[JScones]

Originally Posted by Swany6mm

1) Do I have to run SH3 through SH3C using the Launch button every time I want to play, or is that just there to be handy?

You don't have to, but you won't get any of SH3Cmdr's features when you don't (obviously). Also, unless you've rolled back SH3Cmdr, you'll still have SH3Cmdr files in your SH3 installation which may not be relevant/applicable to the "current" career circumstances (ie old news files or other changes based on earlier career dates).

Re-read the "Features" block of the readme file which explains what SH3Cmdr does each time it launches SH3.

I recommend using SH3Cmdr every time you launch a career.

Originally Posted by Swany6mm

2) If the Roll-Back button is there only to use to put the game back to it's original state so you can add other mods, why, when using the Launch button, does SH3C roll back automatically? Doesn't that defet what you are trying to do? Doesn't that roll the game back to pre-SH3C state? And why does it remind you to Roll-Back everytime you finished playing? This is the most confusing part for me. The FAQ and everything else I've read about Roll-Back reads that it's only for adding more MOD's, but it seems like the Roll Back happens whether you want it to or not and that you HAVE to do it twice, once at the start of playing and one at the end. What happens if I tell it No I don't want to manually roll back at the end? (This is very frustrating. Almost to the point that I want to remove SH3C and never use it again).

Just think logically for a second - when SH3Cmdr runs, it mods SH3, so what should it do first? Rollback to avoid conflicts! No different to when making *any* changes to SH3.

You seem really concerned over something that is quite simple. Rollback simply returns SH3 back to its pre-SH3Cmdr state. Rollback will only occur once, even if you press the button 500 times (which you can't do, but just to highlight a point). Why the reminder after exiting SH3? Because some people forget to rollback, then mod their game and wonder why SH3 crashes. You don't have to select yes if you don't want to - you can select no. Selecting "yes" means rollback occurs straight away. When SH3Cmdr next launches SH3, it will attempt to rollback first (for the reason I mentioned above), but there will be nothing to rollback so it will merrily continue.

Selecting "no" to the reminder message means the SH3Cmdr files and changes remain in SH3, to be cleaned up when SH3Cmdr next launches SH3 or you load SH3Cmdr and press the Rollback button. But selecting no means that you must remember to manually rollback SH3Cmdr should you want to make modifications to your SH3 installation in the meantime (or should you wish, for whatever reason, to load a career without SH3Cmdr).

So, if you know that you will never mod SH3, you can select no and let SH3Cmdr clean up when it next runs. But if you are not sure, or simply don't trust yourself, select yes and all will be done straight away so you can forget about it.

Basically it is all about timing. Either rollback now, or rollback later. The choice is all yours. No dramas, and definately nothing to be confused or frustrated about.

BTW, I always select yes, simply so SH3Cmdr reloads and I can update my Personnel File. After that, I rollback and exit SH3Cmdr. I then forget about it and know that I can mod away without conflict.

Originally Posted by Swany6mm

3) I gather that SH3C doesn't see your career until mid-point or completion of the first patrol, but the FAQ reads that you can still play if you have saved before that. I was in a patrol that was about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way in, had to leave, so I saved but my saves don't show up. I tried playing by launching via SH3C, by rolling back and then launching SH3 manually, but nothing I do is getting my saves back. I don't have all the time in the world to play a mission all the way through in one sitting. Is there anything I can do to get those saves back or do I have to start again?

You are very literal aren't you? LOL! Saving mid-patrol does not mean saving at the exact 50% mark - it means saving while at sea, or midst-sea. The term mid-patrol is used to be consistent with SH3 labelling.

Missing/lost save games is a random feature of stock-SH3. What you describe is unrelated to SH3Cmdr, especially as you have stated that SH3 is also not recognising the save game. If a save game exists, SH3Cmdr (and generally SH3 for that matter) will find it. Are you sure you saved your patrol correctly? IIRC you need to press the Save button twice.

Apparently, renaming the save game folder to something else then changing it back helps, but as I never save mid-patrol because of all the documented problems with doing so, I'm not exactly sure of the solution. So you can either a) search the forum or b) wait for someone more versed in the issue to answer.

In the meantime, look in your \My Documents\SH3\data\cfg\Careers\<Commander's Name>\0\ folder and confirm that there is a .sav file. If not, then no save games exist for that career.