[REL] Flavored To Taste 2.5

[Ducimus]

Edit: Updated 05May07

Silent Hunter 4: Flavored To Taste version 2.5
- The cure for most( but not all) of your Sh4 aliments!

What is this mod?
It's just a personal project, and for me is acutally a source of enjoyment. I can't just play this game, i have to get into its inner workings too. When i really get into a game like this, i tend to hone it around the edges to make the game more to my liking. Hence the name "flavored to taste", for want of a better term. This mod represents modfications to refine the game to how *I* would like to play. I document what changes i make as best i can and provide the package as sort of a gesture of good will if it will help make the game more enjoyable for you. You can change, edit, and remove whatever you don't like to flavor the game more to your own taste.

Scope of mod
This is not meant to be a "super mod", although it starting to look that way My overall intent is to make the game more pleasing to play, and to provide a challenge to the player . In the course of those two primary goals, there WILL be (and already has) been some deviation from historical accuracy. This is not a mod for a "rivet counter", nor is this a mod for someone looking for "quake3 in subs". That said, im trying to stay with historical accuracy as much as possible, but being perfectly historically accurate in every detail is NOT how i would define this mod.

Why did you remove the next/ previous camera?
This modification is the most frequently asked and is testiment that this mod is not intended to make things easy despite some compromises to historical accuracy. I have always felt that the external camera gives the player too much info, and is something of a cheat given that the player can obtain info a real sub captain never could. Yet, its silly to deny oneself the eyecandy. Hence the "compromised realism camera". you can still look about your sub, but can't look at sound/radar contacts taht you otherwise couldnt see. Now, when you get a sonar/radar contact, you really have to wonder what you have there.

Ok, whatever dude, how do i renable the next previous camera?
In this mod, open the file data/cfg/commands.cfg in notepad. Search for "Cmd50" and
remove the semicolon placed in front of the key assigments for "Cmd50" and "Cmd51".

Installation:
JSGME, what else? (see here for details:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...5&postcount=48 )

Compatiblity & known issues:

- You must be in port (not at sea) before enabling this mod.
- For some uses the 0kb movie files cause crashes at game startup. If your game crash's, remove those files from this mod.
- Unknown if progressive tower upgrades in career game is functioning properly (stock bug).
- Due to extensive file changes, this mod is not compatible with any other large mod package.
- This mod is NOT compatiable with ANY mod that tries to alter the AI behavior.
- it is not known if the fix for forced retirement will effect games in progress.
- Forced retirement fix only address retirement due to sub being removed from service.
- Airplanes have visual detection issues. Stock bug introduced with patch 1.2



ADDITIONAL CREDITS:
- CCIP, for his orginal work on the commands.cfg and sub battery fix.
- cdrake66, for his new icons for the ordersbar
- jimimadrid, for his orderbar lamp color change
- OakGroove, for his percision bearing indicator
- fullmetaledges, for his medal changes/corrections
- Mraah, Jace11, and Redwine, for updated Sensors_sub_US.sim
- Chrall, for dark rec manual background.
- Misc sounds from Günther Hessler's "ultimate sound" mod pack
- scoochy, for hisslower smoke mod
- Seeadler, for his sky env mod
- Probex, for his 9KM visibility mod
- Chomu, for mini chrono
- zAmboni, and captain cox, for Nav tools
- Payoff, for the missing crew speech crash dive vocals.

-----------------------------------

Overview of major features
( For a more precise list of changes, see the readme
http://www.ducimus.net/sh4/release/FTT_readme.txt )


Improved AI Detection
Passive, active, and visual detection for the AI has been much improved. Your going to have to be a little bit more careful then you've been before.

Improved Airpower
Improved does not mean, more planes. The number of planes generated has acutaly been toned down, however the bombs the planes drop are a bit more dangerous, and the planes are not as easy to shoot down. If given the choice, diving is preferable.

Improved player sensors
Watchcrew is no longer so blind, and a workaround for radar plane detection has been introduced. SD radar has been alterd so it longer detect anything, (although you can still equip it), SJ radar now detects both planes and ships and is available at the start of the war. The result is you can turn off the radar whenever you want. Particuarly when entering or leaving port, as radar contact spam is annoying. You must also remember to turn it on when surfacing (R key). In addition, "radar depth" is now possible.


User Interface enhancements
- Control hotkeys are layed in similar to SH3.

- Torpedo doors, when opened, will stay open until you close them, or fire the torpedo in the opened tube.

- You can turn off and on the radar from any screen or menu (R key)

- You can call battle stations from any screen or menu ( B key )

- Commands from SH3 renabled for sh4: Navigator->Max range at current speed, Navigator->range to course end, WE-> Identify target, WO->nearest visual contact, WO->weather report, Sonar->follow nearest warship, sonar->normal sweep,

Whats more, not only have these commands been renabled, they're now shown on the orders bar with their own icons! (Old picture, new icons not shown)




- More informative help menu!


- Speed/range chart to plot your intercepts in help menu




Career Game Enhancments
- Medals awarded are a bit closer to the real word in name and appearance.

- Campaign start dates expanded.

- Repeated patrol bug fixed. The game will now assign one area, every two months. After two months time, a new area is selected. No more doing 6 patrols in a row to Honshu!

- Forced retirement due to boat being removed from service is fixed.

- No more Generic Yamoto battlehips. The days of sinking the Yamato like it was some common tin can are over!

- contact report range greatly reduced. No more lag enducing spammage on the clipboard.

- Pearl harbor flotilla users rejoice! The International Dateline bug is no more! Well, sorta Start outside the harbor, and you will now be placed about 140KM west of the IDL and midway. You will not cross the IDL until you decided to return to port. And at that point, the bug doesnt matter anymore. Note: You still have the option to start in harbor, but i wouldnt recommend it.

- Asiatic fleet users. No more missions in your home port when stationed at manila or Soberja.



Submarine Enhancements
- New throttle settings that are a bit more logical. (1/3rd is silent speed, 2/3rd is fuel conservaton crusing speed, etc)

- Wind will no longer effect when you can, or cannot use your deck weapons. (Rain however still does)

- No more empty planesman positions. Didn't you think it odd that only one planesman was at station all the time unless battlestaions was sounded?

- The bathtub is GONE.

- more realistic battery life, and diesal fuel capacity

- Boats now dive quicker then stock

- Gar class submarine is now independant of the Tambor with its own files, and has been changed to act as a middle of the road sub between a Tambor and Gato. (see readme for details)


Graphics and sounds

- added some sounds from various modpacks, some resampled to not be so loud. Special thanks to Günther Hessler for some of the files ive used from his outstanding sound mod. It really helps with emersion!

- Slower smoke. No more 50 kt smoke in a 5kt wind.

- slower clouds and sky textures. No more playing the game, and seeing the clouds speed by like your watching the intro movie.

- Sub marker when submerged no longer appears.

- more percise bearing indicator

Misc erratta
- Ships sink at a slower, slightly more realistic rate.

- deck gun and AA gun upgrades spread out a bit more. (just incase your wondering where your twin AA gun and 4" Deck gun is in 1941, its in 6/42, and 1/43)

- torpedo dud rate *slightly* increased. (dont expect much, the games weird when it decides to have duds. you get no duds, and then a ton of em, its seems totally random)

Bungo Pete lives!
Bungo pete. That ex Japanese submariner turned destroyer captain. He know's his stuff. Reputed to be superhuman, or supernatural, the Bungo straights is known as a submarine graveyard. Unless your crazy good, or just plain crazy, avoid the Bungo Straights if you can. If you must go through, good luck, your going to need it.





Enough talk! Where do i D/L it? (11.7 MB)
http://www.ducimus.net/sh4/release/R...o_taste_2_5.7z



---------------------------------

Other mods id recommend to go along with this one:
Periscope Telemeter Lenses, 32 dgr Field and 8 dgr Field
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=110064
Retextured Orders bar gauges
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=110655
360 degree bearing tool
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108555
JP Ship Dimension Fix 1.2
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=109953


Changes in FTT 2.5 in relation to FTT 2.4

//added probex's 9KM vis mod (scene.dat, sensors.cfg )

//added quick conversions chart in help menu

// missing "crash dive" vocals by Payoff.

// bungo pete

//basic 1024_768.ini mod
-mini chrono by Chomu
-nav tools by zAmboni, and captain cox.

//SENSORS.DAT
Visual->PerciseRange from 8000 to 6500
Visual->surface from 150 to 100


//AI_SENSORS.DAT
AI_Visual->Sensitivity from 0.3 to 0
Ai_visual->maxheight from 10,000 to 25,000
type93-1a->MaxElevation from 104 to 106
type93-3a->MaxElevation from 108 to 110
type93-5a->MaxElevation from 116 to 118

//DEPTHCHARGES.ZON
MinRadius from 3.5 to 4.5
Max radius from 16 to 15

//sim.cfg ->Visual
wave factor from 0.75 to 1.5
Light factor from 2 to 2.5
detection time from 0.5 to 0.25

//FLOTILLA.UPC
-S class exit date nulled.
- balao / brisbane exit date nulled.
- retouched patrol assigments


//campaign
- task force spawn probablity from 75% to 35% every two weeks.
- Troop convoy spawn probablity from 75% to 35% every two weeks.
- single merchant spawn probablity from 75 to 40-45% every few days.
- reduced jp BB/CV harbor traffic spawn frequency.

Side note: until patch 1.3.....

"The deh the tha, thats all folks!"
Really this time!

[Scoochy]

Saweeeeetness!
Now I just have to end my patrol before I can install. May have to rush back home early for this one!

[Skipbo]

Ducimus: Super! Thanks for all that you do for so many of us. I use several other mods, but yours is the "base mod" that I start with and your "taste" seems to coincide extremely well with mine. I'm anxious to try it out as well and have already finished downloading it as I type.............Skipbo

[shad43]

Hi Ducimus, I have to say this is impressive I don't use your mod per se, as the title says
its "flavored to taste" I use only a handful of mods and my own cfg adjustments, that said I learn a lot by checking out your work...I much appreciate your efforts to make the game better Thankyou
The forced retirement fix is a good one, without having seen the files yet I would assume you changed the end dates for the subs...this would make a good stand alone mod for those who don't use large mod packs.
Again, nice work

[Hartmann]

great!!

i was looking for mods and now i have a good pack !

thanks

[THE_MASK]

Keep up the good work.........i mean great,thanks

[wrrichard]

Very nice. Thank you for all the hard work! It has made the game playable for me.

[TDK1044]

Outstanding work. Many thanks.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Side note: until patch 1.3.....

"The deh the tha, thats all folks!"

Lovely! An interesting side note to that: most people try to imitate ol' Porky by saying something like "Beduh, beduh, that's all folks", without ever realizing what he's doing. Porky always tried to say something simple and ended with somthing harder, i.e. "I have the fl..the fl..influenza!", or "we're taking the ca..the ca..the automobile!"

What he keeps trying to say in that famous closing is "The End!"

[Bando]

Hello Ducimus,

First of all, I'd like to thank you for your effords to make SH4 the sim it should be. I've played SH1 extensively, skipped sh2 and sh3 due to a whole lot of other commitmennts, but i'm glad to be back in the simworld.
The vanilla game needed finetuning to say the least. People like you make this game much more fun. Thanks for that.

There is a little question i'd like to ask;
When sailing from Java my batterie was 100%. After a few days and a few dives it did not recharge to 100% but to some 94% or so. No problem, I can live with that. Leaving the option on to recharge gives a drastic reduction in your range when running on diesels however.
Now everytime I surface I have to remember to shut the recharger off, otherwise I won't make it to port.
Is this intentionally?

Regards,
Bando

[Ducimus]

What boat were you using and were you damaged in some way? Ive had that happen to me once after i had the beejubus shelled out of me by an esort. Otherwise i havent experiened that at all.

[jerryt]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

What boat were you using and were you damaged in some way? Ive had that happen to me once after i had the beejubus shelled out of me by an esort. Otherwise i havent experiened that at all.

I got bombed by a couple of Betty's and had this happen also. Batteries wouldn't charge past 81%, and I had to remember to shut off the charger after every dive.

This was after the batteries were repaired by my DC crew, so I guess it basically marks some batteries destroyed after taking damage.

[Ducimus]

Thats my experiences as well. Im fairly confident in saying this is a stock game issue, probably with the damage model.

As an aside i am working on verion 2.5. I stopped playing immediatly after i noticed AI visuals on planes and have been monkeying with it since.

Right now 2.5 is looking to have

- fixed AI visuals

- decreased player visuals (its just too good right now)

- retouch patrol assigments to get some more variety, and try and place the player in the locations of major battles when the happen, (no promises here though)

- further reduction of task force and troop convoy spawn requency.

[Fearless]

Great stuff Ducimus, looking forward to the update.

[Buzz313th]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Thats my experiences as well. Im fairly confident in saying this is a stock game issue, probably with the damage model.

As an aside i am working on verion 2.5. I stopped playing immediatly after i noticed AI visuals on planes and have been monkeying with it since.

Right now 2.5 is looking to have

- fixed AI visuals

- decreased player visuals (its just too good right now)

- retouch patrol assigments to get some more variety, and try and place the player in the locations of major battles when the happen, (no promises here though)

- further reduction of task force and troop convoy spawn requency.

Sounds great... Unfortunately all the hard work that all you modders do, seems to make UBI kinda lazy.

They sure owe you all bit of thanks.