[REL] Submarine Tracking Room V1

[LGN1]

Hi,

some time ago I have written yet another small perl tool/app. This time the tool/app provides a more dynamic SH3 career.

Please note that the tool/app modifies campaign files and thus, requires some care from the user to avoid CTDs when loading save-games. I recommend the tool/app only for players who are familiar with SH3 and computers in general.

Here's the download link and the readme:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=4611




SH3 Submarine Tracking Room V8 Readme

Written by LGN1

ONLY FOR EXPERIENCED PLAYERS.

V8 Changes:
-----------

- Added coordinates for more grids (AM and BF grids)
- Implemented a Résistance feature: Later in the war there is a chance that your departure from a French port is known to the Allies and a destroyer group awaits you in the Bay of Biscay (the date and probability is adjustable via the ini file). In addition, there are special 'spotter' units in the Bay of Biscay which can detect you very early, i.e., it might be that the destroyers know your position before you detect them. Good luck escaping them in shallow waters :-)



V7 Changes:
-----------

- new ini file is created which allows to adjust Airstrike.cfg parameters for when being detected



V6 Changes:
-----------

- new ini file is created
- added a parameter to the ini file for changing the time a HK group searches a grid
- added a parameter to the ini file for changing the time period which is taken into account for determining the detection probability



V5 Changes:
-----------

- fixed small bug (not CTD critical)
- tuned detection probability for radio messages before mid-1942 to reflect huffduff development
- tuned air-strike probabilities
- shortened response time of HK groups. THIS REQUIRES THE LAST MESSAGE IN THE CONSOLE NOT EARLIER THAN ONE HOUR BEFORE THE SAVE-GAME TIME! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO HAVE A MESSAGE IN THE CONSOLE JUST BEFORE SAVING (e.g., ask for a weather report, ask for range to course end, ask for depth,...).



This small tool/app provides a dynamic response to the player's actions in SH3. Whenever you sink a ship, shoot down an aircraft, or send a radio message there is a chance that the Allies will respond to this by sending a hunter-killer group to your last known position. Early in the war there are only few areas where this can happen, but later in the war you will be hunted almost everywhere as soon as you are detected.

Installation:
-------------
1.) This tool/app requires the use of SH3 Commander!

2.) In order to install the tool, you just have to copy the executable (which is a packed perl script) to the directory where SH3 stores the save-games/careers (usually ...\Documents\SH3\data\cfg). It should be in the same directory as, e.g., GameplaySettings.cfg, main.cfg, and the Careers folder. I recommend to send a link to your desktop to easily start/access the app.

3.) You must merge the provided campaign layer "dyn_Campaign_RND.mis" with your "Campaign_RND.mis" from SH3. This can be done either by hand or via the "Merge..." functionality of the SH3 mission editor (see, e.g., Wreford-Brown's mods for a detailed explanation of how this works: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=206493).

In addition, for the RND layer you can use the included "Merge_RND.exe" tool (you need the two RND files (which you like to merge) in the same directory together with the tool).

The file "dyn_test_Campaign_RND.mis" is provided for testing purposes. In this file all ships will be reported hourly.

4.) If you also want to have land-based airpower you must install the "LGN1 Airbase" via JSGME and merge the "dyn_Campaign_LND.mis" file with your "Campaign_LND.mis" file. With this file you can expect heavy air activity if you are detected close to British main ports.

For NYGM and GWX I have provided the modified campaign files (with zigzagging units). If you use these files you still have to install the "LGN1 Airbase" via JSGME.

Input parameters:
-----------------
The tool/app asks you for your SH3 in-game language, the SH3 Commander path, and the career you want to play. In addition, it provides the option to back-up the "randomised events" file of SH3 Commander (this is only recommended the first time you use the tool/app) and a "debug" option. This option shows some information which might be useful if a debugging should be required. I hope it will not be required.

How it works:
-------------
Given the commander name, the tool/app tries to get some information about your activities from the save-games. Depending on the information found, the tool/app then randomly "sends" a hunter-killer group to your last known position. This is done via SH3 Commander's "randomised events" file. The tool/app then starts SH3 Commander with the pre-selected commander.

Tuning:
-------
After you have run the app for the first time, a file 'Submarine Tracking Room.ini' is created in the exe directory (...\SH3\data\cfg). In this file you can tune the probabilities for being detected depending on the event (just use a standard text editor).


Warnings:
---------
A few items should be kept in mind when using the tool/app:

0.) Do not use different commanders in the tool/app and in SH3. If you want to change the commander, leave SH3 and start it again via the tool/app with the new commander.

1.) You must choose your SH3 language in the tool/app! If not chosen correctly it will not work.

2.) The tool/app uses your current patrol save-games. In your current patrol you can load any save-game. However, you cannot load save-games from earlier patrols. If you want to go back to an earlier stage of your career, you have to load a save-game 'in port before/after...', exit SH3, and load the game via the tool/app again.

3.) Once you have used the tool/app during a patrol, you must always use it during this patrol. If not your save game will probably not load.

4.) I recommend playing only one commander a time and DID (dead is dead, no save game reloading).

5.) In order to avoid problems, you should always have at least one message in the console (weather reports, command confirmations,...) for every day.


*********************
Some important notes:
*********************

1) Feel free to modify/improve the script as you wish. If you do so, please share it with others. The script is probably not very elegant, but straight-forward. If you have any question don't hesitate to ask.

2) Use at own risk! Please post any feedback here at Subsim!

Cheers, LGN1

Not for comercial use!

[brett25]

wow this is really cool. thanks for this mod. i wll test it out.... btw, how long till the escorts show up?

[sublynx]

Very cool! I need to try this one ASAP!

[LGN1]

Originally Posted by brett25

wow this is really cool. thanks for this mod. i wll test it out.... btw, how long till the escorts show up?

If you are detected the ships show up the next time you load the game. However, depending on your position and the escorts initial positions it might take some hours or days until they reach your position. Usually, they will patrol in the area for two weeks.

For testing you can set the "ReportPosProbability=" for the first group in the campaign file to hundred ("ReportPosProbability=100"). Then you can see the group's position on the map every hour.

Regards, LGN1

[TorpX]

This is a very clever idea, LGN1.

It is the sort of thing that definitely be in the next generation of sub sim.

[LGN1]

Thanks for the kind words!

Some additional information:

• The main effect of the tool/app will only be from end of '42 onwards when Hunter-Killer groups appear.
• I have chosen the Bogue as NCVE because it is already in stock SH3 (all ships are chosen from stock SH3). You might adapt the *.cfg file with more squadrons if the air-cover is not dense enough.
• If desired you can change the ship types in the additional groups. However, you should not change the number of ships per group and you should also make sure that the ships have a high enough max. speed.

The idea for the mod came to me after sinking a ship in the Channel entrance beginning of June '44 and nothing happened. In real-life, I bet, hell would have broken out when a ship had been sunk at this place and time.



Regards, LGN1

[areo16]

I just wanted to say, well done here. I know it took you a long time to create the KM grid to meters long-lat conversion part of the app.

[keysersoze]

Hi LGN,

Your mod sounds wonderful and I'd love to test it. However, I'm getting an error with the SH3 Commander path. I am able to successfully choose my career, but when I try to enter the SH3 Commander path (C:\Program Files (x86)\SH3 Commander), I get the following error:

"File not found. SH3Cmdr.ini not found. Check SH3Cmdr Path."

I'm sure I'm doing something stupid. Any help would be appreciated.

[LGN1]

Hi keysersoze,

have you tried to add another backslash \ at the end? This might do the trick.

I don't know for sure, but you might later run into trouble when the script tries to write to your ini file. The reason might be your installation of SH3 Commander in the "Program Files" directory. Since this is a specially protected directory, I avoid installing SH3 and SH3 Commander there.

As I said, I don't know for sure, just try it.

Regards, LGN1

[keysersoze]

LGN1,

Thanks for your response. Indeed, it seems having installed Commander in Program Files was the problem. I moved the installation and everything functioned normally.

I'm running my first patrol of a new career now and will report my results with your tool.

Best,
keysersoze

[keysersoze]

LGN1,

I'm sorry to keep pestering you with questions, but I want to make sure I've installed your mod correctly.

I am running NYGM with Zigzagging units. Do I still need to merge dyn_RND.mis with my RND.mis file, or can I simply enable the RND.mis file you've provided via JSGME?

[LGN1]

Hi keysersoze,

glad you sorted the SH3 Commander problem. In the next version I will include a comment about it in the readme.

You can just enable the NYGM rnd file. You don't have to merge anything. If you check the 'debug' option in the GUI, you get a message telling you whether the tool found all units necessary.

Regards, LGN1

[areo16]

Hi LGN1,

I found a small bug trying to integrate it within SH3DC.

It seems you compiled the exe for 64-bit windows only. Perhaps 32-bit is better for all user compatibility?

Just v6 seems to have the problem. v4 seems to be 32 bit compatible.

[LGN1]

Hi areo16,

thanks for the information! All versions were compiled on 64-bit machines, however, on different ones. Maybe the perl installation is different between the two machines (I don't remember the details)

Anyway, I have uploaded a new exe which was compiled with a 32-bit perl version instead of a 64-bit version. Since I don't have any 32-bit machine, it would be great if you could test the new version for me.

Regards, LGN1

[areo16]

Originally Posted by LGN1

Hi areo16,

thanks for the information! All versions were compiled on 64-bit machines, however, on different ones. Maybe the perl installation is different between the two machines (I don't remember the details)

Anyway, I have uploaded a new exe which was compiled with a 32-bit perl version instead of a 64-bit version. Since I don't have any 32-bit machine, it would be great if you could test the new version for me.

Regards, LGN1

Awesome. I'll give it a go. I have my x64 desktop and an x86 laptop, so I can test both environments. (I ran into similar issues with the background scripts for SH3DC. My initial release was in in x64 executables, but I changed them to x86 after I found the potential problem, because not everyone has x64 windows).