[REL] Real Fleet Boat 2.0

[Hitman]

Correction: the RFB version of the Narwhal will be a separate download for donation, as the "regular" version of the Narwhal is right now.

Hum yes, but a free patch without the Narwhal itself should be available to allow people who download it from subsim to play with RFB. I mean, the RFB compatibility files should be available freely while not containing the Narwhal themselves. As long as you leave out the special hull and conning tower DAT files, the submarine will not work without subsim's download.

[keltos01]

I concur

a compatibility patch for the existing donation Narwhal is enough, then people who have it can d/l the patch if they wanna play RFB

Ducimus is doing the same for the TMO

Vickers03 has offered his interior Salmon for the mod as well


keltos

[TH0R]

Originally Posted by Hitman

OK, here is version 1.0 of the revised sensors and environment for RFB. I sent it also to Luke for including in the next patch, but I make it available here directly so you guy don't have to wait and start putting pressure on Luke

Drop into JGSME and enable. AND READ THE README!!!!

Link: http://www.mediafire.com/?10kwm3zcm2e

Ok, this is me testing the latest version, v1.0.

Monitor: Samsung 19" LCD, 971P.

In game graphic / gamma settings:





MISSION no.1, USS Archer-Fish (SS-311) - sink the Shinano:
- background movie is from TMO, I got bored of the stock one



Shinano visible + range on map:



Nearest DD spotted by crew + range on the map + binoculars view:




MISSION no.2, USS Spadeish (SS-411) - large convoy:
- again, background movie is from TMO, I got bored of the stock one



First contacts visible as little specks (escorts), two of them + range on the map:



First contacts spotted by crew + range on map + binoculars view:




Ok, now readme says:

Clear/cloudy night:

-Excellent visibility (No fog): Crew will spot ships up to 8-9000 metres
-Good visibility (Light fog): Crew will spot ships up to 8-9000 metres

Overcast night:

-Excellent visibility (No fog): Crew will spot ships up to 8000 metres
-Good visibility (Light fog): Crew will spot ships up to 8000 metres
-Medium visibility (Medium fog): Crew will spot ships up to 5000 metres
-Bad visibility (Heavy fog): Crew will spot ships up to 1000 metres

Right now I am not seeing what my crew sees. I've tried toning down my gamma settings but the night is just too dark, and it is too big strain for my eyes.

From these single missions, it seems that crew spots ships at ranges

• MISSION no.1 ~4850 yards = ~4435m (partly cloudy, excellent visibility, 3m/s wind)
• MISSION no.2 ~6000 yards = ~5485m (partly cloudy, excellent visibility, 5m/s wind)

=> well below 8000m as stated in the readme.


MODS used during testing:

RFB 2.0
RFB Patch 27thMarch2010 (beta, with included sensors and enviroment mod v1.0)
WDM 17Jan09
RSRDC v575
RSRDC v5xx Patch1
RSRDC AircraftSoundFix

[RFB Team]

All,

The link to the main RFB file will be down for a little while. We're uploading a new file to the server that replaces the RAR file with a smaller 7z file. Nothing has changed with the mod.

[OlegM]

Originally Posted by RFB Team

All,

The link to the main RFB file will be down for a little while. We're uploading a new file to the server that replaces the RAR file with a smaller 7z file. Nothing has changed with the mod.

Is this a new version we've all been waiting for or just the old version in new format?

Many thanks.

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by Strife

And what about the Lookout rating? Is it implemented? I haven't seen a single one yet? (If is not, I could "grow up" my crew differently maybe )

I've removed the Lookout rating from the mod, as it wasn't a real rating. Quartermaster is the rating you want for your petty officers on the bridge (it's explained in more detail in the first post (item #18)).

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by OlegM

Is this a new version we've all been waiting for or just the old version in new format?

Just the old version in a new format. I had to use the RAR file compression before, because there was a bug with the 7z file compression. Now that the bug has been fixed, I was able to re-upload the file in the 7z format, which has a lot smaller file size than RAR.

[Hitman]

Ok, this is me testing the latest version, v1.0.

Monitor: Samsung 19" LCD, 971P.

Thanks for the feedback Thor, much appreciated

The response of visual sensor is also dependant on the rating of the crew. The tests I did were based on an elite one, so as to be sure that a higher rating would not distort them.

[TH0R]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Thanks for the feedback Thor, much appreciated

The response of visual sensor is also dependant on the rating of the crew. The tests I did were based on an elite one, so as to be sure that a higher rating would not distort them.

Wow! That huge difference between rookie and elite? Can maybe something be done about this?

It would be cool if the difference was down to 1000-1500m, but 4000-5000m? It feels like having one-eyed watch crew from SH5.

In any case, I highly recommend that you add this to the read me, if it is not already in (not at home co I can't check). "Tested on elite crew"

[Hitman]

No, no that huge. A sighting at 7000+ metres at dark nights is something quite rare, even with elite crew. Normally they will be around 5-6000 at most.

Besides, the game seems to work differently in campaign mode. Probably the result of crewrating influencing in their abilities, and also the size of the spotted ships seems to matter (Surface factor) but may be something else, don't know. In general, single missions purpose built for testing do -strangely- not always provide the results you would expect.

I tried to make crew be more blind than eagle eyed at night, because I myself like to play with a dark monitor, and in general LCD ones are dark.

[TH0R]

Hmm, well I would advise that you specify what should be the average ranges on which crew spots ships in the readme. After reading it, I expected sightings at around 8000m.

I like to play on medium dark gamma settings as my eyes get tired quickly. Especially if I am in the middle of night engagement and its day time / I have an open window in my room. Often I have to increase my gamma settings to be able to see anything.

Conclusion, yes, my LCD monitor is dark. And thus requires me to tune up gamma settings.

My personal choice would be something in the middle - between blind and eagle eyed crew. First two betas worked great for me.


I will continue testing this in campaign mode and report back. 5th patrol awaits.

[flymar]

How is the job going with the 'curing of' sonarman? Cheers.

[TH0R]

Originally Posted by flymar

How is the job going with the 'curing of' sonarman? Cheers.

Been testing it in the beta patch, but very little. After I test some more I will report back. So far from the quick peek it seems to be an impovement but for a definite reply I will need to test in in campaign mode.

[Hitman]

My personal choice would be something in the middle - between blind and eagle eyed crew. First two betas worked great for me.

It's easy enough to revert to the values used in the earlier BETA. Just open sensors.cfg (Silent HUnter 4/Data/Cfg) and change it according to the note I added:

; NYGM Submarine Visual Sensor v1.1.3 for Environment 5.0
; Visual Sensor settings revised by Hitman, March 2010

;Submarine player sensors detection parameters

[SensorParameters]

;Visual.
Visual range factor=2 ;[>=0]
Visual fog factor=1 ;[>=0]
Visual light factor=2.1 ;[>=0] Current 2.1 is appropiate for dark screens. If you find crew too blind, change it to 1.5
Visual waves factor=1 ;[>=0]
Visual speed factor=0 ;[>=0]
Visual aspect=0.5 ;[>=0]
Visual enemy speed=0.2 ;[>=0]
Visual noise factor=0 ;[>=0]
Visual sensor height factor=4 ;[>=0]
Visual already tracking modifier=600 ;[detection probability modifier], most accurate, once a contact is detected it will lose it very hard
Visual decay time=180 ;[>0] 250 already tracking bonus decay, in seconds
Visual uses crew efficiency=true ;[true or true]

The first Beta patch (Which almost didn't touch the original settings) was at 0.03 IIRC. But I find it too irrealistic, crew spotted things that you never could. IMHO anything less than "1" gives totally unacceptable results.

[TH0R]

Thanks for this mate. I will save it for later use if I can't see things at night. So far I will stick with your settings.

Luke forgot to add hydrophone settings to the latest beta, and now that I have applied the fix (totally new set of values in sensors.cfg), my crew spotted ships at 6800 yards in USS Spadefish (SS-411) mission that I posted screens from above. I don't know if these things are related, but it just happens it turned out this way, my crew spotting things 1000-1500 yards further away.

With these new settings hydrophone works as advertised, at least in single missions. In the same single mission, crew started hearing the nearest warships at ~6000 yards. This is late '44.


I am off to test these sensors in campaign mode, finally - haven't had the time to fire up SH4 for 2 days.