Regarding SH3 Commander

[ChaosDuck7]

If you use SH3 commander and the optional changes it has, do you have to launch SH3 (specifically GWX) from thte sh3 commander program itself? Or can i use the regular desktop icon for GWX?

Thanks

[Pisces]

You need to start the game from inside SH3 Commander with the button. SH3 Commander inserts/modifies some files with gameplay changes before it starts the SH3.exe executable. Once the game has been exited, control is returned to SH3 Commander which reverts those changes and checks the state of your patrol/carreer. (to update patrol logs and such) That is, IF the auto rollback option is enabled.

If you use the SH3/GWX shortcut on the desktop then you will not get the SH3 Commander experience.

[Kielhauler1961]

As Pisces says, start the game using the SH3 Commander shortcut.

The only times I've needed to use the old shortcut was when restarting a 'dead' kaleun. SH3 Commander won't let you do that so you have to go behind its back to delete the 'dead' save that's holding things up. Then exit and go back in using S3 Commander and your kaleun is alive and kicking once more.

KH

[raymond6751]

Hi guys

Anybody been able to use SH3 commander with a Steam version of SH3. I have not, and there is nothing in commander manual regarding steam.

It is a shame, if we can't get it going, because commander adds a lot to the experience.

I've tried using admin to load commander, but the problem is commander wants to run sh3.exe and steam doesn't allow it.
Thoughts?

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by raymond6751

Hi guys

Anybody been able to use SH3 commander with a Steam version of SH3. I have not, and there is nothing in commander manual regarding steam.

It is a shame, if we can't get it going, because commander adds a lot to the experience.

I've tried using admin to load commander, but the problem is commander wants to run sh3.exe and steam doesn't allow it.
Thoughts?

Easy solution: Spend an extra $10 and get the publisher's version of SH3. Then you can be sure that everything you want to use will work just fine with it.

[raymond6751]

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

Easy solution: Spend an extra $10 and get the publisher's version of SH3. Then you can be sure that everything you want to use will work just fine with it.

I do own publisher copies, 2 each of every version from SH1 through SH5. The extras were backups. When Ubisoft upgraded itself last year, it lost my account records and I could no longer play SH5, even with disk - could not reinstall either.

Anyway...I discovered that you can still use Commander, but not to launch. You tell Commander to roll back each time you shut down, so it will remove Command files from the SH data.

You run Commander, let it fail to launch. Run the Steam version from its own shortcut -- play, shut down. Close down Commander. Next time you launch it, it indicates correctly the last time you ran your game/mission/career.

I haven't played this way long enough to finish in port, but I think Commander is able to read and use the saved games. It just can't launch.

[ChaosDuck7]

Thanks guys, I will run it via the SH3 launcher from now on

Originally Posted by raymond6751

Hi guys

Anybody been able to use SH3 commander with a Steam version of SH3. I have not, and there is nothing in commander manual regarding steam.

It is a shame, if we can't get it going, because commander adds a lot to the experience.

I've tried using admin to load commander, but the problem is commander wants to run sh3.exe and steam doesn't allow it.
Thoughts?

I use a steam version and it seems to be working fine.

At least, it skips the intro movie like I told it to do and it says "Loaded with silent hunter 3 commander" in the main menu. No crashes or anything.

Hopefully its actually working 100 percent.


edit: I just remembered my steam install is NOT in program files. I manually changed its directory to be in C:/Games/Steam. Maybe that has something to do with why it works on my end? That could be something for you to try.

[Pisces]

There is a way to get around Steam install issues. I never needed to try this myself. But others did this by changing the file and folder properties to remove a read-only setting somehow. Details are in some installation instruction thread. And are probable stickied. I'm sorry I can't provide a direct link at the moment. Searching for "Steam install read only" should bring it up.

The fact that it is not mentioned in Sh3 Commander's documentation is that development of SH3 Commander ceased well before Steam installs of SH3 became popular. Or before the majority of people using Steam got Vista, 7 or 8 as OS where this becomes an issue. Windows Xp didn't have this limitation.

[raymond6751]

Originally Posted by Pisces

There is a way to get around Steam install issues. I never needed to try this myself. But others did this by changing the file and folder properties to remove a read-only setting somehow. Details are in some installation instruction thread. And are probable stickied. I'm sorry I can't provide a direct link at the moment. Searching for "Steam install read only" should bring it up.

The fact that it is not mentioned in Sh3 Commander's documentation is that development of SH3 Commander ceased well before Steam installs of SH3 became popular. Or before the majority of people using Steam got Vista, 7 or 8 as OS where this becomes an issue. Windows Xp didn't have this limitation.

Changing the properties from read-only was the answer. Thank you.

Now I can go to the club when in port !!!

[Ahnenerbe]

Originally Posted by Pisces

There is a way to get around Steam install issues. I never needed to try this myself. But others did this by changing the file and folder properties to remove a read-only setting somehow. Details are in some installation instruction thread. And are probable stickied. I'm sorry I can't provide a direct link at the moment. Searching for "Steam install read only" should bring it up.

The fact that it is not mentioned in Sh3 Commander's documentation is that development of SH3 Commander ceased well before Steam installs of SH3 became popular. Or before the majority of people using Steam got Vista, 7 or 8 as OS where this becomes an issue. Windows Xp didn't have this limitation.

Pisces, is not this topic? http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=166283
++ Ahnenerbe ++

[Pisces]

Its not the one i have in mind. But it may well contain the solution. The one I vaguely remember is older than that. Like I said, never tried it myself, so I don't know what is required to fix it. I would have remembered more details. There are atleast 2 ways in windows to asign a file and folder as read-only. The checkmark in the properties screen, which is a leftover of the DOS days. And by more fine-controlled user and group based "Access Control Lists" in the (NTFS) security tab in properties. I don't know which method is the one that works in any condition.

The O.P. seems he is not very sure of which of the 2 solutions (or some part of it) fixes his crashes. Infact, nowhere in his message did he say it was related to Steam. So I wouldn't consider this to fix the problem in this thread. It may be completely unrelated and be caused by another quirk. It can crash due to many reasons, and we have no clear way to find out why it did. It doesn't leave an easy to read crashlog.

[raymond6751]

Pisces, thank you. Your suggestion DOES fit and DOES fix the issue I brought up, that is, using SH3 Commander with a Steam version of SH3. Changing the read-only property of the SH3 folder in Steam did it. SH3 Command was able to operate but the game needs to be launched seperately using the Steam provided shortcut.

You load Commander first. It copies its specific files to the SH3 folders, which are now changed from read-only. You leave Commander running. You double click the Steam SH3 shortcut to load the game.

After play save game and exit. Return to Commander and exit. The Commander files are rolled back out of SH3 folders when it quits.

Thank you.

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by raymond6751

Pisces, thank you. Your suggestion DOES fit and DOES fix the issue I brought up, that is, using SH3 Commander with a Steam version of SH3. Changing the read-only property of the SH3 folder in Steam did it. SH3 Command was able to operate but the game needs to be launched seperately using the Steam provided shortcut.

You load Commander first. It copies its specific files to the SH3 folders, which are now changed from read-only. You leave Commander running. You double click the Steam SH3 shortcut to load the game.

After play save game and exit. Return to Commander and exit. The Commander files are rolled back out of SH3 folders when it quits.

Thank you.

Once again, Steam users have an awkward workaround so they can do what everyone else does easily.

Anyone care to explain the upside?

[raymond6751]

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

Once again, Steam users have an awkward workaround so they can do what everyone else does easily.

Anyone care to explain the upside?

Regardless of how you look at it, making something work is the upside!

SH3 is old technology and now it is still running on new platforms. Commander was written before this new technology came along, and it too now can be used. What is wrong with that?

Steam changed how applications are run. SH3 is still a great game, and now can be fully enjoyed by folks who would otherwise have to find other "modern" games to play. I have the disk version, as I have already stated. It won't run on my modern windows machine. My system does not even have a disk drive!

Many other great games won't run any more, so I hope steam or some other entity can turn some wheels, or cranks, or whatever to allow folks to continue to enjoy.

Take away your prejudice, as if steam versions are not "legit" because they are. Just try to find any store, anywhere, selling legit disk copies now. Buying from Amazon is not buying legit, as in buying from an authorized distributor. There is nothing wrong with recycling old games, on disk or download. Steam pays for the rights to sell games.

Your disk version of the game is not a different game than mine. I have paid for legit disk copies of SH3, twice, and a legit copy of the steam version. Only the steam version will run on my system; through no choice of mine. So I have paid for my game play!

Go troll some other thread!

[BigWalleye]

Originally Posted by raymond6751

Regardless of how you look at it, making something work is the upside!

SH3 is old technology and now it is still running on new platforms. Commander was written before this new technology came along, and it too now can be used. What is wrong with that?

Steam changed how applications are run. SH3 is still a great game, and now can be fully enjoyed by folks who would otherwise have to find other "modern" games to play. I have the disk version, as I have already stated. It won't run on my modern windows machine. My system does not even have a disk drive!

Many other great games won't run any more, so I hope steam or some other entity can turn some wheels, or cranks, or whatever to allow folks to continue to enjoy.

Take away your prejudice, as if steam versions are not "legit" because they are. Just try to find any store, anywhere, selling legit disk copies now. Buying from Amazon is not buying legit, as in buying from an authorized distributor. There is nothing wrong with recycling old games, on disk or download. Steam pays for the rights to sell games.

Your disk version of the game is not a different game than mine. I have paid for legit disk copies of SH3, twice, and a legit copy of the steam version. Only the steam version will run on my system; through no choice of mine. So I have paid for my game play!

Go troll some other thread!

Thank you for the gratuitous insult. I do not recall having posted anything that attacks you personally.

Please go back and read my post. I did not say that the Steam version is "not legit", by which I presume you mean, is pirated. Of course it is not. And of course you paid for it. But what you bought is a different package than that released by the publisher, with its own DRM to make sure you behave yourself and don't do anything Steam won't allow. That is how Steam adds value - value to the publisher, who knows that the game can't be ripped off and is therefore willing to split the profit with Steam.

Steam has done nothing to make Sh3 (or Sh4 or SH5) useable on state-of-the-art PCs. Read the forums here. People are installing SH3, from download or fron DVD, on Windows 8.1 platforms every day. They don't need Steam to do that, and Steam in no way facilitates that. Certainly not for SH3, which runs fine on my state-of-the-art machine in native mode, with no help from Steam.

Of course you can install the game from the DVDs you have. You don't need an internal drive, just a USB port. Buy ($15) or borrow an external DVD drive and you can load SH3 and most, if not all, the other games you have on disk. Or download a copy from any reputable vendor on the net (like Amazon) and you will wind up with the same game as on your DVD, without any added DRM to add things you don't want to your PC. And you will be able to mod that game and use SH3C and whatever add-ons you want, without having to use the collective wisdom of SubSim to defeat the DRM which you paid Steam to install on your machine.

I have seen countless posts here on SubSim asking for help using mods with the Steam version of SH3, SH4, and SH5, mods that work just fine with the publisher's version. I have never seen a post that asks how to use the publisher's version with mods that work only on Steam. YMMV.

To return to my original question: The extra inconvenience of playing SH3, SH4, and SH5 purchased from Steam is quite apparent from reading the SubSim forums. The publisher's version is cheap, readily available, and offers none of this inconvenience. What then is the upside of buying SH3 from Steam?

Make no mistake, Steam adds value for the publisher. That is their business model. What is the value added for the purchaser, the guy who pays for the game?