Standalone mod use crashes

[sirhammer]

Hi Folks,
I've done my due diligence with the Wiki and these boards and can't find a solution.

Scenario: Existing fully patched and working FA install with Blackops 5.2 installed.

Installed FAForever after reading a great article about in PC Gamer. I also followed the instructions in the Wiki about how to download the mod files and modify the shortcut appropriately (C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin\ForgedAlliance.exe /init init_blackops.lua). When I launch I get this:

Failed to setup initial search path.

Program : C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin\ForgedAlliance.exe
Cmd line arguments : /init init_blackops.lua

Callstack:
Unknown symbol (address 0x008cef50)

Last 100 lines of log...

warning: Running "C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin\init_blackops.lua" failed: cannot read C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin\..\cache\options.lua: No such file or directory
stack traceback:
[C]: in function `dofile'
C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin\init_blackops.lua(5): in main chunk

Now - I did not modify my existing installation, i.e. moving / removing any files. I did go into non-FA game and uncheck all tho BO mods - still get the above crash.

So I have a couple of questions please:
1) Any help on the error I'm receiving?
2) Does FAF modify any of your existing installation, or is it, the mods from it, etc, self-contained in its own directories and then point everything appropriately? I did a diff in my normal Mods directory from another working box, and everything looked cool.
3) Do I have to modify my existing install by removing any existing mods, etc. before I can get FAF working; or do they run completely autonomously via the shortcuts and FAF directories?
4) I forget where; but the admin posted a link to the maps download, and it's broken We so need some new maps!

If someone can help I'll be happy to write a chunk for the wiki.
Thanks

[eXcalibur]

it seems to me, that you have installed faf and modified the path in the shortcut correctly, but one thing you do not mention strikes me: after installation of faf, did you download faf and blackops?
to do that just start fafoever lobby, go to the games tab and double click forged alliance forever and blackops and wait for the download to finish. when you want, you can start a server this way, or join a blackops game online.

when you want to start a offline server, look here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3657

another thing: to download maps, go to the map vault tab in fa forever lobby and klick the really small blue download button next to maps you want to play. after that, you can also play on the downloaded maps offline.

[sirhammer]

Hi eXcalibur - thanks for the reply.

I did download both blackops and FAF by double-clicking on them. That appeared to download a couple files and then I got the pop up hosting window - it looks like I have them:
Directory of C:\ProgramData\FAForever\bin

5/02/2013 02:39 PM <DIR> .
5/02/2013 02:39 PM <DIR> ..
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 180,224 BsSndRpt.exe
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 106,555 BugSplat.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 65,597 BugSplatRc.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 986,112 DbgHelp.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 223,681 editor_splash.png
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 12,444,928 ForgedAlliance.exe
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 390,400 GDFBinary.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 1,102 init_blackops.lua
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 2,538 init_faf.lua
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 22 init_ladder1v1.lua
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 522 Microsoft.VC80.CRT.manifest
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 479,232 msvcm80.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 548,864 msvcp80.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 626,688 msvcr80.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 115,200 SHSMP.DLL
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 1,532,600 splash.png
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 39 SupComDataPath.lua
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 100,864 sx32w.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 3,575,808 wxmsw24u-vs80.dll
5/02/2013 02:39 PM 72,704 zlibwapi.dll
20 File(s) 21,453,680 bytes
2 Dir(s) 25,748,103,168 bytes free

[necxelos]

I have exactly the same issue - does someone have a solution to this? I have this on fresh install (patched FA, patched FAF, mods downloaded from FAF) so no mod collision or anything like this can happen.

Same way of loading mod works for Nomads though.

[Ze_PilOt]

Offline support is unsupported. The lobby create some files needed to launch it correctly, and obviously your command line won't do it.

[necxelos]

In this case may I get FAF patches, FAF Nomads, and FAF BlackOps in normal standalone version somwhere on Your site? So I can download them, install them and play them normaly from Mod Manager?

[Ze_PilOt]

They are not. There is a mod vault, but nomads can't be play as a "normal mod" for example.

[necxelos]

Guess I'm stuck with using FAF as patch loader/map downloader only and mods in unbalanced non-FAF versions.

[Ze_PilOt]

Yeah.

Or you can start using FAF for what it is.

Host a game in FAF, put some AIs, no need to launch any exe.

[necxelos]

I would but there is a problem: I wasn't really looking for an Online Lobby at all. I was looking for ways to expand my FA experience (with better balance, more units, more buildings, and other new&shiny things).

I rarely play online games with strangers at all...
I dislike anything DRM-related (anything that says "stay connected even if You don't play with people or go away")...
I travel a lot with my Laptop/Netbook and play wherever I can (most of the time no internet available)...

At first glance I expected FAF to be Community-Driven support for the game that generates patches, mods (that may become expansions at some point) and have Gamme Lobby as one of the features. It turns out to be the very opposite - instead of focusing on creating content mainly, You guys concentrate on gathering people in one place.

Maybe You should make KickStarter Campaign and make full-expansion instead? Nomads + BlackOps Content + some_interesing_things_from_other_mods + Maps and all that balanced into both online and offline play (maybe even new campaigns)... That would be more successfull at gathering people then DRM philosophy You are having now. I would totally support that.

But right now... 99% offline it is for me.