[REL] FOTRS Ultimate Project

[Front Runner]

I intercepted the December 11, 1941 Task Force just north of Linguyen and I noticed a few things going on. First, the two battleships, Kongos I think, were zig-zagging and looked like they were trying to avoid each other which also triggered the other vessels, a couple of heavy cruisers zig zagging to avoid each other. I viewed this from periscope depth. I also went to free camera to look at each ship and discovered that the Mogami was sitting up on the surface with the entire hull, props, rudders etc. above the surface. The Myoko was rolling rapidly from side to side in rather calm seas. None of the other vessels were rocking and rolling like the Myoko.
I was detected and underwent a depth charging by three destroyers. They all looked like they were performing normally.
After I evaded the destroyers I detected a Small Old Tanker and it too was rocking and rolling rapidly from side to side in rather calm seas.

I have pictures of the Mogami and the Myoko depicting, as best as possible from a still image, their behaviors. I didn't get a picture of the Small Old Tanker.
They all looked OK in the museum.

[propbeanie]

That, I'm almost certain Front Runner, is a bad render at origin. In other words, either when it originates (Tokyo?? Yokosuka?? I'll have to go look), or where it "physically" enters the game, that those particular vessels are set in the shallow water. You will also sometimes see ships damaged and on fire from such shenanigans... I'll have a gander at it, and see if I can find that TaFee quick, and get it up there with CapnScurvy's Sonar Fix (which does work, btw, really nicely), and maybe we'll see some AI Subs also, from s7rikeback...

[clayton]

Thank you for FOTRS. I'm really having a good time with the mod.
One question though: I noticed conning tower upgrades are on a later schedule than when I was using TMO. Also, paint jobs were on an earlier one.
Is this historically accurate, or have you not gotten that far yet?

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by clayton

Thank you for FOTRS. I'm really having a good time with the mod.
One question though: I noticed conning tower upgrades are on a later schedule than when I was using TMO. Also, paint jobs were on an earlier one.
Is this historically accurate, or have you not gotten that far yet?

Expect Fotrs Ultimate to be different than any other modification. As it relates to the Conning Tower schedule, it's based on getting a tower that works with other upgrades at the same time. An example is you can't fit an "Improved" SJ-1 Antenna unto the earlier towers...they don't fit. So when an upgrade for the Radar comes along you better have the right conning tower on the hull to use the new equipment. Same with some of the AA gun upgrades, you can't fit the 40mmDouble onto some of the towers, so you have to coordinate these kinds of updates/upgrades to get the best match. If it's not following some historical accurate time line........well guys, it is what it is! We've tried to eliminate the possible conflict of getting a new tower, yet finding you've lost your Radar because of an equipment dated issue (which by the way is prevalent with this game). We hope to make the game as seamless as possible for the player within the restrictions of the game itself. If it means we're out of step with authenticity......you get your money back!!

[clayton]

Hey friend--wasn't a critique, just a question.

[torpedobait]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

You're using a Sargo, at an Asiatic Fleet start date? 1942?

I just finished a "Beginning of 1942" Asiatic Fleet, with a Sargo, and both periscopes had their raise/lower sound.

Can you open your MODS/100_Fallofthe RisingSun_Ultimate v0.60 PublicBeta_EN mod and follow to the Data/Sound folder and play the .wav file named "periscope_UpDown.wav"? The sound should run for about 9 seconds.

If you have your v0.60 "Activated" into your SH4 game, go ahead and follow the same path in your SH4 game files to the "Sound" folder and play the same periscope_UpDown.wav file (just left mouse clicking it should bring up your .wav player)........... Anything?

I had no joy in trying to play the .wav sounds! Not one would play by clicking on it in the folder. So I went to the basic Windows Sounds folder and tried it there. The Windows-supplied sounds for things like asterisk worked just fine (.wav files), but none of the older .wav files I have accumulated over the years would play. I put two of them on a flash drive and put them on my wife's HP. They played just fine!

In frustration I went out to Creative tech support via chat. They now have a couple of those files, the same ones I played on the HP that wouldn't play on my machine, plus the misinfo file they had me create. I am waiting for their response. I also deleted the drivers for the SoundBlaster Z and applied the latest driver they provided. No change.

In short, it does not appear to be a game problem, but rather is something in my hardware or software set up. It is a mystery why it will play some .wav files and not others, no? Will advise if a solution is ever found. Meanwhile, I'll live without periscope sounds I guess.



In the end,

[fitzcarraldo]

I have posted this (my) problem with the hats of the officers in surface on the bridge previously with others versions of FOTRSU, but I have now the latest FOTRSU (0.61 Beta), and the problem (very annoying for me), persists.

I have these polygonal hats....




In RFB and TMO the hats look normally, without visible polygons. Also with FOTRS 13 (SH4 1.5), and FOTRS v2 (SH4 1.4).

Really I tried a lot of things, but was impossible for me to resolve this.

I would to know what are the 3D files for the head and/or hats, then I could try putting in FOTRSU the models of TMO or RFB.

I tried also with diverse environments: Real Env, ISE, ISE for TMO, Pacific Env....With all them I have the problem.

Do you see something as the image I post with the officers hats on the bridge?

FOTRSU is looking better with each update, but this little problem...well, I can´t live without resolve it! (obsession).

Great job to all the team, congratulations.

Best regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[propbeanie]

@ fitzcarraldo, how have you done your FotRSU v0.60 install? Do you have the time to mess with doing a fresh install of Silent Hunter 4, and making sure that your Save folder is empty? Perhaps do a new parallel install and use MultiSH4 for a new Save folder? I'm not sure, but it seems you're the only one with this. There appear to be three files similar in name to sapca_od01.dds, which appears to be the hat in question. It almost looks like you're not gettting the "base" file that the other two "layer" with... Forgive me my layman's terms with all things 3D here... Here's what it looks like:




@ torpedobait, see what your system sounds are set to. Do you watch DVD movies on your computer? If so, Windows might have the Sound set to 48kHz, 16-bit, and Silent Hunter wants - no, DEMANDS - 44.1kHz, 16-bits... A sample rate mis-match in Windows audio is a muted audio... DRM and all that...


@ clayton, the Capn isn't gettin' on ya, you paid nothing for the mod, so there's no money to get back... He's having a little fun with it. We've dug so deep into the game in some spots, that you can't see the top of the hole, and then you spring a leak - and no bilge pump, no ladder, only rope... - so, do you try to climb out, or tie a hangman's noose?...

[CapnScurvy]

Hi Fitzcarraldo, good to hear from you!

I've seen the same issue, maybe not as bad as your image, but similar. There's a single white strip that shows on my two computers with this issue.

I'll look into it

==============

To torpedobait....that's too bad about the sound not playing!

I wouldn't know where to start with your system to bring it up to a level that would play these common sounds? I've got a Creative SoundBlaster Z card in my modding computer too. If it plays on this old Windows XP, I figure it will play on most others as well....that's why I mod with it.

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Hi Fitzcarraldo, good to hear from you!

I've seen the same issue, maybe not as bad as your image, but similar. There's a single white strip that shows on my two computers with this issue.

I'll look into it

My FOTRSU 0.60/0.61 is on a new, fresh, install of SH4 (ever did it), previous clearing with CCleaner and deleting all saved games. And yes, I changed the texture file with that of TMO but it is the same. The effect is reduced when you take distance with the camera, but in normal, default, position in the bridge the effect is as you can see in the image. I tried with RUIM (changes the texture file for hats), and it is the same; I think there is a problem with the 3D model of the hats. Today observed the effect is also present in interior, in the conning tower.

I will explore the TMO texture files and models.

Another image:



Many thanks and best regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[torpedobait]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Here's something else... the periscope sound is a "mono" file, one channel, that when it goes through the SH.SDL file, goes through a "3D emulator", if you will, for that "stereo" effect as you turn your head. If I'm remembering correctly, the engine noises do also... I'm no where near my computer (on an irritating tablet thingie), but if you're familiar with opening SH.SDL, look through there and see if the "3D" tick box is checked on the sounds that you're having issue with (other than the voice files).

I'm not familiar with SDL readers (windows says I need one), so I downloaded one that Norton says is "safe". It appears to be written for LINUX machines, and although I am an old dinosaur who cut his teeth on Assembler and COBOL and learned a bit of DOS, I'm damned if I can see how to use the reader. When I unzip/unrar it I don't see an executable. I like your suggestion to check the 3D box, but haven't got there yet. I'll look for another reader - Notepad won't do it, for sure.

EDIT: I now have the S3D editor and checked the Periscope_UpDown.wav file. The 3D box was NOT checked. I checked it (using the one in the v0.61 mod, started the game, but alas, no periscope sound yet.

[torpedobait]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

To torpedobait....that's too bad about the sound not playing!

I wouldn't know where to start with your system to bring it up to a level that would play these common sounds? I've got a Creative SoundBlaster Z card in my modding computer too. If it plays on this old Windows XP, I figure it will play on most others as well....that's why I mod with it.

I'll keep plugging away at it. At least I know it is not a problem in the game. The fault lies in my hardware/software. If Creative can't help me, I'll go to Falcon NW. Those guys are good! Thanks.

[torpedobait]

[QUOTE=propbeanie;2492079
@ torpedobait, see what your system sounds are set to. Do you watch DVD movies on your computer? If so, Windows might have the Sound set to 48kHz, 16-bit, and Silent Hunter wants - no, DEMANDS - 44.1kHz, 16-bits... A sample rate mis-match in Windows audio is a muted audio... DRM and all that...[/QUOTE]

That sounds like a good idea, but I don't know how/where to check that! I did find something interesting - using Windows Media Player, I tested some of the sounds in the game by clicking on them direct in the sound folder; some play, some don't. Perhaps you can see what the difference is in the sound files?
Here are a few that play using Windows Media Player:
amb_rain.wav; amb_rainlocal.wav; amb_submarineinterior.wav.
Here are a couple that do not play:
amb_submarineyard.wav; collision.wav; Launch_Star_Shelll.wav; and of course, Periscope_UpDown.wav. That said, except for the latter, I hear all the others while in the game! One other thing, using RealPlayer instead of Windows Media Player, I can play ALL the sounds, including the periscope! That tells me there is nothing wrong with the files, but there is in the way the sound is translated to the game. But I'm over my head there...

And I have watched DVD movies in the past (Deadwood; Band of Brothers), but not for quite a while. Like I said, I haven't a clue as to how to check the sound settings for KHz.

[s7rikeback]

Originally Posted by torpedobait

That sounds like a good idea, but I don't know how/where to check that! I did find something interesting - using Windows Media Player, I tested some of the sounds in the game by clicking on them direct in the sound folder; some play, some don't. Perhaps you can see what the difference is in the sound files?
Here are a few that play using Windows Media Player:
amb_rain.wav; amb_rainlocal.wav; amb_submarineinterior.wav.
Here are a couple that do not play:
amb_submarineyard.wav; collision.wav; Launch_Star_Shelll.wav; and of course, Periscope_UpDown.wav. That said, except for the latter, I hear all the others while in the game! One other thing, using RealPlayer instead of Windows Media Player, I can play ALL the sounds, including the periscope! That tells me there is nothing wrong with the files, but there is in the way the sound is translated to the game. But I'm over my head there...

And I have watched DVD movies in the past (Deadwood; Band of Brothers), but not for quite a while. Like I said, I haven't a clue as to how to check the sound settings for KHz.

Good morning torpedobait,

S3D (short for Silent 3ditor) by skwas - is a very useful tool and will also help you with the SDL file.

One downloaded & Installed.

Navigate to your Data > Sound > sdl.file

Right click file an select open with....

Find the Silent 3ditor - your good to go.

[CapnScurvy]

Regarding the issue that fitzcarraldo pointed out earlier, I've got a "fix" for our latest download (yet to be released) of Fotrs Ultimate v0.62 Beta.

This problem of the previous Officer's hat having its texture wrong has been resolved:




The hats should be better now:








Our v0.62 should be released soon....we're still going over it as much as we can. But, its still a "Beta" with needed input/comments from you the players!