HARI SELDON

I think Nik Mond answered your question with his post of 1/16/11. It's hard to be a serious modder when the files that need to be modded cannot be extracted. We need updated extracting tools for TOW2. I wonder if TOW3 will be more mod friendly. I hope so, but have my doubts.

Modding TOW2 has become an exercise in futility for me. The developers of TOW should look to Matrix Game's Distant Worlds for an example as to how a company can aid in developing a community of modders and thereby keeping interest in their game alive.

I concur with your sentiment completely. I find the tactics one must use to be successful in TOW-2 matches my understanding of history. The game is visually outstanding. The editors make is possible (not easy) to change almost all aspects of each mission - including the maps themselves. My only gripe (minor) is I cannot use the extractor to actually mod the units.

It may be my lack of computer skills, but I have been unable to extract and mod any files from TOW-Africa and TOW-Kursk. No matter what I do with the extractor, I am unable to get it to work. I will continue playing TOW and designing and modifying missions, but I will put no more effort in trying to mod.

Will TOW3-Korea be more "user friendly" to mod? I certainly hope so.

I also have been unable to get the 64 bit version to work with windows 7 64 bit.

Tartari: Thank you. I'll give it another shot.

Very basic questions: 1) I have TOW2 & TOW3. I have windows 7 64 bit - which extractor from the repository do I use? 2) Where do I put the extractor. 3) I believe I need a "file list". I think there is one for TOW2 in the repository. Is there one for TOW3. 4) What do I do with the file list? Where do I put? 5) I own TOW1 - the editors do not run with the 64 bit operating systems. I researched and found a fix whereby I have to download a program from microsoft and add a few lines of code. Did not work for me. Any ideas? Any help on any of the above would be HELPFUL.

Well Knokke, I can't even get the extractor to function correctly. I need HELP! A tutorial for us not technically proficient "old timers" would be nice.

Thanks for the tip. I did run sfsextractor.exe as admin. Still no good. I wish the modding process for TOW/TOW2 wasn't cloaked in such secrecy. It really limits the potential audience - including me. I'm really close to dropping TOW entirely. I don't mind it being involved and complicated, as long as the developers included step by step instructions. Why they have to have their audience grope in the dark for answers baffles me.

Great Work! Mod looks good. What do you use to extract Kursk files? How do you do it? Is there a file list that we need? Any help would be appreciated. I've had no success with any of the extractors in the repository.

Redjac: I also have windows 7 64-bit and am unable to mod any files. I hope that Dr Jones, or some other talented person can give us a SFS extractor that works with all the TOW games.

BrassEm: I mistakenly thought Dr Jones was affiliated in some manner with 1C. The time and effort he put into creating that software is now even more appreciated by me. I just hope that he, or some other talented individual, will create an extractor that works for all the TOW games. Ok, back to destroying the fascists.

BrassEm: Cannot get as far as you did. Cannot mount any of the files. I get a "unhandled exception" error. Why cannot anyone from 1C address this issue?

Is there a Kursk file list? I don't have one. If I did have one, where should it be saved within Kursk?

BrassEm Thanks for the step by step. I will give it another try.

The TOW2-Africa extractor looks for XML files not SFS files. Please help. Thanks.

Help With Extractor -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Despite many attempts, I have been unable to get the extractor to work. I'm sure I'm missing something basic. There is no TOW2-Kursk extractor, so I downloaded the TOW2-Africa extractor and installed in TOW2-Africa Mission Editor Folder. I downloaded the most recent file list (dated 5/17/09). I ran the extractor from within the TOW2-Africa mission editor folder - WHAT DO I DO NOW? How do I find the SFS files? What does the file list do - I think it is important but I have no idea what to do with it. I've read through old posts - they don't give you a step by step guide as to how to get the extractor to work. Any help would be appreciated. I have windows 7 - 64 bit.

Despite many attempts, I have been unable to get the extractor to work. I'm sure I'm missing something basic. There is no TOW2-Kursk extractor, so I downloaded the TOW2-Africa extractor and installed in TOW2-Africa Mission Editor Folder. I downloaded the most recent file list (dated 5/17/09). I ran the extractor from within the TOW2-Africa mission editor folder - WHAT DO I DO NOW? How do I find the SFS files? What does the file list do - I think it is important but I have no idea what to do with it. I've read through old posts - they don't give you a step by step guide as to how to get the extractor to work. Any help would be appreciated. I have windows 7 - 64 bit.

Game main menu - settings - control.

While I am interested in this expansion, I will pass unless 1c upgrades TOW2-kursk to the newest version of the TOW3-Korea engine. Their business model is to release an upgraded version in a new game each year and they expect us to purchase an expansion pack (Caen & Centauro - adding value to an obsolete version of the game). They fooled me enough - I've purchased all TOW, TOW2-Africa, & TOW2-Kursk games and expansions and none of them have been updated with any engine enhancements. I won't get fooled again.

I would be willing to pay for an engine update for TOW2-Kursk if it was bundled with a new mission pack like Caen.

From their track record, I can extrapolate that when TOW4 comes out in early 2012 they won't back fit any engine updates to TOW3-Korea. I think they cured me of the entire series - I'll pass on TOW3.

Sneaksie posted on the 1C forum that TOW2-Kursk will not be updated with the TOW3 squad control system. I feel this is an error on 1C's part. I purchased all the various TOW products from Battlefront. I've enjoyed playing them all. I feel the game play and simulation value of TOW2-Kursk is the most enjoyable. TOW2-Kursk currently has the most up do date game engine. With the investment I have already put into the TOW franchise I'm starting to feel put upon that I have to purchase a new game every year to play the most up to date version of the game engine. I am interested in TOW3-Korea, but will probably pass unless some of the game enhancements are back fitted into TOW2-Kursk.

I agree with you completely that squad/group control is already possible. The description of squad control alluded to on the TOW3-Korea product page conjures up to me something akin to Combat Mission squad control. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. I guess I'll head off to the 1C forum and see what I can find out.