[REL] Bearing To AOB + Sonar FIX

[Nicolas]

:hmmm:

Video (Mods used TMO, Env, Easy AOB, my own fixes.)

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

Saw the difference? :yeah:


--------Sonar FIX, From ("[Test] AI-FIX" post):
Ok, i have been frustated because of enemy ai always detect you when you are in front of them, i made tests dumbing the enemy ai but it gets too easy, if you leave it normal is almost impossible sneak into convoys/tf.

It's hardcoded and the only posible way to fix this is patch the game, the files or modify data when the game is running.

The thing work like this:

- You try to sneak into a convoy, i set enemy sonar range 1 meter,
- You get detected by visual or hydrophone or when you fire torpedoes, i set the range to the original value, and the escorts can ping.
- The is a counter 'Lost contact time' that 'loops' until the escorts gives up, when that happen this counter is set to 0 and i set to 1 the sonar range again.

--------Bearing to AOB fix

This do the AOB in the PK, to change to reflect new bearing you send (SH3 like but only when you send bearing/range).

i had to do some math with asm. :doh:

--------

13/03. updated.
--------
The program now let you choose if you want enable both fixes, or only Bearing to AOB.
Changed from 4 to 1 (degrees) a value that validates if a bearing send is correct (comparing the previous one).
--------

Download:
http://www.filefront.com/16309923/SH4-Bearing-To-AOB-SonarFIX.zip/

Use:
Copy the file to silent hunter 4 folder, run it, launch sh4, when sh4 is in the menu press Ctrl-Alt-T, or Ctrl-Alt-U to enable bearing to AOB only.
If you hear a beep it's enabled and it will be enabled until you close sh4, (also when enabled The labels "Bearing To AOB + Sonar FIX" turns red.)

Note:
- Only works with 1.5 version. It supposed to address problems with fleet boats only.
You can use it with or without any mod, only matters if is 1.5 game version.
- I have avast antivirus and it say nothing about the program but some other AV or security program may report something. Because it works with data in other process memory.

[irish1958]

Thanks Nicolas; this solves real problems.

[Nicolas]

Nobody told me nothing.
But i think i will stop here doing more of these kind of mods. Already subsim moderators were kind to allow the releases. And i don't want to abuse.

Thank you.

However i would like to help resolve in the future the fuel issue.

[irish1958]

You are right; the refueling problem is a major issue that has not been solved. Fleet boats often traveled with the fleets which had refueling ships.
And I can't believed that if you run out of fuel 50 miles from a base you couldn't be refueled.

[irish1958]

Nobody told me nothing.


I guess you mean lack of feedback. If a mod is clear and has no problems, you won't get any.
I have had over 1,000 downloads of my mods, and have received ZERO feedback. None, zip, nada.
Either they are so awful that they are discarded immediately, or they are so clear that they need no comment.
Nicolas, your mods are all terrific and solve real problems in the games you have modified. Please don't give up.

[TH0R]

I am very interested in this mod. Many thanks for this.

But I am also curious - I see it is only an .exe which needs to be run after the game has been lunched. Does it change (temporary overwrites) files or just changes their values? I am asking this because of the compatibility.

There is no question about it, Bearing to AOB would be very useful in RFB. Which leads me to another question - is this how TDC could have been used in real life?

[Nicolas]

"I guess you mean lack of feedback."

Irish, yes i feel like that sometimes it's true.
But i meant more to say, that the fix writes in sh4 'memory space' when it is running, and it's a hack. When Sh4 closes the code just dissapear with the game.
It's like a 'Trainer':
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheating_in_video_games
See 'Trainer' section and 'Code injection'

This kind of hack is just innocent for me. And more when it suppose to address things the game makers left behind :stare::shifty:. Others don't feel like that.

I really had fun making this, learning assembler is actually a lot easier than i expected. It's something i always wanted to do...

Cheers.

[virtualpender]

I concur - thank you, Nicolas. This was definitely needed. I have not tried this little fix yet but I am running the original AI FIX and it makes attacks feel more realistic. I appreciate you making this happen. Well done.

[Munchausen]

This kind of hack is just innocent for me.

:hmmm: The word "hack" gets people nervous ... try using the phrase "unofficial patch" instead.

[Nicolas]

Yeah. I know. But what i can do to it?

Hacking (English (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language) verb to hack, singular noun a hack) refers to the re-configuring or re-programming of a system (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System) to function in ways not facilitated by the owner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owner), administrator (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superuser), or designer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designer). The term(s) have several related meanings in the technology and computer science fields, wherein a "hack" may refer to a clever or quick fix to a computer program (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_program) problem, or to what may be perceived to be a clumsy or inelegant (but usually relatively quick) solution to a problem (see also "kludge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kludge)").

:D

[TH0R]

May I kindly ask for a stand alone Bearing to AOB mod? DD's in RFB are 'domestic' enough (for me at least). :D

[Hylander_1314]

Thanks Nicholas for your unofficial patch! I was always frustrated about ai destroyers. Yeah it's fun to have them chase you and thrilling trying to outmanoeuver them, but after a while, it gets irritating when you can't even get close to a convoy or task force to make an attack.

[Munchausen]

Yeah. I know. But what i can do to it?

:cool: Your quote looks to be taken directly from Wikipedia. Further down the same page, Wiki also says (about the word "hack"):
The term has since acquired an additional and now more common meaning, since approximately the 1980s; this more modern definition was initially associated with crackers. This growing use of the term "hack" is to refer to a program that (sometimes illegally) modifies another program, often a computer game, giving the user access to features otherwise inaccessible to them.

... and also:
Companies take different attitudes towards such practices, ranging from open acceptance (such as Texas Instruments for its graphing calculators and Lego for its Lego Mindstorms robotics gear) to outright hostility (such as Microsoft's attempts to lock out Xbox hackers or the DRM routines on Blu-ray Disc players designed to sabotage compromised players).

:03: But Wikipedia has this to say about the word "patch":
Programmers publish and apply patches in various forms. Because proprietary software authors withhold their source code, their patches are distributed as binary executables instead of source. This type of patch modifies the program executable—the program the user actually runs—either by modifying the binary file to include the fixes or by completely replacing it.

So, you be the judge ... it's your mod. Which definition does it best fit?

[Nicolas]

May I kindly ask for a stand alone Bearing to AOB mod? DD's in RFB are 'domestic' enough (for me at least). :D

Yes. It's not hard at all.

[Nicolas]

So, you be the judge ... it's your mod. Which definition does it best fit?

A good intended strange fix.

[razark]

But Wikipedia has this to say about the word "patch":
<snip>

So, you be the judge ... it's your mod. Which definition does it best fit?

It's not really a patch. The executable file remains the same, this program hooks into the running process and modifies it. This program is a "hack" by definition. Not in the incorrect "crack" sense, but in the older sense.

[Stormende]

The file you are attempting to download is not currently available on our servers or is being processed. Please try your download in a few minutes.

I have tried for days but still to no avail, can't you upload it on this server?

I really want to try this fix, please.

Thankx in advance!

:up:

[ANTARES]

me too!

[Nicolas]

Re-uploaded.

[Stormende]

Thank you!

Gracias amigo!

:yeah:

[Stormende]

This fix is awesome!

Finally I can get at least 2 ships at once!

Without the fix I could get one and sometimes 2 but now I get 2 in my first torpedo run! I just sent a Jap carrier to the bottom for the very first time.

Thankx again!

Have you considered to upload the fix on this server?

Filefront tends to "erase" the files and it is kind of a hassle to re upload them.

GRACIAS.

:salute:

[BillBam]

Thanks Nicolas!

[Nicolas]

Glad you liked it.

[shegeek72]

I concur - thank you, Nicolas. This was definitely needed. I have not tried this little fix yet but I am running the original AI FIX and it makes attacks feel more realistic. I appreciate you making this happen. Well done.

Where can I find the original AI fix? Thanks.

http://tarasresources.net/wac_banner2.gif

[irish1958]

Where can I find the original AI fix? Thanks.

http://tarasresources.net/wac_banner2.gif
Do you mean the TMO 2.0 AI fix? If so, check the TMO mod page.

[I'm goin' down]

Hola Nicolas!

[razark]

Due to hurricane Harvey, most of my stuff is currently in storage, including my computer. I'm trying to rebuild a suitable SH4 install on a laptop. This mod was part of my mix since it was released.

I had been running on a 64-bit Win 7 machine. The laptop I have is also 64-bit Win 7. When I installed and tried to run the .exe, I got a message that it is not compatible with 64 bit. Not sure why it worked on one and not the other. I would greatly appreciate anyone who can help me understand what's going on and if there's some way I can get it working.

:salute:

[aanker]

Due to hurricane Harvey, most of my stuff is currently in storage, including my computer. I'm trying to rebuild a suitable SH4 install on a laptop. This mod was part of my mix since it was released.

I had been running on a 64-bit Win 7 machine. The laptop I have is also 64-bit Win 7. When I installed and tried to run the .exe, I got a message that it is not compatible with 64 bit. Not sure why it worked on one and not the other. I would greatly appreciate anyone who can help me understand what's going on and if there's some way I can get it working.

:salute:
Did you install the older version of the graphics program (DirectX ??) from the install package? It is important to do and it's OK to have it and the updated version.

Also, did you install to a folder off the root C:\ drive like C:\GAMES\ instead of Program Files (x86)?

Maybe someone smarter than me will chime in... that's all I can think of. I have Win 7 64 bit too and no problems with SH4.

Sorry about Harvey.

[razark]

Did you install the older version of the graphics program (DirectX ??) from the install package? It is important to do and it's OK to have it and the updated version.
I'm pretty sure that I did. I'll probably go ahead and just remove and reinstall it again to make sure.


Also, did you install to a folder off the root C:\ drive like C:\GAMES\ instead of Program Files (x86)?
Yes, I've got it in C:\Ubisoft\...


Maybe someone smarter than me will chime in... that's all I can think of. I have Win 7 64 bit too and no problems with SH4.
SH4 is working fine. It's just this specific hack that won't run. Which is odd, because it ran on my previous Win7 box.


Sorry about Harvey.
Thanks. I lost only a few things, but my family and friends are safe. There's a lot of people that lost so much more than we did.

[propbeanie]

Sorry you had to deal with another hurricane there razark. Do you happen to know if your computer has Intel onboard graphics? Do you know the cpu model number and how much RAM you have on it? Have you set your SH4 to "Run as administrator" on the Properties page in Windows Explorer?

[razark]

Do you happen to know if your computer has Intel onboard graphics? Do you know the cpu model number and how much RAM you have on it?
Here's the machine. (https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIADT25R22075)


Have you set your SH4 to "Run as administrator" on the Properties page in Windows Explorer?
I hadn't. I have now, both SH4, and the SH-AIFIX.exe that was giving me problems.

I fired up the laptop to get a screenshot of the error. Of course, it worked instead. You know, "the error never occurs when asking tech support." It doesn't look quite the same (text being cut off at the bottom), but it seems to function.

I appreciate the (for now unneeded) help folks. If someone has any idea what may have been happening, I'd be glad to know. Also, I'll just have to test it out and see if this continues to work, or if the issue re-occurs.

[propbeanie]

You've got an add-in nVidia card, so it aint' no issue with Intel graphics... Nice computer for the money... wish I had me about $300US...