SH3 Commander & Medals

[Phoenix3000]

Hi all,

I have a question about SH3 Commander (2.6). I'm running that along with SH3 1.4b, GW1.1a and SH3 Gen.

OK, I've just finished my fourth patrol, and back in harbour, using the default SH3 view, I have given out the few medals we were awarded and one promotion (not a great patrol, only 6 cargo ships sunk).

Anyway, when I was finished I left the game (exited the usual way) and ran SH3 Commander and updated my personnel file etc. After checking out the 'nightclub' I looked at the option to award medals - I was surprised to see lots and lots of them available for practically every crew member. So, to check if it wasn't just eye-candy I gave several of my officers and crew (including those already promoted in SH3 earlier) some more medals and badges.

Then I launched my fifth patrol - and yes, they were all carrying these 'extra' medals awarded outside of SH3. Why does it do this? - I don't quite understand why SH3 Commander gives you the option of issuing lots more medals on top of those already assigned by SH3. Any ideas? - Or am I missing something?

On another note with SH3 Commander, the personnel file has missed my first patrol showing zero ships sunk - but if you click on the detail button it does show the eight ships I did actually sink - it has skipped them from the overall total - any way of fixing this myself?

Any help & advice on this would great,

Thanks

Px3000

[nightdagger]

IIRC you can award any medal to any crew member using SH3 Commander.

[Phoenix3000]

Does that not detract from the 'realism' a bit?

I mean, you could just go out early on in the war and promote all your crew to make them excellent at their job, and yet they haven't had the 'experience' etc. gained by doing it all in SH3 (does that make sense)?

Px3000

[mookiemookie]

Yes but you wouldn't do that, being the disciplined and fair-minded player you are, now would you?

It's there to give you the option to decorate your crew for their performance as you see fit, without the constraints of the SH3 medal rules. If I remember right, the entire crew of Hardegen's U-123 got a Knights Cross when they returned from their first Drumbeat patrol. Even if you were as successful in-game as U-123 was in real life, you wouldn't be able to do that in SH3.

[fredbass]

Here is a portion of the readme file which I believe was in 2.6.1:


By selecting the 'Manage your crew' action, players can:
- promote and demote within type (ie Officers, Petty Officers and Sailors);
- change crewmen names;
- give and remove medals based on historic criteria;
- give and remove badges based on historic criteria;
- give, adjust and remove qualifications (3 for officers and senior petty officers, 1 for petty officers and 1 for sailors);
- create a crew list for viewing (html format) and printing.

The Crew Manager warns if certain conditions are met, such as a crewman receiving medals before they are historically available, or if a crewman might be entitled to specific medals or badges and allows a "one click" auto fix.

Note that if you award medals using Crew Manager some medals may accumulate in the game that can't be awarded. Either ignore these, or make sure to award medals in the game before doing so in Crew Manager.

A common question raised through forums has been "will my Crew Manager changes be recognised within Silent Hunter III?". To answer this question:
- awarding *any* qualifications to officers impacts compartment efficiency as if they were awarded via Silent Hunter III;
- awarding the *first* qualification to a Chief Warrant Officer impacts compartment efficiency as if awarded via Silent Hunter III;
- awarding subsequent qualifications to a Chief Warrant Officer, whilst being recognised in Silent Hunter III, has no effect in Silent Hunter III;
- awarding a qualification to a Petty Officer impacts compartment efficiency as if awarded via Silent Hunter III;
- awarding a qualification to a seamen, whilst being recognised in Silent Hunter III, has no effect in Silent Hunter III;
- awarding any medal or badge has the same effect as if awarded via Silent Hunter III;
- promoting/demoting has the same effect as if awarded via Silent Hunter III (although there is no demotion via Silent Hunter III);

So, only qualifications awarded to seamen or extra qualifications awarded to Chief Warrant Officers are, despite being recognised in the game, not effective in the game.

Now, whilst these qualifications are not effective in Silent Hunter III, they are still handy "markers". Also, I know of some people who believe that despite not being recognised towards compartment efficiency, Silent Hunter III tends to align these qualified seamen to their respective compartments, but I haven't tested that myself.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Yes but you wouldn't do that, being the disciplined and fair-minded player you are, now would you?

It's there to give you the option to decorate your crew for their performance as you see fit, without the constraints of the SH3 medal rules. If I remember right, the entire crew of Hardegen's U-123 got a Knights Cross when they returned from their first Drumbeat patrol. Even if you were as successful in-game as U-123 was in real life, you wouldn't be able to do that in SH3.

Exactly. SH3 is very innaccurate in its medal/badge/qualification awarding. You won't see RL awarding criteria modelled in SH3.

For instance:

• in RL crewman generally received the War Badge after their second patrol...not in SH3. Unless you "tweak" a Basic.cfg setting, you'll get them in dribs and drabs.
• the Front Clasp was not available in RL until mid-May 1944...in SH3 it's there right from the start.
• the German Cross was not available in RL until Sept 1941...in SH3 it's there right from the start.
• the War Badge was not available in RL until mid-Oct 1939...in SH3 it's there right from the start.
• in RL getting a Wound Badge usually got you the War Badge...not in SH3. In SH3, you won't even get a Wound Badge if the crewman was repaired at sea.
• in RL you could have a number of crewman obtaining qualifications at any time...although most would already be rated...not in SH3. You get one qualification per patrol.
• in RL it was the Kaleun who recommended medals and badges for his crew...not in SH3. You award what you are "allotted".

So for the *disciplined* Kaleun, SH3Cmdr's system provides greater alignment with "how it really was". Sure, if you wanted to, you could award everything to everyone in one go...but that's not SH3Cmdr's problem, that's simply lack of Kaleun discipline.

@Phoenix3000
You can't promote inexperienced men via SH3Cmdr. BdU won't approve it.

[_Seth_]

@ Jscones: If i have 3 different installs of SHIII on my computer, do i have to have three different installs of SH3Commander, one for each? :hmm:

[JScones]

Originally Posted by _Seth_

@ Jscones: If i have 3 different installs of SHIII on my computer, do i have to have three different installs of SH3Commander, one for each? :hmm:

I recommend one install of SH3Cmdr per install of SH3.

Having individual SH3Cmdr installs provides the most flexibility. Indeed, if one of your installs is NYGM or GWX, then it is pretty much essential to have exclusive installs of SH3Cmdr as these mods have unique file structures that are not compatible with other mods. Running SH3Cmdr with the NYGM files installed will likely crash any other mod, and vice versa. This will also be the case with GWX.

Beyond that, you may get away with running "shared" SH3Cmdr's with shortcuts pointing to separate SH3 installations, but doing so limits flexibility. For example, if you used one SH3Cmdr to power your UWAC and GW1.1a, any changes you make to SH3Cmdr (addition of files or settings) will be applied to both games equally.

Whereas, if you had one install for UWAC and one for GW1.1a, changes would be limited to each mod.

People may say "why so many installs of SH3Cmdr"? I'll answer that very easily with a question - "why so many installs of SH3"? Exactly the same reason - flexibility and diversity.

[_Seth_]

Thanx, JScones! I will install SH3Commander to the other installs as well, to be on the safe side!!

[TarJak]

Thanks for the info JSCones. I was wondering how you dealt with multi-installs. I'm in the process of setting up a 2nd and 3rd install for the latest MYGM and in anticipation of GWX. KNowing this will help keep everything where I want it.

[JScones]

Forgot to add the main benefit of multi-SH3Cmdr installs - zero possibility of "cross contamination" of files (ie users incorrectly rolling back GW1.1a files into UWAC).

And just like SH3, you don't need to run the installer again to install multiple copies, you can just copy and paste the existing SH3 Commander folder and create a new desktop shortcut pointing to it, and to the respective mod (ie the l: switch).

[_Seth_]

Originally Posted by JScones

Forgot to add the main benefit of multi-SH3Cmdr installs - zero possibility of "cross contamination" of files (ie users incorrectly rolling back GW1.1a files into UWAC).

And just like SH3, you don't need to run the installer again to install multiple copies, you can just copy and paste the existing SH3 Commander folder and create a new desktop shortcut pointing to it, and to the respective mod (ie the l: switch).

JScones, you are a magician!!! Kudos to you, matey!

[Jimbuna]

@JScones
Am I correct in assuming the next version of SH3Commender will alleviate the need for multi installs of said Commander? which incidentally

[GSpector]

Hello All,

It's been a while since I enjoyed SHIII but since I heard about GWX, I will be re-installing it on my PC.

I just have 2 questions,

1st, I have added many patches to SHIII back when I was using it and I know I can now delete them all with GWX but what is SH3Commander?

2nd, What is NYGM?

[melnibonian]

Originally Posted by GSpector

Hello All

Hello to you Sir

Originally Posted by GSpector

I have added many patches to SHIII back when I was using it and I know I can now delete them all with GWX but what is SH3Commander?

SH3Cmd is a stand alone program that allow you to manage your crew (give them medals, promotions, qualifications etc), manage your career and edit your U-Boat type, number and orders. You can get it here http://www.users.on.net/~jscones/software/products.html

In my opinion SH3Cmd is a MUST

Originally Posted by GSpector

What is NYGM?

NYGM is a supermod. That means it is a collection of mods that work together and create a new experience to the game. Exactly as GW and GWX