[REL] Air Torpedos/Torpedo Bombers revisited and working!

[Rubini]

New Update:
Version 2.0 Released!




From the read me:

SP 03/09/2012
SH3 Air Torpedo mod by Rubini version 2.0
===============================

Introduction:

-This new version adds the FIDO (allied secret ASW acoustic torpedo), sounds & effects for the torpedos and a lot of refinements for the mod . Also it adds the necessary random scripted torpedo bombers groups ready to be integrated on your campaign.

- It continues to be compatible with any Sh3 installation and also have Single Missions to test it. Let me know any problem here.

PS1: For historicall and realism purposes , the mod also have an optional main file (AiRTorp&Fido_v2_noFIDOexternal&noFIDOwake.dap) that will have not wakes on FIDO and no external visible FIDO on Avenger (they carried them on a bay compartment). If you want this, just rename it extension to .dat (and the other one to .dap) before install the mod. Take attention on rename extention process or it will not work!

PS2: The mod have also files to be merged on your Campaign_RND.mis and also a file with 3 entries to be copyed and pasted on the botton of your Sh3.sdl (Sound folder) to the new sounds works. It´s not possible to me to add them to each one variant of mod soups. You need to do this by yourself. I provided some directions below.
===============================

Changelog version 2.0:

1. Added a real 3d working allied acoustic torpedo (FIDO, aka MK-24 mine)

2. Added integrated randon patrols to be merged on your Campaign_RND.mis, putting the mod definitively on career/campaign game.

3. Added effects and sounds for all events (exclusive for the mod, this way it is compatible with any sh3 installation). Now we have sound for torp release from airplanes, for torp splash on water, for torp cruising, etc.

4. Added new 3D model and texture for FIDO, this way it is now very different from german/air torpedos ( and seems a bit more like the historical FIDO itself). Also it have unique behaviour, small bubble trail, very tiny wake, it´s more slow (as historically), have different explosion splash and inflict less damage (as historically) than the common air torp.

5. Fido can now hit you from 4,5m to 45m deep!

6. a lot of small adjusts on various places on the mod for fine tunning.
===============================

About the files to be merged on your Campaign:

- The mod provide 3 files to be merged on your Campaign_RND.mis (ATB_0850_RND_ready_DD.mis, ATB_2450_RND_ready_DD.mis and ATB_4850_RND_ready_DD.mis). They are all the same, just with different probabilities to encounter a torpedo random group each 8 (0850) or 24 (2450) or 48hrs (4850) with 50% probability to spawn the group. Notice that the torpedo bombers will only found you using visual sensors (to avoid unrealistic encounters at night or/and with very bad weather). So, even choosing the 0850 the encounters probably will be very rare (well, its what I guess ... if it proves wrong, then you can use the others files with much less probabilities). Anyway, choose only one of them.

These files have scripted (but random) Torpedo bombers groups that will start with Swordfish around British protected waters (including mediterraneum) and will growing in coverage historically until may 1942 when the Avengers also becomes to patrol USA routes. Later, after march 1943, the allies introduced their new secret ASW weapon, the Mark 24 Mine, a fake name to cover it´s real purpose: an acoustic homing torpedo against axies submarines! The Kaleuns never knew exactly what is was or how this new weapon worked ... they never knew what was the best tactic to avoid them!
===============================

How to merge the above files on your Campaign game:

a. For first, always make a backup of your Campaign_RND.mis. Then install the mod using JSGME (the integration will not work correctly if you try it without install the mod first!!)

b. Open the SH3 Mission Editor. Go to "File", and choose "Open RND Layer...". Point to your main Campaign_RND.mis and open it (again: make a backup first!).

c. Then go to "File" and choose "Merge...". Check "Mark merged data as saveable" and click ok. Then point for your desired provided RND file to be merged and click on "Open" (they must be in your Sh3 path ... data\campaigns\campaign folder ). The merge process is finished!

d. Now we must save our new Campaign_RND.mis. To do this, just go to "File", choose "Save RND Layer as...", on the save window goes to Sh3 path ... data\campaigns\campaign folder and click over your "old" Campaign_RND.mis, click in "save" and allow overright and it´s done! You can later repeat this process if you want to change the random air patrols probabilities, chossing another provided file and so on.
===============================

About the entries to be "merged" on your Sh3.sdl file:

The Sh3.sdl file have the necessary descripitions of the sounds used in the game. If a sound isn´t declared here it will not be listen into the game. So you need to open both your Sh3.sdl (make a backup first!) and also the provided "Copy to your Sh3.sdl.sdl" using S3D (both must be in your Sound folder after install the mod) and copy and paste the 3 entries on this last file on the botton of your SH3.sdl( AirTorp_release, AirTorp_splash, and AirTorp_splash_hyd). Save it, and it´s done! After that you be able to listen the torpedos being released from airplanes and torp. splashes on water. Anyway, this is not essential, the mod will work without them.
===============================

Update on how the mod works and it´s limitations:

- The mod have 4 main issues that is good to know about:

1. No real torpedos indeed. For common air topedos attacks, the mod uses only a particle (the dropped torpedo) that will desappears after some seconds and uses virtual torpedos (cannons) at the rear of the airplanes to simulate the torpedos hits (if any). Later in the war, the FIDO appears. You will not see it directly ahead of the dropped site, but in truth it will be spawed and armed at a special place around your uboat and then it will run in a real 3D trying to detect and hunt your boat. All these workaround are absolutelly necessary to have the mod working. Sh3 engine is serious limited on this matter. The Ai torpedos continues with that "only spawn going to north" issue unfixed. Just FYI, the real FIDO, after it´s enter water, goes ahead for small time and start a long curve path trying to detect something and them go for it. Thinking this way, the mod approach is very satisfactory.

2. As said above, all Ai torpedos are spawed on the game always going to north and also they don´t change deep, only direction for the acoustic ones. In RL, the Kaleuns didn´t knew about FIDO or how it worked... this was fundamental for it´s success but even this way, their hit percent was only about 25%! FIDO was made to only hit submerged submarines...but again the kaleuns didn´t knew about this...To overtake these problems and stay more on the historical trail the mod provides some workarounds. In truth, each airplane will drop more than one torpedo, but only one will be visible for you. This will cover differents deeps and will make the overall mod feeling very good, simulating the imprevisibility, failure and variable damage inflicted by FIDOS torpedos. They will hunt you from 4,5m (only eventually) to 45m deep, also providing a good eye candy.

3. Sh3 don´t have torpedo bombers routine approach on it´s engine to correctly drop air torpedos. So, again a workaround is need to achieve it. The Swordfish have the worst behaviour - in RL they were very slow and approach at very low altitudes . But the Avengers approach is very good, because the FIDOS were dropped at medium altitude and at high speed (at 730m high and more than 200km/h at the end of 1944!!). In the mod the planes will dropped the torpedos at 40-60m high, 700-900m before target, at 100km/h. A good compromisse, IMHO. By the exposed above is easy also to understand that isn´t ok to just added these torpedo bombers on Airbases for campaign game, but instead, they need to have scripted waypoints at 30m high in random groups. This is provided with the mod.

4. The static torpedo attached to the Plane body will not desappear after the torp release. No fix for this until now. Was more easy to make the entire mod than found a fu%#$ fix for this issue!
===============================

Last comments and recomendations:

- Both files that you modified (Campaign_RND.mis and Sh3.sdl) will be lost if you disable the mod. So, I suggested that after made these modifications save a copy of them on the correct Air_torpedo mod folder. This way they will be ready and "plug and play" for future installations/uninstallations of the mod.

- A small adjust on sim.cfg is also recommendable. Make sure to have this on Ai AA guns section:
[AI AA guns]
Max error angle=4 ;[deg]
Max fire range=2000 ;[m]
Max fire wait=6 ;[s]

- The air attacks on Sh3 are too bad. The player uboat crew ALWAYS detect the planes too far away, allowing the player to ALWAYS crash dive in security...worse in the late war with RWR. The problem is that the air ASW becomes bored and too previsible, killing a challenge factor of the game. I suggested to anyone that want a more challenge and less bored game, to make the player crew Visual (related to surface area on Visual sensor, sensors.dat) detection and also the RWR much more less effective and also make the airbases planes attack a bit less frequent. In other words, less attacks, but more dangerous ones, with last minutes detection (if any) as historically for planes ASW at WWII.

-The FIDO homes to your propellers. The propellers damage/malfunctions don´t works as it must be on the game - it´s something like all or nothing in functionality, even when destroyed you continues to have diesel motor sound and splash at your back...very odd. A good workaround is necessary here, perhaps for future releases. Anyway, you can find the uboats propellers/rudders on zones.cfg and make all them destructible... then sometimes you will be lost at ocean without possibility to repair. In this situation you can use a dice or the best, uses Stiebler´s suberb Surrender mod. Sometimes i finished without propellers and also without officers and half of the crew...all then killed by torpedo hits...i even could not make a crash dive!!

- The air torpedo and FIDO explosion effects and damage controllers are unique. So it´s possible to adjust these aspects without interfer with the stock torpedos and independently for each one. For inflicted damage settings take a look on the AiRTorp&Fido_v2.sim; it´s self explanatory.

- For last, as the mod becomes too complex I can have made a mistake here and there when finishing it, renaming the final files, etc. Let me know any problem.
===============================

Have fun and watch the skyes!

Rubini.

Version 2.0 download link:
MediaFire

Below some videos of early version:
surfaced
submerged

Historical video - Avenger high altitude Fido/AirTorpedo launch (thanks sublynx!):


Historical video - Swordfish dropping torpedos:
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/sw...torpedo-planes

================================================== =====


Version 1.0 Readme

SP 19/08/2012
SH3 Air Torpedo mod by Rubini version 1.0

===============================

This mod recreate the absent air torpedos attacks for SH3. SH3 don´t have Ai_torpedos controllers neither the necessary behaviour on airplanes to drop torpedos: a low and direct fly over the target with a "before target release" of the torpedo.

With this scenario, is easy to understand why until now we haven´t a mod to implement this feature. Just to recall, SH4 and SH5 have this feature out of the box.

For the absent Ai_torpedo controller, the unique workaround is to have virtual ones. Sergbuto was the modder that made them some years ago. Also with this idea in mind, he made the rockets for planes.

For the absent torpedo bombers real behaviour, no satisfactory workaround was achieve until now. This is where this mod bring something new, allowing us to have finally a complete working air torpedos package, including correct work on campaign files.

The mod allows Ai_torpedos for any plane using a simple loadout on the .eqp file (AiR_torp_rack). The planes will then release torpedos against any enemy ship or submarine almost as in real life if some directions were followed (see "limitations of the mod" below).

===============================

Installation:


JSGME ready.

The mod is in truth only one file: Air_torpedo_nodes.dat. All the cannons, guns, shells, particles, effects and others are inside this file.

Others files were provided on the package just to make life easier for players, like the two clonned planes (ATBAvenger and ATBSSwordfish). Altough they are not really necessary, this will make things more easy to we have random patrols to be merged on *ANY* campaign_rnd.mis file (next release).

Also the mod package have 4 single missions (with single and squadron planes - ATBavenger and ATBswordfish).

===============================

Usage:


You can try the included single missions to quickly see them in action (remember that the hit percent is about 30-50%). Also you can make your own SM using any of the new two cloned planes. Later you will be able to merge a simple file on your RND and then have working random Torpedo Bombers patrols on Sh3 Campaign!

See it in action here:


===============================

Limitations of the mod:


1. To a correct torpedo bomber approach the planes must be setted for level bombers (using S3D). The included cloned planes are already read for duty!

2. The ideal airplane approach to target must be 30m high max. This is not allowed from the SH3 airbases. Anyhow, the mod will also work if you just add the planes to airbases, but not at the correct drop max high. This is why random patrols for the campaign files is needed.

3. The planes carry one visible torpedo (eye candy) that will not desappear after the torpedo release. This is a limitation of SH3/Virtual torpedo mod approach. The same occurs with the rocket planes mod, perhaps you have not noticed it...until now! Anyhow, this is where I will concentrate effort to fix it (if possible) for future releases. If we want is just easy to have no fixed torpedo. Let me know what you prefer.

4. The mod uses smart approach over the files (including particles - the torpedos itself!) to aquire correct drop behaviour. Later in campaign (after 1943) the planes have radar and they will find you even in a heavy fog at night...sh3 design... this is the unique moment that the drop behaviour could not work correctly. To avoid this completelly you can delete the radar link from the two cloned planes .sns file. But this also will make you harder to find at any weather condition. Well, it´s your choice.

5. A small adjust on sim.cfg is also recommendable. Make sure to have this on Ai AA guns section:

[AI AA guns]
Max error angle=4 ;[deg]
Max fire range=2000 ;[m]
Max fire wait=6 ;[s]

===============================

Tweaks over the mod:


The amount of damage by the virtual torpedo can be tunned using S3D like any of the Sh3 explosives and shells. Also the percentage of the "torpedo hits" can be adjusted. Later I can provide the exactly place to make these modifications.

===============================

Compatibility:


I made this mod with universal compatibility in mind. All the necessary guns, cannons, shells, effects, etc were made exclusive and inside an unique file. So, i guess that it will work in any Sh3 installation.

Stiebler releases a "Mk 24 Fido aerial torpedo" virtual routine (not visual) and these mods are totally compatibles. In truth this present mod is more suitable as a generic air torpedo type, wich will then, complete Stiebler work.

===============================

Credits:


Sergbuto by his PT boat virtual torpedos and Rockets, both ideas used on this mod.

skwas by S3D, without it this mod was not possible.

===============================

Good hunting and watch the skies!
Rubini.

Download:
Mediafire
(version 1.2 corrected the airplanes marks, making them fixed to be compatible with any sh3 installation)

PS: Don´t forget to also check your sim.cfg and make this:

[AI AA guns]
Max error angle=4 ;[deg]
Max fire range=2000 ;[m]
Max fire wait=6 ;[s]

===================================


Old first post:

Hi guys!

After long time away from Sh3 I cooked something that I always wanted: Air torpedos/Torpedo Bombers that really works, including inside the campaigns!

A lot of modders already have tried it on the long SH3 past road but a working mod never arrived. This is because we have a lot of issues on the matter:

1. Sh3 lack tottaly the Air_torpedos controller, what means that we have no AI torpedos and no Ai Torpedo bomber with the correct approach to target...
2. If we use a fake bomb as a torpedo (the more easy approach) the airplane dropt is just bad, the torpedo frequently flyies over kaleuns had, etc.

So, like others modders already have conclude, a virtual torpedo is the way to go...but the launcher problem remains. This is exactly where this mod shine, brings something new to the scene (but not perfect, is a trick mod).

These "new torpedo bombers" can be used against ships, and the torpedo drop idea can be used on PT boats too!

Below a link for a youtube video. The uboat is moving in zigzag and even with this movement the torpedo drop is perfect, the timming of the torpedo run and the hit is almost perfect. The mod is already read, i will pack it soon.
I should like to listem yours comments about it before release. Thanks!

Ahoy!
Rubini.

Link for the in game video(see it in HD):

[sublynx]

To me that looked exactly like this:



In other words I'm speechless

It looks we have quite nicely working torpedo bombers from your mod on

[Myxale]

Wow, they're quite awesome...and not to mention dangerous!


You did some outstanding work!

[slam1997]

nice

[Magic1111]

Wonderful work rubini!

And BTW nice Video!

[Sepp von Ch.]

Splendid work Rubini!

[Lindley]

Bravo!

Will look great with Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero.
Or will it be strictly for u-boat attack?

[Sepp von Ch.]

Originally Posted by Lindley

Or will it be strictly for u-boat attack?

I do not think so.

Originally Posted by Rubini

These "new torpedo bombers" can be used against ships, and the torpedo drop idea can be used on PT boats too!

[Rubini]

Originally Posted by Lindley

Bravo!

Will look great with Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Sparviero.
Or will it be strictly for u-boat attack?

Thanks guys by the comments and interest on this mod.
The above question: it works as a loudout, so its ready for any airplane. But it have some limitations, for example, to work correctly the plane must be setted as level bomber.

[LGN1]

Fantastic work, Rubini Really great!

I'm curious how it works!

Regards, LGN1

[HEMISENT]

Hi Rubini
Long time no see. I've just returned also after a long time away and it's great seeing so many familiar folks still here.

As always your work is fantastic...looking forward to giving it a go as soon as I get Stiebler"s add-ons up and running.

Cheers!
H

[Rubini]

Originally Posted by LGN1

Fantastic work, Rubini Really great!

I'm curious how it works!

Regards, LGN1

Hi LGN1,

I will update the first post in some minutes with some technical explanations about the mod and what expected from it.

[Lindley]

Originally Posted by Rubini

Thanks guys by the comments and interest on this mod.
The above question: it works as a loudout, so its ready for any airplane. But it have some limitations, for example, to work correctly the plane must be setted as level bomber.

Good thanks.

[reaper7]

An amazing mod, well done Rubini. Look forward to getting torpedoed

[KiserisKing]

Rubini,

I have been working on this same problem with torps in SH4. In particular with the US torpedo bombers. They drop there torpedo but is flies backward and when it finally hits the water goes straight down.

Do you think I can plant this mod in SH4 since it was derived from SH3?

Your thoughts are appreciated.

Kaiser