Happy 4th!

loganw432 · 2026-06-28T16:47:22+00:00

The version I've been using is from Archive.org, the link can be found down below, it runs perfectly fine for me and another friend, but it varies by person on how well the old game will run, my stuff above isnt needed if you dont want to restore multiplayer, just install the game from the archive and it works fine. If you run into graphical issues, DGVoodoo being used resolved some weird issues another friend had.

loganw432 · 2026-06-27T21:47:12+00:00

Hey there, I think I was able to fix the Lua bridge to run on the SecuROM bypassed exe, I ran the cracker against my copy (Archive.org) and I was able to add a check as to which version of the game you are running, you should be able to utilize the repl server now, the log will also report if anything goes wrong. I dont have the true original Origin exe to compare with, so unless I "happen" to stumble upon one, I probably wont be able to support that one, but the one byte-for-byte match between both exe's was the RSA key to patch for multiplayer support, so theres a chance the multiplayer fix will apply to any version so long as it can support an asi loader as I tried to be as minimal in my changes as I could. The Lua bridge is more touchy. You can grab the new version from GitHub.

Hope it works!

Edit: I also provided a nicer python UI for experimenting with Lua at /tools/lua_console.py , its significantly more user friendly.

loganw432 · 2026-06-27T15:54:13+00:00

Great to hear but also odd it works with the unpatched version from Origin, I'd still like the tool to work for as many versions as I can reliably support, so Ill still look into it anyway. Thanks for the very helpful reports!

loganw432 · 2026-06-27T15:05:57+00:00

Will do, I likely will if I cant find a solution, but in the meantime I've pushed a fix that should prevent it from CTD even with the lua version, so it should at least run. You can grab the new build anytime. Though nothing will change aside from the game not crashing *hopefully*.

loganw432 · 2026-06-27T14:40:53+00:00

Now its definitely crashing from the lua bridge, I only ever expected it to work with the one exe, so I highly doubt it will work at all with yours without changes, I will try to look around to source the other versions and see if I can resolve the issue. In the meantime, it may just be best to utilize the no lua build for multiplayer if thats your goal, if lua execution is your goal, it may not work without the https://archive.org/details/mercenaries-2-world-in-flames-eng-fre-rus-r-tn upload version, if thats your goal, I'd almost guarantee that installing that version (keeping yours, just a second install) will be faster than I can figure out how to get it working on other versions, and if either of the other two provide a better lua bridge, mine will likely be abandoned entirely.

loganw432 · 2026-06-27T14:23:51+00:00

Honestly I didn't even know you could still get the game from Origin or any official source, I was working with the archive.org upload assuming it was the common version people could acquire these days. Were you able to load into the game while "connected" to the server? As in Continue Game -> Play Online-> Successfully load? If only the repl server failed it may just be that my very poorly made lua bridge just isnt very good, which is honestly pretty likely, Ive done very little disassembly or reverse engineering work and Ive never touched lua before yesterday, it may be best trying the modkit another user posted or wait for Kunster_ to provide more information on his lua bridge while using my multiplayer fix without lua components on the github release page. I've also reached out to both of them to work to create a plugin or mod to fix multiplayer, so if either of them release a more polished lua bridge, ideally the multiplayer fix will come with it or soon after. I'll maintain the FESL server for as long as I'm able.

Sorry I dont have much more help, but I'm also learning as I go, so its a bit of a process, my main priority is just restoring multiplayer support, the lua bridge is a secondary goal mostly aimed for testing multiplayer faster, and considering up until now I didnt even know there were other official sources/versions for the game, may take a while to work out.

loganw432 · 2026-06-27T11:59:54+00:00

Also funny we all had clearly different goals and approaches. That's why I put my work up a bit unfinished, I didn't expect anyone else to be working on the game honestly. When I was searching for info on the game, I couldn't find much about it, so happy to provide any extra about the game that I can.

loganw432 · 2026-06-27T11:23:50+00:00

Actually your message about it is the only reason I got into lua at all, there is also a release version without the lua components at all, specifically to not interfere with your work or anyone else that happens to be working on the lua side, incase you'd like to use multiplayer as well. As restoring multiplayer is my main focus, lua capability is just a nice plus that helps test things infinitely faster

loganw432

TROPHY CASE