Smoke-pillar from the water surface is following me

Claves_Mortis · 12-26-12, 02:00 PM

Hey Kaleuns!

Do you guys have any experience about the following problem to share?

Phenomenon is:
A white/grey smoke-pillar is coming from the surface of the water, apperently without any reason. There has been no fighting in this place, there was no ship sunk, no airplane shot down and no torpedo fired. The last fight was carried out at around 50-100 km away from that position. The smoke starts right on the water surface.
When I am travelling, getting some distance to the source of the smoke after like 250 meters (totally guessed, might be 100m or 800m as well) the "original" smoke pillar disappears and a new one does come from the water surface right at my submarines port side, maybe 5-10 meters away from my Uboot.

Before the problem occured I ran into an enemy ship (not literally hitting it, just encountering it), managed to sink it while it was approaching me but getting heavy deamage on my modules and my hull (hull damage is around 92, but the modules all got repaired and I still am barely alive). Now I would try to get to the nearest harbour to repair my sub; I am west of Australia at the moment, but:

I am encountering frequent game crashes, .exe stopped working, (every few minutes) in my Uboot Career now, I have no idea if those are related to the smoke-pillars. I did not change anything in the mods / settings / playstyle I am using.

Claves_Mortis · 12-26-12, 02:13 PM

Here is a screenshot from the pillar, at some distance behind my sub.

http://www.imgimg.de/bild_SH4Img41743f40jpg.jpg.html

Sailor Steve · 12-26-12, 03:22 PM

I typed "smoke pillar" into the forum search function, and this is what I got.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar

Cybermat47 · 12-26-12, 03:28 PM

You're lucky. In SH5, I get swarms of brown smoke following me everywhere I go!

Armistead · 12-26-12, 03:45 PM

I would sometimes get those after reloading a save, but it would fade and not return.....Seems the problem went away, been so long, I don't recall

Claves_Mortis · 12-26-12, 05:57 PM

Oh well thank you guys... think I should have used the search-button too - it's actually the first time I'm active in a forum :S

So I will see if I can get rid of the smoke and if that helps with the crashes, if not I will try a new career - first time I'm having this problem in about 70 hours of playtime.
Note for next time: search-button!

So, thanks again and best,
CM

magic452 · 12-27-12, 12:45 AM

The smoke thing and a few other bugs' like "Torpedo fired." among others repeating over and over, don't effect the game but are annoying.

Alt Tagging out of the game can cause these and many other problems, bad saves and CTDs, it's best to avoid Alt tabbing out.

Magic

Claves_Mortis · 12-27-12, 07:41 AM

For my case it was the saving. I do not alt-tab games usually, but before the problem occured I was approaching an enemy harbour because I wanted to see if there are ships in the harbours. When I have been at around 3-5 km distance I saw 3 burning ships, so I saved before I got there because I was curious what's going on - judgeing from the smoke-threads in this forum that has been the cause for the following smoke pillar.

The repeating crash of this savegame propably has another cause though. I did delete the savegame and started a new career; that one is running without crashes again until now :-)

magic452 · 12-28-12, 01:00 AM

Just a few tips, may or may not help.

Install the game in some other folder than Program files, causes problems with Vista and above especially when adding mods.

Run as administer with Vista and above.

Find the SH4.exe and use this to launch the game, do not use the default SH4.gu.

I always save by going to the Nav. map and pausing the game first.

The game is very stable as far as saves go, most times it's something else on your machine. Some people have save problems and others don't. I never do, just lucky I guess.

Magic

TorpX · 12-28-12, 03:20 AM

I pretty much do what Magic does, and have had very few problems.

Don't know if it really matters, but some have said it is important to make a "fresh" save.

That is, for example:

Capt. John Doe Dec. 07, 1941
Capt. John Doe Dec. 08, 1941
Capt. John Doe Dec. 09, 1941
etc.

not:

Capt. John Doe
Capt. John Doe
Capt. John Doe

merc4ulfate · 12-28-12, 11:59 PM

You sank a Hospital ship and that is their ghost following you in anguish LOL

fireftr18 · 12-29-12, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merc4ulfate

You sank a Hospital ship and that is their ghost following you in anguish LOL

12-26-12, 02:00 PM	#1
Claves_Mortis Watch Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 27 Downloads: 86 Uploads: 0	Smoke-pillar from the water surface is following me Hey Kaleuns! Do you guys have any experience about the following problem to share? Phenomenon is: A white/grey smoke-pillar is coming from the surface of the water, apperently without any reason. There has been no fighting in this place, there was no ship sunk, no airplane shot down and no torpedo fired. The last fight was carried out at around 50-100 km away from that position. The smoke starts right on the water surface. When I am travelling, getting some distance to the source of the smoke after like 250 meters (totally guessed, might be 100m or 800m as well) the "original" smoke pillar disappears and a new one does come from the water surface right at my submarines port side, maybe 5-10 meters away from my Uboot. Before the problem occured I ran into an enemy ship (not literally hitting it, just encountering it), managed to sink it while it was approaching me but getting heavy deamage on my modules and my hull (hull damage is around 92, but the modules all got repaired and I still am barely alive). Now I would try to get to the nearest harbour to repair my sub; I am west of Australia at the moment, but: I am encountering frequent game crashes, .exe stopped working, (every few minutes) in my Uboot Career now, I have no idea if those are related to the smoke-pillars. I did not change anything in the mods / settings / playstyle I am using.

12-26-12, 03:22 PM	#3
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	I typed "smoke pillar" into the forum search function, and this is what I got. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...t=smoke+pillar __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

12-26-12, 03:28 PM	#4
Cybermat47 Willing Webfooted Beast Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Australia Posts: 5,408 Downloads: 300 Uploads: 23	You're lucky. In SH5, I get swarms of brown smoke following me everywhere I go! __________________ Historical TWoS Gameplay Guide: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?p=2572620 Historical FotRSU Gameplay Guide: https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho....php?p=2713394

12-26-12, 03:45 PM	#5
Armistead Rear Admiral Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: on the Dan Posts: 10,880 Downloads: 364 Uploads: 0	I would sometimes get those after reloading a save, but it would fade and not return.....Seems the problem went away, been so long, I don't recall __________________ You see my dog don't like people laughing. He gets the crazy idea you're laughing at him. Now if you apologize like I know you're going to, I might convince him that you really didn't mean it.

12-27-12, 12:45 AM	#7
magic452 Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Reno Nevada USA Posts: 1,860 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	The smoke thing and a few other bugs' like "Torpedo fired." among others repeating over and over, don't effect the game but are annoying. Alt Tagging out of the game can cause these and many other problems, bad saves and CTDs, it's best to avoid Alt tabbing out. Magic __________________ Reported lost 11 Feb. 1942 Signature by depthtok33l

12-26-12, 02:13 PM	#2
Claves_Mortis Watch Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 27 Downloads: 86 Uploads: 0	Here is a screenshot from the pillar, at some distance behind my sub. http://www.imgimg.de/bild_SH4Img41743f40jpg.jpg.html

12-26-12, 05:57 PM	#6
Claves_Mortis Watch Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 27 Downloads: 86 Uploads: 0	Oh well thank you guys... think I should have used the search-button too - it's actually the first time I'm active in a forum :S So I will see if I can get rid of the smoke and if that helps with the crashes, if not I will try a new career - first time I'm having this problem in about 70 hours of playtime. Note for next time: search-button! So, thanks again and best, CM

12-27-12, 07:41 AM	#8
Claves_Mortis Watch Join Date: Aug 2008 Posts: 27 Downloads: 86 Uploads: 0	For my case it was the saving. I do not alt-tab games usually, but before the problem occured I was approaching an enemy harbour because I wanted to see if there are ships in the harbours. When I have been at around 3-5 km distance I saw 3 burning ships, so I saved before I got there because I was curious what's going on - judgeing from the smoke-threads in this forum that has been the cause for the following smoke pillar. The repeating crash of this savegame propably has another cause though. I did delete the savegame and started a new career; that one is running without crashes again until now :-)

12-28-12, 01:00 AM	#9
magic452 Sea Lord Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Reno Nevada USA Posts: 1,860 Downloads: 85 Uploads: 0	Just a few tips, may or may not help. Install the game in some other folder than Program files, causes problems with Vista and above especially when adding mods. Run as administer with Vista and above. Find the SH4.exe and use this to launch the game, do not use the default SH4.gu. I always save by going to the Nav. map and pausing the game first. The game is very stable as far as saves go, most times it's something else on your machine. Some people have save problems and others don't. I never do, just lucky I guess. Magic __________________ Reported lost 11 Feb. 1942 Signature by depthtok33l

12-28-12, 03:20 AM	#10
TorpX Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 3,975 Downloads: 153 Uploads: 11	I pretty much do what Magic does, and have had very few problems. Don't know if it really matters, but some have said it is important to make a "fresh" save. That is, for example: Capt. John Doe Dec. 07, 1941 Capt. John Doe Dec. 08, 1941 Capt. John Doe Dec. 09, 1941 etc. not: Capt. John Doe Capt. John Doe Capt. John Doe

12-28-12, 11:59 PM	#11
merc4ulfate DILLIGAF Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: florida Posts: 2,058 Downloads: 210 Uploads: 0	You sank a Hospital ship and that is their ghost following you in anguish LOL