[REL]Bad weather fix for SH3

[h.sie]

Bad Weather Fix V1.1 - h.sie Edition


Background

Although I've never seen it myself, some people reported about a serious bug in sh3:
the weather sometimes sticks at high windspeeds with 15m/s, fog and no visibility.
This mod tries to eliminate this bug, or at least, reduce it's impact on gameplay.

This mod comes in 2 different versions:
1) Standard version
2) Forte version: Results in shorter storm and fog periods than in Standard version.


What does this mod do?

Mainly nothing.

It does not change the sh3 weather algorithm at all
and will only be active, when strom- or fog periods are too long.

It consists of 2 independent counters:

1) a STORM_COUNTER that counts the number of weather periods with storm.
2) a FOG_COUNTER that counts the number of weather periods with fog.


If STORM_COUNTER reaches a certain randomly chosen maximum value (see below),
the fix forces a reduction of the windspeed to a randomly chosen lower value.

If FOG_COUNTER reaches a certain randomly chosen maximum value (see below),
the fix reduces clouds and thus fog.


Maximum values (standard version)

The maximum value for STORM_COUNTER is randomly chosen between 1 and 5 weather periods.

The maximum value for FOG_COUNTER is randomly chosen between
1 weather period (chance: 50%),
2 weather periods (chance: 33%) and
3 weather periods (chance: 17%).

I also programmed a little chance that this controlling mechanism is bypassed
in order to keep some uncertainty, so that a very little chance remains
for storm- and fog periods longer than the maximum values, but that's improbably.


EXTRA

This fix also fixes a bug, that the weather time counter is not saved in a savegame,
so that the counter always starts at 0 every time you load a mission or savegame.
That means, that the first weather change always occurs exactly after a full
weather period (20 - 40 hours).

Now, the time counter is initialized with a randomly chosen value between 0 and 95% of the
weather period, so that a weather change shortly after loading a mission is possible.


Compatibility

- Should work with every sh3.exe.
- Tested with WinXP/32Bit and Win7/64Bit.
- Multiplayer: I don't think it works for Multiplayer mode.


Version History

- V1.1: Bugfix: Initialization of weather time counter with random value at mission start didn't work in all situations.

- V1 beta: First version


Credits

To all who helped, but especially to Stiebler for co-operation
and Hitman for detailed information, which made this fix possible.


h.sie


Alternative versions (also available on my mediafire page)

- Stieblers NYGM Bad weather fix (I cannot tell details about that fix)

- Yoryin Edition (does nothing more than shortening the weather change period by a factor of 3)