Taking requests for the final SH3 Commander

[JScones]

With all the fun that a promotion at work and transfer interstate brings, the next release of SH3 Commander will most likely be the last for some time, if not ever (apart from any periodical minor fixes).

So, I am making one last call for suggestions for either new features or modifications to existing features.

Only suitable suggestions that are simple to code will be included, but make them anyway. One thing that will *not* be in the final release is the ability to continue careers with new Commanders - replicating the U-boat with all the acquired extra bits and pieces has proven just too time consuming.

For info, here's what's included so far:

- When starting a new career a U-boat can now be selected from any U-boat type and variant available to the selected Flotilla up to the selected career start date
- Added ability to set U-boat number when starting a new career
- Selected Flotilla and U-boat type no longer reset when year or month is changed
- Adjustments to allow selection of U-boat emblem at start of career - by Rubini.
- Fix which forces correct Mediterranean water textures when playing career in 29 Flotilla - concept by marhkimov.

Beery and I are still considering including a modified crew transfer feature (based on a model developed by Bladeheart) and an expanded patrol log (our own creation).

Anyway, if you have a suggestion, make it now...

[HW3]

Congratulations on your promotion! Thankyou for all you have done for this community and, when things settle down, do come back to us.

[gouldjg]

Hi JScones

First of all, Thanks for all work done

Now the request,

If this was to be one of the last commanders would it be possible to set up the following

1. I want to create yearly sensors_dat and sim.cfg pack that is selectable in sh3 commander.

Is there anyway you could have a option inserted where the player can pick which year folder sensor_Dat and sim cfg to use.

Lets say 1939, 1940, 1941, etc etc.

Lets say you create 6 folders to represent the years that can be filled with libary infos that you want changed for that year,

As we mod whats best settings for each year, we can copy into these folders and select through Sh3 commander instead of having to do seperate file moving each time we hit new year.

This also helps with DC power changes,

Sonar arcs,

And in many ways will help control the ai a little better as we can exploit the settings that are best for that time period.


I hope you follow my drift and that this is something that will become very usefull in the future with all the new developments that have been made.

I know eventually we will probably have different libary packs for each year, I will anyway.

Maybe others agree

Either way, if SH3 commander had this option to select different libary packs it will become a great tool for all future sensor work and game settings.

Thanks

[Marhkimov]

We already have out-going crew transfers. How about incoming transfers?

I suppose that shouldn't be too hard to code. And if it is, you're exactly the man to do it!

[JScones]

Originally Posted by HW3

Congratulations on your promotion! Thankyou for all you have done for this community and, when things settle down, do come back to us.

Thanks. I still intend to lurk the forums and provide whatever support I can - at least until the removalists take my computer away!

Hopefully I'll have some more "commitment" time around April next year.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by gouldjg

If this was to be one of the last commanders would it be possible to set up the following

1. I want to create yearly sensors_dat and sim.cfg pack that is selectable in sh3 commander.

Is there anyway you could have a option inserted where the player can pick which year folder sensor_Dat and sim cfg to use.

Lets say 1939, 1940, 1941, etc etc.

Lets say you create 6 folders to represent the years that can be filled with libary infos that you want changed for that year,

As we mod whats best settings for each year, we can copy into these folders and select through Sh3 commander instead of having to do seperate file moving each time we hit new year.

This also helps with DC power changes,

Sonar arcs,

And in many ways will help control the ai a little better as we can exploit the settings that are best for that time period.


I hope you follow my drift and that this is something that will become very usefull in the future with all the new developments that have been made.

I know eventually we will probably have different libary packs for each year, I will anyway.

Maybe others agree

Either way, if SH3 commander had this option to select different libary packs it will become a great tool for all future sensor work and game settings.

This should already be achievable. Create a folder under "Date" called 19390901 and plonk your 1939 related files in it, then plonk your 1940 files into a folder titled 19400101, your 1941 files into a folder titled 19410101 and so on. You can plonk as many files in each folder as you like (preserving SH3 folder structure of course). The appropriate files will be automatically copied into SH3 based on the next patrol start date (or career start date if starting a new career).

Of course, if you have 2 modified files in the 19390901 folder, you should have the same 2 files (albeit same in name but different in content) in the 19400101 folder, and so on. But it sounds like this would be the case here anyway.

Also, if you want to add a slight element of "randomness" to each file (ie have a few slight variations for each year), add the date folders into each of the five "Random" sub-folders.

Originally Posted by marhkimov

We already have out-going crew transfers. How about incoming transfers?

I suppose that shouldn't be too hard to code. And if it is, you're exactly the man to do it!

Umm. Yeah, I suppose this could be done. It's not as easy as transfering out though - transfering out simply means writing a -1 to the crewman's NrComp entry, transferring in, however, will require randomisation of all possible crewman details (name, rank, voice, image, quals, medals, morale, fatigue etc etc).

[coronas]

Thaks for your work; SH3 Commander made the game so better.Could be some crew with experience when I begin a new career? (transfers from another boat). Good Luck!

[Deimos01]

You done a bang job around here man. Glad for you promotion but sorry to see you go. We'll miss your work.

My suggestion. You already have where you can adjust water density. Any way to do the something similar for the sky. That way those of us that have dark monitors can lighten the night sky without having to screw with our monitor settings.

Dont know if thats doable or not, me being a complete modding idiot and all.

Cheers mate

[baxter]

Congradulations on your promotion! Thanks for your work and your generosity in sharing it and helping people when they had any problems with it. The things you have listed will be great...I really have wanted to have the ability to select the uboat type and number before the first patrol. Is there any way to also be able to alter the patrol grid for the first patrol? The ability to do that with the second patrol on has made it possible to select histoically accurate assignments where they sometimes don't exist in SH3. The other thing is the expanded log you mention...that's something I hope you're able to include. Either the ability to add entries of our own or even just more entries by the game itself would be a big improvement. Thanks again for adding so much enjoyment to this game.

[chris911]

Nice job so far.

Maybe a nice feature would be a tool that Helps the skinners to have multiple paletts of skins for each ship in serveral years which could also have a libary of skinns where we could add new ones and set starting dates and ending dates for those tgas.

Cheers chris

[P_Funk]

Would this so called expanded patrol log be anything like one where we can write in our own comments?

[The Avon Lady]

Originally Posted by P_Funk

Would this so called expanded patrol log be anything like one where we can write in our own comments?

Yes, just what I wanted. KTB entries. And when displayed, they show up on KTB-like pages, with the appropriate letterhead and columns.

And congrats on the promotion, Mr. J!

[Marhkimov]

Originally Posted by JScones

- Fix which forces correct Mediterranean water textures when playing career in 29 Flotilla...

Does that mean I won't have to put an extra set of Environment files in the flotilla folder?

It'd be nice if SH3Cmdr automatically "swapped" the files med and atl files.

[gdogghenrikson]

- Selected Flotilla and U-boat type no longer reset when year or month is changed

[JScones]

Thanks everyone for your kind words.

Originally Posted by marhkimov

Does that mean I won't have to put an extra set of Environment files in the flotilla folder?

It'd be nice if SH3Cmdr automatically "swapped" the files med and atl files.

We've implemented your method - ie adding the files to the 29th Flotilla folder. It will come standard so you won't need to add any more files.

Of course, what we can't do is change the env files mid-patrol if you sail through Gibraltar. That's an SH3 limitation.

Originally Posted by The Avon Lady

Yes, just what I wanted. KTB entries. And when displayed, they show up on KTB-like pages, with the appropriate letterhead and columns.

You've seen the latest SH3Cmdr HTML Patrol Logs? They were modelled on actual KTBs. They'd be tinkered with to be even more accurate with weather reports and such being added to the second column.

Originally Posted by P_Funk

Would this so called expanded patrol log be anything like one where we can write in our own comments?

Maybe. At the least you'll be able to edit it.

Originally Posted by chris911

Maybe a nice feature would be a tool that Helps the skinners to have multiple paletts of skins for each ship in serveral years which could also have a libary of skinns where we could add new ones and set starting dates and ending dates for those tgas.

Can't this be done in the same fashion as my response to gouldjg's changes above? SH3 Commander includes the Merchant Variety Pack which I *think* is similar to what you are getting at here. Having different ship/u-boat skins for certain date periods is currently doable.

Originally Posted by baxter

Is there any way to also be able to alter the patrol grid for the first patrol?

Originally Posted by Deimos01

My suggestion. You already have where you can adjust water density. Any way to do the something similar for the sky. That way those of us that have dark monitors can lighten the night sky without having to screw with our monitor settings.

Originally Posted by coronas

Could be some crew with experience when I begin a new career?

I'll consider these.