addonmult.bak...What does this mean?

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

After making a air dm map from dunesi.bzn this folder appeared, and the multiplayer maps seem to have disappeared from my addon/missions/multiplayer folder under my 1.2/FE install. Does the addonmult.bak replace my original multiplayer folder? All this rouble just to make a few special air dm maps is really more difficult then I originally figured...  

Update: I found this article in a web search should I rename the thing as suggested in the article? Oh, one other question is why the map editor did this after saving an existing map under a new map?

Problem:
After restarting FE I only see stock BZ2 maps and can't play FE. Nothing seems to help except uninstalling everything and reinstalling.

Solution:
1. Make a copy of your FE short-cut and rename it so you know this icon is for "repairing" FE.

2. Right click on the new short-cut and choose "Properties"

3. On the line labeled "Target" add the /restore command line switch so that it looks like this:
"C:/Program Files/Battlezone II/FeBz.exe" /restore
Note that the /restore option is outside of the quotes.

4. Click OK to save the changes.

5. Double click this new short-cut to launch FE.

6. Quit FE when you get to the pilot log-in screen.

7. Open Windows Explorer and go to:  "C:/Program Files/Battlezone II" and find the folder named "addonMult.bak"

8. Rename the folder "addonMult.bak" to "Multiplayer"

9. Move the folder you just renamed "Multiplayer" to the folder "C:/Program Files/Battlezone II/addon/missions/"

10. Then launch FE or BZ2 normally and everything will be fine.

[General BlackDragon]

This is caused by MM5 screwing up. (Usually MM5 is unexpectidly closed before BZ2 closes)

When you launch in MM5, if the mod's bzm file says to replace something with something else, MM5 renames it whatever the name to rename it says in the bzm, and adds .bak to the end. In this case, it appears to be renaming mulitplayer, and swapping it with another multiplayer folder. Why I have no idea, somebody is stupid. But, Whoever or whatever made it doesnt matter.

When this happens, you have to manually rename the folder back to what it was. You can find out by finding in the bzm file wich mod broke it and where, and exactly what it's doing. Just open the .bzm file with notepad. It will say Replace originalfolder, newfolder, renameoldfolderthis. where folder names are in quotes and seperated by cammas. Etc...

Anyway, just manually fix it when MM5 farts on your install, OR, better, use 1.3 and bypass the need for MM5 all together.

I have got to show you some things... you still have msn?

[Nielk1]

It was done for a VERY good reason I don't want to get into. Basically, MM5 did a ton of things safely and even provided the ability to emergency deactivate stuck mods. This was the age of 1.2!

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

I followed the instructions in the post that I posted and renamed the folder back to Multiplayer; it would seem that MM5 needs to be tweaked or at the very least updated.

GBD, perhaps email would be a better option as I rarely seem to log in on MSN. My email addy is lppena@hotmail.com. You're already in my contact list, so anything you send will make it past my junkmail folder. Any assit would really very much be appreciated as I'd like to get things squared away, so I can get my Air DM's working over my home LAN. My nephew really enjoys battling me in BZII daethmatchs, and I must admit that I too enjoy the fast paced thrill of one-on-one deathmatch battles.

N1, I have 1.3 installed on my primary system, but I use the 1.2/FE map editor to create my air dms, but with all the revisions to 1.3; I always seem to fall back to 1.2 assets for the shear simplicity inspite of the limitations of 1.2/FE. For lack of a better explanation I seem to be just a simple minded 1.2 e-jet.

Who would ever figure that making a few custom BZII maps would prove to be such a pain in the @#$. Anyways, I guess for now I just fall back to the stock 1.2 maps for modification to my air dm's. 

[General BlackDragon]

email me the maps and tell me what version u want them it be on.

rebelion2@rock.com

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

You know something I trip across in a web search is that I may have been placing my maps in the wrong folder. The search found a web page on planet battlezone that instructs map makers to place dm maps in the data/missions/multiplayer folder where before I was placing them in my addon/missions/multiplayer folder. Which folder should my air dm maps go?

I made another attempt with the DM: Bane map using MM5 with no mod, editor, and on scripts. The results were the same with the resulting player has bad assets auto kicked message. I think the problem may be related to the 3 models I made from the original cvtalon.odf I used to create the model odf's from.
The Talon uses Cerberi assets, i.e., FE assets, but as far as I know these should present a problem as FE is installed already. Why then do I get kicked when trying to start a new LAN game; the same message appears when I try to use MP via FE as well. Totally, confused as to why my games won't work. Strangely, my first air dm worked using the stock bridges map as my first air dm. The only issue encountered with that air dm was that none of my aircraft displayed a the TV based air chain gun; the weapon slot was blank, but the salvo rocket appeared in the rocket slot. Why such behavior with both 1.2 and FE?

[General BlackDragon]

data = nono.

use addon first always. whoever made that post is an idiot.

PS: next time zip up the map when u send it i'll get started on this now.

Did you send me everything i would need to play? where are these custom models/odfs?

Edit:

Map works okay in 1.3, though the dowers dont heal everyone. Porbably need to make a varient odf that has a setting to do it.

Remind me again, what was the problem with the map? The map should be in: Battlezone II/addon/missions/Multiplayer/MAPNAMEHERE/ and just put everything to do with map in that folder, and use mm5 to launch bngairdm1.bzn with /edit checked.

As for your bad asset problem, show me everything that goes on map (your aircraft,weapons,etc) and i'll check to make sure none of them are causing it.

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Your right I should have zipped them for sure. I kind of figured out what was wrong GBD. My cvtalon.odf has 2 guns, 2 rockets and a special. When I made the hp's for that model I didn't realize that I added one for a cannon which the odf didn't have; hence, I'm guessing resulted in the bad assets in MP. I can't believe how much time I wasted trying a bunch other stuff from reinstalling BZII/FE just to realize what was actually causing the problem after all.

I do have one question that perhaps someone could answer: My units hover at 20 meters and can't actually pickup power ups on the ground, so I had to elevate them all high on a pointed peak in game to acquire them as new weapons. If I re-edit the map and level the peaks even with the terrain will my power up spawn points remain elevated as long as I don't move them again? I've seen this done in other maps, but never understood how it was done.

My nephew really gets a kick out of playing the air dm which now seems to run without issue at this time. I switched to another map called craters. The 2 air units are talon variants with chain guns and multi lock rockets minus a default special, but I did place a variety of guns, rockets, and special power ups around the map. The talon odf has been been tweaked for stability, speed and control. They're also snipe able as well. The experience we had was fast paced and intense at times. Getting a lock on the enemy was quite a challenge too.

I'd like to release the map publicly for anyone that wants to play it. What stuff do I need to include in the zip file, so anyone can play it? I'll upload it to file front when it's ready; just want to tweak a few things first. BNG. 

[AHadley]

Dowers heal everybody when on Team 0, check my DM:Eris map.

[Nielk1]

Dowers heal everybody when on Team 0, check my DM:Eris map.

Not anymore. At least, they shouldn't anymore. You have to use a bay with the correctly set ally servicing masks.

[AHadley]

Still works for me on TA5... well, the Service Bay does at least

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

N1, a very good reason? All it does it does is screwup the original bz2 addon/multiplayer folder and creates bad assets as a result of the addonmulti.bak rename; this folder contains all the stock mpi maps including DM's. I had things straightened out with my air dm map, and after MM5 did it's supposed good reason thingy; I get a bad assets error on my air dm that played played just fine before MM5 did it's little good reason thingy! So can I just rename it back again to multiplayer move it back addon/missions and move the FE mpi back to feaddon/missions. Having to this repeatedly gets old after a while too.

[Nielk1]

The fact it can restore after doing what I must to cope with 1.2's directory structure for FE is amazing. It basically swaps a whole new game into the bare engine.

[General BlackDragon]

to make ur telon able to pickup powerups, set jumpveloc to negative, like -20

[BNG Da BZ Fool]

Awesome GBD. I'll change that setting as picking up power ups on a pointy cone is extremely time intensive when the other player is shooting off your tail while one repeatly attempts to pick up stuff.

Using MM5 with no mod selected and manually typing in the map name seems to keep things straight with the MM5 issue. This one should be stickied as most map/mod makers could use a heads up warning on issues that can screwup a BZII install. It seems necesary to potentially avoid bad assets issues.

Air dm map creation appears to be quite different from making standard dm maps in that relatively flat terrain seems to enhance the game play. Mountanous terrain is difficult to navigate in a dog fighting scenario. A few well placed terrain based hiding places makes sneek attacks more doable.

My nephew really loves the phantom vr power up as in a fast paced dog fight keeping an eye on the radar/map thingy is nearly impossible to do, and locking weapons like multi-lock missiles make the enemy impossible to target when invisible. The T key works well though for highliting a ship; keeping it in your weapon sights is another story. I increased the ammo to compensate for the high drain of using that power up. The red field could be a good power up to use as well. The pummel gun is a decent weapon in my air dm because of its widespread fire pattern. The salvo rocket rocks in air dms. The stinger doesn't fair to well as my ships are fast enough to evade them with a simple strafe motion. Multi-locks work well when visible. I also made my ships bright yellow and red to make them highly visible even on darker maps; although, I may add a basic camoflauge pattern to variants to make the air dms really easy to sneak attack the enemy. I suppose I just use some of the map textures to get them to blend in well with the map environment, and maybe add a few maniac pilots in to keep both players on their toes. Skies the limit I guess?

I'd like to try my hand at making some custom maps like the toon map; its really colorful an fantasy like.