New member & new player

Herr Russ · 10-19-06, 08:18 AM

Got SH III last week and have been playing the 'vanilla' version (with 1.4B patch) just fine on my 6 month old Dell. When I was loading it, I met all the minimum requirements and just two areas were above minimum (I don't remember which ones).. Yesterday I DL'd and installed the GW mod. When ever I'm in the control room or on the bridge, the game slows way down and the video becomes very choppy.. I remember that my video card had just been at minimum so that's probably it.. I tried to reload GW & only selected a couple of options (didn't install sea floor detail) and it was just marginally better until I got the 'blue screen of death'

Flushed the entire install and re-installed the vanilla with a few gramaphone clips. I sure do miss the extra navigation tools and eye candy.. Although it was kind of hard getting close enough to identify the contact as a hostile, neutral or friendly. Any thing else I can try besides a new video card?

Another question, when I tried to use the magnetic pistols and set the depth on a coastal, how do I find the drafts of the merchants?? I looked in the book next to the scope & mine just showed combatants..

Thanks for all the advice and the help I've already gotten off the board.. By the way, I have this sailor that transferred to my boat.. I think his name is Bernard :hmm:

AVGWarhawk · 10-19-06, 08:26 AM

GW is a RAM hog so you need at least 1 Gig but 512 will do. Strong video card is a must. If money is lacking to get these things attempt to lower the particle density in the options within the game. Shut off all the background things you do not need to play SH3.

The ship ID book separates all the countries warships and then the merchants have their own section. Click the right or left arrow until you find what country/merch you need. Open and inside find the ship and you will see the draft information. I stay away from the magnetic anyway. I find them unreliable.

My rig:
AMD 3200+
Nvidia 6200OC 256MB
1 Gig RAM

Game runs just fine with full particle density and I do not shutdown background programs because I do not have too!

Welcome aboard Swab! Prepare to have everyone throw in their thoughts on your issues. We won't steer you wrong........well maybe Bernard!

Dowly · 10-19-06, 08:30 AM

Welcome to SubSim Herr Russ!

It´s true that GW eats up your PC´s power, so I´d suggest to get atleast 1Gig of RAM and a new graphic card.

My rig is:
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice
GeForce 7800 GTX 256Mb
2 Gigs of RAM

With that I have usually 60-80 fps. Drops to ~30-40 in ports and when attacking convoys.

mookiemookie · 10-19-06, 08:30 AM

Welcome to the world of SH3 addiction.

Did the game start getting choppy around the port area? GW includes a harbor traffic mod that adds a lot of ships to the ports, and it can be a strain on your computer. I've noticed that the game tends to run a lot smoother after I get out into the open sea.

As for your other question, the info for merchants can be found in the recognition manual under "Handelschiffe" (I'm sure I misspelled that, but it's close!). Use the left scroll arrow, and it should be just after Albania.

Herr Russ · 10-19-06, 09:04 AM

Thanks for the info.. I am running a gig of ram but the video card was the lowest one Dell offered above integrated graphics.. The choppiness was horrible in the harbor and I had a heck of a time getting away from the pier.. No other background programs are running (I even shut down email). I wanted to try the magnetic torps since I had 3 torpedoes impact and explode on a coastal, but it still managed to float & pull 3 kts. The weather was bad so I couldn't use the deck gun to finish her off. After about an hour of game time, I nailed her with another eel and she went down..

I'm already hooked.. I find things to do near the computer so I can run missions.. My son hit the 'c' key for some reason and I heard the 'ALAAAARM' all the way across the house (speaks were up a tad high :rotfl: )

kylania · 10-19-06, 09:39 AM

/me starts the band up and welcomes the new captain!

Welcome to SubSim and SH3!

Captain Nemo · 10-19-06, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr Russ

Thanks for the info.. I am running a gig of ram but the video card was the lowest one Dell offered above integrated graphics.. The choppiness was horrible in the harbor and I had a heck of a time getting away from the pier.. No other background programs are running (I even shut down email). I wanted to try the magnetic torps since I had 3 torpedoes impact and explode on a coastal, but it still managed to float & pull 3 kts. The weather was bad so I couldn't use the deck gun to finish her off. After about an hour of game time, I nailed her with another eel and she went down..

I'm already hooked.. I find things to do near the computer so I can run missions.. My son hit the 'c' key for some reason and I heard the 'ALAAAARM' all the way across the house (speaks were up a tad high :rotfl: )

Welcome Herr Russ. I have a Dell with a 3GHz P4, 1 gig of RAM and an ATI X300se graphics card (definitely not a leading edge graphics card!), had it for about a year and a half. It runs SHIII adequately with GW1.1a. I get around 15fps in port which is a bit choppy if you pan around on the bridge, but other than that I get around 30-45 fps out at sea depending on conditions. The only real slow down is when I look through the periscope and water is running down the lens my fps drops down to about 5-10fps.

Nemo

AVGWarhawk · 10-19-06, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr Russ

Thanks for the info.. I am running a gig of ram but the video card was the lowest one Dell offered above integrated graphics.. The choppiness was horrible in the harbor and I had a heck of a time getting away from the pier.. No other background programs are running (I even shut down email). I wanted to try the magnetic torps since I had 3 torpedoes impact and explode on a coastal, but it still managed to float & pull 3 kts. The weather was bad so I couldn't use the deck gun to finish her off. After about an hour of game time, I nailed her with another eel and she went down..

I'm already hooked.. I find things to do near the computer so I can run missions.. My son hit the 'c' key for some reason and I heard the 'ALAAAARM' all the way across the house (speaks were up a tad high :rotfl: )

Sounds to me like a new video card will cure your ills but yeah, port traffice does stress the hardware. In the open sea it is much better. Anyway, stay away from the coast/small tramp steamers. They are torpedo/cannon shell wasters. Go for the big boys.

Anyway, a lot of great cards are on sale at Best Buy. Might be worth a look and small investment for the gains you will get. Besides you will be hooked on this like crack:rotfl:

_Seth_ · 10-19-06, 10:55 AM

Welcome, Herr Russ!

fredbass · 10-19-06, 10:57 AM

Use your F1 key and you'll find the draft of ships.

Herr Russ · 10-19-06, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Nemo

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr Russ

Thanks for the info.. I am running a gig of ram but the video card was the lowest one Dell offered above integrated graphics.. The choppiness was horrible in the harbor and I had a heck of a time getting away from the pier.. No other background programs are running (I even shut down email). I wanted to try the magnetic torps since I had 3 torpedoes impact and explode on a coastal, but it still managed to float & pull 3 kts. The weather was bad so I couldn't use the deck gun to finish her off. After about an hour of game time, I nailed her with another eel and she went down..

I'm already hooked.. I find things to do near the computer so I can run missions.. My son hit the 'c' key for some reason and I heard the 'ALAAAARM' all the way across the house (speaks were up a tad high :rotfl: )

Welcome Herr Russ. I have a Dell with a 3GHz P4, 1 gig of RAM and an ATI X300se graphics card (definitely not a leading edge graphics card!), had it for about a year and a half. It runs SHIII adequately with GW1.1a. I get around 15fps in port which is a bit choppy if you pan around on the bridge, but other than that I get around 30-45 fps out at sea depending on conditions. The only real slow down is when I look through the periscope and water is running down the lens my fps drops down to about 5-10fps.

Nemo

How can you tell what the FPS rate is?? I'll try re-installing GW and turning down some of the settings. The last reload I did, I only enabled the 16KM light mod, and one or two others. I don't remember the exact list.. It was so choppy that I would move the mouse & count to 5 before it would actually move.. I'm running a 19" LCD with DTS video, I think, so I thought the video card would run the mod just fine..

Thanks for your warm welcomes and advice!!!

fredbass · 10-19-06, 11:05 AM

Again, use F1 key. I think it's Ctrl+F8 to see Frame rates.

AVGWarhawk · 10-19-06, 11:27 AM

Oh, one other thing I ran into. How the RAM is being used by windows. If your hard drive is swapping files like it is virtural memory, that slows it down. I have windows control the RAM. I had set it myself and I kept telling me out of memory blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. I switched it back to window controlled and no problems now.

Herr Russ · 10-19-06, 11:29 AM

Thanks fredbass, I just now found it doing a search

I didn't think of it as FPS or frame rate, so I didn't know what to search for at first.. After asking, I did a search & found it in the 10th. thread..

Thanks for helping me out!! I usually do try to search for answers before asking them, but I'm not used to alot of these terms..

Thanks!!

Herr Russ · 10-19-06, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Oh, one other thing I ran into. How the RAM is being used by windows. If your hard drive is swapping files like it is virtural memory, that slows it down. I have windows control the RAM. I had set it myself and I kept telling me out of memory blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. I switched it back to window controlled and no problems now.

I read that in another thread along with some other settings & suggestions.. Where did you switch the RAM to windows control?? Sounds like a CMOS setting??

Thanks!!

10-19-06, 08:18 AM	#1
Herr Russ Officer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: San Diego, CA. Posts: 246 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	New member & new player Got SH III last week and have been playing the 'vanilla' version (with 1.4B patch) just fine on my 6 month old Dell. When I was loading it, I met all the minimum requirements and just two areas were above minimum (I don't remember which ones).. Yesterday I DL'd and installed the GW mod. When ever I'm in the control room or on the bridge, the game slows way down and the video becomes very choppy.. I remember that my video card had just been at minimum so that's probably it.. I tried to reload GW & only selected a couple of options (didn't install sea floor detail) and it was just marginally better until I got the 'blue screen of death' Flushed the entire install and re-installed the vanilla with a few gramaphone clips. I sure do miss the extra navigation tools and eye candy.. Although it was kind of hard getting close enough to identify the contact as a hostile, neutral or friendly. Any thing else I can try besides a new video card? Another question, when I tried to use the magnetic pistols and set the depth on a coastal, how do I find the drafts of the merchants?? I looked in the book next to the scope & mine just showed combatants.. Thanks for all the advice and the help I've already gotten off the board.. By the way, I have this sailor that transferred to my boat.. I think his name is Bernard :hmm: Last edited by Herr Russ; 10-19-06 at 08:21 AM.

10-19-06, 08:26 AM	#2
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,253 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	GW is a RAM hog so you need at least 1 Gig but 512 will do. Strong video card is a must. If money is lacking to get these things attempt to lower the particle density in the options within the game. Shut off all the background things you do not need to play SH3. The ship ID book separates all the countries warships and then the merchants have their own section. Click the right or left arrow until you find what country/merch you need. Open and inside find the ship and you will see the draft information. I stay away from the magnetic anyway. I find them unreliable. My rig: AMD 3200+ Nvidia 6200OC 256MB 1 Gig RAM Game runs just fine with full particle density and I do not shutdown background programs because I do not have too! Welcome aboard Swab! Prepare to have everyone throw in their thoughts on your issues. We won't steer you wrong........well maybe Bernard! __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road Last edited by AVGWarhawk; 10-19-06 at 08:35 AM.

10-19-06, 08:30 AM	#4
mookiemookie Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 9,404 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 1	Welcome to the world of SH3 addiction. Did the game start getting choppy around the port area? GW includes a harbor traffic mod that adds a lot of ships to the ports, and it can be a strain on your computer. I've noticed that the game tends to run a lot smoother after I get out into the open sea. As for your other question, the info for merchants can be found in the recognition manual under "Handelschiffe" (I'm sure I misspelled that, but it's close!). Use the left scroll arrow, and it should be just after Albania. __________________ They don’t think it be like it is, but it do. Want more U-boat Kaleun portraits for your SH3 Commander Profiles? Download the SH3 Commander Portrait Pack here.

10-19-06, 09:39 AM	#6
kylania Silent Hunter Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 3,528 Downloads: 118 Uploads: 0	/me starts the band up and welcomes the new captain! Welcome to SubSim and SH3! __________________

10-19-06, 10:55 AM	#9
_Seth_ Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: In Tromsoe, @Tirpitz' final resting place.. Posts: 3,277 Downloads: 94 Uploads: 0	Welcome, Herr Russ! __________________

10-19-06, 08:30 AM	#3
Dowly Lucky Jack Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Finland Posts: 25,052 Downloads: 32 Uploads: 0	Welcome to SubSim Herr Russ! It´s true that GW eats up your PC´s power, so I´d suggest to get atleast 1Gig of RAM and a new graphic card. My rig is: AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice GeForce 7800 GTX 256Mb 2 Gigs of RAM With that I have usually 60-80 fps. Drops to ~30-40 in ports and when attacking convoys.

10-19-06, 09:04 AM	#5
Herr Russ Officer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: San Diego, CA. Posts: 246 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the info.. I am running a gig of ram but the video card was the lowest one Dell offered above integrated graphics.. The choppiness was horrible in the harbor and I had a heck of a time getting away from the pier.. No other background programs are running (I even shut down email). I wanted to try the magnetic torps since I had 3 torpedoes impact and explode on a coastal, but it still managed to float & pull 3 kts. The weather was bad so I couldn't use the deck gun to finish her off. After about an hour of game time, I nailed her with another eel and she went down.. I'm already hooked.. I find things to do near the computer so I can run missions.. My son hit the 'c' key for some reason and I heard the 'ALAAAARM' all the way across the house (speaks were up a tad high :rotfl: )

10-19-06, 10:57 AM	#10
fredbass Ace of the Deep Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Port Richey, Fl, USA Posts: 1,066 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Use your F1 key and you'll find the draft of ships.

10-19-06, 11:05 AM	#12
fredbass Ace of the Deep Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: New Port Richey, Fl, USA Posts: 1,066 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Again, use F1 key. I think it's Ctrl+F8 to see Frame rates.

10-19-06, 11:27 AM	#13
AVGWarhawk Lucky Jack Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: In a 1954 Buick. Posts: 28,253 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Oh, one other thing I ran into. How the RAM is being used by windows. If your hard drive is swapping files like it is virtural memory, that slows it down. I have windows control the RAM. I had set it myself and I kept telling me out of memory blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. I switched it back to window controlled and no problems now. __________________ “You're painfully alive in a drugged and dying culture.” ― Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road

10-19-06, 11:29 AM	#14
Herr Russ Officer Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: San Diego, CA. Posts: 246 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Thanks fredbass, I just now found it doing a search I didn't think of it as FPS or frame rate, so I didn't know what to search for at first.. After asking, I did a search & found it in the 10th. thread.. Thanks for helping me out!! I usually do try to search for answers before asking them, but I'm not used to alot of these terms.. Thanks!!