SHIII/SH4 mission editor

[CapnScurvy]

Fred as I understand you, you'll be using the SH4 ME for your mission building....yet needing to use the only good tutorial for SHIII's ME for reference. That will work just fine, I do too.

One thing you might want to do is to download a mission someone has built and see what they did. That AoB Test Mission is a simple .mis file having a stationary submerged Porpoise sub with several Japanese ships approaching at different headings. You can have JSGME load it into your game, finding it in the Single Missions menu of the game. It's short, but to the point. There are no plane fly overs, but that's not what I made it for.

You do have to be a bit careful with your units (although, I think this may be just what YOU want). I remember making a similar mission with Jap ships approaching. Behind them a couple of miles, I had a U.S. carrier and a couple of escorts approaching next. As I watched the Jap's go by, a couple of U.S. planes swooped in and sunk one of the ships! They had spawned from the carrier on their own and did exactly what they should have done......detected and attacked the enemy! That's not what I wanted to do, but it's what I should have expected.

One thing you may want to do is add a mod that allows you to have a better "Free Camera" than what the stock game offers. Not that I'm pushing my mod to you (most mega mods do the same thing), but using Optical Targeting Correction for the stock game will give you a much better view of the outside world. You can get as close as you would like to the units involved, even positioning the camera on a ship, to get a "first person" perspective of the action. Using the "pause" key you can stop the action, yet still move the camera around to a position you like for a picture. I've even paused the game, moved the camera into the path of an incoming shell, then restarted the action listening to the shell as it wizzes past. Neat stuff!

[Leandros]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Fred as I understand you, you'll be using the SH4 ME for your mission building....yet needing to use the only good tutorial for SHIII's ME for reference. That will work just fine, I do too.

That is correct and I have made missions with this in the SHIII. I do see a difference in the SH4 ME from what is described in the manual - "mission parameter" looks different.

The couple of trials I have made are quite simple and all validated. I have tested them with the "time" testing tool, too. They work. I have a distinct feeling there is something peculiar with the folder or file arrangements in the game as I find the saved folder/files when I try to open them through the ME but not when opening them through Windows. It is as if the game either refuse to accept - or show them.

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

One thing you might want to do is to download a mission someone has built and see what they did. That AoB Test Mission is a simple .mis file having a stationary submerged Porpoise sub with several Japanese ships approaching at different headings. You can have JSGME load it into your game, finding it in the Single Missions menu of the game. It's short, but to the point. There are no plane fly overs, but that's not what I made it for.

I haven't installed the JSGME on the new computer/game.

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

You do have to be a bit careful with your units (although, I think this may be just what YOU want). I remember making a similar mission with Jap ships approaching. Behind them a couple of miles, I had a U.S. carrier and a couple of escorts approaching next. As I watched the Jap's go by, a couple of U.S. planes swooped in and sunk one of the ships! They had spawned from the carrier on their own and did exactly what they should have done......detected and attacked the enemy! That's not what I wanted to do, but it's what I should have expected.

Well, that sounds great!

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

One thing you may want to do is add a mod that allows you to have a better "Free Camera" than what the stock game offers. Not that I'm pushing my mod to you (most mega mods do the same thing), but using Optical Targeting Correction for the stock game will give you a much better view of the outside world. You can get as close as you would like to the units involved, even positioning the camera on a ship, to get a "first person" perspective of the action. Using the "pause" key you can stop the action, yet still move the camera around to a position you like for a picture. I've even paused the game, then restarted the action listening to the shell as it wizzes past. Neat stuff!

I'm missing that on the SH4 version I have (1.4.0), I used that function a lot in SHIII. I'll look into your suggestions.

What mods do you recommend me to install otherwise?

Fred

[CapnScurvy]

The couple of trials I have made are quite simple and all validated. I have tested them with the "time" testing tool, too. They work. I have a distinct feeling there is something peculiar with the folder or file arrangements in the game as I find the saved folder/files when I try to open them through the ME but not when opening them through Windows. It is as if the game either refuse to accept - or show them.

I'm suspecting the mission is not being "saved" in the right, or complete path. As I pointed out, save your mission using the "Save (normal mission) as...." heading under the "File" menu. This gives you complete control as to where the mission will be saved. Go-back several folder's in your Path menu box (as far back as the C:/ drive) to make sure your "saving" the mission in the correct game folder. Once your in the correct "Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific" main game folder, the correct path should read "Data/SingleMissions/xxx/ (the folder that has the exact name as your xxx.mis file).

I do see some differences between the SHIII Mission Editor and the SH4 ME. Besides the SHIII missions needing to be placed in either the "English" or "German" language version Folders; the SHIII ME does not create a .tsr file, but rather makes a .cfg file to go along with the .mis file. I'm convinced that there is no way a mission from SHIII will work in SH4.

When "saving" your mission with the SH4 ME the .tsr file is automatically included along with the .mis file. Some of the stock game missions have a picture of a map that go along with the mission briefing.....that's what the .tga image file is for within the mission Folder.

Oh, I forgot you have SH4 version 1.4. Well, you're in luck. I've got an edition of Optical Targeting Correction just for version 1.4 found HERE. It's got the same Free Camera as the other editions. I would suggest you get a finished mission up and working first before installing JSGME and any mods to give you a better Free Camera.

[CapnScurvy]

....there is something peculiar with the folder or file arrangements in the game.....It is as if the game either refuse to accept - or show them.

Well, remember me telling you that the newer Operating Systems (since XP) seem to have a hissy fit if you try to add/change the game files in any way, provided the game is either placed in the OS's "Programs" folder, or the "Programs (x86)" folder? The OS thinks some underhanded force is tinkering with the program file when its trying to be changed, so it doesn't allow it to happen. This could be what's happening with you trying to add a mission file to the game. I'm not clear if you installed the game in one of these folders, or made a "new" folder directly under your C:/ or D:/ drive to install your game? I recommend you should not have the game in either of these "Programs" folders.

[Leandros]

Hi, Leander, I am not trying to install files from SHIII ME. I am only using the SH4 ME. I have installed the game in the "Programs 86" folder, it also accepted the 1.4.0 update.

What intrigues me is that the folders/files I have created, when I try to open them from the ME, they are there - as are all the rest! But when I look for them from the Windows (C drive) folder side those I have created are not. I run it as administrator.

Folders/files are correctly configured.

Fred

[CapnScurvy]

This is getting back to the question about Windows 8.1....what's it doing to folder's/files that try to change/add things in the "Programs (x86)" folder? I still think you need to have the game installed in something other than the Programs (x86) folder. It would seem even running as the "Administrator" the OS isn't adding the Saved .mis files correctly.

You could try one other thing.

Right click on your desktop. I'm guessing Win 8.1 still allows you to create a "New Folder" on your desktop. Create the folder naming it "Game Missions". Open your ME, then open the "Normal" mission you've already created. Save this mission (as I've stated earlier, use the Save (normal mission) as.... heading) into the "Game Missions" folder on your desktop. Close out the ME. You should see two files in the desktop "Game Missions" folder.....one xxx.mis file, one xxx.tsr file. Now, open the Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific/Data/SingleMissions folder, and create a new folder within it, using the same name as the .mis file you just saved. Copy/paste the two files from the desktop "Game Missions" folder into the newly created folder in the games SingleMissions folder.

Are they there? Or, did the OS refuse to allow the copy/paste?

If your game's SingleMissions folder list's your mission as expected, start the game to see if it shows in the list of "Quick Missions" found on the main game's menu page. If so, start the mission to see if that's what you made?

If not......remove the game from the Programs (x86) folder. Open the Registry and remove any remnants as described HERE, and do a complete re install. Directing the path of installation to a new folder like C:/My Games. Before starting your newly installed game, add the 1.4 patch to your game. Delete any old shortcut's you may have on your desktop (the .exe/app shortcut to start the game; the shortcut you may have made to open the Mission Editor)....make new ones from the new main game folder.

======================

A Google search can help explain WHY you should not put games into the Programs or Programs (x86) folders. Here's one of the search results:

[Leandros]

Leander, you did it again! That is, I followed your advise to shuttle it through a folder on the desktop. The reason I obviously did not get them through directly was that when I transferred from the desktop folder to the SH4 folder the machine asked for andministrator's approval on both files. It never did that when I tried to save them directly from the ME.

Below is a picture of my quite modest test scenario - a Sargo waiting for a Japanese destroyer North of Lingayen Bay.

Again, a thousand thanks to you! You are truly a half-god!

I shall PM you.

Fred