Free Sample SH3 Ships at CombatPlanes

[macstu23]

First off, apologies if this has come up before...I've been out of the SH3 scene for a while, but I thought I should bring up this little find I made recently.

I was wondering if anyone had come across this site before ? I discovered it by accident when browsing for Flight Sim addons. I was surprised to see Silent Hunter 3mentioned, and a plug for the notorious 'SeaWolves' and 'Battle in the Med' payware expansion packs;

http://www.combatplanes.ca/index.html

On the 'Samples' page they have 3x SH3 ship models available to download, claiming to be just 3 of 26 or so ships included in their Expansion announced in January of '06, which i'm assuming was their Battle in the Med expansion. I gave them a try out and here's what i found;


First model listed 'Fast Transport', basically a modification of the Transport already in the game with a second funnel added, crashes my SH3 after loading at startup. Perhaps one of our ship modders could take a look at the files and find out what may be the cause.

Second model, the 'APD Light Transport', a moded Fletcher class Destroyer, does actually work, and isn't half bad looking, apart from a slight texture mapping problem on its Mast Array. I could have lived with this if it were not for the fact that it's textures also replaced my Stock Fletcher class Destroyers texture and replicated the problem on its Mast Array also. Hmmph...see thumbnail.





The third model, the 'USS Wasp' CV, looks way too much like an Illustrious clone.
She was in fact a Yorktown class Carrier...and as for the textures of the aircraft on deck?... Well, take a look at the thumbnail below and judge for yourself.



I should say here that it is just possible an addon ship I already have may be causing the above texture error, though it wasnt replicated on other Illustrious models I have installed (Ark Royal). Perhaps someone could install it on their system and try it out. Going by the error already seen in the previous screenshot however, I dont really suspect that another addon is to blame.


Conclusion...A big .
If this is part of a payware package, I think I'll just stick with the mods and addons that are already available for free. I'm wondering what potential errors the 23 other ships in their expansion (which I'd have to pay for) might contain, and how much they might also affect the stock files.

At least if there are problems with addons in the freeware community, then other users, if not the modders themselves, will tell us about it...and they dont charge for their services either.

Keep up the good work freeware modders.

[macstu23]

Sorry, my thumbnails didnt work...My mistake..Here are direct links to the images.

APD Error;
http://img147.imageshack.us/my.php?i...pderrormm8.jpg

Wasp Error;
http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?i...sperrorcs3.jpg

[Dowly]

Let´s hope they fix those on the final version. There really shouldn´t be flaws like that in a payware add-on.

[Myxale]

Why buying at all?

The community will come up with top quality stuff themself. In all my Years of Falcon and OFP gaming, :hmm:there were non-stop instences of the modders out-modding the maker!

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Myxale

Why buying at all?

The community will come up with top quality stuff themself. In all my Years of Falcon and OFP gaming, :hmm:there were non-stop instences of the modders out-modding the maker!

I´m not going to buy, as part of the TGW dev team, I know it´s not worth it.

[mr chris]

Originally Posted by Dowly

I´m not going to buy, as part of the TGW dev team, I know it´s not worth it.

Grey Wolves rules

[sh3rules]

Originally Posted by Myxale

In all my Years of Falcon and OFP gaming, :hmm:there were non-stop instences of the modders out-modding the maker!

I guess the Falcon community has always been very active. OFP has slowed down a bit, my guess is because Armed Assault will come out at the end of the year .

[AG124]

I got the two transports somewhere, although it wasn't from that site. The Fast Transport loads up in the Museum alright, but I have heard that it crashes the game when breaking in two. If people are going to use these ships, then someone should check that out.

The Fletcher APD is alright - except I don't think any Fletcher's were actually converted to APDs. If I am wrong, then please let me know.

As for the Wasp (CV6) - she was not actually a Yorktown class carrier. She had a similar profile, but was smaller and had a taller thinner funnel. She still didn't really look like the Illustrious class though.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by AG124

As for the Wasp (CV6) - she was not actually a Yorktown class carrier. She had a similar profile, but was smaller and had a taller thinner funnel. She still didn't really look like the Illustrious class though.

Actually mate USS Wasp was a ( CV-7 ) but otherwise you are correct
The eighth USS Wasp (CV-7) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier. She was the sole ship of her class. Built to use up the remaining tonnage allowed to the United States for aircraft carriers under the treaties of the time, she was built on a reduced-size version of the Yorktown class hull.

USS Wasp (CV-7), 1940-1942

USS Wasp, a 14,700 ton aircraft carrier, was built at Quincy, Massachusetts. She was commissioned in April 1940 and spent the next two years in the Atlantic area, taking part in exercises, Neutrality enforcement, "short of war" operations and early World War II tasks. In April and May 1942, Wasp assisted the British Home Fleet in the North Atlantic and twice entered the Mediterranean Sea to deliver Royal Air Force aircraft to Malta.
Wasp was dispatched to the Pacific in June 1942 to reinforce U.S. Naval forces there in the wake of the carrier battles of Coral Sea and Midway and in preparation for offensive operations in the Southern Pacific. In early August, she participated in the invasion of Guadalcanal. The remainder of her service life was devoted to the effort to hold that vital island in the face of Japanese attempts to recapture it. On 15 September 1942, while steaming well to the southward of Guadalcanal, USS Wasp was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-19. Uncontrollable gasoline fires forced her abandonment, and she was sunk by torpedoes from an escorting destroyer.


Also She was Re-Built as a ( CV-18 ) (later CVA-18 and CVS-18)

CLASS - ESSEX (Short Hull)
Displacement 27,100 Tons, Dimensions, 872' (oa) x 93' x 28' 7" (Max)
Armament 12 x 5"/38AA, 32 x 40mm, 46 x 20mm, 82 Aircraft.
Armor, 4" Belt, 2 1/2" Hanger deck, 1 1/2" Deck, 1 1/2" Conning Tower.
Machinery, 150,000 SHP; Westinghouse Geared Turbines, 4 screws
Speed, 33 Knots, Crew 3448.

Operational and Building Data
Initially named Oriskany. Built by Bethlehem Quincy. Laid down 18 Mar 1942, renamed to honor CV-7 26 Sept 1942, launched 17 Aug 1943, commissioned 24 Nov 1943. Damaged by bombs off Kyushu 19 Mar 1945. Decommissioned to reserve 17 Feb 1947. SCB 27A reconstruction at New York Navy Yard started 9/1948, completed and recommissioned 28 Sept 1951. Redesignated as an attack carrier (CVA 18) 1 October 1952. SCB 125 angled deck modernization at San Francisco Navy 3/1955 to 1 Dec 1955.

FATE
Redesignated as an ASW carrier (CVS 18) 1 Nov 1956. FRAM II life extension 1967. Decommissioned and stricken for disposal 1 July 1972. Subsequently sold and scrapped at Kearny starting in 1973.

One of the USS Enterprise's was a ( CV-6 )
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/06.htm

For full listing go here
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02idx.htm

[macstu23]

I guess it depends which Wasp they are trying to model. They dont say which.

I should have taken a longer harder look and compared the two more closely but at first glance it looked very like an Illustrious. Look like the same hull at least. They have made some modifications, as you can tell from the screenshot, the radio masts along the flight deck are in the horizontal position.

As for the APD, I think AG124 is quite correct in saying no Feltchers were converted to APD, at least not during WW2 anyway...I haven't been able to find any reference that says otherwise. According the Uboat.net the only APD's commissioned during WW2 were converted from Rudderow and Buckley class destroyers.

That Fast Transport though, I followed their install instructions to the letter, and it just kept crashing my game. Shame, because it looks quite nice. If I knew more about ship models I'd take a look myself to see what the problem is. It could just be some wrongly named file or something, I'm hoping.

I should also say I hope my thread didnt come across like I'm bashing payware developers just because it's payware...I actually have nothing against payware if it's decent quality. The point I'm just trying to make is they're going to have to do a bit better than in the 3 free samples they've given us. If I'm going to pay £20 or whatever for an addon that inlcudes new ship models then I'd expect those ship models to be a bit better than a re-hash of what already exists in game.

[Pants]

Originally Posted by macstu23

I should also say I hope my thread didnt come across like I'm bashing payware developers just because it's payware...I actually have nothing against payware if it's decent quality. The point I'm just trying to make is they're going to have to do a bit better than in the 3 free samples they've given us. If I'm going to pay £20 or whatever for an addon that inlcudes new ship models then I'd expect those ship models to be a bit better than a re-hash of what already exists in game.

I agree with you 100% mate

[EmeAzul]

Macstu, my install of the Fast Transport does not crash the game. The problem you are having may be because the CombatPlanes install instructions were not altogether clear nor comprehensive enough, as you can see below:

This is what they had in the Readme: "Extract the files to your desktop or a TEMP directory. Cut and paste the Fast Transport folder to your \Data\Sea folder. Cut and paste the CFG file to the Roster folder for British and German ships."

Here is what I did in some detail, in case you want to follow the same procedure to see if it works for you:

I created a Mod folder named "Fast Transport", so I could install the mod using JSGME. Under that Mod folder is the required "data" folder and under that folder is the "Roster" folder and the "Sea" folder.

Under the "Roster" folder, I have the following countries/folders: "American", "Australian", "British" & "Canadian" (you can add or have fewer countries if you like). Under each of these country folders is a "Sea" folder, where I put the "Fast_Transport.cfg" file.

Under the "Sea" folder that rolls up to the "data" folder (not to be confused with the "Sea" folders under the Roster/country folders), I have the "NTR3" folder. Under this folder, I have all of the other files in the mod, including NTR3.cfg, NTR3.dat, NTR3.eqp, NTR3.sim, NTR3.zon, NTR3.sns, NTR3.val, NTR3.dsd, NTR3_en.log, NTR3_ge.log, NTR3_shp.tga, NTR3_sil.tga, NTR3_T01.tga and NTR3_T02.tga

One last item was that I had to update my EnglishNames.cfg file, found under "data/Sea" to include the new ship. I have the entry as "Fast Transport=Rapid Troop Transport", but you can call the ship after the "=" sign whatever you like.

Then I enabled the mod using JSGME and there she was in the Museum, in the Recognition Manual and in the game in all her splendor. Hope this helps. Emeazul

[macstu23]

Thanks for the advice EmeAzul, I was fairly certain I'd done it correctly the first time, I have added ships before, but I hadn't placed an English/GermanNames.cfg entry for the Fast Transport. Thought it was unusual the readme in that download didn't mention it.

Just tried installing it again following your instructions closely, using JSGME, and still no luck. SH3 crashed when the Museum was trying to load.

At least by using JSGME it was an easy task removing it. Once I'd uninstalled and removed the English/GermanNames.cfg entries, SH3's Museum loaded no problem.

Perhaps it's that download. Did you download it from the same site ? Either that or it's conflicting with something else I have installed, but I cant think what. I have most of the recent ship models that are available, as well as GW 1.1.

[AG124]

Originally Posted by macstu23

According the Uboat.net the only APD's commissioned during WW2 were converted from Rudderow and Buckley class destroyers.

Actually, the first ones were old four-stack DD's, mostly Clemson and Wickes class ones. The first APD (APD-1) was a Caldwell class - the USS Manley. The only other three Caldwell's that hadn't been scrapped by WWII were transferred to the UK under Lend-Lease instead of becoming APD's.

Originally Posted by Pants

Actually mate USS Wasp was a ( CV-7 ) but otherwise you are correct

You are absolutely correct. I am an idiot to have made a mistake like that. I know about the USS Enterprise (Actual CV-6) too, of course.

I would guess that Combatplanes' Wasp is CV-7, and not CV-18. If it was the second Wasp, they probably would have named the clone Essex class instead, I would guess.

As for the Fast Transport, I forget what I did to get it to work, but you could try cloning the .dat with Pack3d. Also, you may want to ensure that the class name is the same under both .cfg's.

[STEED]

I was thinking about U-Boat: Battle in the Mediterranean but I decided not to bother, I rather buy SH4 instead.