GWX Issues

[con20or]

Hi all,

Coming back to SH3 after a long time and have tried the GWX mod with a vanilla SH3 patched to 1.4b

i got it working in Win 10 but am having some issues with the game - crashes, corrupt saves, under water bugs - any idea whats up?

So for example

• if using the preset cruise modes i often get a CTD - but that is probably expected?
  
• I spotted in the readme about avoiding overwriting saves - so i name them all with new names, date_some number between 1 and 100. Despite this - often a save wont load for me and i have to go back 5 or 6 saves to get one that works.
  
• I found the gun crew keyboard commands last time i played - after that when i loaded saved games my crew were on deck when submerged (like the early release bug), i can jump to gun positions when submerged - everything haywire.

Note im not playing full realism - does that clash with the mod I wonder?

Other than that whats the issue? Corrupt mod download or install?

Thanks in advance and hello from an old fan of SH3.

[blackswan40]

Hi con20or

So your SH3 disc is the original release with the manual grid map sheet and keyboard sheet ect.
Have you installed the 4gig patch GWX is a big mod uses a lot of memory
also the Commander Mod will enhance your SH3 experience you can enter your patrol grid give your crew more qualifications ect
and the Commander mod config file for GWX is needed

do you have the 4gig patch installed
4gig patch link below

If your Running GWX3 the 4gig patch is a must else you will have CTD
SH3 is 15 years old back in the day in 2005 SH3 Stock game run on 2 gigs of ram but with GWX you need the 4gig patch so SH3 has access to more memory
without the 4gig patch running SH3/GWX3 would be like having a Ferrari with a petrol tank the size of a thimble

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=2888

Commander mod 3.2 download link below
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=4789

also if your using the Commander Mod you will need the commander mod config for GWX_SH3Commandercfg link below
on the downloads page righthand side

http://www.thegreywolves.com/

My GWX3 Campaign install setup


I have SH3/GWX installed in a folder called WOLFPACK and my Commander mod installed in a folder called WOLFPACK HQ in my Documents.

My Pc Specs

intel I7 7700K
16GIG ram
nvidia gtx 1060 6gig

[David I]

Did you install into the "Program Files (X86)? That's the default that the game wants to install in, but should never be installed in.

Instead install directly into the "C" Drive.

David I

[con20or]

thanks both of you for the quick replies

- i spotted that in Win 10 install guide and I did not install in Programmes - it is in E:/SilentHunter3, so ok there.

- i did not install the 4Gb patch, that could be something to try. Nor commander, but im guessing thats a nice addon, not the cause of my crashes?

[con20or]

I downloaded the 4GB patch - and also ran a StarForce removal tool to see if I still had it installed (cannot remember did i remove it during the install) - the tool says no protection drivers installed, so im assuming not.

I then tried the Ubisoft No Starforce patch but it says it does not recognise SH3.exe and failed - so i tried the other patch, the Reloaded version and it worked, even though i have the original DVD version....

[Olamagato]

Read manual because most problems with CTD is known.
Never save a game while underwater.
Avoid saving game with enemy contact.
4 GB patch is not "must have" if you use clean GWX mod only.
But almost all GUI's waste RAM with nonsense big 32-bit textures as example. This is especially true for full HD.

I can play clean GWX/1600x900 without any CTD on Windows XP/SP2 with 1,5GB physical RAM and no windows swap file.

[makman94]

Originally Posted by Olamagato

...
But almost all GUI's waste RAM with nonsense big 32-bit textures as example. This is especially true for full HD.
...

Hello Olamagato,

this is something that bothered me some time ago and i want to ask you if i am somewhere wrong at the followings conclusions i had made.

As far i had the knowledge there is noway to make a transparent image less than 32-bit without losing its transparency. is this correct?
So , as the game ingame (i am not talking for the menu screens here but i am talking for when you have entered the action) uses more than 99+% images with transparency i came to the conclusion that when you are actually playing the game it is only 3-4 images (crew background,radio messages background,mission orders background, log book background... if i am not missing anyone right now) that are not using transparency so just these 3-4 could be reduced to 24-bit. (as far i can tell , you can't reduce a tga image to less than 24-bit).

Am i correct at the aboves or i am missing something ? please inform

[con20or]

Originally Posted by Olamagato

Read manual because most problems with CTD is known.
Never save a game while underwater.
Avoid saving game with enemy contact.
4 GB patch is not "must have" if you use clean GWX mod only.
But almost all GUI's waste RAM with nonsense big 32-bit textures as example. This is especially true for full HD.

I can play clean GWX/1600x900 without any CTD on Windows XP/SP2 with 1,5GB physical RAM and no windows swap file.

Thanks - will try and avoid the save tips, underwater should be no problem - no enemy contact harder.

[Olamagato]

Offtopic (sorry)

Originally Posted by makman94

As far i had the knowledge there is noway to make a transparent image less than 32-bit without losing its transparency. is this correct?

Yes. But SH3 does not use the alpha channel at all in the largest background textures, most of which are in the "data\menu\Data" directory and two in the "data\menu\Gui" directory (MOrderBgnd.tga and RadioMsg.tga). You can safely remove the alpha channel from them because the alpha channel is unnecessary. Only backgrounds overlayed on a 3D view or video require an alpha channel (e.g. periscopes, main menu)
In addition, any entries in menu1024x768.ini type CropX = 0,0,1, Y (Y <1, e.g. 0.75) to CropX = 0,0,1,1 and reduce the multiple-purpose textures into two different textures should be reduced. Especially when the truncated or uncut section does not need an alpha channel.
The alpha channel is only needed for big background textures of both periscopes, uzo, binoculars, deck gun, main menu (mask512.tga) and perhaps a museum (museu.tga). All other textures either are alpha-channel themselves or they do not need it at all.

[makman94]

Originally Posted by Olamagato

Offtopic (sorry)

....

yes , you are correct

Sorry about this Con20or , i was totally abstract when i wrote the post


@Olamagato: i moved the conversation with my reply here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...35#post2599435