[REL] FOTRS Ultimate Project

[max-peck]

Last post for tonight

So I finally bit the bullet and bought Photoshop (or as is now the case, rented Photoshop for a year)

Not trying to make any excuses but doing all of this in GIMP is just a massive PITA

Before anyone chimes in I would just like to point out that I have used loads of free images software in the past ten years, and out of all the free ones I have personally found GIMP to be the best for me

However - maybe because I have been using Photoshop for nearly 20 years for my job, maybe because I use it day after day after day, maybe just because I am so used to its interface and how everything works in it, trying to do anything in any prrogram other than Photoshop is just a major PITA for me.
That (and the fact I am a lazy SOB) is why I have been dragging my heels here

Anyway I bit the bullet and 'rented' it for a year
The change was astonishing

Rather than viewing the next skin as a chore that I had to get through as soon as possible (which is how I viewed skinning when using GIMP), I positively looked forward to how the next skin would look in game

Spent an entire evening skinning one ship, and am pretty happy with it

Ladies and Gentlemen - I present you the Big Old Liner
44 thousand something tons of goodness - lets hope your scope is wide enough to accommodate this fella

Originally



After a evenings Photoshop work













And can I just say - now that I am using Photoshop for these - I enjoyed this evening so much more than any of the 20 or so evenings when I was making Razzle Dazzle

[Jeff-Groves]

Beautiful work Mate.


I still use an older version that was released free awhile back.
I agree though. Gimp was just a pain for me to use.
I got a tablet that works with Photoshop pretty cheap awhile back.
$70.00 or so?

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

In a case like that I can offer a suggestion.
Do a search and replace of all the Campaign and Mission files.
I use 010 Editor myself and have for a few years.
May be the best $20.00 I spend every other year or so.

Say you change a ship Class in just it's folder.
Instead of all the editing nightmares?
Search and replace. You can have it search subfolders and files.

If you want to get fancy and ignore files or folders?
It scriptable. You can write your own search and replace routine.

I use 010 to rip the animations from SH4.

Jeff, thanks for your advice regarding the 010 Editor. I'll need to look into it. I've never used this editor, so, I'm a little lost in knowing just what it can do. However, I do understand that there's new ways to do old tasks every day! Always willing to learn someones secrets in what they do!

You've got a good track record my friend!!

[Jeff-Groves]

010 can do everything S3D does not do and more.
Granted you need to know how the files are structured to get really creepy.

But the simple uses like find/replace are worth the price!
Give me 5 minutes? I'll fix the files!
It's that good!

[cdrsubron7]

Great work, max.

[Rockin Robbins]

Count. me in for checking out 010. The GWX team did amazing things with hex editing before S3D. It would be fun to find out even a little bit about using 010.

Sorry guys, I'm going to have to assemble v.1Beta tomorrow night.

[propbeanie]

Rockin Robbins, if you want to, just throw in the "Creaks-And_Crash_Fix" for now, and be done with it for the 1st beta. Most of the sound issues are gone with the use of that, especially "The Sound". I'm still working on "the plan, the plan" for attacking the rest of the sounds. The wave stuff has actually turned out relatively easy, so long as we follow CapnScurvy's advice to "emulate stock", and have most replacement files match sample rate and bit depth, as well as time length if the file is not a "Loop" file (ie, sub ambience, aka: background). The exuberant crew issue has a couple potential resolutions, but I do want to leave that available for some who like that. Anyway, I've gone punch drunk again today, and have to hit the rack... Didn't even get to experiment with any sinking stuff today... sob...


Edit: Well, I couldn't stand it, so I had to go out and attack the "combined Axis Fleet". Definitely not historically accurate, since the Germania and the Bismark are traveling with the Nagato, and we're actually almost into Russian territorial waters up North... but anyway. This thing is *beautiful*! CapnScurvy, such a work... I can walk all over the boat, including the can, and the ocean... I could ~not~, for the life of me, make it back to the big wheels... or my cabin... However, I could get to the scope, and it is magnificent. I can actually SEE WHAT I'M DOING there... absolutely wonderful. I'm going to have to do some movie making tomorrow from my game save. I did not capture while I did it, basically because I forgot. But I have encountered something I do not believe I've ever seen happen in how ever many years now this has been doing SH:WotP, and that is an underwater explosion, as the ship is sinking, that shoots (or appears to anyway) red, molten shrapnel through the air, followed by a huge fireball that started *below* the water's surface. Oh my gosh. I got a couple screen grabs I'll try to process real quick and link into here next. However, the wizards of 3D shadows and reflections do need to look at the Bismark and the Germania, and eliminate those warped reflections. They do have them all the time, not just when sinking. It's just easier to see them, once the ship's attitude changes... Anyway, off to edit some grabs, and be right back...

OK, here we go:

Doing my "research", and tracking this "reflection" issue:


when all of a sudden, this *HUGE* explosion, and red hot stuff goes flying everywhere, scaring me out of my seat. I got this by the time I calmed down (notice how the reflection interferes with the fireball??):


which was the beginning of "the bloom":


I've never noticed explosions like that before. Very cool. And this ain't even the pretty stuff. Ya just gotta be very attentive to your surroundings, 'cause there's them little Destroyer Devils and Winged Jockeys hanging out 'roun' these hee-orr pahrts... and thaze ornery sunz-a-gunz...

[CapnScurvy]

Propbeanie, I've seen that reflection too in the Museum. I noticed it on at least one ship thinking "What's that"? It looked similar to your first image.....lurking just behind the ship, on the far side. If you ask me, its like they have the reflection reversed to what it should be. With the Museum giving you the ability to have a "Free Camera" now, after applying OC_Interiors Update, you can tell the reflection just isn't right. If its in the model, maybe just eliminating that piece would correct it. The Museum doesn't show how bad the reflection gets as the ship model sinks closer into the water.......yep, something stinkin' there!

I know one of the German DD's, the Z Class, hasn't any clothes. Should be something I can fix.

=================

Regarding the Strategic Map that accompanies the Short Wave Radio. This map was from a study, of a study by the Air Force, done just after the war regarding Japanese capabilities.....which is similar to this "Reports of the U.S. Naval Technical Mission to Japan". Guess both Air Force and the Navy were interested in knowing just how much the Japanese knew; what could they do; what couldn't they do; regarding their capabilities. After reading some of these official reports from both studies, in my opinion........We gave them WAY to much credit!! I think the game does too with some of their AI capabilities regarding Radar, Hydrophone use but, that's left for another day.

What I want to point out is this Strategic Map is hardly going to give a player an unfair advantage in playing the game. The scale its in isn't going to come close to giving you the coordinates to ship travel. It just provides the basic route, which for the most purpose any Mariner would have known anyway. Japan got its oil from Indonesia, rice from Vietnam, coal from from Manchuria, rubber from Malaya.....it doesn't take a genius to figure the fastest way between two points is a straight line. As a sub Captain, you get into that straight line.

Besides, this map shows only real life basic routes. What the game gives us......can be, and is, different! So, take the map for what it is....history. Not a document that gives away the farm.

[xXNightEagleXx]

Are we there yet? XD kidding....any release month estimation?

[cdrsubron7]

Originally Posted by xXNightEagleXx

Are we there yet? XD kidding....any release month estimation?

There are still many issues left to be worked out, so unfortunately no timetable for a release date is scheduled.

Hey, guys. With all this info flying around about different aspects from the Project have we determined if the "Sound" comes from specific causes or is just a general nuisance? Was testing last night in a Sargo class sub out of Surabaya in January, '42 and was getting the sound quite regularly. The only thing that stopped it was going to TC.

[xXNightEagleXx]

I've installed the 1.2 version just to try for the first time FOTRS and get a small preview from what i can expect from Ultimate. It seems submarine inertia is a little bit more realistic like ISP mod. Can anyone confirm this?

[cdrsubron7]

Hey, Capn. I checked out your new Interior mod last night. They are stunning. I also like the new torpedo colors. Bravo Zulu, Sir.

I want to apologize to the crew for my senior moment on the Nagara Maru issue. I was not aware that AOTDMadmax had entirely redone the ship for FOTRS. I hope I didn't offend anyone.

Just wondering since we have a perfectly good 3d model of the Nagara Maru in the stock game why we don't import into the FOTRS Ultimate project. Just a thought. More targets are always welcome.

[XTBilly]

While waiting for the Beta to start working on my mods again, I've been playing Ultimate trying CaptScurvy;s new megamod and I have to say that I'm impressed. All these new details make the game much more immersive. Many inconsistencies and errors were fixed, much new content introduced and this periscope view has no equal. Fantastic work Capt!

My only complain is that the FPS inside the sub dropped from 25 to 6-7.
Quality has it's processor power price I guess...

The strategic map with the convoy routes is invaluable for anyone who'll play using my radio contact eliminator mod.

CdrSubron7, the Nagara Maru is still in the game, with it's black hull, ready to offer you it's sinking pleasures.

Billy.

[max-peck]

Hey RR - just spotted a problem - might want to sort this out in the next Alpha

The folder Data/Sea/NPL_Hap has a duplicate NPL_Hap folder inside itself - see screenies





The dates in the folder Data/Sea/NPL_Hap/NPL_Hap are all older than those in Data/Sea/NPL_Hap, leading me to believe that the duplicate folder inside can be deleted?

[Rockin Robbins]

Thank you! We will delete it tonight and gently mix in Creaks-And_Crash_Fix.