[REL] SH 5 Lifeboats

[Malhard]

I can install this mod after the OH 2 1.8 or should I install before.

sry bad english

[pascal4541]

Originally Posted by Malhard

I can install this mod after the OH 2 1.8 or should I install before.

sry bad english

After OHII

[Malhard]

thx dude

[Rongel]

A really small update!

Many people have noted me that the "New Zealand" entry was written in incorrect format in the roster, so this small update finally fixes it. Now New Zealand has lifeboats too!

[col_Kurtz]

Anyway the lifeboats are really fun I heard screaming, coughing and... Heeelp! Heeeelp! - fantastic and a bit horrible when I passed one of them very close Now the game is 18+

Nice job - thanks a lot

[Rongel]

Thanks!

Yes, it adds a nice human touch to the sim!

[pascal4541]

Thank you Rongel

[volodya61]

Hi, Rongel!
I have a small problem when using your mod..
Some sinking ships hasn't lifeboats.. (none at all)
Maybe it happens by using Uekel's - MTNS mod and HanSolo's - Harbour Addition mod?

In any case, thank you for your work for us!

Sorry by my English (in any case)

[Rongel]

Originally Posted by volodya61

Hi, Rongel!
I have a small problem when using your mod..
Some sinking ships hasn't lifeboats.. (none at all)
Maybe it happens by using Uekel's - MTNS mod and HanSolo's - Harbour Addition mod?

In any case, thank you for your work for us!

Sorry by my English (in any case)

Hi!

It seems to be pretty random how the boats are spawned, usually there is one or two depending the size of the ship. But sometimes no lifeboats at all. Every ship should have this in it's cfg-file:

RenownAwarded=160
CrewComplement=30
SurvivalRate=80
SurvivalPercentage=20
RecManualCategory=Freighter
BowShape=Plumb

Maybe it controls the number of the boats? Bigger the ship, more survivors.

I'm not that familiar with Uekel's MTNS-mod so can't say much about that. But I think it's working for all the OH II ships.

[volodya61]

Thanks for the reply Rongel!

I'll be testing ships cfg-files now and I'll look what happens then..

Thank you..

[gap]

Hi Rongel,

I've got a few questions that keep me awake at night. Maybe you can help me!
The first question is: what happens to lifeboats after they spawn? I mean: do they vanish after a while or when getting out of our range, or what else?

Now some facts I deduced from the web:

from uboataces.com:
on a summer day of March 13, 1944 U-852 was enroute to the Indian Ocean to join the Monsoon wolfpack operating there. During the journey, Eck torpedoed and sank the Greek tramp steamer, SS Peleus. Amid the sinking wreckage were the survivors jammed packed in lifeboats and rafts. Fearing that the survivors of his torpedo attack would be rescued and give away his presence, Eck ordered for all the survivors to be machine gunned.


from uboat.net:
Before he [Heck] departed, the young Kapitänleutnant was briefed by a Crew 34 classmate, Kapitänleutnant Adalbert Schnee. Schnee, a veteran U-boat commander and holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak leaves, ranked number 22 among Germany's most successful U-boat captains. Eck listened very carefully to what his friend told him about the dangers that lay ahead.

Schnee reminded Eck that U-852 was among the largest, slowest and most easily hit U-boats then in service. He particularly warned him about the strong air cover in the Atlantic Narrows, especially between Freetown and Ascension Island. "Be very careful in this region," the veteran classmate cautioned him, pointing out that traces of wreckage from a torpedoed ship could be recognized from the air for "the next few days." Schnee underscored his warning with the ominous news that all four type IXD2 boats that had preceded U-852 had been lost, either in the South Atlantic or near Ascension Island. The South Atlantic zone was, in Schnee's understated words, "very difficult for us." That Eck took Schnee's warnings seriously was evidenced by what happened fifty-four days later.

I don't want to enter here in a debate wheter Heck was a war criminal or a good officer. Anyway, whatever induced him to commit his act -the need to sink wreckage from the sunk ship as soon as possible, or the deliberate volunty to kill her survivors- seems that wreckage and lifeboats from sunk ships were a concrete threat for U-boats, giving up their position. This was especially true during late war, when the extended aerial coverage by Allies made the life of U-boat crews even harder than before. Now my other questions:

• would it be possible to equip liefboats with a radio, in order to allow them to draw on us the attention of nearby Allied units?
  
• I noticed that your lifeboats are coming with their .zon files. Does it mean that we can sink them with the deck/flak gun? If not, would it be possible to add damage zones to them, in order to make it possible?
  
• in case the answer to both my previous questions is yes: would we reduce the probability of lifeboats "calling" for reinforcements, if we manage to sink them swiftly?

[Rongel]

Interesting stuff Gap, a quick reply before going to sleep!

First of all, I can't remember much about the lifeboat system, so testing this out in the game is the right way. But the lifeboats are real, stripped down ships, they should work just like normal ships would. So they will vanish like your regular ship (don't know the system for this).

At first the lifeboats were sinkable, but I took the feature off. I didn't like that metal debris flies around if you shoot a rubber boat with a cannon. Maybe it even exploded, can't remember... It just broke the illusion for me. But yes, you can make them destroyable, but it doesn't look that good visually.

It might be possible to add a radio to them, but not sure if it would impact the computer usage in a bad way. But is there a logic problem also: let's imagine that we torpedo a ship and it is destroyed before distress call. Then lifeboats are spawned and they spot our periscope. So we leave the place. Normally it would take time for the airpatrols to spot and rescue the survivors, but if the boats would have a "radio", the call would be instant and planes would leave too fast to chase us. (I don't know but i'm guessing that lifeboats didn't have a radio system in them???). I hope you understand what i'm saying, brains already shutting down...

But i'm all for increasing the functions of the lifeboats, it would be fun if even they would offer somekind of threat. Hope this helps for now!

[gap]

Originally Posted by Rongel

Interesting stuff Gap, a quick reply before going to sleep!

First of all, I can't remember much about the lifeboat system, so testing this out in the game is the right way. But the lifeboats are real, stripped down ships, they should work just like normal ships would. So they will vanish like your regular ship (don't know the system for this).

Maybe Trevally can help us on this

Originally Posted by Rongel

At first the lifeboats were sinkable, but I took the feature off. I didn't like that metal debris flies around if you shoot a rubber boat with a cannon. Maybe it even exploded, can't remember... It just broke the illusion for me. But yes, you can make them destroyable, but it doesn't look that good visually.

peraphs I am just telling nonsense, but I guess there should be a node or something in the GR2 or in the ZON file calling for explosion fx from baza.dat, when the ship is hit. I wonder if this "thing", if relly it exists, can be removed. Or else we could increase lifeboat's hit points, so to make her to sink by flooding instead of exploding...

Originally Posted by Rongel

It might be possible to add a radio to them, but not sure if it would impact the computer usage in a bad way. But is there a logic problem also: let's imagine that we torpedo a ship and it is destroyed before distress call. Then lifeboats are spawned and they spot our periscope. So we leave the place. Normally it would take time for the airpatrols to spot and rescue the survivors, but if the boats would have a "radio", the call would be instant and planes would leave too fast to chase us. (I don't know but i'm guessing that lifeboats didn't have a radio system in them???).

Good remark. We should prevent sailboats from calling istantly for help, but I doubt that it can be done in SH5
And no, I don't think either that they had radio equipment aboard. My suggestion to equip them with a radio device, was just a workaround for making them to alert aircraft in the area. Can someone else think of a better method? Actually, lifeboats should have only a passive role, whreas aircraft should enter in alert state once they get sailboats in their visual range... TheDarkWraith, are you there?

Originally Posted by Rongel

I hope you understand what i'm saying, brains already shutting down...

But i'm all for increasing the functions of the lifeboats, it would be fun if even they would offer somekind of threat. Hope this helps for now!

You made yourself perfectly clear! Thank you for your quick reply, and let's stay tuned!

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by gap

peraphs I am just telling nonsense, but I guess there should be a node or something in the GR2 or in the ZON file calling for explosion fx from baza.dat, when the ship is hit. I wonder if this "thing", if relly it exists, can be removed. Or else we could increase lifeboat's hit points, so to make her to sink by flooding instead of exploding...

When HPs are 0 SHCollisions.act (or is it SHSim.act - I can't remember which one) calls the effects in particles.dat No way to do what you are thinking without removing the effects from everything.

[gap]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

When HPs are 0 SHCollisions.act (or is it SHSim.act - I can't remember which one) calls the effects in particles.dat No way to do what you are thinking without removing the effects from everything.

WOW, you were fast,
by the way I've just edited my previous post, here is the changed phrase:

Originally Posted by gap

And no, I don't think either that they had radio equipment aboard. My suggestion to equip them with a radio device, was just a workaround for making them to alert aircraft in the area. Can someone else think of a better method? Actually, lifeboats should have only a passive role, whreas aircraft should enter in alert state once they get sailboats in their visual range... TheDarkWraith, are you there?

Given your experience with IRAI, I think you are the only one here who can tell wether what I am saing (in bold) is doable or not...


EDIT: @ TDW
so, you agree with me that if we increase tremendously sailboat's HP, explosions shouldn't happen?