[REL] FOTRS Ultimate Project

[s7rikeback]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

It seems there might a bit of a slowdown at the Google Drive site from my perspective too... just get a spinning wheel, waiting on Google, so the download button in the upper right never activates. I've had this before, and it's almost always a firefox thing, so try MS IE whatever (or just a different browser), and see if that works any better. It did on my Windows computer...

Good evening PB,

Firefox is working fine here with Google Drive... No problems at all today, however i have had problems reaching subsim earlier but , that's now resolved one way or the other..

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Did the antenna make it above the surface when at periscope depth?

Yes, with raising it up.

When it was in the down position you had no SD radar while submerged...periscope depth or deeper. As it stands now, the SD Antenna will not raise. Like the SJ Antenna's, they will be stationary affixed to the subs tower. You'll need to go to "Radar Depth" if you wish to use either radar while keeping a low profile partially submerged. The ability to turn off/on the SD radar while surfaced is what you trade for raising the antenna.

As for the hydrophone, and ship's speed, the only place the ships' speeds come from is the Data / Sea / ShipName.CFG file, correct?

No. the MaxSpeed parameter is in the ships .sim file. The .cfg file means nothing for speed outside of listing it in the Recognition Manual.

I also assume that the speed there is also used by the campaign to control a convoy of particular ships and their top speed?

Nope, that's all in the .mis files of the Campaign folders.

It'd be nice to be able to "fake-out" the hydrophone settings with a lower speed setting for "problem" ships... Is that half-speed thing in there, just so that you don't hear a vessel that's in Pearl all the way from the Philippines?

No, the distance of the detection is controlled in the .sim file of the sensors. Believe me, we're getting "faked-out" by a poor hard coded set of instructions that won't let you hear a ship passing by even when its in eyesight distance.

I do remember getting "Sonar Contact!" reports when we first started on this from like 30+ nautical miles, and then you'd "lose" and "gain" the reports off and on for a good while...

That can all be change to suit our tastes. I'm working towards that end...starting with the subs sensors. The problem issue is keeping ships from traveling below half their MaxSpeed parameter (in the .mis files) so a player won't be saying...."What's wrong with this mod, I see a ship passing by, yet the Hydrophone doesn't work!"

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

... As it stands now, the SD Antenna will not raise. Like the SJ Antenna's, they will be stationary affixed to the subs tower. You'll need to go to "Radar Depth" if you wish to use either radar while keeping a low profile partially submerged. The ability to turn off/on the SD radar while surfaced is what you trade for raising the antenna...

For me, a more than fair trade, but is there any way to have both? Or are you trading the "profile" (for lack of better terminology in my brain) of the antenna for the On / Off function?

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

... the MaxSpeed parameter is in the ships .sim file. The .cfg file means nothing for speed outside of listing it in the Recognition Manual...

... and probably no way to direct the hydrophone settings elsewhere for the info? ie: a "fake" speed that would then make the vessel "hear-able" at say 5 knots?

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

... Nope, that's all in the .mis files of the Campaign folders...

So if we gather all the info from the sim files as to vessel speeds, we might be able to alter some of the convoys and single ships' speeds and help a little then... but man, that's a ~LOT~ of editing...

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

... No, the distance of the detection is controlled in the .sim file of the sensors... I'm working towards that end... The problem issue is keeping ships from traveling below half their MaxSpeed parameter (in the .mis files) so a player won't be saying...."What's wrong with this mod, I see a ship passing by, yet the Hydrophone doesn't work!"

I'll try to do a "SIM File Survey", and see what speeds we're dealiing with. If memory serves me even halfway, seems to me they range from like 8 knots to 34 knots... Why did they make it 1/2 speed?... that's a rotten algorithm... a "flat" 3 knots, OK... oh well...

Edit: SIM File, I'm looking at the "Unit_Ship / Unit_Ship +Propulsion / max_speed = xx.x Field, correct? Can any of the other fields be used to change the "sound level" in the water, or as the example in front of me with the NAMC, max_speed = 17.0 knots, which means it "disappears" to hydrophones at 8.5 knots?... Reason I ask on this, is when the vessels turn, they'll "scrub-off" speed while turning, correct (the "drag" factor of the rudder)?... so that a vessel doing 9 knots might "disappear" while zigging?... A SIM file looks like a potential minefield to me, if messed with incorrectly... btw, the SIM and the CFG files do NOT match for this particular vessel, as to "speed" of the vessel... It also does not look like it'll be very easy to get the "Speed" out of the SIM files very easy, without having to open each one individually in S3Ditor...

[cdrsubron7]

Just wondering out loud if anybody else has encountered night flying Japanese planes. I've experienced this before in TMO and it seems to have carried over into FOTRSU.

[propbeanie]

Yes, especially around Japan itself, but also Formosa & China... the further into the war, the more frequent, and the more "accurate" they become... simulating radar?...

[Navigator857]

Hey gang, been away for a few days, still in recovery for my hip replacement. What is the current build and where can I obtain a copy? Thank you and please be safe.

Jack

[s7rikeback]

Originally Posted by Navigator857

Hey gang, been away for a few days, still in recovery for my hip replacement. What is the current build and where can I obtain a copy? Thank you and please be safe.

Jack

Good luck with the recovery, you can find our lastest release here...

linky here

or my sig link.. lol.
Please be brutal with all errors no matter how small.

[Navigator857]

Thank you my friend, setting the nav detail as we speak!

Jack

[cdrsubron7]

Originally Posted by Navigator857

Hey gang, been away for a few days, still in recovery for my hip replacement. What is the current build and where can I obtain a copy? Thank you and please be safe.

Jack

Same here, Nav. Hope you have a smooth recovery.

[Navigator857]

Thank you sir


Jack

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Navigator857

Hey gang, been away for a few days, still in recovery for my hip replacement. What is the current build and where can I obtain a copy? Thank you and please be safe.

Jack

Welcome back Jack! V0.53 is current and you already have a link. Welcome back and don't get discouraged on the recovery! You're a valuable member of the team.

[Navigator857]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

Welcome back Jack! V0.53 is current and you already have a link. Welcome back and don't get discouraged on the recovery! You're a valuable member of the team.

Thank you sir.

Jack

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

..... is there any way to have both (raise up/retract the SD Antenna and the ability to turn on/off SD radar)?

No. The simple reason is there's no coded command to turn on/off the SD radar. There is for the SJ....not the SD. We can only work with what we've got.

I'm capable of getting the on/off feature by simply raising/lowering an object node that replaces the actual raise/lower function. That function was a cobbled mod that used the "Snorkel" feature from the U-Boat part of the game to make the SD Antenna raise/lower. I made a hidden object linked to the SD Radar. When it's raised above water...its On; When it sinks below water...its Off.....even when your sub is surfaced.

I mentioned before, you have to "think outside of the box".

Yeah, it would be great for us to have access to the hard coded files to write scripts that give us what we want. As it is, we have to work within the limitations of what the game provides.

... and probably no way to direct the hydrophone settings elsewhere for the info? ie: a "fake" speed that would then make the vessel "hear-able" at say 5 knots?

I was hoping a parameter within each ships .dsd file was going to do something like that.....after much testing, it doesn't. I'm not completely ready to throw in the towel on other possible ways to get things to work right...but, the last resort is looking at the MaxSpeed for all ships and coming to some kind of an average.

So if we gather all the info from the sim files as to vessel speeds, we might be able to alter some of the convoys and single ships' speeds and help a little then

The issue comes into play when you make a ship in the mission file go slower than half its MaxSpeed= figure in its .sim file....plain and simple.

The stock game has almost every one of its Campaign Mission files with ships doing greater than half their MaxSpeed figure. Why....'cause they knew there was trouble!! Modders come along, thinking a DD should cruise around a harbor at 5 knots (when its MaxSpeed is 32) and they think they've done something special with the modification. All they've done is made players scratch their heads in wondering why can't the Hydrophone hear the ship that's about to run over me?

It's all in the .mis files, whether its Harbor Traffic, Coastal Merchant Traffic, Task Force Traffic. Drop below the half MaxSpeed figure for most ships, the Hydrophone is useless. Now, don't get me wrong, your Hydrophone man will hear the ship, and report it every time......But you won't hear a thing when you go to the Hydrophone station to listen for yourself.

I'll try to do a "SIM File Survey", and see what speeds we're dealiing with. If memory serves me even halfway, seems to me they range from like 8 knots to 34 knots... Why did they make it 1/2 speed?... that's a rotten algorithm... a "flat" 3 knots, OK... oh well...
Edit: SIM File, I'm looking at the "Unit_Ship / Unit_Ship +Propulsion / max_speed = xx.x Field, correct?

Yep, that's it.

Can any of the other fields be used to change the "sound level" in the water, or as the example in front of me with the NAMC, max_speed = 17.0 knots, which means it "disappears" to hydrophones at 8.5 knots?

That's about right. If you've every looked through the various stock game .mis files, you'll notice most merchants travel at 8 to 9 knots....waypoint after waypoint after waypoint. With a ships set MaxSpeed at say 16 knots......no problem with the Hydrophone.

Reason I ask on this, is when the vessels turn, they'll "scrub-off" speed while turning, correct (the "drag" factor of the rudder)?... so that a vessel doing 9 knots might "disappear" while zigging?... A SIM file looks like a potential minefield to me, if messed with incorrectly...

I don't know about the drag factor on turns regarding the lack of Hydrophone function.

btw, the SIM and the CFG files do NOT match for this particular vessel, as to "speed" of the vessel... It also does not look like it'll be very easy to get the "Speed" out of the SIM files very easy, without having to open each one individually in S3Ditor...

That's usually a modded error when the .sim file figures and .cfg file figures don't match. Guys monkey with the .sim files, but don't follow up matching the .cfg file...... that goes into the Recognition Manual revisions. The RM may say the draft is 20 ft......the true draft used from the .sim file might be 10?! I wonder why my torpedoes always miss???

And yes, there's nothing easy when working with this stuff.

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

...
It's all in the .mis files, whether its Harbor Traffic, Coastal Merchant Traffic, Task Force Traffic. Drop below the half MaxSpeed figure for most ships, the Hydrophone is useless. Now, don't get me wrong, your Hydrophone man will hear the ship, and report it every time......But you won't hear a thing when you go to the Hydrophone station to listen for yourself.

So, it's not as bad as it "sounds"(sorry, bad pun...), but leave the hydrophone operation to a fully qualified crewman, 'cause the Captain is deef...

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

...
That's usually a modded error when the .sim file figures and .cfg file figures don't match. Guys monkey with the .sim files, but don't follow up matching the .cfg file...... that goes into the Recognition Manual revisions. The RM may say the draft is 20 ft......the true draft used from the .sim file might be 10?! I wonder why my torpedoes always miss???

And yes, there's nothing easy when working with this stuff.

I kind of like that "ambiguity", or lack of accuracy anyway, since no one had 100% reliable info on most things concerning their opponent... but it sure would be nice to circumvent that 1/2 speed stuff...

Since you've gotten the SD to turn "off" now, (the antenna doesn't drag in the mud, does it?... ) I'm not going to worry too much about further editing of the CAP just now... I do have another question concerning the old "Snorkel" hook... on the German side, since the US side does the radar antenna, does the snorkel still function as intended for the Uboats? Other than the fact that the oxygen (atmosphere) doesn't restore...

[THEBERBSTER]

Hip, Hip, Hip, Hooray, Navigator's back and hopefully now out of pain.
Peter