Additional Merchants mod, part 2

[sergbuto]

This part of the Additional Merchants mod includes cargo and transport steamers. The cargo steamer comes in three versions: early-war painting scheme, late-war camo and the version with nav. lights on for neutrals. All of them have proper damage models adjusted to their 3d profiles.

Cargo steamer 3d model is made by Jonatan Grönoset.
Late-war camo pattern by TLAM Strike.
Transport steamer 3d model made by Charlotte K. Hagen.

Lines to be pasted in your EnglishNames.cfg in the data\Sea directory:
NACG=Cargo Steamer
NACG_early=Cargo Steamer (early war)
NACG_late=Cargo Steamer (late war)
NTSteamer=Transport Steamer

Download is available on my site.

Cargo steamer
http://usx218.fysik.uu.se/users/Sergei/files/Cargosteamer01.jpg

http://usx218.fysik.uu.se/users/Sergei/files/Cargosteamer02.jpg

http://usx218.fysik.uu.se/users/Sergei/files/Cargosteamer03.jpg

Cargo steamer with nav. lights on
http://usx218.fysik.uu.se/users/Sergei/files/Cargosteamer05.jpg

Cargo steamer in camo (late war)
http://usx218.fysik.uu.se/users/Sergei/files/Cargosteamer04.jpg


Transport steamer
http://usx218.fysik.uu.se/users/Sergei/files/TransportSteamer.jpg

http://usx218.fysik.uu.se/users/Sergei/files/NACG_sil.jpg

http://usx218.fysik.uu.se/users/Sergei/files/NT_steamer_sil.jpg

[bigboywooly]

Nice one Serg

[GlobalExplorer]

Beautiful! I like the Transport steamer most ..

What damage model comes with these ships?

[sergbuto]

Forgotten to add images for rec. manual. Now they have been added to my first post above.

[geosub1978]

I just downloaded them! Thanks!:up:

[sergbuto]

What damage model comes with these ships?

What do you mean?

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Crewmen inside the bridge... nice touch! :up: :up: :up:

[denis_469]

Thanks. Very good ships.

[Safe-Keeper]

Crewmen inside the bridge... nice touch! :up: :up: :up::o:huh:
Wow. Just wow.

And to think I didn't notice them until Kpt. Lehmann pointed it out:oops:.

[Tachyon]

Beautiful...especially those nav lights.

[Safe-Keeper]

That little Transport Steamer is just a beauty.

How long do you think it'll take the GWX team to pick up these ships;)?
As a side note, there's a typo on your web site. It says "exta ships" instead of "extra ships". Just so you know.

PS: Anyone else reminded by X-Com: Terror From the Deep when they look at ships like that?

[Pascal]

Magnifique work, of course.
But i was trying to change some of your tga files (to obtain colors older and dirty) and i cant modified your tga files with photoshop. So, is there a special way to do it ?
Thank you

[mr chris]

Fantasic work Serg take a bow:up: :rock:

[mkubani]

Serg, is it me, or do I see some smoothing group problem by the captain cabin door on the transport steamer? Nevertheless great job!

[Subwolf]

Very nice.

Just one thing, as far as I know merchants never used the nav lights, didn't want to invite uboats ya know. But it looks good on your model anyway :yep:

[bigboywooly]

[quote=Safe-Keeper]That little Transport Steamer is just a beauty.

How long do you think it'll take the GWX team to pick up these ships;)?
[quote]

Already spotted lol

Bit too late to try and add now though
Have to stop somewhere or will never be released

Added to future works list :up:

[sergbuto]

As a side note, there's a typo on your web site. It says "exta ships" instead of "extra ships". Just so you know.
Thanks. There are actually more typos. I'll correct them next time I'll do changed to the site.

[Corsair]

Very nice.

Just one thing, as far as I know merchants never used the nav lights, didn't want to invite uboats ya know. But it looks good on your model anyway :yep:

The neutrals do, that's how you know they are neutrals... at least in my version.

[AG124]

Thanks Sergbuto.:up: It's not often we get brand new merchants for SHIII like this (they are built from scratch by those two modelers you mentioned, right?), and the freighter will help to scale down the tonnage (there aren't many merchants in the 4-5000 GRT range:yep:).

[sergbuto]

Magnifique work, of course.
But i was trying to change some of your tga files (to obtain colors older and dirty) and i cant modified your tga files with photoshop. So, is there a special way to do it ?
Thank you

I use photoshop myself and did not have any problem. Many tgas were compressed by Deep Exploration before importing (because OBJ files were saved by this program) but I doubt this should be a problem.

[Subwolf]

Very nice.

Just one thing, as far as I know merchants never used the nav lights, didn't want to invite uboats ya know. But it looks good on your model anyway :yep:

The neutrals do, that's how you know they are neutrals... at least in my version.

Yes, but after 1941 only foolish captains left the nav lights on. Neutral or not, no ship was safe. And neutrals in convoys = nav lights off.

[sergbuto]

Serg, is it me, or do I see some smoothing group problem by the captain cabin door on the transport steamer? Nevertheless great job!

It is a small problem with normals due to conversion from X format and scaling the model down for the SH3 world, but it does not look bad in the game.

[Corsair]

Very nice.

Just one thing, as far as I know merchants never used the nav lights, didn't want to invite uboats ya know. But it looks good on your model anyway :yep:
The neutrals do, that's how you know they are neutrals... at least in my version.
Yes, but after 1941 only foolish captains left the nav lights on. Neutral or not, no ship was safe. And neutrals in convoys = nav lights off.

Can't answer on how the mod handles it as I have not gone past 41 with this version yet. Agreed for neutral in convoys, guess they are just at the wrong place at the wrong time...;)

[sergbuto]

Just one thing, as far as I know merchants never used the nav lights, didn't want to invite uboats ya know. But it looks good on your model anyway :yep:

On the contrary, they use all the lights possible to emphasize their neutrality except when they were a part of the allied convoy. Ships without lights would be attacked by U-boats by default.

[sergbuto]

[quote=Subwolf]Can't answer on how the mod handles it as I have not gone past 41 with this version yet.

The ships will only appear in random traffic of single ships. One needs to script these ships in the campaign to have them appear in convoys. The dates of ship appearance in the game can be easily adjusted in the corresponding CFG files in the Roster folder.

[sergbuto]

they are built from scratch by those two modelers you mentioned, right?

yes, that's right.

[Wulfmann]

Very nice ships, Serg

Another way to add all ships including future cargo add ons would be to make some generic in convoys (in the campaign folder RND.mis file) so they vary every time you run into that same convoy. Even the novice can easily accomplish this by removing the class line.
Below the first has the class and below that the same ship will now generate a variety of type 102 (cargo ships) because the class 102 has been deleted out
Of course the negative side to this might be ships you do not want to appear in specific later war fast convoys and so one might not include these variable no class in those convoys.
For me, adding these new ships means they will instantly be available to see without any editing at all as many convoys have a number of the class lines removed.
It is my preference to have variety and the right way is the way you prefer.

Wulfmann

Original classed ship
[RndGroup 76.RndUnit 5]
Class=KLS
Type=102
Origin=British
Side=0
CargoExt=0
CargoInt=0
CfgDate=19390201
No=1
Escort=false
SpawnProbability=100
CrewRating=2

Edited no class ship which will spawn from all available type 102 cargo ships
[RndGroup 76.RndUnit 5]
Type=102
Origin=British
Side=0
CargoExt=0
CargoInt=0
CfgDate=19390201
No=1
Escort=false
SpawnProbability=100
CrewRating=2

[melnibonian]

They are fantastic. Great work.:up: :up: :up:

Thanks

[AG124]

@ Wufmann - It does indeed work; I have made almost every single entry in my own campaign generic.:yep: The last time I saw a convoy after that, there was hardly a stock ship in it.:huh:

The only problem was that I left some of my incomplete WIP ships in the British roster (I usually keep them under a 'nation' called AA Test Ships so they don't spawn) and they showed up with parts out of place and other problems.:p Kind of funny really. Wouldn't be a problem for most players though.:cool:

[AG124]

Sergbuto, sometimes when I access your page, the newest download links (such as these two merchants and the Air Attacks Mod) disappear.:o I have to reload the page a few times before they reappear. Do you have any idea how or why this would be happening?

[Wulfmann]

I also made many of my convoy escorts generic and swithed them to type 3 from type 4 to prevent fleet DD's from escorting convoys. I do still place Hunt class in but with many type 3 (DE) these get lost. (I am speaking of 43 on)I am sure GWX will add many type 3 with all the detailed research on convoys as well and I will simply up the number in mine.

Your going all generic in type 102?
Does that mean you edit the years (enter/exit) of various merchants to prevent slower ships in later 14 knot convoys? If not what is happening is some of your ships (small merchants) will fall behind and therefore you won't see them.
I wish there was a way we could have stragglers but I wouldn't be surprised if GWX has also thought of that and added a few singles following the convoys.
What is for sure is having generic type in 102 means fine new ships like Serg has generously offered can be placed in the game and start to show as if they were always there.
Wulfmann

[AG124]

Lately, I have only played early war campaigns so I haven't had that problem. I'll just restore the original file when I see that begin to happen. I haven't played in the last few months anyway.

[bigboywooly]

I also made many of my convoy escorts generic and swithed them to type 3 from type 4 to prevent fleet DD's from escorting convoys. I do still place Hunt class in but with many type 3 (DE) these get lost. (I am speaking of 43 on)I am sure GWX will add many type 3 with all the detailed research on convoys as well and I will simply up the number in mine.

Wulfmann

There were no British DE so you wont be seeing any of them - as the RN called theirs Frigates - yes the US used DE so you will see them in convoys
And yes the vast majority of convoy entries are generic
Where fast convoys are called for they retain named units as the bulk of new shipping have all been slow to med speeds anyway
Historically scripted convoys previously added in GW1.1 have been left untouched as have other convoys provided by outside contributers
Escort numbers do increase over the years but to be honest you will wish there was only 2 row boats escorting
There are also random hunter killer groups sailing the convoy routes some hours between convoys

[sergbuto]

Sergbuto, sometimes when I access your page, the newest download links (such as these two merchants and the Air Attacks Mod) disappear.:o I have to reload the page a few times before they reappear. Do you have any idea how or why this would be happening?

I am aware of the problem but do not know the reason. I am sick and tired of such Telia's crap. I am changing my internet provider in a month or so.

[AG124]

OK, I understand that. It doesn't seem to be a terribly huge problem anyway; one can simply load up the page a few times to get the links. You may want to keep that in mind as a solution for someone who says they are having problems.:yep:

[bookworm_020]

Thanks sergbuto,

Looking forward to sinking them in game.:up: Your work is appreciatred by all.

[_Seth_]

Sergbuto, this is art at its best! Excellent work, mate! Im impressed!! :up::up::yep:

[Mast]

Excellent work sergbuto! Downloading now. :up:

Mast

[Wulfmann]

There were no British DE so you wont be seeing any of them - as the RN called theirs Frigates - yes the US used DE so you will see them in convoys

SH3 type 3 are DEs and that was what I referred to.. Fact is what SH3 calls frigates were sloops and what is called a DE was a Frigate and what was called a DD (Hunt types) were called escort destroers by the Brits.
Tomato Tomato
TGW added a US DE into the type 3 for the River to the RN (that model is actually the A-G type DDs converted to convoy escorts) and the Hunt DE I got from the dark side means my generic DE type 3 convoy escorts can be 3 varied types.
I also have my type 2 (Sloops called frigates) generic as I have 4 total nice ones from the evil empire.
Sorry to be OT about Serg's nice models. I sank one last night in a 1940 first patrol and my first in a year in a type VII earlier than 1943. man is it easy. No wonder they called it the Happy times.
The captain did go down with his ship:rotfl:
So nice to see a new model, thanks agin, S

Wulfmann

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Wulfmann/Steamer1.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Wulfmann/Steamer4.jpg
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y152/Wulfmann/Steamer5.jpg