CB This sounds like another brilliant idea. I may give it a go later this week-probably will be contacting you for guidance when I inevitably screw something up.

He! He! i wouldn't like to attempt it on one of the hugely modded campaigns -but for the stock or semi stock it's perfectly do-able--as it turns out on the example in the screen shot in the previous post there WAS a convoy nearby--(i got the time excell "freeze" give away)--but i lost it before i could pin down exactly where it was--but it's close by some where:up: great stuff--- the subs travel independantly from the convoys along the same way-points and at only approximaitely the same speed--this allows for plenty of margin for error--and uncertainty--

this is with only three of serg's subs added on the HX OA and HG routes
as i add more i can lower the number of contact reports they send and lower the probability of them being spawned at mission start--
i reckon with the semi stock campaign 7 or 8 -one more or less for each of the main convoy routes will more than do the trick

no other contact reports appear on the map at all--tho that's the sort of thing that could be changed to taste of course--

what a shame...:nope:
i get the feeling that -apart from the guys who have posted here- the concept and execution of this mod idea is something in the region of 100,000 miles over most peoples heads--which is pretty radical considering the endless drivel spouted about the desire for realism here abouts--
(i'll have to take the whole realism nonsense with the usual huge pinch of salt as ever-:roll: -as this approach to contact reports is as real as the game is going to get--:up: )
i'm having fun tho so-- sod it lol:rotfl:

Yes, it is cool stuff, CB. Occupied with modding of new units, I have not gotten to work closer with the Mission Editor yet. I also wish Col7777 could continue with all his ideas on the wolfpack implementation in the campaign.

I guess one does not need to modify the RND layer directly. It should be possible to work with these things separately and then megde the files in the end.

cheers serg' cheers especailly again for your AI compatible subs:up:

i've been trying to find Col's thread detailing his experiments on actually adding your subs directly to convoys them selves--i know he said this actualy worked--he just added an AI wolfpack sub to the list of convoy ships--and bingo instant wolfpack action--
now then the reason this is such a good idea on top of using your subs for the contact reports--is that it exploits one of the drawbacks the game has to good effect--
in that no combat is modelled out side of the 3D loading range--so you can happily have a german sub cruising alongside a convoy for it's entire journey knowing that only when you the player are within range of the convoy and it has been loaded into the 3d engine--will any destroyers start to treat the wolfpack sub as a threat--

so this actually means that as you approach the convoy you are liable to start see-ing sunken ship icons on the map--and possibly find the odd ship on fire or damaged as it comes into visual range---

i can't find Col's thread where he gave an example of the correct way to addd the sub tho--and im getting a bit lazy in my old age--

BUT the combination of the two uses for your subs gives rise to a wonderfull new way to play the game not to mention the enourmous hike in gameplay realism potatoes or what ever folks fancy calling their intepretation of the game's implementation of realism

so all contact reports given only by genuine wolfpack/lone AI subs
100% realistic
and the possibility of finding other subs attacking the convoy as and when you approach
100% realistic

whoooooosh straight over the tonnage queens heads :arrgh!:

Realism is in the eye of the player.

I enjoy playing as historically accurate as I can..but only to a certain point.I for one like the idea and think it is great for those that enjoy that,but I doubt I would use it.For me there comes a point where to much realism takes the fun out of the game.And this is just over that line for my personal tastes.

I may give it a try sometime just for giggles and may even learn to enjoy it but it is also just to much for me to have to edit that huge RND file..LOL.

he he!! it's nice to be able to pick and choose which aspects of realism we can enjoy isn't it--
which is precisely why the whole issue is bunk---;)

Brilliant idea CB..! After the minelayer mod, now this.

What next?

:up: same with SH2 really there is a never ending list of things that can be attempted--especailly if you come in from a slightly askew angle--this is the trouble with some realism mods --they tend to have tunnel vision..
the issue with SH3 is really the file structure--most files contain dozens of references to various different aspects of the game--where as SH2 tended to have one file for each element- so making and releasing mods was a much more straight forward affair ---
i dont bother much with SH3 moding because what ever i produce will in evitably p*ss some one off some where because it will require the over-writing of a mod they have constructed -even if the two mods are entirely unrelated--
so i haven't bothered much except for my own indulgence--
now i've solved the main element of the game for me which was the Destroyer/convoy escort behaviour in a full and satisfying manner--
now I'm enjoying the game so i am getting round to trying out ideas i have been too uninterested to bother with before--

next on the list i suppose once i completed the modification of my campaign to use serg's wolfpack subs--will be the weather--because that really has to be moddable up to something more interesting--
one of th things me and Col7777 worked on for SH2 was the weather--
folks had been playing it for years and never realised that the weather could be made changing and dynamic--Col7777 sussed how to write dynamic changing weather into the campaign--it was far FAR superior to the weather in SH3
basically you could write the weather into the campaign in exactly the same way as you would write a convoy--bad weather front size rain cloud types etc located at lat long etc etc travelling at 4 knots north west--and you could have unlimited numbers of weather fronts all dynamicly moving across the map--

he he! i spent a month writing a dynamic campaign generator (with rossbachs help) with fully implemented dynamic weather including accurate weather reports on all weather fronts--size location type movment rain speed etc etc

no one was interested in that one either---peasants..:rotfl: :know:

Isn't that the way real wolfpacks attack?, shadowing the convoy and hit when all in attack range?, If you can pull this out, it will be amazing :o

Ref

yes..come to think of it your right!:up:

i'm still looking for Col7777's thread with details of how to add in the subs to the convoy ship formations--

Great progress CB :up:

We all just need to convince you to do it :lol:

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I regret that I am having trouble following the argument of this thread.

CB has proposed (and demonstrated) that it is possible to move an AI U-boat along an empty convoy track (more-or-less), giving signals as it does so. This is certainly a clever idea, but surely it can not be called realistic. Real convoys did not run on railway tracks - even approximately.

There is then a secondary suggestion that the AI U-boat should move with the convoy. Since the convoys are randomly generated, the AI U-boat *must* be part of the convoy if its signals are to have any meaning. There may be a way of doing this with a German AI U-boat, but if so you are merely changing red marks of the convoy's progress on the map for blue marks. Is this worth all the labour involved in making the changes?

I suspect that the AI U-boats will have to be made neutral or even Allied to keep up with the convoy while not being attacked by it. So you may not even improve the colour of the markings on the map.

It may be that I have failed to understand a key part of CB's proposal, in which case apologies and I await your enlightenment. But presumably other people have the same difficulty as me, which is why there is so little interest.

However, I would definitely be interested in a mod to change weather patterns (excluding a change occurring only at the beginning of the patrol). If I could fix just one thing in the hard code of SH3, it would be to change those infuriating fog-and-gale patterns that feel like they last forever and are hopelessly unrealistic (if I may use the 'realism'-word) for such extended periods.

Stiebler.

The AI uboats wont be attacked by convoy until its within your sensor range as thats when game loads the convoy into the 3d engine - it doesnt exist as a 3d convoy till you discover it
From what I gather CB is not proposing putting a wolfpack with every convoy and even the ones which have AI boats may deviate as dictated in the random layer so you might still not come across them
I think the thought behind this is the only convoys that will show on the map are radio reports from uboats and even then you are not guaranteed to find it - and if he does succeed in putting in a wolfpack when you arrive at the convoy you may find it already attacked by AI wolfpack
Either way you wont be the only boat on scene at convoy which is kinda cool
Single merchants wouldnt be affected but wouldnt show on map either if the changes CB proposed at the start are put in so would be a lot more realistic than the system now
Currently trying to download GW unchange and addon so will give it a go then

Edit
AI boats not running along an empty convoy route but its added to the convoy so if the convoy spawns ( as not 100% ) then uboat will as well and in effect be following convoy relaying radio reports back to BDU and other boats

It has nothing to do with the railway tracks but with some U-boats spotting/shadowing a convoy spawned by the game and communicating this info to BDU. Therefore, such a situation is indeed realistic regardless the tricks it is created with.

How can the AI U-boat be attacked if it is not even 3D-rendered? The Allied convoy including German AI U-boat as a part of the convoy will follow the waypoints until it has to be 3D-rendered close to the player U-boat. Only then the whole action will start. The AI-sub will attack ships in convoy and DDs will attack the sub. Very good idea by Col7777.