TIP - How to set up multiple installs of Thief/Dromed efficiently

[Nameless Voice]

As it is good practice to have at least two copies of Thief2 installed when working on an FM (one for playing FMs/OMs, another for DromEd), I have decided to elaborate on having multiple installs of Thief/DromEd efficiently:

The trick is to share one set of files between multiple Thief installs. The same thing will probably work for Thief 1/G and System Shock 2, but I haven't tested it.

On my setup, the folder C:\Games\DromEd is the primary folder. It has all the missions, movies, crfs, etc.

In my Thief2 OM/FM folder (which is C:\Games\Thief2), my DarkInst.cfg looks like this:

cd_path ..\
language english
resname_base ..\DromEd\Res\Patch+..\DromEd\res
install_path .
load_path .
script_module_path .
movie_path .\Movies+..\DromEd\movies

The crf files are loaded from the DromEd\Res and DromEd\Res\Patch folders (The patch can interfere with FMs if its crf files are not in a seperate folder and listed before the main crf folder in DarkInst.cfg
In simple words, if you have Thief2 v1.18, then copy the following files from the root of the DromEd folder to a new folder under Res named Patch: books.crf; fam.crf; intrface.crf; mesh.crf; obj.crf; snd.crf; strings.crf)

The movies are loaded first from the local Movies folder, then from DromEd\Movies if they don't exist.
Everything else is loaded from the current folder (eg: missions, non-crf books/objects/textures/string, etc.)

You could also set the script_module_path to ..\DromEd, since the DromEd install should normally have the most up-to-date scripts. (You are using custom scripts, right?)

If your Thief install is not in a folder called Thief2 and you want to run DromEd without the CD in the drive, then create a subfolder named NoCD, a folder named Thief2 inside that, and an empty file named miss8.mis. Change the cd_path to .\NoCD\.
Don't ask my why DromEd requires the file miss8.mis to run.

[MOG]

I wondered very much myself ; WHY DO T2 NEED MISS8.mis file to be working ...
I came to the conclution that it must have something todo with computing.
Hmmm... (not kidding I wondered for days and weeks)
It might have some needed osm or driver, code stuff to run, f. instance startup key (secretly that is).... or simply an error from the configuration of dromed/T2 that nobody noticed... (file request, wrong path to a script etc..)

Well, I figured this out when I neeeded to remove the cd's:
Making :


Virtual CD (D1 + D2) (assume it works for SS also)

No need for Thief Cd in drive !
I like to listen to music while I'm editing and every time
Dromed crashes ,I need to swich CD...no fun..so here it is..:

(little more messed up explenation)

First make a directory\folder at Your HD.
I choose to call mine "TVRCD" (ThiefVirtualCD)
I placed it under C\Games\EDIOS
Then make to folders in the "TVRCD"
Called
"Thief"
"Thief2"

THIEFGOLD:
Open install.cfg - Change the path something like this

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
cd_path C:\Games\Eidos\TVRCD\
install_path C:\Games\Eidos\ThiefG
language english
resname_base C:\Games\Eidos\ThiefG+c:\Games\Eidos\TVRCD\thief
load_path C:\Games\Eidos\ThiefG+c:\games\eidos\TVRCD\thief
script_module_path C:\Games\Eidos\ThiefG+c:\games\eidos\TVRCD\thief
movie_path C:\Games\Eidos\ThiefG\movies+c:\games\eidos\TVRCD\thief\movies

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Then copy these files from Thiefgold Cd2:
- GEN.osm
- CONVICT.osm

and place'em at the VRCD\Thief dir
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
As you can see ,the install.Cfg above -you don't need to change all the
path's , I just did it to be safe ...
You'll understand why ,when I'm telling you what file D2 ask for to
run without CD....
----------------------------------------------------

THIEF2

Open "Darkins.cfg" change it's path

----------------------------------------------------
cd_path c:\games\eidos\Tvrcd\
install_path c:\games\eidos\thief2
language english
resname_base c:\games\eidos\thief2\res+c:\games\eidos\Tvrcd\thief2
load_path c:\games\eidos\thief2+c:\games\eidos\Tvrcd\thief2
script_module_path c:\games\eidos\thief2+c:\games\eidos\Tvrcd\thief2
movie_path c:\games\eidos\thief2\movies+c:\games\eidos\Tvrcd\thief2\movies

------------------------------------------------------
Then copy this file from Thief2 Cd2:
- MISS.8.mis
-----------------------------------------------------
Why D2 needs Miss8.mis file ? Don't ask me.....ASK TLGS...
Eh ,btw ....This only works for the editor ...not playing!

Greets
GOB
/
ToDay I've moved all resources from the Thief's Main dir , so only needed system files are at place;(T1 is only 16MB or so maybe less, and so is T2).
If I like to play a FM or OM I install them as usual, and it never messes with my resourcefiles; the original as the custom once....

T1 /TG:

cd_path D:\TVRCD\
install_path C:\ThiefG
language english
resname_base C:\ThiefG+D:\TVRCD\THIEF\CRFS+D:\TG
load_path C:\ThiefG+D:\TVRCD\THIEF
script_module_path C:\ThiefG+D:\TVRCD\THIEF
movie_path C:\ThiefG+D:\TVRCD\THIEF\movies


T2:

cd_path D:\TVRCD\
install_path C:\Thief2
language english
resname_base C:\Thief2\res+D:\TVRCD\THIEF2\RES+D:\T2
load_path C:\Thief2+D:\TVRCD\THIEF2\RES+D:\T2
script_module_path C:\Thief2+D:\TVRCD\THIEF2\RES
movie_path C:\Thief2\movies+D:\TVRCD\THIEF2\MOVIES


MOG

[Nameless Voice]

Um, so basically you copied the shareable files to a separate folder, rather than using a pre-existing Thief2 install; otherwise it works the same as my method.

I suspect that DromEd2 needs Miss8.mis for the same reason that Thief 1/G's Thief.exe needed Convict.osm (not used in any OMs) - it's just another form of copy protection. After all, DromEd2 runs fine when it only finds a 0kb file named Miss8.mis.

Copy-protecting the EDITOR? I wish game companies would stop annoying us with their copy protection. If there's one thing I hate, it's having to listen to the CD whirring away at 52x when I'm trying to play a game, especially an audio-orientated game like Thief. :sigh:

[MOG]

I do manuall install of FM's and than it's more easy to remove stuff ...
I can't count how many times main dir have been fu... up due to some human mistake (me, oh noh!), or Darkloader miss out or bugs things ...
(and I've also done this resource seperating thing due to a small C drive ...)

and wow I felt good; like a top hacker/cracker figuring this out all by myself
(just started using pc/dromed)

I support your Idea though ...