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Old 05-23-15, 02:35 PM   #2
Urmel
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Silent Hunter IIIŠ Redesign by LSH3

Since our last supermod LSH3 V5.1 (Edition 2010) the decade-old game SH3 has been taken into a complete and profound analysis (functionality, usability, error-proneness, game content, history, graphical representation) for the first time and refreshed in every respect. Many new functions have been developed and built in all over the game as far as the game allowed it!

The new SH3 default GUI Edition 2015:
Each game view the original SH3 game user interface (GUI) has been revised individually.
Diverse views and submarine stations were supplemented and expanded with new smart features.
The result was a new (L) SH3 standard GUI 2015. The GUI is available in six variants Mod ready:
Each view of the user interface (GUI) has been revised individually. Many views and submarine stations were extended and new smart features were added.
The result is the new (L)SH3 default GUI 2015. This GUI is available in six variants:

Three GUI variants for the aspect ratio 4:3 (1024x768px):

- LSH3 GUI 2015 with small and big dials (integrated into the main mod)
- LSH3 GUI 2015 with small dials
- LSH3 GUI OLC 2015 with the OLC console

Three WIDESCREEN GUI variants for the aspect ratio 16:9 (1360x768px):

- LSH3 GUI 2015 WIDESCREEN with small and big dials
- LSH3 GUI 2015 WIDESCREEN with small dials
- LSH3 GUI OLC 2015 WIDESCREEN with the OLC console

For the first time every(!) SH3 game view is optimised for wide screens when using these three GUIs!

The new main menu in LSH3 Edition 2015:
The main menu has been revised completely. Information texts and buttons were reasonable placed. Now SH3 and HSIE patch version along with the version of the supermod and the currently active GUI is shown. A new information window (with hints regarding career, single missions, multiplayer, naval academy and museum) can be displayed.

The game settings in Edition 2015:
The three game settings views (voice, sound and graphics) were redesigned. The graphics settings are set to nowadays reasonable values.

The LSH3 credits in Edition 2015:
The redesigned credits include a summary of all modders, programmers, testers and players who have significantly contributed to the creation of LSH3 Edition 2015.
A complete list of all individual mods included and the full credits will be published by Blueduck after release.

The museum in Edition 2015:
The view and selection control has been completely redesigned. Additional historically verified information were added for about 450 new game units (ships, air planes, submarines).
Technical note: On less powerful computers it can take up to 30 minutes to load the museum.
The naval academy in Edition 2015:
Views, choices and information texts have been completely revised. We recommend to complete the five individual courses to start new careers with maximum rating.

The new single mission concept in Edition 2015:
The crash-prone concept to allow playing single missions besides a career has been revised. The new Mod “LSH3-2015_SingleMissions_NoCareer-FastLoad” includes twenty-five revised historical single missions. Every mission can be played with all four submarine types in countless equipment variants depending on the year. All career related files automatically will be deactivated to allow a very quick loading of the missions.
To play single missions within LSH3 Edition 2015 with different sets of mods a separate installation is necessary. It can be created during the install or at any time with the tool SH3-MULTICOPY.

The new multiplayer (Wolfsrudel) online concept in Edition 2015:
Multiplayer mode has been revised. The new mod “LSH3-2015_OnlineMultiMissions_NoCareer-FastLoad” includes twenty-five revised historical multiplayer missions. Every mission can be played with all four submarine types in countless equipment variants depending on the year. All career related files automatically will be deactivated to allow a very quick loading of the missions. To play multiplayer missions within LSH3 Edition 2015 with different sets of mods a separate installation is necessary. It can be created during the install or at any time with the tool SH3-MULTICOPY.
For a multiplayer online connection, we recommend to use TUNNGLE. Helpful information about TUNNGLE, firewall and port settings are integrated into the game.

The submarine commanders career 1939-1945 in Edition 2015:
The re-enactment of a career of a submarine commander in World War II between 1939 and 1945 as historically correct as possible is the core of LSH3 Edition 2015.
The limited number of eight flotillas were redefined and for the first time the former submarine bases (ports) are represented geographically correct.
The test sites are used during the entire war as a starting and contact points of the submarine commanders. Additionally all game views (like flotilla selection or relocation) and graphics (like flotilla symbols) were recreated and integrated in a new overview over all flotillas with corresponding data.
The operational area has been massively expanded to Southeast Asia through the 12th flotilla and to the entire Black Sea through the new 30th (the former 30th) flotilla.

The management and equipment of submarines in Edition 2015:
The submarine management view has been completely revised. Some old display errors have been correcter or at least improved. The preview of all submarine tower combinations have been harmonised. All graphics of equipment (like machines, snorkel, batteries, hydrophones, sonar, locating and monitoring devices, decoys) were recreated and repositioned on the boat. The tower emblems of all flotillas and individual emblems were revised and partially redrawn (263 in total). Texts and technical information about the equipment has been verified and partly updated.

The management of team and awards in Edition 2015:
Both views have been completely redesigned. All award graphics were optimised or redrawn. A new information panel about the team, rank, promotions and medals was integrated.

Other career views in Edition 2015:
All the other game views (like the “career center”, “desk”, “career progress”, “patrol stats”, “submarine aces”) were systematically redesigned and further optimised for widescreen displays.
New LSH3 Edition 2015 career game features (in-game)

Playable submarines in Edition 2015:
Four submarine types in eleven equipment variants are available. Type II and Type VII now have an extended accessible interior. Various errors of the interiors have been fixed. The individual submarine interior we chose (controls, displays, bananas etc.) comply to historically verifiable facts.

The ports in Edition 2015:
Compared to LSH3 V5.1 various ports have been reworked or newly added (e. g. Constanta, Sevastopol, Penang, Soerabaja). Although not historically confirmed in each case, several dozen ports in the game are now protected by mines and barrier nets. For sixteen ports corresponding map views have been newly created.

New game units in Edition 2015:
All game units actively involved in fighting (like submarines, ships, aircrafts) are called “active units” by us. This excludes lighthouses, buildings on land, icebergs or dolphins for example.
Edition 2015 has about 450 active game units, compared to nearly 340 in Edition 2010 or only 62 in the original game.

New lighthouse symbols in Edition 2015:
The Lighthouse symbols were redrawn and their position in the map view (F5) was partially corrected.

New help view (F1) in Edition 2015:
SH3 is one of the few PC games which require virtually any keyboard key to completely control the game, or to play efficiently via mouse and keyboard. The game has nearly 200 individual or combined keyboard commands. Information about these have always been insufficient which causes that many players still play SH3 exclusively via mouse.
On patrol a fully revised help view is shown when pressing F1. It contains keyboard shortcuts sorted by subject, important data about all nations involved in war and information about “top secret missions”.
Fifteen new “information boards” have been developed for Edition 2015. The panels are sorted by subject and distributed across submarine stations accordingly. The help view (F1) makes them all visible at a glance.

The revised submarine control console in Edition 2015:
The console view has been redesigned and optimised from the ground up. Here the focus was on expanding the possibilities of original SH3 control console without negatively affecting the familiar game control.
The various advantages of the GUIs OLC, Six Dials Simfeeling and Multi-Slideout have been carefully analysed, revised and combined into the new LSH3 Edition 2015 control console.
For example the course display with degree accuracy or the new switchable large displays for compass and depth gauge for even more precise control with the mouse. The symbols informing about the current state of the submarine, revised battery, compressed air, CO2 and fuel level instruments or the five-step camouflage warning symbols are new, too.
If zooming while on the deck gun station (F10) a new automatic target and firing distance function is available. If a ship has been marked as the target on the bridge (F4), UZO (U) or in the periscope (F3) before, the target and firing distance on the deck gun automatically updates.
All functions are available for the aspect ratio 4:4 and for widescreen displays (as an additional GUI mod). If you don't like the big dials, you can enable the GUI mod “SH3 Classic Dials” or use the revised original OLC GUI 2015 of course.

Further revisions in Edition 2015:
All graphic elements in the team and damage management (F7) were refreshed. Among others the damage and repairs symbols, as well as the flooding effect of individual stations has been optimised.
All views in the torpedo and ammunition management (key I) have been completely redesigned and all types of ammunition graphics were redrawn. Preview images have been updated to match the newly added deck and anti-aircraft guns, the technical specifications were adapted accordingly.

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After five years of modding we have alot more to say!
right now it must be OK for now :-)

Greets, LSH3 Team Urmel

Last edited by Urmel; 12-01-16 at 04:45 PM.
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