[REL-UBM] Playable USS Fletcher Destroyer
 

Excited by the playable surface conversions of Xantro and Mikhayl, I set about attempting a conversion to see how easy or difficult the process was. The aim was to then create a “mugs guide” based on my experiences to make the techniques as accessible as possible to as large a number of people as possible. For my learning curve I chose USS Brooklyn and (later) USS Fletcher.

I need to point out that prior to the start I was unfamiliar with both the S3D editor and the workings of SH4 in general ( which I have never really played ).

Currently ( at 2+ weeks) I’m increasingly running into problems which are taking me too long to sort out, so I’m hopefully going to speed up the process by releasing this early beta. My hope is that others will look at it and suggest where changes/corrections can be made. I can then incorporate this extra knowledge into the “mug’s guide”

To be fair it’s difficult to say exactly when these conversions are “complete”. Even the conversions of Xantro and Mikhayl ( and later Rene) go only so far. In a sense they are all “beta”.

Personally I believe these playables are a whole new ball game for SH4. However I also believe they will never be the complete item. There are, IMHO, too many problems and limitations to ultimately make this the complete“ New DC2” or the “New Whatever” . However , they are a lot of fun, and I believe that with further determined and ingenious modding, they could offer a reasonable surface experience for certain types of operation. Their potential will perhaps be best realized in multiplay.

So here it is for what it is worth – a playable Fletcher .

UPDATED TO 1.1 / 21 May 08
DOWNLOAD V 1.1
FROM http://www.mediafire.com/?3xdmcyxmcjz

Fixed Smoke and "floating WO"


From the README

Quote:

WHAT IT DOES Looks like a Fletcher in all its SH4 glory ( Model and textures) Responds to telegraph and rudder. Has a mannable single 5inch turret and a mannable AA gun position. AI main guns/AA guns respond to targets. Has “watch” position in the Bridge with free view camera. Selectable targets with binocs. Wake trail and turning props. Is playable in :- Some missions - Battle of Midway ( Revised ) , Photo Reconnaisance Patrols - Philippines Campaign. ( although the AI of other ships is so poor I’m not sure this is much of an experience ) This ship and the AI ships open fire at longer ranges (W4lt3r fix) WHAT IT DOESN’T DO OR DOESN’T HAVE Have sensible damage response. It neither takes damage like it should, nor has anything resembling damage control. No flag. No bow wake. No smoke No dappled water on the hull. No ability to release depth charges. I’ve not really done much with the crew, although there are figures manning the decks and guns, and acting kind of like they should be there. One of the crew ( the WO I think) is suspended in mid air Interior view – it’s still a sub Values for turret movements need adjusting Doesn’t fire torpedoes like a destroyer ( they are spawned at 0 deg ) Probably lots of other things Acknowledgements Mikhayl – Huge credit for the Clemson which was the template for this conversion . Also for the detailed tutorials he has made and the help and advice he has given freely. Skwasjer – for the absolutely essential S3D editor JScones - for the incredibly useful JSGME Xantro – likewise for his help and advice and the example of the Graf Spee. W4lt3r – The range fix files, and also his tips and advice. All the many folk who responded to my pleas for help on the forums "Legal" thingie You can mod it freely without prior permission, roll it about the floor playfully, cook it carefully over a slow gas oven or give it away to your grannie if you want, but you’ll not be my friend if you release a better version of it and don’t mention that I had some input into its creation. It might be a good idea to mention Mikhayl’s name as well. Everything used at your own risk etc

Nice and Congrats:up:

ps. Love the Legal:rotfl:

downloading :)

thx for your work ;)

any screenshots?

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...etcherFull.jpg

Main gun position

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...tcherGun-2.jpg


http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...herGun02-1.jpg


AA gun position

http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...etcherAA-1.jpg

Bridge position


http://i306.photobucket.com/albums/n...erBridge-2.jpg

we need a WWI battleship mod...

I personally was thinking War or 1812 :) Broadsides baby!

Looks Good! You could take some stuff from the Pocket BB thread and see if you cant modify it for your use. So far we have a ship that has a better damage model than a stock sub but some of the armor plating values would be in the wrong place becaues of the geometry of the ships. But it's a start. Also the flags and what not should also be in the PBB mod.

I would be more intrested in a Iowa or any US BB though :) Simply outa the fun factor :)

Hello !
I have a Question.
You say its a Fletcher Destroyer but the Folder Name is USS Clemson and I found this in the Roster Cfg :

DisplayName=USS Fletcher ; DD-186 Clemson.

I dont understand that,
Regards
Rolf

probably he start working on Clemenson file right?

how can I increase the number of AP shells?

Yep, that's about it. The eye candy is so good in SH4 that it almost justifies it on that count. It'll be interesting to see if sufficient momentum gets going to tackle the wider issues that could make it a more serious and replayable sim.
Worth the investment of modding energy ? .... I guess if you're a genuine surface freak the answer is yes, but will it attract enough of the middle ground folk ?

Well actually that already exists ........
Iron Seas Thread http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/forumdisplay.php?f=226
Website www.Ironseas.co.uk
...... but total posts of 325 in 8 months tells its own story.
SH4 has lovely graphics and it has the "brand" so even an indifferent representation of Fletcher on SH4 will attract more interest and excitement than a fully functioning realistically rendered WW1 battleship in the old DC.
Heh, if you dig even deeper it says Gato as well. :D
All of these playables are based around something else. Mikhayl's Clemson was based on the Gato and what I have done is taken his Clemson and used it as a template (to save debugging time). They are only labels. They could all be renamed but it wouldn't make it any more of a Fletcher than it is. What's important is the ship parameters which have been transfered ( albeit not perfectly). If you use the very fine Graf Spee it is still actually behaving in some ways like a sub ( AI ships think it's a sub for instance) because that's what it's based on
Yep, sure will. :D
All these playables are about finding the way forward with new modding ideas.
It will come :yep:

Edited out wrong information

Nice work horsa :yep::up:


RDP

The ammo counts for AI controlled guns are in Data/Library/ShipParts/guns_radars*.sim (replace * with a number, I think there are four of those files). The way I do it is to look at the .eqp file to see what guns are used, then search the gun from those files. The player controlled gun's file depends on the mod, but it should be in the same folder if it's a US ship.

LOL
Sorry Francesco. I was talking complete rubbish. :oops:
I was thinking of the player operated gun ( which wasn't in there either !!)
There's begginers for you ..... :D

Hello Again !
This is a powerful Boat with his 5 Guns.
I like it.
But I have no Engine Sound and this Guy is up in the Air...

[http://thumbnails7.imagebam.com/658/dfef8f6572257.gif

Regards
Rolf