Crashes with the FOTRS

[Alfapiomega]

Hello everyone,

I turn to you wiser ones with a serious question - I am trying to learn and play Silent Hunter IV. I have bought it together with U-boats missions long time ago on Steam but I ran into trouble.

Now before I started to play I have ran through the internet looking for good mods and found the FOTRS mod pack. What I did:

a) I have installes Silent Hunter 4
b) I have installed U-Boats Missions
c) I played the U-Boats missions for a while, finished some turorials
d) I have downloaded latest version in JSGME
e) I have put it into the folder of the game, ran it and then used it to install the modpack of the FOTRS Public Beta (v. 0.53).
f) The game runs perfectly, the loading screens, new menu options etc. I played and learned through the added tutorial missions, finished them all

Now comes the part where I need help:

When I run the campaign it starts to have problems. What happens is that 5 to 10 minutes into the game (random times) the SHIV stops responding and crashes to desktop.

Did I do something wrong? I am using Windows 10 which might cause a problem. Are there any fixes for it? Or is the FOTRS bugged with WIN 10 and there is a different alternative I should look into? I will be thankful for any advice!

[propbeanie]

Windows 10 can cause you issues with modding if you installed the game in the "Program Files (x86)" folder. Your Windows UAC (User Access Control) and Windows newer "protections" will 'save' you from yourself and prevent altering of most anything in the Programs folders (I say this facetiously, but seriously), . If that's where you have the game installed, un-install it, and delete the "My Doccuments / SH4" folder, which holds your settings and gameplay stuff. I would recommend that you download and read all that you can about Rockin Robbins SH4CMS utility, especially if you plan on trying other mods. You don't need to get all familiar with MultiSH just yet, but you might like what it can do also. Another thing, when you go to do the mod installations, pay particular attention to the folder structure of them. When you "install" JSGME (read the ReadMe stuff), it makes a MODS folder for you in your game folder. The mods go in that folder, but they have to be "built" like "ModName / Data" and all the other folders in that. Mods like FotRSU will have a "Support" folder also, just below that "ModName" folder, and a couple of Keyboard picture files in the "Root" folder of the mod.

[CapnScurvy]

Hello Alfapiomega.

You mention you're using Windows 10, with a Steam download...having both the original SH4 (which by the way, Steam provides version 1.3....not the latest original version which was v1.4) and the U-Boat Missions Add-on.

May I suggest you follow this thread...."Windows10; Large Address Aware; SH4 Install" for properly installing Windows 10; How to install the game on a Windows 10 computer; Adding the very important Large Address Aware to your game to use the memory you no doubt have with your newer computer.

It sounds like your issue has to do with the game faltering as you play. That to me can easily be due to the game not utilizing the memory your system has. FOTRS adds a lot of 3D model content....which requires memory to render. Forcing the game to use the memory you have (which is what LAA does) may correct your issue.......besides making sure Windows 10 is setup properly to run as expected.

[Alfapiomega]

Thank you, both. I will look into what you suggest and post the results when I have them!

[propbeanie]

Dependent upon which version of Steam you have, you might have to use the Installation Control in your onlinie Steam Account in order to control where the game installs, else your Steam license can lock you out also. While the whole thread is useful, Post #3 has the info here:
THEBERBSTERS SH4 <> TUTORIALS <> HOW TO DO IT..., particularly the 3rd participant in there, dodougla

[Alfapiomega]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Hello Alfapiomega.

You mention you're using Windows 10, with a Steam download...having both the original SH4 (which by the way, Steam provides version 1.3....not the latest original version which was v1.4) and the U-Boat Missions Add-on.

May I suggest you follow this thread...."Windows10; Large Address Aware; SH4 Install" for properly installing Windows 10; How to install the game on a Windows 10 computer; Adding the very important Large Address Aware to your game to use the memory you no doubt have with your newer computer.

It sounds like your issue has to do with the game faltering as you play. That to me can easily be due to the game not utilizing the memory your system has. FOTRS adds a lot of 3D model content....which requires memory to render. Forcing the game to use the memory you have (which is what LAA does) may correct your issue.......besides making sure Windows 10 is setup properly to run as expected.

So this was it! Thank you!

Now it works like a charm. Already got sunk in a knife fight with a destroyer

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by Alfapiomega

So this was it! Thank you!

Now it works like a charm. Already got sunk in a knife fight with a destroyer

Never bring a knife to a torpedo fight...


Fair warning though, right now, the DDs (and DEs and PCs and...) are nearly super-human with their hearing and sight... tough as nails in lots of places... other times, they'll seem like idiots.

[CapnScurvy]

Great to hear Alfapiomega!!

Its hard to visualize the modern computer, with more memory than the past systems could even dream of....yet the game is the problem, because it didn't set itself to use the memory future systems would have. Just goes to show why older 10 year old games fail on newer systems. They had no clue to what memory would be available in the future, or how to set itself to access that added memory. Newer games do, and they work well with the modern computer system. Older games need all the help they can get......Large Address Aware is a part of it.