How to run Combined Operations as a OA!

Hi all

Or Rather:

How do you run Combined Operations as an OA only client?

I don't know :(

Does anyone?

The reason we need to do this is so we can create Vanilla OA missions for our new OA Vanilla Recruiting Server.

At the moment if you create a mission in Combined Arms it is incompatable with OA. :mad:

Not only that but OA versions of objects that are similar to objects in ArmA 2 are identically named in the editor. Is it so hard to append say a D for Desert to the end of each of them BIS? This is a five minute grep operation so come on Ondrej assign a minnion!

Kind Regards walker

Hi MattXR

Not what I need. :(

A minimally partial solution at best, it does not even address all the duplicate file names.

You can still insert ArmA 2 addons and missions created still include ArmA II references in the mission SQM.

Kind Regards walker

Iv used to have OA installed twice

1: Installed it in my root of a2 so i got a clean combine op version (patch)

2: Installed OA again in another directory (patch)

So i can start OA only and/or OAA2 Version ;)

I installed OA directly in my Arma2.. works fine

I installed OA directly in my Arma2.. works fine

Hi Raven DK.

Great!

BUT you seem to have forgot to explain how this allows you to run OA only with no ArmA II content in the editor.

I think Atsche's solution is the probably only option. How did that work with regard to the Windows Registry did it not still try to merge ArmA II and OA?

Kind Regards walker

Isnt it possible to disable original Arma 2 content via the expansions menu? (The menu where you enable/disable mods)

Isnt it possible to disable original Arma 2 content via the expansions menu? (The menu where you enable/disable mods)

Hi Jelliz

That IMHO is what should be possible.

Have a try.

If you can find a way to make that work please tell me.

Kind Regards walker

Walker, I copied the 2 folders common and expansion and put them in a new folder on my desktop. I add the arma2oa.exe to folder and started it. It appeared to only be OA stuff... I'm going to keep messing around but hopefully that points you in the right direction. Good luck.

EDIT - btw, I was also able to start what I think is a standalone server by just adding the server.exe to my new folder and starting it... I know some people were wondering how to just start an AO server without having it combined.

Rename the Addons folder to whatever you like.

Rename the common folder to Addons.

Start OA with -mod=expansion

Xeno

Errr just hack the mission.sqm file and delete all required addons from ArmA2? Havent looked into it yet, so im just guessing.

Hi all

To ])rStrangelove that is what we are doing and for complex missions it is a royal pain in the ass:

Create mission,

test,

fix get running,

go to your OA only Test server,

load mission if you are lucky server just borks and takes you to the load screen worst cases the server hangs because there is non OA content in mission,

restart server,

hack mission with notepad,

reload to see if it works,

if it don't redo last two steps,

repeat until mission works or you get so pissed off, you bin the mission,

if you get it loading now test mission and see if it is still a playable mission,

if you can ignore the disapointment at missing ideas/content great,

if not go back to editor try to spot OA content replacements for content you have removed,

now hack mission with notepad,

reload to see if it works, if it don't redo last two steps, repeat until mission works or you get so pissed off, you bin the mission,

if you get it loading now test mission and see if it is still a playable mission.

As I said a right royal pain in the ass.

Solutions

Mosh and Zeno's Solutions seem about the best so far.

Those are the ones I concentrate on.

As I said being able to turn off the unwanted content as per other mod folders using the new expansions menu is the ideal. Ondrej any chance of this?

Kind Regards

You can delete the addon lists from mission.sqm with a text editor, then just save the mission again ingame and it will list/save all the required addons. Thus, removing all the unnecessary.

Make a copy of the sqm before doing so obviously, just in case.

Hi shk

It dont always work, have a go, you also have the invisable content problem listed by terox in the MP section of the forum.

The primary problem is that we are having to do hacky crappy things like that in the first place. If it was any other MOD such as ACE you just load up ArmA without it.

Everyone knows I am an ArmA fanboy but this is enough to make me leave.

Kind Regards walker

Hey Walker, are you using the beta for the server? If not add -exThreads=1 to the server shortcut command line. The beta server doesn't need it.

Hi Mosh

It is a pure Vanilla Test server no mods no betas but as a community we are creating content on a mix of pure vannila OA machines, Combined Arms, ArmA II and OA over the top or OA with ArmA II installed afterwards, Steam and DVD mixes, the lot.

In esence a representation of the kind of mix there is in the ArmA community.

When it comes to QA testing it is a complete nightmare because content is not even conforming to any form of rule, and as it stands we can not make it do so.

Sadly walker

It is a pure Vanilla Test server no mods no betas but as a community we are creating content on a mix of pure vannila OA machines, Combined Arms, ArmA II and OA over the top or OA with ArmA II installed afterwards, Steam and DVD mixes, the lot.

I like the idea of AO only servers, for the newer players, so I will keep messing around with this. I have a couple other cpus I will try an AO only install on and compare files.

Don't give up. It can be done. :)

But like I said, if you aren't using the beta server, try the -exThreads=1. I cannot load a mission on the server without that in there (beta works fine without it). It will just hang at loading....

Hi all

sbsmac has released a tool to check which missions you have created are from what source (OA or ArmA II etc.) This speeds up the spotting of incorrect files but once again it is not the solution that is needed but it helps so thanks go to him.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=102271

Edit That said it is comming up with seccurity warnings and fails to install for me as it is corrupt I will have to re download and try it again later.

The real solution is for BIS to make each component a true MOD folder so it can be excluded by the new expansions menu.

Kind Regards walker

Hi all

Re downloaded sbsmac's mission addon checker and it is now fine, I got the first download from Armaholics but it was corrupted some how but a re-download from sbsmac's original link solved the problem.

It is great tool and will see a lot of use for mission editors and server admins beyond this issue. In fact I am going to ask that it be a standard part of Zeus Q&A. That said the source of the problem is the way combined operations is created. It really needs to be addressed by BIS.

But the real problem for mission-makers is any scripted content which can cause horendous server and client crashes, as it completley fails all sanity checks, with content in mission that clients cannot see but can be seen or used by other clients and worse. So all you scripters realy need to pay attention to this.

I draw everyone's attention to the issues it can create for server admins as is listed in Terox's post on the matter.

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=102169

Could all of you please comment and vote this issue on the A2 Community Issue Tracker.

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/11759

This is without doubt the most serious bug in ArmA II at the moment.

Kind Regards walker

Well, with steam install you have them in separate folders by default and if you want to run combined ops you need to run Arma 2 as an addon to OA (and then run expansion as an addon) as explained in the relevant thread in the general discussion forum. So if you have the ability to install separately, you can still get combined operations by creating 2 different shortcuts, without changing folder names or having the game installed twice.

I've got it all sorted out now (Arma 2 DVD and Sprocket OA). I had to install OA standalone on a computer that doesn't have Arma 2. I transferred that folder over to main computer. I can now start Arma 2, OA standalone, or CO (same with dedicated, now can do server with expansion only, no ca) on my gaming rig (with CO installed). I'm sure most of you figured out how to do this by now...

Anyways, I know there should be a better solution, as walker said, to make it easier for everyone.

I voted yes on Terox'z CIT entry. But oddly enough I did get a warning when I connected to my CO server with an AO standalone client about a BMP missing... but still could join mission (and obviously no BMP).

Wait a minute what am I not understanding? If I make a mission from the combined ops editor can't I run a combined ops server? And if so what wouldn't work? I really am not understanding that if theres some reason that we need to seperate the OA from regular Arma 2 then why did they even make combined ops?

Wait a minute what am I not understanding? If I make a mission from the combined ops editor can't I run a combined ops server? And if so what wouldn't work? I really am not understanding that if theres some reason that we need to seperate the OA from regular Arma 2 then why did they even make combined ops?

The problem he's having is that he is editing missions while running CO, but the missions are only using OA content with the intent on running them on an OA only server. Because of this, his missions sometimes end up requiring ArmA 2 content.

You can easily fix it by editing the mission.sqm to remove those false dependencies, but I suppose if you have a lot of missions it could get tedious.

From what I've been reading it seems like it's worse than just a "false dependency"? If it was then it would be easy to fix it by editing the mission.sqm.

But why cant we run Combined ops servers and not worry about mixing content that should be the purpose of having it to increase the amount of addons and such and not worry about it not working

I have heard that some of these features like the back pack and flashlight then they dont work I just dont understand why they even sold the combined ops game then its kind of a farse.