[WIP] SH4 Launch Program-Feature Requests/Wish List/Suggestions

[Donner]

This thread will be dedicated to ideas for skwasjer's upcoming SH4 Commander (working title for now) launch program.

Please post your wish list of requested features/suggestions here. This first post will be updated *nearly* daily with current suggestions. Please, Please, Please re-read this first post for these updates. I would like to *try* to keep repeat feature requests to a minimum.

As per skwasjer's post stating that he was picking up the development of this mod, SH4 Commander will be in the "second chair" until he completes S3D. Therefore, there is no indication of when this mod will be ready.

skwasjer will be trying to setup a program with basic functionality first.

If you would like to help with this mod (researching, number crunching, etc), PM either skwasjer or myself.

Feature Requests:

• Listing of time, date, location, class and the name of the ships you have sunk.
• Computation of how many torpedoes were fired and hits/misses
• "scuttlebut" were you would learn the latest news and gossip from other skippers.
• Crew members are transferred after a while, just like in RL
• Crew management
• Multiple installs and rollbacks
• Implementation of "skin packs" for different periods of the war
• Set Commander's name
• Choose name and number of submarine
• Individual records for each crewman and showing who shot what down.
• Ability to add/remove medals & Badge (Dolphins)
• To Promote/Demote any Crewman
• Integrated GIEP mod
• Gramophone randomization
• Integration of radio management mod
• As per your 'scuttlebut' suggestion I'm thinking of taking parts of the program online, iow. post patrol logs and reports to a server, so they can be browsed online, or in the program by others. You'd only get access to logs that are in the same time period of your career and/or home port...
• Inclusion of battleflags mod, so that flags get rendered dynamicly onto your active skin. I have DDS/TGA filters and can render files programmatically without problem. If anyone has other ideas based on graphics manipulation, please go ahead and suggest.
• Basic options: time compression, game options, graphics options, disable movies, use or not use gu.exe (or schedule it), etc...
• Use recon photo's or screenshots for loading screens
• More to come....

[399nkov]

Howdy Donner; this mod sounds interesting.

Taking a pic to confirm a sinking and given some credit for a damaged ship, if thats possible. Just my thoughts.

[ReallyDedPoet]

I am just glad this is being worked on, it is appreciated
If I can think of any suggestions I will post back, I like what I see on the
present list


RDP

[Torps]

Yah this is a great idea, keep up the good work.

[skwasjer]

Thanks Donner, for picking this up. I will take the next week or so to sleep over the basic program and interface. Most ideas come to me while I sleep, then the next morning I go 'eureka'!

Some ideas/features I've thought of myself (some ideas require collaboration with and/or permission of the original mod authors):

• Integrated GIEP mod
• Gramophone randomization
• Integration of radio management mod
• As per your 'scuttlebut' suggestion I'm thinking of taking parts of the program online, iow. post patrol logs and reports to a server, so they can be browsed online, or in the program by others. You'd only get access to logs that are in the same time period of your career and/or home port...
• Inclusion of battleflags mod, so that flags get rendered dynamicly onto your active skin. I have DDS/TGA filters and can render files programmatically without problem. If anyone has other ideas based on graphics manipulation, please go ahead and suggest.
• Multiple game profiles each with their own specific settings (you've already got this partially covered with 'Multiple installs')
• Basic options: time compression, game options, graphics options, disable movies, use or not use gu.exe (or schedule it), etc...
• Use recon photo's or screenshots for loading screens

I'll without a doubt come up with more myself, but I rather see suggestions from the would-be users

[Digital_Trucker]

Whoa, you are one ambitious fella, swas (but we knew that already from S3D ). If you do consider the integration of the GIEP and RadioStationManager functions, you not only have permission, but I'll toss ya the source code for both (in Visual Basic, so it may not be too helpful:hmm: ).

One other thing I would like to see is the "seasonalization" (dang, I made up another word) of the thermal layer as is accomplished by the Thermalizer by Castorp345.

[Donner]

I really like the patrol report feature. That would be awesome.

It would be very realistic since skippers read through the patrol reports of other boats learn the latest info on shipping routes, aircraft activity, ASW defenses, weather, etc.

[skwasjer]

DT, that's great, but you can attempt to make it compatible yourself The plan is to make a plugin-enabled interface. This won't be directly the first version, but at at some point you can download some sort of SDK that lets you code a plugin. All you have to do is implement a few base classes and you're all set. Then you just drop your assembly into a specific plugin folder and voila. You can use VB.Net fine with it (you just reference the plugin-assembly). I'll make sure to set up some sample code by then.

Obviously, if there are problems I can help in making it work, or give suggestions to improve it. I don't code VB myself anymore, but I've done so for many years in the past

Originally Posted by Donner

I really like the patrol report feature. That would be awesome.

It would be very realistic since skippers read through the patrol reports of other boats learn the latest info on shipping routes, aircraft activity, ASW defenses, weather, etc.

Exactly Could also give the feeling you're hunting in a pack... The only worry is that with hundreds if not thousands of users (*cough*) you'd have way to much subs/skippers, so we have to think of a way to limit this to stay realistic. Don't know, maybe filtering by date as I suggested is enough, can't say now. Also, duplicate boat numbers/names are an issue.

[Digital_Trucker]

The plug-in approach sounds great. Never attempted anything along those lines before, but there's a first time for everything

[caspofungin]

as well as selection of boat at campaign starts, could we have refit options -- e.g. deckgun placement, conning tower alterations -- and select home port/squadron?

[tomoose]

I'm glad someone is looking at an SH4 capability again, thanks very much in advance for your time on this.

I don't know what "integrated GIEP" refers to but I like the sound of it, LOL!

I'm not going to get greedy, for my part I'd like to see the same basic features as found in SH3 Commander that made it so popular. Anything else is gravy.

[Zero Niner]

So long as it's similar to SH3 Commander, I'll be happy. Thanks.

[Nuc]

Would it be possible to change your assigned objective and home base for return at the start of a campaign patrol?

[JScones]

@Donner/skwasjer: My only request when Potoroo took up the challenge was that the name "SH4 Commander" would not be used at all, mainly to avoid confusion or assumption of connection with SH3 Commander - I get enough PMs and emails now on the subject. I would appreciate it if you would carry forward that agreement.

@Everyone: Whilst I appreciate the references to SH3 Commander, I recommend that you don't merely ask for it to be similar to SH3 Commander, you ask for it to be better than SH3 Commander. Remember, SH3 Commander is three years old, written well before the community pushed SH3 to the levels that is has now (f'instance back then there was no such thing as multiple installs). It started as a humble Kaleun history generator and date-based file copier, growing in scope as demand increased, but still tied back to March 2005 fundamentals.

This new product has three years of history to learn from and improve upon. F'instance, improved file version control and management would be a given (as I stated in the other SH4 Skipper thread, if I had my time again - I wish forward sight was as 20/20 as hindsight - I'd build in a proper mini-document management system). So this should remove the rollback dramas that exist with SH3 Commander (although R2.8 will address this somewhat). So if you refer to SH3 Commander, use it as a base for suggesting where things could be done better, or at the least, differently.

Just remember though that SH4 incorporates a number of the features that SH3 Commander has, meaning that they are not needed externally to SH4.

Anyway, good luck with the project guys.

[Donner]

Originally Posted by JScones

@Donner/skwasjer: My only request when Potoroo took up the challenge was that the name "SH4 Commander" would not be used at all, mainly to avoid confusion or assumption of connection with SH3 Commander - I get enough PMs and emails now on the subject. I would appreciate it if you would carry forward that agreement.

I am assisting skwasjer compile and maintain a list of ideas/suggestions for the upcoming mod. From my understanding (and also mentioned in a previous thread) skwasjer intends to name this program something other than "SH4 Commander." This is only a working title for now as stated in a the first post of this thread. My sincerest apologies for any misdirected PMs to you about this project. Thread title has been changed to *hopefully* avoid further confusion.

No worries on a name change. It will happen. From what skwasjer posted earlier, he doesn't like the previous name suggestions. So, he is also wanting suggestions for a suitable name for this mod/program.

Thanks for all your contributions to SH3, JScones! JSGME is sheer brilliance as is SH3 Commander.