Photo recon - camera not working

[Mios 4Me]

I've googled this one but none of the answers seems to apply here.

This is the first time I've been assigned a photo mission as a secondary objective within a patrol and the first in 1.5. Problem is that the camera will not activate.

Assigned to recon and photograph the ships in Surabaya if possible, I creep to that exact point, select each ship in turn in my scope in broad daylight using either scope, get a positive ID from the TDC, but the camera icon remains inactive. Waiting around for three days and sinking everything in sight does not change that or grey out the icon.

I know I could ignore the mission but I'd like to see it through if technically possible.

[mikesn9]

[QUOTE=Mios 4Me;2602099]
Assigned to recon and photograph the ships in Surabaya if possible, I creep to that exact point, select each ship in turn in my scope in broad daylight using either scope, get a positive ID from the TDC, but the camera icon remains inactive. Waiting around for three days and sinking everything in sight does not change that or grey out the icon.
[QUOTE]

First, did you 'lock on' to the target before clicking on the camera icon?
It seems to me that it does need to be locked.

OR: you haven't found the right set of ships that the mission was "expecting". Sometimes the mission seems to have a certain number of photos to be taken before it's completed. Of course, when you get the Check Mark in the upper right hand corner, you'll know you've taken the required photos.

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by mikesn9

First, did you 'lock on' to the target before clicking on the camera icon?
It seems to me that it does need to be locked.

OR: you haven't found the right set of ships that the mission was "expecting". Sometimes the mission seems to have a certain number of photos to be taken before it's completed. Of course, when you get the Check Mark in the upper right hand corner, you'll know you've taken the required photos.

mios:

mike gives good advice. another factor in photo missions is the distance you are from your photo-target. SH4 mission briefs are woefully short of mission-completion-details. one of those missing mission details is that you have to be close enough to the target to activate the camera. here is an example photo mission.
[MapZone 1]
Name=SuluanPhoto
Radius=3.000000
MaxHeight=1000.000000
MinHeight=-1000.000000
Long=15115741.000000
Lat=1292419.000000
Height=0.000000


in this instance, you need to be within 3km of your photo-target in order to activate the camera icon.
unfortunately, i do not have a Stock installation available to check the Photo Surabaya mission details. however, distance-to-target may be the last, remaining issue.

[Mios 4Me]

I placed the sub on the exact center of the yellow mission star in the harbor, raised the scope under bright sunlight and swept it from one end of the harbor to another, then zoomed in on each individual ship, which filled but did not overlap the scope. The TDC identified each ship type every time (two LMT, one LOSF, two gunboats). I even locked on the Position Keeper to each ship.

The camera icon remained greyed out.

I lowered the scope and stayed in that same spot for two days. Tried the same procedure again. The camera remained greyed out and the star yellow.

A convoy came in so I moved to a quiet spot 1 km away but still in sight of the harbor. Moved back and tried again Nada.

Using a save, I stayed there for two days, then sank all the heavy ships and departed at flank. No change in the patrol star.

I'm running 1.5 with most of Bebster's GFO megamod, Midway Balao, and Cheap & Early Torpedoes enabled since just before beginning this career (currently Patrol 11+). The system has been unstable of late but this doesn't feel like that.

If the game is looking for a particular ship type in harbor, how long can I reasonably be expected to wait?

[propbeanie]

Some of the missions in the Stock game do not complete. I ~think~ Webster put the "fix" in from aanker... or was it dgrayson (Florida Sailor)?? One is due to a Conte Verde passenger liner not being there, and I forget what the other(s) was / were... You are usually given a clue or two as to what the requirements are (not always). Usually speaking, you might have to be as close at 1500-1800 yards from the "target", which you do have to "Lock". To top it all off, the menu button ~barely~ lights up. It is basically a joke. So Lock on your target, and press the camera button anyway. If it gives you a little "click", then you're good. If it doesn't, no go then... Now, if the mission is not complete-able, just drive off somewhere else and sink a few ships. They'll sing your praises when you come back in, in spite of not getting the pictures of the carriers... which reminds me - the one mission where you take pictures of the carriers, and you spend half the night stealthily sneaking past the harbor patrol, there are other ships blocking your view, and you can't "target" the carriers. Just move over a little, come in a bit closer, and see if you can target something else...

[Mios 4Me]

Mike, when you say "lock on" to the ships, do you mean getting an ID from the TDC along with a red light on the PK or maybe getting a red solution light above the torpedo tube buttons?



If the latter, I didn't specifically try that, though one LMT was directly ahead when I tried the camera. Later I just raised the scope and fired at it without any need to move, but I didn't check the camera icon.

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by Mios 4Me

I placed the sub on the exact center of the yellow mission star in the harbor, raised the scope under bright sunlight and swept it from one end of the harbor to another, then zoomed in on each individual ship, which filled but did not overlap the scope. The TDC identified each ship type every time (two LMT, one LOSF, two gunboats). I even locked on the Position Keeper to each ship.

The camera icon remained greyed out.

I lowered the scope and stayed in that same spot for two days. Tried the same procedure again. The camera remained greyed out and the star yellow.

A convoy came in so I moved to a quiet spot 1 km away but still in sight of the harbor. Moved back and tried again Nada.

Using a save, I stayed there for two days, then sank all the heavy ships and departed at flank. No change in the patrol star.

I'm running 1.5 with most of Bebster's GFO megamod, Midway Balao, and Cheap & Early Torpedoes enabled since just before beginning this career (currently Patrol 11+). The system has been unstable of late but this doesn't feel like that.

If the game is looking for a particular ship type in harbor, how long can I reasonably be expected to wait?

THAT is a good point...i forgot about the target-ship-requirement.
technically speaking, the ship should already be in the harbor when you get there.
since you are playing Stock with Berbster's Stock Game Fixes, you are still playing mostly-Stock.

i went and loaded up Stock to look at the mission in question and there does not seem to be a requirement for you to photograph any one particular ship.
after further review, it is unclear why you do not get the Photo icon to activate.
perhaps someone else has encountered this previously.

[mikesn9]

Originally Posted by Mios 4Me

Mike, when you say "lock on" to the ships, do you mean getting an ID from the TDC along with a red light on the PK or maybe getting a red solution light above the torpedo tube buttons?



If the latter, I didn't specifically try that, though one LMT was directly ahead when I tried the camera. Later I just raised the scope and fired at it without any need to move, but I didn't check the camera icon.

By locked-on, I mean when you get the target in view, see the little green(or yellow or red triangle), press the "L" key.. that's how you lock on. If the target was moving your view will stay right there with it.

[Mios 4Me]

That was it, Mike, thanks - once I hit the L key, it took one photo and the mission ended.

Time to learn the keyboard shortcuts other than "q" and what else the "L" function adds to gameplay. So far it appears to target the sweet spot on LOSFs and may offer scope-down firing options if you already have a solution when it's pressed (so the Attack map isn't just for manual targeters, eh?). I learned to play SH4 through the massive documentation for 1.3 on Steam, i.e. trial and error. That and what I've picked up here (like the Q function).

[mikesn9]

Great, Mios.
Glad I could help.

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by Mios 4Me

That was it, Mike, thanks - once I hit the L key, it took one photo and the mission ended.

Time to learn the keyboard shortcuts other than "q" and what else the "L" function adds to gameplay. So far it appears to target the sweet spot on LOSFs and may offer scope-down firing options if you already have a solution when it's pressed (so the Attack map isn't just for manual targeters, eh?). I learned to play SH4 through the massive documentation for 1.3 on Steam, i.e. trial and error. That and what I've picked up here (like the Q function).

In the "root" folder of the game, find yourself "SH4_Q-Ref_Card_Back.jpg" and "SH4_Q-Ref_Card_Front.jpg". Print those babies out, and keep them handy for quick reference. In theory, each mod author will edit those for the player, because some mods do change keyboard assignments.