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MOD INSTALLATION MANUAL
7th Edition
Written and Revised by clonecommand

I will say this now:
If you have a pirated edition of any of the BfME series, MODS WILL NOT WORK! In addition, T3A does not and will not help people with pirated versions! So, if you have a pirated version, you can live in shame or you can go out and buy a clean copy.

I will use the BfME2 game as the basis of the manual. Be aware of that. Please understand that I cannot cover all three games in the series. I am sure you can figure out the difference between the three games. It will avoid much repetitiveness. I will also use the Special Extended Edition Mod as an example when necessary.

If you did the automatic installation of BfME2 , your target will be in C:/. If you chose your directory when installing the game, this manual will not be much help. If you have Windows Vista, scroll down until you reach “For Windows Vista Users�. I personally cannot help you with installing the mod, as I do not have Vista, but I have a very short guide.

This will be a systematic (or step-by-step :p ) tutorial. If you follow exactly what it says, it should work (it worked for me). So find 15-20 minutes, sit down, and let’s try to install this!

NEW! I have just added the S.E.E. mod installation package as of November 2009! It has everything possible you need for installing S.E.E., including a helpful installation video!
(I did not make the video, I can't remember the name of the guy that made it even if I tried...he might mention himself in the video)
S.E.E. Mod group - If you want to use this for your mod, let me know!

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Start by making sure your game is updated. Most mods will need the latest patches. You need either the BfME1 1.03 patch, BfME2 1.06 patch, or the RotWK 2.01 patch.
A patch is an official release from the maker of the game (in this case, EALA) that fixes mostly bugs, crashes, and balances the game.
To update:
Start Menu --> All Programs --> Electronic Arts --> BfME II (or BfMe1 and RotWK) --> Check for Updates

If the program refuses to update your game, go to the LotR Filefront site ( http://lordoftherings.filefront.com/ ) . Look for the patches, which will be in the download section under “Official Releases.� If you have to use this method, be sure to install ALL patches avaible for your game (ex. Install 1.01, 1.02, AND 1.03)

Also, make sure you are using the correct disk that the mod requires.

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To install:

Take the ___.big (must have a .big at the end), or whatever your mod’s .big is named, out of your download folder. Put it on your desktop.
Now take that ___.big and put it in
‘My Battle for Middle-earth™ II Files’ folder. Depending on what game your mod is for, put it in the correct folder.

To get there:
Start Menu --> Run --> %appdata% --> My Battle for Middle-earthâ„¢ II Files
Drag it off the desktop and drop the ___.big into My Battle for Middle-earthâ„¢ II Files folder.

Now to make sure that you have the ___.big in the right place, right click ___.big -->Properties --> Location.

It should say:
C:\Documents and Settings\*your username here*\Application Data\My Battle for Middle-earthâ„¢ II

Make sure that correct suffix is on the end of the folder. It will not do any good in the wrong folder for the wrong game.

Your mod may come with a shortcut. If it does not, use move your original BfME2 shortcut to a different spot, copy and paste it onto the desktop, and use that. If it does come with a shortcut, drag the shortcut icon onto the desktop. Now, right click the shortcut and select ‘Properties’. Next, make sure you put the following information in the CORRECT BOX! It must have quotations! Copy the entire line and paste it into the correct box. There will be a ‘Target’ box and a ‘Start In’ box.

TARGET
"C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Battle for Middle-earth â„¢ II\lotrbfme2.exe" -mod ___.big

START IN
"C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Battle for Middle-earth â„¢ II"

Copy the name of your .big, whatever it may be, and paste it over the “___� part in the target box. Be sure to leave the “.big� there. A common mistake is to not have the space in between the “–mod� and the “___.big�

If the mod STILL will not work after this point, try this:

Uninstall the game.

Go to:
C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Battle for Middle-earth (tm) II (or whatever your games directory is)

Delete any folders that remain. This will not cause you to lose any information.
Re-install the game, and be sure to patch it up to 1.03, 1.06, or 2.01.

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For Windows Vista users:

You should place the ___.big file inside:
C:\Users\YourUser\AppData\Roaming\My Battle for Middle-earth Files

Once you have placed the mod's .big file inside there open up the shortcut. Edit the Target line like so:
"C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Battle for Middle-earth â„¢\lotrbfme.exe" -mod

Start In
"C:\Users\YourUser\AppData\Roaming\My Battle for Middle-earth Files\___.big"
Click apply, then ok. You should be able to run the modification. Again, be sure your target is game specific.

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If you have successfully done all these instructions, and the computer has not complained, run the game with that shortcut. Anything beyond this paragraph is extra.

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For those interested, I will now explain what the target is and does (this does not have to do with installing the mod). The target is telling the game to go to a certain folder a run an application. In this case, BFME2. If you follow look at the original shortcut, and click 'Find Target' in properties, it will come up with a file called 'lotrbfme2'. When you click this, it will start up the original, unmodded game. However, when you add the command ‘-mod SEE.big’ it is telling the comp to go to another folder and take SEE.big and run it with the normal game. It is as if SEE.big is attaching itself, like a tick, to the normal game, and the changes that the mod makes overwrite the original game. It also allows other mods to be installed, without corrupting the entire game.

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For BFME1 or 2:
When you start up the game, there is that movie of Mordor or an Elven boat moving down the river. For some computers, that causes a huge amount of lag. To make it a still image, instead of a movie, add the command ‘–noshellmap’ right before ‘–mod ___.big’

It will look like this:
"C:\Program Files\Electronic Arts\The Battle for Middle-earth (tm) II\lotrbfme2.exe" -noshellmap -mod ___.big

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Do not copy, reproduce, use, or change this Manual.


-clonecommand
The Third Age Forums

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