PORTABLE "Desert Combat Final"

Post Reply
andwan0
Member
Posts: 6
Joined: February 28th, 2017, 9:20 am

PORTABLE "Desert Combat Final"

Post by andwan0 »

PS IMPORTANT NOTE:
It's not an ALL-IN-ONE installer. There's no install process. It was meant to be a PORTABLE "Desert Combat Final" - eg. just unzip and play. It will write out the appropriate registry settings if they don't exist. Yes, you would need to run a cdkey changer. And yes, the Windows user account would need write-permission to registery.

If you ALREADY KNOW how to install BF/DC then this isn't for you.
If you deleted/removed BF long time ago and now just need to get the game installed fast... or maybe it's a friend who's never played FPS games prior to 2013 - I have many friends who has little experience in running about 3-4 installers, + patching just to play ONE game. I just made this PORTABLE Desert Combat Final so they just need to do one unzip, then run the game.

ZIP CONTENTS: I created a vanilla Origin install + gamespy patch + Desert Combat 0.7 + DC Final. (I haven't run the game, so all files/settings is like factory-defaults).

http://tinyurl.com/installdesertcombat
Last edited by andwan0 on March 29th, 2017, 4:01 am, edited 6 times in total.
User avatar
Mali Mrav
Member
Posts: 362
Joined: January 2nd, 2015, 1:53 pm
Contact:
Croatia

Re: Desert Combat Final Ready

Post by Mali Mrav »

dont download this we dont know who is this guy
Silent Assassin
andwan0
Member
Posts: 6
Joined: February 28th, 2017, 9:20 am

Re: Desert Combat Final Ready

Post by andwan0 »

I read places that say: if you want to play BF/DC "come to EA117" community. So here I am.
User avatar
Trench
Admin
Admin
Posts: 2908
Joined: May 22nd, 2012, 3:19 am
Location: Dallas / Fort Worth
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Desert Combat Final Ready

Post by Trench »

It's cool to want to put together a one-stop / one-install package that includes everything up to DC Final. We have the BF1942 + GameSpy + Widescreen + NoCD + NoOrigin + CrashFixes from a trusted source (TeamSiMPLE), but any of the installers I've seen that tried to include more were always from lesser / unknown reputation sources.

Were you able to also include working BF1942 PunkBuster, since that too is now unsupported by EvenBalance? At least here on EA117, PunkBuster is the other thing we install after BF1942, along with DesertCombat and DC_Final. (Description of the typical steps is listed here.)

I'd be happy to take a look, but I don't know that I would end up recommending its use to anyone either. "Here, install this on your computer, believe me it's fine, trust me" just isn't something any smart person is going to take lightly when the source is unknown. But getting it out there is the first step toward building (or tearing down) a reputation.

-Trench
andwan0
Member
Posts: 6
Joined: February 28th, 2017, 9:20 am

Re: Desert Combat Final Ready

Post by andwan0 »

I wanted to use Origin's version since that was the official version given away for FREE.. and it was already-patched to latest version.
I find it a nuissance having to download DC then DC_final and install those, etc... especially for my friends who just want something easy to install & play right away.

Anyone can make this ZIP (install BF1942 origin version (coz it's latest patched).. then install DC & DC final. Luckily DC & DC final gets installed in a sub-folder of BF1942 folder. Then apply gamespy/widescreen fix from team simples. Then 7-Zip the Battlefield 1942 folder with ultra compression.

I didn't install punk buster since that installs in a separate folder... and installs reg keys (I think). However, one can install the original punk buster exe later.

Unless team simplez made a ready-made DC archive?
User avatar
Trench
Admin
Admin
Posts: 2908
Joined: May 22nd, 2012, 3:19 am
Location: Dallas / Fort Worth
Contact:
United States of America

Re: Desert Combat Final Ready

Post by Trench »

Okay, now I understand more clearly. I was thinking (and I think Mali was too) that we were talking about a nullsoft / InstallShield / Wix installer package that was taking care of all the registry settings for even the BF1942 game itself, along with the files. Such installation packages are pretty opaque to the average computer user and therefore makes them unsure how to verify "what's inside there" until its too late.

But you're talking about just .ZIPing only the files that are installed under the game directory. And re-extracting that .ZIP when needed, after having created or ignored the need for the registry settings that the BF1942 installer normally creates.

A couple of things I do foresee with this, just in case it helps or explains any trouble you might run into in the future:

- Using the Origin version also has implications beyond the patch level of the game. Having Origin itself installed has created the "Origin Games" directory under "Program Files" using a non-default set of security permissions, as compared to what Windows would have created by default. So for someone who has Origin installed, this package would work without much hassle. But otherwise the non-default security will be an additional hurdle to clear; makes extracting the files difficult until you realize the problem, makes the game unable to save settings where you expect it should have been able to save them, etc.

- If ignoring the fact that even the BF1942 installer creates registry configuration for the game, note that the CD Key is one of those registry settings. Many servers, including EA117's, don't specifically "care" or validate the key, since EA no longer offers validation. But that still means "you're playing with a blank key", same as everyone else who installed that way, which wouldn't work on EA117. Not because EA117 specifically disallows blank keys, but because some other n00b-hard already got himself banned with that "blank key."

Understood when .ZIPing is the approach being used, it doesn't make sense to try and include PunkBuster.

-Trench
andwan0
Member
Posts: 6
Joined: February 28th, 2017, 9:20 am

Re: Desert Combat Final Ready

Post by andwan0 »

Thanks for the heads up. I did test it on my Windows 7 machine. After zipping up, I uninstalled Battlefield 1942, and uninstalled Origin.
I then searched through my registry deleting DC_final, Desertcombat (under trauma studios key), and battlefield 1942 reg keys.

I then unzipped my archive to some other place in C:\, run bf1942.exe and it runs fine.
Yes, the cdkey blank key issue.... should've supplied a basic registry export/import file, where they manually fill in a random key from a list.
Trench wrote:Okay, now I understand more clearly. I was thinking (and I think Mali was too) that we were talking about a nullsoft / InstallShield / Wix installer package that was taking care of all the registry settings for even the BF1942 game itself, along with the files. Such installation packages are pretty opaque to the average computer user and therefore makes them unsure how to verify "what's inside there" until its too late.

But you're talking about just .ZIPing only the files that are installed under the game directory. And re-extracting that .ZIP when needed, after having created or ignored the need for the registry settings that the BF1942 installer normally creates.

A couple of things I do foresee with this, just in case it helps or explains any trouble you might run into in the future:

- Using the Origin version also has implications beyond the patch level of the game. Having Origin itself installed has created the "Origin Games" directory under "Program Files" using a non-default set of security permissions, as compared to what Windows would have created by default. So for someone who has Origin installed, this package would work without much hassle. But otherwise the non-default security will be an additional hurdle to clear; makes extracting the files difficult until you realize the problem, makes the game unable to save settings where you expect it should have been able to save them, etc.

- If ignoring the fact that even the BF1942 installer creates registry configuration for the game, note that the CD Key is one of those registry settings. Many servers, including EA117's, don't specifically "care" or validate the key, since EA no longer offers validation. But that still means "you're playing with a blank key", same as everyone else who installed that way, which wouldn't work on EA117. Not because EA117 specifically disallows blank keys, but because some other n00b-hard already got himself banned with that "blank key."

Understood when .ZIPing is the approach being used, it doesn't make sense to try and include PunkBuster.

-Trench
andwan0
Member
Posts: 6
Joined: February 28th, 2017, 9:20 am

Re: Desert Combat Final Ready

Post by andwan0 »

The only other BF+DC archive I know of is bf-game.com's but their instructions are in Russian.
Using google-translate helps a little, but screenshots are in Russian, and I don't know if the downloaded game will be in Russian?

https://translate.google.co.uk/translat ... Fkak-igrat

Will compare this install with mine using file/folder diff/compare tool (Beyond Compare).
Posi
Member
Posts: 4
Joined: March 16th, 2017, 3:44 am

Re: Desert Combat Final Ready

Post by Posi »

Translated - This is a NOOB shit storm.

No disrespect intended. It is not hard to repack into an all in one installer that also prints a key. D/L over 1 gig in my opinion typically don't work all that well. A 1,2,3 page linking 3 different downloads is just dandy.

Dropping your final play toy on all the major forums like you made something, when they all have BF1942 installed already. tap tap tap... I am not thrilled about this sir.
Post Reply