Possible [WIP] Convoy reports - in RadioLog update

[danurve]

Note: As a reverse in [REL] threads referring to the first post, please see the last/later posts here for current info utill an update is released, thanx.

I am planning a minor corrective release to RadioLog_Expanded. This is for a few msg timers and some reported duplicates. I'd like to have this done before May 08 for a few reasons.

I am wondering if there is interest in including more Enhanced Agents Reports on Convoy activity. In fact about 1400 more messages. I have about 1/3 of them done already. I know I said I was done with this work because some of it is taxing on time etc. But I wanted to get Expanded out the door before X-Mas last year. If I included these others it would have delayed that and so.. Anyhow it is a little easier to do the work with dual monitors now.

This is what I was thinking for a format - they cover alot of the Atlantic / Russian / UK / & alot of Med. Convoy departure and expected arrival dates.

From: Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine
To: Deutsche Kräfte auf See
<br>
Agents Report:
<br>
<br>
Convoy SL.126 Departed Freetown for Liverpool on April 1, 1943.
<br>
Estimate 36 Vessels and 5 escorts and 1 TUG.

Most of the messages are from Late `42 to Early `45. Imo this should finally help cover the gap in amount of messages for the later years.
If in fact your boat survives and isn't submerged to far to recieve them.
The ones I have tested in the game have an interesting affect on where you think about patroling.

Aprox time of day they are sent ? probably in the first 12 hrs of the day (random).
Wondering if the wording makes enough sence without adding the msg sent date in the header? The goal is to keep them breif & simple. Comments & questions welcome. This could be ready my the end of April. Considering my history on aproximates, cut me some slack.

[Letum]

Are the convoys in SH3 predictable enough to have a radio log that reports a convoys position?

[Gairith]

Originally Posted by Letum

Are the convoys in SH3 predictable enough to have a radio log that reports a convoys position?

Seems interesting to me.

Considering predictability, if I received this message I would assume off hand that I am not going to know where they are exactly as well as BdU can get misinformation/bad agents etc. Keeping that in mind I would weigh the information received carefully before acting on it.
Ok, now I'm really interested....

[danurve]

Originally Posted by Letum

Are the convoys in SH3 predictable enough to have a radio log that reports a convoys position?

Not knowing exactly how the game spawns the convoys, relative to where your boat is I would have to say no. But these messages don't report their position, just the scheduled departure/arrival dates. And I do belive the game uses the same aprox. routes. Hope that answers your question.

Hey Danurve, sounds good to me. I like your expanded log.

[Tomcattwo]

I'd really like to see that, Danurve. That'd really add to the immersion factor. Thanks for taking the time to work on it.
R/
TC2

[difool2]

I am waiting for GWX 2.1 to come out, and then I'll expand both of the contact distance radii in contacts.cfg to like 3-5000 km, and go through the campaign files and reduce the contact percentages to realistic levels, depending on things like u-boat traffic along the given route acc. to year, and also taking into account when the Germans cracked the Allied codes, and vice-versa of course. It will hopefully allow you to get a smattering of timely radio contacts you can intercept during your patrol, or at least let you know that you aren't the only vessel out there (immersion).

[danurve]

I saw that movie "Battle of the Atlantic". One of the better documentarys out there imo. It actually inspired part of this idea. Where they explained when and how the Germans were able to crack the convoy codes etc. What realy stuck in my mind was the things said in the interviews by the merchants. Anyhow back to business. Took a screen of one of these messages in it's current format.



This one doesn't say "on" after the port of destination. If it did margin constraints would force it to show up just before the month day, year. In regular view a mouse over will indicate the in game day, but not in Radio Message screen. And so the argument for adding the date sent in the header for these series makes sence. :hmm:

[danurve]

Settled on a presentable format for the new/added Convoy reports, they will include the sent date below the header as a sort of sub heading. Hope you like this format, comments - questions?

Here are two examples:







I think 'Departed' is reads more logicaly. but this is an easy change. Also I'll include notes in the revised readme on how to use an editor to delete these or any of the other included messages such as the loss of u-boats if the user may not want them.

[GlobalExplorer]

This would definitely make a really, really nice mod.

I would suggest not sending the messages one by one (time compression / annoyance factor) and instead go for daily / weekly updates with all convoy information in one block. This would of course depend on the maximum length for single messages which I don't know - other wise several messages could arrive with 1 minute in between and the number of the message included like 1/5 .. 2/5 etc (still better to wait for five minutes for all msg to arrive than having tc interrupted several times a day).

I also suggest to include the mod that changes the message font to small - the big font is horrible for longer messages, and I am surprised you still use it on your screens.

[mr chris]

A great idea indeed.
Gives you that added imerssion of feeling that you are in a living breathing world.

[danurve]

It is easy enough to change t/c with Commander.
If the Radio Message Notepad could flip pages like the K-log then .. well that's a pipe dream. Theres some messages broken up into suppliments because of the limit of space. But changing the font was an idea from before Expanded got off the ground. Thing is that would involve an ini edit I belive. Means passing a file that could change how anyone has their game/mods running. Opens up a can of worms, but if I could figgure out how to change the font to look maybe a little more like the message in the background - perhaps I could pass along that edit instruction in the readme. This may or may not increase the space capacity but I don't think it would be good to take advantage of that. Because people may want to keep it looking the way it is or not use the font edit.

added: The easy way (cheat) to have your messages group for a day is to (with a quality text editor) find the date.time in the first column and change the first timer [2nd. column] to all match. 1200 for example. They will all transmit at once unless theres an interval change. So when you got to "M" you can page through when you want to read them. The drawback is the 'new message received' ogg sound does not play.

[danurve]

Much progress has been done with the New Agents Report messges. I'm confident to have this done before then end of April `08.

Agents Report messages will have the sent date in the message. I've edited the current ones in RL_E to match the format. These will be included in the update release.
The original intent was to have N. Atlantic & Russian convoy activity mainly.
I've included alot of Convoy activity from the Eastern US, Carribean/Gulf, and dozens from Medd, and Northern IO.

Dual monitors rock.