..to get a version of Crossfire that is stable, particularly in a open single=player game? I have NEVER had a problem with FLMM (1.31) and even Crossfire (for that matter) running several mods on my PC (XP x86 SP3). I've had Freelancer installed in the past and admittedly it's been awhile; but last night I decided to install it (a NEW, clean XP installation BTW.. with VERY little else on it) and try out the new ''crop'' of mods (mainly Crossfire 1.9 and Discovery 4.86). I never even got past Crossfire though.
My ''nightmare'' began late yesterday. I installed Freelancer then updated it to 1.1. I had a fresh install executable of Crossfire 1.9 as well (just to clear the air.. the installer verifies itself just fine) but I couldn't remember what version of FLMM to use (I have 1.31, 1.4 and 1.5) so I did the logical thing and picked the one in the middle (1.4).. big mistake. After installing Crossfire and activating it I noticed the warning asking for 1.31 (Would be kind of neat if it told you before installation). I know enough about Freelancer and past experience to know that the second something gets screwed up in the game's files you're SOL and nothing short of a reinstall will do. So..
Round 1.. uninstall Crossfire.. uninstall FLMM.. uninstall Freelancer, then manually search and delete ANY mention of Freelancer or Crossfire using regedit (Man.. I HATE that part.. dozens of entries still left everywhere.. a half hour job). Reinstall Freelancer.. install FLMM 1.31.. then Crossfire 1.9. I start up Crossfire and for some reason (probably because i wanted to check out the MP 'verse without socializing yet) I pick open single player. Game starts up, and I end up somewhere out in space but the minute I click the inventory tab the game minimizes to the taskbar and I'm stuck. Can't restore it and basically the PC freezes up. I reboot.. but of course.. since FLMM didn't close down properly either.. I know I'm in for trouble.
Open FLMM again and try to deactivate the mod and I start getting error messages along the line of:
Warning: Unable to un-rename file; 'C:\Games\Freelancer\DATA\SOLAR\STARSPHERE\cf_starsphere_rh01.cmp.flmmbak' doesn't exist
.. dozens of them. So I figure something about the original files isn't getting saved in the first place.. or the manager now thinks the Crossfire files ARE the ''good'' files because it didn't get a chance to restore it. As I recall.. it DID ask me if I wanted to restore the back ups and I said yes.. and it did.. but this was the only time it went OK. Since then.. it always says there are none next. Another odd thing.. when the CF launcher starts it almost every time.. says it's downloading the same numbered update files again.
I peruse the forums here and see the problem with open single player.. also to make sure both the Freelance and FLMM dirs have read-only disabled. I also saw op-r8tr's mention of the opensp.cmd fix. Off to another uninstall and reg wipe. Start over.. and thi9s time.. make sure everything's done perfect again. I use the command to start the game (making sure my cable connection is disabled first.. like it asks) but nothing happens.. the game doesn't start after I follow the ''press any key'' prompt in the command dialog box. Yes.. I tried launching the game from within FLMM as well AFTER using the .cmd file.
It's 4AM in the morning and I'm tired.. so I give up.. but before I do.. I do another FL reinstall.. wiping again and I just relent to going back to Crossfire 1.82 (which I download ''fresh'' from ModDB). I just know that things will be right in the morning (uh.. huh). I saw some other guy saying he went back to v1.6 and someone said the server for that version wasn't updating correctly so I figure 1.82 is okay, and late enough.
This afternoon I started over, only this time i used Crossfire v1.82. When I started the Crossfire launcher I noticed that it was again downloading some files.. but I didn't think much. Again.. someone else mentioned that launcher versions might change and that one should actually shut down the launcher a few times and let it check for even more files before actually starting the game (Makes sense to me.. I know why.) so I did that, but I never see a launcher version change (2.01 with CF 1.82 and 3.X something with 1.9).
This time I also looked in the Freelancer dir before launching the game and I see that opensp file and thought it was strange since no one mentioned that problem.. or that ''fix'' being available in 1.82. So that's when i thought maybe the launcher was blindly downloading the latest files regardless of launcher or mod version, and might possibly overwite perfectly normal files in the process. I suspected the worst again, but I went ahead and launched the game again through the launcher and didn't use that .cmd file.. because I didn't think (or hear) that it was available or needed for v1.82.
the game started in open SP and I was in space again (just like in 1.9).. but only this time a message popped up saying I needed to fly somewhere (a planet IIRC). Silly me.. thinking everything is OK.. I went to the inventory icon again whereupon the game did the same thing again.. CTD and then pretty much freezes up.
So.. here I am.. finally deciding to ask for help. I've read many threads concerning these kinds of things, and the solutions offered up (use the .cmd file.. rename some other file.. overwriting another with it.. etc.) but they get closed.. and usually the OP hasn't gotten any satisfaction.
I love Crossfire guys.. and I really appreciate all the hard work you put into it, but the odd thing is I'm simply going through the same motions on the same ''box'' I've had for years.. and although I can't recall HOW far back Crossfire was in development the last time I played with it.. I know I didn't have half the problems (actually.. none of) that I'm having now and the ironic part also is that I haven't even installed any other mods yet (Discovery, Flak, Dynamic Itano, Pheonix.. etc) and they ALL used to coexist with Crossfire.. side-by-side.. happily.
What I know right now is this..
I can't get open SP to run in the last two versions.
Deactivating Cross fire always gives me errors along the line of files that don't exist.. as stated above.
After errors.. even though FLMM asks to restore back ups.. I get: 0 files restored and 0 directories deleted
After that.. everything gets pretty much screwed up. I know it's not a problem with read/write attributes on the game's files and in FLMM because I've checked and everything has read-only disabled. BTW.. I DID get a brain and starting today.. just backed up the Freelancer dir so when Crossfire messes up.. I simply restore it like someone said and I don't have to jump through all the hoops again.
It's a shame that I may miss out on all the shiny new features and all, but at this point.. I just want a build that works. If it's one that didn't even HAVE open SP.. I can live with that. It's not that that feature's important to me.. I just want one that is working 100% as touted.. that's all.
I apologize for such the long read.. but I wanted to let anyone with suggestions know that I understand what's happening.. how I've tried to fix it myself and that I've ''RTFM''' already.
Thanks to every one for their time and attention.