Quick note,
I'm the GTD Orestes :D

Man, this place is dead-ish.
Anyways, the awesome FSO game engine has reached version 3.6.12. Go and grab it so you can achieve the most stable FSO experience possible. A must have for any FS2 player.
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70692.0

Also, the new chapter of BluePlanet, War in Heaven, has been released. It's not voice-acted yet, but well worth playing anyway. Also, it's a nice showcase for some of the new 3.6.12 effects.
Grab it here

Can we get a CURRENT list of downloads that actually work with the overly numerous versions of the, launcher, installer, etc.?

Let's start simple, I just downloaded this from GOG. How tough is it to do a powershell or wmi call and figure out the hardware the installer is targeting?

Now, you guys want step one to be moving the entire folder structure to a new location / a custom install.

You are going to lose 95% of people right from the get go.

I personally prefer manual installation. For some reason it's easier for me to manually download the latest builds and mediavps than rely on the installer. So i'll just provide here some links where you can download the latest and most important files.
Instructions: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=47640.0
Latest build + more instructions: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70692.0
Latest graphical improvements: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70736.0
Latest version of Fresspace 1 + add-on Port: http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=70941.0

Awesome, thanks mpolyakov!

I didn't mean to sound "snippy" or anything, but yeah the installers, the manual installations, etc. can be quite a lot.

Don't get me wrong, I had no issues, but then I had the, "ahem" pleasure, of trying to walk a 12 year old thru installing all this stuff. Not fun. Not fun at all.

That being said, the modders, authors, and code-monkeys who have contributed to this deserve a lot of praise. You guys are why real computer gaming will always always be orders of magnitude superior to anything console.

My only other 2 bits, is that if you use TracIR with these Mods, it is very confusing not having a cockpit to orient yourself.

Keep up the good work!

So... this game is 11 years old, right? Now take a look at that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6a1HSMB-o8&NR=1

Modding community rocks! More info here:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=69837.0

BTW FS2 SCP installation guide

I just bought FS2 and downloaded the Beyond the Red Line demo, and I was wondering what is the best way to play the game, control wise. I have gone through the training on both games with mouse and keyboard, and then again with keyboard and number pad. Neither is too bad, but I was thinking I might get a joystick. Should I, or should I just stick with keyboard and mouse?

Not sure it's the best topic for such a question but...

I suggest getting a joystick if you can afford it. Makes flying much more natural IMO. You'll still need to use the keyboard since FS has so many keyboard shortcuts, they won't all fit on a joystick. It's also a good idea to keep a mouse within arm's reach, it's useful when you need a greater aiming precision at the expense of mobility, for instance when taking down incoming warheads from a distance.

Incidentally in regards to the complaint about 'moving the folder' from what GoG installed it?

GoG actually installed it in the wrong place, having it in a virtual folder rather than a directory off the hard drive causes problems with the base game let alone with FSO.
FSO therefore require you to fix it to use the very-worth-the-effort, mods.

The beauty is, one it's installed it can be copied around at will and doesn't matter, I don't think I've 'installed' FS2 OR FSO in the last 6 years. :P

Frankly, it's Freespace Open, that has been doing it wrong for a while now and the developers have acknowledged this. Creating a fix is underway. More can be read here:
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php?topic=80191.0

'Til then, to use Freespace Open, you need to move the game directory to a place where the program can write without special permissions, (i.e. *not* Program Files)

I`m an 83 yr old `duffer` without much PC knowhow.

I`ve just purchased a used version of Freespace 2 [3 cd`s] with no manual or instructions. For an old game it seems incredibly impressive.

Can anyone tell me where I can find a simple list of key controls/commands for this game. Or even where I can purchase a manual. ? I have browsed the web with no success so far.

Thanks in advance.

Ken S.

Further to my previous re` key commands for this game.

What a `plonker` I am ?

I have of course discovered a complete list of key commands within the game itself.

My apologies for wasting your time.

Ken.S.