SH4 RFB RSRD

[scott613]

Hi Folks,

RE: SH4 1.5 - Latest RFB - Latest RSRD

I'm an ex US Submariner from the 80's and 90's getting my feet wet again with SH4... I was the battle stations "geo-plot" on my boat which was the manually generated paper tactical plot in the control room that all other sources (Time/Bearing, Time/Frequency, Visual, etc etc etc) fed into... 9 times out of 10 - the CO would launch weapons based on "geo-plot" generated solution - instead of of the solution from MK-117 fire control system - hopefully both were in some sort of agreement and "close enough for a 48"... Anyway - while I am pretty rusty - I am familiar with TMA concepts..

So back to WWII - had my first real Das Boat moment charging through rough seas on a moonless night trying to get into position for a shot -what a hoot... SH4 can be pretty immersive with the right mods...

A few questions:

I've noticed with these two mods - absolutely nothing shows up on the plot unless I put it there... I don't have the option checked to "hide" this information... As the "captain" I don't want to be bothered drawing everything on the plot - is there a way to get the info back ???

Also - even though I have the option unchecked to do manual TMA - it never works with the campaign mode... As soon as I launch a campaign I'm back in manual firing mode... My results last night were pretty poor and I missed all my shots after hours of setup... I can get the manual solutions to work in training (calm seas, single contact, daylight) - but - man it can be tough... I could use some help...

Anyway - appreciate anything offered...

[captgeo]

hello,

check your option's before you start your patrol, I think that you have some setting's that can be changed like Manual target and map contacts that by default of your difficulty settings might be turned off, thats what it seems like to me by the way you described the situation.

[scott613]

Hi - thanks for the response -yeah - options look good to me... Info on the plot shows up with vanilla and TMO - - - - must be one of the two mega mods... I'll play around with it - thanks...

Regards,
Scott

[merc4ulfate]

Maybe I missed something in the documentation but does RFB reduce all overall speed? I noticed that my surface and submerged speeds are way down compared to other mods and the fuel and battery usage are way up in comparison to the slower speeds.

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by scott613

RE: SH4 1.5 - Latest RFB - Latest RSRD

I've noticed with these two mods - absolutely nothing shows up on the plot unless I put it there... I don't have the option checked to "hide" this information... As the "captain" I don't want to be bothered drawing everything on the plot - is there a way to get the info back ???

Also - even though I have the option unchecked to do manual TMA - it never works with the campaign mode... As soon as I launch a campaign I'm back in manual firing mode... ...

It sounds like your mission settings are being overridden by the campaign settings. Before you start your first patrol, you must set these from your in game office. From your desk, look over to the left and click on the radio. This should show your career options. You need to set these here; they will override whatever mission settings you may have previously selected.

With RFB, you can get map-contacts, but if you zoom in too close, they disappear. This puts a slight limit on your plotting accuracy.

Apart from this, the charts view with map-contacts, provides a 100% accurate, God's-eye view. There is no error modeled in any of this. Obviously, this will make your firing solutions much more accurate - at the expense of any great degree of realism.

[fitzcarraldo]

See in your My Documents...SH4 folder a file named gameplay settings and edit it with text editor. You have all the options here.

Also there is a mod (but I don't remember the name) for restore the contacts on the map in all the zoom levels.

Glad to know a real life submariner. You can try Dangerous Waters subsim for nuke subs and TMA in the hard way. A great game.

Best regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[scott613]

Hi Folks,

Thanks so much for the help... Yeah - the 100% accuracy is kind of a drag - they should have had it start out as a swag - then refined with improved accuracy over time - that's what happens in real life...

Let me play around with this new information and see if I can work it out... Yeah - I've played dangerous waters a bit over the years as well - have to say - they did an excellent job of recreating the submarine environment - I was less impressed with the surface and air assets - but - that's not really my forte anyway...

Is TMO preferred over RFB - or do both have their merits ???

Regards,
Scott

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by scott613

Is TMO preferred over RFB - or do both have their merits ???

Not by me.

TMO takes liberties with things to add danger, and make you play more cautiously. That's the philosophy anyway. RFB strives to be more historically accurate. It really depends on what you want.

[Armistead]

RFB is more historically accurate, but due to game code issues, it's probably too easy historically. TMO tries to correct this making aspect of the game more difficult so that your decisions are more historically accurate.

I don't play RFB, only play a few patrols years ago. Has someone took the time to mod a simple harder AI for it. It wouldn't take but a few minutes and may make it more worthwhile.

[merc4ulfate]

Add the Fabuki's with torpedo launchers

[captgeo]

I do agree, RFB was "easy" once you caught on to the way the Jap ships operated, very predictable by middle of the war, it would be great if it could be made harder with more powerful DD's

[Armistead]

I don't play anymore or have any files, but it would be easy to do, just some changes in the cfg might work.

Heck, you could probably just copy TMO's cfg file and use it without any problems.

[merc4ulfate]

RFB with RSRD ... JANUARY 1941:

I passed within 900 yards of a destroyer in front of his bow heading to one of two carriers in the Bungo Straits. The first carrier one fish for and one fish aft and it sank, second carrier one fish center one fish aft ... it sank. One Heavy Cruiser one fish for and two fish aft and it sank, one Heavy Cruiser one fish center two fish aft and it sank. All listed heavily from the first strikes but kept going until they were hit again. Use all but two fish in a Tambor class boat due to duds and misses.

Two destroyers sank due to collisions with Heavy Cruisers one destroyer escaped.

Initial run was on the surface at night about 0300. Attack ended three hours later. Kept submerged speed at flank to stay with crippled ship while maneuvering away from DC attacks from the surface from two escorts. After two carriers and one Heavy Cruiser was sunk and remaining escort was aft in a search pattern I surfaced and all ahead flank to the crippled Heavy Cruiser.

Passed within 1000 yards before search light came on and they began to fire at us. Ordered periscope depth and fire the fish that finished her off.

+++++++++++

Mod note:

I had issues with reduced speed and battery/fuel issues. I removed the Improved Ships Physics mod and the speed and battery/fuel issue was gone.

For some reason the ISP is reducing the boats speed so that flank is about 8 knots on the surface maybe 12 at best.


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


Generic Mod Enabler - v2.6.0.157
RFB_2.0
RFB_2.0_Patch_23April2010
RSRDC_RFB_V575
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1
Real Subs