Day of Infamy
 

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psivuabqpo.jpg


This "Work in Progress" thread is to highlight a new modification for Silent Hunter 4 for both version 1.4 and 1.5. I've had a plan to make changes to the game for some time, to add to things I've already done. It's my intention to make this mod a comprehensive change with the hope of improving game play, and correcting/adding new elements. As I make changes, I will post them here within this thread to keep you posted on my progress.

If anyone has suggestions or comments, I welcome them all.

My first modification is to the opening video of the game. I put this video together several years ago.....it would seem appropriate to release it now for your viewing. It set's the tone of my game modifications, with the very words that were spoken a generation ago by President Roosevelt to the U.S. Congress on December 8, 1941....... yet ring so boldly today. I hope it provides a new insight to our nations history, and the courage these words brought forth at the time they were spoken.

Day of Infamy Video

The following is a partial list of what I plan to add/change to the game besides the modifications I've done through Optical Targeting Correction:

New planes and ships
Added missions to put to use these new game assets
Better AI ship handling and response
A better AI detection/attack system
Added Campaign missions
A wider, more historically accurate ship routes
A different Torpedo Attack interface that will improve gameplay
A new Recognition Manual that will compliment the new interface
Additions to the interior of the subs
Environmental changes to water/sea state
Corrections to gameplay at all levels, as found

looks good scurvy, I'm sure you'll get more attention and help with this thread:up:.

Cool beans! I Love your work and can't wait!

If you need any help, let me know. I can do some tedious grunt work, like .upc editing (add helmets to all stations during battle stations for all subs for example or add crew berthing slots). I'm ok with photoshop, some very light 3d editing (add a katana or something to a .dat), and I'm ok with Silent 3ditor (import/export, create nodes, etc.).

Thank you so much for doing this for the community! :salute:

That's awesome CapnScurvy:salute:

This sounds very promising. I wish I could help in some way, but my modding skills are non-existent. :oops:

However, if you should ever need a beta-tester to test your makings, I offer my services.

Are there any plans to add any new Japanese warships or merchants?

Look forward to giving your efforts a try. :salute:

Hey scurvy, I have some more ideas. 1st, can u add AI features so that airplanes will stop doing those silly maneuvers that cause them to crash? 2nd, can u also add features to make convoy escorts react more realistically? Because one time I watched a SH4 vid where someone went in to attack a convoy and the escorts spotted him before he attacked. So the escorts drew him under, but the submarine player got away and the escorts didn't chase him they stayed at the area where the sub was. Now I understand how this is realistic, but here is where it gets unrealistic and strange. The player got into attack the convoy (which was two transports and a light cruiser, escorted by four destroyers and three of them were off where the player was earlier) and he sank both transports, but the three destroyers didn't react to the loss and neither did the fourth which is strange, right? Also could add in some scripted allied convoys in the pacific?

Fantastic!
SH4 is an awesome game, can’t wait to see what you will come up with and play it out
:rock:

An addition I've wanted to make for some time is the Japanese Kamikaze attack. A plane has to deliberately be made to strike a surface ship (which goes against the games AI instructions) and create damage. I found a way in doing this and it works fairly well. Here's my Zero Kamikaze Bomber in the Museum:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...pscmesayc8.jpg

In game:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psdulac3ag.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psmqataaug.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psy9olnkvd.jpg


Yes, there are two coming in at the same time:


http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psdbsiaoky.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psdzaxbruo.jpg

Damage hit points are set a little too high I think!?!

Below is a Betty carrying the specifically made Kamikaze Ohka MXY-7 plane:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...pscxzpae6n.jpg

In game:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psxefjzk1i.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psp3egm1ly.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psauie1qvn.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...psqijamvcn.jpg

It's not going to be pretty for this Clemson!!

Like RSRDC, but "better?" Are you also changing the campaign start dates, like in my Pre Pearl Harbor mod? Or will I need to create a version to go with your mod?

This looks very interesting. If there's anything I can help with, let know.

Yes, exactly.....but better!

That's a tall order though, Lurker was a master at Campaign construction. I have the utmost respect for him, and his work!!

However, there are some loop holes that got past him that I'd like to fill. I found one of his routes soon after leaving one of the Northern Japan ports, crossed right through a small island in the bay. That ship will never follow its route if it runs aground just after spawning. Another issue was the many waypoints he incorporated into his routes.......with speed changes made between each waypoint. As I've found out, a ship dropping below half its Maximum Speed set in its .sim file will not be heard by you, the player, using the Hydrophone. You won't hear a thing, even if the ship is within visual sight. That's something we just don't expect to happen when manually using passive sonar.

There's a couple of other things to repair/replace I'd like to do with the Campaign missions or historical battles. AND YES, I would like to start the game earlier....before December 7th, to incorporate a mission to hunt/find the Pearl Harbor Task Force after the attack. This would mean making a detailed mission of the Nagumo Task Force, and having a sub put into harms way.

Fred8615, if you already have an early start to the Campaign game, I would like to use it. I would appreciate any help you could provide! My feelings about mods are.....the less you have activated, the better things will run. As long as mods are compatible with each other, things go well, Start cobbling mods together, without throughly checking, things can get out of hand quickly. Leaving the user to scratch his head.

One small suggestion, I really like the radio messages in TMO. The 'chatter' if you will. Sports scores, sinking, holiday wishes, as well as operational awareness of the Japanese. It really helped to make it feel like you were in a living world.

I hope to see something like that included!:rock:

Will this be a stand alone super mod, or will it be an add on type of super mod?

Awesome news Cap'n!

If you need any help I would be happy to jump in where ever you need it.

A stand alone super mod. My goal is incorporate as many ideas for better play as can be added, with the hope of having as large an impact on gameplay as one modification can.

For instance, some of the work done by fellow modders have actually diminished gameplay by causing memory lag due to having too large of an image to display an element of the game. Either the image is physically too large, or has elements that don't need to be in the image.....like mip maps that don't need to be rendered. The game can only use 2 gigs of ram memory unless you use an app like Large Address Aware to force it to access more (if your computer has more memory than 2 gigs). Making a smooth running modification is just as important as making one at all. If an image can be used with a 1024x1024 size, why make it 2048x2048? It's this kind of attention to detail that I hope can make for a better game.

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Longknife, I would appreciate your help!

I envision getting ideas through this thread that may take several of us to accomplish. I'm open to suggestions and welcome help in any form. I don't think there's a deadline for us, yet pushing along toward a goal at least is a step in the right direction.

Greetings CapnScurvy,

Is it possible to have some playable surface ships implemented in your super mod?

I'm currently commanding the New_Mexico class BB as well as the Montana BB utilising TMO and RSRD and enjoying it very much.

If you would like to incorporate my Pre Pearl Harbor mod into yours, be my guest. No since reinventing the wheel if you don't need to. Feel free to edit, replace, or add to the missions I created for it if you don't like them. One of them even includes having a sub in the area of Nagumo's force on Dec. 7th, though I haven't actually encountered more than a few planes from it any time I've played it. (I have run into the TF returning to base in another of my missions though.)

If you need/want anything more, just ask!

I never thought I'd see another attempt at a major Fleet Boat mod for SH4. The modding side of things always seems to focus more on the other side. I'm quite interested to see where this goes.

I'm interested in this new interface. Willing to share any information on it yet?
My most wished for feature in the tracking/attack area of SH4 has always been a way to automatically mark the map when I take a bearing/range fix. If you found a way to add that, and that was all you added, I would be quite happy.

Does this mean just changing the interiors, or are you planning anything to make them more alive or interactive? I really like the 3D radar and TDC that was created, and I would love to see that carried forward and even built upon.

Thank you.....I'll definitely look into your Pre Pearl Harbor mod!! You'll get full credit as well :up:

James_nix wrote earlier in this thread:

Fred8615, I know you've done work with the sound side of things (I have too with the basic sound effects), but not with the radio messages. I wonder if you know what could be done (or maybe has already been done) regarding what james_nix is referring to?

I think what he is referring to are the message that pop up on the clipboard, not actual sound files that play on the radio.