[WIP] Improved Ship Physics

[HertogJan]

There's one think I didn't mention yesterday and that is the repeated "current depth 20 feet" sound speech by the ?XO?
When in a storm this really starts to irritate me.. The guy goes like this every time the sub goes slightly under or at 20ft:
Current depth 20f, Current... Current depth t.... Cur.... Current d... Current depth 20f. and so on, luckily it stops at higher TC but its spamming the chatbox and can't read any course change, contact report and whatnots.



Running Improved Stock Environment_v2 over your Mod.


About the voice issue, looking through the files would suggest a combination of four separate files "Current Depth", "2", "0" and "feet". If so, removing it would be impossible
Altho, it doesn't make sens as it says "twenty feet" and not "two - zero feet".

[TorpX]

I haven't tried to disable the "current depth 20 feet" voice. If someone is able to do this, please post it here.

Usually, I am going at 32x, so it is not as annoying.

[TorpX]

I've been asked about how to get the Gato to decks awash with ISP.

I don't really use decks awash; the RL S-boats couldn't do it, and that's the only thing I've played since developing ISP.

Here is my idea as to how best to do decks awash:

In the gato.cfg file, edit the radar depth value to want you want for 'decks awash'. The game subs don't seem to like going directly from 14' to 24' or such. So, from the surface, order periscope depth, and after you are down to 40 or so feet, then order 'radar depth', and hopefully, your crew will be able to accomplish this. This may take a little experimentation.

I have done this sort of thing in order to go to a shallower than normal p/d in a S-boat.

[TorpX]

I have been doing a little work for a possible future version of ISP.


#1.
Does anyone know about the differences between SH3 and SH4 wave mechanics? I am thinking specifically about how the waves in SH3 continue to exert some influence on a sub when it is below the surface. I would certainly like to incorporate this kind of thing, if possible. So far, I haven't been able to reproduce it.


#2.
Does anyone have a good understanding of the 'float controllers' (in *.val files)?

[Hitman]

I can't provide any specific info on that, but *if* the devs didn't remove code from SH3 when they did Sh4, it might be related to sub displacement. The smaller Type II Uboats clearly rocked more around than the Type IXs, so I would first try setting a much lower submarine displacement and see if that produces a result or not. Once you know if the effect is still there, you can try to see if it can be configured elsewhere

[TorpX]

I played around with the float controller setting the float height to different values, positive and negative. I didn't notice anything, until at a level of 5.0, I happened to see 'bow splash' or whatever spray up high in front of the boat, like an invisible pixie was scattering fairy dust over my sub.

I have concluded this doesn't do anything useful. Really, I don't see why they bothered; there is still bow splash at the bow, even when I deleted the element. There are so many eye-candy factors in this game. If they had put an equal effort into the physics, it would be a much better sim.


With the scene.dat file, I took the stock SH3 file and put it in the SH4 game. Also, adjusted the waves attenuation value to 0.03, as in the SH3 file. The sub doesn't behave the same, though. In SH4, rolling and pitching stops somewhere between 26 and 30 ft. In. SH3, there is significant movement at periscope depth, and still a little at 25m. I am wondering if Ubi changed this deliberately, or if it is another thing that was accidently broken.

I may try your suggestion about the displacement; I'm not getting anywhere on my present course.

[granite00]

For TorpX and SilentPrey,

First, thank you for all the research and work you've put into this mod.

I just installed "Improved Ship Physics 2.6_TMO_RSRDC_OTC". I must use OTC ratio 5:4 and the ocean looked awful (it was like a shiny blue plastic; nothing at all like the ocean prior to ISP).

My mods are in this order:
Generic Mod Enabler - v2.6.0.157
1_TriggerMaru_Overhaul_2-5
1_TMO_25_small_patch
RSRDC_TMO_V502
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1
1.5_Optical Targeting Correction 031312 for RSRDCv502
1.5_OTC for 5 to 4 Aspect Ratio RSRDCv502
Improved Ship Physics 2.6_TMO_RSRDC_OTC
Easier AI for TMO 2.5 by Orpheus

Has anyone reported a problem with OTC 5:4 aspect? Perhaps my installation order is wrong?

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by granite00

For TorpX and SilentPrey,

First, thank you for all the research and work you've put into this mod.

I just installed "Improved Ship Physics 2.6_TMO_RSRDC_OTC". I must use OTC ratio 5:4 and the ocean looked awful (it was like a shiny blue plastic; nothing at all like the ocean prior to ISP).

My mods are in this order:
Generic Mod Enabler - v2.6.0.157
1_TriggerMaru_Overhaul_2-5
1_TMO_25_small_patch
RSRDC_TMO_V502
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1
1.5_Optical Targeting Correction 031312 for RSRDCv502
1.5_OTC for 5 to 4 Aspect Ratio RSRDCv502
Improved Ship Physics 2.6_TMO_RSRDC_OTC
Easier AI for TMO 2.5 by Orpheus

Has anyone reported a problem with OTC 5:4 aspect? Perhaps my installation order is wrong?

I deleted the scene.dat file from the mod. The mod is awesome but the sea looks awful. I use Real Environment with ISEv2 plus ISE realistic colours.

Regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[granite00]

TorpX warned you would lose stormy seas and sea-keeping effects if you removed the scene.dat file. How did that work out for you?

If I chose to do that, do I merely delete the scene.dat file from the Mods\ISP 2.6 directory?

[fitzcarraldo]

Just delete scene.dat. Of course you don't have the stormy seas effect but that effect looks horrendous in my installation. Do you like it with those deforming waves and mountains of water? All works fine in my installation without scene.dat.

Regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[granite00]

You're right, the water doesn't look good in my installation, so I removed ISP at this point. I'm fairly new to the game and am still playing with mods. I haven't tried RFB yet, but may give it a go to compare it with TMO. Once that decision is made, smaller mod choices can be made.

[SilentPrey]

granite00,

Interesting. The way the ocean looked didn't bother me (probably because EVERYTHING looks better than the periscope view in Dangerous Waters ) and I wanted to stay as close as I could to TorpX's original intent so I left the weather the way he set it.

Your installation order looks right. If you liked the way the TMO sea looked (and acted) then just follow fitzcarraldo's advice and delete scene.dat. To clarify: Disable ISP in JSGME first, then go into MODS\Improved Ship Physics 2.6_TMO_RSRDC_OTC\Data and delete scene.dat, then reenable with JSGME.

Have fun!

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by SilentPrey

granite00,

Interesting. The way the ocean looked didn't bother me (probably because EVERYTHING looks better than the periscope view in Dangerous Waters ) and I wanted to stay as close as I could to TorpX's original intent so I left the weather the way he set it.

Your installation order looks right. If you liked the way the TMO sea looked (and acted) then just follow fitzcarraldo's advice and delete scene.dat. To clarify: Disable ISP in JSGME first, then go into MODS\Improved Ship Physics 2.6_TMO_RSRDC_OTC\Data and delete scene.dat, then reenable with JSGME.

Have fun!

I´m not so secure about the Easier AI mod after ISP. Easier AI modifies ISP (sim.cfg file), and this file seems important to ISP. I think this issue deserve a WinMerge run and compare both files, adjusting it.

Regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[Hitman]

I took the stock SH3 file and put it in the SH4 game. Also, adjusted the waves attenuation value to 0.03, as in the SH3 file. The sub doesn't behave the same, though.

Not sure if I understand that. Did the sub in SH4 behave differently after swapping the scene.dat for the SH3 one? Or didn't that produce any changes at all?

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by Hitman

Not sure if I understand that. Did the sub in SH4 behave differently after swapping the scene.dat for the SH3 one? Or didn't that produce any changes at all?

Well, the stock scene.dat file from SH3 has smaller waves than what I usually use. The main point of interest is that in SH3 a sub will pitch and roll as you submerge, even to periscope depth or deeper. I took a type VIIb down to 25 or 30 m and there was still a little movement. I couldn't go deeper as the water was shallow. With the same scene.dat file in SH4 (using a S-18) the boat ceases to pitch or roll, very soon after you dive. It seems to stop between 26 and 30 ft., and after that, it is like being on rails. This is true, even when the waves are very large, and the shears/tower are periodically exposed - very unrealistic.

I briefly looked at the sh3 type VIIb .sim file just to see if there was anything odd or unique about it. Didn't see anything special. Unless there is a special node in the *.dat files that controls pitching and rolling in waves, I don't see any hope of reproducing this. It seems odd that Ubi would eliminate a realistic feature that worked well in a previous version, but apparently they did.



***

Does anyone know how to add boxes/slots in the crew page?

I wanted to add a few spaces in Hogan's alley. I put in the slots in the *.upc file, but they didn't show up in the game. I assume something else needs to be done to actually create the additional spaces, but have no idea what.

RFB has 3 spaces, which is just enough. I wanted to expand the use of this compartment, so one could pull certain men off duty, when at GQ for a long period, so you would have at least a few men who were rested.