Ship Nationality. Any way to determine?

King_Zog · 04-19-11, 11:44 PM

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom//sho...d.php?t=152479

If you follow that link you can download a mod called flags_enlighten. It brightens up the flags somewhat so you can see them more easily at night and by day. Depending on weather conditions you may be able to make a good guess at a flag's nationality from a few thousand meters with this mod rather than 500 meters.

I tend to look for colours first rather than try to make out the design, although this is not always helpful, as much like the British merchant navy, many nations tend to use large amounts of red in their flags.

Also be mindful of your location when you encounter lone ships. If you are near the coast of a nation that is neutral to the AXIS, then there is a high chance that that lone ship you encounter will be a possible neutral.

They'll still be times when you've made the effort to get into a good position, and your fingers are on the trigger ready to fire, and only then you realise the ship isn't a valid target and you have to call the attack off. If it is a part of the game that annoys you/reduces your enjoyment than consider searching for a mod which restores coloured contacts, I think there are a few around.

Sailor Steve · 04-20-11, 12:32 AM

Jimbuna has the key to the mod that restores the color-codes to the maps. It won't tell you the exact nationality, but it's the in-game equivalent to you're big red arrow.

Hey, whatever works. Oh, I think Frau Kaleun could point you to it as well.

Fish In The Water · 04-20-11, 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King_Zog

If it is a part of the game that annoys you/reduces your enjoyment than consider searching for a mod which restores coloured contacts, I think there are a few around.

GWX Contact Color Mod:

http://www.gamefront.com/files/13913...ntact_Color_7z

Don't leave home without it!

Sailor Steve · 04-20-11, 12:39 AM

Or Fish In The Water might be able to help.

Fish In The Water · 04-20-11, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Or Fish In The Water might be able to help.

Well, credit to Jim... It's his link.

Howard313 · 04-20-11, 01:43 AM

Thanks for the links and advice, Tried King_Zog's suggestion, and that enlightened flag mod works great. Just what I needed!

Off to go kill some more of those bloody Brits......and maybe a light-boat or two.

Fish In The Water · 04-20-11, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard313

Off to go kill some more of those bloody Brits......and maybe a light-boat or two.

Good hunting!

sharkbit · 04-20-11, 07:06 AM

Be More Agressive....shoot first and ask questions later.

Nothing that a little log doctoring at the end of patrol can't fix and the crew sworn to secrecy. Let the diplomats sort it out.

Just make sure it is not a German ore carrier sailing off the coast of Norway in March of 1940 in the middle of the night, or so I've heard.

Johnfb · 04-20-11, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish In The Water

GWX Contact Color Mod:

http://www.gamefront.com/files/13913...ntact_Color_7z

Don't leave home without it!

+1

.

Hotspur1337 · 04-20-11, 09:22 AM

I was going to use the colored ships mod, but someone - I think Jimbuna - talked me out of it. I've been just sitting there patiently waiting until I can recognize the flag. It adds a lot of tension, and seems like the right thing for me to enjoy the game.

I also found the Enemies of Germany list on the F1 key, and I like to feel the pressure of furiously leafing through the recognition manual to find the country of those flags I don't know by heart.

I've got the exercise of getting lined up for a shot down pat, so pretty soon I'm going to switch to manual targeting. Automatic targeting is getting to be like shooting fish in a barrel.

maillemaker · 04-20-11, 11:05 AM

Honestly I find this is very seldom a problem. I'm running GWX. I've been playing for years, and I've probably accidentally sunk less than 5 neutrals, and never a friendly.

Very early in the war you have to watch out as you can run into neutrals anywhere. But by 1940, you can pretty much guarantee the friend-or-foe status simply by where you are when you encounter them.

Anything around Britain is likely an enemy. Any sizable convoy is probably an enemy.

When you run south from Spain downwards you need to pay more attention, but neutrals that you encounter will likely be single ships or very small convoys. Single ships are easy to stalk and figure out who they are.

Anything running with lights on is neutral.

Steve

Hotspur1337 · 04-20-11, 11:28 AM

Anything running with lights on is neutral.

I have found this to be reliable evidence.

Last night I was returning from a patrol at CF59, and got intelligence on a convoy just north of me heading SSW. I altered course to intercept, and sure enough my Sonarman starts chirping about one ship after another.

I had to end the session due to time constraints, but tonight I will pick up where I left off. First convoy of my career. I'm on my 13th patrol. Everything up until now have been single ships.

I have all five torpedoes aboard.

Sailor Steve · 04-20-11, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hotspur1337

Anything running with lights on is neutral.

I have found this to be reliable evidence.

The reason is simple. In stock SH3 there are no lighted ships. GWX added some lighted neutrals. There can be neutrals that are not lit up, but any lit ship will always be neutral.

FFIF · 04-20-11, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish In The Water

GWX Contact Color Mod:

http://www.gamefront.com/files/13913...ntact_Color_7z

Don't leave home without it!

GWX contact color has a conflict with MFM mod...and when i go ahead and enable contact color anyways then MFM gets greyed out on the activated mods side of jgsme...is this bad news or is everything still ok?

thebigJ_A · 04-20-11, 11:02 PM

The graying-out is normal when one mod overwrites part of another, even if it's just one file. It doesn't necessarily mean they aren't compatible. For example, when I apply the OLC MkIId update it grays out OLC MkIIc, even though it's essentially just a patch for the mod.

It does mean that there's a potential conflict, though. Not having used the mods you are, IDK whether or not there is one in your case. But I'm just a newbie. Maybe if you post which files conflict, the veterans can let you know.

04-20-11, 12:32 AM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Jimbuna has the key to the mod that restores the color-codes to the maps. It won't tell you the exact nationality, but it's the in-game equivalent to you're big red arrow. Hey, whatever works. Oh, I think Frau Kaleun could point you to it as well. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

04-20-11, 12:39 AM	#4
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Or Fish In The Water might be able to help. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

04-20-11, 07:06 AM	#8
sharkbit The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,529 Downloads: 334 Uploads: 0	Be More Agressive....shoot first and ask questions later. Nothing that a little log doctoring at the end of patrol can't fix and the crew sworn to secrecy. Let the diplomats sort it out. Just make sure it is not a German ore carrier sailing off the coast of Norway in March of 1940 in the middle of the night, or so I've heard. __________________ “Prejudice is blind. There will always be someone who says you aren’t welcome at the table. Stop apologizing for who you are and using all your energy trying to change their minds. Yes, you will lose friends, maybe even family. But you will gain your self-respect. You will know your worth. Once you have that, nothing can stop you.”

04-19-11, 11:44 PM	#1
King_Zog Soundman Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: London Posts: 143 Downloads: 31 Uploads: 0	http://www.subsim.com/radioroom//sho...d.php?t=152479 If you follow that link you can download a mod called flags_enlighten. It brightens up the flags somewhat so you can see them more easily at night and by day. Depending on weather conditions you may be able to make a good guess at a flag's nationality from a few thousand meters with this mod rather than 500 meters. I tend to look for colours first rather than try to make out the design, although this is not always helpful, as much like the British merchant navy, many nations tend to use large amounts of red in their flags. Also be mindful of your location when you encounter lone ships. If you are near the coast of a nation that is neutral to the AXIS, then there is a high chance that that lone ship you encounter will be a possible neutral. They'll still be times when you've made the effort to get into a good position, and your fingers are on the trigger ready to fire, and only then you realise the ship isn't a valid target and you have to call the attack off. If it is a part of the game that annoys you/reduces your enjoyment than consider searching for a mod which restores coloured contacts, I think there are a few around.

04-20-11, 01:43 AM	#6
Howard313 Engineer Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: America Posts: 211 Downloads: 102 Uploads: 0	Thanks for the links and advice, Tried King_Zog's suggestion, and that enlightened flag mod works great. Just what I needed! Off to go kill some more of those bloody Brits......and maybe a light-boat or two.

04-20-11, 09:22 AM	#10
Hotspur1337 Seaman Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 38 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	I was going to use the colored ships mod, but someone - I think Jimbuna - talked me out of it. I've been just sitting there patiently waiting until I can recognize the flag. It adds a lot of tension, and seems like the right thing for me to enjoy the game. I also found the Enemies of Germany list on the F1 key, and I like to feel the pressure of furiously leafing through the recognition manual to find the country of those flags I don't know by heart. I've got the exercise of getting lined up for a shot down pat, so pretty soon I'm going to switch to manual targeting. Automatic targeting is getting to be like shooting fish in a barrel.

04-20-11, 11:05 AM	#11
maillemaker Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 1,639 Downloads: 75 Uploads: 0	Honestly I find this is very seldom a problem. I'm running GWX. I've been playing for years, and I've probably accidentally sunk less than 5 neutrals, and never a friendly. Very early in the war you have to watch out as you can run into neutrals anywhere. But by 1940, you can pretty much guarantee the friend-or-foe status simply by where you are when you encounter them. Anything around Britain is likely an enemy. Any sizable convoy is probably an enemy. When you run south from Spain downwards you need to pay more attention, but neutrals that you encounter will likely be single ships or very small convoys. Single ships are easy to stalk and figure out who they are. Anything running with lights on is neutral. Steve

04-20-11, 11:28 AM	#12
Hotspur1337 Seaman Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Ann Arbor Posts: 38 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Anything running with lights on is neutral. I have found this to be reliable evidence. Last night I was returning from a patrol at CF59, and got intelligence on a convoy just north of me heading SSW. I altered course to intercept, and sure enough my Sonarman starts chirping about one ship after another. I had to end the session due to time constraints, but tonight I will pick up where I left off. First convoy of my career. I'm on my 13th patrol. Everything up until now have been single ships. I have all five torpedoes aboard.

04-20-11, 11:02 PM	#15
thebigJ_A Loader Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 85 Downloads: 19 Uploads: 0	The graying-out is normal when one mod overwrites part of another, even if it's just one file. It doesn't necessarily mean they aren't compatible. For example, when I apply the OLC MkIId update it grays out OLC MkIIc, even though it's essentially just a patch for the mod. It does mean that there's a potential conflict, though. Not having used the mods you are, IDK whether or not there is one in your case. But I'm just a newbie. Maybe if you post which files conflict, the veterans can let you know.