SHCE mods and database file update

[UnderWaterGamer]

Originally Posted by XenonSurf

Very nice that you take the time to mod one of my favorite sims, I appreciate a lot. While the 'target destroyed' message will not disturb me too much, what I (and a lot of SH1 fans) really would love to see in the game is a much more sporadic appearance of enemy icons on the map. At default, these icons are too often updated and right almost 100% which makes it too easy to intercept convoys or warship groups, and very easy to take a position full ahead (which is ideal). This takes much of the suspense out of this wonderful sim.


Because there are no plotting tools in the game, it's important that at least these enemy icons get more 'unprecise' to balance the gameplay to something really interesting IMO.


I know it's very difficult to mod things, and I could ask too much here - for which I excuse me in advance, but if you could take a look at that, this would be very fine


Best greetings!
XS

Thanks for the support, I appreciate too!

So, you would like the kind of "last spotted" box data and the square thing? I can try doing that, but I don't know if it is possible, the main problem is that I can't find the variables giving enemy boat data, because I'm pretty sure there is a code giving the location in which the data should go to (e.g. Speed data goes to line xxxxxxxx or something like that...) and this would be good to mod in a data box with no solution percent and an estimate only (or even nothing)

I'll look in to it soon!

Happy Hunting!

[XenonSurf]

Originally Posted by UnderWaterGamer

Thanks for the support, I appreciate too!

So, you would like the kind of "last spotted" box data and the square thing? I can try doing that, but I don't know if it is possible, the main problem is that I can't find the variables giving enemy boat data, because I'm pretty sure there is a code giving the location in which the data should go to (e.g. Speed data goes to line xxxxxxxx or something like that...) and this would be good to mod in a data box with no solution percent and an estimate only (or even nothing)

I'll look in to it soon!

Happy Hunting!

I remember that the big number of enemy icons on the map (even on hardest game difficulty) and too much information about them was the major complaint players had about the game. In the hardest level, the icons will be without 'cue' to not reveal their course, but because their position is updated often this restriction is useless. In most of my patrols I succeed placing my sub ahead of a group when intercepting, this gives me a huge advantage to start combat.


As a comparison: In SH3,4,5 there are 'convoy reports' sent to you which are not totally accurate, so you have to do some guessing with the map plotting tools (alas not present in SH1). Especially the course estimate of the report can be wrong by as much as 30° which at long distances could make the difference wether you meet the contact or not. Also the speed is only guessed (slow, medium, fast; which can show 3 knots difference in one category). And actually contacts could appear as icons on the map with no speed or course data at all, simulating a radio interception of the contact (which is realistic because in such a case you would only have the position and nothing else.)


However, I'm aware that this code part in SH1 can not easily be changed (if at all). If possible I would take away the course and speed data in 50% of icons appearing on the map and considerably delay their data update also.


But again, impossible or not, I highly appreciate that you take your time with SH1


Cheers,
XS

[rooivalk]

Thank you UnderWaterGamer for your effort in SH1, I still find myself playing it (probably the most played simulation on my HD) and in some ways prefer the game mechanics to its more modern versions.

rooivalk

[UnderWaterGamer]

I think I'm spending a little bit too much time on trying to find the variables giving enemy boat data, and on top of that, I'm now working on the RealSHips mod that I have been planning on working on since my first mod.

So, I'm sorry to tell you that I'll work on the RXSH mod update (

... take away the course and speed data in 50% of icons appearing on the map and considerably delay their data update also...

) a bit slower now...

The only thing left to do really, is to find these variables and either stop the ones giving real time updates on the enemy ships data or replace them by the convoy ones, so, that way, if you got a convoy report, you will get the general convoy data when you click on each ship, but if you didn't get the convoy report data, you won't have any ship data.

Also, when I went in the ships.dat file to start understanding the meaning of all the hex bytes, I'm pretty sure I found the spawn/render byte, which means I might be able to change the traffic rate of ships!

Happy Hunting