Minor UI problems with fresh TWoS install

[cavedox]

Hi folks,

I've not played SH5 (TWoS) for a long while, but last night I had the uncontrollable urge to spend hours searching for and tracking an enemy vessel before badly missing a basic torpedo attack.

Several clean installs later and everything is working nicely except a couple of little niggles. I've been unable to find a fix for them... I assume I've done something wrong, but I just don't know what.

Everything was downloaded fresh yesterday (SH5 vanilla via UPlay, TWoS). I have not installed ANY optional mods (Enigma, Real Navigation etc) and I followed the installation guide on the forums to the letter (multiple times).

The problems are only minor and are on the MAP screen (from the bunker or out on patrol) and I can get a screenshot tonight when I get back from work if required.

Firstly, the very top-left button which I _think_ brings up map options shows a black box. There are a series of checkboxes on the left, which I can toggle, but I can't see what they toggle.

NOTE: On the TWoS installation guide post there is a troubleshooting area which recommends to update DX9 if charts etc display as black boxes. I have done this to no effect. The other charts (speed conversion etc etc) all display perfectly.

Secondly, the missions that are displayed on the map (the icons you click on to 'Request Mission') do not display umm... sensible text. They appear to display placeholder text which would be replaced by the actual mission text. Once you have requested a mission, the additional icons that are added to the map display text correctly.

And some final bonus questions which I'm sure I can figure out myself...
What the hell is the button to bring up the ship identification booklet?!
Does there exist some documentation that tells you what all of the crew-function buttons do?

Thanks for any help, you folks are pretty cool!
Cavey

[vdr1981]

HI cavedox!

Don't tell me, win 10 with latest update and drivers?

Have you tried win7 compatibility settings?

[cavedox]

Originally Posted by vdr1981

HI cavedox!

Don't tell me, win 10 with latest update and drivers?

Have you tried win7 compatibility settings?

Sounds like you've seen this issue before! Right on both counts!

I've not tried running with compatibility settings yet, but will do so when i get home tonight and let you know!

You are the TWoS author right?

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by cavedox

Sounds like you've seen this issue before! Right on both counts!

Yes, the issue is quite common for win 10 users but I still don't know why exactly. I even installed latest win 10 built on my PC to see if I could reproduce the issue but still nothing. Everything worked exactly the same like in win7...

Anyway, most of the time win 10 users somehow manage to solve this issue and always by "playing" with following:

- Direct X9.0c (contained within main installer)
- running the game with administration rights
- Win7/8 compatibility settings
- Install location
- GPU drivers
- Disable display scaling on high DPI settings

Search the forum a bit, you'll find plenty of people with exactly the same problem with explanation how did they solve it.

You are the TWoS author right?

More like crazy "manager" who was wiling to accept the task which should any sane person avoid at all costs: to collect scattered work of countless modders (including my self), fix their oversights , tweak the hell out of it and to organize it into playable, enjoyable, easy to use/install and stable entirety.

[cavedox]

Thanks for the info, I'll keep meddling but no luck so far. Screenshot for clarity.

I'm not expecting replies to the below by the way, just adding in details in case someone else finds this useful in the future! If/when I find a fix, I will update.

1. Direct X9.0c (contained within main installer)
a. Already performed, no change.

2. running the game with administration rights
a. Already performed, no change.

3. Win7/8 compatibility settings
a. Tried with compat 7&8, no change.

4. Install location
a. Current location is on a physical hdd, E:\Games\Silent Hunter 5
b. Previous install location (over 1 yr ago) was on the same disk but a different location (E:\Games\SH5) - this issue was not present.
c. I'd like to try relocating to my primary hdd, but I don't want to waste valuable space on my SSD with games.

5. GPU drivers
a. Updated to latest stable release of nVidia drivers (382.53), no change.
b. I have upgraded my graphics card since I last installed. Previously I had a Radeon, now I'm on nVidia. I'd be interested to see what hardware other people with this issue have had.

6. Disable display scaling on high DPI settings
a. Tried with and without this, no change.

My eternal thanks for managing this mod-pack, and all the other modders. You're damn heroes as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks,
Cavey

[vdr1981]

That screenshot of yours definitely looks like messed up modlist/installation?

Did you watched video tutorials how to install twos?

[cavedox]

Yep, I read the thread and watched a video on youtube (which was actually out of date, I think you might have even commented on the video saying "step 2 no longer required").

I'm pretty sure I followed the steps correctly, the first thing I did when I encountered this was to do a clean install extra carefully because I thought I must have messed it up.

Regardless, I'll do another clean install in a new location and see where we get to. I really hope I didn't mess something up in the install, that would be really embarrassing

Thanks!

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by cavedox

Yep, I read the thread and watched a video on youtube (which was actually out of date

You'll find two valid video tutorials in the first post of twos thread...

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi cavedox
The 382.53 is a 2017 driver that may not be compatible.
This driver may appear after the Windows 10 Creator version 1703 has been installed.
While AMD and Nvidia update drivers Microsoft will also do the same in their updates.
The way to get around this problem is to roll back to your old driver which quite easy to do, you should hopefully find that all is well again!
Post #303) GPU Driver Roll Back To A Previous Version.
Peter

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by THEBERBSTER

[SIZE=2]Hi cavedox
The 382.05 driver you are using AFAIK is incompatible with SH games in most cases.

He said 382.53 ?

EDIT:
Are you saying Peter that all nvidia WHQL drivers after 382.05 are bad for Sh games?

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi Vecko
I know I can always rely on you to put me straight.
I think the hot weather is getting to me, lol
Thanks
Peter.

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by THEBERBSTER

Hi Vecko
I know I can always rely on you to put me straight.
I think the hot weather is getting to me, lol
Thanks
Peter.

I'm just asking because latest drivers for my old card have much "lower" number. I'm really unfamiliar with newer hardware...What about WHQL drivers after 382.05 ? Are they also bad for SH games?

[cavedox]

This post is long, sorry guys. I don't know how I manage it :/

So regarding the nVidia drivers, before tonight I was either on 382.05 or 381.89. I'm not 100% sure which, but likely to be 382.05. I'm going to try a roll-back anyway but I'm not super confident it'll fix my problem.

I do have a question - do I really need the stuff that on that black panel? Am I missing much by not seeing what's there? I'd like to find a fix just for my own sanity, but if not I can just live with it!

INSTALL NOTES
I've watched the 2nd of the videos on the main TWoS thread (unfortunately there was nothing new that I wasn't aware of already) and completed another install (the issue remains).

Comparing my install step-by-step to the one in the video, there are three differences - I don't think these are the problem, but I'm happy to be wrong

1. The version of the sh5.exe file downloaded directly from UPlay is already v1.2.0.0. When I last installed this a year ago, this was NOT the case (it was 1.0.5 or something) and I used gu.exe to update.

Currently, a fresh UPlay download has the gu.exe application, but does not have the 'Resources' folder that I've seen on screenshots/videos. Running gu.exe triggers uplay to launch the game itself.

2. It appears the TWoS installer I have is more recent than the one used in the video. The installer I downloaded the other day comes packaged with the 2.0.0 mod and 2.0.3 update - or at least when JSGME opens, it already has 2.0.0 and 2.0.3 update listed to be activated, and I get the expected "do you want to overwrite these things" dialog when applying the 2.0.3 update.

3. I'm not using any of the optional mods Self explanatory...

I'm now even more confident that I've done the install correctly, but I'm going to do it again just in case!

Cheers!

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi Vecko
When I updated from Windows 10 version 1603 to the Creator version 1703, initially I did not have a problem until June 1st when Microsoft updates included the new 382.05 driver.
The 382.05 is the driver that totally blacks out the screen with any SH version, although in saying that I know of 1 player with TWOS who has not had a problem.
The Windows Creator update was picked up quite early on by the LSH3-2015 team in an e-mail to me where they asked if I could help them but at the time I was not running the Creator version.
They are in the process of updating LSH3-2015 to 2017 and needed to know why their widescreen mod was incompatible with Creator.
They produced a list of drivers on the LSH3-2015 post May 19th that were and were not compatible.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...&postcount=917
My compatible driver 376.53 I am currently using is not included in their list, but I believe it was installed in December 2016 in an update.
382.05 the driver I was updated with is showing in their list as incompatible.
Lower driver numbers would not be a problem according to the list.
Peter

[vdr1981]

Originally Posted by cavedox

I do have a question - do I really need the stuff that on that black panel? Am I missing much by not seeing what's there? I'd like to find a fix just for my own sanity, but if not I can just live with it!

The point is , on your screen shot is clearly visible that your game is completely messed up, from some reason (message box is empty, messed up objectives, no map settings and who knows what more). The game/mod really shouldn't be played in such condition definitely...


It seems that you know what you're doing and that's what makes me even more puzzled...