[REL]Visual and Hydrophone detection issue: a new workaround

[Rubini]

Hi mates,

After I work on this the last 5 days, 6 hours per day, during the night, without a good sleep time, I´m sad in say (as I guessed since the beginning...) that isn´t possible to have an alert crew for 16km mod without some annoying side effects.

...And I´m very stubborn with all work that I put my hands on...

The main problem is that old one for 16km: To have a good Alert crew we will also get a very noticiable vampire night vision, mainly in the clear unffoged nights. The result is that we will have almost the same crew visual detection distance for day and night.
Also the detection of differents units size like small ships and small planes are also a problem without good solution (balance) in 16km/alert crew matter.

However, I should like to say that the original GWX sensors/visual behaviour for 16km is already good: good detection at day and at night the enemy will almost never detect you first. Exception for small ships and small planes and when in heavy fog conditions. Ths is why the guys that uses 16km with GWX don´t have much problems with it (very different from GWX 8km situation indeed...)

So, that is all.
Sorry guys.
I´m very grateful for all you that put here encourage words to we try to fix this annoying problem. Special thanks to bert8for3 that help me with a very well made measurement work for the visual detection distances on 16km mod.
I was defeat by the Sensors' bugged SH3 engine...it´s a pity.

Thanks to all!
Thanks to support and use the mods from this great community!
I will start now my retired time from SH3 mod work and finally play the game once for all!
And the Stay Alert crew fix for 8km is working very well!
See you guys!

Rubini.

[Reece]

We thank you for all your time and patience put into this, I prefer the 8k mod & find it most excellent! I have altered the Surface=60 to 30 in the sensors.dat file, but typically haven't come accross aircraft yet!! I will post in your other thread when test results come back. Also have to update my thread on uber DD's, as I changed tactics & works well!
Cheers.

[P_Funk]

You can't do a thing for even the hydrophone operator?:p

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Originally Posted by P_Funk

You can't do a thing for even the hydrophone operator?:p

@P_Funk

The hydrophone works fine in GWX when using the 16 km mod and a qualified crewman.

I just ran another quick test that you can duplicate.

Open the single mission "Gibralter."

Select Type VIIC 1941

Go ahead slow.

Submerge to say 40 meters...

Use low (64x) time compression a bit if you like.

Select "normal sweep" for your hydrophone operator.

You will soon have a hydrophone contact to the north.

My crew detected it 24 km away. (This is well beyond visual range capability in SH3/GWX.

(DO NOT FORGET that the GHG hydrophone has a "dead zone" directly ahead!!! It is perfectly realistic for you to not to detect targets in this dead zone as it was a limitation of the GHG in RL.) There is also a dead-zone / cone of silence to the stern as well.

The KDB also had directional limitations that are also modelled correctly in GWX... However, since having to replace my PC... much of my info is difficult to find, having been bundled for backup. ATM I cannot be more specific.

[Samwolf]

Thanks for trying, Rubini. Your efforts are much appreciated.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Rubini is a tough cookie and a good man.

[Alex]

For sure !

Originally Posted by Rubini

I will start now my retired time from SH3 mod work and finally play the game once for all!
And the Stay Alert crew fix for 8km is working very well!
See you guys!

Rubini.

I love the 8km version
Thanks anyway for trying to make the 16km real !

SINK 'EM ALL !!!!!!

[bert8for3]

Having done a small bit of testing to give Rubini a hand, just let me raise my hat in thanks and in salute to him for all his efforts. He's put a huge amount of work into this; and it is meticulous, painstaking work.

And let me raise my hat a second time in recognition of all modders. As a mod-user but basically having no knowledge of the process, I've imagined that there must be a lot of work involved, but doing this bit of testing has given me a better idea of just how extensive and detailed that work is. These guys are dedicated pros and my thanks to them all.

Originally Posted by Reece

I have altered the Surface=60 to 30 in the sensors.dat file, but typically haven't come accross aircraft yet!! I will post in your other thread when test results come back. Also have to update my thread on uber DD's, as I changed tactics & works well! Cheers.

Rubini, can you post one extra file for us? That being an optional sensor.dat file changing the Surface=60 to Surface=30

Some of us (myself included) do not have your know-how and talent for changes these files. I think this one extra optional file might be a nice addition to your already GREAT, Alert Crew Fix.

[P_Funk]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Lehmann

My crew detected it 24 km away. (This is well beyond visual range capability in SH3/GWX.

Thats interesting since I'll routinely recognize merchant screws on the Hydrophone before my operator detects it. I'll hear it, then switch back to the Command Room, then ask for a contact and he says "No Sound Contact". One of them was rather easy to hear too. Although I was only at Periscope depth. Is there any merit to those people that say you should go down to 30 meters?

[Wilcke]

Rubini,

Thanks for all your efforts, I am sold on the 8k mod works very well. Great work and we all appreciate your efforts to improve this really great sim.

Thanks to all the other modders also, its really made SH3 a lot of fun.

Wilcke

[Jimbuna]

Thanks for the time and effort Rubini

[Umfuld]

8K for me as I doubt my system could handle the 16 and I just ran my first patrol with your mod.

You literally saved my life twice.

During the Norway battle my watchmen twice spotted DDs 8000+m away. Never would have happened before and I'd probably be very depressed having to start a new career already.

Thanks and good hunting mate!

[Maraz]

Thanks Rubini for investing tour time in this project

Maraz

[Rubini]

Thanks mates for all words!
At least a small gift for 16km users:


Alert Sonarman for GWX 16km.
http://rapidshare.com/files/27080764...X_16km.7z.html

From the readme:

April 21, 2007.

This is the tweaked Sonarman (Sensors.dat) for GWX 16km.

Inside you have two Sensors.dat versions.
The first file is less responsive and the second one (with plus in the name) is more responsive.

Note that the goal here is to make your sonarman a bit less deaf (the player yet can listen far away than the sonarman) and also more wakeful and smart.
It´s possible to make the sonarman listen at any distance and very quickly. But we need a compromise. in RL the single ships were detected by hidrophone at 16 - 18km max. The convoys from 50 - 80km away (in good conditions)!.

But sadly SH3 engine don´t make any difference between a single fish boat and a convoy. So If we make the sonarman listen too away this will become odd with single small contacts issue. Then, I chose a middle ground around 22km, also to not make your hydrophone uber (for example RWR have 30-35km and visual have 16km "FOV").

The hydrophones have now slight better perfomace (distance) as the war advance. It´s now one more reason to make upgrades.

Suggestion:
When pursuing a convoy could be a good idea to listen on hydrophones by yourself. The game allows you to listen until 34km away. After you come close enough (more or less 22km from the convoy) you can leave the work with your now smart sonarman.
For single contacts you can always leave the job with the sonarman.
This will mantain the game balance IMHO (those odd SH3 limitations) and in a more realistic way, without an "always" uber hydrophone if I make the sonarman listen always at 34km for example!
Anyway your feedback is the most important thing to make this yet better.

Installation:
-------------
This is not JSGME ready.
It´s GWX 16km compatible only.
(The 8km users must use the Stay Alert crew fix mod)
The changes are only on some Hydrophones settings. Nothing more was changed.
Rename the desired file to Sensors.dat and replace the original GWX 1.03 patched one on your data\library folder (make a backup of the original file first and relocate it to another folder)

Good hunting!

Rubini.