Noob Mod Install Question

[Torcher]

New to BI games so I'm not too up on loading of mods. I notice that there is an AddOn folder with .pbo files. Is this the location to put a mod's .pbo? Is there a startup command line that I need to also add (similar to "-nosplash", etc.)

Thanks in advance.

[Inkompetent]

Actually NEVER put any custom addons or mods in the default AddOns folder.

The thing is that some servers won't allow addons at all, or some of the addons you have installed, and if having them in that folder it'll be very laborous to remove and add them when necessary/wanted.

Instead use so called mod folders, preferably one mod folder per addon. To take the Ka-50 mod as an example, just create a new folder called "@<hidden>" in your ArmA2 directory (The '@<hidden>' is only there for own convenience. Easy to see what folders are addons and what aren't with it as a prefix, and on top of that all custom addons gets on the top in Explorer), make a folder called "AddOns" in that new folder, and then put the Ka50 .PBO files (and .bisign keys if they are available for the addon you want to install) into that folder.

Then in a shortcut to ArmA2 (I have one on my desktop called "ArmA2 Mods", as an example) add -mod=@<hidden> to the end of the target line.
Mine looks like: "F:\ArmA 2\arma2.exe" -mod=@<hidden>;@<hidden>;@<hidden>;@<hidden>;@<hidden>;@<hidden>

For easier enabling and disabling of addons I recommend getting one of the many ArmA2 launchers that are designed to help with choosing what stuff you want active and what you don't.

[Torcher]

Thanks InKo ... short and concise
:yay:

[Bushlurker]

Not quite the right section for questions, but...

Theres a couple of other points worth bearing in mind for mod-handling...
Its not so important now since there are relatively few Arma2 mods available - but it will be increasingly important later...
Firstly - I believe theres actually a limit to characters in a shortcut - sooner than you think, the "one mod per modfolder" will become impractical - you'll have to start bundling mods together...
Which brings me to my second point... again, I can't think of an Arma2 example right now, but certain mods do/will prefer/require to be launched before/after other mods...

A hypothetical example...

Say you're trying the Beta release - the beta is basically a modfolder, and it HAS to be first in line, so your shortcut has to start...

-mod=beta

Then say you're using Landtex to replace land textures - thats cool, but you've just found another minor tex mod that just replaces road surfaces - you want that as well...

-mod=beta;@<hidden>;@<hidden> probably WON'T give you landtex fields, but the new roads... whereas...

-mod=beta;@<hidden>;@<hidden> probably WILL...

This is because both Landtex and newroads contain road textures - the LAST ONE LOADED will be the one used - so by arranging the order - you can overlay the original everything with landtex, then partly overlay landtex with newroad..

This same principle applies whenever two mods both address the same aspect of the game...
Particularly important if/when you start to mix AI behavioural mods...

Furthermore - since theres a limit to command line length - a launcher is a GREAT idea - but beware! - Not all launchers actually allow you to specify LAUNCH ORDER of modfolders...

Anyway - sorry to complicate things slightly more, but as the number and complexity of mods increase (an you ain't seen nothing yet - give it six months or so!:D), it'll become increasingly handy to not only know how to launch mods, but also what they actually do to the game - and sometimes to each other - as they launch...

B

PS - THIS (http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=81060)launcher is GREAT, it features mod launch priority, (and autolaunch for Freetrack! :D)