"SH3Gen" Campaign enhancement (version 0.6.0)

[GlobalExplorer]

@zz: Thanks! And good to hear.

@Von Helsching: Thank you for your suggestions, here are my thoughts.

Dynamic updates are not planned .. because this would require constant Alt-Tabbing. Not the grandest concept, as people are already complaining that Sh3Gen requires to Alt-Tab.

Campaign spanning several patrols, sorry, I dont know either. I dont want to give up the abstract way I handle data, which makes Sh3Gen suited for any campaign mods around. Another problem is that the campaign data which I access doesnt contain enough info, so I would have to make to much guesswork.

What I am thinking of is an option to generate a completely new set of radio messages for each patrol, which would contain pieces of the usual target info (similar to the intelligence update), possibly as well as virtual uboats that give updates about sinkings and more. I hope to make a draft for this and update the thread about what I think is possible. Mind however that at this stage it is just an idea I have not decided yet if I will do it, and god forbit when.

What do you think, would it be in the interest of this mod to incorporate radio messages? I ask because for this I would have to give up the totally "clean" architecture that doesnt add stuff to ShIII. Rewriting the radio message file would, of course, never be 100% compatible with other radio log mods, though I would of course offer the usual backup/rollback functions. Its just that this is a step I am not too eager to make, because now Sh3Gen integrates so nicely with other mods. But, on the other hand, it would not alter much and possibly be very much more athmospheric if, for the first time, you would get radio messages about things that are actually there.

Let me know what you think, I can still keep this open for the future, but it could be done one day. Any ideas/feedback welcome.

GE

P.S. About the UBoats sinkings and/or virtual Uboat traffic, I would have to build a UBoat database first, anybody interested to help me with this? No coding required, only some interest to collect enough data from the various sources.

[HEMISENT]

GE
I really do enjoy using SH3 Gen. I don't use it all the time but it"s nice to know it's there. It is a pain in the butt to save/exit to generate a fresh map but that's not your fault. Mostly I Alt/Tab to generate an intel report.
Great work and thanks for all the effort.

PS I think the idea of radio reports is a good one, anything to increase the immersion is a step in the right direction.

[Boris]

Radio messages that are actually relevant... You've got my vote!

[JBClark]

GlobalExplorer,

I just discovered this mod and following your instructions, successfully installed it to run with GW and SH3Commander. I did update Commander and MS net1.1 before I tried it.

This post is to let you know that:

1) It worked. 1st time! No problems.

2) I like it.

Keep up the good work Sir.

Regards,

JBC

2.4GHz P4
1 GB RAM
XP Pro
Nvidia GeForce 5700LE 128MB

[VonHelsching]

Originally Posted by GlobalExplorer

P.S. About the UBoats sinkings and/or virtual Uboat traffic, I would have to build a UBoat database first, anybody interested to help me with this? No coding required, only some interest to collect enough data from the various sources.

Well, some people around might have this already. Anyone from the uboat.net forums around?

What you actually require would be a database of sinkings, right?. Such as an excel file with the following:

(fictional)
U-569, IXD/2
Sunk 03.05.44 by depthcharges from aircraft or [030544, A/C DC]
All hands lost

Or is it too much info? In 1944 the map would be filled with RIP markings...

[GlobalExplorer]

Originally Posted by VonHelsching

Well, some people around might have this already. Anyone from the uboat.net forums around?

What you actually require would be a database of sinkings, right?. Such as an excel file with the following:

(fictional)
U-569, IXD/2
Sunk 03.05.44 by depthcharges from aircraft or [030544, A/C DC]
All hands lost

Or is it too much info? In 1944 the map would be filled with RIP markings...

In the long term, I am thinking about much more than RIP markings

Name=U-569
Commander=Mustermann
Waypoints=

Other than the UBoat name, commander and TOO it would be more in the spirit of Sh3Gen to have no historically correct data, instead it would be better to generate contacts/encounters from the data in the campaign files. Instead I would add waypoints for all Uboats, for every historical period. Of course its not realistic to have correct data for all boats, but usually it is possible to achieve a believable setup with less, well diversified data. For instance, the same waypoints could be reused for many boats.

Note: I could add your info about sinking of the boats itself, hadnt thought about it previously:

SunkDate=030544
SunkLat=12345.000
SunkLong=-154546.00
SunkBy=Aircraft
etc ..

Mind we are just exchanging thoughts, I have not decided yet about this feature. There are problems with the spatial operations for finding correct contacts. Particularly it is a problem that SpawnProbability is set to very low levels in all campaigns (albeit with good reason). This makes the chance to find any targets at the given coordinates lower, which is bad for Sh3Gen in general.

[zzsteven]

Not real sure what you're trying to do. My understanding: You are trying to generate a listing of other Uboats locations in the game based on game data? If I understand correctly, the only Uboats in the game are the ones Rubini scripted in his HT mods and Sansals milkcows (modified by Rubini). There are no other Uboats in the game, or submarines for that matter. Someone would have to script them in the campaign files first.

If I'm misunderstanding then please feel free to ignore this old guy in the corner.

zz

PS In the Parameters.ini file I noticed an entry for Aircoverage. SH3 Gen doesn't seem to show aircoverage, did this not get implemented?

[Rhodes]

I have a question about the sh3 gen, I'm trying for the 1º time and the quickstart text says that the ingame map will have the updates and etc if everything whent right.
But my map and war diary has notting.
When a create a sav game and run the sh3 gen, I need to leave the game and then reload to have the updates of the sh3gen?

[VonHelsching]

Originally Posted by zzsteven

Not real sure what you're trying to do. My understanding: You are trying to generate a listing of other Uboats locations in the game based on game data? If I understand correctly, the only Uboats in the game are the ones Rubini scripted in his HT mods and Sansals milkcows (modified by Rubini). There are no other Uboats in the game, or submarines for that matter. Someone would have to script them in the campaign files first.

If I'm misunderstanding then please feel free to ignore this old guy in the corner.

zz

PS In the Parameters.ini file I noticed an entry for Aircoverage. SH3 Gen doesn't seem to show aircoverage, did this not get implemented?

No, we were discussing with GE the possibility of displaying actual historic data (actual uboat sinkings) poitend out on the map according to the date. Nothing to do with the .scr layer.

Unless GE has something else in his mind...

[VonHelsching]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

I have a question about the sh3 gen, I'm trying for the 1º time and the quickstart text says that the ingame map will have the updates and etc if everything whent right.
But my map and war diary has notting.
When a create a sav game and run the sh3 gen, I need to leave the game and then reload to have the updates of the sh3gen?

What I do to use SH3Gen:

- Load a game (at the office)
- Get out of the port. More than 35 kms away. You will notice an FPS raise, then you ll know.
- Save your game
- Exit
-Load SH3Gen and select your savegeme.
- Generate map (after you fiddle your your preferre intelligence options first)
- Exit Sh3Gen
- Load SH3, your savegame.
- Press F5, et viola!

[Rhodes]

VonHelsching, very thanks.

[zzsteven]

Originally Posted by VonHelsching

No, we were discussing with GE the possibility of displaying actual historic data (actual uboat sinkings) poitend out on the map according to the date. Nothing to do with the .scr layer.

Unless GE has something else in his mind...

Guess my question was based on this paragraph:
"Other than the UBoat name, commander and TOO it would be more in the spirit of Sh3Gen to have no historically correct data, instead it would be better to generate contacts/encounters from the data in the campaign files. Instead I would add waypoints for all Uboats, for every historical period. Of course its not realistic to have correct data for all boats, but usually it is possible to achieve a believable setup with less, well diversified data. For instance, the same waypoints could be reused for many boats."

So maybe somewhere in the .scr or .rnd files create entries for Uboats?

zz

[GlobalExplorer]

Originally Posted by zzsteven

Not real sure what you're trying to do. My understanding: You are trying to generate a listing of other Uboats locations in the game based on game data? If I understand correctly, the only Uboats in the game are the ones Rubini scripted in his HT mods and Sansals milkcows (modified by Rubini). There are no other Uboats in the game, or submarines for that matter. Someone would have to script them in the campaign files first.

If I'm misunderstanding then please feel free to ignore this old guy in the corner.

zz

PS In the Parameters.ini file I noticed an entry for Aircoverage. SH3 Gen doesn't seem to show aircoverage, did this not get implemented?

Correct, Aircoverage trigger is still in, as well as most of the original logic. I hope to include a better implementation in the coming update.

Concerning your 1st question. I know that I cannot rely on UBoats in the campaign layer, hence all the fuss. VonHelsching and me have been chatting away about possibilities to build a UBoat database inside Sh3Gen. Its all at a very early stage, and I cant say often enough that its not decided yet. I see with regret regret that I seem to have problems to explain the point. Thats what happens when you try to learn Spanish, seems to be impending my eloquence in english

[GlobalExplorer]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

I have a question about the sh3 gen, I'm trying for the 1º time and the quickstart text says that the ingame map will have the updates and etc if everything whent right.
But my map and war diary has notting.
When a create a sav game and run the sh3 gen, I need to leave the game and then reload to have the updates of the sh3gen?

Sh3Gen writes all changes into the specified savegame, thats why the save must be reloaded before anything shows up. Workflow is always:

- save
- alt-tab
- run sh3gen with the savegame specified
- reload

[zzsteven]

Originally Posted by GlobalExplorer

Correct, Aircoverage trigger is still in, as well as most of the original logic. I hope to include a better implementation in the coming update.

Concerning your 1st question. I know that I cannot rely on UBoats in the campaign layer, hence all the fuss. VonHelsching and me have been chatting away about possibilities to build a UBoat database inside Sh3Gen. Its all at a very early stage, and I cant say often enough that its not decided yet. I see with regret regret that I seem to have problems to explain the point. Thats what happens when you try to learn Spanish, seems to be impending my eloquence in english

Thanks for clearing the fog in my mind. If there is any way I can help, please do not hesitate to PM. I really like this program and would like to see it evolve.

Over the last ten years many of my co-workers only speak Spanish. It's been a great opportunity to learn a new language but the frustration of trying to explain something is aggrevating sometimes.

zz