As for requirements for these mods, I would highly suggest you download JSGME JS Generic Mod Enabler. It makes activating and more importantly deactivating the different mods you may be using.
Being able to selectively activate and deactivate mods is very important if you run into problems.
I had a problem with my SH3 set up. I *thought* it was a GWX3 problem. But by using JSGME to selectively turn in and off, I was able to identify the actual mod that was causing my problem. After that it was a simple matter to contact the specific MOD designer and get specialized help.
I agree with you about the contact icons on the map. I do with that the OLC Gold gui still had them (this is an example of a mod taking something out that I liked).
From a realism standpoint, I think it is reasonable to assume that I do have a crew that can do their jobs. Command may be lonely but a commander is seldom alone. We do have a crew to do some of the work. One of those jobs should be to take the information the commander gives and graphically plot it on a chart.
To me, the realism is not whether we have contacts on our chart or not. The realism issue is the accuracy of the charted contacts.
Instead of making charted contacts a binary choice i.e., you either have them or not, I think a better way would be have contact being plotted enabled, but the only information that goes into the contact plot is information the commander gatherers (including all the errors I will gather)
This is in contrast to the "god-like view" of the stock contacts being charted.
Either extreme
No automatic plotting
"god like" plotting
is unreasonable and unrealistic and our choices should not be forced into either of the extremes.
The latest version of OLC did a wonderful job of addressing this. When zoomed in Hydrophone bearings are automatically displayed.
But if you want the contacts displayed, you have to manually put them on the chart. Depending on the range, this can involve several steps and different plotting tools. But worst of all, it takes time. While I am plotting the contact, I am losing my situation awareness which can be a bad thing.
A change I would like to see implemented in a future mod would simulate my having a smart crew capable of plotting stuff, but keep them isolated (which they are as they are inside a sub!). A good plotter can only plot based on the information they are given. Since it would be unrealistic for the plotter to have independent information ('god-like", I feel it is realistic for the plotter to have dependent information... dependent on the observations and judgement of the observing officer -- commander.
This, in my humble opinion, would be the best of both worlds. I am not getting any "unfair" advantage of the stock "god-like" plotting, but I am also not being forced to do two distinct jobs at the same time (command and plot)