Realism- and gameplay-related hardcode fixes for SH3.EXE

[steevo45]

So should I uninstall stream SH and just buy it from amazon of ubi?

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by steevo45

So should I uninstall stream SH and just buy it from amazon of ubi?

Don't know if it's even necessary to uninstall the Steam version. (Prolly can't hurt.) Otherwise. yes.

[steevo45]

Strange thing is some of the fixes work, like the WO now goes to bridge automatically but others don't like range still given precisely and scope works at flank speed. Also, the compass and depth gauge bottom right have reverted back to Vainilla SH3! When will it ever end?!!

[barel80]

I don't know what why does the problem appear, but my advice is to unistall and DELETE whole SH3 directory, then install SH3 from Steam, install GWX 3.0, and then patch SH3.exe by hardcode fixes and next by Stiebler fix. The last thing is to enable mods by JSGME.
Note : I patched SH3.exe only by hardcode fixes, because Stiebler's fix caused crashes with MEP and Widescreen Magui mods.

Good luck !

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by steevo45

Strange thing is some of the fixes work, like the WO now goes to bridge automatically but others don't like range still given precisely and scope works at flank speed. Also, the compass and depth gauge bottom right have reverted back to Vainilla SH3! When will it ever end?!!

Steevo45, have you viewed (and followed) the set of tutorials by desertstriker covering the special procedures needed to mod the Steam version of SH3? Specifically, there is a lengthy one that focuses on h.sie's and Stiebler's patchers: . If some of the patches are working and some are not, you might check the setup and activation of the patches before you reinstall SH3. Removing and reinstalling the patches would be less work than a complete reinstall of SH3.

barel80, I don't use MEP, but I've run Widescreen MaGUI with h.sie's and Stiebler's patches without problems. I'm not aware of any reason why they shouldn't be compatible if Stiebler's patcher is properly set up and is the last mod activated with JSGME.

[Stiebler]

The hard-code fixes are divided conveniently into two groups, namely Hsie's and mine (Stiebler's). Generally speaking, Hsie's changes have very little effect on other SH3 files apart from SH3.exe itself - minor additions (by cut-and-paste) have to be made to one or two files. However, ALL his files must be in place if the mod is to function. The Stiebler additions require in addition a series of listed detailed changes and/or additions to several files if they are to function.

The central problem is that, once having made these changes to other SH3 files - let us call them file1.cfg, file2.cfg, file3.cfg and file4.cfg, there are several involved - then you must not let other mods write over files1,2,3,4.cfg. For Hsie's patch, this is less of a problem, since at worst some of his additions will be missing from the overwritten files.

But for the Stiebler additions, placing other modders' files 1,2,3,4.cfg over the fixed Stiebler files of the same names will cause some kind of problem for sure. Sometimes even a CTD.

At one time we planned to release a combined package, but decided against this in the end, because of the problem of conflicting files. Hsie's patch is not much affected by conflicts; the Stiebler patch causes many conflicts.

Once you have installed either or both of our patches, you must not install any further mods whose files conflict with the files our patches have installed.

What you can do, however, is to take the conflicting files of the new mods and make the same alterations to them that you have previously made to install our patches onto stock SH3, NYGM or GWX3.0 (or other super-mods).

The names of the conflicting files can be discovered easily just by reading our two installation packages. The critical files (overwriting them can cause a CTD) are these:

commands_en(de).txt
en(de)_menu.txt
menu_1024_768.ini (used by MANY mods that change screen appearance)
envsim.act, SH3Sim.act, SH3Sound.act, CameraBehaviour.act, SH3Collisions.act. (These files are not likely to be overwritten by anyone else's mods, but the new versions must be present.)

M36B occurrences:
Anyone who has IABL's M36B CAM-ship installed should change the UnitType everywhere to type 8 (from 102). This affects particularly GWX users. You will find M36B in Data\sea\M36B\M36B.cfg, Data\campaigns\campaign_RND.mis and Data\Roster\Sea\M36B\M36b.cfg.
I produced a GWX package some time ago that fixes all these problems for GWX users.

The point is this:
Any new mod that you introduce to SH3.exe already patched successfully with the Hsie and Stiebler fixes must not overwrite any of the files I've listed above. (Other files are also involved, but clashes with them don't cause CTDs, just unexpected behaviour.)

If you want to use other people's mods on top of your patched SH3 standard installation, check very carefully (eg, with JSGME) that they do not contain files that clash with my list above.
The biggest single offender is certainly the menu_1024_768.ini file. It is widely used by those who provide alternative GUIs (graphics-user interfaces).

You MUST install the Hsie and Stiebler patches BEFORE you add any other mods (excepting the basic NYGM or GWX+[Stiebler-GWX-patch] super-mods - these can be in place before you install). Check the patched game at this point to make sure that it works properly.

One other point, concerning modified versions of envsim.act (which controls the weather):
Hsie's patch actually calls code in his provided envsim.act file.

If you wish to use the Stiebler/NYGM envsim.act replacement file, you must first use the Options Selector (provided with the Hsie patch) to TURN OFF Hsie's weather code in the Hsie-patched file SH3.exe. Then you can copy my envsim.act file on top of Hsie's.

I need hardly add that it is best to make all these mod additions and removals with JSGME!

Stiebler.

[steevo45]

Thanks a lot for the replies and attempts to help. Still get CTD (plus dark sky during day after installing SH Commander) just when 'not so long ago' appears, and this has been the case over the last few attempts at my continued attempts to get a stable GWX+SHCommander plus additional mods game working during the last few months of install/fail/re-install. maybe it's related to Windows8 too. Anyway, I think it's time to throw in the towel and turn to SH4 Operation Monsoon/SH5. At least these work!
Pity though as I think the above SH3 combo is the crowning achievement of the SH series.
Makes me feel subsim should set up a 'clinic' for us less computer savy fans each year somewhere where they could make some money fixing problems like this.
Just a thought.

[Tupolev]

I'vebeen uusing both Stiebler's and h.sie's fixes for a while, but reading this has me worried on the order of using the Option Selector.

Do I want to select h.sie's options before installing Stiebler's addon? Or wait until Stiebler's addon is installed then select the options I want for both patches from Stiebler's Selector?

Did I make that clear as mud?

T

[Stiebler]

@Tupolev:

Your question is perfectly clear.

You must carry out these hard-code fixes in this order:
1. Create H.sie's patch.
2. Use the SH3.exe from (1) to create the Stiebler patch.
3. Apply the Options Selector to the SH3.exe created in (2). That is, use the first screen of the Options Selector to select the options to use in the H.sie patch, and use the second screen of the Option Selector to select the options from the Stiebler patch. Both of these separate selections can be made at the same time.
4. Use the SH3.exe created in (3) for your game. You must also make the changes to other files, which are not SH3.exe, at this time.
5. Install all the new files in the correct folders, as stated in the documentation, using JSGME.

Stiebler.

[Tupolev]

Thanks Stielber!

I've definitely been activating in the wrong order. I appreciate you clearing this up!

T

[Hawk U-375]

Originally Posted by barel80

Problem solved after reinstalling SH 3 .

How did you do it?

I'm having same problem.....

[Fahnenbohn]

Hi ! Congratulations to h.sie for his great job !!

I have a silly question : is that new sh3.exe compatible with the latest version of SH3 ?

Another little question : is it necessary to change sh3.exe to don't have seagulls at nights ? It's very annoying ...

[Succat]

Can somebody plz share a fixed sh3.exe by PM with me please, cannot patch this thing why ever.

Would be nice, thank you.

[johan_d]

What is suggested when using GWX 3.0 with this : 16km or not ?

[Olamagato]

16 km is absolutely OK.