[REL] Reduced Traffic Mod v1.2

Excalibur Bane · 07-01-07, 11:03 PM

Reduced Traffic Mod v1.2

What is the purpose of this mod?

The goal in creating this mod was to to remove all non-essential traffic from the game that does not have any significant effect on gameplay, in order to make the game experience much smoother. It should offer a significant performance boost to both the graphics engine as well as the GUI responsiveness when operating at high time compression settings. You can also expect a fairly decent reduction in load times from the main menu to in-game, or from your office to in-game as well.

This is not a mod for those who enjoy the extra immersion that all the extra traffic gives, nor is it historically accurate or correct. That's not the purpose of it. It's designed to allow those with slower systems (Or those looking for a higher frame rate) to enjoy the graphics engine to it's fullest by removing much of the load off the CPU due to constantly having to track so many ships in the background.I've done extensive testing over the last three days, and I've found no issues or problems. With my system configuration (Athlon XP 3200+, 1 GB of RAM, GF7600 GT) I'm able to run the game with 4xAA and 16xAF enabled, while having almost all settings at maximum, and get a solid 24 fps. As with most things though, your mileage will vary. I hope this mod is useful to you and enjoy

Where I can download it?

You can find the latest version here (Thanks for the mirror, Sneeky!)

Installation Instructions

My mod is JSGME compatible, simply extract all the files from the RAR archive into the MODS subfolder of your main SH4 directory, and enable it using JSGME.

NOTE: As with installing any mod, it is recommended to return to port, exit the game and then activate the mod. I've done limited testing of activating while at sea, and I've encountered no problems, but do so at your own risk.

Compatiblity

This mod will function on any version of SH4 past, present or future due to the fact that it simply modifies the campaign mission files. It is not compatible with any other mods that modify the friendly campaign mission files (and a few enemy mission files).

Version History

v1.2

- Removed most friendly assets (air, land, sea) and removed some more enemy coastal traffic (sampans, tugs, junks). Friendly taskforces and scripted battles remain untouched as they are very small and would offer little to no gain by removing them.

- Added a readme file with proper information.

- Added version history.

v1.1

Internal release.

v1.0

Initial release.

Contact Information

If you encounter any problems while using this mod, please post in this thread and I will help you as best I can. Constructive comments and suggestions for future versions, are also welcome. Feel free to email me at the address included in the mod.

Finally, please give me credit if you intend to use this mod or alter it for use in your mod. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion that nobody is ever going to want to use this in any other mods.

PULSEOX · 07-01-07, 11:28 PM

I would be interested in trying it out. I play with all settings on low and get 8-15 fps. I really don't see a lot of "difference" between medium and low setting visually-so maybe this would help. After all if I didn't like it I could always go back, right?

switch.dota · 07-02-07, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Granted, by removing these layers, the tradeoff is that the world is less realistic and feels less alive but this might be a sacrifice that those who are having trouble getting the game to run smoothly because of the background tracking of ships, etc. are willing to make.

What exactly do you mean by that?

Excalibur Bane · 07-02-07, 02:35 AM

Well, besides running the GUI and the graphics engine, the game is contantly tracking the position of stuff in the game world, which is very taxing on the CPU because of the raw data that needs to be processed and the general lack of decent coding. SH3 had precisely the same problem, clearly they didn't give much time to tightening up the code in SH4.

For example, removing the layer for friendly merchants, would get rid of all of the junk merchants coming off the west coast of the US. For gameplay purposes, this would have no effect. Unless you plan on cruising around and shooting up your own merchant vessels

It really depends on how much a person wants to sacrifice in terms of immersion, realism, etc to get a smoother game experience. You could remove coastal traffic althogether, both friendly and enemy, because they consist of nothing but Sampans, Fishing boats and Junks. Again, not terribly important to gameplay since they don't represent major targets, they are more irritants then anything else but they do contribute to the game's atmosphere.

Fercyful · 07-02-07, 04:06 PM

sounds very insteresting

please can you release your campaign like a mod so we can try it,

thanks!

Hartmann · 07-02-07, 09:19 PM

Another interesting thing could be reduce the size of convois and task forces. or reduce coastal traffic :hmm:

PAW · 07-05-07, 12:17 AM

Just dropping into say that i'm also interested (and thankyou). TC 1024 was fine for SH3 but along comes the pacific ocean and 1024 just doesn't do it. Also, all the coastal traffic (especially in friendly ports) was a major pain. Mean't I actually tended to sail around midway (If i felt I could afford the fuel) just to avoid the juddering frames at high TC.

Excalibur Bane · 07-05-07, 03:49 AM

Thanks, good to know it's proving useful. If the interest is there, I can provide an even higher performance layer that removes the friendly stuff in port as well as the friendly taskforces altogether. This is what I've been using myself, I've got very good results with this. Not sure how many people would be interested in this though.

I might split them upto into two versions, a "heavy" and a "light" performance RND layer. We'll see

PULSEOX · 07-05-07, 02:43 PM

I would definitely be interested in the "Heavy" version. While all the friendly traffic is nice if you have a system that can handle it-it is unnecessary and just slows things down to a crawl on marginal systems.
If it means I can raise my fps to a enjoyable level and have less choppy gameplay-I'd be glad to sacrifice the "friendly" traffic all together!
Thanks Again!

cpomd · 07-09-07, 03:58 PM

My Spec is 1.4Mhz Intel P4, 6200 nvidia graphics, 1GB Ram and I found a small around 5 or so FPS improvement so i would definitely like a Heavy version to try out.
Tia

Excalibur Bane · 07-09-07, 11:01 PM

Alrighty, new version is up. Oooh, it looks like a real mod now. Fancy that.

I hope I got it written properly and everything is correct...:hmm:

Navigator857 · 07-10-07, 03:03 PM

Just ran your mod, works fantastic. Saw a great improvement in TC and loading times. Much appreciated. :p

Excalibur Bane · 07-10-07, 04:27 PM

Glad you guys are enjoying it!

07-10-07, 11:08 PM

just tried it, my grafics went from cartoonish to movie looking when i activated your mod. this will be a manditory fix for my old computer. the only times i get reduced fps now is when aircraft are diving, but i had that in sh3 as well.

is " Reduced Traffic Mod v1.2" the "heavy" version or are you still working on that one?

Excalibur Bane · 07-11-07, 12:08 AM

Yes, this is most definately the heavy version. There is nothing left to remove that wouldn't have a serious impact on gameplay.

07-01-07, 11:03 PM	#1
Excalibur Bane XO Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 429 Downloads: 20 Uploads: 0	[REL] Reduced Traffic Mod v1.2 Reduced Traffic Mod v1.2 What is the purpose of this mod? The goal in creating this mod was to to remove all non-essential traffic from the game that does not have any significant effect on gameplay, in order to make the game experience much smoother. It should offer a significant performance boost to both the graphics engine as well as the GUI responsiveness when operating at high time compression settings. You can also expect a fairly decent reduction in load times from the main menu to in-game, or from your office to in-game as well. This is not a mod for those who enjoy the extra immersion that all the extra traffic gives, nor is it historically accurate or correct. That's not the purpose of it. It's designed to allow those with slower systems (Or those looking for a higher frame rate) to enjoy the graphics engine to it's fullest by removing much of the load off the CPU due to constantly having to track so many ships in the background.I've done extensive testing over the last three days, and I've found no issues or problems. With my system configuration (Athlon XP 3200+, 1 GB of RAM, GF7600 GT) I'm able to run the game with 4xAA and 16xAF enabled, while having almost all settings at maximum, and get a solid 24 fps. As with most things though, your mileage will vary. I hope this mod is useful to you and enjoy Where I can download it? You can find the latest version here (Thanks for the mirror, Sneeky!) Installation Instructions My mod is JSGME compatible, simply extract all the files from the RAR archive into the MODS subfolder of your main SH4 directory, and enable it using JSGME. NOTE: As with installing any mod, it is recommended to return to port, exit the game and then activate the mod. I've done limited testing of activating while at sea, and I've encountered no problems, but do so at your own risk. Compatiblity This mod will function on any version of SH4 past, present or future due to the fact that it simply modifies the campaign mission files. It is not compatible with any other mods that modify the friendly campaign mission files (and a few enemy mission files). Version History v1.2 - Removed most friendly assets (air, land, sea) and removed some more enemy coastal traffic (sampans, tugs, junks). Friendly taskforces and scripted battles remain untouched as they are very small and would offer little to no gain by removing them. - Added a readme file with proper information. - Added version history. v1.1 Internal release. v1.0 Initial release. Contact Information If you encounter any problems while using this mod, please post in this thread and I will help you as best I can. Constructive comments and suggestions for future versions, are also welcome. Feel free to email me at the address included in the mod. Finally, please give me credit if you intend to use this mod or alter it for use in your mod. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion that nobody is ever going to want to use this in any other mods. __________________ Looking for a list of mods for SH4? Everything you need is here: List Of Modifications for SH4 v1.3 "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing." Last edited by Excalibur Bane; 08-23-07 at 11:56 AM. Reason: New version added.

07-01-07, 11:28 PM	#2
PULSEOX Helmsman Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Tombstone AZ Posts: 102 Downloads: 417 Uploads: 0	I would be interested in trying it out. I play with all settings on low and get 8-15 fps. I really don't see a lot of "difference" between medium and low setting visually-so maybe this would help. After all if I didn't like it I could always go back, right? __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]*"We build them well in Germany....eh Heinie?"*

07-02-07, 02:35 AM	#4
Excalibur Bane XO Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 429 Downloads: 20 Uploads: 0	Well, besides running the GUI and the graphics engine, the game is contantly tracking the position of stuff in the game world, which is very taxing on the CPU because of the raw data that needs to be processed and the general lack of decent coding. SH3 had precisely the same problem, clearly they didn't give much time to tightening up the code in SH4. For example, removing the layer for friendly merchants, would get rid of all of the junk merchants coming off the west coast of the US. For gameplay purposes, this would have no effect. Unless you plan on cruising around and shooting up your own merchant vessels It really depends on how much a person wants to sacrifice in terms of immersion, realism, etc to get a smoother game experience. You could remove coastal traffic althogether, both friendly and enemy, because they consist of nothing but Sampans, Fishing boats and Junks. Again, not terribly important to gameplay since they don't represent major targets, they are more irritants then anything else but they do contribute to the game's atmosphere. __________________ Looking for a list of mods for SH4? Everything you need is here: List Of Modifications for SH4 v1.3 "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."

07-02-07, 04:06 PM	#5
Fercyful Medic Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Argentina Posts: 165 Downloads: 97 Uploads: 0	sounds very insteresting please can you release your campaign like a mod so we can try it, thanks! __________________

07-02-07, 09:19 PM	#6
Hartmann Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Grid CH 26, Spain ,Barcelona Posts: 1,857 Downloads: 204 Uploads: 0	Another interesting thing could be reduce the size of convois and task forces. or reduce coastal traffic :hmm: __________________ But this ship can't sink!... She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. and she will. It is a mathematical certainty. Strength and honor

07-05-07, 12:17 AM	#7
PAW Seaman Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 34 Downloads: 41 Uploads: 0	Just dropping into say that i'm also interested (and thankyou). TC 1024 was fine for SH3 but along comes the pacific ocean and 1024 just doesn't do it. Also, all the coastal traffic (especially in friendly ports) was a major pain. Mean't I actually tended to sail around midway (If i felt I could afford the fuel) just to avoid the juddering frames at high TC.

07-05-07, 03:49 AM	#8
Excalibur Bane XO Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 429 Downloads: 20 Uploads: 0	Thanks, good to know it's proving useful. If the interest is there, I can provide an even higher performance layer that removes the friendly stuff in port as well as the friendly taskforces altogether. This is what I've been using myself, I've got very good results with this. Not sure how many people would be interested in this though. I might split them upto into two versions, a "heavy" and a "light" performance RND layer. We'll see __________________ Looking for a list of mods for SH4? Everything you need is here: List Of Modifications for SH4 v1.3 "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."

07-05-07, 02:43 PM	#9
PULSEOX Helmsman Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Tombstone AZ Posts: 102 Downloads: 417 Uploads: 0	I would definitely be interested in the "Heavy" version. While all the friendly traffic is nice if you have a system that can handle it-it is unnecessary and just slows things down to a crawl on marginal systems. If it means I can raise my fps to a enjoyable level and have less choppy gameplay-I'd be glad to sacrifice the "friendly" traffic all together! Thanks Again! __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]*"We build them well in Germany....eh Heinie?"*

07-09-07, 03:58 PM	#10
cpomd Watch Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 21 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	First Impressions My Spec is 1.4Mhz Intel P4, 6200 nvidia graphics, 1GB Ram and I found a small around 5 or so FPS improvement so i would definitely like a Heavy version to try out. Tia

07-09-07, 11:01 PM	#11
Excalibur Bane XO Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 429 Downloads: 20 Uploads: 0	Alrighty, new version is up. Oooh, it looks like a real mod now. Fancy that. I hope I got it written properly and everything is correct...:hmm: __________________ Looking for a list of mods for SH4? Everything you need is here: List Of Modifications for SH4 v1.3 "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."

07-10-07, 03:03 PM	#12
Navigator857 CTR2 Jack Frost Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Still on Bridge aboard the USS Iowa BB61 Posts: 213 Downloads: 322 Uploads: 0	Just ran your mod, works fantastic. Saw a great improvement in TC and loading times. Much appreciated. :p __________________ "Freedom is not owed, it is bestowed upon those who earn it!" by....ME / QM3 Jack Frost, USS IOWA BB61 - Precom 1983 - 1987 / CTR2 Jack Frost - NSGA Northwest Chesapeake, VA. 1987 - 1994!

07-10-07, 04:27 PM	#13
Excalibur Bane XO Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 429 Downloads: 20 Uploads: 0	Glad you guys are enjoying it! __________________ Looking for a list of mods for SH4? Everything you need is here: List Of Modifications for SH4 v1.3 "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."

07-10-07, 11:08 PM	#14
Webster Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	just tried it, my grafics went from cartoonish to movie looking when i activated your mod. this will be a manditory fix for my old computer. the only times i get reduced fps now is when aircraft are diving, but i had that in sh3 as well. is " Reduced Traffic Mod v1.2" the "heavy" version or are you still working on that one?

07-11-07, 12:08 AM	#15
Excalibur Bane XO Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 429 Downloads: 20 Uploads: 0	Yes, this is most definately the heavy version. There is nothing left to remove that wouldn't have a serious impact on gameplay. __________________ Looking for a list of mods for SH4? Everything you need is here: List Of Modifications for SH4 v1.3 "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."