sh5 or sh3

[gap]

Thank you for your prompt reply, Steve. It deserves detailed answers, point by point

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

What makes the difference for me is the availability of the Type II and Type IX.

I agree: this is one of the worst SH5 limitations. What prevents us from adding the missing playable subs? These are imho the main obstacles:

- limited knowledge about the granny format in general: TDW and privateer have done miracles on this subject; we are now able to edit bones, materials, texture, meshes, etc., and we can even create new 3d objects and units. In spite of this, GR2 Editor is still not able to add new meshes and, due to the many unknowns, it is prone to corrupting files at times. This means that at this stage only the creation of relatively simple units is realistically practicable.

- lack of knowledge about granny animations: assuming that we were patient enough to model and import in game a full-fledged u-boat (both exterior and interior), we shoul still deal with track groups and 'flexible bones' for crew to move around the sub, to man her guns, etc. Unfortunately only TDW, privateer and (maybe) a few others, might have a vague idea of what is needed for getting the said stuff to work.

- hardcoding the new playable units: we should make the game to 'see' the new units. Again, only TDW has the likely skills to do it.

Summing up, my verdict is: new playable units are not impossible in SH5, but just not yet possible.

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

That, plus the many different types of merchants available, and my PC won't even run the Merchant Fleet Mod!

With the needed time, we can add in game all the AI ships we want. Even considering the limitations I have listed in the previous point, the conversion of dat units to GR2 ones is surely possible already. If this is not enough, with some simple tweaks, dat units can be imported in game the straight way. Except for some trascurable flaws, ships imported this way are fully functional.

All in all, I think the one reason for SH5 not having as many ships as SHIII and IV, is our laziness and the need to ask for permission to use pre-existing models. Nothing more than this (shame on us!)

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Not to mention the working canal lock gates.

I should have a look into GWX for this feature. How is the gate animation triggered?

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I won't praise Commander's 'Ship Names' function because I understand that SH5 does allow for ship names.

Yes, cool feature, though I never fully understood where we should read those names from. Is there a New UI's option for it?

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I prefer SH4's crew management, especially the 'Battle Stations' function.

I can't really answer on this, but I guess that porting SHIV's crew management to SH5 would require a lot of work on hardcoded functions, and a good knowledge of programming and python scripting, which I am missing.

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

I also prefer SH4's 'Request New Orders' radio function, except for the part where responses are instant, rather than having to wait for the new instructions.

I am not sure that OH hasn't something similar (look at how it handles wolfpack operations and refittings at sea), and some of TDW's patches (one for all, the 'Contact reports wolfpack patch') come close to the feature you are describing.

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

SH4 also has a fully functioning grid map, with both Latitude/Logitude and KM Grids working properly.

A fairly accurate marine Marinequadratkarte (not as accurate as the SHIV one though) was added in game by Illyustrator. After its release, Trevally has updated OH's objectives so that quadrant coordinates instead of lat/long coordinates are given as patrol areas. What still needs to be done (and probably won't, at least in the near future), is game-generated to contact reports by BdU to give contact positions as quadrants.

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

But SH5 looks real good. No, that's not meant to be a backhanded complement/insult. It really does look very, very good.

That is sure!