Multiple installations

As you probably know already, it's not possible to combine differnt Vampire mods. But what you can do is have multiple installations of the game, so you can have different mods at the same time.

For doing this, you need a fresh install of the original game. I'm not sure if you have to activate downloaded versions (steam, d2d...). If this is necessary, start the game once to activate. But don't make any other changes yet. If you have the old CD version, you can also install the official 1.2 patch, but it's usually not necessary because most mods are based on Wesps patch, and that includes the official one.
Remember the path, where the game is installed. For a disk version, the standard directory is something like c:\program files\activision\vampire-bloodlines. I think, for win 7, and for the downloaded versions, it's a bit different.
For this guide, I'll use the term -bloodlines folder (or directory) whenever I talk about this main directory of the original installation.

Next step: Make a copy of this -bloodlines folder, including subdirectories, for every mod or patch you are planning to setup. This copy can be in the activision folder, or anywhere else you prefer it to be. (just remember where you copy it). Now rename the -bloodlines copy folder to match the name of your mod.
Usually I use names like vampire CE, vampire CQM, vampire UP etc.

Create a desktop launcher for the vampire.exe file in every copy, and name it according to the patch/mod you intend to use it for. If you want to use the console, open the properties of the launcher and add " -console" without the quotation marks, but including the blank, to the command line entry.

Now you can install the patch or mod. When the installer asks for the installation directory, click on the search button, and select the directory you have intended for this mod.
Most patches and mods ask for the main directory. With clan quest, there is a difference. Here you have to specify the \vampire subdirectory.

When this is done you can make your individual setups, like respatch, skins, custom music for CE...

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A small but maybe useful update to this. Clan Quest mod 3.0 has multiple mods built into their installer, right down to different game play mods and what they are compatible with (i personally use Camarilla Mod over POPs overhaul, P&P combat and custom histories mods) They have somehow incorporated large or "separate" mods into one installation such as Wesps patch, Camarilla Mod, Arsenal Mod, and various re-textures and skins along with their own Clan Quest mod with minimal bugs I've seen so far. Might be worth looking into on how they accomplished that without having to manually mod the game yourself. I'd try it myself, but my modding skills is still somewhat noobish lol

Hey, marine, welcome to the forum.
I'm not sure what burgermeister has done exactly to merge the different mods, and how he set up the installer. But it is a lot of work, especially if different mods use the same items for different things, or make rules changes that cancel each other out. All this makes for a lot of work for the respective compiler. He also has to know quite a lot about the different mods he is working with.

Another important update to my first posting on this topic: FOR CLANQUEST 3.0 the installation directory is no longer the VAMPIRE subdirectory, but as with most other patches/mods the bloodlines main directory.

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TheFledgling wrote:

How do you create a desktop launcher?

1. Get a catapult.
2. Load desktop into catapult.

Voila! You have a desktop launcher.

Dragatus wrote:

TheFledgling wrote:

How do you create a desktop launcher?

1. Get a catapult.
2. Load desktop into catapult.

Voila! You have a desktop launcher.

Yea, that is one way of doing it. But if you want to launch your desktop into the orbit, you need something with a higher starting velocity than a mere catapult can acchieve.

Now, seriously, right-click your desktop, move the mouse arrow to "new", move the mouse pointer to [don't know what it's called in english right now, in the german version it is "Verknüpfung"], click this and follow the instructions.

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Childe of Malkav wrote:

Dragatus wrote:

TheFledgling wrote:

How do you create a desktop launcher?

1. Get a catapult.
2. Load desktop into catapult.

Voila! You have a desktop launcher.

Yea, that is one way of doing it. But if you want to launch your desktop into the orbit, you need something with a higher starting velocity than a mere catapult can acchieve.

Now, seriously, right-click your desktop, move the mouse arrow to "new", move the mouse pointer to [don't know what it's called in english right now, in the german version it is "Verknüpfung"], click this and follow the instructions.

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I'm not sure if Fledgling means creating a desktop shortcut for TFN and CE, but the easier way is to copy the existing one(either used for the Vanilla game, TFN or CE), and editing the file to point to the directory for whatever version of the game you want(this way it keeps the same icon). Which is just Right-clicking the new shortcut, choosing "Properties", and in the target box, edit the already existing directory to point to the one for the installation of the game you want, but leaving the "vampire.exe" at the end. So it should look something like this(with the quotes)

"c:/program files/Activision/Vampire - TFN/vampire.exe"

Also, for the "Start In" box below that, make the same change(again keeping the quotes), but there, it only needs up to the top directory for the game, ie "c:/program files/Activision/Vampire - TFN/"

TheFledgling wrote:

...
I figured out now. Thank you guys!!

You're welcome.

And do me a favor. Figure out how to shorten long quotes.

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Childe of Malkav wrote:

And do me a favor. Figure out how to shorten long quotes.

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No need for that, I can read the whole discussion, just by looking at the Fledling's post! Do you know how much time and effort it saves me on scrolling around the page?

does this work also for Steam version?

Dark_Ansem wrote:

does this work also for Steam version?

Sorry, I don't know how Steam versions work.

Dark_Ansem wrote:

does this work also for Steam version?

it should work if you copy ether the bloodlines folder with everything in it or if you copy the contents of the folder to an new folder that you can use.

FallenRaven wrote:

Dark_Ansem wrote:

does this work also for Steam version?

it should work if you copy ether the bloodlines folder with everything in it or if you copy the contents of the folder to an new folder that you can use.

I did, but you also need the Steam.dll file. and steam needs to be open.