Using Arma 2 mods the simple way

[Maruk]

While majority of users still prefer the old fashioned OFP style command line driven mod handling, there is also another way of doing it, using the in game expansions manager and documents settings. One real advantage of doing it that way is that it no longer matter from where you launch the game (be it steam, other version etc.). It makes clean installations also much simpler than messing within the game folder.

Example how I use the system:

* create DayZ folder in C:\Users\maruk\Documents\ArmA 2
* create sub folder Addons there and download / extract files from http://www.armafiles.info/dayz/ to it
* run the game (I use the latest beta from http://www.arma2.com/beta-patch.php )
* in the game go to the Expansions, select DayZ and click on Enable button, restart the game
* now the mod is installed and I can play easily with it anytime (using beta, or normal steam version, or sprocket version)

For me personally it is simpler than toying with commandline options and interferring with game installation. I understand that everyone has different taste and that is why the original mod commandline is kept intact since 2002 I just thought some may simply not understand the more modern alternatives available now.

[Katipo66]

I use the expansions option, very easy... What would be cool is if you could deactivate/reactivate multiple mods with one or two clicks? Or even a select all option.

As I have probably over 20 mods in my arma directory and always 12 activated at anytime, but it's a hassle to deactivate and reactivate one at a time each time I want to go online... I have to write down what mods I had activated before deactivating.

But yes it's a whole lot easier than the command line and I guess I could keep the directory clean and only have mods I use in there

[fraczek]

Great news the Expansion accepts mods in other folder than game folder only! I didn't know that before (runs off to declutter his Arma2 installation folder).

For those that are new to the Expansion option and used -mod commandline exclusively before, mind you, if you start Arma with -mod, IIRC the Expansion menu is grayed out (understandably, because with using Expansion the mods to be loaded are saved in an ini file and not the commandline). If you wanna try it just run without -mod and select the mods ingame. Best thing is, you can combine both, so you can have few "used all the time" mods selected through Expansion menu but still launch the game from a shortcut using -mod commandline (or SixUpdater or whatever) for some special servers or other uses. Once you quit that instance and run just the regular shortcut, it will launch the Expansion menu set mods again.

I have got a few questions and feature requests please though:

0) Can we set the mod folder anywhere in options or ini? For example for moving all mods to a SSD, or for multiple users on the machine to save space, sixupdater integration, etc? Something like S:\ARMA2MODS

1) Is that Expansion option already in v1.60 or only later betas? Running the latest beta almost exclusively so I don't remember.

2) Does the order of the mods matter in Expansion menu? If for example I put JSRS (soundmod) before CBA (which is required by JSRS), will it work normally?

3) Any possibility of mods loading without game restart? Or even better dynamic loading of (perhaps already installed) mods required by a MP server upon joining that server? The one thing I dislike about Expansion over SixUpdater is having to go between MP lobby and Expansion menu (with the associated loading times for MP lobby code) several times before I know which of the optional mods are accepted by the server or not, or having to write down the required mods names for some server and go back to Expansion to enable them. Because MP lobby doesn't show what other optional mod signatures the server accepts (apart from just the required mods there) - especially with effect mods like JSRS and Blastcore some servers kick me some not without any way to know beforehand. Or if dynamic loading is impossible, how about functionality of Expansion menu right within MP lobby as well? *wink* perhaps for Arma3 ;-)

[Katipo66]

Great news the Expansion accepts mods in other folder than game folder only! I didn't know that before (runs off to declutter his Arma2 installation folder).

Ok, i didnt realize that either, i guess the term "Your doing it wrong" applies to me, especially with this game

[Tankbuster]

While majority of users still prefer the old fashioned OFP style command line driven mod handling, :

You think? I've been using a launcher for ages and assumed a lot of other users do to.

[sprayer_faust]

3) Any possibility of mods loading without game restart? Or even better dynamic loading of (perhaps already installed) mods required by a MP server upon joining that server? ...

Suggestion: Instead of actually dynamically loading mods, deploy camouflage and trickery - as was done with "living in the future".

So instead of:

* create DayZ folder in C:\Users\maruk\Documents\ArmA 2
* create sub folder Addons there and download / extract files from http://www.armafiles.info/dayz/ to it
* run the game (I use the latest beta from http://www.arma2.com/beta-patch.php )
* in the game go to the Expansions, select DayZ and click on Enable button, restart the game
* now the mod is installed and I can play easily with it anytime (using beta, or normal steam version, or sprocket version)

We would have:

(1) Try to enter a moded server in the in-game browser without the mods (down)loaded.
(2) Server sends client the ftp links to the required mods. A dialog box appears: "You don't have the required mods. They can be downloaded automatically (Size: 529 MB). Do you trust this server? Yes/No?" Yes.
(3) Appropriate mod folders are created for each mod in C:\Users\...\Documents\ArmA 2 and the mods get downloaded in them.

Now, until this point there was no trickery involved. It starts here.

(4) Create a list (some text) of "required mods + server addres" and save it. The in-game browser greys-out, becomes non-interactable.
(5) A message "The required mods are loading..." and a progress bar appear. Perhaps some cool pictures (mini posters which were downloaded with the mods) appear, to give the visual idea of what is being loaded.
(6) The game kernel shuts down - the loading screen in point (5) must therefore be independent of it.
(7) Kernel loads with the required mods, reading from the list created in (4). Game connects to the server, again reading the addres from the list.
(8) The "connecting" screen appears (transitioning from the "loading mods" screen) and after a while you are playing the game.

From the players perspective it took a click and one double-click.

[Arthur_Khollr]

i always used launcher

[CameronMcDonald]

I enjoy the ch@113ng3 of having a 255 character command line.

[Sickboy]

I enjoy the ch@113ng3 of having a 255 character command line.

Ha

[EDcase]

I'm one of the few who like the command line :P

I just have different ARMA icons with various setups: One for ARMA with fave mods, One for I44 and one for DayZ
That way I don't have to activate/deactivate mods and restart...

Sickboy: Your SixUpdater is very good too.