Howdy and Mods Order Question

[TheRenOtaku]

Greetings from the Texas Gulf Coast, y'all.

It's been quite a long time since I played SHIV and I employed several mods for it when I used to play. However, I left my future self no written list of what order the mods were to be installed in, so, I was wondering if I could get a little help.

The mods are:

NSM4 Classic
Dark Recognition Manual
Historical Prop Rotation
Map Table Mod 1.3
Merchant Skinpack Release
Pampanito HUD Gauges
ParaB Fewer Radio Contacts
SH4 Flag Replacement
Small Radar Contacts Stage 1
Smaller Seabed Rocks
Webster's Free Camera and Scope Fix for v 1.4
Z Original GUIs

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Aktungbby]

TheRenOtaku!

[propbeanie]

Which version of the game do you have TheRenOtaku (v1.3, v1.4, 1.5, etc)? Also, what OS? and what folder & path do you have the game installed in?

[TheRenOtaku]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Which version of the game do you have TheRenOtaku (v1.3, v1.4, 1.5, etc)? Also, what OS? and what folder & path do you have the game installed in?

I just bought the Gold Edition (probably 1.5?) off of Ubisoft.com. My computer runs on Win10 Home. My game is installed in a ProgFile x86 in a Ubisoft subfolder.

[Mad Mardigan]

Originally Posted by TheRenOtaku

I just bought the Gold Edition (probably 1.5?) off of Ubisoft.com. My computer runs on Win10 Home. My game is installed in a ProgFile x86 in a Ubisoft subfolder.

Gold Edition - Ubisoft.com, is SH4 v1.5 just so you know.

Don't want to follow the told to location to install... aka "Program files" (or "Program files (x86), either...) for that matter.

Better is, to unistall... reinstall & tell it to install in a folder on C:/ of your own making... such as C:/Ubisoft or C:/Games & then install in there.

That's to begin with.

Of import, is to ask... that gonna be the only copy you are going to run with.. or are you considering running with any other mod sets... cause.. if ya intend to, would highly recommend, of grabbing MultiSH4 & of course, making sure you have JSGME, to boot... as well.

Also would strongly recommend, grabbing Large Address Aware, while you are at it, too.

Hope this helps...



M. M.

[TheRenOtaku]

This is the only game I plan to mod. I just want to get it back to where I had I had it in terms of familiarity and realism.

Originally Posted by Mad Mardigan

Gold Edition - Ubisoft.com, is SH4 v1.5 just so you know.

Don't want to follow the told to location to install... aka "Program files" (or "Program files (x86), either...) for that matter.

Better is, to unistall... reinstall & tell it to install in a folder on C:/ of your own making... such as C:/Ubisoft or C:/Games & then install in there.

That's to begin with.

Of import, is to ask... that gonna be the only copy you are going to run with.. or are you considering running with any other mod sets... cause.. if ya intend to, would highly recommend, of grabbing MultiSH4 & of course, making sure you have JSGME, to boot... as well.

Also would strongly recommend, grabbing Large Address Aware, while you are at it, too.

Hope this helps...



M. M.

[Mad Mardigan]

Originally Posted by TheRenOtaku

This is the only game I plan to mod. I just want to get it back to where I had I had it in terms of familiarity and realism.

Even with just having that as your go to... would still highly recommend using jsgme, multiSH4 & LAA.

Fo the reasons I outlined in My last post... which propbeanie I am sure would also 2nd on that.

jsgme, for the simplicity of removing the mods... MultiSH4 to create your own game save folder for that particular mod set... & LAA, to assign the SH4.exe to have access to 4 GB's of RAM, from your computer... which is going to be stingy as crap with...

& make sure to have the SH4 install, NOT go to the default install settings... instead, make your own location on C:/ outside of Program files or Program files (x86), else UAC... will shut down allowing the mods to overwrite SH4...

Also, make sure before even running SH4, after you install... go into the installation folder, right click the SH4.exe & open "properties", on the 1st section in that menu, uncheck the box hard coding it to read only status... to write enable it, go to the compatibility tab in the properties menu & set the .exe to run as admin. After that, accept those changes & you "should" be good to go from there...

Hope this info helps...



M. M.

[TheRenOtaku]

I've uninstalled, reinstalled, installed JSGME...wash, rinse, repeat...about half a dozen times. I've followed all the advice and info y'all here in this thread have given me and I've looked across the SUBSIM Forums for more info.

I still can't get it to work. I feel like this thing has become more complicated than it used to be back in 2015 (which was about the last time I played SHIV). I'm at average or just below average tech capable. Some of this stuff is going over my head.

Thanks for all the help. I'm going to keep trying (and consult my wife who is better with this than I am) and *hopefully* I'll get SHIV back to where I had it.

[propbeanie]

Does the game run fine prior to modding it? A few of those mods might no longer be necessary for the game, such as the prop spin, and Webster's camera says it is for v1.4 in the title, but check its ReadMe info, since most of the mods he collected or made were for both v1.4 & v1.5. Also, I am not familiar with the "Z Original GUIs" mod - what does it do? How much of a computer do you have? Video card? RAM?

[TheRenOtaku]

I can open and play the game without modding it. It seems to run fine. I ran a part of one of the pre-made war patrols (1941) and got a good kill on an early Ise BB.

But the one mod I use to test to see if the mods are working is the Pampanito HUD gauges. It tells me right away since the HUD gauges are changed or not.

So, as far as I can tell the game works. The mods just aren't taking.

[propbeanie]

Well, stock working and modded not tells us something. As Mad Mardigan said above

Don't want to follow the told to location to install... aka "Program files" (or "Program files (x86), either...) for that matter.

Better is, to unistall... reinstall & tell it to install in a folder on C:/ of your own making... such as C:/Ubisoft or C:/Games & then install in there.

Windows XP was fine with you using the default install path of the SH4 installer, but with today's "modern" Windows, there are 'security features' that will save you from yourself, and prevent you from harming your computer

therefore, you will have to go in through the emergency air lock without your helmet... First thing, de-activate all mods. If you have a disk version of the game, or the Ubisoft download version, you can copy the Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific folder, and paste it into a folder of your own making, that is outside of the Program Files folders, such as "C:\Games \SH4v15" or whatever. After that, you would make yourself a short-cut to that SH4.exe (if desired) and mod that copy of the game. Windows will, for the most part, leave your modding endeavors alone, until they upgrade to the next HAL 2011... oops! there already!?? lol - but seriously, that should get you started on this. You might have to delete all files from the C:\Users \UserName \Documents \SH4 folder so that the remnants of what you and Windows did previously are removed. After getting things goin, and if wanting to experiment, you could then investigate the use of MultiSH4 v1.5 (which is written for SH4 v1.5), and other copies of your game, and try several configurations at a time. If you have the Steam version of the game, refer to Moving a Steam Installation and Games for more info on its restrictions. Let us know though!

[Mad Mardigan]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Well, stock working and modded not tells us something. As Mad Mardigan said above

Windows XP was fine with you using the default install path of the SH4 installer, but with today's "modern" Windows, there are 'security features' that will save you from yourself, and prevent you from harming your computer

therefore, you will have to go in through the emergency air lock without your helmet... First thing, de-activate all mods. If you have a disk version of the game, or the Ubisoft download version, you can copy the Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific folder, and paste it into a folder of your own making, that is outside of the Program Files folders, such as "C:\Games \SH4v15" or whatever. After that, you would make yourself a short-cut to that SH4.exe (if desired) and mod that copy of the game. Windows will, for the most part, leave your modding endeavors alone, until they upgrade to the next HAL 2011... oops! there already!?? lol - but seriously, that should get you started on this. You might have to delete all files from the C:\Users \UserName \Documents \SH4 folder so that the remnants of what you and Windows did previously are removed. After getting things goin, and if wanting to experiment, you could then investigate the use of MultiSH4 v1.5 (which is written for SH4 v1.5), and other copies of your game, and try several configurations at a time. If you have the Steam version of the game, refer to Moving a Steam Installation and Games for more info on its restrictions. Let us know though!

Normally, I don't wanna say... "I told ya so...", but...

I told ya so...

Microshaf... erhm... Microsoft, in it's... infinite stupid... erhm... wisdom, since (am going out on a limb here & some might not agree with My assessment & that's fine... this is just My own observation & opinion, for what it's worth... take it or leave it, with a grain of salt, your choice ) "XP"... progressive op sys' since then, have become... complicated Rube Goldberg contraptions of 1 sort or the other. Most notably, "Vista", 8 & 8.1, though some may include 7, in that list...

After reviewing the aforementioned... issues... was fairly certain, that the issues lay in the install location... knowing the mass stupidity of Microsoft, in the latest iteration batches of Win 10 (not to mention, those also on that most notable list, as well )... & it looks as though they are full on blind, in continuing down that path, with the move forward to add to that most notable list with not only 10, but now.. with 11.

I am guessing here... Microsoft, just loves shooting themselves... (in whatever body part, that the rest of you, may wish to insert at the tail end of that line... I leave that, to your... imagination there. )

You'd think, they'd learn.. but, obviously NOT.

For reference, may wish to rereview, My suggested outline for reinstalling SH4... reposted below:

Originally Posted by Mad Mardigan

Reinstall of SH4 game plan (ext. version... ):

Don't want to follow the told to location to install... aka "Program files" (or "Program files (x86), either...) for that matter.

Better is, to unistall... reinstall & tell it to install in a folder on C:/ of your own making... such as C:/Ubisoft or C:/Games & then install in there.

That's to begin with.

Of import, is to ask... that gonna be the only copy you are going to run with.. or are you considering running with any other mod sets... cause.. if ya intend to, would highly recommend, of grabbing MultiSH4 & of course, making sure you have JSGME, to boot... as well.

Also would strongly recommend, grabbing Large Address Aware, while you are at it, too.

Once you have jsgme, MultiSH4 & a copy of LAA, time to move on to the next step.

Open the install folder of SH4... right click the SH4.exe, select from the pop up menu "properties & click on that. Once that sub menu opens up... look for "Attributes" on the main page. Will be at the bottom of the menu of the General tab. If the box for "Read only" is check marked... uncheck it & click "Apply"... then move to the next tab, titled "Compatibilty"... (this section, here.. should also be done with jsgme & LAA... best advice is to do them, as well... )

In this section, under the section titled "Settings", check mark "Run as Admin" then click "Apply". (Should only do the same with section" Compatibility mode" & "Change high DPI " if you run into issues with that... & propbeanie & a couple of other subsimmers, can inform you on when, as well as how to dink about with that, better than I can... for simplicity, am going with the bare bone basics here.. to hopefully with as little muss or fuss, get you rolling & modded... ) After that, can close out that & move on to the next step...

Take & drop your (unzipped) copy of jsgme into the SH4 install folder... right click on jsgme application, wherever you have it located then right click on the SH4 install folder... & paste. This will drop it into the folder. Now open the folder & click on jsgme... this will set up jsgme to be ready for use... as well as create the "MODS" folder. After it does that, close it out... can then at this stage, drop the mods you need into that "MODS" folder.. ready for activating... after getting everything else prepped 1st.

Next, drop MultiSH4 into the folder, using the same means as you did with jsgme outlined above..., after doing so, reopen SH4 install folder & click on MultiSH4... choose a 3 letter identifier for the game save folder. Since you stated of this being the only install you're going to run with, may I suggest... SHM (SH4 Modded) Once that is done... click "Save" & close out...

Reopen jsgme, & then.. prep SH4 for the joys of being modded... in other words... activate the mods in the desired order. Provided you have a rock solid order of activation... it may take a bit of playing around with that mod order... if there is no solid game plan outline for proper activation... which can & does occur. Trust Me.. I know...

Once you have finished this process & are satisfied you have everything here good to go.. close out jsgme & move on to the final step in your prep work...

LAA or Large Address Aware: This tool, can be installed any where... (Myself, I allow its install to go to the default as that is fine... I also allow for a icon for it to be assigned to desktop, to allow for ease of use, as well. Once you have that installed & know where it is, activate it & then.. use of LAA is a simple 3 step process...

1. Point LAA, to where your SH4.exe is... which, by now, should be a no brainer... sorry... not making fun of you, just My quirky sense of humr... but.. that is the truth of the matter... after that, is..

2. LAA Flag, check mark the box & move on to step 3...

3. Commit changes... simply, click "Save" &...

Done.! So simple a cave man, could do it...

With that, you should NOW... be set & ready to roll.

Can, at this stage... right click on the SH4.exe & send to desktop so no ned to continually open the install folder to run SH4.. but.. I leave that for you to decide...

Hope this helps...

May see of pulling together a pictograph version.... at some point, maybe even a vid... ahh well... that's for later... right now, hopefully I have made this simple & easy to follow & use...



M. M.