[REL] Merchant Fleet Mod for Silent Hunter 3

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by kvbrock82

Not 100% sure im doing this correctly lads..

I downloaded the main file and the skin packs, and extracted them to the mods directory in SHIII. Then I simply used JSGME to activate the mod so that the files Merchant_Fleet_Mod_3.2 and MFM_v3_Skin_Packs moved to the right side.. is that correct?

I noticed 10 or so directories were created in my main SHIII directory which are MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 and MFM-v3-US+UK_Skins19390901 as well as other with varying numbers. Do i have to do something with these directories individually or have i installed it correctly?

I tried starting a new career in Sept 1939 and i came across a couple of merchants. They appear to have new skins however i noticed most targets appear to be stationary

Have i dont something wrong? I tried searching for the problem but havent come up with anything..

Thanks for any help

In order to install properly with JSGME, any mod folder must have the following structure:

<mod name>\Data\....

If you open a folder with Explorer, and it does not contain a folder named Data, then it is not a mod ready to be installed with JSGME.

Merchant Fleet Mod v3.2 contains a folder named Data on the next level down (Open Merchant Fleet Mod v3.2 with Explorer and you will see the Data folder.) MFM 3.2 installs just fine with JSGME. Since you have already activated it, leave it alone.

MFM_v3_Skin_Packs, as the name implies, is NOT a single mod, but a bunch of skin pack mods, each for a different time period and owners. Open MFM_v3_Skin_Packs in Explorer, and you will see a bunch of other folders - MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 and MFM-v3-US+UK_Skins19390901 are just 2 of them. And you won't see a folder named Data. So you know that MFM_v3_Skin_Packs is not a mod at all.

Now open MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940. The only item in the folder MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 is another folder named Data. So you know that MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 is a mod ready to be installed with JSGME.

If you check the other folders in MFM_v3_Skin_packs, you will see that each one is a JSGME-ready mod. Each must be installed separately. And, of course, it is up to you to install them at the appropriate in-game time. You don't want to install MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 when the game time is 1939! Nothing bad will happen, but the effect of the ships changing with time will be lost. Only the last skins you activate will be displayed.

Fortunately, JSGME makes it easy to correct the situation. First, deactivate MFM_v3_Skin_packs using JSGME. Now delete that folder from the left-hand JSGME panel. Go to your Downloads folder and unzip MFM_v3_Skin_packs to your desktop. (You did keep the zipped download file, didn't you?) Open MFM_v3_Skin_packs in Explorer. Drag each of the folders in MFM_v3_Skin_packs to the left pane of JSGME. Now activate the skins packs you want to use. This will give you what you want.

Enjoy!

[kvbrock82]

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

In order to install properly with JSGME, any mod folder must have the following structure:

<mod name>\Data\....

If you open a folder with Explorer, and it does not contain a folder named Data, then it is not a mod ready to be installed with JSGME.

Merchant Fleet Mod v3.2 contains a folder named Data on the next level down (Open Merchant Fleet Mod v3.2 with Explorer and you will see the Data folder.) MFM 3.2 installs just fine with JSGME. Since you have already activated it, leave it alone.

MFM_v3_Skin_Packs, as the name implies, is NOT a single mod, but a bunch of skin pack mods, each for a different time period and owners. Open MFM_v3_Skin_Packs in Explorer, and you will see a bunch of other folders - MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 and MFM-v3-US+UK_Skins19390901 are just 2 of them. And you won't see a folder named Data. So you know that MFM_v3_Skin_Packs is not a mod at all.

Now open MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940. The only item in the folder MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 is another folder named Data. So you know that MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 is a mod ready to be installed with JSGME.

If you check the other folders in MFM_v3_Skin_packs, you will see that each one is a JSGME-ready mod. Each must be installed separately. And, of course, it is up to you to install them at the appropriate in-game time. You don't want to install MFM-v3-Neutral-Skins-1940 when the game time is 1939! Nothing bad will happen, but the effect of the ships changing with time will be lost. Only the last skins you activate will be displayed.

Fortunately, JSGME makes it easy to correct the situation. First, deactivate MFM_v3_Skin_packs using JSGME. Now delete that folder from the left-hand JSGME panel. Go to your Downloads folder and unzip MFM_v3_Skin_packs to your desktop. (You did keep the zipped download file, didn't you?) Open MFM_v3_Skin_packs in Explorer. Drag each of the folders in MFM_v3_Skin_packs to the left pane of JSGME. Now activate the skins packs you want to use. This will give you what you want.

Enjoy!

Thank you for the detailed reply!

Do you think the problem with the stationary ships could be related or is it normal to have some stationary ships off the scottish coast in sept 1939?

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by kvbrock82

Thank you for the detailed reply!

Do you think the problem with the stationary ships could be related or is it normal to have some stationary ships off the scottish coast in sept 1939?

Can't say as I've ever seen that.

[kvbrock82]

Could you recommend a recognition manual mod that will fit this? I downloaded the rick final version one and im not sure if contains all the ships required?

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by kvbrock82

Could you recommend a recognition manual mod that will fit this? I downloaded the rick final version one and im not sure if contains all the ships required?

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=1201

It may not have absolutely all of the MFM ships, but it certainly covers most of them.

[kvbrock82]

Cheers buddy

[U-1295]

sorry for my bad English,what is system requirement to install this mod ? i have core2duo 2.2 GHz with 2GB ram and 64 bit VGA card 1 GB,it's can be work ?

[Sailor Steve]

I'm sorry, but the answer is "no". You need at least 6 Gigs of RAM, because to make it work you have to use a 4-Gig Patch, also known as Large Address Aware. This makes Windows use 4 Gigs for the game. Otherwise it just crashes.

[Narf]

So, I recently decided to reinstall SH3 and it only took me two patrols to get tired of encountering only the same half dozen of merchies again and again. So I went ahead and installed your mod. So far, so good. No problems installing and running the game with the mod, the ships show up just fine (although I wish the recog manual had a search function - scrolling through all the ships takes quite long, so I have to tab out and look in the actual mod files to find out what running depth I should set my eels to) and they certainly are one amazing sight to behold. Great work, really!

However, it didn't take to long to notice that the mod also granted all ships an armor plating that is beyond silly. Before installing it, I was able to sink C2's with 7000+ tons in one or two good torpedo hits, in the worst case I had to add another ~20 keel line shots with the 88mm after I screwed up my first eel. Now even a measly 5000 ton freighter will eat 3-4 torpedos (no duds) midships before it even considers sinking, which is a tad too unrealistic for my taste. The cannon has become a pea shooter, too - after hitting one of said freighters with two eels I decided to end it with the cannon, and it took me over 100 shots(!), nearly all water line, before it was destroyed. And even then it just stayed afloat despite being "destroyed". I could understand if it was a hulk after being burned out,the deck shot to pieces and the ship abandoned, but after the hull at and below the water line is turned into swiss cheese?

The critical hit rate has also turned (close to) zero - where I before encountered the occasional nice surprise explosion and breaking-apart of a ship after a single lucky eel or a few shots, now I don't see any of that anymore.

Lastly, the engines are now either made of wet papers, or the AI decides to stop the ship instantly after getting hit. Because any hit now results in the ship stopping in over 90% of the encounters. In one of them I actually hit the bow with the 88mm three times and the ship stopped.

It cannot be an interference of another mod, since it also occurs when this one is the only one active. All of the above is sadly impacting the game to such a degree that I had to turn it off again - I'd rather only encounter the same ships again and again than having all the great ships of the mod but being able to sink only 3-5 of them before the ammunition runs out.
I was a bit surprised to see nobody else noticing this while browsing the thread. Granted, I did not read everything, but at least on the first and last dozen pages I saw nothing of the sort. Is it just me? Perhaps just very odd coincidences? If not and the problems persist, is there a way for me to fix it? Like tuning down the ship's armor or hp, or increasing the damage of my weapons if the the armor changes are across the board?

[bstanko6]

Narf,
Sorry to hear you are disappointed with this mod. I did not create it, I just use it. This mod creates ships in a variety of scenarios.

1) I use 100% realism, and turn on the weapons officer as can identify ships for me very quickly.

2) MFM ships that look like rust buckets (old skin from stock sh3 game) will sink easier with a one shot torpedo. Other ships are spawned like a newly built ship straight out of the shipbuilders and may take more shots... Don't forget too that some ships may take a long time to sink!

3) as far as engine stoppage. That is a new one. I never gave this problem. My mod soup is quite large, and I use NYGM. I have no answer for that!

[Narf]

Originally Posted by bstanko6

Narf,
Sorry to hear you are disappointed with this mod. I did not create it, I just use it. This mod creates ships in a variety of scenarios.

1) I use 100% realism, and turn on the weapons officer as can identify ships for me very quickly.

2) MFM ships that look like rust buckets (old skin from stock sh3 game) will sink easier with a one shot torpedo. Other ships are spawned like a newly built ship straight out of the shipbuilders and may take more shots... Don't forget too that some ships may take a long time to sink!

3) as far as engine stoppage. That is a new one. I never gave this problem. My mod soup is quite large, and I use NYGM. I have no answer for that!

Thanks for the answer! Your feedback is highly appreciated.

1) I made a number of runs with realism between 25% and 100%. The changes are very significant on any realism degree. I edited the time multiplicator file so it now runs up to 4096x in all situations so I can test extensively without much RL waiting time.

2) I know, and I loved reading about that feature, as well as the point about neutrals now only being valid targets when they carried "konterbande". Which is why I am asking if I can edit the mod myself instead of just downloading another ship mod - I'll download others anyway because I still want more war ships to hunt, but I'd loved to have these two features. But even a brand-new-out-of-the-wharf 5000 ton freighter shouldn't be able to take 3 torpedoes midships (if 3 hit only the bow or stern it is another matter, but scattered hits midships?), or 2 eels and 100+ water line shots respectively. Oh, and I waited for 4 hours next to ships of that size after 3 good hits. No sign of sinking after comparing screenshots for my tests. That's an armor/hp level I'd expect from a battlecruiser, not a 5000ton bulk hauler! Heck, I actually sunk the Illustrious with a full set of 4 eels in one lucky unmodded test run, it shouldn't take me the same amount of firepower for a civilian freighter.

3) Yeah, I don't know either. I was pretty dumbfounded seeing a M12B stop short after three shots to the bow water line - after all I aimed there so the water pressure increases flooding! That was either the smartest captain I've ever encountered or the ship has a very oddly placed engine room.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Narf

(although I wish the recog manual had a search function

I use the WE Assistance to identify the target. After that I just click 'Ship' up on the clipboard and the manual turns to the right page.

Before installing it, I was able to sink C2's with 7000+ tons in one or two good torpedo hits, in the worst case I had to add another ~20 keel line shots with the 88mm after I screwed up my first eel.

This surprises me, because 10 years ago when the game was new one of the bigger complaints was how hard the C2 was to sink. Mods like GWX and NYGM fixed that.

Now even a measly 5000 ton freighter will eat 3-4 torpedos (no duds) midships before it even considers sinking, which is a tad too unrealistic for my taste.

From a patrol log I posted on May 3:

0057: Freighter, Clan Allen class - 6300 tons.
0113: Racing to get into position. Can see his flag - British.
0122: Fired tube 1. Torpedo exploded before reaching target.
0123: Fired tube 2, set to run deeper. This one hit!
0125: Target slowing.
0134: Target stopped. Crew abandoning ship.
0514: After 4 hours target still not sinking. Sky growing light. Patrol boats may be about. Going for second shot.
0523: Fired tube 3. Nice big explosion.
0558: Target sank. BF2444.

6300 tons. Two torpedoes.

The cannon has become a pea shooter, too - after hitting one of said freighters with two eels I decided to end it with the cannon, and it took me over 100 shots(!), nearly all water line, before it was destroyed.

From the same patrol log:

0900: Anshun class - 3400 tons.
0901: He's seen us! Trying to run!
0930: Range 1600 meters. Time for some deck gun practice.
0935: Target already listing, coming to stop.
0938: Ceased fire. 29 rounds expended. 2 missed. 27 hits. Congratulated Bootsmann August Möller on his good shooting.
1000: Interrogated captain. SS Amiénois, 3494 tons. Despite the shelling all his crew are safe.
1217: SS Amiénois sank.

3400 tons, 27 shells.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...1&postcount=13

I'm not sure why you're having these problems and I'm not. There has to be a reason somewhere, but I'm not sure what it is.

[Narf]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I use the WE Assistance to identify the target. After that I just click 'Ship' up on the clipboard and the manual turns to the right page.

Oh dang, I thought I remembered the game had such a feature, but I'd forgotten how and didn't get the idea that "ship" on the clipboard was clickable. Thanks a bunch!

This surprises me, because 10 years ago when the game was new one of the bigger complaints was how hard the C2 was to sink. Mods like GWX and NYGM fixed that.

I don't remember how it was back then, but I know that yesterday, in my vanilla runs, I sank more than a dozen C2's with either 1 torpedo (said critical hits which now don't occur anymore), 1 torpedo and no more than 35 shells, 2 torpedoes, or in the single worst case, 2 torpedoes (one of them a bad shot barely hitting the bow) and a few shells.

From a patrol log I posted on May 3:

6300 tons. Two torpedoes.

From the same patrol log:

3400 tons, 27 shells.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...1&postcount=13

Were they old rustbuckets or new ships? Did you have other mods enabled which might have changed things? As bstanko6 already said that might been a big game changer in how much firepower you needed. Did you have critical hits that I don't seem to get anymore (the first encounter log, if you didn't exaggerate things, seems to indicate so)?

I'm not sure why you're having these problems and I'm not. There has to be a reason somewhere, but I'm not sure what it is.

Believe me, I'd love to know, too! The features and models are way too good for me to not try solving this puzzle.

[bstanko6]

Are you using the 4gb patch? Not saying this would help or hurt, but just trying to get an idea. The first thing I needed was this patch to use this mod.

[Narf]

Originally Posted by bstanko6

Are you using the 4gb patch? Not saying this would help or hurt, but just trying to get an idea. The first thing I needed was this patch to use this mod.

No, I don't. Not that I seemed to need it thus far. Game's running just fine for me, no CTDs. Maybe the steam version I rebought a while ago doesn't need it?