Add-on woes in Windows 7 HP SP1

[CapnScurvy]

I'm going to chime in on defraging.

Anytime you plan on removing programs/files, or adding new ones (games, Photoshop, Favorites List, E-Mails......whatever) you should consider doing a defrag on your computer. With a 500+ gig C:/ drive that's nearly full, there's a lot of "stuff" on it. You might want to move/delete some of it seeing you have that big external drive. Without a doubt defraging the drive your moving things to, then defraging the drive you opened up is very important. Keeping things nice and neat; bunching related files together will increase access time. It will keep your computer humming along, with as little lag time as possible.

SH4 requires 6 Gb drive space to install and operate within. Anytime a program requires that kind of space......do a defrag before adding it, then another after. Do a "maintenance defrag" every once in a while too.

It may take a while to complete, but it's well worth it on all your drives.

[SSI01]

Doing the post-install defrag on F drive now. 23% completed. Will advise.

Forgot to mention W7 has an auto-defrag built into it. Mine is done every Wednesday at 1AM.

[SSI01]

Hello everyone. Just got the machine back from the shop after I had problems with it, besides fixing the problem got a general cleanup that seems to have boosted performance a little. It was also eating some sims' .exe files. That seems to have been fixed as well. So far no problems with that.

I've gotten everything done as described in the last post. I haven't added any mods yet. Does anyone recommend a personal preference for loading them?

[HertogJan]

Okay,

Couple of questions for yah...
1 _ Installed game on drive other than C:\?
2 _ Updated to 1.4 and did a defrag of that drive?
3 _ Installed LAA as per instructions?
3a _ Checked if SH4.exe is in fact LAA (Go to LAA and open advanced settings to check).
4 _ Installed JSGME as per instructions?
5 _ Check marked 'Run as Administrator' in SH4.exe properties?
6 _ Did you start SH4 to see if the game starts?

I'm asking this so everything is as it should be, it should run 'vanilla'.
When it does, make a copy of the Data folder (put it somewhere safe) and make a snapshot with JSGME (can be found under 'Tasks').


When all this is done post your Mod list so we can help you with the install order. If you want to use the Mods you listed in post #6, I'd recommend not installing the the Mods marked in red in post #27 and the "Eye Patch for 1.5" CapnScurvy suggested.

(It's basically putting one Mod in first and try it out, then add a new one and test again.. and so on).

[merc4ulfate]

The is no need to defrag any computer after Vista. The OS does that for you.

Why people load games and programs to system drives I'll never know but:

One: your OS is fine
Two: your Ram is fine
Three: you do not need the LAA adjustments
Four: people would do well to have an extra hard drive and have all your programs loaded on to that drive not your system drive.

I run Win7 Professional
My system drive is 300 gigs with 200 used
My program drive is 2 terabyte partitioned into two 1 terabyte partitions.

It sounds like you have unstable hardware or an unstable OS.

I built my system 7 years ago. My mods :

Generic Mod Enabler - v2.6.0.157
[Z:\SHOM\MODS]
1_TriggerMaru_Overhaul_2-5
1_TMO_25_small_patch
RSRDC_TMO_V502
RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1
Improved Ship Physics 2.6_TMO_RSRDC
TMO_Visuals_for_RSRDC
FJB_Navigation_Maps
FJB Color Navigation Map
Gyoraitei
11 New Ships + Yamato AA Fix by Miner1436
Ship pack 1
More_DDs_for_AITorpedoLauncher
SMALLER SEA PLANTS SMALL
SMALLER SEABED ROCKS
#5 Depthcharge Sound
#2 Other Clouds
Webster's Eliminate Floating Plankton for v1.4 and v1.5
Aircraft_reflections
Hull_Numbers
TMO Smoke Mod
AITorpedolauncher

By the way it is always best practice if you change your mods list to create a new, fresh unaltered game with a new, fresh unaltered JSGME. You can even have multiple SH4 installation with different mods list in them but removing mods and then adding other can sometimes cause errors to pop up. No it doesn't happen all the time but then there will be that one time it does and you'll be pulling your hair out trying to figure out why your game has turned into Captain Evil on you so it is best to to do clean installs with mod changes.

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by SSI01

I've gotten everything done as described in the last post. I haven't added any mods yet. Does anyone recommend a personal preference for loading them?

Hello SSI01

If you've followed the procedure outlined in this post, then I would play the stock game for a while to see what's what? No glitches, or problems after a few hours of play......then, try a mod. Get used to the stock game before modifying it.

Remember, you only have version 1.4 of the stock game. Any mod you use must be made for version 1.4.

A shameless plug......why not try Optical Targeting Correction. The correct edition of "Optical Targeting Correction for SH 1.4" is further down the thread; the direct link can be found HERE (but, I would still read the thread about the OTC modification to know what you're getting). Also, add the "OTC for 1.4 Patch_1" for the 1.4 edition.

Play the game to see the difference between the stock game and the OTC modified game. Play for a few hours, then remove the mods in reverse order they were added within JSGME (last one in.....first one out). Open the JSGME "Tasks...." menu and allow the "Compare Snapshot" to check the stock game for any changes. Do this whenever you think something isn't as it should be.

All's good?.....play as you like.

==========

Just a word of caution to you, or anyone modding for the first time.

Don't load up your game with every mod that sounds good. Not only does the version of the stock game determine which mod(s) to use, but so does the compatibality of the mods you plan to use. Not every mod will be compatibale with another. If a mod doesn't say its compatibale with another.......it's probably NOT.

So, don't use it until you become familiar with what the two mods do, and what becomes changed when you add the second one after the first. It's always been my opinion, less is better.

[SSI01]

Gentlemen:

Everything was defragged/installed/settled as instructed in the various posts. Yesterday I went ahead and added the OTC and attendant patch for 1.4, as a little treat and based upon a totally unbiased recommendation. I also ensured the LAA modification took as intended.

I am happy to say the results are UNBELIEVABLE. Graphics are now incredibly smooth; gameplay is likewise like glass. There are a great number of additions in the OTC add-on, little things that contribute to the atmospherics of the sim, thus making SH-WOTP a truly "immersive" experience (no pun intended).

So far the only add-ons are the OTC and patch, plus Ship Pack 1 which seems to be functioning fine. Intentions are to add Historical Prop rotation, Sofu Gan, and ParaB's Fewer Radio Contacts after review to ensure they are compatible with v. 1.4.

Is there something available that will allow one to set acceleration to, say, 32X when nearing home port and let it stay there despite every last lookout call under the sun about ships, aircraft, land installations, etc that cause gameplay to drop back to 1X?

I want to thank everyone who contributed their time and patience to the regeneration of this excellent sim on my machine. It has particular meaning to me as the copy I have I bought in Hawaii years ago - the same place where so many fleet submarines departed from and never returned.

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by SSI01

Gentlemen:
Is there something available that will allow one to set acceleration to, say, 32X when nearing home port and let it stay there despite every last lookout call under the sun about ships, aircraft, land installations, etc that cause gameplay to drop back to 1X?

You can adjust Time Compression yourself by using Notepad to open the Data/Cfg/Main.cfg file. Here's what to do:

Remove all mods from the "Activation" list within JSGME. Find the stock game "Main.cfg" file using the Data/Cfg/... path; then copy/paste it into the OTC mod's Data/Cfg folder.

Open (Double click) the Main.cfg file you just copied/pasted and replace the [TIME COMPRESSION] parameters with this one:

[TIME COMPRESSION]
TimeStop=0
RealTime=1
LandProximity=1
CriticalDamage=1
CrewEfficiency=256
AirEnemyDetected=1
SoundEffects=256
CharacterAnim=32
EnemyDetected=4
RadioReport=32
Particles=32
PrayState=8
HunterState=32
3DRender=32
Maximum=1024

Save your changes.
This configuration may not stop all what you feel is slowing you down, but it should be better for you in the long run.

The stock v1.4 game looks like this:

[TIME COMPRESSION]
TimeStop=0
RealTime=1
LandProximity=4
CriticalDamage=1
CrewEfficiency=128;1
AirEnemyDetected=1
SoundEffects=2
CharacterAnim=4
EnemyDetected=8
RadioReport=8
Particles=8
PrayState=8
HunterState=32
3DRender=32
Maximum=8192

Let me tell you why I like the change.

LandProximity should drop to "Real Time" for obvious reasons.
So should Critical Damage, and AirEnemyDetected. (Actually, Time Stopping=0 isn't a bad idea for these...it will pause the game).
EnemyDectected is for surface ships, a parameter of 4x is good for it (they won't sneak up on you as fast as aircraft).
The rest will lower time compression, but not as much as stock.
In my opinion, Maximum=1024 is the most one should use with this game...to keep slowdowns/ctd's at a minimum.

**One other thing to do before restarting the game. Go to your "Documents/SH4" folder and delete the "Cfg" folder and all of its contents. If you don't your modified changes to the Data/Cfg/Main.cfg file won't appear in-game. Yes, you'll need to reset your "Options" again....but this will be the last time you need to do it.**

Try the Time Compression changes and see what you think.

I've read where in SHIII if the Watch Officer is not on deck when your running on the surface, your watch crew won't report neutral/friendly targets. I don't know if this is true or not with SH4, but remove him from the Crew Management slot to see if that helps. I know if your running submerged, keeping your periscope down will eliminate unwanted reports.

[HertogJan]

WELCOME TO THE PACIFIC! SSI01

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

**One other thing to do before restarting the game. Go to your "Documents/SH4" folder and delete the "Cfg" folder and all of its contents. If you don't your modified changes to the Data/Cfg/Main.cfg file won't appear in-game. Yes, you'll need to reset your "Options" again....but this will be the last time you need to do it.**

Why not change the .CFG file there

[CapnScurvy]

Originally Posted by HertogJog

Why not change the .CFG file there

You're talking about the "Main.cfg" file within the "Documents/SH4" folder, compared to the "Main.cfg" file within the "Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific/Data/Cfg" folder.

They are both the same file.....the game creates the "SH4" folder (with all of its contents) anytime it finds the SH4 folder is deleted (or just parts of it deleted). It will not change the SH4 folder as long as the SH4 folder is intact with its core folders/files.

What this means is anytime you delete the contents of the SH4 folder, you'll have to remember to add your modified Main.cfg file to it again in order to keep your changes (like the Time Compression changes). With the modified Main.cfg file within the game.....it will be added to the SH4 folder automatically every time the SH4 folder needs to be re created.

This then brings up the question.....Why delete the SH4 folder at all?

The number one reason is to keep the game running smoothly. Here's a couple of reasons:

1. To delete the corrupted Saved game points that seem to never replay right (your automatic game saves, as well has the player created saves are kept within the SH4 folder).

2. To eliminate the conflicts between a modded game that has leftover files from a previous mod that JSGME lost track of. We have all heard of the rule "Add this mod while in port". That's because the game will automatically create a saved game point with your modified files, within the SH4 folder, when you leave port. If you remove the mod at a later time, then try to play the same saved game point without the same modified files in-game.....CTD's are in your future.

What's the cure.....let the game re create the SH4 folder.

Sure, if your trying to complete the entire war campaign and you're in 1945......well, don't change mods. Keep what your doing and finish the campaign. But, if you change mods like changing your socks.....delete the SH4 folder as often as you can.