[REQ] More Realistic Campaign
 

I understand that we currently have a limited amount of merchants, but IMO the stock campaign just isn't challenging enough. I understand that, for instance, the British didn't have a lot of escorts for their coastal convoys in late 1939-early 1940, but it seems to defy reality that they would send unescorted convoys of ocean liners and large freighters down the coast lumbering along at 4 knots. After a while it gets pretty boring plinking these ships with hardly a challenge from the Royal Navy.

Sure is unrealistic
Coastal convoys were made up of usually low draft low tonnage merchants
Plus any ex convoy merchants moving from one port to another after offload
Whilst not overly escorted there was often an armed trawler,MTB or something smaller to accompany them
And dont forget the huge minefields along the east coast which made it real difficult for uboats to get in close to shore as in SH5 esp as the vessels werent of massive tonnages as SH5 convoys

Convoy BB5 Belfast to Milford Haven - Basically across the Celtic Sea

BARON BELHAVEN (Br) 6,591t 1925 Arrived In tow after being bombed 13/4
HARPTREE COMBE (Br) 439t 1912
HAVTOR (Nor) 1,524t 1930
NEWLANDS (Br) 1,556t 1921
PERELLE (Br) 659t 1922
TUVA (Du) 4,652t 1935

Convoy CE 6 St Helens Roads to Southend - around the eastern coastline

ALNWICK (Br) 508t 1936
ARA (Nor) 965t 1919
BALZAC (Nor) 962t 1921
GLADONIA (Br) 360t 1939
MARX (Da) 1,259t 1924
POLGARTH (Br) 794t 1920

I think after the next patch is released you may see some campaign work start filtering through
Of course new merchants would be ideal
JU88 had some great coastal mercs WIP for GWX4 that were never completed
As soon as someone cracks the import process things should start moving
Hopefully

I agree. I really rather see the actual game mechanics de-bugged and a realistic campaign implemented before folks start making new ships etc...

You could fill the game with loads of new subs, ships, and even land-based objects, vehicles but the campaign still plays like crap.

True but is easier to alter campaign with new units in place rather than try to rewrite it after
Just to alter the Liberty dates to realistic means something has to replace it and every reference to a Liberty pre Sept 41 has to be changed
And thats just stock units
Extend the campaign and you get the picture

Cant create a realistic campaign without the units to do it

How about using placeholders, e.g. copy a tanker model and call it whatever your new unit will be, script the campaign using this 'new' unit. Then when the new 3D and damage model are made, change the unit so that it no longer uses the old model and gr2 file?

That's actually what the devs did with the Liberty Ship. They cloned it (coded as "KL") and have a separate entry for it as "Large Steamer." The roster file for it describes it as "BR Large Merchant (ProxY)," so my hunch is that a different ship is ultimately meant to take the place of the Liberty model.

Are quite a few with " proxy " after them
Wonder if indeed are placeholders or were deciding to call something else

Yes placeholders can be used
Thinks its far to say you could never get every model you desire - even now SH3 still lacks a lot of low tonnage units though the amount of additional units for DL is quite high and varied

Something I always planned to do was cript every convoy as a single group so having the correct amount,nationality and tonnage of units and escorts as was historical
SH3 has almost the unit variants but the engine couldnt handle that without a break up of the files SH4 style

The devs have gone a long way in SH5 in starting that by adding every convoy route to the generator nodes
And the generator nodes themselves making convoy additions fairly simple with no waypoints bloating the files

So in the long run I might have a stab at it
maybe

well that would be great. I just meant that i notice alot of modding going on with parts of the game that are not necessarily broken, or need fixing, they are being changed more because of preferences.

I reckon the heart of SH titles since SH3 is the "dynamic campaign". And in the case of SH5 i think its the worst implmented DC since SH3, and needs fixing very badly to make the game "whole" - for want of a better word.

Some things which are being fixed are for preference and are easily changed in case of a patch
Rewriting the campaign is a lot of work -am sure Lurker will agree - and for that to be overwritten by a patch is a bit more difficult to swop over
Additions not so as done on seperate mis files but altering the ingame ones yes

Good site here on WWII convoys and what types of ships were in them:

http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/

The coastal convoys, in particular, are nothing like what is depticted in the game.

Yep use that in conjunction with the Royal Navy day by day site for accurate ish line ups

http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-3900Intro.htm