"Invalid argument to date encode" message in SH3 Commander

[Abd_von_Mumit]

I got this message when I start SH3 Commander and my career file seems to be corrupted.

It happened directly after this sequence of actions:
1. Finished a patrol.
2. Quit game.
3. Started SH3 Commander so that the "realistic crew transfers" and other options may work.
4. Started next patrol after giving the medals and adjusting torpedos.
5. While on patrol got a message from BdU that I can resupply at Thalia in Cadiz.
6. Saved my game (I didn't really plan to go to Cadiz in my mission, but as it was the first time the opportunity appeared to resupply I wanted to give it a try).
7. Headed directly to Cadiz not stopping for any sinking etc.
8. Saved my game with another name before reachig Cadiz.
9. Docked at Thalia.
10. Without reloading game started a new patrol (assignement: NULL).
11. Quit the patrol.
12. Without reloading game deleted all the saves concerning the third patrol to start it anew (used SH3 menu options to delete it).
13. Quit game.
14. Started SH3 Commander and the message "Invalid argument to date encode" appeared...

What to do now?

[melnibonian]

I don't really know, but I would suggest you try to start the game via the sh3.exe and see if you can load your career. I think the problem you have is that you reload the game without quitting but I'm not totally sure.

[gatordad]

I had that message bug me for a few days, but I got the message at the end of a patrol when I tried to get to the SH3 Commander's patrol report.

I got that message each time with two different kaleun. After much thread searching to no avail :damn: , I backtracked and realized I had promoted each of the characters manually by going into the career.cfg in the SH3 Commander folder and changing the rank= figure. Turned out that SH3 Commander did not like that as there obviously was a date mismatch somewhere. Once I changed the rank= code back, no more error message!

Sorry to ramble. Did you by chance change something manually like I did?

[bigboywooly]

Did you delete any of your save games ?

[JScones]

I got this message when I start SH3 Commander and my career file seems to be corrupted.

It happened directly after this sequence of actions:
1. Finished a patrol.
2. Quit game.
3. Started SH3 Commander so that the "realistic crew transfers" and other options may work.
4. Started next patrol after giving the medals and adjusting torpedos.
5. While on patrol got a message from BdU that I can resupply at Thalia in Cadiz.
6. Saved my game (I didn't really plan to go to Cadiz in my mission, but as it was the first time the opportunity appeared to resupply I wanted to give it a try).
7. Headed directly to Cadiz not stopping for any sinking etc.
8. Saved my game with another name before reachig Cadiz.
9. Docked at Thalia.
10. Without reloading game started a new patrol (assignement: NULL).
11. Quit the patrol.
12. Without reloading game deleted all the saves concerning the third patrol to start it anew (used SH3 menu options to delete it).
13. Quit game.
14. Started SH3 Commander and the message "Invalid argument to date encode" appeared...

What to do now?
Your career will be fine, but by going back in time you confuse SH3 (yes, believe it or not, especially when it comes to patrol start dates) which in turn confuses SH3Cmdr.

A simple search of this forum using the error message as the keywords would have yielded you your answer very quickly... http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=95644&highlight=Invalid+argument+date+encode The answer is in post #9. ;)

[JScones]

I got that message each time with two different kaleun. After much thread searching to no avail :damn: , I backtracked and realized I had promoted each of the characters manually by going into the career.cfg in the SH3 Commander folder and changing the rank= figure. Turned out that SH3 Commander did not like that as there obviously was a date mismatch somewhere. Once I changed the rank= code back, no more error message!
A quick read of EITHER the SH3Cmdr Help OR FAQ files would have explained that rank bumping is not supported by SH3Cmdr. ;)

[Abd_von_Mumit]

THanks for the answer. The first one, from melnibonian, seemed to help. I managed to solve the problem by:
1. starting sh3.exe directly (without SH3 Commander),
2. Deleting the save 'on patrol'.
3. Starting game from save 'in base before mission' just for a moment.
4. Quitting SH3.
5. Launching SH3 Commander.And it worked fine this time.

I didn't change anything manually in config files before, so that was not the cause.

Sorry for posting this thread, but somehow I didn't find the previous thread on this message, and I looked for it... I promise to go to Searching Academy and get some renown there.

PS All this achieved at 2.00 am tonight. At 2.15 started the thirdpatrol in my first GWX career. Got a message on some capital British ships accross Der Kanal in four days... Decided to go through Der Kanal to hopefuly intercept any of them. February 9:
- 17.11 - Warhsip spotted, 100% h.i.
- 17.12 - Conning tower destroyed, sonar&radio destroyed, 78% h.i.
- 17.13 - submerged, 17m water under the keel,
- 17.41 - one of enemies sunk with fifth torpedo, two other destroyers, two cervettes and some patrol boats spotted with my periscope,
- 17.55 - aft and bow batteries destroyed, h.i. 67%,
- No further torpedo shooting brought any good, no hits (missed, too low and dudes), run out of torpedoes,
- tried everything - evasive maneuvers, sitting on the sea floor at 40m shallow water, surfacing to escape in the dark - nothing works. Fortunately the enemies were not accurate at spotting me and all their depth charges missed me. It's a miracle they didn't just ram me to death.
- 00.17 am, next day - still trying to hide, noticed about 10 search lights on surface when looking with the periscope, at leasts 3 destroyers and two corvettes, the rest unknown,
- 08.14 am - 5% battery left, 50% oxygen left, h.i. 67%, no torpedoes, no sonar, no radio. Luckily noone wounded nor killed. Everyone tired like hell. Max speed (at ahead flank under water) 3 knts. It's probably after sunrise, but we'll never know it for sure, because:
- 08.15 am - depth charged to death, 0% h.i., 56 KIA.

15 (fifteen) hours of trying to save our lives... They dropped like thousands depth charges...

Oberleutnant zur See Abd II von Mumit, U-123 (type IXB), awarded Knights Cross on May 14th 1940, 4 months after he was lost somewhere at sea without report.

What can I say...

Never go through Der Kanal, Kaleuns...