Realism- and gameplay-related hardcode fixes for SH3.EXE

[Robin40]

Originally Posted by Stiebler

@H.sie,

Many thanks for the reply about the AI-Uboats.

@Robin40:

It seems that you are missing one or more of these files from your patch folder:
1. SH3.exe already patched with H.sie's V15G2.
2. V15_G2_Surrender_Smoke_CAM (a file with no extension).
3. bspatch.exe.

You must have all these files in the same folder in which you run patch_SH3.bat.

The file SH3.exe is your file which you have patched already with H.sies's patch-kit V15G2. Make sure you create a back-up copy of it somewhere before using my Surrender_Smoke_CAM patch.

Stiebler.

no missing file

[Stiebler]

@H.sie (Wolfpacks):

The main factors affecting whether a U-boat pack could find a convoy are these:
1. The U-boat that found the convoy must *continue* to send contact reports. That is the critical factor.
2. No U-boats can find a convoy in fog.
3. Storms affect the speed at which distant U-boats can arrive, and cause much greater fuel consumption. Some U-boats might not have sufficient fuel to arrive in storms.

Remember that the U-boats did not arrive all together as a 'pack'. They arrived individually from their patrol (1941) or pack reconnaissance areas (1942-1944), and had to travel different distances. However, once arrived, they would be coordinated by BdU to attack all on the same night. Thus it is reasonable to have the pack seem to arrive all at once.

The original U-boat must send several contact reports. The more contact reports it sends, the greater the chance of a pack attack. (But allow a space of at least two hours between contact reports - it would be silly if a U-boat could send 10 contact reports in five minutes in order to organise an attack!) This (multiple contact reports) was another feature well modelled in the old Aces of the Deep.

Stiebler.

[Stiebler]

@Robin40:

Quote:
@Robin40:

It seems that you are missing one or more of these files from your patch folder:
1. SH3.exe already patched with H.sie's V15G2.
2. V15_G2_Surrender_Smoke_CAM (a file with no extension).
3. bspatch.exe.

You must have all these files in the same folder in which you run patch_SH3.bat.

The file SH3.exe is your file which you have patched already with H.sies's patch-kit V15G2. Make sure you create a back-up copy of it somewhere before using my Surrender_Smoke_CAM patch.

Stiebler.

no missing file

Sorry, but now I cannot guess what is your problem.

Has anyone else had the same problem? Can anyone else provide a suggestion?

Stiebler.

[h.sie]

@Stiebler: Thank you very much, J., for the information.

I was able to reduce the time between contact messages from 12 hours to 1 hour, that means, it is now possible (and required) to send a contact report on a regulary basis. Otherwise the chance rises that the other Subs won't be able to intercept the convoy. This is already programmed, only the influence of the weather was missing, but this will come in the next days.

Regarding Robin40: I'm also not able to see where his problem is, because his description is not very helpful.

h.sie

[SquareSteelBar]

Originally Posted by Stiebler

...Has anyone else had the same problem? Can anyone else provide a suggestion?...

Just ckecked your CAM patch once more -> works like a charme...

Don't know what's Robin's prob.

[Stiebler]

Many thanks for the confirmation that the Surrender-Smoke-CAM patch works properly, SSB.

Stiebler.

[Robin40]

Originally Posted by Stiebler

Many thanks for the confirmation that the Surrender-Smoke-CAM patch works properly, SSB.

Stiebler.

well....don't bother about that

anyway here it is what I have in my window c:\Windows\syste32\cmd.exe when I apply Patch_SH3

SH3 Patcher V1.0 by h.sie

Trying to apply patch V15G2_Stiebler to H.sie' V15G2 sh3.exe

Premere un tasto per continuare (trans. press a key to continue)

Making backup sh3.old

Impossibile trovare il file specificato (trans. Impossible to find the specified file)

Patching.....

Exit

[Wreford-Brown]

Originally Posted by Robin40

anyway here it is what I have in my window c:\Windows\syste32\cmd.exe when I apply Patch_SH3

Are you using a completely new sh3.exe?
If you use one which has been modified in any way (e.g. using a no-CD patch, or even using earlier versions of h.sie's work) then the patch will not work.

Use the 'Patch_SH3' MS DOS file to check you have a compatible version. If you still have problems then PM me.

[h.sie]

@Stiebler: I think about to also model the chance of wolfpack subs being sunk by hunter-killer groups. But I'm not sure whether it makes sense, since, as you told, the UBoats did not travel together as a single group.

I thought about a simple model: The later the war, the higher the chance that a wolfpack is sunk by enemy.

On the other hand: Since radar was available in late 42 (?), life will be hard enough in sh3 to keep visual contact and send contact reports without being detected. Maybe an additional modelling of wolfpack Uboats being sunk by hunter-killer-groups makes life too hard????

[urfisch]

nice to see you are still deep in it h.sie!

[JC]

Is there any patch or fix for SH3/GWX 3 Gold that will stop it from crashing when attempting to open a saved game. It'll let me start a mission then after a day of playing and saving I try reloading a saved segment and get the message that there's a problem which causes the program to close. Out of frustration I started a Career in SH4 Gold and unfortunately three quarters through a mission after saving then trying to reopen I get the same message. Any ideas or suggestions to correct these problems. I did completely uninstall the reinstall both programs and still get the error. I'm on a Windows 7 unit. Thanks

[Sailor Steve]

Hi, JC. You would probably be better off starting a new thread for that question, as this thread is dedicated to a particular program.

[edit] Never mind, I see that you already did.

[Stiebler]

@H.sie:

I think about to also model the chance of wolfpack subs being sunk by hunter-killer groups. But I'm not sure whether it makes sense, since, as you told, the UBoats did not travel together as a single group.

I thought about a simple model: The later the war, the higher the chance that a wolfpack is sunk by enemy.

On the other hand: Since radar was available in late 42 (?), life will be hard enough in sh3 to keep visual contact and send contact reports without being detected. Maybe an additional modelling of wolfpack Uboats being sunk by hunter-killer-groups makes life too hard????

I can think of an even simpler model to adjust for changing fortunes at sea.

In 1941: add a wolf-pack group of randomly up to 2 AI-boats.
In 1942: randomly up to 3 AI-boats.
In 1943 to May: randomly up to 4 U-boats.
From June 1943 to March 1944: randomly up to 2 U-boats.
After March 1944, pack operations were ended by BdU owing to heavy losses.

The above random figures should be reduced for storms (divide the random number above as an integer by 2; use the integer result).

In real-life, some convoys were attacked by up to 20 U-boats. However, it is necessary to consider the effects on game-speed, and the stability of game-saves, so I think 4 AI U-boats must be a realistic maximum for SH3.

As for sinking the wolf-pack boats, this may occur anyway from the convoy defences, which become stronger as the war advances, so that is not a problem.

Radar was widespread on British warships from about mid-1941. First encountered at sea in March 1941. But signalling close to a convoy is not much of a problem in darkness and/or stormy seas. SH3 models this quite well.

I hope that helps.
Stiebler.

[h.sie]

@Stiebler: Thank you. This gives me an impression of the situation at different times during the war. The mod will indeed model fortunes at sea depending on time and region, and the maximum number of AI subs is 4. How did you know? I never told you!

What I really would like to know is: From which year on did hunter-killer-groups affect fortunes at sea significantly?

[Stiebler]

@H.sie:

What I really would like to know is: From which year on did hunter-killer-groups affect fortunes at sea significantly?

Essentially from the beginning of 1943.

There were two types of hunter-killer-groups:
1. From beginning 1943, they were rushed to the assistance of convoys already being attacked, in order to reinforce the original escorts. However, they would rarely arrive before the first attacks.
2. From June 1943, groups attached to aircraft-carriers, intended to sweep ocean areas known to hold many U-boats. These were employed mostly around the Azores +1000 miles radius.

I think it is the reinforcement killer-groups (1) that will most affect your wolf-pack mod. Or maybe you could code that the effect of killer-groups is noticed from January 1943, and becomes worse in June 1943.

Stiebler.