Tips for stable gameplay:
1. Do not add additional mods to game play unless you are 100% sure they are compatible with the modifications you're presently using. All kinds of stability and gameplay related issues will come into play by having mods "overwrite" each other that wern't made to work with each other. Unless the additional mod you're adding states it's compatible with the first, assume it does not.....don't use it. The term "Mod Soup" is related to using mods that aren't compatible with each other....causing poor game play or CTD's. Avoid "Mod Soup" by knowing what you're adding to your game, and whether its compatible with the version of the game you have, or the present mods you use.
2. Never replay a saved game point that was made with different mods than what you currently are using. The saved game expects to find the same files in-game as when it was made. If a change in mods (adding/removing) is planned, delete your entire Documents/
SHIII;
SH4;
SH5 folder from your computer. This "
SHxxx" folder contains your chosen game options, plus this is where the game keeps your game saves. The game will produce a new set of Documents/"
SHxxx" folder/files the next time you start the game,
with the changes from the mod(s) currently activated included. You'll need to "reset" your particular "options" (like screen resolution), but that's a small price to pay for game stability by eliminating the Documents/
SHxxx folder after a problem arises, or when changing mods.
3. Do not jump from Single Missions or from viewing the Museum directly into Campaign mode or vice versa. Before "switching gears", its a good idea to exit the game and restart a new session when making these kinds of changes. When you wish to load an individual Campaign saved game or Single Mission........restart the game first. SH tends to "remember" things from previous sessions which can affect stability, corrupting the game saving function.
4, I've found that giving the game time to load/unload or just allowing it to perform its tasks with plenty of time, has been the best approach. Don't be too quick in moving from a Campaign game to a Single Mission; or exiting from the game, then jumping into JSGME to pull out a mod from the game. I've seen files getting "left behind" due to not allowing the game to "clear" itself before starting another task. TAKE YOUR TIME!
5. Avoid using "autosave" game saves. They can easily become corrupted. There is an autosave made every time you leave port when you start a new mission, I would delete it, and make a self made save instead. But, do it either before entering Port, or just after starting a new mission.
6. Save and exit/restart your game completely once you leave your home base or when approaching home base for docking (approximately 100-200 miles from the home base). When I say "exit", I mean you quit the game completely, returning to Windows. This will improve game stability and unburden the game engine for upcoming rendering issues that
may be present when a heavily modded harbor is either entered or exited. I would rely on your "manually saved games" much more than the automatically "saved" points the game provides when in "Port". I would delete all automatically saved points and keep the latest "manually saved" points for future replay.
7. Avoid overwriting of old/previous game saves. Always make a new one, with a new title or numbering system. Keep the most recent couple of saves, while deleting the earlier saves.
8. Occasional "save" and completely exit/restart the game in-between the actions/encounters, or when approaching an area with potentially dense sea/air traffic. At least once in every 72 hours of sim time!
9. Avoid game saving, or the use of high Time Compression
after the "action" starts (deck gun attack; approaching/attacking large convoys; approaching ports; evading escorts etc). Try to save games
prior to these kinds of expected activities. Saving during high rendering activities will almost always cause issues with replay capabilities.
10. Keep your Time Compression low and try to limit duration of your playing sessions while operating in areas with dense air, sea traffic or near ports etc.
11. When things calm down after successful (or unsuccessful) engagements, surface the boat, get some distance away from the "action" and save the game.
12. Set the game resolution/aspect ratio the same as your Windows "native" screen resolution.
13. If your computer has 4gigs or more of ram memory (and has a 64 bit Operating System), by all means use either "
Large Address Aware" (LAA) or a similar app called the "
4gig Patch". Do not use both......either one or the other! These apps will allow for more memory to be utilized by the game. Both SHIII and SH4 were made prior to the advent of systems having a bounty of memory as they do today (I'm not sure about SH5). It's important to give the game all the possible memory access it can get, especially when adding more content like mods. Having the game access the additional memory will help eliminate slowdowns, speeds up game play, helps the rendering of scenes, lessons the possibility of CTD's, and generally makes for better game play.
14.Do not use the Alt+Tab Windows feature to leave the game, returning to Windows Desktop! Exit the game, and restart the game when returning to Windows. The game has no instruction for this keystroke...do not use it!
I'll be adding more as they come along.