U-boat crew mods

[August]

In response to Martes request to consolidate my postings in the List of Mods sticky into something he can link to.

This isn't really a "mod" like there's any files available for download, but rather a catch-all thread for how one can adjust various attributes of ones u-boat crew themselves. This includes, but is not limited to, changing:

Crew names
Medals
Qualifications
Rank
Icons
3d faces and uniforms
Crew locations/compartments


As you'll see the information in my subsequent posts is somewhat incomplete, so any additional information, suggestions or corrections to them are most welcome.

[August]

The foundation of crew modification is the crew_config_(save name or boat type).cfg files.

They can be found in two locations. The campaign save folders in your My Documents directory for your active careers (save name) and the SHIII/Data/Cfg folder for the default crews used in new campaigns and single missions (boat type).

These files can be edited with notepad and are organized by crew_member number. Don't let the name fool you, this actually means a location on the boat not any particular member of the crew.

For example: Crew_member_0 is the Officers position on the Bridge, and Crew_member_13 is the first enlisted crew slot next to CM_0. (See a complete list of slots by compartment in one of the replies below.)

In each of these CM slots is the collection of values that define a officer or crewman; everything from his medals to his fatigue rate, to what 3d body and head to use. When you move him from one position on the boat to another you are moving those values to another Crew_member slot.

Now its important to understand that your crewmans information is not erased in the slot you moved him from. The game just changes its NrComp value to a "-1" to mark the slot as unoccupied.

Then the game changes the NrComp number of the new slot to a value which represents that slots compartment number (see list) and overwrites the existing values with those of your crewman.

This means you may find your crewmans name and attributes in several different Crew_member slots depending on how much you moved him around and whether you moved somebody else into that slot during your last game session. However, only one of those slots will have both your crewmans name and an NrComp number of something besides "-1". This is your actual crewman and the only slot where you can make changes that will appear in the game.

[August]

Here is a sample of crew member 0, which is the Watch Officers slot and can be used as a guide to editing any crewmans attributes. Descriptions and notes are added in bold and should not be included in the actual file.

[CREW_MEMBER_0]
Name=Kurt Zeissmann <-- I change the name to something defining his job like Watch Officer or Chief Engineer etc.
Index=5 <- Changes the officer icon in the crew management screen. See officer icon number choices below.
NrComp=0 <- A negative number (-1) means the crewman was in that slot at some point but has been moved elsewhere. Do not bother editing any crew member slot unless the number is anything besides a negative 1.
Type=2
Grad=6 <- The Crewmans rank
Renown=0.000000
Patrols=0
Morale=0.800000
Fatigue=0.152500
HealthStatus=0
WasWounded=No
HitPoints=14.000000
Experience=300.000000
Rank=11 <- Not a crewmans rank. Don’t know what it does
NrQual=1 <-- This is the number of qualifications they have. Warrant officers 1 and Officers up to 3
Qualification0=4 <-- This is the first qualification. Both officers and warrant officers use this line
Qualification1=3 <- This line and the next are only in officer configs. Omit when building a warrant officer config
Qualification2=7
SpecialAbility=-1 <- Unknown
MedalsInx0=0 <-- These settings give the crewman his medals. See below for details.
MedalsInx1=1
MedalsInx2=2
MedalsInx3=3
MedalsInx4=-1
MedalsInx5=-1
MedalsInx6=6
MedalsInx7=7
MedalsInx8=-1
HeadIdx=1 <-- Changes the 3d head model
HeadTgaIdx=0 <-- Changes the 3d Head Icon
BodyIdx=0
BodyTgaIdx=0 <-- Changes the 3d uniform (blue, brown, green, etc.)
HasHelmet=Yes <-- Adds a cap to 3d seaman and such
HelmetIdx=0
HelmetTgaIdx=0
VoiceIdx=1 <-- Changes the voices. 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.
Prom=No
Medal0=No
Qual0=No
Medal1=No
Qual1=No
Medal2=No
Qual2=No
Medal3=No
Qual3=No
Medal4=No
Qual4=No
Medal5=No
Qual5=No
Medal6=No
Qual6=No
Medal7=No
Qual7=No
Medal8=No
Qual8=No

-------------------------------------------------------------
Various entry numbers and what they mean:

Qualifications
0= Watch
1= Gunner
2= Flak (I think)
3= Sonar
4=Helms
5=Machine
6=Torpedo
7= Medic
8=Repair
9=
-----------------------------------------------------------
Ranks (Grad)
1
2
3
4
5
6=Sub Lt.
7=Lt-Jr.
8=Lt. Sr.
9
10
11
12.
13

----------------------------------------------------------
Entry choices for officer crew screen icons

8, 9 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 18, 22

-----------------------------------------------------------
Medals

0= IC 2nd Class
1= IC 1st class
2= German Cross
3= Knights Cross
4= Not used, leave as negative 1
5= Not used, leave as negative 1
6= Front clasp
7= Patrol badge
8= Wound badge

Copy and paste the information below to give your crewman all the medals except for the wound badge.

MedalsInx0=0
MedalsInx1=1
MedalsInx2=2
MedalsInx3=3
MedalsInx4=-1
MedalsInx5=-1
MedalsInx6=6
MedalsInx7=7
MedalsInx8=-1

[August]

Bugfix for missing officer (who was left in damage control after a save and exit).

Find your latest save game crew config file and make a backup.

Open the original file with notepad and locate crew member slot number 11. Copy everything in that slot except for the first line [Crew_member_11].

Scroll back up to one of the other officer crew member slots that has an NrComp number of -1 and paste the information over what's there. Make sure you have the compartment you're choosing (ie, no stern torpedo room in an XX1).

Do NOT use crew_member slot number 1 as it is not used in the game, and don't use any slot that has a value besides -1 or you'll be missing another crewman when you restart the game.

Sufficiently intimidated? well here is a list of officer slots by compartment and NrComp number.

Conning Tower Bridge
Nr Comp 0
Officers slot number = 0

Control room
Nr Comp 2
Officers slot numbers = 2 3 4

Bow Torpedo room
Nr Comp 5
Officers slot number = 7

Bow Quarters
Nr Comp 6
Officers slot number = 8

Stern Quarters
Nr Comp 7
Officers slot number = 9

Diesel Engine compartment
Nr Comp 3
Officers slot number = 5

Electric engine compartment
Nr Comp 4
Officers slot number = 6

Aft Torpedo room
Nr Comp 8
Officers slot number = 7

Damage Control
Nr Comp 11
Officers slot number = 11

[martes86]

Some more useful things:

Originally Posted by August

Below is a complete listing of the crew slot numbers for a VII (single aa gun tower) boat by compartment. They're listed in order starting with the officers slot top left.

-------

Conning Tower Bridge
Nr Comp 0
00 13 14 15 16

Flak gun
Nr Comp 10
20

Deck gun
Nr Comp 9
17 18 19

Control room
Nr Comp 2
02 03 04
30 31 32

Sonar/Radio
Nr Comp 1
28 29

Bow Torpedo room
Nr Comp 5
07 53 54 55 56
57 58 59 60 51
62 63 64 65 66

Bow Quarters
Nr Comp 6
08 67 68 69 70 71 72
73 74 75 76 77 78 79
80 81 82

Stern Quarters
Nr Comp 7
09 83 84 85
86 87 88 89 90

Diesel Engine compartment
Nr Comp 3
05 33 34 35
36 37 38 39 40

Electric engine compartment
Nr Comp 4
06 43 44 45
46 47 48 49 50

Aft Torpedo room
Nr Comp 8
07 99 100 101
102 103 104

Damage Control
Nr Comp 11
11 107 108 109 110 111
112 113 114 115 116

[martes86]

New item in the list. Thanks a lot August.

[August]

Thanks for the assist Martes but you were a little slow on the 2nd one...

[martes86]

Woh, yes, I was. :rotfl:

Now fixed.

[August]

Did some updating to the 2nd and third posts.

[martes86]

Nice.

[Strelich]

Hello, several months ago someone posted a JPG or some image showing all the combinations of faces, uniform colors, and hats that could be made by changing the HeadIdx=, TgaIdx= (and so on) entries in this .cfg file. If anyone remembers what post it was in, or better yet, had the image itself, it would be most appreciated if someone could post it. I've been trying to change the numbers so I can make my officers less 'cloney' (given three of them look exactly the same) but to no avail.

I wish I could describe it better, other than it being exactly what I needed, showing that HeadIdx=0 is this face, HeadIdx=1 is this one, and so on.

Thanks again.

[gdogghenrikson]

interesting, you can change the voice type I have only heard 3 voice types there are more than that but you need something to play .ogg files (like winamp)

[August]

Here's a list of icon index numbers:

The corresponding tga files are shown in blue and can be found in the SH3/data/menu/data/ofaces folder.



As you'll see when you check out that directory there are actually two tga files for each icon. A larger one and a second smaller one which is a collage of several pictures representing the crewmans various states (selected, wounded, dead, promotable, etc) in game.

Examples:
Off034.tga
This is the one you see in the crewmans statistics and information box when you select him.


Off034_0.tga
This is what the game uses for the icon itself.

[August]

Originally Posted by Strelich

Hello, several months ago someone posted a JPG or some image showing all the combinations of faces, uniform colors, and hats that could be made by changing the HeadIdx=, TgaIdx= (and so on) entries in this .cfg file. If anyone remembers what post it was in, or better yet, had the image itself, it would be most appreciated if someone could post it. I've been trying to change the numbers so I can make my officers less 'cloney' (given three of them look exactly the same) but to no avail.

I wish I could describe it better, other than it being exactly what I needed, showing that HeadIdx=0 is this face, HeadIdx=1 is this one, and so on.

Thanks again.

Bump. Perhaps someone knows about the image he's talking about. It'd be nice to have a copy of it posted in this thread. I can host it if necessary.

[Strelich]

Actually, that was one of the images I remembered, so many thanks for putting it up

Recently, I played a career long enough that my highest ranking petty officer could be promoted to one of the five main officers (Stabsoberbootsman to Oberfähnrich, in this case). When I do so, I pretty much get the same officer (third from the top) in the image posted above.

In the end, I'm looking to use the rather slim but functional variety of faces, clothing colors, and hats available to make a 'variable' crew. As of right now, my chief engineer, navigation officer, and weapons officer are the same combination of elements, resulting in three 'clones' in the command room. If there are 12 distinct combinations of only two faces (as per the image above), all I'm looking for is to make all my officers different among those choices.

Thanks again for posting the image, August. It's certainly a start. From what I have looked at so far, I made the below list to show the standard combinations of officers the game has which relate to the image above. It's my hope that perhaps other combinations may yield different officers, even though they may not look like the pictures above. It may end up being a man with a different shirt, but at least it's a little more variety.

A) HeadIdx= B) HeadTgaIdx= C) BodyIdx= D) BodyTgaIdx= E) HasHelmet=Yes/No (Y/N)

-- A B C D E
14 1 0 0 3 N
03 0 0 0 1 Y
12 0 0 0 0 N
13 0 0 0 0 Y
18 2 0 0 1 N
19 0 0 0 3 Y
16 2 0 0 0 N
05 2 0 0 0 Y
22 1 0 0 1 N
11 1 0 0 1 Y
08 2 0 0 2 N
09 2 0 0 2 Y