Certa

Yes it's possible. More or less any packages of files for the Operation Flashpoint folder could be downloaded via OFP Watch. Full mods with missions, patches, just addons or single missions alike. However, it is up to the server administrator what he wants to publish on his/her addon server. I'll try to talk Karrillion into publishing his mission packs as optional packages at his server as a good example..

Two bad errors! When implementing some new features I found two nasty bugs that survived the 1.25 beta period. Even if 1.25 probably works 99% of the time I've taken it offline and I will upload a fixed 1.26 later tonight. When answering yes to (A)ll, the raminaing packages may get a random status of (Y)es or (N)o for download. Also, all examined packages remain in the server process folder. It fail to delete the package (at least on Windows) after examination due to that the file is locked by an internal unzip object. Sorry for this.

I released Auto-Addon Server 1.25 yesterday. The new feature is that it will cache information about each package in a separate temp-file. When rebuilding the server information block, it only has to (re-)download the packages changed or added. As the administrator you get to choose what packages to download. The first you rebuild the information block with 1.25 it's going to download all packages as usual but the following updates will be faster due to the cached information. To upgrade just replace the old executable and restart. It's available for both Linux and Win. OFP Watch (and Auto-Addon Server) home A few of you who have already been beta testing this version for two weeks now don't need to upgrade.

I released OFP Watch 1.00 today/yesterday.. Yes, they have all been betas up to now :-) Just click the flashing link button in your old OFP Watch to upgrade or download from OFP Watch home. Version 1.00 final 2003-Dec-09 OFP Watch went final, about time eh? Added several options in the Config menu. It's now possible to turn file scanning and Auto-Addon off (for you people never playing against addon servers). It will now minimize to the system tray icon and it will remain running after launching OFP by default. Files installed by Auto-Addon will now get the correct date. The News & messages window was changed from a text box to a HTML view, well I just wanted to try some technology.

I've uploaded the first OFP Watch Client FAQ Just let me know if you want to know more.

Don't upset the brits!

OFP Watch 0.98 out To upgrade from 0.96/0.97, just click the flashing link button, it takes a few seconds and you are done. For new installation or manual upgrade, download from here ----- Updates in 0.98: Single player launch support. Instead of adding/editing a server you may add a single player setup to the list. Just hit Play Now to launch. Custom executable file names. For any given favourite server/setup you may specify what executable to use. Perfect for people evaluating beta 1.93/1.94 but still playing 1.91 of OFP.

A quick way to support 1.94 beta With OFP Watch 0.97 via the addon manager.. For technical people only. Do this at your own risk! Start OFP Watch, go to Addon Manager -> Advanced -> select <core files> Find and select FLASHPOINTRESISTANCE.EXE, click column headers to sort name and path to find it quicker. Click Bind to -> new package and name the package "OFP 1.91" or something you like. Home page field is not really used, just leave it. Click Package to get to the package view and select your new "OFP 1.91" package. Click disable. Close OFP Watch. Now, open your file explorer and rename your 1.94 "FLASHPOINTBETA.EXE" to "FLASHPOINTRESISTANCE.EXE" Open OFP Watch again after the file is renamed (important). Back to the addon manager -> Advanced -> select <core files> and click the name sort tab. Again, locate FLASHPOINTRESISTANCE.EXE but this time you should see two of them, one enabled and one disabled. Select the enabled one and click Bind to -> new package. Call it "OFP 1.94". Done. Now go back to package view once more and you will have “OFP 1.91" and "OFP 1.94" in the list. Just make sure to enable the version you want to play before launching. Note: If the server is 1.92, OFP Watch will look for "FLASHPOINT192BETA.EXE" first. Either delete 1.92, or rename it and add it as a package like above. I hope you get the picture. Good luck!

Have been thinking of resizable windows. It's just that I have to change the entire program skeleton to make it good so it's nothing I have in the plans for the next update. The tool is ready, not perfect but ready. I've spent a lot of time on it and I've sort of proved to myself it works. Now I've lost some of the interest, been too lazy (or sick of the tools) to write proper docs and do the marketing. Don't worry. I have plans for updates and I do email support more or less every day -And I will write some better docs sooner or later. More and more servers are joining up even if it's only one new per week. BIS knows about OFP Watch and Auto-Addon Server and are positive about it but I think they are smart to let this be a community made tool. Unless they take over the source, they can't guarantee its functionality or support. I should get moving should...

I added it to my Auto-Addon Server while on it. OFP Watch people (version 0.95+) can install all files directly. Just monitor the address: certa.dyndns.org:4300 and your Manager button should start flashing. Click it and install. There is no OFP game server on this address, just an addon server for installation. I'll try to leave the server up for a week at least.

Mirror (Auto-Addon) For you Auto-Addon server guys I made a ready to use addon package. I'm probably not going to mirror this file for more than a week so download it soon. Since Auto-Addon only works with Zip files (for now) it's larger than the original Rar. BAS tonal-tango Auto-Addon pack (Server located in Stockholm northern Europe) The auto-addon.txt scripts installation of the addons (makes them required) and extracts all the other files. For the technically interested, I renamed the ResAddons folder to Res/Addons. The auto-addon.txt looks like: autoaddon_start package "BAS Tonal V1.0 & OFPFOR V1.0" infourl "http://www.ballistic-studios.com" extractpath Res/AddOns/BAS_Isle_Anim/* installpath Res/* extractpath Campaigns/* extractpath Missions/* extractpath MPMissions/* extract * Res/AddOns/ autoaddon_end

If your 1.92 executable is named "FLASHPOINT192BETA.EXE". OFP Watch will try to launch this file if the watched server is a 1.92 . If it not exists, it will launch "FLASHPOINTRESISTANCE.EXE" or "OPERATIONFLASHPOINT.EXE" if the server version is below 1.75. Also, the 1,92 beta executable file name is only supported by OFP Watch 0.96+. For you guys trying other beta versions I have not support right now. You must rename your exe to "FLASHPOINTRESISTANCE.EXE". Next OFP Watch version will have support for multiple custom executables.

And there are RTS.. Not the same as CTI.. The few CTI experiences I've had took several hours each. RTS is a lot faster with more fire power. In CTI I'm happy if I can build a Cessna after 30 minutes. In RTS I'm pissed if I can't build an MI24 after 30 minutes.

Oyvind Husum & KeyCat Do I dare suggest you try setting up an Auto-Addon Server for the next LAN party? Then you just need to distribute OFP Watch.. No copying, zipping, and less risk for wrong folders or wrong files.

OFP takes quite a bit of CPU to play. I'd say CPU is more important than the graphics card. You can get away with an old TNT2 card as long as the CPU is top (I tried it). If you have a CPU under 1 GHz it's is going to lag. With a lot of players and vehicles, it will lag even with a 2+ GHz CPU. Could this be the issue?

OFP Watch 0.97 out Mainly addressing better mod folder support. To upgrade from 0.96, just click the flashing link button, it takes a few seconds and you are done. For new installation or manual upgrade, download from OFP Watch ----- Updates in 0.97: Several minor bug fixes. Some potential security issues addressed. 'Show files' from the download screen now works and takes you to the advanced view listing all the files in this not yet downloaded or installed package. A 'Default to' column added on the download screen showing package default installation path. A drop down edit box gives the option to install addons into any mod folder of choice, existing or new. A new diamond shaped icon added for files installed in a different path since the green triangle was confused with an error/warning. Triangles and x-ed round are now pure evil, round and diamond are good. Automatic mod folder detection improved, it now picks the most optimized combination of mod folders possible. Earlier OFP Watch often selected too many mod folders causing unnecessary conflicts. Added manual selection of mod folders via the user interface in the server add/edit window. Manually added mod folders will now always be loaded no matter if you have selected automatic mod folder detection or not. This is for instance perfect for people using hisky or custom sound packs. Automatic selection is adding to the manual selection. A list of automatically selected mod folders are now stored per server in case the addon server is down.

I just repeat myself but I say client/server model instead of sync model and OFP will be on the right path.. It's probably too late to fix this in a patch. A good c/s engine must be in place before the world rendering/object engine. I hope this will be a core part of OFP2.

I don't think it's a problem. I've had friends over playing at least two people toward the same internet server over a simple NAT router. You shouldn't even need to open or redirect any ports if your router is standard. You only need this if you are run the server behind your router and you want to open up for outsiders. If you use Direct Play, it can be trickier, it's might not work at all unless you use the XP built in NAT router or you are a real pro in configuring ports. Direct Play is the biggest crime against client/server technology ever made :-) Only very bad server code would confuse several clients on the same IP. I don't know what the problem is in this case but I'm sure it's not OFP. Perhaps look over or remove port mappings in your router settings.

I experimented with that and found out how it works. Look at Addon Servers

Agree, I have programmed DirectPlay and I don't get the point of it. It's messy and impossible to get anything working behind a firewall or nat router without opening and directing ranges of ports. Some classic TCP/IP socket programming is just as easy (easier), cleaner and the final client works behind a firewall or nat router. However, I hope BIS changes the netcode engine from the current sync model to a client/server model for OFP2.

I elaborated on it a bit. -mod=mod1;mod2 The last mod folder in the list got the highest priority. Two pbo's with the same name, one in each mod folder but only the pbo in mod2 will be loaded. I'm sure someone already knew this, but now I know :-)

You should have diagnistic tools for that already included in your OS. On NT (2K/XP) you can use system monitor or any 3rd party tools of choice. Not sure about Linux but I'd be surprised if you don't have any tools similar to the system monitor.

Desync happens when one client lose track of what one or more other clients are up to. It is more likely to happen when there are many players, a lot of network traffic and a lot of packet loss of the network. It can also show up because of software bugs. I wrote some related things in the OFP2 suggesions forum. Client/Server model

Anyone knows? -mod=modfolder1;modfolder2 or -mod=modfolder2;modfolder1 Does the order of the listed mod make any difference when the two folders contain conflicting addons? I hope it does.

Yes and no, peolpe might have other configurations. OFP Watch will try to set the required mod settings for them (will be better with the next version). Ultimately the player decide where the addons are. A lot of people wants to have their addons one way and they are going to move the files around no matter what standard I add to OFP Watch or how you script the addons to install. There are no way to enforce a player to connect with a 'clean' addons folder. You can however install your addons into a specific addons folder but with the next version of OFP Watch I making the player can override this. OFP Watch is not required, players can still connect via the good old icon as long as they set the mod switches. However, if there are conflicting addons (addons with same name but different contents) already installed by OFP Watch in the addons/ folder, launching with OFP Watch helps since it will automatically enable/disable addons depending on what's required by the addon-server.