dont have to mess with the shortcuts command lines anymore, so you just drop it in a folder in the Arma2 folder I guess?

[MJK-Ranger 0]

@MJK-RANGER

Yes, I am well aware that I can launch Combined Operations from Steam.

Arma 2 Path: "C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\arma2.exe"

Arma 2 OA Parth: "C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe"

After Follow SpyderPB6's instruction my ARMA2OA short-cut (desktop) looks like this:

"C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe" -nosplash "-mod=C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\ArmA 2\arma2.exe;C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\EXPANSION;@CBA_OA"

After having done that, ARMA 2 was no longer ticked when I launched the game, OA and CBA_OA were.

---------- Post added at 09:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:09 AM ----------

http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1681586&postcount=432

Worked for me

Hi.

Important info for CBA use:

* You should always install the @CBA mod folder by copying it to your ArmA II installation

folder.

* If you have a "merged", Combined Operations installation with both the old ArmA II

content and the new Arrowhead expansion, you're done - you only need the @CBA mod folder.

* If you have a standalone Operation Arrowhead installation, you need both the @CBA

and the @CBA_OA folders loaded.

Example startup parameters

==========================

For Combined Operations:

-mod=@CBA

For a standalone Operation Arrowhead:

-mod=@CBA;@CBA_OA

In this case i see you only use Combined Operations or want to use it. :)

So you only need to add @CBA into your -mod=

So your shortcut should look like this.:

"C:\Program Files\steam\steamapps\common\arma 2 operation arrowhead\ArmA2OA.exe" "-mod=C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\arma 2;Expansion;ca;C:\Program Files\Bohemia Interactive\arma 2\@cba" -nosplash

It works for me CBA are running but it's not showing in the Expansion list and that's normally. Only ArmA 2 and ArmA2: Operation Arrowhead are in that list and they both are ticked "green".

Edited July 13, 2010 by MJK-Ranger

[ShockwaveGT 10]

@MJK-Ranger

Thanks mate. The link I posted helped onto the right track, seems you know your stuff quite well. Thanks for helping out!

[L3TUC3 32]

So how would you go about adding mods to the retail version of CO?

I heard OA made it easier to manage mods so you dont have to mess with the shortcuts command lines anymore, so you just drop it in a folder in the Arma2 folder I guess?

You can put the @Mod folder in your main Arma2 directory and the game should be able to see it.

In case of Steam, it's more complicated because of the two required separate folders.

For CO steam users it's better to make a separate folder just for mods (or drop mods into the OA directory and ignore the A2 one) and use a launcher. I use SpiritedMachine's Arma II launcher where you can define folders the launcher will look for mods and the program will create the proper commandline for A2/OA/CO and launch your choice.

It works pretty great thus far, but what a hassle.