Very occasional player(s) need some help on basic LAN SetUp/maps

[dlfu]

Hi to all,
I am asking for some help regarding SetUp a LAN with 2 friends. Due to RL, job demands, scheduling conflicts etc. we are only able to meet every 8-10 weeks for some 4-8 hours and enjoy playing FH2 on LAN. (we like to meet in real, as of this LAN, not Internet).
The way we know to set up a LAN game (with bots!) is to start a multiplayer, connect the 2 other NBs, see if the game is displayed on them. Exit multiplayer, start a SINGLEPLAYERGAME and then connect via the previously established multiplayer with the other 2 NBs. There is maybe an easier way, but we could not find it.
However, in Singleplayer FH2 2.45 we would like to play on some maps which are not displayed. In changelog of the 2.45 it is indicated that there is bot support added to various maps:
  * Added bot support to Hurtgen Forest
  * Added bot support to Vossenack
  * Added bot support to Bastogne
and some older, not in SP displayed maps may already have bot support.


As far as I understand by skimming the forum some maps/files have to be added manually, but I am not sure how.  I am aware that with a little effort and searching the forum I may be able to do this but I do not have that much time and am an fairly inexperienced person concerning this kind of modifing files.

As of this I would be very glad if someone would point me to the relevat forumposts or provide an easy to understand "how-to" to enable us to implement some additional maps(with bot support!) into SP.

Thanks in advance for any help enabling us to set up some more maps in SP and also to all people involved in creating this terrific mod. As it is we have quite a lot of fun....





 

[Zoologic]

Hi, for FH2.45, you don't need to do any manual digging into forum posts to seek for SP Support update files.

Most of it is already incorporated to FH2.45, including ESAI. We are currently waiting for more coop support for new official maps.

These threads are being updated by Cannonfodder:

http://fhpubforum.warumdarum.de/index.php?topic=6539.0

Meanwhile, check out this thread:

http://fhpubforum.warumdarum.de/index.php?topic=16981.0
http://www.moddb.com/members/dj-barney

[dlfu]

Thank you for the fast reply.
Unfortunately I am still a little lost.

http://fhpubforum.warumdarum.de/index.php?topic=6539.0

From the above post I downloaded the last official map (H.F-Voss.)
and unzipped it (to examine its content). 
As ESAI is included all I should do is to unzip the
file into the "levels" folder (replacing the folder/files already there?).
quote
HOW TO INSTALL:
Unzip/extract each file into: 'C:\Program Files\EA Games\Battlefield 2\mods\fh2\levels', and you're good to go.
unquote

However, I noticed that the included "server.zip" files are much smaller than the
original files. Maybe missing ESAI ? (NOTE: You need to have ESAI installed for these 2 maps to work)

Could not get gamefront.file (Falaise) to download. (missing)
As I have currently not much time I am forced to abort for now.
I know that if I begin tackling this I will stay up all night and catch
hell if I am not fit for work due to a sleepless night.

Any reply/explanation is greatly appreciated. I intend to look into
this as soon as I can spare some time.

Thanks again for any help.

[Zoologic]

Did you read my post?

You don't need to modify anything if you have FH 2.45 installed. Basically you are doing nothing to improve your Single Player game.

If you want to play the map, go to "Multiplayer", start a co-op server. Do not start from "Singleplayer" mode. In the Multiplayer co-op mode (change it from default conquest mode, from the drop-down menu), you will find all bot supported maps there. Here, you can play any maps, establish map rotations, and balance the number of bots between your and enemy's team.

Normally, players don't like to start the map from Singleplayer mode because of its limited options and the mode is not polished enough by DICE when they develop BF2. It is basically a masked interface for coop mode.

[dlfu]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!!!

Believe it or not but I was not aware of the co-op mode and did not know how to use it !

My knowledge was that bot support (in BF2!) was ONLY available in singleplayer mode (training) and
to play on LAN with bots there was only a workaround via singleplayer.

My apologies if I have inadvertedly insulted you but we are really very occasional players and do not know much about the very basics of BF2.

With the co-op mode now discovered (thanks again) our (map)problem is solved.

I am feeling a little stupid for not noticing the dropdown menu but I did not spend any time with the setup
as soon as we had a working LAN with bots (and a lot of fun)

[Zoologic]

No problem dlfu.
Actually I'm fine here. 

What actually baffles me is that people are so willing to broke their installation and modify files, before actually discovering the in-game menu selections that won't crash anything and far easier to do. 

Enjoy your session mate! Come back to us if you want to know something or share your great times.

[dlfu]

We have ..

Time !  And poor documentation !!!!!! (The BF2 manual is a joke ! Most manual nowadays are!)

This highlights one aspect.

Is there some decent manual for FH2 out there ? ( I found an very outdated one and some vids)

From my perspective I would very gladly know some more basics (How to set up LANgames, some explanations on the options and such) and especially some FH2 specifics like the use of binocs/arty, game modes like 'sector push' (what's the difference, how do they work).......too many things I do not know 

[TASSER]

This is something we really need honestly. Not sure if it's being worked on or not though.

[Zoologic]

There is a good old early FH2 videos in the Youtube that explain about basic FH2 game mechanics.

This video is official and uploaded by one of the devs, namely ctz.

Basic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o5Y5kybSQI

Weapon familiarisation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cor8jTBAdLw
Vehicle training:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IsA7ELESF8
Command and tactics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCGSpVhI9sM

[Flippy Warbear]

And can be found from our youtube channel too...

[LuckyOne]

Command and tactics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCGSpVhI9sM

I wonder what happened with the team that "as a fireteam leader, it is your duty to follow orders given by your Commander, and direct members of your fireteam" and "communication is the keystone of any organized force" got replaced by "screw the commander he's useless" and "Voip is for pussies, and commo rose annoying, I want to feel immersed by participating in the battle along with my mute comrades". 

Also are the flare barrages still on night maps? I guess not as I have never seen one...