Reinforce Alert Mod Review + Beginner Guide
 

Greetings!


I am watching the above now, and visited your channel.


I notice that it seems that you have recently played:


SC
SCXIIc/SCU
DW
DW/LWAMI? (I didn't notice that actually)
DW/RA


The above is about RA. Is there a reason to play anything else?


Thanks.

In the past I´ve returned to SCX/SCU - which is a realism/sub addon mod for SC - as it comes with nations and boats not to be found in DWRA and because there are many custom campaigns for SC as I´ve already finished most campaigns available for DW/RA. Other than that I would see no reason to prefer SC over DW.

LWAMI is another realism mod for DW and comes with new assets and a specifically designed "Liu Doctrine" campaign for it. More lightweight and closer to vanilla DW. Worth checking out. Recently the campaign was ported to RA but I didn´t test the port yet.

Lately I started to port custom SC campaigns to DWRA because this is my favourite game/mod combination.

I finally installed RA, too (1.5 beta), and while in general I like it, I noticed that several of the included missions and campaigns let the game crash.

For example, the first mission of Red Storm Rising campaign crashes constantly 1 second after the map is shown.

Some others sometimes hang upon loading, sometimes not, for example the first one of the RA-adjusted Liu Doctrine campaign included.

Did you notice something similar? Should I use 1.49 instead for more stability?

I don't have crashes with vanilla DW or LWAMI mod. (Using Steam version of DW, installed in a Steam lib outside C:\ , in Windows 7 compatibility mode, in admin mode).


Edit: Okay, I went back to 1.49 and have not so many crashes with that one ("bear" campaign is stuck at loading of mission #1). Guess I'll stick with that until 1.5 is out of beta then.

Edit 2: Noticed there is a "Veteran Edition" exe file in 1.49 version of the mod. With that one, "bear" campaign is working, too... albeit the readme only says it removes some text/audio messages for certain situations like torpedo in the water etc. I am a bit confused. :D

I haven't tried the Veteran's Edition, I think they are telling you it is as hardcore as it gets. But as I am not playing MP, I don't have someone watching BB traces for muzzle door transients. I will stick with the regular EXE.

Could you please (if you have time) check if the Bear campaign loads for you with the normal exe? I do also not MP, and I wonder why the campaign crashes the game during load of the first Mission in the normal exe, but works just fine with the veteran exe. I wonder if this happens for others, too.

I will check now. Back in 10. RA 1.49

I loaded just fine. I will post my INI values below. Perhaps, your issue is in there.


// This file contains configuration information
// Ver.1.49 Reinforce Alert INI file.
[General]
.PlayerName "MarkShot"
.Seed 1606112546
.SkipOpening No
.SkipCredits No
.SkipMovies No
.FirstTimeRunning No
.Version 4

[Graphics]
.MapStretch No
.ScreenStretchQuality 3
.ParticleMax 500
.ParticleRate 5
.LocalLights Yes
.TransparentWater No
.WantRain Yes
.Disable3D No
.Want3DClouds Yes
.WantVegetation Yes
.AdapterID 0
.DeviceID 0
.ModeID 2
.DetailTextures Yes
.BlendTextures Yes
.Caustics Yes
.WaterParticles Yes
.WaterReflectionQuality 3
.WaterQuality 3
.WaterDrawMethod 1
.CameraFOV 60
.WantShadows No
.ModelDetailTex Yes
.RunInWindow No
.Gamma ""
.SoftwareCursor No

[Sound]
.DisableSoundSupport No
.DisableSounds No
.SoundVolume 127
.DisableMusic Yes
.MusicVolume 65
.DisableVoice No
.VoiceVolume 101
.DisableAmbient No
.AmbientVolume 127
.DisableRoomBG No
.Disable3DSound Yes
.AllowVoiceRec No
.AlwaysOnVoiceRec No
.UseSpecialFX Yes
.MaxPingVolume 70
.SpeechLoadMode 0
.SoundLoggerOn 0

[AutomatedCrew]
.SubRadarCrewOn No
.SubTMACrewOn Yes
.SubSonarCrewOn No
.SubActIntSonarCrewOn Yes
.SubFireControlCrewOn No
.SurfAcousticCrewOn No
.SurfEWCrewOn No
.SurfTowedArrayCrewOn No
.SurfTMACrewOn No
.SurfTorpedoControlCrewOn No
.SurfCMCrewOn No
.HeloATOCrewOn No
.HeloAcousticCrewOn No
.HeloDipSonarCrewOn No
.HeloMadEsmCrewOn No
.HeloRadarCrewOn No
.HeloCMCrewOn No
.AirAcousticCrewOn No
.AirMadEsmCrewOn No
.AirRadarCrewOn No
.AirTACCOCrewOn No
.AirCMCrewOn No

[Cheats]
.QuickLaunch No
.QuickAircraftLaunch No
.QuickRepair No
.SubComms No
.ReplenishStations No
.SurfAutoEngageAir Yes
.AirAutoEngageAir Yes
.WeapMalfunction No
.EngageDoctrine No
.AllowAAMTargeting No
.SalvoWarheadMethod Yes
.SpeedOrdersPersist No
.ShowTheDead No
.SalvoLimit 8
.FiringAltExcess 250
.MinAirAttackRng 1250
.MinHeloAttackRng 1000
.SalvoMissilesPerPointIncrement 2
.SalvoPointIncrement 250
.MapScrollSpeed 0
.MapZoomLevel 1
.ShowTruth No
.ShowAllied No
.EnableTips No
.SaveReplay No
.MaxTimeScale 16
.EventUpdateLimit 100
.ShowLink No
.EnableWind Yes
.EnableCurrent Yes
.EnableWaveriding Yes
.AllowEngageMenus Yes
.PercentTorpsExplodeOnCM 0
.PercentDeadPlatformsIgnored 0

[MultiPlayer]
.GameTitle ""
.TeamName ""
.MP_OverrideFlags 0
.MP_ShowTruth No
.MP_ShowAllied No
.MP_ShowLinkData Yes
.MP_ShowDeadGuys Yes
.MP_FCQuickLaunch Yes
.MP_AirQuickLaunch Yes
.MP_QuickRepair Yes
.MP_SubFCAutoCrew Yes
.MP_SubSonarAutoCrew Yes
.MP_SubActIntSonarAutoCrew Yes
.MP_SubTMAAutoCrew Yes
.MP_SubRadarAutoCrew Yes
.MP_SurfAcousticCrew Yes
.MP_SurfEWCrew Yes
.MP_SurfTowedArrayCrew Yes
.MP_SurfTMACrew Yes
.MP_SurfTorpedoControlCrew Yes
.MP_SurfCMCrew Yes
.MP_HeloATOCrew Yes
.MP_HeloAcousticCrew Yes
.MP_HeloDipSonarCrew Yes
.MP_HeloMadEsmCrew Yes
.MP_HeloRadarCrew Yes
.MP_HeloCMCrew Yes
.MP_AirAcousticCrew Yes
.MP_AirMadEsmCrew Yes
.MP_AirRadarCrew Yes
.MP_AirTACCOCrew Yes
.MP_AirCMCrew Yes
.MP_Disable3D No
.MP_EnableWind No
.MP_EnableCurrent No
.MP_EnableWaveriding Yes
.MP_AllowEngageMenus Yes
.MP_MasterLockout No
.GamePasswordRequired No
.GamePassword ""
.HostMultiStationGame No
.AllowAllSPs No
.TCPDirectQuery Yes
.TCPDirectQueryAddress ""
.TCPPort "default"
.AdapterName "IPv4"

[Commands]
.JoyUpdateRate -1
.Controls1 "2023 17 571 25 16 78 74 15 2030 2048 2050 1 2031 3031 59 60 61 62 65 64 63 66 67 68 87 88 573 43 581 11"
.Controls2 "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 26 27 40 20 30 32 13 12 572 580 575 577 45 24 31 38"
.Controls3 "1044 1045 1023 19 1037 1034 3020 28 2046 582 4582 2582 1582 3046 583 579 1030 1020 1049 1022 1050 1046 1038 1048 46 4035 4023 3030 3038 2013"
.Controls4 "2012 2572 2580 2575 2577 3013 3012 3575 3577 1047 81549 81550 16012 16011 16003 16004 16002 16001 57 1057 2032 1018 18 1043 44 3048 4046 4031 4032 4050"
.Controls5 "3032 57 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1041 47 2028 3025 81596 81597 81598 81599 4 3 2 11 48 1006 1005 1004 1003 1002 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011"
.Controls6 "21 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 1032 57 1057 4057 2057"

[Other]

I should mention, I renamed the CINEMATICS directory to skip any intros of DW or RA. (despite what it says in the INI)

I sometimes have this loading freezes too, I usually fix it by 1):

1) delete all loadout (.lod) files in the DWRA root folder.

2) if above not works, try a new user profile, make sure that you didn´t mix up mods, it is best to keep seperate installs.


3) I also have some curiosity issue that in very few DWRA situations I CTD on final loading or a sec into the mission when streaming with Streamlabs OBS. For my case I pretty much confirmed it. Perhaps other apps (overlay software running in background etc.) can cause this aswell for other users.


As stated the 1.49 vets exe makes it a bit more hardcore by removing the TIW message. In 1.50beta the exe was removed and will be to some extent incorporated into the main mod. TIW messages will still be sounded but with a possible delay, depending on distance, weapon, and conditions. It adds alot to the tension.

I thought I have already experienced that in 1.49 already.

Thank you.

1) good idea, I will check that.

2) no other mods, fresh install, only Russian voice pack and Sub Command briefings added from the RA website

3) interesting - maybe it's the Windows 10 Game Bar, would have to check. (Steam overlay it can't be, because I noticed RA's exe files don't need Steam)

Edit: Removing the lod files seemed to work. After that, I could use the regualar .exe file for starting the Bear campaign without crash :)

This may not be relevant to any issues mentioned here, however;

Recently some folks have reported issues with RA 1.50 beta when installed to a drive letter other than C:\

This drive letter issue is not known to cause problems for earlier versions of RA, to my knowledge.

Ah, maybe that's why 1.49 in general works better for me than 1.5 beta did. I have my DW on drive D:


Edit: No. I made again a re-install of DW and then applied RA 1.5 on it, again in "D:\Dangerous Waters" and this time, I have no issues at all (so far), even the campaigns which crashed before now work fine. Well. I guess it's just the mystery of computers. :D

My games and even data files are not on C: despite Microsoft Standards for games and documents.


It is easily done by replacing C: directories with junctions to point else where.


But as SC and DW are old games, they put all files under the game root.