USS Balao (SS-285)

[Redmane]

I'm looking for ideas anyone may have regarding a very minor issue. In a previous career and this current one I'm playing I started with a Gar class boat in December '41. After my 3rd patrol I received a refit to a '42 conning tower, and after the next patrol was offered command of a Balao. In fact the boat was the USS Balao. As other players are probably aware this class always seems to be offered too early, in my current career this was in late September of '42. But that's not what I'm really asking about here. I understand the game has some issues with ignoring availabiltiy dates, etc. To counter this problem I refused the boat and kept the Gudgeon for another few patrols. In March of '43 I transfered to Fremantle, ran one patrol, and was offered a new command again after that. I'd gone to Fremantle in an attempt to get offered a Gato, but that didn't work. Once again the boat was the USS Balao. I really like the Balao Class, they are fine boats, but here's the deal:

The Balao class I always get offered, even when I was playing the stock game, is ALWAYS the USS Balao. Furthermore, I'm playing TMO and as anyone who has played it has noticed, Ducimus added to the roster the SS numbers of all the boats in the game. However, the Balao NEVER displays this number on the sub managment screens, as all of the other boats seem to do. Now for the question:

Does anyone have any ideas on how to force the game to offer a different boat for the Balao Class in a career game, or at least how to get the game to display the SS number? I went so far as to edit the Roster file, changing first the Dates of Commission, then actually removed the USS Balao from the unit 1 position in the list and replaced it with the USS Cisco, but still the boat I got was... USS Balao.

[acofm89]

Had the same thing happened to me a short while ago. Not sure why it's happening though. I think it's probably one of the quirks that's in TMO. Like when you're offered the USS Tautog while in the Asiatic fleet (it's a Tambor and shouldn't be available in South East Asia) and shift base to Pear Harbor with no explanation

[Redmane]

Well, getting the Tautog is different, and there is a fix for that. In a previous career, I also was "upgraded" to the Tautog after starting my career in a Gar. Then transfered to Fremantle, later back to Pearl where the boat was refitted, which was nice, then time warped back to July of '42, and the refit happened in '43, I think. Anyway that whole problem was caused by an issue with the Terrible T campaign, which can be fixed by downloading and activating Aanker's small patch found here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=3506 The fix will disable the Terrible T campaign option, so if you want to try that sometime you will need to deactivate the patch.

So far as getting the Balao early, thats really not anything to do with TMO, and I understand that, its a problem with the game itself that it ignores availability dates, as well as alot of other info when it picks a boat to give you. My question is only about seeing if I can in some way "force" the game to give me a Balao class boat that for once isn't the USS Balao, or at least get it to include the SS number that it has in the roster file, like all the other boats do. I've run single missions in Balao class boats, and can't recall ever getting the Balao for one, but there are alot of other names in the roster list for that class, and it would be nice to see one in a career game for once.

[Phoenix35]

How many sub was created in Balao class?

[Redmane]

Well, I don't have actual historical numbers on how many Balao class boats were built, but seeing how much Ducimus was committed to giving TMO historical authenticity, perhaps the number of names he included in the Balao class roster is accurate, and that file lists 116 different names and SS numbers.

[acofm89]

Originally Posted by Redmane

Well, getting the Tautog is different, and there is a fix for that. In a previous career, I also was "upgraded" to the Tautog after starting my career in a Gar. Then transfered to Fremantle, later back to Pearl where the boat was refitted, which was nice, then time warped back to July of '42, and the refit happened in '43, I think. Anyway that whole problem was caused by an issue with the Terrible T campaign, which can be fixed by downloading and activating Aanker's small patch found here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/down...o=file&id=3506 The fix will disable the Terrible T campaign option, so if you want to try that sometime you will need to deactivate the patch.

So far as getting the Balao early, thats really not anything to do with TMO, and I understand that, its a problem with the game itself that it ignores availability dates, as well as alot of other info when it picks a boat to give you. My question is only about seeing if I can in some way "force" the game to give me a Balao class boat that for once isn't the USS Balao, or at least get it to include the SS number that it has in the roster file, like all the other boats do. I've run single missions in Balao class boats, and can't recall ever getting the Balao for one, but there are alot of other names in the roster list for that class, and it would be nice to see one in a career game for once.

Yeah, I know about aankers small patch. I brought up the Tautog/terrible T issue a while ago and was recommended to download it which I did. I was just thinking that the thing with USS Balao might have been something similar, since it seems to be an egually weird occurence that makes no sense.

I guess we just have to chalk it up as one of the strange quirks of the original game then. I know Ducimus and other modders have tried to sort these kinds of things out as much as possible (mostly) but with the games original code being what it is it'll never be perfect.

[TorpX]

I know this is a very makeshift solution, but could you at least edit your career file (after the fact), so you don't have the USS Balao (again)?

[Redmane]

Would that be a cfg file? I'm not sure which one you're referring to. Truth is all theses little problems with the game are turning me into a modder, I think.

[Redmane]

Well, I was poking through some of the graphics mods and found Pacific Wolf's Pampanito mod, which puts a nice Hi-Res measure 32 paint scheme on a Balao, as well as the Pampanito's hull number. Also his mod ensures that anytime you get a Balao it is always and only the Pampanito. Sure enough, I activated his mod and took a Balao for a single mission; it was the Pampanito. I took a look at his roster file and the only Balao boat in it is the Pampanito, with a few changes to the DOC and DOD entries, so I've edited the Balao.cfg file for the roster and will swap files when I get back to port after my current patrol. Seems you have to deny the game any opportunity to screw up in order to get what you want. By the way Torpx, if you see this I may still need to edit my career file to make everything work, but I'm still not sure which it is, so please let me know.

[TorpX]

I've never done it, so I can't say which file it is. I remember someone asking how they could get a specific boat for their command, so there must be a way.

[Redmane]

Alright, thanks Torpx. I suppose I will just try what I've already done with editing the Balao class roster file and see what happens. At any rate I know in the future such an edit of that file ensures that the game can give your boat only the specific name and hull number in that file once all the others have been removed.

How many sub was created in Balao class?

I was doing some reading about the class yesterday and found out that the Balao class had more boats built than any other during the war. 122 to be exact.

[Redmane]

I tried taking out all names in the Balao class roster config file, except for the one I wanted, then loading my saved game back at the base, but my boats name was still the USS Balao, so obviously there must be another edit needed to get that changed in an existing career. The edit of the roster file does work just fine for single missions and should work in a career during which a Balao class boat has not been offered yet though, as I believe Pacific Wolf is correct in his claim that this will happen with his Pompanito mod. At any rate, if anyone knows which file would need to be edited to change the name of an existing command, please let me know.

[Redmane]

Alright, the file or files are in the saved game folder in My Documents. At first I tried some edits, but the autosave for returning to base never changed. I finally checked the saved game I made just before entering base and saw the changes there, but it needed a minor correction. My edits had changed the class name of the boat as well as the actual name. Anyway, got that sorted out, then reloaded the save to make sure everything was right, then entered the base to redo the autosave, and in the office the name change was in place. ActivePlayerUnit.upc is the file name, and there are two of them for each saved game, one in the main save game folder and the other in the UPCInitial folder for the saved game.

[TorpX]

Good job figuring it out. I don't understand why there would be two files though.

I hope I can remember this when I am in the same situation.

[Redmane]

Thanks Torpx. I have no idea why there are two ActivePlayerUnit.upc files per saved game either. I got the clue on where to look from a post Aanker made in another thread where someone was asking about forcing an upgrade to a newer class boat. Aanker mentioned these files in the saved game folders under your My Documents folder, and sure enough, the edits worked.