Mod List for "Optimum" SH4 Experience?
 

Maybe this is to early to ask but I was wondering if a list of mods (for v1.3) will be compiled and recognized as the best setup to bring SH4 up to a "finished" state? I realize everyone has different priorities as to what that list should include but it seems to me there should be a sort of "must have" at a general level that could be established.

Thanks

That would be incredibly difficult, to make a set of mods that are must have since it's really a matter of taste when it comes to that. I believe that's the general purpose of both RFB and TM. You would need three versions: Gamers, Light-Simmers, and Realism Nutjobs© :lol:

On the other hand, a mod something like "Ultimate Graphics Upgrade" or the like that combined all the eyecandy mods into one, would be very useful. I thought of trying to put a pack together like that myself, but again, one man's treasure is another man's junk, per say.;)

I've considered going through and making one large pack of textures from all the smaller mods, but the people who made the individual mods would probably raise hell about it.

I've basically done that for myself, I'm just not hosting the file.

I think (or maybe i am to close to some TABU theme here) that the best would be to release something similar to GWX (thinking future here) A group of guys basically agreeing to release all the stuff as one pack. Reason being all the conflicts you get using .ini's and .cfg's and what have you.

So its almost a must that its released as a group, or at least under one roof like RFB.

I am not sure if Beery has any interest in adding "ALL" the graphics stuff etc, but its worth a thought. So many new cool mods out after 1.3 as well...

Anyho, I think its kind of future project, and something that needs to be discussed etc etc.

bettar always ask permission...ALWAYS! ;)

The best tool IMHO would be something simular to JSGME, but in this case all the conflicting files would be merged. Using both, add another and it then will be merged in as well. Sometimes you'd get a conflict where entries are different on the same spot, you'll have to fill in a value there and then so to speak.

In this case every mod would be a block and one could easily bould his own sim as building blocks are added or deleted to suite the taste.

Ideas??

Not a bad idea at all!...What I use for the text stuff is "Winmerge" but needs some knowledge as to what you are looking for of course. If some one could write an app like what you describe there...well it would be pretty cool.

All im going to say is,
Trigger Maru 1.4 (exists, but unpublished)
Trigger Maru graphics pack version 1

combined with:

Raising & lowering periscope fix by Anvart
Thread:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=118978
D/L link:
http://hosted.filefront.com/Anvart


Silent service graphics mod by Captain Cox:
Thread w/ download links:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=110756



Captain Midnights CBS news as it happends mod by Captain Cox:
Thread W/ download links:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108756


Makes one heck of a total package. The credits list is 21 or 22 names long i believe.

Way to go Ducimus! :p
And really REALLY! WELCOME BACK MAN! (now don't give us the "I am only here to give a comment, etc etcetera" ) ;)
This community needs committed guys like you...101% :up:

As I said before I already asked OakGroove to add some stuff to the Navmap+Search Pattern+ STUFF mod, got an OK, but I asked him again...just to be sure ;)... Still waiting...OAKGROOVE!...please:oops:

Sounds like we're on the same page for the most part from what everyone has stated. I will say again here that this would be a list of mods that, regardless of your preferred realism level, would be mods anyone would want to have available. I also think the mods in this list would improve over time. Some mods "fix" things, other mods improve and therefore "change" things...this is where people's taste comes into play. This mod set would be of the "fix" nature, plus any "enhancements" that just about everyone agrees are a must have.

A friend gave me some words of advice. "Look forward, not backward". That and i thought about it, and it seemed like i was letting the past, and foolish pride interfere with the future. All i care about is SH4, so thats all im focusing on. Im just going to contiue to do my own thing, just as ive always have, and not worry about stuff. If some ppl don't like what i do, or say, well, they can go ahead and sue me for all i care.


Now, the real reason i popped into this thread again.
Here's my thoughts.
What i think people really don't want to see is another Mod war. Now a modwar in SH4, is highly unlikely. Realisticaly the only way a mod war was to happen is if Berry and I started tossing eggs at each other and our works. I don't see that happening. I beleive we've both come to an understanding and mutal respect towards each other, and RFB and TM.

Now that said i resist the idea of a formalized team because i think it will lead to fractionalizing (or factionalizing) the community. What happends is with a "team" behind a mod, theres a desire for the next version to be a "knock em dead" publish. In turn what eventually happends is ideas are kept quite, and close to the chest, and stuff isn't shared freely anymore. Right now SH4 mod forum is alot like the SH3 forum before the mod war ignited. One big melting pot of ideas and mods, creativity can flourish here. I hope it stays that way. The way i see it, the ENITRE community here IS the dev team, and RFB or TM represents the culmination of everyones efforts. Anyway, even if you prefer RFB you'll want to check out Tmaru 1.4 when i release it, it really does show the mod communitys efforts in it.

Well said.

While I tend towards the realism (even if boring) end of the spectrum, my feeling is to make my campaign as good as possible, and if anyone wants to use it to "add value" to anything else it's fine with me as long as it's free for the community.

In my case it's pretty easy to please many because aside from the very end of the war, there should be plenty of targets even if the map isn't the shooting gallery the stock game is.

tater

Some great ideas here...and I definately do not want to see any of that silly mod war stuff that poluted the SH3 forums. Neither do I want to see any of the those gushy mod group cliques either.


The way I see it, there are four main areas:


1. Graphical Mods
There are some essential graphic mods out there that most peole would want to have installed...though some would have an FPS hit on lower spec machines.

2. Mods that fix things
Accurate representation of sub Interior, dials, periscope animations, environment physics etc to name a few. I can't envisage much room for mod war behaviour here.

3. Campaign Mods
I imagine we'd all prefer something historically correct so I can't enviasge too many divisions here.

4. Realism Mods
This is the main area where divisions will arise and its a tough nut to crack.

Currently, TM and RFB are the two main mod packs if you will, ideally Ducimus and Beery would work together but that may not be possible as each have invested a great deal of time in their mod packs to date and it may not be possble to achieve concensus on some realism issues. So I would suggest that TM and RFB continue as they are.

Either way, i'd like to see:

1. Graphical Mod pack compatible with TM AND RFB
2. Campaign Mod pack compatible with TM AND RFB
3. Fix Things Mod Pack compatible with TM AND RFB

I know its a pain having to make the packs compatible with both but I see it as the only solution at the moment. Other mods, such as sound etc can then be JSGMEd in on top...all things considered.

Its not much in the way of a solution I know, but its a lot in the way of a compromise. What do you think ?

People need choices. I think RFB and TM both have a need to exist, as they have different takes on "realism" or what is "fun". Neither subject everyone can agree on, so that makes a singular supermod unfeasible.

That said a singular graphics and sounds pack is reasonabliy feasible. Just an FYI, ive already seperated graphics and sounds not essentual to Tmaru's functionality into a seperate pack. Starting from Tmaru version 1.4 and onward, Tmaru wil be in two parts. Tmaru_GFX_Pak_version 1, (50MB) and Tmaru_1.4.(around 14 MB). When i update Tmaru henceforth, you only have to d/l the the data pack, and not the graphics pack unless its updated as well.

Now all said, it just occured to me i should pull some of my mods out of Tmaru and release them indvidually, rather then force ppl to use or d/l Tmaru to have them. Bungo pete, monsun uboat, and an as of yet unpublished map contacts mod. :roll:

Captain Midnights MORE CBS NEWS! MOD v1,2
DRB_JAP_US_GB_Airbases_VS4
Fix_USTorpBomber
Improved Campaign Layers v0.72
LESS WATER LIMBER HOLES
Living breathing Ocean
new diesel sounds
R&L_int_Periscopes_1.3
Taihosan Maru Fix (Jace11)
SI HUD Kit
SI INTERIOR Kit
SI OPTICS Kit
SI PERISCOPE&TBT Interface Kit
SI Recognition Manual Kit