[REL] Improved Stock Environment

[Caustic]

Improved Stock Environment v3

Changes the water and sky mechanics of the stock environment to create a more realistic ocean environment that respects the original atmosphere of the game(SH 1.4/1.5). JSGME compatible. Scene.dat file modified from Real Environment Mod. ISE is compatible with TMO and RFB, just ensure that ISE is installed after your mod of choice. Improved Stock Environment is compatible with RSRDC.

As of version 3, the mod is officially compatible with TMO and RFB, just make sure to download the appropriate version.

Improved Stock Environment(ISE) v3
by Caustic and Traveller (Clouds v1.1)
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-New textures for in-game effects(Fog,Smoke,fire,Explosions,Debris, and Seafoam)
-Enhanced sky and cloud textures
-New water textures
-Added realistic moon texture with new shader
-Improved ship wakes with high resolution textures
-Reduced the amount of underwater impurities for cleaner visibility
-Increased the amount of debris from destroyed ships
-Added realistic environmental and sub sounds
-Greatly reduced the stock lightshafts for a more realistic appearence
-The sky is now visible from underwater
-Replaced stock terrain textures
-Modified env color file to provide more realistic night environments
-Reduced the size of underwater seaplants

Installation

-Extract to Generic Mod Enabler folder
or C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Silent Hunters Wolves of the Pacific\Data

New Moon Texture


Screenshots
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TMO + Improved Stock Environment


Download Links

Improved Stock Environment v3
Improved Stock Environment v3 - TMO&RFB

This is most likely the final version of this mod. As usual, the thread is open for comments and such; I hope you enjoy what I feel is the best that SH4 can offer in terms of immersion and realism.

Optional Mods
#1 ISE New clouds+Waves
#2 ISE Realistic Colors

These mods must be installed after Improved Stock Environment v3.

[TorpX]

It looks good. Can it be used with RFB without "breaking" anything?

[Caustic]

Originally Posted by TorpX

It looks good. Can it be used with RFB without "breaking" anything?

I did actually test this mod with RFB and TMO and it works completely, the new scene.dat would not mess up AI sensors or anything like that. Unfortunately, I did not like the new appearence after trying the mod with RFB and TMO but it's a matter of taste, feel free to try it for yourself.

Improved Stock Environment must be installed after RFB and TMO in JSGME for it to work properly.

[Caustic]

Work In Progress

[virtualpender]

The screenshots are beautiful! The last one is truly photo realistic. Can't wait to load this up in TMO.

[iambecomelife]

Very nice. The sea doesn't have that cartoon, bright blue look that annoys me. Downloading now!

[Caustic]

Originally Posted by iambecomelife

Very nice. The sea doesn't have that cartoon, bright blue look that annoys me. Downloading now!

These changes will be coming in version 2, i'm testing some more things and waiting for more ideas.

[Caustic]

Originally Posted by virtualpender

The screenshots are beautiful! The last one is truly photo realistic. Can't wait to load this up in TMO.

It will appear differently in TMO because of the various shaders that are used. It will still look quite good, i'll post screenshots of this mod in TMO and RFB later. This mod was originally designed only to be used on the stock game and I made it because I got tired of Real Environment.

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by Caustic

It will appear differently in TMO because of the various shaders that are used. It will still look quite good, i'll post screenshots of this mod in TMO and RFB later. This mod was originally designed only to be used on the stock game and I made it because I got tired of Real Environment.

It seems a great improvement of the vanilla environment, and I like to install it in my TMO 25 plus RSRDC.

I see you made only changes in the scene.dat file, it is all your mod. Of course, this scene.dat will work with the environment files of TMO 25, and the final result will be different with vanilla enviro files.

What about to add in the mod the vanilla enviro files of SH4 1.5 (shaders, etc.)? It seems the results will be the environment you made for stock SH4.

I don´t try your mod because I am in Chicago now (my second home), and here I haven´t SH4 (only SH3 in my laptop). I don´t know the complete list of files of the default environment; please, if you know that, post the list and we will do the modifications for a complete SH4 improved stock environment for TMO.

Many thanks and best regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[Caustic]

Version 2 WIP (Additional compatibility and changes for TMO/RFB)

Made immense changes to the mod that make it more compatible with TMO and RFB, bringing more of the improved stock environment to these supermods by including new sky and ocean colors. Water has generally been improved as well and appears less "stormy" and more reflective. If everyone is happy with the results, i will release version 2.

Screenshots
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Stock (Low wind conditions)



TMO (Moderate wind conditions)



RFB (Moderate wind conditions)


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Underwater

[stanger]

I like those screens, especially 4th one from your first post; can you, by any chance, point me in the right direction to get back such fog in TMO? Right now TMOs fog (light one) looks like someone crack up my monitors gamma; really annoying. I did look into scene.dat, compared it to stock one, but dont know which values are responsible for fog appearance (Im assuming its not fog distances, maybe its env files or even some separate texture file in TMO that need to be changed?).

[arnahud2]

Very very very nice job, version 2 seems better

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by arnahud2

Very very very nice job, version 2 seems better

+1: great job for TMO!!! Please, post a download link!

Many thanks.

Fitzcarraldo

[Caustic]

Originally Posted by stanger

I like those screens, especially 4th one from your first post; can you, by any chance, point me in the right direction to get back such fog in TMO? Right now TMOs fog (light one) looks like someone crack up my monitors gamma; really annoying. I did look into scene.dat, compared it to stock one, but dont know which values are responsible for fog appearance (Im assuming its not fog distances, maybe its env files or even some separate texture file in TMO that need to be changed?).

This issue has been annoying me for some time. The fog controller is in the scene.dat but it is dictated by some other file, same for water transparency as well but since I like the current look, I haven't decided to change fog levels. Keeping the shaders for TMO and RFB is good because they are superior to the stock game even though they may look different in screenshots. Version 2 coming out today. Traveller has given me permission to use his clouds mod which will allow for more realistic cloud shadows and slower moving clouds (Clouds are horrendously fast in the stock environment).

[Caustic]

Improved Stock Environment(ISE) v2.0
by Caustic and Traveller (Clouds v1.1)
------------------------------------------
-Made waves less aggressive and choppy to eliminate stormy appearence.
-Changed water opacity for more realistic underwater lighting.
-Added sky and env color files for additional compatibility with TMO and RFB.
-Tweaked reflection intensity back to stock values.(0.1 to 1.0)
-Lowered wind speed values.
-Grain effect(post-processing) has been fixed/removed.

+Added Clouds v1.1 by Traveller
-Reduces cloud morphing speed for more realistic appearence
-More realistic cloud shadows


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