So you're saying that changing the activeplayerunits.upc file affects the game? I had always believed them to be leftover files from SH3 that had no effect, whatsoever, on the game, and there were plenty of people who thought the same. Maybe it is read in, but only some parts, like the sub conning tower, are actually used? (For instance, your ingame time and date never change in the activeplayerunits.upc file, yet it is obviously kept track of.)

Very interesting.

Bill

Wow, I've had many tower refits. Maybe you're just not playing the game 24/7 like me. ;)

Bill

It is my understanding that all boats of the US navy were refit with new towers within certain periods. No boat had the bathtub after mid 42, and all boats had two AA nests, one in front and one in back. Also, the periscope sheers were cut away very early on. All of this was to reduce the profile of the submarine, to make it harder to see.

The skippers had no effect on whether or not a conning tower was cut down, and the cut down jobs were unique to each boat. The only boats to get standardized towers were the S-boats. The S-18 class got a platform aft of the tower, and the S-42 class got one forward of the bridge. These were all done by mid 42. If S boats did not recieve the new towers they were either retired or put into training duties, often getting the AA postition for training purposes.

The random roll thing is something the modders and players need to find and eliminate. It is simply not realistic, no boats after 42 had the larger conning towers, they were all cut down, this was doctrine.

Absolutely. That's where I go to rename my crewmen from Niklos Tungsten G Claamescusci to Bob Smith (and the like).

As far as I can tell, the files in the actual game directories are just templates, and the "live" game data is stored in the user profile directories.

JD

>>The random roll thing is something the modders and players need to find and eliminate.

I suspect the random chance is hardcoded. Unless Ubi does some fundamental systemic change in patch 1.4, what you see is what you get. Your only other option is to make all boats start with all wartime modifications from the word go.

Now, i do agree that various modfications should be done by a certain date. But i also think the random chance within that time period is realistic. Doctrine or not, I seriously doubt a submarine captain had much (if any) influence over when his boat went to mare island for a refit for wartime modfications.

Some of these mods didn't actually require a major overhaul. As far as I can tell, the "mid war cut down" mods were done with cutting torches. Just remove some sheet steel and weld up some stanchions. I haven't come across any records of boats going into a designated overhaul and coming out specifically with this mod. I'm sure it happened... just not regularly. I suspect it's because it was already done locally.

The full or "late war" mod did require overhaul facilities... and it seems most of the pre and early war boats still in front line service had this done as early as mid 43, but certainly by mid 44 or early 45.

I might have to look into that new tool someone put together for modding ini or cfg type files to see if I can package the edits I came up with to update the conning tower manually when you want to.

JD

Hmm, is it possible that returning to port with a damaged sub can increase your chances of getting a refit? I've only got one since I started playing and my sub was an iron coffin by the time I managed to limp back to port.

Managed to get mid war conning tower refit once at Freemantle for my Sboat. when my boat received its new conning tower, the refit also moved my forward deck gun to a rear mount deckgun causing a loss of the gunner slots.:arrgh!:

Hmmm, I will have to go into the file and see exactly what info is read from the file, and what info is ignored. I really thought this file was a read-only output file!

Bill

Conning Towers
 

Well you can cheat, defining the one you just want since the begining. What you have in the Sub UPC file as Ducimus pointed out is:

Quote

IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault1= NULL, 1942-05-31, GatoConningEarlyWar
IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault2= 1942-06-01, 1943-03-31, GatoConningMedWar
IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault3= 1943-04-01, 1943-12-31, GatoConningLateWar
IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault4= 1944-01-01, NULL, GatoConningElite

to cheat you can disable some options on the sub file:

;IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault1= NULL, 1942-05-31, GatoConningEarlyWar
;IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault2= 1942-06-01, 1943-03-31, GatoConningMedWar
;IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault3= 1943-04-01, 1943-12-31, GatoConningLateWar
IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault1= NULL, NULL, GatoConningElite

or delete them and just leave:

IDLinkUnitPartIntervalDefault1= NULL, NULL, GatoConningElite


This way when you get the Gato for the first time the sub will have the Elite conning tower since the begining.

I just need to figure out how to have the Twin 40mm since the begining instead the Single 20mm flack guns.

I wanted to make the game do it for me
 

I had to load the save I had just before docking at freemantle about 10 times and head into port each time before i got the roll of the dice and the midwar conning tower. But again like what was mentioned in here you have to re buy that radar's for the sub as you lose them.

But it was cool to finaly have the game give me one. Normaly i just get the new sub's when they come around but seeing I am sticking with my sub for the game it was nice to finaly see this happen in game.

All Conning types, Subs and weapons
 

Well you can wait for the dice to roll, but if you don't want that you can tweak the game to use since the beggining any sub, equipment and weapon, or almost anything...
First, you can edit the Flotillas.upc file in the ...\Data\UPCData\UPCCampaignData and modify the subs availability for each one of the flotillas, in the end for Pearl Harbor only you will have:


// Quote

[Flotilla 1]
ID= PearlHarborCommand
NameDisplayable= Pearl Harbor
AvailabilityInterval=NULL, NULL

[Flotilla 1.Base 1]
ID= PearlHarbor
NameDisplayable= Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
ExternalBaseName=Pearl Harbor
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
DepartureDescription1= -18954703, 2562919, 45.918098 ; Enum of available points, choose one randomly each time a patrol is started
DepartureDescription2= -18954874, 2563059, 46.252201
DepartureDescriptionOut1= -18957616, 2548824, 242.189346 ; Enum of starting points for when the player selects the option to start outside the base
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 1]
ID= F1Sboat
NameDisplayable= S-18 class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= S18
UnitTypeCommonality= 6 ; to be used when a random choice is assigned
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL ; when the flotilla is disbanded, the subs of this type are transferred to this one
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 2]
ID= F1Sboat2
NameDisplayable= S-42 class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= S42
UnitTypeCommonality= 11 ; to be used when a random choice is assigned
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 3]
ID= F1Porpoise
NameDisplayable= Porpoise class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= Porpoise
UnitTypeCommonality= 4 ; to be used when a random choice is assigned
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL ; when the flotilla is disbanded, the subs of this type are transferred to this one. If NULL then submarine assigned to training -> desk job or reassignment
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 4]
ID= F1Tambor
NameDisplayable= Tambor class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= Tambor
UnitTypeCommonality= 5 ; to be used when a random choice is assigned
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL ; when the flotilla is disbanded, the subs of this type are transferred to this one
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 5]
ID= F1Salmon
NameDisplayable= Salmon class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= Salmon
UnitTypeCommonality= 6
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 6]
ID= F1Sargo
NameDisplayable= Sargo class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= Sargo
UnitTypeCommonality= 11
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 7]
ID= F1Gar
NameDisplayable= Gar class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= Gar
UnitTypeCommonality= 4 ; to be used when a random choice is assigned
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL ; when the flotilla is disbanded, the subs of this type are transferred to this one
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 8]
ID= F1Gato
NameDisplayable= Gato class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= Gato
UnitTypeCommonality= 10 ; to be used when a random choice is assigned
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL ; when the flotilla is disbanded, the subs of this type are transferred to this one
[Flotilla 1.UserPlayerUnitType 9]
ID= F1Balao
NameDisplayable= Balao class
AvailabilityInterval= NULL, NULL
IDLinkUserPlayerUnitType= Balao
UnitTypeCommonality= 15 ; to be used when a random choice is assigned
IDFlotillaLinkTransferTo= NULL ; when the flotilla is disbanded, the subs of this type are transferred to this one
// END QUOTE

In second place you edit the CareerStart.upc in the same directory to read:


//Quote

[CareerStart 1]
ID= Beginning
NameDisplayable= 1941
StartTimeInterval=1941-12-08, 1942-02-01
BackgroundPic= 1941.tga ; picture that is displayed on the background when this option is selected
CareerStartBriefingText= The war has just started, and we're being beaten.
RenownOptions= 1000, 2000, 5000 ;(<-------- you can cheat here to and change the initial renown offer to whatever values you want to buy anything you want :p , you can start with options like 10000, 20000, 50000, just replace the numbers)
[CareerStart 1.Flotilla 1]
ID= C1Flotilla1
NameDisplayable= Pearl Harbor
IDLinkFlotilla= PearlHarborCommand ; link to ID in Flotilla upc file
IDLinkUserPlayerUnits= F1Sboat, 6, F1Sboat2, 11, F1Porpoise, 4, F1Tambor, 5, F1Salmon, 6, F1Sargo, 11, F1Gar, 4, F1Gato, 10, F1Balao, 15 ; enumeration of ID(s) that point to submarine upc file
FlotillaBriefingText=
FlotillaCommonality= 1

// END QUOTE

In thir place you have to edit all the files in the \Data\UPDData\UPCUnitsData and replace all the lines with the IntervalOptionCurrent and IntervalOptions1, as an example in the ammunition.upc file the lines with:

AmmunitionIntervalOptionCurrent= NULL, NULL, 0
AmmunitionIntervalOptions1= 1943-07-12, 1944-01-15, 500

replace with:

AmmunitionIntervalOptionCurrent= NULL, NULL, 0
AmmunitionIntervalOptions1= NULL, NULL, 500 ;(<----if you don't like the price change 500 to whatever value, including 0 :p , probably if you try a negative number the upgrade shop will give you money for that :rotfl: )

delete and comment lines like:

;AmmunitionIntervalOptions2= 1944-01-16, 1944-08-31, 200
;AmmunitionIntervalOptions3= 1944-09-01, 1950-05-31, 0


Doing that you can try any of the existent subs since the beggining and equipped with any available option.

BUT this will ony happens when you start a new game, it would not work on saved games.

Its cheating I know, but you can have some funn.:sunny:

Once 1.4 comes out I will update the conning tower mod (well its one of many) to set up various towers at various times. This way you could end a patrol - exit from port, exit sh4 - enable the appropriate tower mod via jsgme and reload. I could do the update now - but its really a waste since I will have to do it all over again IF this isnt addressed in the 1.4 patch.

I remember in My War in the Boats, the author referred to cutting down the conning tower superstructure to reduce target aspect with welding torches. Not hard to believe considering the appearance of the 'middle war' Gato tower.

Same book referred to the CO of one of the subs the author served on coming up with a dazzle camo scheme that his officers were surprised by; they didn't think it would work.

Hence, things like paint job and the more 'hack and slash' conning tower versions should really be up to the Captain...

Hi all,

I have been prowling these forums for some time, and thanks to the stories and posts here (especially the links to tutorials on manual targeting) I had a rekindled interest in SH4 (and SH3, to a lesser degree).

I played 'vanilla' for some time, then I got a copy of Trigger Maru 1.7.2, installed it, with some minor edits (I'm a pilot myself, and in flight sims I never look for subs underwater :ping: ) so in my edits of TM, I removed all the new 'sensor configs' for the planes before enabling in JGSME:know: .

Anyway, I had a similar experience as some of the posters here. I reloaded a game for twenty times, never got a tower upgrade (I first made sure there was one available, of course :oops: ).


So I started poking around in the savegames, and I found an entry in the following file (savegame = 00000000, just as an example):

\Documents\SH4\data\cfg\SaveGames\00000000\UserPla yerSettings.upc



[UserPlayerSettings]
ID=UserPlayerSettings
NameDisplayable=UserPlayerSettings
RandomSeed=-849660181


I found the negative random seed strange, so I changed it to a positive number (I found the same number in ALL my savegames, anyone know what generates this random seed???)

After changing the random seed to:

RandomSeed=849660181

I got a tower upgrade after two reloads of the savegame!! :up: :yep:


I suspect that the negative random seed prevents, at least, those tower upgrades, because I did get a sub upgrade (which was the USS DRUM, EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!, strange, huh...:hmm: ) .


I don't know if this editing the random seed fixes the absence of tower upgrades for everyone, but it seems to have worked for me.

APPENDIX: For TM 1.7.2 I did a complete reinstall (1.0 ->1.4 -> TM1.7.2), but I kept my savegames, which probably also means I kept my 'random seed', which I think led to the absence of tower upgrades. So, does every install of the game create a single random seed which stays throughout all of the gameplay????


I hope this will help some people get the tower upgrades without 'hacking' the availability dates etc...


Good luck, I'm departing in USS Thresher from Fremantle with her tubes full of Mk23s with a brand new cut down sail bristling with 20mm whoop-***


Greetz,

@lantis