Optical Targeting Correction RFB 1.4

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by avers

I would love to see a new mega mod for SH4

Yes, there are still folks working on mods for SH4!! TorpX being one of them.

I could probably bring this up in its own thread, but I'll do it here.

One of the most obvious issues with the stock planes is that they don't attack as expected. They will fly over your position more than they will attack. The problem is in the visual sensors, and in which direction their pointed. Also, there's an issue in the general "loadout" of the aircraft.....if the plane doesn't have a bomb in the basic loadout, its more than happy to fly right over your sub, even though its within visual range.

I've also been working on adding additional planes to SH4 beyond the half dozen that's provided by the stock game. One in particular is a Japanese "Kamikaze" plane that will directly attack Allied forces with severe damage results. I'm almost done with it, and the effects are amazing. The Japanese plane will seek out enemy shipping, and deliver a direct blow to a target ship as expected.

I can tell you, if a sub get's hit, it won't be pretty!!

Pictures to follow!

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

I've also been working on adding additional planes to SH4 beyond the half dozen that's provided by the stock game. One in particular is a Japanese "Kamikaze" plane that will directly attack Allied forces with severe damage results. I'm almost done with it, and the effects are amazing. The Japanese plane will seek out enemy shipping, and deliver a direct blow to a target ship as expected.

Sounds good Cap'n!

[avers]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Yes, there are still folks working on mods for SH4!! TorpX being one of them.

I could probably bring this up in its own thread, but I'll do it here.

One of the most obvious issues with the stock planes is that they don't attack as expected. They will fly over your position more than they will attack. The problem is in the visual sensors, and in which direction their pointed. Also, there's an issue in the general "loadout" of the aircraft.....if the plane doesn't have a bomb in the basic loadout, its more than happy to fly right over your sub, even though its within visual range.

I've also been working on adding additional planes to SH4 beyond the half dozen that's provided by the stock game. One in particular is a Japanese "Kamikaze" plane that will directly attack Allied forces with severe damage results. I'm almost done with it, and the effects are amazing. The Japanese plane will seek out enemy shipping, and deliver a direct blow to a target ship as expected.

I can tell you, if a sub get's hit, it won't be pretty!!

Pictures to follow!

have u started a thread for this mega mod your working on yet?

[CapnScurvy]

have u started a thread for this mega mod your working on yet?

No, not yet. Still a little too early to get information out about it. However, I don't see why I can't show you what I've been up to with the one suicidal plane for the Japanese.

This is the Museum shot of the plane.



The bright yellow engine cowl should be enough of a warning!!

The AI has chosen a Casablanca CV.






Looking good so far. Those guys on the deck better duck!




I forgot I had a couple of Kamikaze planes flying around in this test mission! A double whammy.




I think I've got the hit points set a little high!?!







She didn't stay afloat for very long.





So, I think a little more tweaking with the damage model and it's ready to go..... One more shot of it taking a crack at the Iowa.





Anyway, my plan is to add several new planes to the Air group. I'm hoping to add a B-25, B-29, a P-36.....we'll see. I'm just learning 3D modeling so who knows what trouble I'll get into. I'd like to add the Akiga, and Kaga CV's but that's down the road.

No time table on anything, just plugging along. This time of year I can do things I normally don't have time for.

[avers]

I think it's good that your making new planes. I have a few neat ideas for the game, do u want to here them?

[CapnScurvy]

Sure!

Ideas.......we usually have a "boat load" of them. Figuring ways to implement them into the game is the trouble.

Some things can be manipulated to have the game think it's doing something, yet through modding, the results are actually something else. We didn't really change the way the game engine works (unfortunately no one has cracked the SH4 hard code to change specific processes/outcomes....if we did the folks around here would have you banned in a minute!! Not to mention legal implications from UbiSoft), but we can change the physical appearance of a process and make it appear something new has happened within the game. There's still limitations on just what we can do.

For example, the Kamikaze plane icon on the map screen is still going to be visible at the further out zoomed views because the darn thing is a plane. Sure I can remove the plane icons completely for all planes.....doesn't TMO or RFB do that? But, I really don't want to do that. The map screen in-game is your SD radar in use. I really don't want to take away the ability of using the Nav Map to show a planes location since that's the only physical way of displaying a planes position.......except for using my Radar setup that OTC introduces. Which, when I think of it, maybe that isn't such a bad idea. Use the Radar as it was intended to find approaching planes.......but wait, the problem still exist's......the Radar will still show the Kamikaze blip traveling away from the sub after it's hit the target because the Kamikaze plane itself isn't the delivering plane, it's just a bomb dressed up like a plane. The delivering plane is invisible to us, yet the game knows exactly where it is. Will show it on the map or Radar screens, and fire away with AA weapons after the Kamikaze bomb hits the target, and the invisible delivering plane makes it's get a way.

You see, we can dress up the monkey and make him dance, but it's still just a monkey underneath!

[avers]

Firstly I haven't played the game with RSRDC into the late war, so idk if this is already in a mod. My idea is to add some US heavy bombing raids on japanese bases ,like Rabaul or Balikpapan. I guess u could say that I want a mega mod that includes more aircraft events as well as other things.

[CapnScurvy]

Additional events to put to use additional planes is a good point. For instance, the Kamikaze plane wouldn't be of much good if it only showed up in the Museum, or when you wanted to make a specific mission for it through the Mission Editor......an Editor that not very many players know how to use.

I've got a Kamikaze plane in one of my "optional" mods for OTC...."Tokko's Revenge". Although it doesn't work as expected (it only heavily level bombs a target), I made sure it appears on several Aircraft Carrier's to be launched as the other CV based planes would. Adding it to several other land based sites would be appropriate too.

I've not looked at what Lurker did with his planes, so I don't know if he set up plane bombing routes or not......but yes, that's something that should be done. Again, there's little point in adding planes if they aren't used or left in the inventory.

You pointed out Balikpapan as a bombing site. A site I know all too well, due to my uncle (Father's brother) who's B-24 plane is still MIA from a bombing run in Oct. 1944. Dad was in the Pacific (his Tank Battalion left the States in late 1942) when he heard the news about his younger brother. Something he had a hard time getting over since his brother only joined the Air Corp due to Dad's letter's about the places he'd been to while over sea's. He qualified for pilot training, yet an offer came to him for a tail gunner position because of his small stature. He took it, because he thought the war might be over by the time he finished flight school! I have every intention of adding the 307th Long Rangers to the game.

What else you got?

[pdiddy]

This is all awesome!

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

but wait, the problem still exist's......the Radar will still show the Kamikaze blip traveling away from the sub after it's hit the target because the Kamikaze plane itself isn't the delivering plane, it's just a bomb dressed up like a plane.

Would something like the Ohka/Baka work better?

Bettys delivering Bakas!

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On a separate note, since we're talking ideas: Does anyone use the 3d TDC mod anymore? I can't get it to play nice with OTC (and OTC is well...a must have mod!)

Is it impossible to mod the stabilized azimuth line for determining target speed and/or using the stadimeter vertically to find AOB detailed here?

[CapnScurvy]

Thanks for the ideas guys. Keep them coming.....

As far as the dates/time is concerned for events in-game, I can tell you there are lots of errors within the game that prevents things from occurring. Due to these errors, either equipment doesn't become available, or specific traffic doesn't spawn simply because a date is in error.

An example can be found within some of the .eqp files that define when a certain piece of hardware comes into being.

Of all the things one can say bad about a computer, the one thing that's stellar is a computer's ability to count 1+1=2! Simple math is no problem (neither is the tuff stuff either). 24 hours in a day, 365 days a year is a no-brainier. Yet, you put dates like Sept. 31, 194whatever into the mix, the game will practically stop cold in its tracks. No such date as Sept 31st.....right......

got you thinking!!

So, the Devs put in the wrong date and the computer can't compute how a year is now 366 days long?!? You won't get a CTD because of it, but you won't get the upgrade either because the computer can't understand when to start the upgrade. There are also dates that overlap.....the end date is the same as the start date of a different piece of equipment. How can the computer figure out which piece of equipment to use if the same date covers two different pieces of equipment?

Stuff like that you'll find throughout the game.

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by pdiddy

Would something like the Ohka/Baka work better?

Bettys delivering Bakas!

I've seen one of those over at the Air Force Museum (that's what we call it around here....the official name is the "National Museum of the United States Air Force" ). Jet propelled, traveling in excess of 500 mph, it would be pretty cool. I noticed my friend Peabody was working on adding such a model to the IJN planes for his and Keltos01 Japanese Sub Campaign mod which has never seen the light of day. Too bad! I noticed he hasn't been on the forum since 2013, probably not interested anymore.

I've found a couple of 3D models floating around on the web. I'll see if I can get one to work with SH4.

Is it impossible to mod the stabilized azimuth line for determining target speed and/or using the stadimeter vertically to find AOB detailed here?

I doubt it. The line would need to be aligned to a particular bearing, and stay there, no matter which direction the sub may turn. The "L" key for "Locking" onto a target does something similar, but it locks onto an object and stays put no matter which direction the object, or sub moves. The point being, this function is hard coded. We don't have access to the script that makes the "Lock" function happen.

Nor do we have access to the way the Stadimeter double image is moved on the screen. It's vertical travel is also hard coded. I'd like to have it work as in real life to move vertically and horizontally for finding AoB.....but it isn't going to happen.