Multiple Installs of GTA 2

If you edit the vehicle handling or add new cars, you will not be able to play online unless you send all those files to all the people you play. They probably will not like having to swap loads of files that they do not really want to use just to play you. The solution? Make one install that you keep original, another that you modify any way you want and a third where you just add new multiplayer maps.

If you are using the CD version of the game:

  1. If you have not made ANY changes to your current install, jump to part 4.
  2. To make a clean, unchanged install often means you have to uninstall the game first.
  3. Once GTA 2 has been uninstalled, use the CD to create a new install of the game.
  4. Make a copy of the totally original, unchanged C:\…\GTA2\ folder.
  5. Rename the copy to GTA2_Modding or similar. This is where you can develop your own mods will go.
  6. Make another copy and rename this to GTA2_Online or similar. Only install common mods here to ensure the game will work with other players.
  7. Do not make changes to the original install! You can use it to make new copies and undo changes to the copied versions.
  8. You can now make changes to your three installs. Be very careful when using editors that you are editing the correct install.

Important Notes

When installing a new multiplayer map, the people you are playing only need the same files for that one map. You might have ten multiplayer maps but the people you are playing against only need the one that you will all be using. GTA 2 only allows about 100 multiplayer levels to be used, including all the versions for different numbers of players. You may need to create extra installs if you want to use more multiplayer levels.

Some multiplayer maps are not set up correctly and might replace files needed by other maps. You can get around this by renaming those conflicted files and changing all the .mmp entries using NotePad. This is complicated and you then have to distribute the altered versions, which the original author might not allow.