Realism- and gameplay-related hardcode fixes for SH3.EXE

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by Hitman

and so the idea arose: Any chances of programming a random ocurency of depth charges exploding under or over the submarine at close distance unsettling it (Besides damaging)? Probably displacing the sub a random number of metres up or down at random would suffice to represent this. A UBoat could be blow to the surface as in real life

That should be able to be accomplished with modifying the DCs .sim files. I did this in SH5 and since they use the same controller should be possible in SH3/4. Set the explosion range to a high value (250-1000). Set the impulse to 1000-1500. The sub will move up/down and sideways when a DC explodes close to it (or near it).

[Stiebler]

LGN1 said:

The main difference is that in h.sie's work YOU have an influence. It's no longer a matter of luck whether you get into contact with a convoy that has AI subs attached. Instead, your finding of the convoy matters.

At present there is absolutely no advantage (only disadvantage) in sending contact reports (in the middle of the Atlantic). But back then U-boats had to send them (not during the whole war). With h.sie's work you now have an incentive to shadow a convoy and send contact reports! It's no longer seeing a convoy and attacking it.

Yes, I agree, that is a very important point, which I had forgotten.

Hitman said:

Actually AOD simulated the torpedoes from the other UBoats. So much so, that you could even get hit by one of them! (As in real life, where there were some close calls)

Interesting, I never observed that.

Clearly then, a new wolf-packs mod by H.sie will make a significant difference to SH3, and I withdraw my doubts (originally stated privately, but, as H.sie says, subsequently stated publicly with my permission.)

Stiebler.

[skwasjer]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

Nothing wrong with hex editing. That's how I do all my work (I don't use S3D - dumbs down the mind) Keeps the mind 'fresh' and the skills strong using Hex editor In SH5 we have a tool made by the devs (Goblin Editor) that makes modding easy in some areas. Now what should interest you all is that this tool can be used for SH3 (I've used it to open/change files in SH3). Note: It cannot save to .dat files so save to a .sim, .val, or .zon file and copy over to .dat file. This tool makes it REALLY easy to see/adjust .zon files

S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...

We get it...

Goblin, never heard of it, is that a good hex editor?

[h.sie]

so many things I did with S3D. helped me a lot. thanks, skwasjer.

[Hitman]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith
Nothing wrong with hex editing. That's how I do all my work (I don't use S3D - dumbs down the mind) Keeps the mind 'fresh' and the skills strong using Hex editor In SH5 we have a tool made by the devs (Goblin Editor) that makes modding easy in some areas. Now what should interest you all is that this tool can be used for SH3 (I've used it to open/change files in SH3). Note: It cannot save to .dat files so save to a .sim, .val, or .zon file and copy over to .dat file. This tool makes it REALLY easy to see/adjust .zon files

S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...
S3D is a crappy tool...

We get it...

Goblin, never heard of it, is that a good hex editor?

EDIT:

TDW, from the several ways you could have said that you prefer to work without S3D to avoid limitations and have a broader perspective, this was probably not one of the better ones. S3D has been a wonderful thing for many of us, and we appreciate that. Honestly, I don't think that swaskjer should take any offence from TDW's comment, as I don't believe it was intended to offend at all, but I understand he didn't like it. Now please let us return to the topic, as anyone has some less fortunate expressions from time to time.

[urfisch]

@skwasjer:
skwasjer, thanks a lot for your tool! it enables many people to mod this game. and the more people we have, who are modifying this game, the more fun it is for all of us. simple calculation.

btw, have you released the modified templates for sh5 i was asking for the last year?? there where some datastring issues, s3d was not able to read/write the correct data. maybe you remember.



in general:

TDW is obliged to be quite confident about his skills, but he has the opinion everyone who mods, should have these skills too and not uses easing software. this is kind of religious thing. like if you use apple-products or not (i dont pray for apple, just using a 2005 ipod).

i would say: let the people mod!

[makman94]

Originally Posted by h.sie

In my Assembler-Mod archive from earlier trials to mod buoyancy, I found an almost completed fix, which only needs testing and fine-adjusting:

It models water slowly leaking into the sub when in silent-running and thus pumps are not working. This is modelled by very slowly increasing the Sub's mass.

So if you order silent-running, in the first time nothing worse happens and all works well, but after some time the boat gets heavier and it's harder to maintain depth (Not implemented yet, but the LI could additionally inform you about that: "Cannot maintain depth - we must use the pumps" or similar - as in Aces of the Deep). So you have either to increase speed in order to get dynamic buoyancy or you have to stop silent-running. When silent-running is ended, the UBoats mass slowly decreases in order to model pumps pumping out the water.

This fix also models a negative overall-buoyanvy, so that GWX players will have negative buoyancy for very low speeds, similar to the NYGM Anti-Hummingbird-Mod.

I stopped working on this fix due to burn-out from modding some months ago, but it's almost done and needs testing and parameter fine-adjusting, especially:

* How fast does water flood into the boat?
* How fast do pumps pump it out?
* Shall the water flood in without any limit?

I will continue this fix after the wolfpacks, if I find some people willing to do some testing.

@Hitman: I know your suggestions were different a little bit, but positive buoyancy for low depths was hard and caused problems.

count me in H.Sie !
i will do the tests when you are ready to go for it ! just let me know when you are

[Wolfstriked]

Hsie,if I may I will also gladly test your new sink mod.As someone mentioned,if its possible to make it so that the mass of the boat rises faster the deeper you are then thats superb stuff!!!Now the silent running fix does this by just lowering the set depth slowly and it works well IMO.If it accomplished the same thing then is it worth it??If you can change it so it gets worse with depth then again superb stuff.

Whats kool is it seems to model the 10 pound ballast compressor.If you blow ballast or just surface normally the sub seems to not be fully filled with air for awhile.You can blow ballast again and it now rises fully out of the water right away.

""The 10-pound MBT blowing system is used to remove water from the main ballast tanks when the boat is on the surface. It completes the work started by the 600-pound MBT blowing system, thus saving high-pressure air.""


It is turned on when the hatch is opened and just sucks in air and forces into main tank^^^saving the valuable compressed stuff.

[h.sie]

Need help!

I remember many people offering help. Now maybe time has come....

Problem: Our current AI-Subs from Sergbuto have an action radius of only about 2-3 km. That means: If they discover an enemy, they only shoot at him, if he is closer than 2-3km. But if the distance is larger than 2-3km, the Subs do not try to get closer to the enemy. They do nothing.

Using them to intercept a convoy would require to beam a high number of them to the estimated interception area in order to find and attack the convoy - hoping, that one of them is close enough.

So our subs need better AI. Sh3 isn't very flexible in this point. Since I still don't know how to add new AI or modify existing AI, we can only use what Sh3 offers. LGN1 found out that (additionally to the cmdr_AI setting in *.sim) setting Type=4 in the .cfg file gives ships an aggressive destroyer AI. I tried to also set Type=4 for the AI-Sub, but CTD. Possible reason: Type=4 (destroyer) only works for surface ships. So I moved the Sub into the Sea-Folder and changed the Roster-Entries accordingly. CTD. Possible reason: A surface ship cannot load the Turm 3D objects from the Objects folder. So in my opinion there a 2 possible solutions:

1) Modify Serbutos AI-Sub so that it accepts Type=4 entry without CTD, probably by moving the whole Sub into the Sea folder. It is not required that it looks like a sub. In RL the subs didn't see each other.

2) Create a new destroyer model that shoots without sound and visible fire, that is very small (or invisible?) and thus cannot be seen and maybe uses the same weapons as Sergbutos AI Subs, or, even better : Torpedoes.

For 1) and 2) Hydrofones would also be cool!

Thanks. Woldpacks isn't an 1-Man-Project.
H.Sie


@Wolfstriked: Let us please discuss that topic (slow sinking , ballst compressro) if I start to mod that. Currently all my focus is on Wolfpack.

[NGT]

Originally Posted by h.sie

Need help!

.................................................. ................................

So I moved the Sub into the Sea-Folder and changed the Roster-Entries accordingly. CTD. Possible reason: A surface ship cannot load the Turm 3D objects from the Objects folder.

Sorry if I am desperately wrong, but I have an idea:

The XXI U-boot have not Turm inside Objects, his -one and only- Turm is incorporate to .dat file.

Can be useful with a fake skin of VII or XI ?

Sorry, ok ?

[Wolfstriked]

Copy that Hsie.Also I reread your post on buoyancy mod and its very different then the current silent running.Ok,back to Wolfpacks

[SquareSteelBar]

Originally Posted by h.sie

...Possible reason: A surface ship cannot load the Turm 3D objects from the Objects folder...

For testing delete temporarily the conning entries in .eqp file...
If this will work it maybe possible to apply the turm model directly to the fuselage [like in type XXI].

[Hitman]

2) Create a new destroyer model that shoots without sound and visible fire, that is very small (or invisible?) and thus cannot be seen and maybe uses the same weapons as Sergbutos AI Subs, or, even better : Torpedoes.

I'd vote for this line at first. Reason: For the alternative one would need to reverse engineer sergbuto's uboats and solve the current problems with them. Instead, for using normal german "destroyers" there should be no problem at all, and later we can look at changing them into subs or pseudo-subs, or adding AI torpedoes as intermediate step. Thus, the first thing is to get the concept working, and later we can fine tune it

[Hitman]

BTW another wild idea ... does anyone know if there is an Ai specifically for torpedo boats? Even if they don't have AI torpedoes, the pattern of "high speed approach, shoot, turn around and escape" would be most useful if it exists. Also, is it possible to give airplane bomber AI to a sea unit? Again it uses the same pattern

[SquareSteelBar]

Originally Posted by h.sie

...1) Modify Serbutos AI-Sub so that it accepts Type=4 entry without CTD, probably by moving the whole Sub into the Sea folder. It is not required that it looks like a sub. In RL the subs didn't see each other...

Just tried it and it is working [sub folder moved to Sea folder but there're no connings then]. Did you also change UnitType value in .mis file to 4? Maybe you missed that? -> reason for CTD