ARMA 2: CO (how to combine ARMA 2 into ARMA 2:OA and use together)

[Dwarden]

new updated to the batch uploaded (attached in first post)

shall resolve vista users
some 32 and 64bit issues and users with lower rights than default etc.

please post your results, so far ~100 people on various systems were fine

[rafo23]

The steam one didn't work but I replaced it with the updated one and it works perfectly, although the commad prompt doesn't auto close.

[acidd]

new updated to the batch uploaded (attached in first post)

shall resolve vista users
some 32 and 64bit issues and users with lower rights than default etc.

please post your results, so far ~100 people on various systems were fine

Works fine here (STEAM, windows 7/64bit, no UAC), although my custom mods don't show in expansion window. ArmA 2 is green/shows up and all content works.

[niQ®]

new updated to the batch uploaded (attached in first post)

shall resolve vista users
some 32 and 64bit issues and users with lower rights than default etc.

please post your results, so far ~100 people on various systems were fine

I use xp and now works. tnx

[DruidB]

I've had to edit the '_runA2CO' windows command script (batch file) file and modify the entry under ':run;

"%ARMA2OAPATH%\ARMA2OA.exe" "-mod=%ARMA2PATH%;%ARMA2PATH%\@<mod>;%ARMA2PATH%\@<m od>;%ARMA2OAPATH%\EXPANSION;ca -nosplash"

e.g. @<mod> could be @CBA

This is because the mods are installed into the ARMA2 directory, and not the ARMA2OA directory (STEAM seems to install OA into a separate directory, where-as the boxed/retail copy installs OA into the ARMA2 directory)

[Added after posting]
I also had to copy my 'userconfig' folder that was within the '../arma2' directory to my OA installation directory (as I had mods that required access to files within this folder)

I have tried this and if i add for example "%ARMA2OAPATH%\ARMA2OA.exe" "-mod=%ARMA2PATH%;%ARMA2PATH%\@CBA;%ARMA2PATH%\EXPAN SION;ca -nosplash" It crashes...

I have steam versions of both games running on XP

[Trracer]

if you use -mod= (as in Dwardens cmd-file) you will never see entries in the "expansions" menu in the game, so we (steam-users) can never take advantage of that function.
So seriously, this is a really crappy steam release. Why do I say that? Well, there are countless other games on steam where you also can buy expansions and DLC, and they seem to work... so why doesn't arrowhead work properly and we have to use some sort of 90's era cmd file that makes mod use even more daunting for the inexperienced users?

Other drawbacks with steam, it seems the actual steam arrowhead .exe file differs so much right now that the amazing jayarmalib needs alot of recoding to work... It does work with sprocket/retail release tho.
So I am seriously considering ordering a sprocket key so I can play with the rest of my clan, since we use ACRE...

[DruidB]

if you use -mod= (as in Dwardens cmd-file) you will never see entries in the "expansions" menu in the game, so we (steam-users) can never take advantage of that function.

So i can never get my mods that are in my Arma2 folder to show up in the Expansions list on OA? Because i have 2 steam versions?


I want to get back to using ACE and do not want to have duplicate copies of every mod in both folders.

This better get fixed ASAP.

[Trracer]

So i can never get my mods that are in my Arma2 folder to show up in the Expansions list on OA? Because i have 2 steam versions?


I want to get back to using ACE and do not want to have duplicate copies of every mod in both folders.

This better get fixed ASAP.

Yep, that sums it up good.

[r3volution]

Totally agree with the above.

Seems to me like there's not going to be a real fix till there's a real combined Arma2/OA exe. Till then its just a strap on fix that's not going to provide full functionality for anyone not wanting to play vanilla.

I honestly expected better than this, I understand that its difficult in dealing with steam etc, but 'seamless integration with the content of Arma2' this is emphatically not.

[Parmenides]

i will see if it can be done safely (merging of both installs)
and if yes then try tie it with next major update going on STEAM

yet when actual solution works, it easily 'blend' together with users using retail (nonSTEAM) ARMA 2 etc.

so that would need to be adjusted after the merge also ...
(e.g. removing the option if you own both games on STEAM and keeping if You own only A2:OA on STEAM)

Would'nt it be possible to register a boxed version of arma2 with steam
I saw this allready with other games e.g. X3 (Egosoft).

Than this would allow for a complete STEAM install
boxed A2 (propagated license to steam) and steam OA -> STEAM