x64 - The Installer Strikes Back: Another bunch of unofficial MSI setups

[DarkLord79at]

Ladies and Gentlemen,

here you are:

Unofficial setups for:

• X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter CD 1 v1.1.4
• X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter CD 2 (Multiplayer) v1.1.4

As always, get them from here: http://www.markusegger.at/

Happy 64-bitting!

- Markus

[Wildstar]

Folks, keep in mind that in the original production run of XvT, the discs were mislabeled, with the disc labeled "Master" being the actual "Multiplayer" disc, and vice versa.

Markus, do you know if the CD 1 installer will work w/ the XvT version that had "Balance of Power" bundled with it?

[DarkLord79at]

Originally Posted by Wildstar

Folks, keep in mind that in the original production run of XvT, the discs were mislabeled, with the disc labeled "Master" being the actual "Multiplayer" disc, and vice versa.

Markus, do you know if the CD 1 installer will work w/ the XvT version that had "Balance of Power" bundled with it?

Hi Wildstar,

regrettably, I only have the standard boxes:

• X-Wing vs. TIE Fighter
• Balance of Power

English CDs in German packaging, correctly labelled.

Hard to tell as I don't know the integrated CD layout. Anyway, one thing is clear: *If* it works, it will only install XvT at this time.

Chances might be high because of one reason: The Balance of Power Mission CD layout matches the original XvT CD layout *almost* exactly. Except a few folders (AMOVIE/BMOVIE), the "power" of Balance of Power (nice rhyming *lol*) lies within it's installer. The reason for the similarities is clear: The BoP CD must be able to serve as playing CD as well.
I assume LucasArts only had to modify the original BoP installer and include the missing folders on CD in order to get an integrated version. But this is only speculation.

I am, however, planning an installer for the (separate) BoP Mission CD. As you may eyewitness with the XvT installers, I've partially hacked the InstallShield format (see NiftyZip).

The idea of an integrated CD opens up new problems - I'm still thinking over how to check for an installed XvT version - and whether BoP should be regular MSI (Product Upgrade) or Patch (MSP) and how the WiX files may have to look like to accomplish the desired result.

- Markus

[Wildstar]

Markus

The XvT/BoP bundle's XvT should almost exactly match the original "Master" disc except that it has the version of XvT patched for improved Internet play.

[DarkLord79at]

Originally Posted by Wildstar

Markus

The XvT/BoP bundle's XvT should almost exactly match the original "Master" disc except that it has the version of XvT patched for improved Internet play.

Uhhm, sorry for asking dumb questions - do you mean by that:

- the bundle consists of a XvT CD patched to 1.1.4 and a BoP CD or
- an all-in-one CD including the XvT 1.1.4 base files PLUS BoP?

(The single BoP CD, btw, is nothing more than a XvT 1.1.4 CD, minus a few folders, plus the BoP installer).

Nevertheless, it wouldn't even matter - since I did not dare to include the extracted patch files with my setup, it is up to the user to put the v1.1.4 patch in a specific folder and extract it there. The resulting folder structure is hardcoded in the installer.
If everything else on CD is in the right place, result will most probably be a working XvT 1.1.4 install without BoP/2.0.0 functionality.

If anyone's having this/these bundle cd(s) give it a try and just tell us about the outcome ;-)

[Wildstar]

Markus

Darksaber brought up another point on the XWA Upgrade forums...have you thought about uninstallers?

[DarkLord79at]

Originally Posted by Wildstar

Markus

Darksaber brought up another point on the XWA Upgrade forums...have you thought about uninstallers?

Hi,

I just replied to Darksaber on the XWAU forums.

Sorry but I'm neither God nor a visionary - just throwing accusations around doesn't help me to determine any problems and fix them. No error message, no description of what went wrong posted ...

During creation of the installers I had to go through installation and uninstallation processes quite often and I had no problems with them.

A MSI database doesn't need a separate uninstaller because the package itself contains the key to uninstallation: Any action taken during an install (files, folders, registry) will be rolled back on uninstallation. That means that any file/folder/registry item created during installation should be deleted automatically during uninstall.
An exception, however, are files (or other items) which have not been part of the installation process. For XvT we're taking about things like Pilot files (.plt), the cdrom.cfg and I believe there was yet another config file getting created during play.
The MSI system pursues a defensive approach in regard to folder deletion which is a good thing in my view. Only empty folders will get deleted. At least I would not like an uninstaller to delete my pilot or highscore files because they may not have been backuped at the time of uninstallation.

Maybe I should point something out which should have been clear from the very beginning: Don't even try to use the uninstall capabilities of the LucasArts launcher; use Add/Remove Programs instead! Remember? LucasArts coded that uninstall button in regard to their own InstallShield system, I cannot influence (or "hack") that!
And there is also a reason why I have not included any uninstall links: According to MS specs, uninstall links should not be created in Start Menu any longer. The "control center" for Software is Add/Remove Programs.

Regards, Markus