Mod for writing notes in SH3?

sublynx · 11-22-13, 07:26 AM

Welcome to the forum aluc24

You'll fit right in, I think.

You're not the only one missing the possibility of making notes inside the game. There are no mods that can help, I'm afraid.

Here's how I keep notes:

This is an old clip. Nowadays I keep everything else except the game window hidden. Then I slide the windows a little bit more to make them come visible again. The game goes on while I write, but I do lose game sound while I'm writing so the solution is not perfect.

aluc24 · 11-22-13, 01:21 PM

Finally, someone replied, I was beginning to lose hope!

Your solution is interesting, yet complicated... Well, thinking of it - how hard would be to make a mod for in-game note writing? There already is that patrol log editor, which allows such thing, but only outside the simulator. Are there any active mod makers who would consider such a thing?

vanjast · 11-22-13, 02:28 PM

You shouldn't lose hope, as most people are under water when you post your signals.. Sometimes it can take 48 hours for a reply.. that is, once it's safe for them to send radio signals when away from a convoy..

aluc24 · 11-22-13, 07:00 PM

Well, I'll just have to wait until they have to recharge the batteries

Speaking of writing down notes and calculations, does anyone play at realism 100% AND without map assistance (when enemy ships are no longer painted and updated on the map). 'Cause I guess that map isn't too realistic... Tutorial provided the whole procedure of how to recognize the ship, measure distance by looking up mast height, calculating speed by 90 degree angle, and so on.
I tried that. Well, in perfect sea conditions I can measure distance with ~10% accuracy, but when it comes to speed... Well, who would wait until ship passed 90 degrees in front. Marking everything on map, timing, calculating, is the only proper way I can see here (by the way, I guess U-boats in WW2 didn't have calculators, they did all the math on paper, right?)

Now this is my usual scenario: I'm riding type IIA in storm at night, surfaced. Sea is rough, winds roar, waves are huge, with all the clouds it is almost pitch black. After quick dive for hydrophone listening, I discover that some ship is nearby. I set course to intercept, and about 10km out, the silhouette of the target ship can be made out in the horizon. Cargo, thankfully, without escort. With mighty auto-drawing map I plot his course, my course, intercept plan for 500m 90° impact torpedo attack, safely coast to the lurking point, submerge, open tubes, set up TDC, go for silent run, wait until it is 1000m out, then raise periscope.
Only now ship is close enough to recognize the flag at full zoom. Of course, 2/3 of the times the ship is neutral, and I have to abort the whole show.

So the idea is that many things (ship type recognition, flag recognition, range calculation using only periscope) can be done only in short range, usually too short to set up proper attack without catching up.

I mean, this is horribly difficult (yet fun) with this auto-drawing map. Now imagine doing all that without map assistance - only what you draw on it yourself. Determining range would be almost impossible with all the waves and poor visibility. Target ship course cannot be measured without exact distance, same goes for speed. But this is probably how it was done back WW2, right? They had no magic tools to help them...

So how it is done without this magic map? Does anyone here do it?

P.S. - question off topic: how to disable the the thingy which tells what kind of ship (cargo, destroyer, coastal) are you looking at when you look through periscope/UZO? I have all the major mods, but they didn't disable this obvious cheat

sublynx · 11-23-13, 03:39 AM

Manual targeting players use different kind of methods that are discussed here and there in the forum. Realistic methods work in SH3 and a good place to start is this manual from 1941:

https://archive.org/details/maneuveringboard00unit

Cases 8, 10 and 11 might help in speed assessment.

The manual demands some capability of understanding vectors and geometry. An easier option would be using the search function of the forum to find tutorials on manual targeting.

I think NYGM has edited the ships' names off from UZO and periscope. I'm not sure though. The names can be made blank pretty easily and there's been a discussion or two what file needs to be edited, maybe even a mod, but unfortunately I can't point you to them. Maybe someone else can help you out.

aluc24 · 11-23-13, 11:10 AM

Thanks, I'll look into the manual.

I went through cfg files - can't find anything relating to ship type showing on periscope. Any idea what it's called?

Myxale · 11-23-13, 02:52 PM

I too filed my notes or my KTB by Alt-Tab'ing and filling my KTB in open-office.
It would have been cool if we could write in-game in our KTB.
But alas it was not meant to be.

Marcello · 11-23-13, 02:54 PM

To be honest I wish there was a mod for reading books or playing chess during patrol. In 1943-1945 I am stuck underwater and with the Type XXI there is not even a decent interior to look at.

11-22-13, 07:26 AM	#1
sublynx Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: In the conning tower of my VIIC scanning the sea through the periscope Posts: 1,698 Downloads: 173 Uploads: 7	Welcome to the forum aluc24 You'll fit right in, I think. You're not the only one missing the possibility of making notes inside the game. There are no mods that can help, I'm afraid. Here's how I keep notes: This is an old clip. Nowadays I keep everything else except the game window hidden. Then I slide the windows a little bit more to make them come visible again. The game goes on while I write, but I do lose game sound while I'm writing so the solution is not perfect. __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] NYGM+H.sie v16+Stiebler 4C+MaGui WS

11-23-13, 03:39 AM	#5
sublynx Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: In the conning tower of my VIIC scanning the sea through the periscope Posts: 1,698 Downloads: 173 Uploads: 7	Manual targeting players use different kind of methods that are discussed here and there in the forum. Realistic methods work in SH3 and a good place to start is this manual from 1941: https://archive.org/details/maneuveringboard00unit Cases 8, 10 and 11 might help in speed assessment. The manual demands some capability of understanding vectors and geometry. An easier option would be using the search function of the forum to find tutorials on manual targeting. I think NYGM has edited the ships' names off from UZO and periscope. I'm not sure though. The names can be made blank pretty easily and there's been a discussion or two what file needs to be edited, maybe even a mod, but unfortunately I can't point you to them. Maybe someone else can help you out. __________________ [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] NYGM+H.sie v16+Stiebler 4C+MaGui WS

11-23-13, 02:52 PM	#7
Myxale Admiral Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: PQ AN 25 Posts: 2,178 Downloads: 70 Uploads: 0	I too filed my notes or my KTB by Alt-Tab'ing and filling my KTB in open-office. It would have been cool if we could write in-game in our KTB. But alas it was not meant to be. __________________ SH3+GWX SH5+WoS Still Sailing....still Deep

11-22-13, 01:21 PM	#2
aluc24 Sailor man Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 48 Downloads: 91 Uploads: 0	Finally, someone replied, I was beginning to lose hope! Your solution is interesting, yet complicated... Well, thinking of it - how hard would be to make a mod for in-game note writing? There already is that patrol log editor, which allows such thing, but only outside the simulator. Are there any active mod makers who would consider such a thing?

11-22-13, 02:28 PM	#3
vanjast Sea Lord Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Somewhere else now Posts: 1,740 Downloads: 825 Uploads: 4	You shouldn't lose hope, as most people are under water when you post your signals.. Sometimes it can take 48 hours for a reply.. that is, once it's safe for them to send radio signals when away from a convoy..

11-22-13, 07:00 PM	#4
aluc24 Sailor man Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 48 Downloads: 91 Uploads: 0	Well, I'll just have to wait until they have to recharge the batteries Speaking of writing down notes and calculations, does anyone play at realism 100% AND without map assistance (when enemy ships are no longer painted and updated on the map). 'Cause I guess that map isn't too realistic... Tutorial provided the whole procedure of how to recognize the ship, measure distance by looking up mast height, calculating speed by 90 degree angle, and so on. I tried that. Well, in perfect sea conditions I can measure distance with ~10% accuracy, but when it comes to speed... Well, who would wait until ship passed 90 degrees in front. Marking everything on map, timing, calculating, is the only proper way I can see here (by the way, I guess U-boats in WW2 didn't have calculators, they did all the math on paper, right?) Now this is my usual scenario: I'm riding type IIA in storm at night, surfaced. Sea is rough, winds roar, waves are huge, with all the clouds it is almost pitch black. After quick dive for hydrophone listening, I discover that some ship is nearby. I set course to intercept, and about 10km out, the silhouette of the target ship can be made out in the horizon. Cargo, thankfully, without escort. With mighty auto-drawing map I plot his course, my course, intercept plan for 500m 90° impact torpedo attack, safely coast to the lurking point, submerge, open tubes, set up TDC, go for silent run, wait until it is 1000m out, then raise periscope. Only now ship is close enough to recognize the flag at full zoom. Of course, 2/3 of the times the ship is neutral, and I have to abort the whole show. So the idea is that many things (ship type recognition, flag recognition, range calculation using only periscope) can be done only in short range, usually too short to set up proper attack without catching up. I mean, this is horribly difficult (yet fun) with this auto-drawing map. Now imagine doing all that without map assistance - only what you draw on it yourself. Determining range would be almost impossible with all the waves and poor visibility. Target ship course cannot be measured without exact distance, same goes for speed. But this is probably how it was done back WW2, right? They had no magic tools to help them... So how it is done without this magic map? Does anyone here do it? P.S. - question off topic: how to disable the the thingy which tells what kind of ship (cargo, destroyer, coastal) are you looking at when you look through periscope/UZO? I have all the major mods, but they didn't disable this obvious cheat

11-23-13, 11:10 AM	#6
aluc24 Sailor man Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 48 Downloads: 91 Uploads: 0	Thanks, I'll look into the manual. I went through cfg files - can't find anything relating to ship type showing on periscope. Any idea what it's called?

11-23-13, 02:54 PM	#8
Marcello Planesman Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 183 Downloads: 49 Uploads: 0	To be honest I wish there was a mod for reading books or playing chess during patrol. In 1943-1945 I am stuck underwater and with the Type XXI there is not even a decent interior to look at.