Problem with SH3 Commander patrol start date

[Ginger Beer]

I've installed the latest version of SH3 Commander, and have set the number of days in port as 14 ( just for convenience ). I've altered the end date of the last patrol to February 15th in patrols.cfg.

However, when I launch my saved career from SH3 Commander, I keep getting a start date of March 23rd for my new patrol , not March 1st as expected. ( February 15th plus 14 days = March 1st )

I'm in an online SH3 campaign, and I need to force the start date to March 1st.

Anyone got any ideas ?

[HW3]

Did you buy any equipment upgrades? The time required to install them will be added to the 14 days I think.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by Ginger Beer

I've installed the latest version of SH3 Commander, and have set the number of days in port as 14 ( just for convenience ). I've altered the end date of the last patrol to February 15th in patrols.cfg.

However, when I launch my saved career from SH3 Commander, I keep getting a start date of March 23rd for my new patrol , not March 1st as expected. ( February 15th plus 14 days = March 1st )

I'm in an online SH3 campaign, and I need to force the start date to March 1st.

Anyone got any ideas ?

Why did you alter the end date of the last patrol? Doing so makes it much harder to fault find - the previous date was there for a reason!

OK, dumb questions first...
-"Set number of days spent in base to:" option is checked?
-After you changed the date in Patrols.cfg, did it correctly display as the "Last Patrol End" date in SH3Cmdr?
-What was the original end date that you overwrote?
-You didn't upgrade after going into SH3? For if you do and your in-base date goes beyond the 14 days, your next patrol will (logically) start on the later date.
-In your game's Basic.cfg file, what is the value assigned to NbDaysInBase (under TIME block) - both pre and post rollback?

[Ginger Beer]

HW3, no I haven't bought any upgrades. I'm aware that doing so pushes back the patrol start date.

Why did you alter the end date of the last patrol? Doing so makes it much harder to fault find - the previous date was there for a reason!

In the online campaign I'm in ( www.wolvesatwar.com) we have three month patrol periods, the current one starting March 1st and ending May 31st 1942. This is so we are all sailing in the same period in the war. In order to get the required patrol start date, I would edit the end date of the previous patrol so that after the default number of days in port which is 31.

I thought that as I could now use SH3 Commander to specify the number of days in port, and so set it at 14 ( as a convenient number ), editing my last patrol end date to 14 days prior to March 1st would mean my next patrol start date would be March 1st...which is what I want.

-"Set number of days spent in base to:" option is checked?

Yes, thats set to 14 days

-After you changed the date in Patrols.cfg, did it correctly display as the "Last Patrol End" date in SH3Cmdr?

No. It shows the last patrol end date to be Wed Feb 4th 1942, not what I edited it to in patrols.cfg, which is Feb 15th 1942

-What was the original end date that you overwrote?

Feb 4th 1942

-You didn't upgrade after going into SH3? For if you do and your in-base date goes beyond the 14 days, your next patrol will (logically) start on the later date.

No, didn't upgrade anything.

-In your game's Basic.cfg file, what is the value assigned to (under TIME block) - both pre and post rollback?

I launched the game from SH3 Commander, started a patrol , exited and docked immediately, and the value for was 14. After rollback it returned to 31.


I think what I'll do is uninstall SH3 Commander, reinstall the back up copy of my career folder, change the end patrol date to 15th Feb, manually edit the NbDaysInBase to 14 days, then install SH3 Commander again and set the number of days in base to 14, so matching the manually edited value. Clearly, the number of days in base value selected in SH3 Commander doesn't come into effect till after you return from the first SH3 Commander-launched patrol ( Read that carefully, it does make sense )

Other than that, is there anything glaringly wrong that you think I've done ?

Very grateful for your response to this, BTW

[Ginger Beer]

Here's what I did:

1) I edited Patrols.cfg in my career folder as follows ( actual changes in bold )

[PATROL 004]
PatrolNumber=4
StartYear=1941
StartMonth=12
StartDay=1
StartHour=4
StartMin=42
EndYear=1942
EndMonth=2
EndDay=15 ( changed from EndDay=2)
EndHour=9
EndMin=15
RealYear=2005
RealMonth=10
RealDay=16
RealHour=19
RealMin=49
StartLocation=753
EndLocation=753
SubType=2
SubVersion=1
SubName=U-530
PatrolArea=BB43
TonnageSunk=63374.000000
MerchantTonnageSunk=63374.000000
WarshipTonnageSunk=0.000000
ShipsSunkNb=10
WarShipsSunkNb=0
PatrolCraftSunkNb=0
CorvetteSunkNb=0
FrigateSunkNb=0
DestroyerEscortSunkNb=0
DestroyerSunkNb=0
MineSweeperSunkNb=0
LightCruiserSunkNb=0
HeavyCruiserSunkNb=0
EscortCarrierSunkNb=0
AircraftCarrierSunkNb=0
BattleCruiserSunkNb=0
BattleShipSunkNb=0
MineLayingShipSunkNb=0
AuxiliaryCruiserSunkNb=0
MerchantShipsSunkNb=10
SupplyShipNb=0
FuelTankerNb=0
CargoShipNb=0
TroopTransportNb=0
PlanesDownNb=0
FighterAircraftNb=0
BomberAircraftNb=0
DiveBomberAircraftNb=0
TorpedoBomberAircraftNb=0
ScoutAircraftNb=0
HelicopterNb=0
AirENVIRONMENTALNb=0
CompletedPatrol=Yes
PatrolGridObjCompleted=No
ReachGridObjCompleted=No
OffDead=0
PODead=0
SeamenDead=0
OffWounded=0
POWounded=0
SeamenWounded=0
NbMedalsWounded=0
NbMedalsUboat=11
NbMedalsFront=1
NbMedalsKnights=0
NbMedalsGerman=0
NbMedals1stCross=1
NbMedals2ndCross=3
PromotionsNb=0
AssignQual=Yes
Flotilla=903
NbDaysInBase=14 (Changed from NbDaysInBase=31)
HullIntegrity=53.090931
DeltaRenown=1828.250000
NbSaves=16
ChangedRank=No

2) I edited the basic.cfg in my game folder as follows:

[TIME]
TransferFlotilla=1
NbDaysInBase=14 (Changed from NbDaysInBase=31)
NbPatrolsInFlotilla=3
NbMonthsInFlotilla=6


So far, so good. If I launch the game now, in the normal manner without SH3 Commander even installed, I start my new patrol on March 1st 1942 as expected.


Now, I reinstall SH3 Commander, and this is what I get: Note that the Last Patrol End Date is Feb 15th 1942, as edited in patrols.cfg...but where does the current date of Monday March 23rd 1942 come from ?? For some reason its decided that I'm going to be in port for 37 days. If I now launch the game using SH3 Commander, I'm at Lorient on March 23rd, not the March 1st






Setting the number of days spent in port to 14, as below,makes no difference. I still set sail on March 23rd.




So the question is...why does SH3 Commander decide initially that I should spend 37 days in port, and can I edit that to 14 ?

[Observer]

The answer is in your \!Backup\data\Cfg folder in your SH3 Commander installation. Check the basic.cfg copy here and you will find NbDaysInBase=37.

This appears to be a bug.

[JScones]

Ignoring Observer's response for the moment.

Bluntly, too much manual tinkering and playing around has exacerbated the problem. Further, if at any stage you *commenced* patrol 6, you're at the whim of SH3's date "rollback" if you subsequently delete the saved game and go back to the last "in base" save.

Originally Posted by Ginger Beer

I think what I'll do is uninstall SH3 Commander, reinstall the back up copy of my career folder, change the end patrol date to 15th Feb, manually edit the NbDaysInBase to 14 days, then install SH3 Commander again and set the number of days in base to 14, so matching the manually edited value. Clearly, the number of days in base value selected in SH3 Commander doesn't come into effect till after you return from the first SH3 Commander-launched patrol ( Read that carefully, it does make sense

1. You do not need to uninstall/reinstall SH3Cmdr, unless you are running release 2.1 or earlier, in which case you should download release 2.2 and install it (doesn't appear to be the case here anyway).
2. Restore your career to its pre-tinkered state. Do *not* manually change *anything*.
3. Run SH3Cmdr. If the current career date shows as after 1 Mar 1942, no matter what you do, SH3Cmdr will *not* give you a 1 Mar 1942 start date (this ain't the Final Countdown ). There is one exception, which as it will take more than 20 words to explain, I will leave to later if required (gives me time to figure out how to explain it! ).
4. Don't forget that starting patrols, even if you later delete the save game, will force SH3 to write the patrol start date as the current career date, which is what has already happened in your case.

So, reloading your "clean" career in SH3Cmdr, if the current career date shows as less than 1 Mar 1942, set the days in base value to be the difference between 1 Mar 1942 and the last patrol end date. Unless you have at some stage already commenced the patrol and exited, you should find that you will end up in the sub on the date you expect.

I won't go down any other other route until you advise how you went with this.

But, I can say, I just tested four times with similar circumstances to yours and got the expected date every time. Only once did the date differ to what I expected, and that was not an SH3Cmdr problem: it was because of the SH3 "exception" I mention above. The patrol start date was, however, the correct date when I realised what SH3 was doing.

Anyway, if you are still having problems, pls email me your unmodified career files, including the save files, and I'll have a look.

[Ginger Beer]

Okay, did as you said...reverted my last patrol completion date to what it was ( Feb 4th 1942 ) and undid the alterations to the NBDaysInBase line both in Patrols.cfg in my career folder, and in basic.cfg in my game folder.

Here's what I get



The current date is Monday March 23rd 1942.



After doing this I looked at the NBDaysInBase in my careers folder Patrols.cfg...its gone up from the default 31 days to 47!

[PATROL 004]
PatrolNumber=4
StartYear=1941
StartMonth=12
StartDay=1
StartHour=4
StartMin=42
EndYear=1942
EndMonth=2
EndDay=4
EndHour=9
EndMin=15
RealYear=2005
RealMonth=10
RealDay=16
RealHour=19
RealMin=49
StartLocation=753
EndLocation=753
SubType=2
SubVersion=1
SubName=U-530
PatrolArea=BB43
TonnageSunk=63374.000000
MerchantTonnageSunk=63374.000000
WarshipTonnageSunk=0.000000
ShipsSunkNb=10
WarShipsSunkNb=0
PatrolCraftSunkNb=0
CorvetteSunkNb=0
FrigateSunkNb=0
DestroyerEscortSunkNb=0
DestroyerSunkNb=0
MineSweeperSunkNb=0
LightCruiserSunkNb=0
HeavyCruiserSunkNb=0
EscortCarrierSunkNb=0
AircraftCarrierSunkNb=0
BattleCruiserSunkNb=0
BattleShipSunkNb=0
MineLayingShipSunkNb=0
AuxiliaryCruiserSunkNb=0
MerchantShipsSunkNb=10
SupplyShipNb=0
FuelTankerNb=0
CargoShipNb=0
TroopTransportNb=0
PlanesDownNb=0
FighterAircraftNb=0
BomberAircraftNb=0
DiveBomberAircraftNb=0
TorpedoBomberAircraftNb=0
ScoutAircraftNb=0
HelicopterNb=0
AirENVIRONMENTALNb=0
CompletedPatrol=Yes
PatrolGridObjCompleted=No
ReachGridObjCompleted=No
OffDead=0
PODead=0
SeamenDead=0
OffWounded=0
POWounded=0
SeamenWounded=0
NbMedalsWounded=0
NbMedalsUboat=11
NbMedalsFront=1
NbMedalsKnights=0
NbMedalsGerman=0
NbMedals1stCross=1
NbMedals2ndCross=3
PromotionsNb=0
AssignQual=Yes
Flotilla=903
NbDaysInBase=47
HullIntegrity=53.090931
DeltaRenown=1828.250000
NbSaves=16
ChangedRank=No


I then looked at the [TIME] section of my game's Basic.cfg :

[TIME]
TransferFlotilla=1
NbDaysInBase=31
NbPatrolsInFlotilla=3
NbMonthsInFlotilla=6


Note that here, the default NbDaysInBase value is unaltered at 31


Thats where I stand at the moment. What makes SH3 Commander alter the patrols.cfg NbDaysInBase value from the default 31 to 47 ?

Once again, Jscones your help is appreciated. Observer, you too, though I'll stick with Jscones for the time being if thats okay.

[Observer]

Originally Posted by JScones

Ignoring Observer's response for the moment.

That's a bit rude since I'm trying to point out where I think the problem lies.:hmm:

Nevertheless, I encountered exactly the same behavior. SH3 Commander appears to be updating the value in the game folder, but then, on launch, copying the basic.cfg from the \!Backup\... folder to the game folder. In fairness I didn't check to see if it copied the entire file, or just this key.

[JScones]

I can assure you it is not - writing to Basic.cfg is literally the last thing that occurs before load and after the file is backed up. Plus, Ginger Beer has stated that "I launched the game from SH3 Commander, started a patrol , exited and docked immediately, and the value for was 14. After rollback it returned to 31." which means that the saved backup version of Basic.cfg had the default SH3 31 day value.

Anyway, we're only parking your response for the moment - I am keeping an open mind on this. Apologies if the sentence gave the wrong message.

Ginger Beer, can you pls email me (to the address in the SH3Cmdr Help.html file), your unmodified career files (from your clean backup) including saves? I'll have a look. I think I know the answer, but a simple test will tell for sure. Note though that SH3Cmdr makes no changes to Patrols.cfg or Patrols_0.cfg in regards to changing the days in base value - only the value in Basic.cfg is changed. If you've had it set to 14 all along, I have no idea where 47 came from!

[Ginger Beer]

Originally Posted by JScones

Ginger Beer, can you pls email me (to the address in the SH3Cmdr Help.html file), your unmodified career files (from your clean backup) including saves? I'll have a look. I think I know the answer, but a simple test will tell for sure. Note though that SH3Cmdr makes no changes to Patrols.cfg or Patrols_0.cfg in regards to changing the days in base value - only the value in Basic.cfg is changed. If you've had it set to 14 all along, I have no idea where 47 came from!

You dont mean send the entire My Documents/SH3 folder do you ? Its 154 MB !

What files from it do you need ?

Not to change a fascinating subject, but I just wanted to note that I've been using the 'Randomise' setting, and I've had times in port vary from 38 days (type VIIb, with only 44% hull remaining) to as little as 5 days (Type IIb, with all torpedoes still on board). I think you've done a great job with the randomizer, and I won't use it any other way.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion.