RFB and The Deck Gun

[bruce282]

I followed the excellent advice here and install the RFB mod for 1.4. I ran the navigation sub school mission, and then moved to the artillery exercise.

My question is how do I get the deck gun crew to fire, or must I manually sink the ship?

I give the Man the Gun command, followed by fire at will, followed by short range (ship is 1300 yards away), and finally Aim at the hull.

I get an OK on each one, but nothing happens.

Did I do something wrong?


Bruce

[XonE:32]

Hmm, I never did that exercise till now and it doesn't appear to work unless you do it manually. I didn't move my sub though so maybe they're too close?

I know they'll fire for themsleves and work fine in the camapaign though.

[NEON DEON]

Maybe you did.

The stock version of the game lists 1000 meters as short range.

So if you give the command to open fire at short range from 1300 yards you are a bit farther out than short range.

Try giving the order closer than 1093 yards or try giving the order without restricting fire for short range.

The game files that govern this could have been changed in RFB however.

To verify that you would have to go to Data/cfg folder and open the CrewAi.cfg file with notepad and verify the distance listed for close range.

The stock file:

[CrewAI]
; Weapons.
Cannon range 1=1000 ;[m] close range limit
Cannon range 2=3000 ;[m] medium range limit
Cannon range 3=5000 ;[m] long range limit
AA guns range 1=500 ;[m] close range limit
AA guns range 2=1000 ;[m] medium range limit
AA guns range 3=1500 ;[m] long range limit
;selection
Cannon Selection Range=8000 ;[m] max range to contact
AAGuns Selection Range=2000 ;[m] max range to contact
Recomended Torpedo Range=2000 ;[m] max range to contact
Recomended Deck Guns Range=2000 ;[m] max range to contact

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The game file lists ranges in meters.

Conversion calculater can be found here:

http://www.metric-conversion.biz/convert+yards+to+meters.htm

[Rockin Robbins]

In RFB the gun is empty. You must select the ammunition type before it will fire. I think the only way to do that is to actually go to the the gun station and load the ammo. Then you can go to the bridge and let the crew have at it.

[XonE:32]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

In RFB the gun is empty. You must select the ammunition type before it will fire. I think the only way to do that is to actually go to the the gun station and load the ammo. Then you can go to the bridge and let the crew have at it.

Yeah, did that. I was gonna suggest it to bruce as well, but as I hadn't done that tutorial mission I wanted to check it out first to see the what the sea conditions were like as well. I know in RFB (maybe stock too? haven't played the stock game) if the seas are too rough the Deck Gun useability will vary from unuseable/unloadable to extremely inaccurate due to roll.

The seas were totally calm in the tut. I'll run it again and move the boat to a distance. The important point bruce is as I said.. It works in the camapaign. Now if I could only spell campaign... oh there, I did it...

This is what's listed in my MODS folder for the RFB data/cfg Crewai.cfg.

[CrewAI]
; Weapons.
Cannon range 1=1000 ;[m] close range limit
Cannon range 2=3000 ;[m] medium range limit
Cannon range 3=5000 ;[m] long range limit
AA guns range 1=500 ;[m] close range limit
AA guns range 2=1000 ;[m] medium range limit
AA guns range 3=1500 ;[m] long range limit

;selection
Cannon Selection Range=8000 ;[m] max range to contact
AAGuns Selection Range=1500 ;[m] max range to contact
Recomended Torpedo Range=2000 ;[m] max range to contact
Recomended Deck Guns Range=2000 ;[m] max range to contact

EDIT: Hmph. Bruce appears to be correct or at least I couldn't get the buggers to fire the DG by themselves either. Tried all the permutations I could think of starting with the obvious manual loading of the shells then tried different ranges, targeting different aspects of the ships, using the fire at will with and with short range, voodoo.

It's no big deal (for me) as long as it works in the campaign which it does, but it's weird all the same. Could it have something to do with not being able to lock on with the binocs (not the TBT) and use the command key on the bar (it's greyed out)? Could it be aliens?, ghosts? ...or worse... alien ghosts?!

[LukeFF]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

In RFB the gun is empty. You must select the ammunition type before it will fire. I think the only way to do that is to actually go to the the gun station and load the ammo. Then you can go to the bridge and let the crew have at it.

The AI will load the first shell on its own - i.e., without any player input.

[WalterJConklin]

Hi Bruce,

I am also encountering the same issue with trying to get the deck gun to work. I reported on this problem around the same time as you: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=151169. I take it that you are new to SH4, like me, given that you are taking the artilitary training course. Accordingly, we might be unique in the sense of being the first to bring to the attention of the community of not being able to get the deck guns to work. The reason is that most people who have RFB have gravitated from SH3 and have had SH4 and the several versions of RFB for a while. Therefore, there is no need for them to take the artilitary course and as a result encounter the problem with the deck guns. I would be interested to know if the deck guns also do not work with the artilitary courses included with the other versions of RFB.

Sincerely,
Walter

[bruce282]

Well I tried something. I went to the torpedo training mission. I sank the cruiser, then surfaced the boat and manned the deck gun. I gave the fire at will command, and darn if those boys didn't lock and load and start firing at the big junk.


Bruce