SH3 Commander & Medals

[Phoenix3000]

Hi all,

I have a question about SH3 Commander (2.6). I'm running that along with SH3 1.4b, GW1.1a and SH3 Gen.

OK, I've just finished my fourth patrol, and back in harbour, using the default SH3 view, I have given out the few medals we were awarded and one promotion (not a great patrol, only 6 cargo ships sunk).

Anyway, when I was finished I left the game (exited the usual way) and ran SH3 Commander and updated my personnel file etc. After checking out the 'nightclub' I looked at the option to award medals - I was surprised to see lots and lots of them available for practically every crew member. So, to check if it wasn't just eye-candy I gave several of my officers and crew (including those already promoted in SH3 earlier) some more medals and badges.

Then I launched my fifth patrol - and yes, they were all carrying these 'extra' medals awarded outside of SH3. Why does it do this? - I don't quite understand why SH3 Commander gives you the option of issuing lots more medals on top of those already assigned by SH3. Any ideas? - Or am I missing something?

On another note with SH3 Commander, the personnel file has missed my first patrol showing zero ships sunk - but if you click on the detail button it does show the eight ships I did actually sink - it has skipped them from the overall total - any way of fixing this myself?

Any help & advice on this would great,

Thanks

Px3000

[nightdagger]

IIRC you can award any medal to any crew member using SH3 Commander.

[Phoenix3000]

Does that not detract from the 'realism' a bit?

I mean, you could just go out early on in the war and promote all your crew to make them excellent at their job, and yet they haven't had the 'experience' etc. gained by doing it all in SH3 (does that make sense)?

Px3000

[mookiemookie]

Yes but you wouldn't do that, being the disciplined and fair-minded player you are, now would you?

It's there to give you the option to decorate your crew for their performance as you see fit, without the constraints of the SH3 medal rules. If I remember right, the entire crew of Hardegen's U-123 got a Knights Cross when they returned from their first Drumbeat patrol. Even if you were as successful in-game as U-123 was in real life, you wouldn't be able to do that in SH3.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Yes but you wouldn't do that, being the disciplined and fair-minded player you are, now would you?

It's there to give you the option to decorate your crew for their performance as you see fit, without the constraints of the SH3 medal rules. If I remember right, the entire crew of Hardegen's U-123 got a Knights Cross when they returned from their first Drumbeat patrol. Even if you were as successful in-game as U-123 was in real life, you wouldn't be able to do that in SH3.

Exactly. SH3 is very innaccurate in its medal/badge/qualification awarding. You won't see RL awarding criteria modelled in SH3.

For instance:

• in RL crewman generally received the War Badge after their second patrol...not in SH3. Unless you "tweak" a Basic.cfg setting, you'll get them in dribs and drabs.
• the Front Clasp was not available in RL until mid-May 1944...in SH3 it's there right from the start.
• the German Cross was not available in RL until Sept 1941...in SH3 it's there right from the start.
• the War Badge was not available in RL until mid-Oct 1939...in SH3 it's there right from the start.
• in RL getting a Wound Badge usually got you the War Badge...not in SH3. In SH3, you won't even get a Wound Badge if the crewman was repaired at sea.
• in RL you could have a number of crewman obtaining qualifications at any time...although most would already be rated...not in SH3. You get one qualification per patrol.
• in RL it was the Kaleun who recommended medals and badges for his crew...not in SH3. You award what you are "allotted".

So for the *disciplined* Kaleun, SH3Cmdr's system provides greater alignment with "how it really was". Sure, if you wanted to, you could award everything to everyone in one go...but that's not SH3Cmdr's problem, that's simply lack of Kaleun discipline.

@Phoenix3000
You can't promote inexperienced men via SH3Cmdr. BdU won't approve it.

[_Seth_]

@ Jscones: If i have 3 different installs of SHIII on my computer, do i have to have three different installs of SH3Commander, one for each? :hmm:

[fredbass]

Here is a portion of the readme file which I believe was in 2.6.1:


By selecting the 'Manage your crew' action, players can:
- promote and demote within type (ie Officers, Petty Officers and Sailors);
- change crewmen names;
- give and remove medals based on historic criteria;
- give and remove badges based on historic criteria;
- give, adjust and remove qualifications (3 for officers and senior petty officers, 1 for petty officers and 1 for sailors);
- create a crew list for viewing (html format) and printing.

The Crew Manager warns if certain conditions are met, such as a crewman receiving medals before they are historically available, or if a crewman might be entitled to specific medals or badges and allows a "one click" auto fix.

Note that if you award medals using Crew Manager some medals may accumulate in the game that can't be awarded. Either ignore these, or make sure to award medals in the game before doing so in Crew Manager.

A common question raised through forums has been "will my Crew Manager changes be recognised within Silent Hunter III?". To answer this question:
- awarding *any* qualifications to officers impacts compartment efficiency as if they were awarded via Silent Hunter III;
- awarding the *first* qualification to a Chief Warrant Officer impacts compartment efficiency as if awarded via Silent Hunter III;
- awarding subsequent qualifications to a Chief Warrant Officer, whilst being recognised in Silent Hunter III, has no effect in Silent Hunter III;
- awarding a qualification to a Petty Officer impacts compartment efficiency as if awarded via Silent Hunter III;
- awarding a qualification to a seamen, whilst being recognised in Silent Hunter III, has no effect in Silent Hunter III;
- awarding any medal or badge has the same effect as if awarded via Silent Hunter III;
- promoting/demoting has the same effect as if awarded via Silent Hunter III (although there is no demotion via Silent Hunter III);

So, only qualifications awarded to seamen or extra qualifications awarded to Chief Warrant Officers are, despite being recognised in the game, not effective in the game.

Now, whilst these qualifications are not effective in Silent Hunter III, they are still handy "markers". Also, I know of some people who believe that despite not being recognised towards compartment efficiency, Silent Hunter III tends to align these qualified seamen to their respective compartments, but I haven't tested that myself.