One idea : historical huge flags for neutrals merchants

[lumat83]

Hi all,

I've made a post in silent hunter forum and I've made some researches about neutrals boat in the war.

The merchants boats of the neutals countries. In fact this boats has many solutions :
- Huge national flags painted on the sides
- Running lights on
- lights on the flag
- Reports to belligerents where they were
The uboats stopped them for controls

Controls are not possible in the game :) but is it possible to make a mod for the others solutions ?
- Huge flag to neutral boats or all boats
- neutrals boats sailing with lights
or if this is not possible for any reasons, make more visibles flags ?

It's too hard, and perhaps not really realistic, I think, to determine the nationalities actually especially on bad weather conditions or in night.

I think my idea would allow to compensate the limits of the game (controls ou neutal reports not possibles....)

What's your opinion ?

[oRGy]

It's possible, yeah, for at least the flags painted on the side.

For lights on, we'll need for an alpha-texture to be overlaid on the ship at night like with the buildings, and this could be very problematic.

If you search back a few months I started a thread on this idea. We haven't really done anything about it since then.

Also, I reccommend editing the thread title to something more descriptive than "one idea for a mod", as otherwise people might miss it.

[Rubini]

The merchants boats of the neutals countries. In fact this boats has many solutions :
- Huge national flags painted on the sides
- Running lights on
- lights on the flag
- Reports to belligerents where they were
The uboats stopped them for controls

Controls are not possible in the game but is it possible to make a mod for the others solutions ?
- Huge flag to neutral boats or all boats
- neutrals boats sailing with lights
or if this is not possible for any reasons, make more visibles flags ?

The problem here is that if you mod anything with ships all ships of all nationalities will get them too.

The solution, and perhaps it is doable, is to increase the zoom factor of the Periscope, Uzo and Binocular, let's say, to 6x-8x (actually is in 4x-6x).

Rubini.

[oRGy]

No, if I recall the solution was to clone a unit for each country but with a different skin, and then integrated them into the scr/rnd layers.

Would sort of be a job for you Rubini. ;)

Wish I could find that thread - it was on the subject of irish merchant ships if I recall.

[Rubini]

No, if I recall the solution was to clone a unit for each country but with a different skin, and then integrated them into the scr/rnd layers.
This is a very hard and time consuming task. And the worst: the final huge size files.

I guess that modding the magnification factor is a far more clean and fast solution.

Rubini.

[lumat83]

Yeah I see my idea is good :up:

But it isn't possible for me to work on it. I'm sincerely incompetent for this work :oops:

Increase the zoom factor for instruments to 6-8x is realistic ?

Perhaps an another idea (not sure with this :-? ).

Is it possible to make huge flag on the sides of all the merchants but program this only for some dates (during the time where they're neutrals). And from this date, the skin disappear ? For example english merchants would have the skin until septembre 03 and after it disapear.

[sergbuto]

Do you have any pic or info where they usually placed the lights on neutral ships?

[lumat83]

No, sorry, I haven't :( but I will seach.

[jaxa]

Very good idea!
Sinking ships at nights is very frustrating now, I haven't any certainty - shoot or not. :arrgh!:

[coronas]

Adding a light like lighthouses in ships´ structures? One or two lights is enought for identification.

[Rubini]

Hi mates,

I continue thinking that is not possible to isolate the neutrals ships to make only them to have lights or a hull's painted flags. The friend or foe stuff is absolutely dinamic...

So, I should like to insist in the increase of the magnification factor for periscope, uzo and binocular. Actually, in game, the max factor is 6x. Perhaps 8x or 10x is enough. In the WWII era the optics were well developed.

Perhaps CCIP can help in this issue. He made the camera mod... :hmm:

Rubini.

[lumat83]

Hi mates,

I continue thinking that is not possible to isolate the neutrals ships to make only them to have lights or a hull's painted flags. The friend or foe stuff is absolutely dinamic...

Rubini.

Ok, but as I said, perhaps it is possible to make a huge flag and lights on all merchant ships (and only merchant) of all nationalities and after deactivate (program the disappearence) those skins at the date where the country leave his neutrality. These dates are known and fixe (september 3 for england for example...). But I don't know if it is possible to work on the dates in the game.

[iambecomelife]

I tried the giant flag skins myself prior to releasing the Merchant Variety Pack. For this to work the flags will have to be 3d objects themselves - think large planes attached to the hull. Simply using the hull causes excessive texture repetition (as usual).

[lumat83]

Okay :)

Yes and you think it's possible to work on huge flag for all merchants ?

[lumat83]

If this work is not possible :(

Then the idea of Rubini is very good. Less realistic perhaps but it allow to have a better view of the flags on the ships. In fact, the actual view is not very realistic because it's too hard to determine if a ship is neutral or not. And we can't make controls in the game

[oRGy]

I am totally against the increased magnification idea - it's silly and would be used by the player to give them all sorts of super-abilities.

Adding merchant flags with the pack3d tool sounds like the best idea.

Doing the scripting wouldn't be so hard. You needn't touch the convoy composition, so the only thing would be scripted neutral traffic which would be fairly low. For example, with Ireland you'd only need half a dozen routes, using coastal/small merchants.

If you want something done properly you have to do the work!

[lumat83]

Ok. It was my first idea but I've understood that this work was not possible.
I prefer huge flag than increase magnification.

But I repeat : sorry, I've no ability for this work, I'm totally incompetent for that :oops:. sincerely

[Marhkimov]

But I repeat : sorry, I've no ability for this work, I'm totally incompetent for that :oops:. sincerely

Don't worry. It is quite ok to come up with ideas, even if you have no idea how to impliment them yourself... That's what these boards are for. There are always people out there who are willing to help if they can. :yep:

[Martin1813]

I think the idea is good,

I agree with Orgy about the magnification. but iambecomelife spotted the big problem...

[oRGy]

True. But we do have pack3d now...

[Rubini]

oRGy,

I only will leave the magnification idea if someone here prove to us that it's unrealistic. I'm speaking to 8x or 10x (the stock is 6x). Someone here have the info? How is the magnification factor of the binocular and periscopes/uzo in the german uboats? :hmm:


Rubini.

[oRGy]

Hi Rubini;

as far as I know the game models the magnifcation ranges accurately.

Another possibility those who are good with such things should look into is adding an 'unlit' layer of lights to ships, as with buildings. Could be tricky though.

oRGy

[Rubini]

Yes, perhaps to the flags. But i'm afraid that this way the result could be a bit unrealistic...What do you think?

Rubini.

[oRGy]

What would be unrealistic exactly?

In real life neutral merchants sailing alone had big flags painted on the side, and these were lit up at night along with the rest of the ship.

In convoys, they were considered legitimate targets and would have been blacked out.

[oRGy]

for example:

http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.org/images/SS%20Irish%20Larch.jpg

http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.org/images/SS%20Irish%20Willow.jpg

http://www.irishseamensrelativesassociation.org/images/MV%20Kerlogue.jpg

[Rubini]

oRGy,

I mean unrealistic if we just lighten the flags.

Rubini.