Rain with no clouds in 16k mod, is there a fix?

[Reece]

Hi, you just can't win! with the 8k version & time compression at 512 or higher, game slows to x1 & WO reports aircraft you then notice half your crew is dead & your sub is totalled!
So you decide to install the Atmosphere 16k mod that solves this problem but now it rains when the sun is out on a clear day
Is there a fix for this?
Frustrated Reece!

[Ducimus]

I was experimenting earlier and i found that i saw no clouds when using 16K graphic files with an 8K scene.dat.


So i put the scene.dat from a 16K mod back in, to use with 16K graphics. now i see clouds.


Those are just atmopshereics though. If you want your crew to see farther its the "visual" section in the sensors.dat file. Ramp that up to 16K and beleive me, you really will see smoke on the horizon. Its better then radar. Personnaly ive removed that from my game, i found it too overpowring. I was seeing aircraft out as far as 15KM. Kind of removes an element of danger from the game, i didnt like that much.

[Skubber]

Could you please explain more specifically what you did to get the clouds back?

I am using GW 1.1 with the Atmosphere mod 16K dark.

I really like seeing smoke on the horizon that far out, but I have seen no clouds in 2+ patrols.

(I am on patrol in the Med, so I thought maybe that azure blue sky was how it was supposed to be.)

[Ducimus]

Ok theres two version:

8K mod

16K mod.


Both have a scene.dat file, which im assuming was edited to render the world at a certain distance. This scene.dat file also contains a "cloud fix" which fixes a rendering bug when expanding the rendered world past its default.

Now theres grahic files associated with either of these mods. They are specially made for an 8K render, or 16K render.

Using an 8K scene.dat with a 16K graphic files, for me, resulted in no clouds being rendered. Even though the navigator would report "partially cloud".

To fix that, i used an 16K scene.dat with the 16K graphic files. Problem solved.


HOWEVER.....

The scene.dat also contains the variables on how often weather changes. I think that for whatever reason, the rain/clouds are set to change at a VERY LONG interval. You can for instance, turn off changes in the weather (rain/wind/clouds) entirely by zeroing out the associated variables.

This however i know isnt the case, becuse my patrols start partly cloudy, but invariable always end up clear skies. It would take a month before id see a change in the clouds. (sometimes as soon as two weeks) So my presumption is that the cloud/rain change variable is set so the rain/clouds change at a very slow interval in the 16K scene.dat file. I havent compared it to stock, but that is on my todo list cause im sick of clear skies.

[Reece]

Hi Ducimus, the scene.dat I am using is definitely the one that came with the "Atmosphere Mod 16km version 2.0 LIGHT", the only thing I did change was the env files to make it lighter, this included the sky, & that is probably the 16k graphics you mentioned.
At this stage then I seem to have 2 options:
1) 16km with dark nights (LIGHT version is not light).
2) 8km with marhkimovs Light night & adjust the visual of Sensors.dat, could you guide me on how to adjust this as mini tweaker only works with txt files (I think).
Overall what I am trying to achieve is a lighter night and not being sunk/destroyed by aircraft while time compression is being used!
Many Thanks.

Edit: Just read the "16 k Mod" thread & that answered the mini tweaker question!

[Skubber]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I havent compared it to stock, but that is on my todo list cause im sick of clear skies.

Let us know what you find out.
I've gone 3+ patrols without seeing a single cloud. I hate complaining about good weather, but this is ridiculous.


GW 1.1.
16k atmosphere mod dark

[Ducimus]

I poured over it last night, and for the life of me i coudlnt find a variable taht looked like it might be the case.

Frankly im not sure what the deel is. Im getting weather in my games. It just changes very slowly. Sometimes ill go 30 days with clear skies, other times the weather changes more. *shrug*


Im pretty sure that having clowds at all is dependant on using the correct scene.dat file with the correct graphic files. I do know that wind to some extent is adjustable in the scene.dat file. But rain/clouds, i coudlnt find an adustment for.


The ONLY thing i can suggest right now, is to go in your campaign files, and in all 3 of them (RND/SCR/LND) make your starting conditions partly cloudy (Clouds=1), and start a game.

Ask for a weather report. He should say "partly cloudy". You should see some clouds. If you do not, THEN you have a problem. If you do see clouds, then its an issue of some weather change interval acting wierd.

Again, I have weather in my games, but it doesnt change very often. Other then wind, i cant find a setting for clouds.

And im pretty sure clouds/rain are independent of wind. I know this because after one patrol with 80 DAYS OF 15 KT WINDS THAT DROVE ME ABSOLUTLY INSANE, i made a 16K scene.dat where i turned off the wind changes, and set in my campaign files for a starting condition of 7kt winds. It will stay 7kt winds the entire patrol, but the weather still continues to change. Fog, rain, overcast, partly cloudy, etc. Cheesy i know, but after 80 days of 15 kt winds, i decided i deserved a little break.


EDIT:

Also remember, theres an issue with weather changing to begin with. Theres a chance the wind might change randomly after X amout of game hours. If you save the game, quit, and reload, it resets that timer. So your stuck with that weather condition even longer... at least.. i think thats how it works. i could be mistaken.

[Skubber]

Thanks Ducimus, that was a helpful suggestion.

I changed the value in the three files, and my patrol started with clouds. So I know my configuration can make clouds.

Now, if only we knew how to make the weather cycle a little more frequently. I kinda suspect I will be stuck with light clouds for a LONG time.

[Ducimus]

I don't know honestly.

Right now im in the middle of the longest patrol ever, and ive seen the whole range of weather as so far. Clear, partly cloudy, heavy fog and rain, the whole bit. It just doesnt change day to day, more like week to week.

[Skubber]

OMG the weather changed! I've got dense clouds, rain, lighting, waves. The works.
This well into my fourth patrol.

I think all this was much ado about nothing.

Kinda makes me wonder how SH3 weather is randomized, though. Is it truly random? Was I just having a long string of "good luck" with months of sunny, cloudless weather?

[Reece]

Well what I am using at the moment is 'Atmosphere mod 8Km v2.0 LIGHT' with 'Marhkimovs light night' and tweaked the Visual of Sensors.dot to Max Range to 16k & Precise range to 14k & so far:
1) Excellent visual range.
2) Weather has change 3 times now on 1st patrol. (within a few days)
3) Cloud texture fixed.
4) Rains with clouds.
5) Have not come across any aircraft on high time compression to give any details yet.

If I have any other news (more patrols) will report.

[Reece]

Well at the end of the patrol i had around 5 changes in weather, so no probs here, atleast with the 8km version however even with the Sensors.dat visuals set to max 16000 & precise 14000, time acceleration 256 or higher, the game goes to 1x after the aircraft have dropped their first load! I think the problem is not the visual range, but the response of the game to go from 512 to 1x, as soon as the aircraft is spotted the game should be at 1x. Sometimes I notice that an aircraft is not spotted till it's less than 1km, even that far at 1x you'd swear they were doing MAK 3!