Submariner seeks Holy Grail

[Lionman]

[This is an edited near-duplicate of a thread I started a few days ago in the SH III section of SUBSIM's forum] I am well aware that starting this new thread here will inevitably duplicate many discussions appearing in many other threads. However I still feel that there will be many who come to our virtual sub sea realm with the same question, which I address here primarily to the most experienced, most technically knowledgeable and longest-standing members of this redoubtable community.

Question.

Given a more or less state-of-the-art PC, 8 MB broadband, good technical knowledge and starting from a clean installation of SH IV patched to current spec, what gentlemen, in your personal opinion, is the optimum combination of currently available MODs to attain maximum realism, maximum historical authenticity and maximum immersion in SH IV?

I am well aware that this is almost completely a matter of personal tastes and choices but there will be common constants in your replies and those are what interest me.

My situation is this, after a recent reformat, re-installation of VISTA Ultimate Edition and a clean installation of SH IV, I seek to create the optimal installation of SH IV. I am also quite happy to create parallel installs if there are two front runners amongst the uber-MODs for SH IV.

I seek maximum possible realism in sea state, surface and storm wave height, weather, crew faces, uniforms, insignia, sub interiors, number of subs, historically accurate skins, correctly time-synchronised historically accurate radio broadcasts and stations etc. Probably the same shopping list that of any other WW2 sub sea combat enthusiast. So I envisage this thread as a kind of "updateable ultimate tested MOD combo recommendation" list. I always use JSGME to install MODs in SH and several other simulators including IL2 1946.

[I can run FSX, which IMO is currently the most hardware demanding simulator ever, with all sliders maxed out, so I am not worried about frame rates, as even a heavily Modded SH is far less demanding than FSX.]

Here is my PC spec -

OS - Windows Vista Ultimate Edition Service Pack 1 (build 6001)
Mainboard -ASUSTeK Computer INC. P5N32-E SLI 1.XX
Bus Clock - 266 megahertz
BIOS - Phoenix Technologies, LTD ASUS P5N32-E SLI ACPI BIOS
CPU - Intel 2.40 gigahertz Intel Core2 Quad-Core
MOBO - ASUS TeK Computer INC. P5N32-E SLI 1.XX
RAM - 4 GB (DIMM_A1' 2048 MB + DIMM_A1' 2048 MB)
GPU - NVIDIA 8800 GTX
SPU - Soundblaster Xi-Fi Fatal1ty Platinum 8.1
HD - 2 x 500 GB
Left monitor -Taxan 735 TC099 17" CRT
Centre monitor - Mirai 22" Digital
Right monitor - Dell 19" CRT
Display Adaptor - MATROX TripleHead2Go Digital Edition - running surround gaming across 3 screens.
+ Track IR 4 Pro
+ SAITEK Pro Yoke & Throttle quadrant state of the art force feedback pedals & yoke for civilian flying
+ LOGITECH Force 3D Pro force feedback joystick & twist rudder for WW1 & WW2 air combat
+ LOGITECH G25 force feedback pedals and wheel for rally and race driving
+ SAITEK Pro Gamer Command Unit programmable for FPS
+ SAITEK P8000 Programmable Command Unit 35 keys assignable for anything

As you see, with my MATROX box, I can and do now run surround gaming across a mixture of three screens giving a combined display of 3072 x 780 so I am also anxious to hear from anyone who knows how to get SH IV running across my whole display without distortion.

Using Track IR 4 Pro this rig runs the excellent "Sailors of the Sky" gliding simulator, Microsoft's "FSX" civilian flight simulator, Call of Duty 4 FPS and "rFactor" racing simulators. I would dearly love to see major stormy weather in SH IV running across three screens! I would also love to get Track IR Pro 4 running in the sub interiors again too, as it was before my reformat and switch to a 3 screen display. I am especially looking to optimise the faces, uniforms, hats & medals as much as possible in terms of photo-realism rather than obvious "artwork". [IMO the best avatars I've seen so far are those in CRYSYS]

Just YOUR OWN PERSONAL ideal list, or perhaps two different installs, that you KNOW from personal experience will run perfectly in concert in SH IV.

Over to you gentlemen . . . . .

[Wilcke]

Good question.

This is just one mans opinion. I have three installs one for RFB1.5, TMO1.5 and Operation Monsun 40X. Keeps everything neat, clean and tidy.

Happy hunting!

[Lionman]

Originally Posted by Wilcke

Good question.

This is just one man's opinion. I have three installs one for RFB1.5, TMO1.5 and Operation Monsun 40X. Keeps everything neat, clean and tidy.

Happy hunting!

Equally good answer and exactly the kind of response that I sought.

Thank you.

I seem to remember from my last brush with SH IV (which was fairly limited I admit) that there is now a really excellent MOD that hugely improves the ocean and water. Forgive my memory but is that one of those that you list? Or can it be applied to any or all of the above uber-MODs


By the way are those all Pacific Fleet submarine flags surrounding your signature graphic Wilcke?

[Egon01]

Lionman - I want to ask you what resolution you play FSX with maxed details ? I have almost the same PC spec (2GB ram) and I have problems with frame rate with maxed details. People very often say that they play with maxed details and have about 50-60 fps but finally they say that they use 1024x768 which on my 22" monitor is unplayable.

Cheers

[Lionman]

Originally Posted by Egon01

Lionman - I want to ask you what resolution you play FSX with maxed details ? I have almost the same PC spec (2GB ram) and I have problems with frame rate with maxed details. People very often say that they play with maxed details and have about 50-60 fps but finally they say that they use 1024x768 which on my 22" monitor is unplayable.

Cheers

With my single 22" digital screen I could run FSX at the maximum resolution of the screen which is 1920 x 1080 32 bit colour but I did get occasional very very slight jerkyness. Remember that this is with 4 GB RAM not 2 however and FSX is very RAM intensive as you know - I also doubled the size of the HD virtual RAM cache. I never used a frame rate display however so I can't tell you the exact frame rates.

Because I cannot yet afford two matching 22" digital screens, my side monitors for the MATROX surround display are the TAXAN 17" CRT from my previous XP PC and a DELL 19" CRT from a friend's old rig. This mixture of CRT & Digital monitors from different manufacturers introduces other problems as the highest resolution that is shared by all three is 1024 x 768 & 32 bit colour, so my triple display is restricted to 3072 x 768 but still runs smoothly with all sliders maxed out in FSX.

[DrBeast]

Originally Posted by Egon01

Lionman - I want to ask you what resolution you play FSX with maxed details ? I have almost the same PC spec (2GB ram) and I have problems with frame rate with maxed details. People very often say that they play with maxed details and have about 50-60 fps but finally they say that they use 1024x768 which on my 22" monitor is unplayable.

Cheers

There are LOTS of tweaks for FSX in the FSX fora. Unfortunately I'm away from my computer so I can't give you any links for said tweaks. All I can say is they worked wonders on my rig, I gained a pretty nice FPS boost along with better graphics just by altering a few numbers in that game's .cfg file. Good luck!

BTW, compared to SH4, FSX literally flies on my rig, especially after I o/ced the processor a bit. My specs:

CPU: Intel Core2Duo E8200 @2.66GHz, o/ced to 3GHz
RAM: 2x1GB Kingston @800MHz, o/ced to 913MHz, 5-5-5-15 timings
Mainboard: Asus P5K SE
GPU: ASUS EAH3450, 256MB DDR3
HDD: Western Digital 320GB SATA2, 16MB cache
Monitor: Samsung 17'' CRT
Graphics card settings: 1024x768 @ 85Hz, AA 8x, AF 16x, using ATi Tray Tools and Omega drivers (don't remember the version, dates from April or May)

[Lionman]

Originally Posted by DrBeast

There are LOTS of tweaks for FSX in the FSX fora. Unfortunately I'm away from my computer so I can't give you any links for said tweaks. All I can say is they worked wonders on my rig, I gained a pretty nice FPS boost along with better graphics just by altering a few numbers in that game's .cfg file. Good luck!

BTW, compared to SH4, FSX literally flies on my rig, especially after I o/ced the processor a bit. My specs:

CPU: Intel Core2Duo E8200 @2.66GHz, o/ced to 3GHz
RAM: 2x1GB Kingston @800MHz, o/ced to 913MHz, 5-5-5-15 timings
Mainboard: Asus P5K SE
GPU: ASUS EAH3450, 256MB DDR3
HDD: Western Digital 320GB SATA2, 16MB cache
Monitor: Samsung 17'' CRT
Graphics card settings: 1024x768 @ 85Hz, AA 8x, AF 16x, using ATi Tray Tools and Omega drivers (don't remember the version, dates from April or May)

Thanks for the input DrBeast.
I must say that I am rather surprised to hear that SH runs slower than FSX on your rig.
How do I disp-lay frame rates in FSX?
I presume you are using XP and not VISTA?

[DrBeast]

Originally Posted by Lionman

Thanks for the input DrBeast.
I must say that I am rather surprised to hear that SH runs slower than FSX on your rig.
How do I disp-lay frame rates in FSX?
I presume you are using XP and not VISTA?

Yes, forgot to mention that! With Windoze 7 in development, I don't think I'll ever switch to Vista!
Frame rates in FSX are displayed by pressing Ctrl+X, I think? Or Ctrl+Z. Yup, Ctrl+Z (quoting from memory here, haven't played since June!). Press it twice. Do a search for avsims.com, I think that's one of the sites that has lots of tweaks. And lots of custom planes!
I'm not really surprised, FSX relies heavily on processor power, and one of the tweaks lets you optimize the game for dual- or quad-core processors.

[fred8615]

Originally Posted by Lionman

correctly time-synchronised historically accurate radio broadcasts and stations etc.

For the first link, may I humbly (yeah, right!) point you to the link in my sig. They're as accurate as I can make them, using scans of the actual radio listings from the WWII era. The one exception is the AFRS station, since there was no set time programs aired because of the various ways AFRS broadcast in different areas. Note also these only cover the timeframe of U.S. participation in WWII.

For an excellent BBC radio mod, see here:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=140745

[Lionman]

Many thanks Fred - downloading now. I presume that with that excellent Radio Manager MOD I can switch between "stations" as with a real radio?

As for VISTA Dr.Beast, although I rapidly came to hate it, that turned out to be because it's core had become corrupt and after a reformat and re-install it runs fine. During several days collaboration with (free) Microsoft tech support I gathered that all future MS OS are going to be based on the VISTA core which is not reverse compatible with any former MS OS and MS is definitely not going to support or return to XP. So I figure, as Dr.Strangelove recommended "learn to stop worrying and love the bomb".

first, in my opinion you need to have v1.5 of the game weather you want to play u-boats or not just because the game runs so much better and gives you much better interactivity and immersion.

the two main mods are trigger maru and real fleet boat, most people switch back and forth using both so its a coin flip

run silent run deep the campaign rewrites the campaign level of the game for historic realism and there is a version for tm and for rfb

environment mods - row pacific environment or environmental 4 (take your pick) they both do about the same thing but it depends on what you think looks good

realistic uniform and insignia mod, and then the radio station and music mod

pretty much what you see on the sticky list is all about realism and what your looking for

[Lionman]

Originally Posted by WEBSTER

first, in my opinion you need to have v1.5 of the game weather you want to play u-boats or not just because the game runs so much better and gives you much better interactivity and immersion.

the two main mods are trigger maru and real fleet boat, most people switch back and forth using both so its a coin flip

run silent run deep the campaign rewrites the campaign level of the game for historic realism and there is a version for tm and for rfb

environment mods - row pacific environment or environmental 4 (take your pick) they both do about the same thing but it depends on what you think looks good

realistic uniform and insignia mod, and then the radio station and music mod

pretty much what you see on the sticky list is all about realism and what your looking for

Excellent answer to my questions and many thanks for the links too.

[TopcatWA]

I am running RFB with the RSRD patch & am getting good performance in the game. My signature has all the mods listed. Cheers.

[Lionman]

:-)

[Lionman]

[quote=Teddals]I am running RFB with the RSRD patch & am getting good performance in the game. My signature has all the mods listed. Cheers.[/quote

Can't find links to download these three.

Enviromental_4.5_Mod
Jimimadrid JTxE Mini-chrono-Tools
Rank,Uniform,Insignia.v.1.0.

Any suggestions?