In short, I can play Freedom Force on Steam when I add "windowed" to the advanced command line under properties in steam. In fact, I can then change the resolution in success loads of the game (the resolution change as I alter it in the game with another load). However, I cannot get mods to play and they all read "inert renderer". I had this same problem with both Freedom Force games and the -windowed lines solved that.
FF mods required that I go to a .bat file in a separate folder and that presents the problem (which is not the case with FFVTR because mods are loaded in a different way). Is there any way to get around this problem in Freedom Force? I have tried cut/past the command lines into steam properties for FF (doesn't work) and copying log files to the mods (doesn't work).
Howdy Aewulf, what version of Windows do you have? I've had luck with running Steam itself in compatibility mode for XP.
I am on Windows 11, but have used compatibility mode for Freedom Force. I don't have a problem getting Freedom Force to run. The issue is the .bat files for mods. Freedom Force runs with steam active (freedomforce.exe somehow activates steam), but I don't get that effect when starting a mod from a .bat file. In contrast, the FFVTR mods take direction from the command line (- game - log) and therefore don't have the same problem. The bat files don't allow me to modify the properties with compatibility mode.
I tried the GOG version and have the same problem. I can get Freedom Force itself to work (use the -window command in the GOG executable from the GOG Galaxy launcher), but when I have a shortcut to a mod .bat file or click on the .bat file it brings up "init renderer." I tried change the command line in the regular GOG Galaxy launch to the a .bat file (tried the Super Powers mod) and had the same issue.
Solution:
Edit the .bat file for a Freedom Force game mod (use the edit command by right clicking)
in the .bat file where it says
fforce.exe - game [mod title] ADD - window
Now, it will work.
Glad you got it figured out and can enjoy the mods made over the years.
Do you know where the mods from fundamentzero went? (strangers, etc). I remember playing those great mods.
Glad you figured it out. It's weird that it only works for you in windowed mode, but I'm glad they're functioning.
Oh no, Fundament Zero is gone? That's a the end of an era! Hopefully someone else will host those files for us.
Its backed up on the wayback machine - I don't know if the links are still good or not though
http://web.archive.org/web/20180816063711/http://www.fundamentzero.com/index_games.htm (http://web.archive.org/web/20180816063711/http://www.fundamentzero.com/index_games.htm)
For more mods;
1) Check the list of mods at the top of the page. Most links are dead, but some might still be active.
2) The FRP sites have been backed up and there's a bunch of mods there;
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/54p15ym5659qh/FRP+Backup (https://www.mediafire.com/folder/54p15ym5659qh/FRP+Backup)
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/2455688dit53d/FRP2+Backups (https://www.mediafire.com/folder/2455688dit53d/FRP2+Backups)
3) Freedomforce4ever hosts the mod graveyard, Liberty Bay, and Tommyboy's meshes, skins, and mods.
Thanks for the links. I already check out # 2 pretty thoroughly. They aren't backed up there and Freedomforece4ever has broken link for each of the mods. I found the archive of old freedom force fan sites, but the mod content appears to be in the other links that you provided.
Looks like some of the links are good, but most are not.
I think you're in luck though - it looks like Dana backed up everything on his huge collection that he was kind enough to share with us. I saw some if not all of Fundamentzero's mods there.
I would grab everything from here that you want now, since there's no guarantee it will be around forever, as we well know;
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/t7fylz4xplqto/Freedom_Force_Zips (https://www.mediafire.com/folder/t7fylz4xplqto/Freedom_Force_Zips)
Wow! Thank you so much. It is amazing that this game is two decades old and still have not been matched.
Totally agree. Just about everything can be changed in both games and what can't, can usually be at least twisted a bit. New powers, maps, complete mods, skin and meshes, sounds.
like most games, when it came out there were lots of websites and creators learning what they can do. Now, twenty years later, the sites and modders have shrunk to just a few, but still hanging on. And occasionally, one of the early modders pops in for abit. And are always welcome.
Freedom Force 4 ever, indeed!