[REL] FOTRS Ultimate Project

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Propbeanie, I'm wondering if you have ever taken a copy of one of the stock game Campaign .mis files and put it into the Mission Editor. Don't do a thing to it, but save it. Then use WinMerg to compare the two files to see if there's anything added/subtracted to the .mis file?

Just wondering?

Yes, there is. If you take a lurker file from RSRDC, and do the same, there are lines added. If you take a lurker MIS file, and select a Group or Unit, and click on OK, even though you haven't changed a thing, it adds lines to the Group or Unit's "definition" or call in the file. A person can use the Mission Editor to place units, and set their course, just like if you're making a Single Mission, but if you're going to use it in a campaign and want it to function correctly, you have to open it in a text editor and change the values on at least two lines, and delete (usually) about five lines from ~each~ Unit and / or Group in the file. You also have to be careful in the DynamicMiss and PatrolObjectives folders and their MIS files with all of the Objective, Trigger and Event names and "numbering" nomenclature. If you get one little space or letter or digit out of place, then you might have the game fall through to the "default" mission, or you stand a chance of CTDing the game, which is what happened with one of my missions that were uploaded for the next version, hence the change that I uploaded yesterday with that "III" file.

Edit: Looking even further into the spawning issue and slowdowns, we might have to do something over in Ise Bay with the TroopConvoy layers. I wanna take me a boat over there and visit sometime and see what I see. Has anyone been on a mission into that bay yet?...

[propbeanie]

OK, I've got a re-worked Jap_CoastalBattery.mis. Those six locations without WayPoints were the only mistakes found. However, I don't know if anyone else has been hit by a shore emplacement, but I sure was. A second shot holed the conn during one career, and looking through this file, I know how they did that. All emplacements are set to "Veteran" status, which means "very few mistakes" and "near-superman skills". I could go through and make some Elite, some Competent, etc., leaving most at "Veteran", but what say you, anyone??... and where would the better gunners have been?... ??

[gutted]

I've been hit by a few gun emplacements. Nasty buggers.

[torpedobait]

Originally Posted by gutted

I've been hit by a few gun emplacements. Nasty buggers.

I learned through sad experience that the max range of most shore batteries (at least the ones I've encountered) is 6nm in daylight. So when I know I'm going into a narrows I first use the compass tool to draw a six mile radius from suspected, obvious, or known shore battery locations. Often, just to be safe, I mark them anyplace I will be forced to pass within 6nm of any Japanese-held shoreline. I then go to periscope depth and stay there until I am back in safer waters. In Osaka Bay, I was at periscope depth from 6 miles out from the narrows until well inside the bay. At 1/3 speed it takes quite a while to make the transit, but it's worth it (other than the CTD while running up to Osaka).

As for the external camera, I used it in the narrows before entering Osaka Bay, by first running East where I found two shore batteries, and then heading West where I think I saw at least one. I never did let those batteries fire on me after the first time going through at night. They missed, but not by much!

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

If you take a lurker file from RSRDC, and do the same, there are lines added. If you take a lurker MIS file, and select a Group or Unit, and click on OK, even though you haven't changed a thing, it adds lines to the Group or Unit's "definition" or call in the file.

Ah ha!! Just as I thought. The Mission Editor isn't worth a tinkers damn in saving a Campaign file.

Now my next question, has all of the current FOTRS Ultimate Campaign mission files passed the check needed to see if there are added files within them? I'm referring to those files that you've found added when you save through the ME?

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Ah ha!! Just as I thought. The Mission Editor isn't worth a tinkers damn in saving a Campaign file.

Now my next question, has all of the current FOTRS Ultimate Campaign mission files passed the check needed to see if there are added files within them? I'm referring to those files that you've found added when you save through the ME?

Oh yes. I ran through the set of them. I was using a script that I ran that marked all (in theory) the extra lines. Then I came back in and deleted all the marked lines. I now do each file individually, since I have had several mishaps with scripts that run across multiple files. A script is like a batch file, in that there is no real error checking, so if something goes amiss, you oftentimes are not made aware of the issue until someone else encounters it in the running game

Like I said though, you can use the Mission Editor for the set-up of a campaign file, but it usually does require further editing after you're finished. I use the ME all the time to look and "see" the evidence (such as the screen grabs), but if you do that, you can't "OK" ~anything~, else you stand a big chance of making unintended changes. Even though you don't intentionally "Save" anything from the menu's "Save" choices, the game "Saves" by default when you do an "OK" or "Accept" on the different properties screens. Kind of strange behavior from a program, and there is no "Un-do" function...

[CapnScurvy]

I'm a fan of using Windows Word when looking for text specific lines. You can set it to look the entire text document (as you know, that's what a .mis file is) and have it pick out specific phrases for you to adjust as you go.

You can even add extra parameters to the search to tell Word to look for a particular specific phrase (like "Speed=") and have it change the phrase automatically (to something like "Speed=7.000000"). Makes things a lot easier when looking through large files like Campaign missions.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Bleiente

It would probably be better to write a whole new campaign ...
MadMax had then only the multiplayer part in the target.

We're like the guy who tried to swim the Atlantic. He got halfway across before he realized he couldn't make it so he swam back........

We have a lot of time invested in something that looks promising. It would be simpler to just graft in the TMO campaign, but our guys are learning so much so fast that the rewards of keeping on are immense.

And we have the perfect fallback plan, so why not continue? It's not like we have a deadline here. We have a perfectly playable mod now with Superman on certain escorts, but it is lots of fun. And, excepting Lurker_hlb3, we have the best four campaign guys in the history of the game getting better and better by the minute, learning things that have not been common knowledge and getting the word out to other modders.

Part of our reason for existence is to benefit the community. What greater contribution can there be than adding to the body of knowledge about modding campaigns?

My Silent Hunter 4 Corruption Management System also came out of FOTRSU craziness, and I believe that in spite of the lack of interest, it's the most important thing I've ever done for the game. It couldn't have happened without our campaign research.

Yes, it would be easier to take door number three and bail on the FOTRS campaigns. But we want the base mod to be a tribute to Maddy and the AOTD crew. Changing their campaign too much or eliminating it entirely would be against that aim.

We'll most probably have a TMO Campaign Substitution plugin mod after we release v1.0.

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

... Part of our reason for existence is to benefit the community. What greater contribution can there be than adding to the body of knowledge about modding campaigns? ...

Between the Three Headless Horsemen - er, Three Horseless Headman - er, Ghost Bringing Three-asher - er, Three Horsemen of the Apocolypse... whatever - we hope to have a little "package" when we get to a quiet moment in time, with a little pdf file or something with a workable "technique", or rather, the technique(s) we used... It's all info we gleaned from the site here, from past and current members...

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

... My Silent Hunter 4 Corruption Management System also came out of FOTRSU craziness, and I believe that in spite of the lack of interest, it's the most important thing I've ever done for the game. It couldn't have happened without our campaign research...

... and a fine addition it is, to the game and community! It makes our turn-a-round time between versions much much easier...

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

... We'll most probably have a TMO Campaign Substitution plugin mod after we release v1.0.

Roger Wilco, will do... "Evil airplanes" and all. However, one must keep in mind, that it will actually be a bit easier than the current campaign - AOTD_MadMax took that "Mad" part of his handle seriously, as in "Mad Scientist"... I have gotten comments from a few folks wanting it to be even ~tougher~... It'll take a bit, but we can oblige those requests also... boo-ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!!

[Navigator857]

Six nautical miles for a manual battery against a small target like a sub is ridiculous with no aerial spotting. And to where the best gunners should be? I'd suspect the entrances into Tokyo Bay at least.


Jack

[propbeanie]

I got hit from about 86-90k one ~night~. It was a dark, moonless night... Tsugaru Straits, by Oma, off the point. ~Very~ unbelievable that they would straddle on the first round, and hit on the 2nd or 3rd round, radar or not, at 0200 hours in early 1942. This next version won't have any changes for that, but the next round will. I'm going to tone a good portion of those down a bit, but we might leave about a fourth at "Veteran", and put a few at "Elite", just to see if anyone notices... -

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi Guys
Is there anyway to improve the compass tools at night against the night time map as it is difficult to see the bearings on the compass rose.
Are there are not any larger compass tools which would make it easier to see them?
Is it possible to have a proper compass rose with bearings on the way point tool?
Peter

[gutted]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Oh yes. I ran through the set of them. I was using a script that I ran that marked all (in theory) the extra lines. Then I came back in and deleted all the marked lines. I now do each file individually, since I have had several mishaps with scripts that run across multiple files. A script is like a batch file, in that there is no real error checking, so if something goes amiss, you oftentimes are not made aware of the issue until someone else encounters it in the running game

Like I said though, you can use the Mission Editor for the set-up of a campaign file, but it usually does require further editing after you're finished. I use the ME all the time to look and "see" the evidence (such as the screen grabs), but if you do that, you can't "OK" ~anything~, else you stand a big chance of making unintended changes. Even though you don't intentionally "Save" anything from the menu's "Save" choices, the game "Saves" by default when you do an "OK" or "Accept" on the different properties screens. Kind of strange behavior from a program, and there is no "Un-do" function...

If you were to give me the specifics of what it is you are trying to remove from the files, i could write you a program to do it.. with error checking and info.

[gutted]

Originally Posted by THEBERBSTER

Hi Guys
Is there anyway to improve the compass tools at night against the night time map as it is difficult to see the bearings on the compass rose.
Are there are not any larger compass tools which would make it easier to see them?
Is it possible to have a proper compass rose with bearings on the way point tool?
Peter

I use this:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=3355

[KaleunMarco]

robin,

has anyone reported issues to you regarding keyboard commands not working?

i am running your FOTRS keyboard but Battle Stations, Toggle Torpedo Tube, Toggle Stern Torpedo tube will not work. i am using SH_keymapper and i can see the the commands but they do not work during play. i even compared the key entries with the saved JSGME command.cfg file (pre-FOTRS) and it looks to be the same syntax for each key.
i am stumped. any ideas on how to fix this?

mark