Again,
Thanks Guys.

I did spend sometime today looking at the CRC problem when renaming
things by hex editing.
This is in reference to the torp animations problem when an AI Sub is near.

Nothing to say at this point about that,
but I did get back to work on several things.
:yep:

I changed some code on the Normals Maker I'm working on.
It's much closer to what I'm after, but I still need to adjust a few things.

It requires no Image software to create Normals dds files.
So it's a nice slick piece of software.

Sorry to hear about your friends.
My deepest sympathies go out to you and there families.

Thanks reaper7,

I do also work behind the scene (so to speak)
to try to get answers or something going that will help all of us.

Questions to any contacts I can think of in all kinds of areas.

It may never come to anything.
But if you don't try every approach?
You've not tried hard enuff.

Sorry to hear of your loss. :(

Long time lurker first time poster.:ping:

If Granny 3D by Rad is the problem why dont we take up a colletion
and buy the program. I would gladly put up $100 or more, then we
only need 124 more ppl to get you the tools you need.

Trust,
but that answer will rely solely on you. :)

Pm me at anytime if you want to go deeper. :yep:

A collection idea is nice.
Many site do things like this.
But $12,500 is ALOT of money!
Who would handle this type fund that all would trust?

And how would the usage of this be worked with RAD Games?
Do we need an official Group that can use the software?
Who selects the members?

It's a Spiders web of questions!

Would you donate $100.00 if you could never use the software?
But knew that others would use it for the improvement of SH5?
And what of those that want access to this because they donated?
And say we somehow got a legal version.
What if it is leaked?
How would we trace the leak?
UBI has no special build that I see.
It's a right out of the box version.
Of course, with a full license,
it could be hard coded to display a special build number.
But again, if leaked?
How to we trace this?

Say we had obtained a full License for a limited Team.
Could we get Ubi to do a special patch that demands a
special build of Granny?

We get this special build in addition to a Legal License.
We are only part way there.

Modders are known to share things.
We still face the very real problem of the wrong person getting
thier grubby hands on this.

And then we are all screwed!
$12,500 down the drain!

Clearify your statement.
A PM was sent.

[QUOTE=privateer;1406335]
Would you donate $100.00 if you could never use the software?
But knew that others would use it for the improvement of SH5?
And what of those that want access to this because they donated?
And say we somehow got a legal version.
What if it is leaked?
How would we trace the leak? [QUOTE]

Who handles the Donation for this site?
Usage could be a single install
or a network install with only one chair allowed on at a time ,
like company’s do for Autodesk software.
So you only buy one copy but many can use it form a net work.
Yes I would give money for software I cant use, I already did to Ubi twice. :oops:
I could give more but thought $100 was a nice place to start.:)
Leaks can be control be limiting the use to a few trusted members.
But it all comes down to trust.
I know none of you here but there are ppl here I would trust to make mods all would enjoy.

So if its Granny 3D you need lets work on getting it for you.:yeah:
How many members does Subsim have?

I did send an information request to RAD Sales.
I'd say it will be Tuesday at the earliest before I get a reply.

Here is the message I sent:

************************************************** *
Greetings,



I and many others do Mods for the Silent Hunter series of Games by UbiSoft.
As you well know, Silent Hunter 5 now uses the Granny System.
We, as a group are looking at starting a fund to buy a Granny License.
If this becomes a reality, could you give me a guideline as to how we could use this.
Do we need to have an established group that is Licensed with a list of approved members?
Any help on guidence you could give me would be of great service.

************************************************** **


We'll see what happens.

It seems to me that also ubi has something to say here. As Ubi usually say nothing about mods, maby if we start to make so powerfull mods, they can see it like a problem as we could be competence for future proyects they could release based in SH5. maby we should also aks Ubi about that before purchase any granny license.

Seeing as Ubisoft hasn't said anything at all since the game came out, and by all observations has entirely abandoned the Silent Hunter series (I'm still waiting for anyone from Ubisoft to refute that...) we could probably finish the game and they wouldn't even notice. :O:

Ubi has been asked in several ways.
We get no real answer.
If we could own and use Granny to do mods for SH5?
I doubt Ubi would care!
They would not be paying $12,500 or so,
and it would only drive sales!

Ubi wins by just staying silent.
Which is right up thier alley.

We, as ardent Silent Hunter supporters and legal owners,
have been raped in a way that should paint a scarlet letter on foreheads!

We are looking for a legal and honorable way to continue what we do.
Should Ubi say no at this point?
They stand to loose WAY more money.

And money is what drives them!
Users can make or destroy a Company.

And right now?
The feeling in America is not to good for foriegn companies!
BP is the prime example.
I use to stop at one everyday for coffee and gas.
I no longer go there.
I go out of my way now.
I also stopped further orders of any Ubi Games.
And I know many just local people that have done the same.

Even in that case. For example Ms closed the FS series but not let developers continue it in their own as they ask. A company can discontinue a game series but not to renunce to possible profits from the franchise. I hope you are right, but I don´t see Ubi let us make a really good game from SH5 and maby covering all possible expansions they could do in the future, even it they dont plan to do it and don't say nothing. Again hope you are right XD

After years,
Ubi released a fix for StarForce.
It was the Reloaded crack!
Then they actually released non-StarForce DVD's!
Those DVD's and the files, pre-date StarForce stuff!

To actually give Ubi any credit for being honest?
That's probably the biggest joke we have all lived with for what?
Better then 5 years?
They laughed all the way to the bank my friend!
And they used all of us in the meantime!

They also used the Devs just as they used us!
We are all just mere players.

I lost my devotion to Ubi with SH5.
Not my devotion to the Devs, mind you.
I still believe they intended much more.
But I still reserve the right to question them.

A perfect World would see me hitting the Lottery,
Hireing the Romanian Devs and many Modders,
and createing the Utimate SubSim!

In the meantime?
I don't give up but look for answers!
Whatever that takes?
I still look!

This community is so active it don't needs the game , if it only could have a game engine under GNU licence to upload it with data would be no complains anymore, never. Sadly few people is abble to work in an engine and it's a hard task. I only know it from a flight simulator (FlightGear) community. So by now Ubi soft is the best we can get.

So we wait and see what Granny has to say.
Come on Grannnnyy.:yeah:

We wait and see what RAD has to say after they contact Ubi I'd think.
I've looked at many Games useing Granny.
Most have a custom build process that will not allow
a Stock build of Granny to work in those Games.
I see nothing of the sort in SH5.
It's a wide open, bone stock from RAD, implementation,
as far as what I can see.
That could cause problems.

The Official responce from RAD Games.
************************************
Hi, Jeff, this is Jeff from RAD!

We'd probably wouldn't license a group of people, since there are no legal protections or anything (I mean, who would even sign the contract? <grin>). So, if you wanted to do this, you'd have to start an official company before we could start talking about a license

In any case, though, I believe Ubisoft used a customized version of Granny in Silent Hunter, so I don't think a Granny license would help - that, is you'd still need a bunch of custom code from Ubisoft.

Really, the right way for this to happen is for Ubisoft to get a source license for our exporter, and then modify it to write out Silent Hunter data files specifically...

Thanks,

->Jeff
RAD Game Tools

************************************************** **


So the ball is in Ubi's court?
Not really if you look at the seeming facts.
They have no source License from this information.
And I'd doubt they would buy one.
So that option is out.
I do doubt that statement of a customized version.
I know better then that!
A Company, not a Group, with someone to sign a deal?
Can be done.

It comes down to this.
Who owns a Company that all of us trust?
Or do we start a new Company?
Who selects the people that have access to the Software?
Can we really raise the money required?
$12,500 is not an amount that happens over nite!
Is this an effort that is worth even starting?
Given that SubSim did a Major work for SH2?
I'd say let's show it could be done again for SH5!

What does Neal think about it .

Until all options are baked?
I'd not bother Neal.
He see's all this.
If he had a comment he'd post.
Most likely?
He's wondering if I'm at the Flying Saucer in Houston!
:haha: