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Spec Ops 2: Operation Bravo Expansion Pack
By Chris AbeleInstallation
Because this expansion pack is available free via the Internet, one must actually locate a copy of the files. Unfortunately, I am currently on a dial-up connection, so downloading all sixty megs turned into a small nightmare. Inconvenient disconnects, corrupted downloads, and just time wasted in general are problems which were seemingly unavoidable. Normally, that wouldn’t be too much trouble, except that finding the patches in working order turned out to be more of bargain than I imagined.
Spec Ops 2 screenshot. Simple sentence. Click it. You'll get it.
Two major file sites had bad versions of the Direct 3D Texture file, which according to John Williamson of Zombie Studios was a result of some unfortunate communication problems. John said that “the patches were released before they were finalized with detailed instructions, as one of our reviewers left his FTP open and within 24 hours, the net being what it is, the levels were all over the world.”
The primary distribution site, Ripcord, proved to be a tremendous headache because the entire site is an excessive flash presentation, not really all that conducive to the limited bandwidth of dial-up surfers. Fortunately, working files were found on http://www.specops2.com, and after some ugly 3:00 am disconnects, I was able to get myself the working copies of the patches. I should note that no copy I could find on the Internet contained the “detailed instructions” of which John spoke.
Installing the files is a bit less strenuous, although I still found unnecessary problems. The first being that the installer program searches for your installed copy of Spec Ops 2 automatically, whereas a manual browse function would have been a good option. Since Spec Ops 2 was located on my secondary hard drive, it took the installer program a lot of unnecessary time searching through my entire primary drive before it thought to check my second drive. Furthermore, all seven patches and mission add-ons must be installed separately.
The process of the installer searching for Spec Ops 2 in the wrong place seven different times was a frustrating process. Using a new executable, Spec Ops 2 is now completely accessible with just one click. Conveniently enough, all of the original SO2 missions are offered in the menu system, right next to the SO2: OB expansion pack missions.
