I'm back - with a GWX upgrade conundrum

[shegeek72]

A big ahoy to all my old, and new, forum friends! I was 'on vacation' addicted to another game *gasp!* (Oblivion), but have come back to SH3 and obviously found a lot of changes!

I have GWX 1.3, SH3 Cmdr 2.7 and have some questions about updating v. not updating, so please bear with me while I act like a noob! The GWX 2.1 FAQ says: ii. delete the \my documents\SH3 folder. GWX v2.0 is incompatible with non-GWX save games and is likely incompatible with games saved under previous GWX versions.

I have heavily modded my SH3 with a lot of my own modifications and am not looking forward to re-doing everything after a clean install. Plus the caveat that my GWX 1.3 saves may not work with GWX 2.1 further complicates things.

That being said, I might be happy sticking with v1.3, unless 2.1 is such a dramatic upgrade that I can't live without it. I also just bought SH4, so my sub gaming will probably be divided among the two (besides that fact that my life has gotten busier lately).

If I do decide to stick with GWX 1.3 there's a glitch that I've encountered that bugs me and I'd like to know if there's a fix (or is the fix v2.1?). That is: sometimes when I'm being pursued by an enemy ship (it's happened with a torpedo boat and a destroyer) the ship will just run in circles instead of the usual zig-zagging type of searching - really takes away from the realism. Is there a fix? Or should I just 'bite the bullet' and reinstall with GWX 2.1? :hmm: -- Fräulein Kapitän

[JScones]

I recommend that you upgrade SH3Cmdr to the latest release, which is R3.1.2. Many changes since R2.7:

- New graphical interface
- New user guide
- Added ability to continue career with new commander
- Now transfers crew IN to u-boat as well as out (when realistic crew transfers option is selected)
- Added ability to recognise user-added patrol log text and include in Personnel Files
- Added link to the FAQ on the TC adjust screen reminding users to read the FAQ first
- Added ability to start careers anytime during 1939. For this feature to be available, players must have installed a mod that adds pre-September 1939 start dates
- Improved handling of SH3's NULL patrol grid problem. When in port, users will not be able to adjust NULL grids because SH3 will just overwrite it again with NULL. However, if saved in-patrol SH3 Commander will support NULL grid changes in exactly the same way as it supports any other grid change
- Personnel File fonts and background image can now be changed through SH3 Commander Options
- Replaced hard-coded absolute offsets to binary files with dynamic searching. Note however that offsets will still be required for the randomised and static events files (less chance of ambiguity and confusion)
- Removed SS## patrol grid masking providing compatibility with non-gridded theatres
- Submarines now included in "Use real ship names" feature
- New option: "SH3 Path". Previous /l: switch no longer supported
- New option: "Skip intro movies"
- New option: "Rollback automatically after exiting SH3"
- New option: "Randomise ship tonnage"
- New option: "Randomise U-boat crush depth"
- Randomised renown linked to randomised tonnage
- Personnel File Postings now list each back-and-forth Flotilla transfer
- Added rank, medals, badges and qualification graphics to Crew List
- Many internal code enhancements
- New option: "Start patrols at sea"
- Removed options to set preferred rank or medal language. SH3 Commander will now reference whatever rank labels are in the game (refer to User Guide for potential compatibility problems)
- Now prompts to save outstanding changes if another crewman is selected in the Crew Manager screen
- Added ability to change the Patrol Log "Grid" column title through SH3 Commander, in the same manner as the other two column titles (via SH3Cmdr_*.txt file)
- Added ability to modify date format used in Patrol Log (via SH3Cmdr_*.txt file)
- Demotions now recorded in Personnel File
- Reverted back to using "N/a" as the current date with lost or surrendered careers
- Posting dates in Personnel Files now more accurate
- Personnel Files now report U-boat as lost in all instances where the U-boat is lost at sea
- HTML file names for Personnel Files now conform to UNIX standards
- Crew Manager screen now lists the compartment each crewman is in
- Internal code modifications to better support third party added playable boats
- Medal images now only display in the Crew Manager when they were historically available

[GlobalExplorer]

Ugh. Save your patrols in port, then see what happens if you load them with the mod. Make a backup copy of your savegames before you try. Thats the quickest way to see if it works.

[Reece]

I recommend that you upgrade SH3Cmdr to the latest release, which is R3.1.2. Many changes since R2.7:

I'll vouch for that! Save the data folder and contents as your old GWX 1.03 (with mods enabled) to a DVD incase you want to go back!
I have both & I prefer my heavily modded GWX 1.03, you would never recognise as 1.03, has around a hundred mods, and very stable, have saved this to a DVD for safe keeping, used with Jaesens latest SH3 Commander!

[onelifecrisis]

wb shegeek
IMO 2.1 is quite an improvement over 1.03 in two departments. One is the campaign, which is awesome, and the other is the weather... but they did that by using Steibler's RealWeatherFix2 which you can apply to 1.03, and then the only thing you'll be missing out on is that super-revamped campaign. Well obviously that's not the only thing... there were other changes to do with U-boat upgrades and the amount of fuel you get and fixed reflections (and still a few broken ones) and fixed mast heights (and still a few broken ones) and that open hatch mod... but these are "minor" (note the inverted commas, people!) things.
Enemy ships do still circle when searching for you... I thought that's what they were supposed to do? :hmm:
HTH
OLC

Edit: Oh and yes, definitely get the latest SH3C

[Jimbuna]

I agree with OLC.

Why not save what you've got to a disc either for safekeeping or as a backup and create a separate installation of GWX2.1

[Philipp_Thomsen]

There's no more GWX updates to come, so you can update your game and mod as you like on top of GWX 2.1, without having the fear to lose it all again!

Besides, all good mods today are made for 2.1, so you will have a lot of incompatibilities, and you cannot live without those goodies...

[TarJak]

Hi shegeek! Good to see you back. If you want to keep playing with 1.3 careers, just create a separate install and start some new ones in 2.1.

2.1 is well worth the upgrade!

[Subtype Zero]

Hi, Shegeek!
I recently upgraded from 1.03 to 2.0 and then 2.1 and was able to save my old 1.03 career. So far, I have not noticed any problems or CTD's. As far as I recall, I simply made a copy of my campaign\saved folder and saved it to desktop before I uninstalled SH3 and deleted all remaining traces of SH3 from my computer. After I re-installed SH3 and GWX 2.1 I simply placed my old career into the new save folder, loaded up the game and was able to select my old career. (Make sure that your old career last save is in base and not at sea).

Good luck and let us know how everything goes!

[shegeek72]

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

wb shegeek

Thanks!

Enemy ships do still circle when searching for you... I thought that's what they were supposed to do? :hmm:

Perhaps. But I don't recall the tight circle like this one (image has been lightened) :hmm:

[Reece]

I think the long ship wakes mod make it more obvious, I've seen this occasionally but usually after 15 minutes or so they move on.

[onelifecrisis]

shegeek, sorry, I play without external camera so I really wouldn't know

[FIREWALL]

I run 2.1 with SHC3.1 and love it so I'm no help.

Just glad to see you back shegeek.

[Hylander_1314]

Go for the updates! Set your mods aside temporarily. See what the mod looks like, and re-add your own mods to your liking. It really is a different game from what it was over a year ago when I stopped due to Kentucky Fried Rig. GWX 2.1 is so nicely put together, that I don't even bother with my own little tweaks. No need to. Not yet anyways.

[Pablo]

Hi!

There is actually quite a bit of new content above and beyond what onelifecrisis has described.

I think your best bet is to download the manual separately and examine the changelog in the GWX manual to see for yourself what has changed. The manual is available online, though you may want to download the whole thing and read it without bandwidth constraints. The manual is available on-line here; the changelogs for V2.0 and V2.1 run about 13-14 pages.

Pablo