awww, it's done it AGAIN,

[She-Wolf]

I recently put TMO 2.5 on again, because I missed it. I had taken it off some while ago because of strange 'blip' which no-one else seems to have experienced. I would be creeping up on my quarry, at night, saving often, and occasionally reloading to a previous save to try again, and I would load back in expecting to see the dark night and my quarry bearing down upon me, just getting nicely lined up - but instead it would be broad daylight, no sign of the ship I had been targetting, but the clock still showing 23.00 or whatever. The clock would continue to give the wrong time for the rest of the mission ( no NOT to do with local time v base time), and it would happen ( night turning to day) several times, until I found it too frustrating to go on as it always seemed to be when I was lining up a target. So I took it off, and the problem went away.

I have been playing TMO 2.5 for about a week- ten days and am on my second mission and lining up on an Akita Maru (?) at about 23.00, saved, reloaded a bit later and suddenly it is full day and my ship is nowhere to be seen - and the time is still at 23.00.

Fed up, up, UP.

[Armistead]

I don't recall this issue using TMO, night turning to day. Course, I never save over and over near a group of ships. Do you have the problem when not near ships.

[She-Wolf]

well, one ship. I save lots whatever the scenario, and re-load to a previous save if I am not happy about the out-come or progress of creeping up on the enemy. Obviously one would not need to do that if there was no action coming up ( or if one was a better skipper maybe!). Thing is, it only happened in TMO... Taken it off now (sulk) try something else

[fireftr18]

Did you install "TMO 2.5 small patch"?

[She-Wolf]

yes fire, I did; SO discouraged... I feel I am never going to get more than three or four missions into the game befors something goes wrong and I have to start all over... still ( brightens up) I do have the saved data folder, and I did do the JSGME snapshot, so at least I won't have to reinstall everything.
Right now I have computers to fix so I can't scratch that particular itch just yet, but, of course, I will be back on the briny again soon.

I got quite fond of my little starting-out sub in SH3 ( UBII was it?) and even gave it a name - Rotbile, which stands for Rusty Old Tub but I love 'er - because I never ever got enough renown to get a bigger better sub. Think I will have to do the same for my SH4 Porpoise as I can see we are going to spend a loooooong time together.

[HertogJan]

From what I've read, you should only save when you haven't got any contacts (air or sea).
Sometimes you'll get problems like smoke coming from you sub when submerged and other symptoms like the ones you described.

Can't remember where I read that tho (read to much to recall the thread or post).

[She-Wolf]

I dunno HJ, I never got this problem of night being turned to day outside of TMO - but I don't think I should blame the mod - lots play it and THEY don't get any problem. I think it IS to do with saving and reloading that save when getting a ship lined up for attack - something doesn't quite go right when I go back in. As it has only ever happened in TMO, and I don't have a solution, the simplest thing is to come out of TMO. I have always played that way ( save at a key point so I can go back if I don't like the way things are going), from SH3 on, and not had any problems before. If I were as good a player as many here I probably would not feel the need to adjust my approach, or whatever, but I am not, so that is my only solution.

[HertogJan]

...Ain't you the perfectionist


I give myself about 5Nm headstart for a single ship and about 6 or 7Nm (depending on the weather) for a convoy... if I ******* up then its back to the drawingboard.

I can't hit two ships at a time in a convoy... been breaking my head bout it for some time now but keep missing...., sometimes both vessels even

[She-Wolf]

we all play differently I guess - some at 100% realism. I don't go that far as I like to take a peek above the waves to see what is what when I am skulking 250 feet down or whatever...

[merc4ulfate]

I used to run into this bug now and again. There was one thing I changed about how I saved the game. I used to save the game prior to engagment and call it something like, convoy1, or Battleship in Manila. Names that would help me remember which engagment was which.

These saves would sometimes change day and night and sometimes the contacts would go away if I reloaded them. I had a question about it ages ago and someone told me not to save in anything but - blah blah blah leaving port with the date. You know the default save upon entering or leaving home port.

I began doing this with an occasional appendage to the end so if it said -leaving port 05 23 1442_1 I might add a 1 or a 2 at the end to keep the original save in case I died. Since then I have never had the issue of day and night changing nor have I had the issue of losing contacts out of a save.

I have saved with a singal ship near by, on the surface as well as submerged, a convoy after intial attack and battlegroups. Since I stopped calling them specific names on save and left the default names I simply do not have the issue any longer.

Give it a try Lady and se eif it helps.

[TorpX]

I always save with a distinct, specific name; that is along the lines of:

Captain's Name-date-time or occasion 1
Captain's Name-date-time or occasion 2
Captain's Name-date-time or occasion 3
etc.
etc.

I also will often save during approaches, evasions, just before torpedo luanches, just after sinkings, etc. People have reported problems when overwriting old saves with new ones. I don't know if it really is a problem, but there is no advantage in doing it.



She-Wolf,

Have you used JSGME to verify your game files?

Is the career you're now using, a "fresh" career started with TMO?

Have you tried re-installing TMO with a "fresh" copy?

Are you using other mods besides TMO?

Providing an exact mod list might help someone spot something.

[She-Wolf]

merc4ulfate - thank you for that, so nice to know I am not the only one who has had this problem, and it confirms that it is to do with saving and reloading that is the issue

I had not thought of appending to the original leaving port autosave, so that is useful, and now, from what TorpX has said, I can see that it is probably overwriting old saves that causes the problem - I do that all the time! I have certain keywords that describe the action -
ATTACK
Creeping
beginpat
arrived
wardown
merchdown etc

when the occasion suits the descriptor, I overwrite - and except for this problem in TMO, it never has been a problem before. Guess I will have to change my ways

Torpx dear heart, yes to all your questions. I had taken TMO off some months back because of this problem, and on returning to SH4 a few weeks back wanted to reinstall that mod, so did all of those things and followed advice on what mods to include and what didn't oughta be there.

I think you and merc have identified the wrong-doing, and I shall have to change my ways - but not immediately! I have ( temporarily) removed TMO and am now running RFB and RSRDC in a new career, stationed in the Asiatic Fleet, and on my very first patrol, even before I have got halfway to my destination, I have run into THE biggest convoy, with the sillouhettes of several battle cruisers, all coming dead at me! Yay! I gotta see that through first - but not today as two laptops to upgrade are the priority. Thank you for your help gentlemen, greatly appreciated.

[BigWalleye]

She-wolf, I have found that there are two save-related actions which consistently result in in-game problems, and if I avoid these two, I get consistent uncorrupted saves with absolutely no in-game problems (that weren't coded by UberSoft!). One is: NEVER over-write a saved game. The save process is much more elaborate than just writing out a single file, and there is apparently a bug somewhere. Always use a different name for the saved game than any currently existing save. If you want to use the same name, delete the existing file first. Do not try to save to an existing save.

The second action: NEVER change the mod load between saves, unless the save was an automatic in-port save between patrols. Any change to the mod load can produce inpredictable in-game performance. There are probably some mods that won't cause a problem - sound mods, for instance - but, if you value the career you're working on, avoid any and all changes just out of prudence.

Since I began following these two rules I have had ZERO problems with the game. I run RFB with RSRDC and a boat-load of other mods. I can save in the middle of combat, dived, surfaced, with or without my lucky rabbit's foot, etc, etc, and the game restores perfectly. YMMV, but I'd urge you give these two restrictions a try.

[Bilge_Rat]

yes, important to make no changes between ports.

I also save with the game paused and on the Nav Map which seems to help. I dont have any issue even when saving near ships or submerged. I try to only save on the surface and away from all contacts, but that is not always possible.

I do have a small issue which only seems to pop up after I have been subject to a DC attack. As soon as I load the save game, I hear the sound of a DC going off/explosion, but everything else is normal. Anyone else get that? TMO 2.5.

[She-Wolf]

Thank you both. I think I have got the message now; never overwrite old saves, better to delete and then save to the same name if you want - that would be OK - zat right??

Yes, know about the don't change mods thing, been observing that since sh3 days and always start afresh from Port when a major change occurs.

I am optimistic that when I go back into TMO, and follow these rules, I will not have any further unhappy experiences. Cheers chaps - you are all stars!!