[Vista]How do I install Fleet Operations?

posted on January 8th, 2008, 11:30 am

I'm really sorry for posting this in th wrong place, but the tech support section doesn't seem to get any traffic and I really want to install Fleet Ops...

So anyway, I've been lurking around here for, well, more than a year, on and off... And I finally got broadband, after nagging my parents for a number of years, so now I am capable of downloading (and hopefully playing) Fleet Ops, something I've been itching to try.

However, I understand there are some problems with installing Fleet Ops on Windows Vista (indeed, I have experienced the decoder bug first hand after I attempted to install Fleet Ops before I knew about the Vista related issues). I have since downloaded the so-called 'fix' for this, but now I have no idea what to do with the .zip file.

So I ask, what is the step-by-step procedure for installing Star Trek Armada II: Fleet Operations on a machine running Windows Vista? I think I have all of the required software on hand (Armada II CD, download of Fleet Ops 3.0 PR, 3.0 PR patch, Fleet Ops Multimedia and Vista patch .zip file), but what do I do now? I have removed the messed up Fleet Ops and Armada II files from my computer and am now ready to install a fresh, vanilla copy of Armada II...

So, step-by-step where do I go from here?

posted on January 8th, 2008, 11:55 am

The problem is bigger than most imagine. May I first ask you if you have experiences with virtual machines or do one of your family/friends have a computer with Windows XP on it? If yes I promise you you'll play FO on your machine very soon. Otherwise I have to dissappoint you because up till now there is no other way to get FO running on Vista. You would have to install FO on a XP machine and then copy it via LAN onto your Vista machine and then replace the exe with the ".zip" (which includes a fixed exe for Vista users you actually have to use).

As mentioned there are two ways I know of you can bring FO on your Vista machine.

1. Virtual XP machine --> install FO --> copy to you Vista machine --> replace exe

2. Install on a friends or families XP machine (all lower than Vista) ---> use LAN to copy it from there onto your machine --> replace exe

[Triarii]

posted on January 8th, 2008, 12:18 pm

Last edited by Triarii on January 8th, 2008, 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

As a matter of fact, we do indeed have an XP machine (and an ME machine and a 98 machine... )... what do I have to do, exactly?

posted on January 8th, 2008, 7:06 pm

Well... there are plenty of threads that explain this, but just load FO as you would normally do on the XP machine (downloading the patch, media files etc and running them). Copy that folder and put it in your My Documents folder on the Vista machine. Replace the .map thingy with the zip file and play your heart out! 

posted on January 8th, 2008, 11:37 pm

Triarii? I like your name =). Did you ever play Rome Total War?

posted on January 9th, 2008, 1:19 am

Triarii? I like your name =). Did you ever play Rome Total War?

As a matter of fact, yes, R:TW was is one of my favorite games. When I first went to the Rome: Total War forums on Heaven Games back in 2005, I thought to make my user name Triarii. People don't generally like the Triarii unit in R:TW (they say it sucks), but when I used them in the tutorial, I thought the way they called out "TRIARII!!!" when you clicked on then was really cool... it kinda stuck with me... and became the user name I tended to use wherever I went for quite some time (eventually to be replaced by Captain Trek or some variant thereof).

But that's all off topic...

Well... there are plenty of threads that explain this, but just load FO as you would normally do on the XP machine (downloading the patch, media files etc and running them). Copy that folder and put it in your My Documents folder on the Vista machine. Replace the .map thingy with the zip file and play your heart out!

I can do that... that's simple enough... But... is there any other way for me to copy the files other than using a LAN connection? We, err, don't have one...

posted on January 9th, 2008, 2:03 am

Sure: use a CD or a DVD-R or a flashdrive 

[Shril]

posted on January 9th, 2008, 7:38 am

Last edited by Shril on January 9th, 2008, 7:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

Ok then. Go and install Fleet Ops on your XP machine or whatever and then send a copy of this Fleet Ops folder to your Vista machine, or take an USB stick for transferring. Whatever you like.
Once the Fleet Ops copy is on your Vista machine replace the FO exe with the exe in the .zip.
Launch FleetOps and have loads of fun...

[Triarii]

posted on January 9th, 2008, 8:31 am

Last edited by Triarii on January 9th, 2008, 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

Ok, three things...

1: Is it OK to replace the files before I copy the thing to my Vista?

2: Do I only overwrite the .exe file, or do I use all three files that came in update.zip?

3: If I do have to use all three files, here does the FleetOps.mad file go?

posted on January 9th, 2008, 3:47 pm

1. yea, it is ok to overwrite every file before copying (the patch works for xp too btw)
2. replace all files
3. that goes to the root folder of fleet operations, too. just where you copy the fleetops.exe file also

[Triarii]

posted on January 10th, 2008, 1:14 am

Last edited by Triarii on January 10th, 2008, 2:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

Well, it didn't work... >:(

When I try to play Fleet Ops now, I still get the same error on attempting to start up after replacing FleetOps.map with FleetOps.mad...

Screw it, I'm going to try installing in safe mode... >:(

EDIT: Okay, now it works! I didn't know about the program files problem. Once I moved my folder to the desktop, the thing started working! YES!!!

Thanks for all the help, guys!

posted on January 10th, 2008, 9:13 am

that is good to hear.

have fun

posted on January 10th, 2008, 9:22 am

Yep... the only problem now are the horrific Armada II voices... hmm... maybe I can fix that myself...

posted on January 10th, 2008, 9:24 am

interesting.... if you like you can then send me your "fix" via email

posted on January 10th, 2008, 12:03 pm

All I've really done so far is to replace the construction and scout ship voice sets for the Federation, Romulans and Klingons with their Armada I counter parts. I've also replaced that abysmal stoned sounding computer vocie with its Armada I counterpart. Of all the bad voices in Armada II, the computer voice pisses me off the most. Why on Earth didn't you guys replace the computer voice like you did for the Klingons and Romulans? >:(

Ah, anyway, if you like I might also be able to find some voices that might work for this game from some of my other games, if you like... Doubt I'll find anything useless, but I can always try, right?