yuanzheng
02-18-14, 07:44 PM
v2.4
[I]- Torpedo Scandal revisited. Mk 14 torpedoes now have higher dud failure rates, averaging around 50-70% through 1943. Until now, (in my opinion) it was still too easy to rack up unrealistically high campaign game tonnage scores in the early years of the war with the Mk 14 torpedo, due to almost no dud failures. No more. Hopefully this will reflect more historical torpedo failure rates and patrol tonnage amounts from 1941-1943. Get ready for the same frustration actual commanders had to deal with!
- Lowered enemy surface ship nighttime visual sensitivity. No more enemy lookouts with night vision goggles. This was done to allow more realistic nighttime surface torpedo attacks, which until now has been all but impossible due to always being spotted almost immediately... even at extreme ranges in complete darkness. This change is not meant to be a cheat, as you can still be detected visually at night- but at least at more realistic ranges now. And it will now sometimes even be possible to escape on the surface into the darkness. But remember that your surface speed and angle of bow can still give away your position. I also lowered sub crew nighttime visual sensitivity to compensate for lower enemy nighttime visual sensitivity.
- Truly dark nights. I made nights much darker to compliment the new lower enemy nighttime visual sensitivity. I have adjusted darkness and spotting visuals to correspond the best I could, playing with the game default gamma correction setting of ~50%. I strongly recommend playing in a darkened room when it is nighttime in the game, or possibly adjust your game's gamma setting slightly brighter (but not too much, or it will be a huge cheat). You or an average sub watch crew should be able to visually spot a ship in total darkness at a range of around 2,500-5,000 yards on a moonless night with no waves. Enemy ship searchlights also play a much more important role now. Stay out of their searchlights if at all possible. If you get caught in an enemy escort searchlight, it will be very difficult to escape on the surface.
- Lowered enemy ship visual and radar surface area detection sensitivity. No more instant, automatic detection at long range. This was done to reflect a submarine's much lower detectable profile. Submarine angle on bow will play a much more important role now. Keep your bow or stern pointed toward enemy ships to greatly reduce your chance of being detected by lookouts or radar.
- Added all submarine flotilla availability dates and locations to the new career start and transfer screens.
- Added over 40 new loading screens. You may now enjoy viewing beautiful American pin-up girls and movie stars from the World War II era while your game loads.
- Added two optional main loading screens. See the included 'Extras' folder.
- Removed all available renown points when starting a new career. No more free handouts. You'll have to earn your way from the beginning!
- Added optional automatic ship ID. This option restores the submarine crew automatically identifying ships through the periscopes, TDC, and attack/navigation maps. Good for lazy people like me who don't like using the recognition manual! See 'Extras' folder.
- Battle stations icon at top right corner of screen will now flash when activated as a reminder.
- Fixed the missing ship sinking sounds.
- Lowered chance of repeat enemy airstrikes on detection of player sub.
- Increased all minimum and maximum shell damage amounts. Surface engagements will be deadlier now.
- Reinforced Tawi Tawi bottleneck. Due to heavy losses of Japanese merchant shipping in the Tawi Tawi region, the Imperial Navy has decided to reinforce the area with surface escorts, air patrols and radar-equipped shore batteries.
- Watch crew weather condition reports will no longer be possible unless the submarine is surfaced.
- Submarine sonar station and functions are no longer available unless the submarine is submerged.
- Readjusted wave motion and shape.
- Readjusted sub interior cameras. Cameras will shake and vibrate much less now in waves. I also included the option to not have shaking interior sub cameras. This option can be installed and uninstalled while in mission. Such as if you are trapped on the seabed floor with flooding, the camera will shake violently. You can install the no-shake camera patch during this time, then uninstall again later.
- Readjusted sky and water colors to be less brightly-colored.
- Restored the original gramophone. You will be able to listen to your favorite music now. Also check out my separate gramophone music add-on with over 40 new World War II songs.
- Sharpened and added more detail to all submarine interior and exterior textures. Should have no impact on framerates.
- Removed the landed PBY floatplanes. They were continuously being destroyed by the large waves. I had to make a choice between keeping the large waves or the landed PBY's. I chose the large waves.
- Readjusted sub equipment damage repair times to eliminate the saved game bug where all damaged or destroyed sub equipment would usually be magically fixed to 100% upon saved game reloads. Also, Mr. Fix-It can no longer repair destroyed sub equipment, yet he can still speed up repair times. But in return I have made the submarine rudder, starboard diesel engines, and the starboard propeller indestructible for practical gameplay reasons. You will never be permanently stranded at sea due to damage (unless you run out of fuel). All other sub equipment is destructible and unrepairable after destroyed.
- Readjusted various sound volumes
[I]- Torpedo Scandal revisited. Mk 14 torpedoes now have higher dud failure rates, averaging around 50-70% through 1943. Until now, (in my opinion) it was still too easy to rack up unrealistically high campaign game tonnage scores in the early years of the war with the Mk 14 torpedo, due to almost no dud failures. No more. Hopefully this will reflect more historical torpedo failure rates and patrol tonnage amounts from 1941-1943. Get ready for the same frustration actual commanders had to deal with!
- Lowered enemy surface ship nighttime visual sensitivity. No more enemy lookouts with night vision goggles. This was done to allow more realistic nighttime surface torpedo attacks, which until now has been all but impossible due to always being spotted almost immediately... even at extreme ranges in complete darkness. This change is not meant to be a cheat, as you can still be detected visually at night- but at least at more realistic ranges now. And it will now sometimes even be possible to escape on the surface into the darkness. But remember that your surface speed and angle of bow can still give away your position. I also lowered sub crew nighttime visual sensitivity to compensate for lower enemy nighttime visual sensitivity.
- Truly dark nights. I made nights much darker to compliment the new lower enemy nighttime visual sensitivity. I have adjusted darkness and spotting visuals to correspond the best I could, playing with the game default gamma correction setting of ~50%. I strongly recommend playing in a darkened room when it is nighttime in the game, or possibly adjust your game's gamma setting slightly brighter (but not too much, or it will be a huge cheat). You or an average sub watch crew should be able to visually spot a ship in total darkness at a range of around 2,500-5,000 yards on a moonless night with no waves. Enemy ship searchlights also play a much more important role now. Stay out of their searchlights if at all possible. If you get caught in an enemy escort searchlight, it will be very difficult to escape on the surface.
- Lowered enemy ship visual and radar surface area detection sensitivity. No more instant, automatic detection at long range. This was done to reflect a submarine's much lower detectable profile. Submarine angle on bow will play a much more important role now. Keep your bow or stern pointed toward enemy ships to greatly reduce your chance of being detected by lookouts or radar.
- Added all submarine flotilla availability dates and locations to the new career start and transfer screens.
- Added over 40 new loading screens. You may now enjoy viewing beautiful American pin-up girls and movie stars from the World War II era while your game loads.
- Added two optional main loading screens. See the included 'Extras' folder.
- Removed all available renown points when starting a new career. No more free handouts. You'll have to earn your way from the beginning!
- Added optional automatic ship ID. This option restores the submarine crew automatically identifying ships through the periscopes, TDC, and attack/navigation maps. Good for lazy people like me who don't like using the recognition manual! See 'Extras' folder.
- Battle stations icon at top right corner of screen will now flash when activated as a reminder.
- Fixed the missing ship sinking sounds.
- Lowered chance of repeat enemy airstrikes on detection of player sub.
- Increased all minimum and maximum shell damage amounts. Surface engagements will be deadlier now.
- Reinforced Tawi Tawi bottleneck. Due to heavy losses of Japanese merchant shipping in the Tawi Tawi region, the Imperial Navy has decided to reinforce the area with surface escorts, air patrols and radar-equipped shore batteries.
- Watch crew weather condition reports will no longer be possible unless the submarine is surfaced.
- Submarine sonar station and functions are no longer available unless the submarine is submerged.
- Readjusted wave motion and shape.
- Readjusted sub interior cameras. Cameras will shake and vibrate much less now in waves. I also included the option to not have shaking interior sub cameras. This option can be installed and uninstalled while in mission. Such as if you are trapped on the seabed floor with flooding, the camera will shake violently. You can install the no-shake camera patch during this time, then uninstall again later.
- Readjusted sky and water colors to be less brightly-colored.
- Restored the original gramophone. You will be able to listen to your favorite music now. Also check out my separate gramophone music add-on with over 40 new World War II songs.
- Sharpened and added more detail to all submarine interior and exterior textures. Should have no impact on framerates.
- Removed the landed PBY floatplanes. They were continuously being destroyed by the large waves. I had to make a choice between keeping the large waves or the landed PBY's. I chose the large waves.
- Readjusted sub equipment damage repair times to eliminate the saved game bug where all damaged or destroyed sub equipment would usually be magically fixed to 100% upon saved game reloads. Also, Mr. Fix-It can no longer repair destroyed sub equipment, yet he can still speed up repair times. But in return I have made the submarine rudder, starboard diesel engines, and the starboard propeller indestructible for practical gameplay reasons. You will never be permanently stranded at sea due to damage (unless you run out of fuel). All other sub equipment is destructible and unrepairable after destroyed.
- Readjusted various sound volumes