[REL] FOTRS Ultimate Project

[Rockin Robbins]

Ran Gaggle to Haggle With in the stock game with no mods except the Gaggle. 3 columns of random merchies with DDs escorting on the outside. Within a few minutes of the formation of the convoy they scattered. Looks like the same usual suspects who wander and the same ones who stay in line. I'm posting video on You Tube later tonight. News at 11!

Working copy of Gaggle to Haggle With in the WIP folder. Have fun!

[cdrsubron7]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

I've started to look at *myself* funny... "what are you trying to *do*, drive yourself NUTZ?"... lol - it's a short drive, btw...

Anyway, I agree, and think it sounds like a file that's trying to play, but fails and keeps trying. I found the "tick" also, but it's NOTHING compared to "The Sound"... It's like the cook in The Hunt For Red October who's banging on the pipes in order to give up the sub's position... Only no one can find the guy... Some boats it seems to come on easier, but it might just be the situation at the time when it happens.



I haven't done any timing, or anything remotely close to "scientific", but the "sinking" model is definitely better in FOTRS, and it takes a few more torps to take the Ise BB and others of that ilk out. Usually (in stock), it only takes four torps, but for the most part (in "Ultimate"), at least six, sometimes seven, and once it took eight (my bad). I'm going to try a Yamato SM and see what it'll take. Destroyers most times take two, as do smaller merchants. It took me five into a troop transport last night. A loaded tanker still usually only takes one well-placed one. Can't imagine why... I have no idea how many hits it takes to take down a Furutaka. They're protected by magic, or something. I made a SM with a Furutaka "anchored", and shot torp after torp at it, one at a time, and found it to be at about 10 foot draft, but STILL had the occasional torp go under it still... weird. Never did sink it, and ran out of torps on my S12...

The graphics are awesome:




That's like after the eighth hit...

I especially love the smoke. There's 3 other shots I've got in the "root" of that photobucket directory where these are. I haven't used photobucket in a while, and they are def full of junk when you go to their page anymore. Be careful what you click on... I'm thinking about re-sizing these a bit smaller, and just attaching them here. Attempts at video of in-game stuff have been miserable looking so far, especially daylight scenes, though it looks great "live" while playing. I just don't know what I'm doing with game video capturing. I've got a 2nd computer with an ATI AIW that I'll try to set-up to play the "Ultimate" on, and I'll try that and upload to toobyu, IF I'm successful...

Is it possible to get a copy of this fire graphics mod, propbeanie? I'd very much to have one if it's possible.

[propbeanie]

That, my friend, is FotRS v2 in SH4 v1.4, using a simpleton mis file I'd made. Looking at the ReadMe at FotRS v2 SubSim download for the info - MadMax calls it an FotRS customized version of "Real Environment FOTRS V2.0_byKriller" - a "superclass" mod, in his words. I found reference to it elsewhere on here:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108512

But alas, the links are dead...


After searching on the filename, I found this: SoundMod fur SH4...

Which leads to a MediaFire download. I'm just not sure yet which mod, by which author that is yet, since I' m on the tablet, not my pc...

btw, where *did* you qoute me from to get those pix? I thought I mentioned FotRS v2 in the thread...


Edit: Found it. I think I mixed- up my screen grabs. That is def v2 in SH4 v1.4 - not "Ultimate" (yet). Most of my Ultimate tests have been in daylight, so I can see what's going on...

[CapnScurvy]

I've uploaded to the Google site a "610 Stock Convoy Test".rar folder that should have ships acting as if they have some sense regarding keeping themselves at station within a convoy.

It's JSGME compatible, extract it to your MODS folder.

I have no idea why one .mis convoy keeps better station than the other.....I've compared the two with little reason to suspect one over the other with good convoy manners.

[cdrsubron7]

btw, where *did* you qoute me from to get those pix? I thought I mentioned FotRS v2 in the thread...

From this thread. Post #83. I guess I'll have to wait till our project reach fruition.

On another note, I made up a couple of missions to do some testing on Billy's Rabbit mod. In one of the missions I lined up three DDs in a row and with an S class sub. I fired Mark 10's at a Fubuki class and a Mutsuki class from over 2000 yds. Considering the distance yardage and the speed of the Mark 10s I still hit them both even though they knew the torpedoes were coming. I was using Billy's Escorts 10%. So I'd have to say the mod is working.

[XTBilly]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

I've uploaded to the Google site a "610 Stock Convoy Test".rar folder that should have ships acting as if they have some sense regarding keeping themselves at station within a convoy.

It's JSGME compatible, extract it to your MODS folder.

I have no idea why one .mis convoy keeps better station than the other.....I've compared the two with little reason to suspect one over the other with good convoy manners.

You should be resting dear friend...

I'll give it a try tonight.

Found 2 Kiturin Maru's in the campaign. Both required two Mk14's to sink. Saved when I maked contact, loaded and repeated two times... In test single missions, the ship sinks with only one. Tested with different cargoes, moving and anchored...

Sometimes SH4 works in mysterious ways...

[cdrsubron7]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

I've uploaded to the Google site a "610 Stock Convoy Test".rar folder that should have ships acting as if they have some sense regarding keeping themselves at station within a convoy.

It's JSGME compatible, extract it to your MODS folder.

I have no idea why one .mis convoy keeps better station than the other.....I've compared the two with little reason to suspect one over the other with good convoy manners.

I've just finished taking a look at the "610 Stock Convoy Test". As a whole the convoy seems to hold their positions fairly well, there are random ships that leave the columns for a bit and then return to their position in the convoy. One of the ships that seems to do it the most is our old friend the Kiturin Maru.

[cdrsubron7]

Sometimes SH4 works in mysterious ways...

I think there is something to that. If you give some thought to when your positioning the ships of a convoy they are not locked in place but joined to a group leader. Supposedly the ships are supposed to follow the group leader's motions but there seems to be a lot randomness to the movement of the other ships not matter what you do.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by cdrsubron7

I've just finished taking a look at the "610 Stock Convoy Test". As a whole the convoy seems to hold their positions fairly well, there are random ships that leave the columns for a bit and then return to their position in the convoy. One of the ships that seems to do it the most is our old friend the Kiturin Maru.

Thanks Capn, even though you should be busy healing. You know, I'm trying to upload my test on the Gaggle to Haggle with and You Tube is a bit cranky! But my first reaction is that this is worse than we thought.

But then, if this is stock behavior and nobody has noticed for nine years, is it worth the effort to change it?

I''m itching to try out the Stock Convoy Test and see it behave differently for mysterious reasons!

On another note, where are we with the core mod? Have we added 2.0 merchies and let the existing missions files use them? Have we looked at them and taken some screenies? I think I'm looking into that next. Then comparing 2.0 warships, finding the additions and seeing if it's worth it to edit all those mission files!

[XTBilly]

Originally Posted by cdrsubron7

From this thread. Post #83. I guess I'll have to wait till our project reach fruition.

On another note, I made up a couple of missions to do some testing on Billy's Rabbit mod. In one of the missions I lined up three DDs in a row and with an S class sub. I fired Mark 10's at a Fubuki class and a Mutsuki class from over 2000 yds. Considering the distance yardage and the speed of the Mark 10s I still hit them both even though they knew the torpedoes were coming. I was using Billy's Escorts 10%. So I'd have to say the mod is working.

Thanks for trying and report.

My own observations on this:
The Escorts 20, is not performing at all as intended. Still accelerating and stopping too fast for me.

The Escorts 10, is performing much better. While clearly seeing the ship's knots rising slowly through the periscope, they are not able to avoid a well fired torpedo by just accelerating a little, as before. But they're still able to avoid a hit by maneuvering port-starboard. Even when hit and disabled, they still maintain some momentum until they stop completely. Provoking them to hunt me, and using external camera, I observed their patterns have changed a little, while still not having collisions with each other. Sometimes one of them gets in the way, forcing another to change speed and course, ruining it's depth charge run on me. Also, I haven't noticed any problem moving with the convoys or reaching their top speed. My sonar man so far, hasn't problems of hearing them. That needs further testing, but in my opinion the results are encouraging so far.

[Rockin Robbins]

I passed on the jackrabbit testing for now and am just testing CapnScurvy's Convoy test, FOTRS 1.3, 2.0 Sounds 2.0 Zones.

First, the convoy did keep station better. Why? I doubt we'll ever know. Probably the order the ships were picked made a difference. Second, it seemed that the voices were not anywhere near as loud as I like them even though they were turned up to maximum. When I clicked a course change I could not hear the new course called out.

The stock FOTRS AI is nowhere near as severe as TMO. I consider that a good thing because newbies are going to try out the base mod before they load up Florida Sailor's great AI mods and the game should be approachable for those newbies.

I was pretty darned happy with the base mod except for my sound problem with voices. Could be my computer and I'd appreciate someone else checking it out. Changing the volumes of samples is a simple matter with Audacity. I believe we should standardize all sounds at 44.1 MHz sample rate too. It just makes sense not to strain the sound system.

Next it's looking at 2.0 merchies!

[Berserker]

CDRSUBRON 7...If the kiturn is the culprit for screwing up thr convoy march..Try putting it in the rear of the convoy..Just my $.02 worth..

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

But then, if this is stock behavior and nobody has noticed for nine years, is it worth the effort to change it?

I think its more of a case of modders concentrating on other parts of the game, I assure you it was noticed and complained about a lot in the beginning but slowly accepted as just another annoying bug in the game

Originally Posted by cdrsubron7

I think there is something to that. If you give some thought to when your positioning the ships of a convoy they are not locked in place but joined to a group leader. Supposedly the ships are supposed to follow the group leader's motions but there seems to be a lot randomness to the movement of the other ships not matter what you do.

I often surmised it was related to the collision avoidance system on those ships and that's where the falling out of line then returning comes from. I never found the time to look into it, but that's where I suspect the "defect" is in the files that control staying in formation being over ridden by the collision avoidance system

[Rockin Robbins]

Here is my test of the Gaggle to Haggle With and a completely stock game:


The sound you hear is me groveling before Webster and Jrex about the terrible things I said about their mods both messing up convoy behavior!

[cdrsubron7]

Hey RR

Earlier in this thread you mentioned something about a spreadsheet listing all modded ships for SH4 from all sources. I'd like to take a look at it if that possible.