Just installed FFvTTR after YEARS of not playing, and I am sooo lost, lol.

[Corey291]

It's been a long while since i've played Freedom Force, and I've just installed 3rd Reich, and want to get back in to installing new effects, skins, mods and playing as my favorite characters.  But I'm totally lost as to what I need to install to make everything work

Is there a noob guide or something floating around as to what apps to install and where to go to get them? 

Thanks, guys and it's good to be back.

-Corey

[stumpy]

It's tough to tell exactly where you are stuck. There is a thread about install order on the archive. You are likely to find answers to some other questions that may come up by checking in the Comprehensive List of Tutorials and in the Game FAQ.

[Corey291]

Thanks.

Now for one more question.  Which is better?  to install the game from the disk, or to get the version on Steam?  Is one version more up-to-date than the other?  I imagine that if you use the Steam version, you have to have a live internet connection for it to work right?

[stumpy]

I have the CD distributions for both games and I went and bought the Steam versions to play around with. To my mind, if you have (or can get) the CDs, that's the way to go. I don't like the idea that Steam wants to run a separate app to launch the game and I don't like that it wants to phone home whenever I use it (though I know you can turn that off). In addition, the mod tools (for modding, installing voice packs, FX, etc.) and most mods are written to install to the CD versions. It will save some hassle to use the CDs because of that.

Specifically for FFvT3R, there is no patch or anything like that, so there's no advantage to the Steam version over the CD version, unless you can't spare a CD drive.

For the original FF, the steam version comes pre-patched to patch version 1.3, though you can easily download the patch and patch the CD version yourself. Also, on the off chance that you are running on a Windows version before XP SP2, then the CD has the advantage that you can just apply the 1.2 patch and avoid the Danger Room issue that 1.3 introduced (and, which I assume still exists in the Steam distro).

[Nymie_the_Pooh]

I have had problems with other games where the automatic updater with Steam would try to reinstall files after I patch so while I don't know if it is a problem with the Steam version of Freedom Force or not, I went ahead and disabled automatic updates.  The way to do so is to click on your games tab then right click on the shortcut for Freedom Force.  Select Properties from the menu.  You want the Updates tab.  There is a drop box for Automatic Updates.  Select the "Do not automatically update this game" option from the drop box then hit close.  Like I said, I don't know if it causes any problems with these two games, but it does with mods for games like Dawn of War and some others so I've just gotten into the habit of disabling it right off the bat any more unless it is a Source game I want to use mods with.  Since there will likely never be another patch for these two games you can safely set this after Steam is done installing the game and never think about it again.

Another issue with Steam and Freedom Force right now is if you are running the program XFire then it can completely disable your keyboard in game.  I don't have this problem with the CD version.  The fix here is to either turn off XFire, or disable in game chat in XFire.  Tools->Options and then the Games tab.  Find Freedom Force in the list of games and select it.  Under Advanced Options on the right select "Disable XFire In-Game" then Apply and OK.

Those are the two big differences that might cause the game not to work, or not work correctly in Steam that I am aware of.  Mods should be fine as long as the installer allows for custom paths, and most seem to.  Personally, I think I would go with the CD option if I didn't already have a dozen or so games that run off of Steam so Steam is less of an issue for me because it's probably running anyways as it helps friends and I keep up with what we're all playing and set up games for other games.