Most Realistic GUI/Optics mods?

[BillCar]

In the month since getting SH3 + GWX 3.0, I have gone from 89% realism to 95%. I'm preparing myself now for the jump into obsessive realism.

With that in mind, I've started looking for realistic optics interfaces. So far, it looks like OLC is the best one, but I am not TOO knowledgeable as to what I should expect from my optics, targeting materials, and so on. Is it reasonably realistic?

So far as I can understand, there were no stadimeters, and the UZO didn't have a rangefinder. Both scopes should run at 1.5x and 6x, as opposed to the 10x and 4x (or whatever) in the stock scope config.

OLC also has that great attack wheel, and the range/AOB/speed finder. I am still new to researching this stuff. Are these tools historically accurate? I sure hope so, because I do love them.

Any recommendations / suggestions / corrections are appreciated! I want the most realism that can be afforded from my computer chair.

[Pisces]

This thread should help a bit. It was talked about a few weeks back. If you do a search for threads started by OLC or Hitman or Joegrundman you'll get more specific info.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=159696

[BillCar]

Thanks! I did a search, but I guess I was using the wrong terms.

By the way, I love that attack wheel thing that I believe you were responsible for.

[comet61]

OLC and Makman's MaGui are very similar. Either one are fine. I use MaGui myself. Each of these mods have their strengths-plus, they both use the attack wheel in the scope; which by the way I'm gettin' pretty good at...

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by BillCar

Thanks! I did a search, but I guess I was using the wrong terms.

By the way, I love that attack wheel thing that I believe you were responsible for.

Only in part, just the scratchmarks if you mean that wheel on the attack periscope.

No, do not ask to get it removed. Or else somebody will asks about it again tomorrow.

[Hitman]

So far, it looks like OLC is the best one, but I am not TOO knowledgeable as to what I should expect from my optics, targeting materials, and so on. Is it reasonably realistic?

You must always bear in mind that realism in such a limited environment as a game is many times a matter of trade-offs. So yes, OLC is overall very realistic in recreating the first models of periscopes installed in WW2 german Uboats. It is specially adequate for simulating the attack periscope installed in the Type II U-Boats and some of the fixed-height attack periscopes in other Types (Like the one seen in Das Boot, where the captain sits on a chair and embraces the whole periscope column that rotates hydraulically at his command).

The are however minor aspects where it can't be as realistic as one would wish, but that is not OLC's fault, just a game limitation. I am referring to the size of the scopeview. While it is realistic in that it offers good detail of what you see, it is irrealistic in that it doesn't keep the proportions with the rest of views, and makes you lose the sense of those proportions. This is a game limitation, either you have a good definition and lose the proportions, or you get the right proportions and lose definition. A decission had to be done, and OLC chose that. In my interface mod, the opposite route has been taken, and it is obviously realistic in a different way. Each has advantages and disadvantages, but you bet 99% of the GUI mods out there are miles ahead in terms of realism when compared to the original interface.

So far as I can understand, there were no stadimeters, and the UZO didn't have a rangefinder.

Not exactly. In the early war models there were stadimeters, but later they were sacrificed in favour of binocular view and cheaper & easier construction. The UZO hnever had a rangefinder, that's correct.

Both scopes should run at 1.5x and 6x, as opposed to the 10x and 4x (or whatever) in the stock scope config.

Yes, but the 10x/4x is a GWX setting. Stock is 1,5/6x for attack and 1x/4x for observation.

OLC also has that great attack wheel, and the range/AOB/speed finder. I am still new to researching this stuff. Are these tools historically accurate? I sure hope so, because I do love them.

Historically accurate to a 100%

[BillCar]

I am in awe of your expertise, Hitman! I am in the process now of building a copy of the Angriffsscheibe from your template. You rock.

What is your interface called? I would like to try it, too!

Thanks for your advice. I didn't know the 10x was GWX thing, since I never have played SH3 without GWX 3.0 installed!

EDIT: One other question – I just watched a video tutorial by OLC where he is showing his scope without the doubled mast values, and with numbered horizontal gradations of 10, 20 and 30 as opposed to 5, 10, 15. So each line is worth two marks, and mast values are not doubled. Is this more realistic than his first draft? Or does it represent a system for later/earlier in the war than the other one, and is equally realistic depending on the time?

[Flopper]

Like since the original panzer general. Okay, I was wrong.

I daresay nobody has put more time in sh3 than me since i got it from steam right after christmas (and if anyone has, they have a serious problem). ;-)

this stuff has come a long way since silent service on the commodore 64. and i wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone in these forums for all the info and mod work. Now my wife might have some different words for you, but...

I'm amazed at how you guys can take something that's so-so and make it ROCK. Thanks again, y'all.

[Panser]

Originally Posted by Flopper

I daresay nobody has put more time in sh3 than me since i got it from steam right after christmas (and if anyone has, they have a serious problem). ;-)

Try 53.5 hours since December 24th. If you beat that, I'm seriously impressed!


/off topic

[Hitman]

I am in awe of your expertise, Hitman! I am in the process now of building a copy of the Angriffsscheibe from your template. You rock.

LOL How I wish that was true This is a matter that, the more you dig on it, the more you realize how little you know. There's nothing like losing a war to have the info about details be deleted and dissapear. You have no idea how difficult it is to get every bit of information about how the german periscopes worked, and what features they had I have been in contact with the guy in charge of the Zeiss archives, and even they lost most info after the war. Also the guys who care about U-505 in the museum know almost nothing about such details, and the periscopes on U-505 are no longer in working condition. Same for the U-995 and Vessikko.

What is your interface called? I would like to try it, too!

It's Hitman Optics, and it comes already with NYGM >3.2 versions as optional mod. For GWX, you can see screenshots and get it here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147757

If not for anything else, you can download it (It's a very small d/l) for teh documentation. I included on it a dossier about german optics with pictures and info.

I'm working for a long time already in a major new version, which is nearly ready, but there are still some things I'm undecided about

EDIT: One other question – I just watched a video tutorial by OLC where he is showing his scope without the doubled mast values, and with numbered horizontal gradations of 10, 20 and 30 as opposed to 5, 10, 15. So each line is worth two marks, and mast values are not doubled. Is this more realistic than his first draft? Or does it represent a system for later/earlier in the war than the other one, and is equally realistic depending on the time?

AFAIK that had nothing to do with realism, it's just an option he chose for making the use of it easier, but that was dropped later in newer versions when OLC realised that he could do it other way round.

[BillCar]

Can someone tell me how to move the target ID and torpedo indicators from the centre of the OLC periscope view to the top left? I know that there was a post about this, but I have been searching for it for about 20 minutes now and cannot figure out where that post got to!

Found it. For anyone similarly interested, here you go: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...ht=olc+torpedo

[BillCar]

Hitman, sorry to be so demanding, but is it possible you could rehost that GWX Optics Mod of yours? I can't seem to get it to download for me, and I really wanna try it out!

Or, if anyone else knows where a functional link is, feel free to post it yourself!

Thanks in advance!

[Bosje]

so...
i currently have OLC's gold installed on top of gwx3 and i love almost everything about it, except that i end up just eyeballing everything, getting a target speed by letting the ship pass across my zero bearing and then firing a fast moving torpedo leading x degrees, x being target speed in knots...

i grow awefully tired of drawing all those (inaccurate) lines when i should be concerning myself with the decision making process of the attack. especially since the line-drawing and range/aob measuring ofter gives me wildly inaccurate results anyway, so i feel i might as well not bother and thus i end up going for eyeball shots anyway...

dont get me wrong, the problem is me being impatient and noobish, combined with game limitations, but it starts to take away some of the fun from my games.

but stripping OLCs gui away will make gwx seem way too easy as far as plotting is concerned

so my question: is there any possible way of making it so that all map updates are still off except that one single target which you select and which gets plotted by your crew?

[Pisces]

Well, I think it allready does. I have noticed on more than one occasion that a text label (describing the target) appears when I clicked on the map in the general location of a target. I don't know if it is just a temporary marking, or dependant on it being detected by periscope or crew on the bridge. But I have seen it move. And it might also depend on the zoom level. Not sure about many of this, but there is something hidden in OLCs map. Needs to be investigated further.

[urfisch]

most realistic would station for station has its own gui. so the peri would have nothing more, than a stopwatch and the submenu, to give orders. otherwise one have to use this gui instead, which was done for sh4:



i like the wac gui. and made some tweaks by myself.