[REL] FOTRS Ultimate Project

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by 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.

Already done. Nagara from now on is the 1.3 version.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by 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.

Don't have a thin skin there Capn! It's in there and staying there. You have good reasons, plus anybody not wanting the information doesn't have to look. It's the perfect aid to those who don't have the historical knowledge and it's not a spoiler for those that do.

Plus, it's the best shipping map I've ever seen in-game!

[max-peck]

Originally Posted by 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?

I can neither confirm or deny this rumour

However I am pretty sure the plan is to include some sort of ISP type behaviour in the final release

[max-peck]

Just thinking aloud here - but if anyone wants to pitch in any comments would be appreciated

I have found myself a little unsatisfied with the plain grey skins I have been doing
As I was so impressed with Maddy's new destroyer skins, I tried the blue/grey colour he chose for the hull of his new DD models, gives it a bit of something I feel my neutral grey might be missing

Check it out





I feel it gives it a bit of contrast that the flat grey model is lacking in
Then again - the flat grey non contrast may be just what they were aiming for - makes you less of a target

I am sure I read somewhere that the IJN started using the blue/grey paint, but cannot find any references to non IJN units using this colour
Then again - and especially with shortages as the war dragged on - maybe the ships just got painted with whatever happened to be in the shipyard at the time?

How do people feel about me using the blue/grey instead of the flat neutral grey for the hull?

Or - I could make two grey options - one flat neutral, the other blue grey?

[XTBilly]

Max, I really like the blue/grey color scheme. Definitely my favorite of these two. But is seems a little "modern" to me, just out of the shipyard condition. Some "modern" freighters or passenger ships could really benefit from this color combination.

I really believe that the plain grey, gives the merchants a more "weathered", sea-beaten, more authentic look. I also agree with your comment about war shortages.

I know, I didn't help much with my post... I like them both.

Billy.

[max-peck]

Originally Posted by XTBilly

I know, I didn't help much with my post... I like them both.

Hey - both is an option

[max-peck]

Have unilaterally decided what I am going to do

I remember RR telling somebody once (may have been Ducimus?), make the mod that you want to play

If others want to play it - that is a bonus
(I may be paraphrasing here)

Seeing as my mod is an optional extra, rather than part of the base core, I have decided to follow his wise advice

In Razzle Dazzle I had 6 skins per ship
I now really want to add the blue/grey as an extra, but to balance up the roster have decided to add another green dazzle
So we end up with 8 skins per ship

For example - the Big Troopship will now look like this

Civ skin - active from war start to the end of 1942



Plain neutral grey - active from war start to war end



Blue/grey - active from war start to war end



Grey dazzle 1 - active from June 42 to war end



Grey dazzle 2 - active from June 42 to war end



Plain green and buff - active from Jan 43 to war end



Green dazzle 1 - active from Jan 43 to war end



Green dazzle 2 - active from Jan 43 to war end



I reckon this gives us just the right probability of seeing differing skins as the war progresses

Up until June 1942 you have a 33% of seeing either the civ skin, the neutral grey, or the blue grey

From June 42 until Dec 42 you have a 20% chance of seeing either - Civ, Grey Neutral, Grey Blue, Grey Dazzle 1, Grey Dazzle 2

From Jan 43 you have a 1 in 7 chance of seeing - grey neutral, blue grey, grey dazzle 1, grey dazzle 2, plain green, green dazzle 1, green dazzle 2

I have no hard facts to back this up but it feels right to me

I know I said it last night - but I am going to repeat myself
Tonight was an absolute pleasure
Rather than force myself to load up textures - and give up after two skins - because I was struggling with software I hate - I put some Gillian Welch on the stereo, opened a few beers and just got on with it. It was very relaxing - more fun than I ever had doing the original Razzle Dazzle
I actually really enjoyed myself
Decent software makes such a difference

Final news for today - I will have a provisional partial release ready for the weekend - probably Saturday

It will only cover the Tankers, Troop Transports and replenishment ships.

But I figure - let's test this as we are going along - rather than wait until I have done the whole thing

Nothing major to look out for - but whilst making this I have seen a few ships in the museum appear with no texture at all!
Which is because I made typos in the roster files
I fixed the ones I saw - but there may be others

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by 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! ...

"Backwards reflection" is what I'm thinking too. Wish I knew how to do that kind of stuff. Perhaps, since you mention the DD doing the strip tease, perhaps the whole German fleet is "infected" with something?...

Originally Posted by cdrsubron7

... 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.

TC is the only way to get rid of "The Sound", once you're afflicted. If you leave the "crash dive" wave file "as-is" from FotRS (all versions, and anything that copied what they had), then you will definitely encounter "The Sound" anytime after a crash dive and then using TC. That is the "main" trigger. But, the "Creaks" files also contribute. You can get "The Sound" after going below "Test Depth", but it's not as "consistent" in getting it. If you've changed the "crash dive" audio, "The Sound" might be a "Tick" instead. Two of the four files in that "Creaks" group are apparently too long. In both situations, TC plays a role. You'll also notice some sounds *never* come back after using TC. That is where I'm thinking the ~real~ issue is, in the executable for the game itself... If you apply the "Creaks-And_Crash_Fix" mod, almost all (*almost*) goes away. However, there are still other anomalies, and I have found a potential culprit in "stock" - though I find it hard to believe. I'm still in the middle of running that down. Toning down the over-exuberant crew and "fixing" some of the vernacular would be nice to get to, but is not necessary for the core mod. So far as I can tell, just rolling the "fix" mod in should take care of most issues that egregiously bruise the auditory senses... who said that?...

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

... and gently mix in Creaks-And_Crash_Fix.

Gently now, gently... remember, a watched pot never boils. Just a spoon full of sugar keeps the medicine away, the medicine away. Just a sp... wait, sorry, wrong movie - and wrong words! "helps the medicine go down"... Don't forget the ~LOVE~ RR... Hook the wires up to the neck, check the connections to the lightning arrestors... good... zzKa-ZAP!!! - "IT'S ALIVE! IT'S A~LIVE!!! Boo-ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!

Originally Posted by max-peck

Just thinking aloud here - but if anyone wants to pitch in any comments would be appreciated ... How do people feel about me using the blue/grey instead of the flat neutral grey for the hull? ...

I also like 'em both, and whichever way you decide, I vote that way also.

Originally Posted by max-peck

... make the mod that you want to play ... If others want to play it - that is a bonus ...I now really want to add the blue/grey as an extra ... I reckon this gives us just the right probability of seeing differing skins as the war progresses ... I have no hard facts to back this up but it feels right to me ... whilst making this I have seen a few ships in the museum appear with no texture at all! ...

You can uni-lateral the football if you want. I still vote as above, which is whichever way you wanna go... |;^) The variety you're offering is stunning, as are the models themselves. I ~REALLY~ must get The Museum going on my machines, so I can see this easier... I think I'll go all the way back to 1024x768 4:3 with "Low" settings, and see if I can get in..

Edit: I'm in! Now I'm torn as to what to attack next... eh, core mod Sound folder wave files (btw, that's "wave", as in "wav" files, for Windows Audio Video file format), then the Museum audio.
.

[Rockin Robbins]

Double double, toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble
Fillet of a fenny snake,
In the caldron boil and bake

Eye of newt, and toe of frog,
Wool of bat, and tongue of dog,
Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting,
Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing,—

For a charm of powerful trouble,
Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.
Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.


EEEEEEhehehehehehehehehehe!

Uploading Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate v.1Beta EN now. I haven't even played it. You get first shot!

[propbeanie]

Booo-ah-ha-ha-ha-ha.... Nothing like a good wizard's brew... However, It's still downloading... If the last version was any indication, I'm probably about halfway through.... maybe.

[Jeff-Groves]

RR,
Sent you a link to a little Tool you might find useful.

And a quick search with 010 to assist you.

[CapnScurvy]

I'm heading out of town for a couple of days. Wanted to tell you guys I've been going through the Museum and working on getting the ships in order. I think I have fixed the sound levels with the assets, making them more level with each other. Cut back the plane engines, increased the merchants and the like.

I've noticed many of the ships in their Roster/Sea/NationsName/NSS_Whatever.cfg don't have Normal Maps, or their Light Maps listed??? I'm not sure what to make of that? The assets seem to show relative well in the Museum....couple of issues like the German BB's reflection and the DD ZClass going black.

But......I but a test mod together with the New Jersey (the one that didn't show its 16" guns in the Museum at first), in the test, it too is not showing its texture (shows black) even though its guns are fine. I don't get it.....yet.

I'm thinking the .dat file of these ships may contain the Normal and Light Maps since didn't most, if not all of these, come from the Fotrs 2.0 (an sh4 v1.4 mod)? I'm just wondering if there's something wrong with this kind of importing or is it just a fluke that the New Jersey shows ok in the Museum, but not so well when its put into a mission?

[Jeff-Groves]

Most of the Units were early imports and have no AO mapping.
I've sent some info to RR that should help sort things out.
I know why those weird reflections on the Bismark are happening and a fix was also sent for all the ships that may show that.

[propbeanie]

Cool beans Jeff-Groves.

CapnScurvy, have a safe trip, and hopefully it's for something fun. If you think the Museum issue is fixable on your end, I'll leave that be, since I have very little idea of what I'm doing in the config files for the individual ships, and it makes me a bit nervous thinking of doing that for this update to the mod. I'm fine with editing, mixing and recording audio stuff - no prob, but I have been known to put a negative number where it should be positive, and a one digit where the should be none... - Also, Capn, weren't you the one with the updated keyboard chart for your interior? I've gone back quite a few pages and can't find it, but we are adding a couple-three pages a day, and sometimes more, to this thread...

Rockin Robbins, did the sound fix float to the top of the cauldron and boil away?... - CapnScurvy's stuff didn't seem to make it either. Easy enough to add separately though... I've done two single missions, and recorded one of those underwater explosions. I'm trying to go through the "save" of an earlier mission and get the explosion out of that one... Possible toobyu vid, if I can get it...

[XTBilly]

Originally Posted by max-peck

Have unilaterally decided what I am going to do

I remember RR telling somebody once (may have been Ducimus?), make the mod that you want to play

If others want to play it - that is a bonus
(I may be paraphrasing here)

Seeing as my mod is an optional extra, rather than part of the base core, I have decided to follow his wise advice

In Razzle Dazzle I had 6 skins per ship
I now really want to add the blue/grey as an extra, but to balance up the roster have decided to add another green dazzle
So we end up with 8 skins per ship

I have no hard facts to back this up but it feels right to me

I know I said it last night - but I am going to repeat myself
Tonight was an absolute pleasure
Rather than force myself to load up textures - and give up after two skins - because I was struggling with software I hate - I put some Gillian Welch on the stereo, opened a few beers and just got on with it. It was very relaxing - more fun than I ever had doing the original Razzle Dazzle
I actually really enjoyed myself
Decent software makes such a difference

Final news for today - I will have a provisional partial release ready for the weekend - probably Saturday

It will only cover the Tankers, Troop Transports and replenishment ships.

But I figure - let's test this as we are going along - rather than wait until I have done the whole thing

Nothing major to look out for - but whilst making this I have seen a few ships in the museum appear with no texture at all!
Which is because I made typos in the roster files
I fixed the ones I saw - but there may be others

Hi Max.

I hope the ships you're referring to are the Dutch Flower corvette and the German Z Class destroyer. They are the ones who appear black with no texture. I proposed earlier in this thread a visit to your Beauty Salon.

Your mod gives unbelievable beauty to an already beautiful mod. This is a great accomplishment if you ask me. Being an optional extra, does not make it a "second class" mod. The whole FOTRS Ultimate Project is RR's child, based on optional, user enabled mods, as both our mods will be. That's its groundbreaking difference with other supermods.

If someone does not like your ships, he can have the original FOTRS ones with a mouse click. Also, if he doesn't like the Maya not blowing up from a single torpedo, it's his choice.

I followed Werner Sobe's Natural Sinking Mechanics mod from its first release. He was forced to introduce arcade keel shots after many user complaints that his ships were sinking too slowly. That is a BIG mistake in my opinion, a mistake that there's no chance I will make. That's where Double R's words are wise.

Follow your heart and make what YOU think is good. The end user will decide how really good it is. He has a choice.

Billy.