[WIP] Mikhayl's Playable S-Boot Update

[asanovic7]

Well..

If anyone looked through sboot's thread in the last couple of weeks, he/she may have notticed I took interest in fixing bugs/updating the sboot mod. And then I sort of started thinking, why not an update?
Sort of an gold update.

Mikhayl did a really good job on that mod, but as it seems he "gave up" on it. Since I and certainly many others think that's a darn shame, I would really like to update and continue work on that mod. This mod is like a new game in a game and it is really fun to drive through canal and atack convoys under fire while travelling at the speed of light(:)) etc. Mikhayl stated that anyone can continue the work, but I am announcing this through this thread because sboot has its own thread, therefor not many would see this update if I would post it there and for another reason I will explain below.

Since I don't know every living soul who worked on the mod(besides some obvious people), I would like to present my intentions/ideas/bug fixes in this thread, as well as mods that I would like to work with/on sboot mod and in that way sort of ask a permission from mentioned people, this way, I hope it's ok, or to ask if anyone has an idea for the mod, or problems that I may have missed, or in some situations knowledge or info about ideas that were started with this mod, but didn't hit the sun. If any of the listed groups/people object or wouldn't want me to do it, please pm me or let me know in this thread.

Before everything, this mod was built for GWX, until some new info/situation emerges, it stays like that.

So, my aim would be this(section by section):

The whole mod:
- mikhayl(ideas for the mod like smoke screen)

- regarding smoke screen - can it be done this way? To change bold to some sort of a smoke screen? I think that was the idea in the first place. Can it be done? I would really like if someone specialised in sensors files would share thoughts(Rubini - grandmaster of the sensors :))

- updating files to GWX 3.0 - GWX team

- updating files for OLCGOLD - onelifecrisis

- adding some of the LRT features - nvdrifter and other aliases

- applying holland canals back into the mod - holland canals maker(?)

- updating campaign files for holland canals(correct Rotterdam, ships in empty harbours, fixing pos of sboot pens etc.) - GWX team

- also using GWX st. nazaire addon + other ships campaign files - bigboywoolly and GWX team

- ships themselves - fixing bugs(missing tex, some 3d modelling, flaks problem), placing both boats in the same mod as optional separate parts - any advicec/ideas are great

- Racerboys pennants and flags - adding some "easter eggs" - Racerboy

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/asanovic7/SH3Img8-6-2009_03854_656.jpg

- Racerboys propulsion smoke - Some fine updating of the engine smoke - RB

- interior of the boat - little rearranging of this and that(maybe even some new stuff)
- regarding that, any help on making anims and throwing them into game part, if anyone has some files or ideas, speak up

- whatever comes up(like compressed air comming from the tubes - read above or some problems)

I think I sort of noted everything I would like to work on/update.

Once more, any advice or idea would be great. Also, if any of the mentioned people(first of all mikhayl) don't want it, please pm me or let me know somehow(I like to think of myself I am a forgiving person, so even
insults come handy here)..

That's about that!

Cheers

[NGT]

Hello old friend :salute:

What are you mean saying:

- updating files for OLCGOLD - onelifecrisis ?

Manual targeting from S-Boot? With 35 knots speed? They did it? "Under fire", like you say? :06:

Or you mean just the environment ?

Keep up anyway, always :up:

[Rubini]

About smoke screen...I guess that replacing the bold effect with some smokescreen effect could be possible...now about sensors...the smoke will elude the visual sensors, no? I have no idea if this will work...but at first I guess that will not work...anyway a more deep "think" is need on this matter to evaluate if it is possible or not.:hmmm:

Probably Privateer, Anvart, DD, OLC also could have some idea on this issue.

[asanovic7]

NGT..
Hmm, I didn't write "manually targetting under fire" from sboot? BTW, now I don't follow you? How is it done other manually? Realism 100% player here :doh:, don't follow you. Although, when I atack wih sboot, I guessestimate range and speed and get p..d when I miss.. :) often..
Olc gui stuff, and whatever needs, lapsus lingue.. :) Also because of lrt parts olc gui update etc..

Rubini, thanks for answering, I will pm you now..

[linerkiller]

:DL
Wonderful news! Good luck with this magnificent project!:rock:

[onelifecrisis]

I have no objection to whatever it is you want to do. I have some advice though: I don't think it would be a good idea to try to use LRT with the S-Boot mod! But that part of OLC Gold is optional, so leaving it out is easy.

Rubini, I'm flattered, but I wouldn't have the first clue how to start making a smoke screen which would affect sensors.

[asanovic7]

Mikhayl just pm'ed me..

Well, it seems he started working on an update right about the same time.. :rotfl:

Cheers!

[ivank]

Smokescreen: Darkfish over here at The Surface Warfare Super-Mod Team, has developed this using the bold for SH4. You should talk to him about it, I am sure he will help you. Good luck!

[asanovic7]

Thanks for the info, ivank..

Will check on it..

[Cheapskate]

Have just returned to SH3 after a long, long, layoff and I'm stunned by what's going on!

Many thanks for breathing some new life into Mikhayl's superb (but unfinished) mod.:yeah:

I see from your list that you are planning to include Racerboy's engine smoke. Strictly speaking this is not accurate as the S Boots exhausts were below the water line.

Mention this mainly in case the engine smoke deletion would help to reduce the graphic overhead and enable you to include the smoke screen generation ???

Would love to see this, even if it didn't actually provide any "cover" in game.

[linerkiller]

Any news here???:ping:

[asanovic7]

in progress.. :rotfl:

[linerkiller]

in progress.. :rotfl::up::salute:

[Letum]

It is looking most impressive.
I am looking forward to this more than any other mod atm.

[A6Intruder]

Wow I am impressed. Looks great. Looking forward to release.:up:
Best regards


BTW Will there be Exhaust smoke for S-Boots? Something you can find in LSH3 Vers.4 (AI-Boats)

[linerkiller]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW

.....BLABH! blubh! my jaw is fallen on the ground...damm where is it...damm!

This is simply AMAZING!!!!!!

[linerkiller]

The only small advice I could give is about the speed of the various models: According to the informations found on Dallies-Labourdette s-boot bible and at German-navy.de, the various top speeds should be as follows:
S-7: 36.5-37 kts
S-14: 39.8 kts (for the mercedes-engined boats,the first four man-engined ones were slightly slower)
S-26:same as s-14
S-38: 41-41.5kts ( a lot of boats recorded top speeds of 42 knots pushing engines beyond their factory limitations )
S-38b: 39.5-40kts. The heavy armored cupola takes a toll of 2 knots.
S-100 ok as it is (42kts)
S-700: 44kts ( Assuming that we have 3 out of the six 3000hp engines ever produced during wartime:O: )

However, you are our sole and magnificent leader...Only you knows what is better for us.:up:
Speak and we will built an Ark...with Mercedes engines!:rotfl::arrgh!:

Have a nice Week end Mike!:salute:

[Cheapskate]

@ Mikhayl

Stunning work :rock: Great to have you back again!

@A6Intruder

You wouldn't have seen any exhaust smoke from the later model S-Boote - the engine exhaust ducts were below the water line.

There is a close up photo of these in Squadron Signal Warships No 18 : Schnellboot in Action (page 36).

Did you mean smoke-screen generation?

[Letum]

You wouldn't have seen any exhaust smoke from the later model S-Boote - the engine exhaust ducts were below the water line.


That must have killed a few horses.

[A6Intruder]

@ Mikhayl


@A6Intruder

You wouldn't have seen any exhaust smoke from the later model S-Boote - the engine exhaust ducts were below the water line.

There is a close up photo of these in Squadron Signal Warships No 18 : Schnellboot in Action (page 36).

Did you mean smoke-screen generation?

No i don`t speak about "smokewalls" I am speaking about exhaustsmoke like the U-Boats have since Racerboy.
Maybe a feature for the earlyones.
Best regards:salute:

[Cheapskate]

That must have killed a few horses.

Horses ? Sea Horses maybe :)

If you mean HP per se - Don't think it was much of a problem. Looks like these ducts were angled rearward and protected against water ingress/pressure by streamlined semi-circular housings. Besides, with total HPs ( for the main production classes ) ranging from approx 6000/9000hp - none of them were exactly short of grunt!



No i don`t speak about "smokewalls" I am speaking about exhaustsmoke like the U-Boats have since Racerboy.
Maybe a feature for the earlyones.
Best regards:salute:

The earlier models ( probably S7/S14? ) certainly did emit some exhaust smoke. Particularly the M.A.N engined variants which produced thick black smoke trails. These engines were extremely unsatisfactory and Daimler-Benz became the sole S-Boot engine supplier. One of the many advantages of the DB motors was that they produced virtually invisible exhaust gases.

BTW: Thanks for mentioning LSH4. Had a look at the manual (including the screenshot of the smoke screen laying DD) and really liked what I saw. Have now downloaded. :up:

[linerkiller]

. One of the many advantages of the DB motors was that they produced virtually invisible exhaust gases.

Mercedes engines were clearly more powerful but above all were very reliable.
Obviously the quantity of exhaust smoke varied with the quality of the fuel...however seawater washed well any sort of smoke before the gas bubbles reached the surface.:yep:

[linerkiller]

Hey LK, thanks man :)
I used another source http://schnellboot.org/de/kriegsmarine/index.html but I made mistakes anyway, now it looks like that (tested with perfect weather 0 wind):

S7: 36knots - 37 with MB501 upgrade (MB511 is only for late war boats with the armored bridge)

S14: same speed, I leave it that way because the MAN engine boats did about 35/36. In game the model is identical to the S7 but with 2 extra torpedoes so the same speed sounds about ok.

S26: 39.5 knots - 40 with MB501 upgrade

S38: 41.5 knots, it has the MB501 from the get go and no upgrade available

S38b: 39.5 knots, 41 with the late war MB511 engines (available Nov 1944)

S100: 42 knots, 43 with MB511

S700: 43 knots, 44 knots with MB511

Hopefully the last problems with some boats are sorted out, I just sent the files to Marko, we'll see.

A few more info:

-there's indeed no exhaust smoke as they were underwater though I'm not sure if it's true for the S7/S14 class boats.

-the smoke screen is back but it's only eye candy, no effect on AI

-emblems are back too, finally. 1 big on the stern and 1 medium on each side of the boat, + 1 small on two panels for the boats with the armored bridge (same emblem for both panels but not mirrored so you can used letters). I haven't created any though so you'll have to make your own from the template. Oh and the side emblems won't work so well with the tiger stripe texture of the S38 since it has an embedded emblem. Still looking for someone talented to do some nice camo patterns for these boats :)

-new 20mm guns created by Testpilot: http://forums-de.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2371008762/m/5311060627:yeah:Now sound just perfect...How about remodelling the 3.7 single shot flak as a Bofors 40mm? A lot of S-38 boats mounted it:yep:...but I don't know if player-operated guns could be remodeled so radically:06:

[A6Intruder]

The earlier models ( probably S7/S14? ) certainly did emit some exhaust smoke. Particularly the M.A.N engined variants which produced thick black smoke trails. These engines were extremely unsatisfactory and Daimler-Benz became the sole S-Boot engine supplier. One of the many advantages of the DB motors was that they produced virtually invisible exhaust gases.

BTW: Thanks for mentioning LSH4. Had a look at the manual (including the screenshot of the smoke screen laying DD) and really liked what I saw. Have now downloaded. :up:[/quote]




You will much more like it if you are playing LSH4. Not very often mentioned here but, even i will be "killed", the best availible Mod for SH3!:yeah:
Best regards

[Rolf Eschke]

Wow that are Good News !

Here is a Video with some Boats

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJqIJMhwq3k

Regards
Rolf

[Madox58]

:yeah:Now sound just perfect...How about remodelling the 3.7 single shot flak as a Bofors 40mm? A lot of S-38 boats mounted it:yep:...but I don't know if player-operated guns could be remodeled so radically:06:



You can use the existing Bofors and just build a new dat, sim, zon
adjusted for a player Gun.
Or build a completely new and more detailed Bofors with said adjustments.
It's not impossible.
Just time consumeing.

Makeing a working smoke screen, not just eye candy?
I'm testing a few ideas now.

[linerkiller]

Makeing a working smoke screen, not just eye candy?
I'm testing a few ideas now.
And about human controlled DCs???? max 4 to be used as gift for those ships that follows you too close:D!

[Anvart]

http://www.prinzeugen.com/SBOATIND.htm
Variants of S-100 model:
http://2kids.com.ua/product_info.php?products_id=668
h**p://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/prodd.asp?pid=GRMBPN72001 (http://www.dragonmodelsusa.com/dmlusa/prodd.asp?pid=GRMBPN72001)
http://www.griffonmodel.com/product_view.asp?id=113&classid=69

[Lord_FLB]

Hi Mikhayl,

good to to see you're working again on your fantastic S-Boat Mod... at the moment we're starting to have S-Boats in our Fleet (www.flottenbasis.de (http://www.flottenbasis.de))... thx for that.... I'm looking forward to the update - by the way... will be the possibility to use the decoys as a fog-can like in your thread?
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=130088&page=44
In history you've probs with that - did you handle it know?

If you need any help - don't be shy... tell it me... like in further times - I will try my best to help...!:arrgh!:

And special Thx to asanovic - to open and work on this mod!

[linerkiller]

LK, good idea :)
For the Bofors I won't make it unless someone can provide a high-poly textured model :) But btw I thought I had posted it but forgot:
The 37mm guns are now deckguns in disguise so they will fire at enemy ships. The tradeoffs is that you only have HE ammo and the 20mm vierling is no longer available.
For the depth charges, now that you mention it, I think I could use Dietrich's magnetic mine mod and change the 3D model to be either a depth charge or those sort of shell-shaped explosive buoys.

http://www.collectrussia.com/sBoot/tigerstripes3.jpg

Basically there's a lot of things I'd like to do/use but it will take time so there's no guarantee. Meanwhile Marko should have the update for GWX ready soon. I had some further problems with the boats and some details but it's fixed (I think) so it should be fine now.
The Sprengbojen like those depicted above would look a bit ugly:hmmm: and after all the S-boats didn't carried them very often. S-boot DC were smaller than those carried by the destroyers, only 50 kg, and they carried max 4 of these weapons to not alter drastically the boat's performances.
Then, they carried them only whenthe boat was involved in escort or antisubmarine duty, especially during Norwegian campaign.
One more question: Flotilla tranfers are now possible?

Thanks you:salute:

[asanovic7]

I just have to say this.. :)

With the amount of stuff mick produces, I seriously think that some organisation is behind this..:woot:

Flottila chat..
I just added 3rd flotilla, like it was in sbmod 0.9, but without long distance travel:

1942. Pantelleria
1943. Toulon
1945. Pula

Maybe Porto Empedocle would be nice to add before Toulon..
Black sea is not so interesting, at least I think, so it will not be in update..

Cheers to all!

[Madox58]

He gets help from many that are interested in this mod.
:yeah:

Such as for the 4cm FLAK 28 (Bofors)

I've been working on a new one for the Bathurst.
So I'll use it to make a new player version.
:yep:

[Madox58]

I still have the one I built somewhere.
:haha:

[asanovic7]

Well, that's one way of saying it, but I still think it's a pack of dwarfs behind it..
:()1:

Mick, nice one, looks just like in the pic.. :up:

[Hunter]

Tendership is great! I hope it will be suitable for submarines too.

[Lord_FLB]

Ahoi,

@Mikhayl: Sounds good... now you've made an old man happy!:salute:
Will be the Tender playable too ?

[linerkiller]

Hey Lord, nice to see you're still using the mod :) And yep the smoke screen is here this time, my poor graphic card can't really take it but it's available anyway.
http://i25.tinypic.com/20shlld.jpg
Regarding help... As always, if you know someone who can do pretty textures that'd be cool :)

LK, alright, so DCs it will be :)
I thought flotilla transfers worked already, didn't they? Anyway, now they work but they're not historical, there were too much movement and in game you could end up having to do the trip from Libau to Constanza :)
So I made them by area, that's from my notes:

1939: 1st Kiel

1940: starting April, 1st Helgoland (attack Bergen), 2nd Borkum (attack Kristiansand)

1941: 1st Oostende, 2nd Boulogne, 4th Cherbourg

1942: 1st Oostende, 2nd Boulogne, 4th Cherbourg, 5th Lézardrieux

1943: 1st Oostende, 2nd Boulogne, 4th Cherbourg, 5th Lézardrieux

1944: 1st Oostende/IJmuiden, 2nd Boulogne/Hoek van Holland, 4th Cherbourg/Rotterdam, 5th St Peter Port (then merged with 1st)

1945: 1st IJmuiden/Helgoland, 2nd Hoek van Holland/Borkum, 4th Rotterdam

But Asanovic has his own variation, mine doesn't have the Med and Black Sea flotillas for the moment.

Ah and it's going to take some more time, now we have 3 AI boats (S7/38/100) so they have to be scripted in the campaign with the dates etc to replace the unique boat type.

And for the early war and especially the Norway invasion I made a quick Carl Peters tendership lookalike based on Gerome's NCL_Leipzig (have to redo the .sil with the guns).
But it also needs to be scripted in the campaign like a milkcow and in the sboat harbours :)

http://i26.tinypic.com/2dtoz1e.jpg

http://i27.tinypic.com/2604g9c.jpg

http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/fleettender/carlpeters/index.html

Anvart... thanks for the links, the model with all the photoetched parts is awesome but if I look at it too much I would need to redo my models entirely :dead:Good news again!:DL
How the DC will appear/work?
Good luck Maestro:salute:!

[Lord_FLB]

Quote from Mikhayl: Regarding help... As always, if you know someone who can do pretty textures that'd be cool

I have some guys in our fleet and me too... so tell me what kind of textures - for which datas... so we'll try our best!:arrgh!:

S-Boat Mod from Mikhayl - RULEZ!:rock:

[linerkiller]

Quote from Mikhayl: Regarding help... As always, if you know someone who can do pretty textures that'd be cool

I have some guys in our fleet and me too... so tell me what kind of textures - for which datas... so we'll try our best!:arrgh!:

S-Boat Mod from Mikhayl - RULEZ!:rock:
During the whole war S-boats standard paintscheme was the so called "Schnellbootweiss", wich was found to be the best camo for nighttime operations because faded better the silhouette of the boats(*). A nice thing would be doing some weathering maybe:yep: !

(*): only boats involved in Baltic operations were camouflaged like Mikhayl's S-38 and used this camouflage in missions. In the West, boats were camouflaged only during long overhauls in ports without S-bunkers, to hide the boats from enemy air attacks.
Some examples:
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5403/s38class.png
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/2796/photozhindsgers100side.jpg
http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/8683/s7class.png

[Graf Paper]

You have all outdone yourselves with this update to S-Boot, the absolute best playable surface ship mod for SH3! My hat's off to you, Mikhayl & Co.! :salute:

I can hardly wait for this to be released!

P.S. Has anyone taken a look at this recent thread? : rudder mod (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=153166)

It seems that privateer's thoughts echo my own, that this mod, properly updated and applied, would make steering the schnellboot a great deal more responsive, and far easier to maneuver while attacking and avoiding counter-attacks. :hmmm:

You guys simply amaze me! For all the SH3 mod work that has been done, this shows that we've still only seen the tip of the iceberg. :know:

[asanovic7]

I have to apologize to all for the delay..
It's been hectic this last week in my life and couldn't really focus on anything.
I hope that I will bring it out tomorrow.. I mean mod.. :)

Cheers to all!

[linerkiller]

I have to apologize to all for the delay..
It's been hectic this last week in my life and couldn't really focus on anything.
I hope that I will bring it out tomorrow.. I mean mod.. :)

Cheers to all!
:rotfl:
You shouldn't apologize for anything mate:yeah:...It would be a shame if you and mike did finish the job before next monday....tomorrow i will go to wien and i wouldn't be back before Sunday evening:up:.

Only a small question: Are you and Mike working in team?:06:

[linerkiller]

Hi Lord, for the textures, as Linerkiller said the first step would be a nice weathering, some details etc. Right now it's just plain white with nothing else.
It'd be great too to have various emblems now that they work :)
Also even though not perfectly accurate, I'd love some camo like Boris had done for the old SH3 model.
This one I believe is a "baltic" camo:
http://www.collectrussia.com/sBoot/2page.jpg

And a better "tiger stripes" camo, the one I have for the S38 is really ugly, it's a hack of Boris' textures for the older model, but it's been cut, downsized, stretched etc and it's blurry and dirty.

Also in the Squadron Signal book there's a picture of S91 (S38 class with armored bridge) with camo.

The texture mapping is similar for all the boats, if you texture the S100 hull it will fit also S26/38/38b/700.
The wheelhouse is the same for S26 and S38, and the armored bridge is the same for S38b/100/700.

Let me know if you need something in particular, I can send you a couple of books with interesting color profiles + the sboats files. If you need the 3D model only I can send them too, no problem.

Ah, and the tender will not be playable, it will appear in some harbours and serve as a "milkcow" for the invasion of Norway (docked near Bergen and Kristiansand), possibly Poland and the "Low Countries" too.

About the depth charge, I haven't tried anything yet so I'm not sure, but if it works it will be very similar to Dietrich's work except with a DC instead of the mine
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147445
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=140078

Thanks Graf, I didn't see that thread, will try it :)
Ok...standard s-bootweis paintscheme standard + optionals downloadable skins seems a good idea to me:up:
S-Boot DC rails:
http://www.armour-models.co.uk/images/Schat/3545.jpg

[linerkiller]

Some possible optional S-Boot camo pattern:
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8665/schnellbooten.png

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9098/wp1505.jpg

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8665/schnellbooten.png

Hope they could be useful!

[PavelKirilovich]

Quick translation of the locations/years of the S-boat camouflage patterns posted by linerkiller in Schnellebooten.png, from top to bottom:

S-38 series (belonging to 5th flotilla, possibly), Baltic Sea, 1941
S-38 series, Baltic Sea, 1941
S-38 series, La Manche, 1942