Gameplay Settings

Archive1 · 08-14-08, 01:01 AM

Using SH4 v1.5/TMO for v1.5/RSRD for TMO

I have noticed that the custom gameplay settings do not remain "Custom" if one selects other than "Easy" from the Careers window. Let me explain.

For example, say one selects everything but Dud Torpedoes from the Main Menu/Options menu (in other words creates a "Custom" gameplay setting) that setting will be changed if one selects "Normal" (or anything but "Easy") from the options presented on the Careers page - The player's setting no longer exists as a "Custom" gameplay setting selected by the player, but now operates as a setting created by whoever programmed the "Normal" option.

IMHO I believe that the Player, who bought the game, who owns the game, should be in control of the settings that he/she wishes to control the gameplay settings, not the programmer who wrote the code.

Before you attack me for wanting to degrade the game into arcade levels, let me say that no, I don't want to play at that level either although who am I to say that someone shouldn't. More importantly, I believe that the more gameplay options that are available to the player will bring into the subsim community more players. And the more players that are interested increases the breadth of the community. We all benefit.

Maybe there is a way to inactivate the Career settings and let the Main Menu Gameplay Settings persist - I think that's the way it is in SH3/GWX - for any following campaigns. Maybe the career settings should influence other factors than those listed on the Main Menu, e.g., does the sub sink or rise at submerged all stop hover, does the U-mark appear or not, what is the speed of crew fatigue, etc - in other words the Career settings might influence factors other than those listed on the Main Menu.

A long posting, but maybe it will stimulate some thought.

banjo · 08-14-08, 09:22 AM

Not sure I understand your problem. I always select (customize) my gameplay settings--first at the Main Menu and then again in the 'office' prior to entering the patrol. It's been a while since I have started from scratch, but I have never had my options re-arranged by the game doing it that way.

tigone · 08-14-08, 09:35 AM

I'm running the same mod configuration as Archive1, and encountered the same problem initially. You have to change your gameplay options in the "office" at the start of a patrol, and then they're set for that patrol.

I don't believe you can change them once you begin the patrol.

Orion2012 · 08-14-08, 11:40 AM

Some of the setting can be changed mid=patrol by editing the gameplaysettings.ini file. Although doing so COULD result in a CTD or other problems. I myself have used it to turn off the auto targeting mid-patrol and had no problems, but that dosen't mean it won't happen.

Archive1 · 08-15-08, 12:42 AM

Banjo: Yes, I understand, but have you noticed that many of your Main Menu selections (maybe External Camera "On") were not available if you selected 'Normal' or 'Realistic' at the 'Office'? I will tell you they are not then operative. Try setting up a 'fake' patrol with a commander you don't care about: set the Main Menu options, then set the 'Office' options and see if you can use one of the Main Menu settings - select something you can evaluate like External Camera 'On'. I guarantee that if you then set the 'Office' setting at 'Normal' or 'Realistic' or anything but 'Easy' the external camera (F12)will not be available during the ensuing patrol...in other words your choice will have been overidden by the fixed, hard-coded Office setting which does not allow the player to use his desired 'custom' external camera at a Normal or Realistic setting.

Tigone: I think the above is a good test for you too. The "office" settings over-ride the Main Menu settings so there really is no "custom" option for the player.

Orion2012: I'd never, ever try resetting such in mid-patrol. I think the only things you can get away with resetting in such circumstance are .tga files. Maybe you're just lucky in your choice of things to change. Or maybe I've just been unlucky in those I've chosen to change.

Thanks all for the responses.

08-15-08, 01:59 PM

so your saying after selecting custom and choosing the options you want available, when you start your career the option revert to a preset group of options rather than those you chose?

is this happening for single missions and patrols as well or just in career mode?

also can you be more specific as to the choices you made and what it changed to as well as the mods being used at the time so maybe we can try to repeat the curcumstances to see if we have the same issue.

Nisgeis · 08-15-08, 02:08 PM

I believe that TMO disables some options, specifically external views and perhaps dud torpedoes.

Archive1 · 08-16-08, 11:04 PM

Web:
I think this is only in career mode, and as Nisgeis says, I believe that the TMO designers may have disabled several of the options in the Main Menu. I say this since I am running TMO/RSRD with v1.5. I do not know if the original - or TMO-unmodified - version does the same. I chose the example of External Camera since it is easy to demostrate that it is not working and it can be demonstrated in a short space of time. For example: 'dud torpedoes' requires several targets to prove one way or another; 'realistic fuel/O2' etc require the same time lag, maybe the 'Stabilize' view is also easy and quick. I have no way of knowing if these or others, have also been 'adjusted' back to some arbitrary programmer's standard to fit a 'new' supermod model. But I think that some 'notice' should be given to the user that the 'Custom' game setting is no longer valid if you chose anything other than 'Easy' when you begin a career if you are in TMO/RSRD.

One of the problems with these really two fine supermods (unlike GWX in SH3) is the lack of a detailed manual that describes what the designers did and what options remain for the player. At least I can't find anything with detailed material, maybe I'm wrong.

On a different topic (sorry Thread) I downloaded a program to work with .dds files. Maybe we can convert the torpedo damage (.tga or paintshop) files from SH3 to give better graphical damage to hulls in SH4. Haven't had time to explore but will do so.

Good to hear from you.

08-14-08, 01:01 AM	#1
Archive1 Captain Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington State south of Tacoma Posts: 495 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Gameplay Settings Using SH4 v1.5/TMO for v1.5/RSRD for TMO I have noticed that the custom gameplay settings do not remain "Custom" if one selects other than "Easy" from the Careers window. Let me explain. For example, say one selects everything but Dud Torpedoes from the Main Menu/Options menu (in other words creates a "Custom" gameplay setting) that setting will be changed if one selects "Normal" (or anything but "Easy") from the options presented on the Careers page - The player's setting no longer exists as a "Custom" gameplay setting selected by the player, but now operates as a setting created by whoever programmed the "Normal" option. IMHO I believe that the Player, who bought the game, who owns the game, should be in control of the settings that he/she wishes to control the gameplay settings, not the programmer who wrote the code. Before you attack me for wanting to degrade the game into arcade levels, let me say that no, I don't want to play at that level either although who am I to say that someone shouldn't. More importantly, I believe that the more gameplay options that are available to the player will bring into the subsim community more players. And the more players that are interested increases the breadth of the community. We all benefit. Maybe there is a way to inactivate the Career settings and let the Main Menu Gameplay Settings persist - I think that's the way it is in SH3/GWX - for any following campaigns. Maybe the career settings should influence other factors than those listed on the Main Menu, e.g., does the sub sink or rise at submerged all stop hover, does the U-mark appear or not, what is the speed of crew fatigue, etc - in other words the Career settings might influence factors other than those listed on the Main Menu. A long posting, but maybe it will stimulate some thought.

08-14-08, 09:22 AM	#2
banjo Grey Wolf Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 762 Downloads: 55 Uploads: 0	Not sure I understand your problem. I always select (customize) my gameplay settings--first at the Main Menu and then again in the 'office' prior to entering the patrol. It's been a while since I have started from scratch, but I have never had my options re-arranged by the game doing it that way.

08-14-08, 09:35 AM	#3
tigone Mate Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 56 Downloads: 33 Uploads: 0	I'm running the same mod configuration as Archive1, and encountered the same problem initially. You have to change your gameplay options in the "office" at the start of a patrol, and then they're set for that patrol. I don't believe you can change them once you begin the patrol.

08-14-08, 11:40 AM	#4
Orion2012 Commodore Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 611 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Some of the setting can be changed mid=patrol by editing the gameplaysettings.ini file. Although doing so COULD result in a CTD or other problems. I myself have used it to turn off the auto targeting mid-patrol and had no problems, but that dosen't mean it won't happen.

08-15-08, 12:42 AM	#5
Archive1 Captain Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington State south of Tacoma Posts: 495 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Banjo: Yes, I understand, but have you noticed that many of your Main Menu selections (maybe External Camera "On") were not available if you selected 'Normal' or 'Realistic' at the 'Office'? I will tell you they are not then operative. Try setting up a 'fake' patrol with a commander you don't care about: set the Main Menu options, then set the 'Office' options and see if you can use one of the Main Menu settings - select something you can evaluate like External Camera 'On'. I guarantee that if you then set the 'Office' setting at 'Normal' or 'Realistic' or anything but 'Easy' the external camera (F12)will not be available during the ensuing patrol...in other words your choice will have been overidden by the fixed, hard-coded Office setting which does not allow the player to use his desired 'custom' external camera at a Normal or Realistic setting. Tigone: I think the above is a good test for you too. The "office" settings over-ride the Main Menu settings so there really is no "custom" option for the player. Orion2012: I'd never, ever try resetting such in mid-patrol. I think the only things you can get away with resetting in such circumstance are .tga files. Maybe you're just lucky in your choice of things to change. Or maybe I've just been unlucky in those I've chosen to change. Thanks all for the responses.

08-15-08, 01:59 PM	#6
Webster Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	so your saying after selecting custom and choosing the options you want available, when you start your career the option revert to a preset group of options rather than those you chose? is this happening for single missions and patrols as well or just in career mode? also can you be more specific as to the choices you made and what it changed to as well as the mods being used at the time so maybe we can try to repeat the curcumstances to see if we have the same issue.

08-15-08, 02:08 PM	#7
Nisgeis Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2,909 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 11	I believe that TMO disables some options, specifically external views and perhaps dud torpedoes.

08-16-08, 11:04 PM	#8
Archive1 Captain Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington State south of Tacoma Posts: 495 Downloads: 26 Uploads: 0	Web: I think this is only in career mode, and as Nisgeis says, I believe that the TMO designers may have disabled several of the options in the Main Menu. I say this since I am running TMO/RSRD with v1.5. I do not know if the original - or TMO-unmodified - version does the same. I chose the example of External Camera since it is easy to demostrate that it is not working and it can be demonstrated in a short space of time. For example: 'dud torpedoes' requires several targets to prove one way or another; 'realistic fuel/O2' etc require the same time lag, maybe the 'Stabilize' view is also easy and quick. I have no way of knowing if these or others, have also been 'adjusted' back to some arbitrary programmer's standard to fit a 'new' supermod model. But I think that some 'notice' should be given to the user that the 'Custom' game setting is no longer valid if you chose anything other than 'Easy' when you begin a career if you are in TMO/RSRD. One of the problems with these really two fine supermods (unlike GWX in SH3) is the lack of a detailed manual that describes what the designers did and what options remain for the player. At least I can't find anything with detailed material, maybe I'm wrong. On a different topic (sorry Thread) I downloaded a program to work with .dds files. Maybe we can convert the torpedo damage (.tga or paintshop) files from SH3 to give better graphical damage to hulls in SH4. Haven't had time to explore but will do so. Good to hear from you.