Okay, you convinced me. I'll try it!

Great! But before you (or anybody) is going to be disappointed: it might be a good idea to evaluate with a test career until the problem with Sh3Cmdr has been sorted out, and until there are some long-term experiences. However, if your only fear is that it might destroy anything apart from your savegame, this cannot happen.

Version 0.5.0 has been uploaded to my site. There are many internal changes that you won't notice. The biggest is the new data driven architecture. Most campaign relevant data is now stored in xml bases data files, which means that the data can be easily expanded and adjusted to taste. In this release, I haven't made use of the new possibilities, so you shouldn't see much difference.

Download:
http://www.global-explorer.de/Sh3Gen%20Beta%200.5.0.zip

I have been able to fix a bug that occured whenever the patrol start month was August or September. This was actually the reason for the many contact updates in '39 I sometimes talked about, so .. sorry it was my fault. Now the amount of info in '39 should be normal.

Apart from the bugfixes, a major improvement is the addition of a slider that adjusts the amount of info revealed by Sh3Gen. My experience so far is, that this should be moved to the left as the war progresses, but it's certainly a matter of taste. Imo the default setting gives a bit too much info, but some people have told me they like it, so now everybody can find their own setting.

http://www.global-explorer.de/general_options.gif

If there are no major problems with this version Sh3Gen is gearing for the next milestone, which is the first release candidates. I am already quite happy with the feature set and general stability so the major things that remain to be done is more balancing and constant improvement. I hope you will understand that I will release less updates once the program is working in a satisfying way, and this is getting closer. It is then to be seen what new features can be added to the program, but generally there is always something I want to add :)

GlobalExplorer

Great way to start off a Saturday morning ;)
Thanks for your efforts!

Church

Good news for all users of Sh3Gen and SH3 Commander. JScones has provided a fix for the problem with "Update Personnel File":

http://www.global-explorer.de/SH3Cmdr.zip

To install, simply drop SH3Cmdr.exe into your SH3 Commander folder.

:up: Thanks Jaesen! :up:

Great! Great! :rock: :rock:

Rubini.

Ok, after our private discussion I have now understood you problem.

This all comes from the fact that there are dire restrictions as to the structure of names that I can plot into the map:

- must be less than 20 characters
- must not contain unusual characters

So you will have noticed that I use an abbreviation system:

Shiptypes:

Now for some reason I couldn't come up with a good abbreviation for merchant ships (MS is already used up by liners and troopships), so there is no abbreviation for them.

After Cdre Gibs feedback I think this might have resulted in a cryptic system, which not everyone will like.

Now here is what I can offer:

1.] option to switch off the abbreviation system (that would mean only abstract designations like "Destroyer" , "Minefield", "Battleship" , .. but no shipnames)

2.] Consistent abbreviations for all types, including Merchants

Has somebody got a good idea for a new abbreviation for merchant ships?

My suggestion: PL or LS for Lineship and MS for Merchant Ship.

many of you modders are so awesom i demand that if ubi builds another SH game that they include you in the design team!!!!
I DEMAND IT :yep:

@Cdre Gibs: Thanks for your input! The next release is gonna have an option to switch off the naming system. With Naming System disabled, the map will only contain no-brainer designations like "Destroyer", "Tanker", "Battleship" etc ..

But even if you want to use the Naming System, I will make some adjustments:

CA for Auxiliary Cruiser
PS for Passenger Ship (Liners and Troop Transports)
MS for Merchant Ship

On top of that, you will be able to make changes to the system through the data files.

GE

Is it possible to add intel on the captain log about the convoys in port ?

ie :
Suspected big convoy leaving halifax on date 01-03-41 possible destination bristol. Estimated depart time 6 hs.

German spies at work. :yep:

This way we can try to calculate an interception based on known convoy routes.

Ref

My patrol is in ET25. I have no intel about this region. All intel is only around England. It is good ????

Version 0.5.1 has been uploaded to my site.

http://www.global-explorer.de/Sh3Gen%20Beta%200.5.1.zip

In accordance to the input by Cdre Gibs, I have added an option to switch off the naming system.

http://www.global-explorer.de/naming...m_checkbox.gif

If you switch off the naming system, you will see no more cryptic designations in the map. Instead it will always look like this:

http://www.global-explorer.de/naming_system_map.jpg

I have also made the changes to the naming system described above. All strings used for map output are now stored in a data file, which can be altered if you don't like something about my designation system.

Cdre Gibs: But not all merchants were steamships. There were "Steamers", "Oilers", "Motor ships", etc. Secondly, SS is already the designation for submarines. So, maybe it's just me, but I prefer MS for merchants.

Being a stubborn bastard myself, I have made the changes as initially outlined ;)

If you don't like that, the new version allows you to adjust the output to your taste. If you are interested and not afraid to mess around with xml, I'll give you instructions. It's pretty simple.

Also nothing is set in stone so we can discuss and change things.

@Ref: This is more or less in line with what i would like to add in the future.

@NiKuTa: I don't know if you have noticed, but Sh3Gen is using a different set of parameters for the different periods of the war. That means, intelligence on the South Atlantic Theater should be high during Operation Drumbeat, but not before that, and should diminish after August 1942.

If you want instructions on how to change parameters for you current time period, and you are not afraid of xml, ask me. Since version 0.5 it is possible to change these things.

Ok then. The output strings are read from:

..\Sh3Gen\Database\Dictionary\English\Map.names

It should be self explanatory. Look for the node

and change it to:

Using an XML Editor is fine, but even Notepad will do.

The "Intelligence" slider could also be divided by years in the war. Early years you might expect high levels of intell down to the end where very low levels would be available.

Good point. But it's already there, in fact has been since the beginning. Read my previous post about how I use different parameters for all time periods. For each period there are different intelligence levels for factions, theaters, as well as general engine parameters.

So what the slider does is give you relatively more or less of what is typical for the period, but it's not like absolute value.

And no, I am not yet finished with the balancing of the parameters but that's why I keep asking for your experiences.

GlobalExplorer

Version 0.5.2 has been uploaded to my site. It contains nothing revolutionary, but I have wrapped up a number of small fixes and put it into this version.

-added missing spatial data for Black Sea and Mediterranean operations
-fixed a bug with the spatial representation of Hamburg
-added shipnames for a number of smaller nations (thanks to everyone that helped me with that especially to: malcymalc, Myszkin, Paajtor, Saturn5)

GlobalExplorer

Direct download:

http://www.global-explorer.de/Sh3Gen%20Beta%200.5.2.zip

Hi, I'm sorry if this has been asked and answered but where is the save game file? It didn't say clearly in the documentation and I can't see any posts related to it.

Thankyou