Still standing?

[GlowwormGuy]

Hello everyone...

Just checking in and wondering if DC modding and playing is still going on, what with all the fuss over SH3...

Mountbatten

[Chapeau]

I'm playing it and trying to learn how to write scenarios with mobile air bases and randomized groups, and trying out some simple mods.

[horsa]

Yep , there's still some going on but obviously with a much smaller crew of active players.

When I have time I'm hoping to put up a web site with a compilation of DC ( and SH2) mods. :D

[Hitman]

Yeah some of us are still around here, but the lack of interest keeps us from digging deep into new projects. I have recently created for fun an interesting mission where I can command an airplane (Not directly but through the CIC screen as a unit of my group)...it is very interesting for Hunter Killer groups as I can locate a sub and send my airplane to circle over it while my DDs arrive there. I can't make the airplan attack the U-Boot with guns or DCs (Even if the plane is equipped with them) but I can tell him to torpedo the sub with accoustic eel :) if it is a FIDO equiped plane :up: Problems are that mission is prone to crash (It will crash also if you try to transfer flag to that unit) and that plane runs out of fuel and falls to the sea :damn: I could probably solve this by giving the plane huge amount of fuel and a insignificant consumption rate....but got soon tired of experimenting. I admit kindly that I have been these last months more into the simracing scene than into the naval sim one :ping:

[Palindromeria]

Neat Trick Hitman, how ya set that up ?

I set a plane up as escort to a convoy a ways back.
it simply circled the merch for a while and then crashed into sea presumably for lack of fuel. figured it might come in handy as distraction :lol:

[Palindromeria]

[quote="Palindromeria"]Neat Trick Hitman, how ya set that up ?
quote]

lol check that ...simply replaced my escort dd with ahbb24 :)

works like a charm , and it fired both fidos too :up:

[sergbuto]

Before the SH3 release, I have been working on a few projects:

-Development of a random campaign for the Kriegsmarine DD, based on Rosbach Arctic 1944 campaign generator, had all the German guns in 3D and some other screens.

- Raider campaign (with significant randomisation) for German cruisers, such as Adm Scheer and Hipper.

-Development of the AI behavior by modifying the AI command sequences. Made merchants turn away and run like hell when the surface enemy vessel is detected. The plane squadron will break up in two subgroup before the attack and then attack from different directions, etc.

But all that was cancelled after I got SH3.

[HS]

Since SH3 will not work on my elderly PC I'm still sailing with FS, TAS and - believe it or not - GNBNA from time to time. And I'm playing Hearts of Iron 2 which makes the player responsible not only for the navy but for a whole country (including production and research) during the period of 1936-1947.

Always nice to come accross some authors from those glorious old DC times in this forum.

Cheers

[willi]

Hi Mountbatten, hi all.

In the last spring, a group of italian authors, the same that in the past created the "Alfa Tau" mod, has started a mod for Destroyer Command, wich is now about 90% finished. The mod's name will be "Mare Nostrum" and it's composed by:

-One campaign, with 13-14 historical missions, played by the italian side, whose descriptions and briefings are also available in english.

-In these missions there will be 26-27 new units, completely realized in 3D and texturised, from torpedoboat MsS2 to the battleship Littorio.

-We have used also many units, both military and civilian, retexturised by Mountbatten and Sergbuto who, as all those involved in the creation of the mod, will be mentioned in the credits.

-New screens for the in-game menus have been created and a part of the game stations (F1-F12) have been remade using italian furniture, equipment and text.

-We would like to complete the mod with italian voices and musics but these objectives are not sure and they'll depend on the completion time.

This mod was started in the "Betasom" community and then completed in the "Sperem-Maricosom" group, with many external help.
For more news:
http://www.maricosom.net


http://utenti.lycos.it/simonart/hpbimg/banners.jpg

[horsa]

So there's quite a bit going on ..... not just some minor tweaking but some pretty serious stuff as well.

Always nice to come accross some authors from those glorious old DC times in this forum
So I'm not the only one who looks back nostalgically ;)

I suppose we could add the Bismarck/Kriegsmarine mod ( heavy units) to the list of "shelved and not really finished cos SH3 came along ". :hmm:

[HS]

So I'm not the only one who looks back nostalgically
That's true horsa. Once upon a time ...

I suppose we could add the Bismarck/Kriegsmarine mod ( heavy units) to the list of "shelved and not really finished cos SH3 came along ".
... not the first project with German heavy units that remains unfinished ;)

What about a SH 3 BB mod? :-j Oh, it's hard to wait for some sort of reworked GNBNA (2) etc. in vain.

[GlowwormGuy]

[quote=Palindromeria]Neat Trick Hitman, how ya set that up ?
quote]

lol check that ...simply replaced my escort dd with ahbb24 :)

works like a charm , and it fired both fidos too :up:

Tried something like that before... with a Catalina... just don't overfly an enemy ship or you'll ram it hehehe...

Hey Horsa, care to host some of my old stuff? Was working on merchant ship lines, Polish and Italian ships and stuff but since I could never twist my head around rearming stuff with all the hexing and stuff I just gave up on it... most of it is Italian navy stuff w/c I shared with Betasom as well and there's the Blyskawica class w/c needs a rearm (2nd fwd turret should be replaced by a hedgehog) and some stuff for an HMS Ulysses campaign... I was experimenting with an air dropped 'guided missile' and those things can be real nasty - reduce an old County class to scrap metal with one and a half hits hehehe...

Well if you're interested in hosting them just let me know where to send them.

Cheers all and glad to see everyone's still here sorta,
Mountbatten

[horsa]

Hosting Glow's mods .... it really IS like old times ...... does anyone remember "Plan Orange"

millichope42@aol.com

[Palindromeria]

[quote=Palindromeria]Neat Trick Hitman, how ya set that up ?
quote]

lol check that ...simply replaced my escort dd with ahbb24 :)

works like a charm , and it fired both fidos too :up:

Tried something like that before... with a Catalina... just don't overfly an enemy ship or you'll ram it hehehe...


Mountbatten

heehee i sent 7 planes out to torp then ram a bb :arrgh!: :hulk: :-j

I think thats why they crash into sea alot too .. need altitude ...

[Hitman]

then ram a bb

So you found a way to have human controlled kamikazes :huh:

[Palindromeria]

then ram a bb

So you found a way to have human controlled kamikazes :huh:

when i changed the escorts from dd to plane i didnt add altitude.

I noticed they fly really low and i think they crash into the sea
prematurely because wingtip meets wave during a turn.

so after telling the planes to fire their torps just
set up a collision course with enemy via the waypts. :dead:

[LeroyJ]

I've done this too but I've only used the planes so far for looking for the enemy. My problem is if my plane gets shot down and I change stations the game crashes to a blank screen. Its rather annoying to finally find the enemy and set an intercept course and then lose the game just because my search plane got a little to close to the target. Does this happen to anyone else? Probably not since no one has mentioned it yet. Perhaps it is just something with my machine.

[Palindromeria]

Yah these missions crash a bit here as well, Leroy, primarily when changing stations or issuing an order to the plane / sub.
the game was not designed to use these so its no surprise.
flag transfer is a no no obviously.

a short mission is a good for a laugh

for plane, setting altitude to 300 does seem to reduce plane crashing into sea. in the mission below it flew to iceland and back twice b4 telling me out of fuel. put a semicolon in front of altitude to ram the merchant :)

the controlled escort works with a sub as well !
a surfaced sub can be ordered to attack with gun
but you cannot tell it to dive or surface :(
Upon ordering torp attack it will fire 1 torp per time you order it,
allowing you to select multiple targets.
sub depth setting appears to have to be approx 4 - 5 LESS then intended as DC is adding this amount for whatever reason. if sub too deep it doesnt "see"...

one could set up a "controlled wolfpack" in DC with this :o
or suicide ijn midget subs



i didnt get to it but using some of the script
from the box UGS 6 multi mission will set up the
your escortplane sub (whatever) as merely controllable bots
they accpet orders but you cannot flag transfer.

also havent tried using a gunemplacement like this yet.
but it prolly works too.

any way

; copy, paste, save as DDwplanensub.sdf
; Mission generated by Kriegstanz Developer 2.6.19
; Created: Sat 24 December 2005 10:19
; Theatre author: Palindromeria
;
[SCENARIO]
Date = 19440123
Time = 1044
TitleEnglish = DDwplanensub
TitleGerman = DDwplanensub
Origin = -15.093733,58.093465
InitialZoom = 5
Weather = CLEAR
Preprocess = FALSE

[SIDE1]
Alignment = ALLIES
Name = Allies
Doctrine = AMERICAN

[SIDE2]
Alignment = AXIS
Name = Axis
Doctrine = GERMAN

[SIDE3]
Alignment = NEUTRAL
Name = Neutral
Doctrine = Neutral

;
; Groups
;
; Plot = Escort
[GROUP1.2]
Type = SHIPDIVISION
UnitType = Destroyer
Side = 1
Name = Surface group
Nationality = USA

; Plot = Escort
[GROUP1.3]
Type = SHIPDIVISION
UnitType = Destroyer
Side = 1
Name = Surface group
Nationality = USA

; Plot = Destroyer group
[GROUP1]
Commander = HUMAN
Type = SHIPDIVISION
UnitType = Destroyer
Side = 1
Name = Surface group
Nationality = USA

; Plot = Position 1
[GROUP1.1]
Commander = HUMAN
Type = SHIPDIVISION
UnitType = Destroyer
Side = 1
Name = Surface group
Nationality = USA

; Plot = Position 2
[GROUP2]
Type = SHIPSQUADRON
UnitType = Merchant
Side = 2
Name = Surface group
Nationality = Germany
Order1.1 = SPEED,EXACT,3.33

;
; Units
;
; Plot = Position 1
[UNIT1]
Group = 1.1
TypeAbrev = DD
IconName = NSHIP
Control = HUMAN
Orientation = 90
Class = NDDWickes
Name = DD115 Waters
Designation = 115
Location = -15.169432,58.097639
Fuel = 1
Multiselect = TRUE
Flag = TRUE
Guide = TRUE
Display = DO_NOT_SHOW
BoilersHot = TRUE

; Plot = Escort
[UNIT2]
Group = 1.2
TypeAbrev = DD
IconName = NSHIP
Orientation = 90
Class = ATBAvenger
Name = ATBAvenger
Designation = 479
Location = -15.145715,58.097639
Altitude = 300
Fuel = 1
Display = DO_NOT_SHOW
BoilersHot = TRUE

; Plot = Escort
[UNIT3]
Group = 1.3
TypeAbrev = DD
IconName = NSHIP
Orientation = 90
Class = NSSSclass
Name = Satyr
Designation = 369
Location = -15.145715,58.086074
Fuel = 1
Depth = 8 ; sub will be approx 5 meters deeper than listed
Display = DO_NOT_SHOW
BoilersHot = TRUE

; Plot = Position 2
[UNIT4]
Group = 2
TypeAbrev = FC
IconName = MSHIP
Orientation = 0
Class = MPPTroopTransportGE
Name = Blech
Location = -15.018034,58.100855
Fuel = 1
Flag = TRUE
Guide = TRUE
Display = DO_NOT_SHOW
BoilersHot = TRUE

[LeroyJ]

Palindromera,

Thanks for the small mission. That is what is so great about the game You can try so many different things because it is so easy to modify. Even though it is an "old" game. It is a great step up for me since my previous sea battle sim was Task Force 1942.

[GlowwormGuy]

:D Well I don't suppose that the technology or knowhow to change the number of guns in the turret or the turret placement or all those esoteric arts has suddenly become available... has it?

Mountbatten

[horsa]

Well I don't suppose that the technology or knowhow to change the number of guns in the turret or the turret placement or all those esoteric arts has suddenly become available... has it?

It's available but not particularly accessible.

Serg has created a considerable number of modified ship model by hex editing. Comparing the hex information of modified with unmodified files would tell anyone what has been done to affect the changes. Nobody pretends that it's easy, but a determined investment in time for someone with the patience and aptitude for this sort of thing would unlock its secrets. A "Users Manual" by Serg is not necessarily the answer either. Apart from the time investment needed to create such a manual it would still require a fair degree of application for someone to make practical sense of it. My own experience of creating "users documents" to help folk is that they are greeted with warm thanks and appreciation but then ( for all sorts of reasons) never really used.

If you really wanted to get to grips with these skills my suggestion would be to gather together a small group of people interested in this sort of thing to form a kind of cooperative think tank to analyse Serg's files. You may then be able to address some specific questions to Serg on points that were causing particular problems.

[blumen-bts]

Willi wrote:
In the last spring, a group of italian authors, the same that in the past created the "Alfa Tau" mod, has started a mod for Destroyer Command, wich is now about 90% finished. The mod's name will be "Mare Nostrum"

Little preview of the last units (WIP) created for "mare nostrum" mod:

Light cruiser condottieri class (II series)

http://www.webalice.it/blumen65/Cadorna.jpg

Destroyer Navigatori class

http://www.webalice.it/blumen65/Navigatori.jpg

[horsa]

@ Blumen-bts. Thanks for the screenshots . :rock: :rock:

I'm sure there would be several "DC old timers" on the forum here who would be interested in seeing more previews of this upcoming mod. :up: DC never had a huge following so it's gratifying to see a major project like this coming to a conclusion (particularly now the spotlight has moved away to SH3. ) :D

It’s kind of an old dream fulfilled . :cool: I worked with a group who sketched out a concept for a Mediterranean Mod for DC over two years ago ( coincidentally it also had the working title Mare Nostrum ) . Despite six months work it never got past the planning stage and was eventually shelved in favour of another project. :down:

I know that the Italian groups have produced many of the Italian naval units but I wondered if the mod has attempted any better versions of the British units (particularly the BBs) . :hmm: The QE class already exists but it is among some of the most basic models that DC attempted ….. and of course the Hood also saw some service in the Med .

[blumen-bts]

The only allied unities created for the mod "Mare Nostrum" (Latin, Our Sea) are Upholder sub class and (perhaps) the Flower class corvette.
The most greater part of the job for the 3D models have been done for creating units of the Regia Marina ,that are completely absent in the game .
After the publication of "Mare Nostrum" the Spèrem group (www.maricosom.it) will be dedicated to DW (where we have already started to insert new unities) and surely to Sh3.


scuse me for my english language. :oops:

[Palindromeria]

have found using controllable subs is
far less crash prone than the controlled planes in DC.

[GlowwormGuy]

Is it true that Sh3 is a lot more moddable than SH2 or DC?

By the way, I did a few things for Betasom before I 'submerged' and it's nice that they were included in their lineup. Hope they release it sometime.

Just wondering,
Mountbatten

[gotrek]

have found using controllable subs is
far less crash prone than the controlled planes in DC.

Me and Canarb succeded in build a controllable plane. The only problem is the "inland flight".

[turnerg]

I'd hope sh3'd be more moddable.... after how much crap it took just to get sh2/dc to almost barely work........


I wonder if they came through on making model importing possible, with some sort of GMAX plugin i heard a rumor of.....

[GlowwormGuy]

Hi Horsa,

Well, inasmuch as this sadly seems to be somewhat passe nowadays, I'm wondering if you'd be interested in hosting some repaints and stuff I was working on before lack of skillz regarding remodelling finally did me in. Some stuff include repainted Italian vessels, DDs and Troopships, a captured US navy destroyer turned into a Japanese patrol boat, French and Portuguese destroyer escorts and some Polish stuff.

If interested let me know where to send it all.

Best wishes,
Mountbatten

[horsa]

Sure , try this email

millichope42@aol.com

You'll prob have to send it in several packets ... I'm not sure what the limit is .

[GlowwormGuy]

because we were all getting new ships and planes from Betasom, you, Serge, etc. Well I'll send them along, they're not too big individually but there's a lot. Even got a 'new plane' repaint Avro Lancaster.

Well I'll try sending the first lot tomorrow or on the weekend.

Thanks,
Mountbatten

[GlowwormGuy]

By the way... hehehe... any NEW stuff that came along since I left? New warships or even just new repaints? For DC I mean...

Mountbatten

[horsa]

I'm not quite sure what time period you are talking about but there was this
http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=304768&highlight=polish#304768
..... although I don't think it was ever made available as a download.

The Kriegsmarine Mod also contained various remoddelled ships (by Serg) and many repaints.

http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=303455&highlight=kriegsmarine#303455

[GlowwormGuy]

Unfortunately something in it crashed my system - another reason I quit for a long while... Well it's okay. I'll just upload what I did while I was on a modding streak and perhaps the diehards will find some good use for it.

Cheers all!
Mountbatten

[GlowwormGuy]

Hi Horsa,

Hope it didn't flood your mailbox. These are most of my recent work. There are a few w/c I don't consider finished for some reason or another, usually because I can't change the guns or funnels or add this or that like the other guys can but these repaints are pretty much done. Feel free to post them (though I did offer the Italian units to Betasom first so perhaps you could work out some sort of agreement with them about posting) but the rest, feel free to share.

One thing that just ticks me off is I do like DC a heck of a lot! Its a game that I find myself coming back to, even if its in the vain hope that someday I'll be able to captain the HMS Agincourt at Jutland or the USS Olympia at Manila Bay.

Enjoy,
Mountbatten

[horsa]

4 packets received :up:

I do like DC a heck of a lot! Its a game that I find myself coming back to
Yep, I know what you mean. Its only inches away from being a good surface warfare platform ......... but I keep coming up against the twin pillars of frustration
1.code access to extend a few features ( like incresed fade in distance and critical hits )
2. needing a JRF converter to introduce new models .
hope that someday I'll be able to captain the HMS Agincourt at Jutland
You can do that of course, but your ship won't look like the Agincourt ... it will look like the QE or Royal Sovereign ;)

[CBDR]

Horsa, Gloworm,

If we had code access, I don't see why we couldn't take DC back as far as the age of sail. It's all basic physics, none of which is classified or too difficult to understand. I personally know some folks who would love to simulate US Civil War era ironclads and modify the DC terrain to simulate the Mississippi River.

As for me, I would like to refight The Battle of Hampton Roads (March, 1862) with USS Congress and USS Cumberland underway, instead of being target practice for CSS Virginia. The two 100 Lb cannon on Cumberland really did have the capability of defeating Virginia, and underway she might have avoided being rammed.

To really model this correctly requires a much more accurate simulation in the vast differences in fire control capability. DC models ALL ships as having the latest in WW II era fire control technology (radars, computers, stable verticals, continuous aim, etc.). To model USS Olympia at Manilia Bay means restricting the player to local control at the gun mounts (i.e., F9) - no director, no computer, just pure local control at the gun mount. HMS Agincourt had a director system (F8), but determination of the horizontal plane still relied on visual means (no good if the horizon is obscured), the fire control computer was very basic and the gunners had to follow gun orders by manual means, which experience showed could work for about the first 30 minutes of an engagement, but accuracy rapidly dropped off due to crew fatigue.

Let's keep pushing UbiSoft to release the source code!

[GlowwormGuy]

4 packets received :up:

I do like DC a heck of a lot! Its a game that I find myself coming back to
Yep, I know what you mean. Its only inches away from being a good surface warfare platform ......... but I keep coming up against the twin pillars of frustration
1.code access to extend a few features ( like incresed fade in distance and critical hits )
2. needing a JRF converter to introduce new models .
hope that someday I'll be able to captain the HMS Agincourt at Jutland
You can do that of course, but your ship won't look like the Agincourt ... it will look like the QE or Royal Sovereign ;)

And that's just it - it DOESN'T have to look like QE or RS but for the blasted JRF converter schtick. I'm basically a painter/texturer and I can paint it to look like a duck but if it's got four legs and meows no one's going to be fooled. Sigh...

And yeah, it's almost there and that's what bugs the heck out of me. They could have supported us more, gave us a few more modding tools and a patch that fixed even those bloody basic things - very frickin basic things like making SOUND GENERAL QUARTERS actually do something, fixing sub/ship resupply, launchable carrier aircraft. I say basic here because other games are doing all that and more. It doesn't have to be difficult. For General Quarters simply make all ships operate at reduced efficiency, particularly their guns (since you got watches coming off and on and some guys are tired and others are catching up on their sleep) unless you sound it - but if you keep it on for more than a few hours the tension and fatigue hits you and you incur penalties as well. Very simple yet terribly realistic. Launchable carrier aircraft? Just make the darn things appear where you have a carrier - oh and it would have been nice for them to have included even a SIMPLE AI dogfight routine.

This game is simple enough to play, learn and mod (by mod I mean basic stuff like messing with ship udfs and stuff) and with a modicum of support it could have been the Combat Flight Simulator of the seas. I've not bought SH2 because I don't want to be suckered into buying something that promises and doesn't deliver.

Sorry for the rant... sigh... it's just so frustrating because it's so darn close. Like you can almost touch it but you can't.

Enjoy the mods (and if things pick up here who knows, there might be more coming - can anyone say HMS Ulysses?)
Mountbatten

[GlowwormGuy]

Horsa, Gloworm,

If we had code access, I don't see why we couldn't take DC back as far as the age of sail. It's all basic physics, none of which is classified or too difficult to understand. I personally know some folks who would love to simulate US Civil War era ironclads and modify the DC terrain to simulate the Mississippi River.

As for me, I would like to refight The Battle of Hampton Roads (March, 1862) with USS Congress and USS Cumberland underway, instead of being target practice for CSS Virginia. The two 100 Lb cannon on Cumberland really did have the capability of defeating Virginia, and underway she might have avoided being rammed.

To really model this correctly requires a much more accurate simulation in the vast differences in fire control capability. DC models ALL ships as having the latest in WW II era fire control technology (radars, computers, stable verticals, continuous aim, etc.). To model USS Olympia at Manilia Bay means restricting the player to local control at the gun mounts (i.e., F9) - no director, no computer, just pure local control at the gun mount. HMS Agincourt had a director system (F8), but determination of the horizontal plane still relied on visual means (no good if the horizon is obscured), the fire control computer was very basic and the gunners had to follow gun orders by manual means, which experience showed could work for about the first 30 minutes of an engagement, but accuracy rapidly dropped off due to crew fatigue.

Let's keep pushing UbiSoft to release the source code!

A weird little mod I made a while back was transforming the Flower class corvette into the Peruvian Ironclad HUASCAR w/c fought against the British royal navy (four iron frigates) squadron and apparently won and was, in the process, subjected to a very early torpedo attack! The possibilities are bloody endless... I don't see why the famous Hampton Roads or a Franco-British hypothetical clash (I've tried other stuff like that - my War Plan Red scenario w/c pits the hypothetical G3 battlecruiser against the AMerican Battlecruiser Lexington. By the way, the Brooklyn, with some heavy modding can be a G3 - or a German cruiser!)

Even simple, bloody simple things are tantalizingly out of reach. I need a late war British DD w/c could easily be converted out of the Battle class (give it some rear turrets!) and, like I said, the Brooklyn is a good basis for a Koln/Konigsberg type cruiser. And then there are things that are just wrong or not well done (the Duguay Trouin looks more like the Hood than its historic counterpart and the De Ruyter is dog ugly - when the real thing wasn't that bad!

http://www.warship.get.net.pl/Holandia/Cruisers/1936_De_Ruyter_class/De_Ruyter_10.jpg

Apparently the original de Ruyter looked very similar to the Graf Spee! Dutch naval architecture closely followed German styles.) that it frustrates you not to be able to do anything about it.

Ah now I know what happened to the De Ruyter - they followed the original builder's configuration:

http://www.warship.get.net.pl/Holandia/Cruisers/1936_De_Ruyter_class/Drawings/De_Ruyter_draw_01.gif

But the impression I get from looking at the photos is the superstructure wasn't so fat and ugly, but leaner and meaner and gave her a 'German pocket battleship' sort of look.

One problem with Hampton Roads though, aside from the source code is the game does not model inland rivers - which really bloody sucks. Come on people, the Thames, the Yangtze, the James, the Hudson, the Seine, the Rhine - they're all navigable some even by cruisers or battleships! Whats up with that (whats up is the game world is actually some 5-10% smaller than the real world. I found that out when making a Vaagso raid scenario. The 'real world' channel was blocked off!)

Heck if they could sell modding tools (particularly one that lets us do new ships) they could make a pretty penny.

Again sorry for my rant... so many cool things just out of grasp - Monitor vs Merrimac, Warrior vs Gloire, Farragut at Mobile Bay, Yalu River 1894, Manila Bay, Tsushima, the Emden, Jutland...

Mountbatten

[horsa]

I sympathise with all of this guys but the problems are there.

Here's another two . Even with source code you need coders and you need modellers.

[GlowwormGuy]

Well perhaps someone who knows how will miraculously take interest sometime... y'never know. So I'll just keep chugging away with new textures and camos...

Another one coming your way Horsa - Capetown class repaint based on the Exeter mod.

Mountbatten

[CBDR]

Roger That, Horsa.

That being said, I have to draw on my experiences withthe Battle of Britain / Mig Alley Development Group. They did a fantastic job of improving the Battle of Britain game.

I got a copy of the source code (overwhelming, to be honest) and, despite my inexperience with C++ code, I could reverse engineer the models they were using for simulating the engines and propellers. Having a mechanical engineering degree helps! I even found some fundamental errors in how rolling moments due to aileron deflection as well as drag due to flap deflection were calculated.

That being said, you are quite correct in that we would need coders who can translate a physical model into code the game would recognize.

[TLAM Strike]

Me just thinking out loud here but I would love to see a PA type mod of SHII and DC simulating the early Cold War up till the Cuban Missile Crisis. Zulus and Whiskeys and Guppies, even the British, it would be sweet! The default PA interface could be used, but a new one for the Russians would need to be implemented. Heck I’d even help out with sub models, I got a half finished Zulu and a Northern Sail Guppy that could be used…

[GlowwormGuy]

If someone could do the models (and I was using the ingame ones to stand in) I don't see why you can't do the following (I did, for a lark):

The Sinking of the General Belgrano - the models are all there! Brooklyn, Sumner, just use one of those US Subs for the Conqueror.

The Gulf of Tonkin Incident - again the models are there and they could with some modification, work.

The attack on the Elath - I've been experimenting with ship and air launched 'missiles' (okay they're torpedoes really) but with some tweaking it could happen.

A post WW2 Cold War naval battle might be interesting (particularly if you situate it in the days before missiles) - might be cool to see the Iowas face off against the 'Sverdlov cruiser threat'.

See, that's what just gets me. The darn thing has SO MUCH potential!

Again Horsa, please feel free (in otherwords please do) post the mods. I'd hate to see all those hours of work go to waste. (just sent the Capetown, check your mail).

Mountbatten

[horsa]

despite my inexperience with C++ code, I could reverse engineer the models they were using for simulating the engines and propellers
That's worth knowing about :cool:
Heck I’d even help out with sub models
and so is that :cool:

[GlowwormGuy]

Hi Horsa,

Just sent over my new 'Capetown' repaints based on the Colombo and Delhi camo patterns. I've actually got a nice new Scylla (Dido class) repaint but that'll have to wait till the Dido pack.

I don't know... but d'ya think if the repaints and mods keep coming there'll be more interest here again? It's really such a shame to let this go quietly into the night.

By the way, when you post it up, please let me know where it's at ;)

Mountbatten

[horsa]

Let's keep pushing UbiSoft to release the source code!

Just for the record, a small group of us did submit a formal request (through Neal ) to Ubisoft back in early Nov '05 for access to the DC/SH2 code. It wasn't just a "please ,sir, can we use your code " type of request ; It was accompanied by a specific list of features we would want to address.

But as you can see, that was nearly three months ago. It doesn't mean "no," but these things can hang about in the system for quite a while before it reaches the right person.

BTW if ever an agreement could be reached with Ubisoft it doesn't mean it's the answer to everybody's wish list.

[CBDR]

Horsa,

That's great news to hear that a request has ben made, and I fully understand that release of the source code is not the fulfillment of everybody's wish list.

Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained...

[GlowwormGuy]

Hullo there Horsa,

By the way, do you still have those old ships you used to have at your site like HMS Belfast and HMS King George V?

Cheers,
Mountbatten

[horsa]

Yes. :D

I compiled a personal favourites collection of DC/SH2 mods for myself last summer. I'm building a "Mod resorce site" for DC/SH2 which I'll open up soon. It will be a case of starting with a few items and building up over a period of time.

The Belfast BTW was only a repaint ( Serg had a model in the works but never released) . The KGV was a model mod and a repaint.

[GlowwormGuy]

You got all the files okay I hope?

Mountbatten

[horsa]

Yes thanks . I'll put them on my site with the others .