AOD DOS version: manual deck gun?

[XenonSurf]

Hello,
I'd like to know from players of AOD DOS version with update 1.2 and Expansion Disk installed, if they can play with the deck gun in manual mode, with the symbol to chose when on the bridge. (Except Type II and Type XXI submarines which don't have deck guns.)
Anyone? Or is there someone who knows for sure that it's not in the game?

I ask because if there is manual deck gun it means that I have not installed the packages correctly.


In the Windows version of AOD, called Command Aces of the Deep, there IS a manual deck gun. Because I have both game versions, I wonder if I can transfer somehow the necessary files from CAOD to DOS version of game to make it functional. This should at least be worth a try because the sound files are the same, and most game files are also the same. I don't play CAOD because of sound problems.
Has anyone done or tried this?


Thanks,

[UnderWaterGamer]

Hi

So I have AOD on Dos, the patched version.

And, also to my regret there is no manual deck gun. I have CAOD that I don't play because of the black scope (even in 254 colors). I don't know if there is a way to transfer the files but I hope someone else can help you with that even if it's unlikely because the main difference between the two games is the graphic quality. ( I'm not certain really... )

Happy Hunting!
:Kaleun_Salute:

[John Pancoast]

Dos AOD does not have a manual deck gun. No idea if something from CAOD could be transferred over.

[XenonSurf]

Thank you both UnderWaterGamer, John, for your replies, I appreciate. My idea to transfer files is idiotic because one is a Windows game the other a DOS game, no idea why I thought that this would work...:k_confused:
I will have to play with automatic gun in AOD DOS, but the game is still a perl of sub sim.


Best greetings to you both,:Kaleun_Cheers:

[UnderWaterGamer]

Hi

I was thinking that to...

But I started digging up my AOD and CAOD files and I actually found a file in the SIM folder called "Language#" notepad file that contains a lot of info (all the text in the game) and at the top of the file you can find crew texts so I will have to try and change the text to some thing more realistic ( e.g. having the gauges in the engine room )

Has anyone tried this yet? :hmmm:

Happy Hunting!

PS: you can find all the damaged modules in it to, and its pretty detailed!

[XenonSurf]

Hi

I was thinking that to...

But I started digging up my AOD and CAOD files and I actually found a file in the SIM folder called "Language#" notepad file that contains a lot of info (all the text in the game) and at the top of the file you can find crew texts so I will have to try and change the text to some thing more realistic ( e.g. having the gauges in the engine room )

Has anyone tried this yet? :hmmm:

Happy Hunting!

PS: you can find all the damaged modules in it to, and its pretty detailed!


I think these files are only for Localization of the game and set the messages you see when giving orders, the interface names and when receiving radio messages. These files are installed in your SIM folder during game install and depend on the language you chose when installing (English, French or German; voices will be E or G only). You cannot change language without re-installing the whole thing, but voices can be changed in the CTRL-O menu.


In CAOD I have the files Language.txt, and Language.dll. The *.dll file means it works only in Windows OS, so transfering that in DOS will have no effect.


These files will only change language, alas not the gameplay...You can confirm this by, for example, change the text 'Crash Dive' into 'Mickey Mouse'. Then when playing go in the menu of the Engineer and you should see 'Mickey Mouse' there instead...Not very helpful of course :)
What is woth to try to 'unlock' a gamepart is: add 'Type XXI' under the other types of the MISSION_EDITOR entries, this could unlock the type XXI u-boat to play in single missions - which is not possible at default. If the game crashes you would have to revert this, also revert if it doesnt' work.

[UnderWaterGamer]

So if you can add type XXI and maybe make it work, does that mean you can, for example, type buancy gauges in the engine room (or somewhere else) and then make it work from that station?

I'll have to try

Happy Hunting !

[UnderWaterGamer]

I tried but it didn't work and got everything messed up...

Well I tried

[XenonSurf]

I have tried the thing with type XXI in the language file of CAOD, it doesn't work, and for what I can tell, all is related to language output only.


What works but doesn't change anything is: I have taken all sound files from DOS version (which all work perfectly in the game) and transfer them to CAOD, it works but - very unfortunately - it doesn't change the 'fading-out' of the sound which is terrible in a sub sim. If only there were no sound problems, CAOD would be a very nice game, it's to despair.. :arrgh!:





:Kaleun_Wink:Be sure to revert the changes, you don't want to mess-up your game...

[UnderWaterGamer]

it doesn't change the 'fading-out' of the sound which is terrible in a sub sim. If only there were no sound problems, CAOD would be a very nice game, it's to despair..

I have looked around the tips section for CAOD and this is what I found for sound problems:
Problem: The engine sound cuts out during play.
Solution: If you are using the voice recognition feature of Command: Aces of the Deep, you should turn the engine sounds off. The engine sounds will interfere with the voice recognition feature of the game and will cut in and out if this feature is enabled. If you do not use the voice recognition feature and want to hear the constant hum of engines, Reinstall Command: Aces of the Deep and do not choose the voice recognition.

Hope this can help

I also have some problems of my own that make my CAOD experience pretty bad. First off my scope is black 50% of the time ( which is already pretty annoying...) even in 256 colors and for some reason when I go from the chart view, for example, to the scope or other view that makes you look outside, my simulation accelerates (waves, boat movement...) for one or two seconds and then goes back to normal. Now I think this is due to the fact that I am on a more recent windows but it is still very very annoying!

PS: I also managed to revert the changes!

[John Pancoast]

I seem to remember CAOD sound cutting out no matter how you ran the game.
And there was only one engine rpm level for any speed. And the scope cables were partially missing.
The original AOD is a much better product.

[UnderWaterGamer]

...And there was only one engine rpm level for any speed...

Maybe you can try transfering the sound files from AOD to CAOD and fix that problem because, if I rember well, when my sound didn't fade out, I think there where different engine sound levels.

I have tried the thing with type XXI in the language file of CAOD, it doesn't work, and for what I can tell, all is related to language output only.


What works but doesn't change anything is: I have taken all sound files from DOS version (which all work perfectly in the game) and transfer them to CAOD, it works but - very unfortunately - it doesn't change the 'fading-out' of the sound which is terrible in a sub sim. If only there were no sound problems, CAOD would be a very nice game, it's to despair.. :arrgh!:





:Kaleun_Wink:Be sure to revert the changes, you don't want to mess-up your game...

[John Pancoast]

Maybe you can try transfering the sound files from AOD to CAOD and fix that problem because, if I rember well, when my sound didn't fade out, I think there where different engine sound levels.

I haven't had CAOD since shortly after it was released. Much prefer the original AOD anyway.

[XenonSurf]

I have looked around the tips section for CAOD and this is what I found for sound problems:
Problem: The engine sound cuts out during play.
Solution: If you are using the voice recognition feature of Command: Aces of the Deep, you should turn the engine sounds off. The engine sounds will interfere with the voice recognition feature of the game and will cut in and out if this feature is enabled. If you do not use the voice recognition feature and want to hear the constant hum of engines, Reinstall Command: Aces of the Deep and do not choose the voice recognition.

Hope this can help

I also have some problems of my own that make my CAOD experience pretty bad. First off my scope is black 50% of the time ( which is already pretty annoying...) even in 256 colors and for some reason when I go from the chart view, for example, to the scope or other view that makes you look outside, my simulation accelerates (waves, boat movement...) for one or two seconds and then goes back to normal. Now I think this is due to the fact that I am on a more recent windows but it is still very very annoying!

PS: I also managed to revert the changes!


Thank you for your tips with the sound, but I have already carefully followed all the tips in the 'Tactics' section here on the site for the correct installation which is quite complicated because it's more an art to make this game run in modern OS. I had to install it in WMWare+WinXP and then put all the files on a stick to transfer them to Win7, this should cut all problems, only sound problems remain.


For your problem with the scope not showing:
Put the game shortcut to these compatibilities:
- Compatibility with Win 95;
- Run with 256 Colors;
- Deactivate desktop layout (4th box);
- Run as admin

it's important that the desktop is at 256 colors BEFORE starting game, that's why you may get missing grafics. Also if you have the game installed in Win7 directly from the setup.exe, then it's better to simply copy-paste all game files (the entire SIERRA folder) to a USB stick, uninstall game in Win7, delete the SIERRA.ini in the Windows directory, then reput the SIERRA folder in C:\ and create a shortcut with C:\SIERRA\AODCMD\AODCD.EXE. Then put the shortcut to the compatibiliy as above. Maybe on your system the game will then play perfect - and without sound problems, which I wish you :yep:


The sound fading-out is likely due to the fact that CAOD is running too fast on modern OS, I see no way to correct this without harming my hardware (using speed software to slow-down my modern game rig is not recommended). The DOS version running in Dosbox is way better in this regard: I can set the speed of the program (The Dosbox Cycles) exactly tuned to the chronometer in-game, making 1 minute of the chronometer exactly show in 1 real-time minute, which runs the game correctly.



For more tips about the game not present in the 'Tactics' section, read a thread here that I've made not too long ago, it contains pretty much all things 'not-in-the-manual' which I could find about this game.



http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=240392


Read Post #2, skip the first.



Cheers,:Kaleun_Cheers:
XS

[UnderWaterGamer]

Wow! Thanks a lot XenonSurf! :Kaleun_Cheers:

Now I can enjoy a none black scope and a none fading out engine sound!

Best experience with Command Aces Of The Deep so far! Unfortunantly the game runs a little too fast on my Win 7, but it is still very enjoyable because now I can experience the beauty of the graphics and a fairly good gameplay!
:yeah:

Also, The chronometer in AoD is the one where you can see your torpedo ETI (I as in Impact)? need to try that to.
-->:Kaleun_Los:

I did get the one engine RPM bug, that I could not correct by swaping AoD's sound files to CAoD SOUND folder.

Happy Hunting!

:Kaleun_Salute:

[UnderWaterGamer]

So I set the cycles in dosbox to make 5 seconds in the game be 5 seconds in real life but my wave animations are a little slower then what I am used to.

Currently in early 1940, type 2, second patrol and 30.000 tons at the bottom of the atlantic. I'm hoping to get a promotion and a new boat at my return but meanwhile I'm still scouting the Horizon.

:Kaleun_Periskop:

Happy Hunting! :Kaleun_Salute:

[XenonSurf]

By investigating the sound problem in CAOD, I have found another trick for the game where you can enable the Sub XXI for single missions:

Go in the menu for single missions, chose convoy encounter, make your setup that you would do with a type XXI u-boat (but you have to chose another one, the XXI is not in the menu), then start the sim and quit.
Go open your file SIMIN.DAT with a hex editor, and change the value of Hex adress 41 to the value 07 (which is for the XXI).
Restart game and single mission menu for convoy encounters, you will see the tab for the sub choice empty - leave it so, don't change it - make other settings, chose your realism and go! You will play with the Type XXI :)

Now, I want to correct a statement in the Tips section of Subsim about CAOD:
A Sierra developer has said that the Sonar of the type XXI is broken. That's true for CAOD, but not true for the upgraded DOS version, here it works as intended.
You use the XXI sonar by chosing a red line which is a passive sonar contact, the line will turn blue, and you hit the sonar icon on the map. It will give the range of the target. If you go to TDC you will see this range correctly entered with the bearing of the target, that's all you need to fire an acoustic torpedo to hit the target. For the sonar to work you have to be in front of the target at +/-140° at lower speed, your baffles are blind.
You can fire acoustic torpedos Typ V or LUT even if you are at up to 100m depth. Other torpedos should not be used with type XXI, because they will only 'run straight' without any acoustic guidance, so they are useless under water unless you are a genius of a sub commander...:)

This also means that, alas, type XXI u-boats are useless in CAOD, if you cannot fire torpedos underwater then the whole sub is useless, except its very high underwater top speed of 17 knots and 14 knots full speed. You will have to play the DOS version :yep:


History:

What I say here has never happened in WWII, the type XXI just did a 'simulated' attack against a warship before surrendering West of Norway - it was the end of the war...

[John Pancoast]

So I set the cycles in dosbox to make 5 seconds in the game be 5 seconds in real life but my wave animations are a little slower then what I am used to.

Currently in early 1940, type 2, second patrol and 30.000 tons at the bottom of the atlantic. I'm hoping to get a promotion and a new boat at my return but meanwhile I'm still scouting the Horizon.

:Kaleun_Periskop:

Happy Hunting! :Kaleun_Salute:

Try a longer time frame; I use 15 seconds myself. Long slow Atlantic rollers anyway.

[XenonSurf]

I have moved all CAOD files to a laptop to see if with other sound drivers there would be problems too. Alas, the sound problems in CAOD are fundamental and related to Win95 drivers not working well on modern systems or too fast computers today.

The problems on my laptop were exactly the same, the sound fading out.


Plugging in my speakers to other sound sources (like my GPU) will not change the sound problem, so it's about old game drivers and no solution I guess.


As for my main topic, changing the files in DOS version taken from CAOD to make the deck gun manual in DOS has failed up to now, I'll further see if I can do something...Probably never, because my experiments show that the deck gun routine is hard-coded in the AODCD.exe file directly, or in the single big *.DYN file (not exchangeable with DOS).
My hope still remains in the SHELL\SW files which I try to tweak for DOS (also to correct the Type XXI sonar flaw of CAOD). Whatever, I LIKE modding these old games, it tells me a lot of the work done at that amazing period where making games was really an artwork...

[Giesemaschine]

I'm glad people are still playing this classic.

It (IMO) still blows all other subsims out of the water. Chock full of content and immersion...And all of that already in the box when you paid for it!

[UnderWaterGamer]

Try a longer time frame; I use 15 seconds myself. Long slow Atlantic rollers anyway.

Sorry I didn't really understand, you use 15 real life seconds for 5 in game seconds? Because my dos box cycles are at 31% and its slightly to slow for me.

Also XenonSurf, maybe you can try to move all of CAOD's files that are the same as AoD's files in AoD to see if that changes anything, if that's not what you already did... (haven't tried yet and am just curious).

Also, do you have good modern windows programs to open AoD's. DAT files so that I can also try to join in and help? Have already tried with the notepad programs on SH1 and got a bunch of weird characters (even music notes!) and haven't been succesful yet.

Thanks before hand and...

Happy Hunting! :Kaleun_Salute:

[John Pancoast]

I'm glad people are still playing this classic.

It (IMO) still blows all other subsims out of the water. Chock full of content and immersion...And all of that already in the box when you paid for it!


I like the SH series but AOD still tops them.

[John Pancoast]

Sorry I didn't really understand, you use 15 real life seconds for 5 in game seconds? Because my dos box cycles are at 31% and its slightly to slow for me.

Also XenonSurf, maybe you can try to move all of CAOD's files that are the same as AoD's files in AoD to see if that changes anything, if that's not what you already did... (haven't tried yet and am just curious).

Also, do you have good modern windows programs to open AoD's. DAT files so that I can also try to join in and help? Have already tried with the notepad programs on SH1 and got a bunch of weird characters (even music notes!) and haven't been succesful yet.

Thanks before hand and...

Happy Hunting! :Kaleun_Salute:


No, sorry I time 15 seconds real time with 15 on the game chronometer.

[UnderWaterGamer]

No, sorry I time 15 seconds real time with 15 on the game chronometer.

Ok, I will try that to.

Happy Hunting! :salute:

[XenonSurf]

I'm glad people are still playing this classic.

It (IMO) still blows all other subsims out of the water. Chock full of content and immersion...And all of that already in the box when you paid for it!


AOD will make it into History, not only because of the best game of its time, but also because providing really historical value documentation and videos. These sub commander's interviews would not be there - or forgotten - if not because of the AOD game! :up:


Note: The online manual and the videos will only work in the DOS game under Dosbox, not in CAOD under Win7 (AFAIK and according to my experiments).

[UnderWaterGamer]

AOD will make it into History, not only because of the best game of its time, but also because providing really historical value documentation and videos. These sub commander's interviews would not be there - or forgotten - if not because of the AOD game! :up:


Note: The online manual and the videos will only work in the DOS game under Dosbox, not in CAOD under Win7 (AFAIK and according to my experiments).

I don’t think all versions of Dos AoD have the awsome Online Manual (I don’t have it...) because the paper manual says that online manuals will only be on older Dos CD versions of the game and changes between the paper manual and the online manual can be found in the readme file.

Happy Hunting :salute:

[XenonSurf]

I don’t think all versions of Dos AoD have the awsome Online Manual (I don’t have it...) because the paper manual says that online manuals will only be on older Dos CD versions of the game and changes between the paper manual and the online manual can be found in the readme file.

Happy Hunting :salute:


Yes, the online manual comes with the game's CDROM, it's in the 'OLM' folder that you need to copy into the game folder of Dosbox and mount with D:\
The game executable is instead mounted with C:\


After this, you can launch the manual in the game's main menu, here a serie of screenshots:


https://ibb.co/gtGyNVs
https://ibb.co/DQ9BBbK
https://ibb.co/0cSdfR7
https://ibb.co/2SbGymk
https://ibb.co/VxBwHCX
https://ibb.co/JtKj1Rc

[UnderWaterGamer]

Thanks for the screenshots. I have looked for more info about the Online manual in the paper manual(weird, no?:doh:) and I have found out that all the eight interviewed commanders are:

-Admiral Erich Topp
-Reinhard Hardegen
-Admiral Otto Kretschmer (himself!)
-Gerd Thäter
-Hans-Georg Hess
-Jürgen Oesten
-Otto Westphalen
-and Wilhelm Grap

Also, here are some random questions:
-is the U-Boot tour like the very good gato class submarine tour in SH1 with a voice explaining the different stations?
-How do you do a screenshot in fullscreen DOSBox?

Happy Hunting:salute: