SHIII/SH4 mission editor

[Leandros]

I Believe I put this question in the wrong thread. Please excuse me for repeating it here:

As I understand it the SHIII ME can be used for SH4, too. However, I find a difference in the loading up procedure of missions to the game. While SHIII operates with a folder/file structure where the folder/missions are separated into the various languages - SH4 does not.

SHIII has the folder/files organized like this: Data/SingleMissions/xxxxfolder/xxxxlanguage/xxxx.mis
SH4 goes like this: Data/SingleMissions/xxxxfolder/xxxx.mis

I have tried to load up missions in SH4 without the language folder but it's not getting through. It can be Another fault, the ME is quite finicky, but the difference must mean something.

Anybody?

Fred

[TorpX]

SH4 has it's own ME. The way it works is pretty much the same. There is no 'how-to' manual for the SH4 ME; you have to read the one for SH3.

[Leandros]

Originally Posted by TorpX

SH4 has it's own ME. The way it works is pretty much the same. There is no 'how-to' manual for the SH4 ME; you have to read the one for SH3.

Thank you - I know. Which is why I have used the one (manual) for SH3. However, there is a discrepancy as described in my earlier posting. I just wonder if that is the reason why the missions are not uploaded. They are "validated" OK.

Folders and missions are there when I try to open them from the ME but not when I try to open them via the game on the "C" drive.

Fred

[CapnScurvy]

I have never used SHIII's Mission Editor however, I don't think .mis files made on one ME will work on the other. There are too many different ship/plane files between the two games to have one ME work with both. It's been my impression that when a mission is made, your specific game files (whether they are modified or not) go directly into the mission that's being saved. I've encountered missions I've made using mods that add ships to the game...... not have those ships displayed in-game if I removed the mod. The .mis file expects the same ship make-up to be present when you run the mission in-game. That's why I believe the SHIII .mis mission's will not run in a SH4 game. It's my opinion, you need to chose which ME to use on the basis of which units do I wish to see in-game. SHIII or SH4's?

A couple of things about the SH4 Mission Editor.

I always put a Mission Title to the mission I'm making. Opening the "Missions" menu and clicking the "Language Localization" heading, I will use a name for the mission that I plan to call the Folder which will eventually hold the .mis file in the Data/SingleMissions folder of the game.



In other words, always chose a name for the mission that will be exactly the same as the folder you plan on saving it in.

After you've made your mission; checked it for faults with the "Missions" menu "Validate Mission" feature, and if all is well....




I will open the "File" menu heading and use "Save (normal mission) as...." to save my created mission. I never use the "Save" heading (I don't know, I just don't!). You'll get a pop-up menu like this (once you have chosen the correct path to save your .mis file in):




I will use the "Create New Folder" to do just that.....create the new folder with the same name as the Mission Title (in this case "AoB Test"). Make sure you have the correct "Type" of mission displayed in the lowest box....in this case an American Mission File [.mis].

When you have the "AoB Test" folder ready to go, then you're ready to name the file "AoB Test.mis", and click the "Save" button.




You should find your new xxx folder, with the same name as the xxx.mis file sitting in the Data/SingleMissions folder. Starting the game, and finding it in the Single Missions menu (or is it the Quick Missions menu of the stock game?) you should be able to chose your new mission.

[CapnScurvy]

Fred as I understand you, you'll be using the SH4 ME for your mission building....yet needing to use the only good tutorial for SHIII's ME for reference. That will work just fine, I do too.

One thing you might want to do is to download a mission someone has built and see what they did. That AoB Test Mission is a simple .mis file having a stationary submerged Porpoise sub with several Japanese ships approaching at different headings. You can have JSGME load it into your game, finding it in the Single Missions menu of the game. It's short, but to the point. There are no plane fly overs, but that's not what I made it for.

You do have to be a bit careful with your units (although, I think this may be just what YOU want). I remember making a similar mission with Jap ships approaching. Behind them a couple of miles, I had a U.S. carrier and a couple of escorts approaching next. As I watched the Jap's go by, a couple of U.S. planes swooped in and sunk one of the ships! They had spawned from the carrier on their own and did exactly what they should have done......detected and attacked the enemy! That's not what I wanted to do, but it's what I should have expected.

One thing you may want to do is add a mod that allows you to have a better "Free Camera" than what the stock game offers. Not that I'm pushing my mod to you (most mega mods do the same thing), but using Optical Targeting Correction for the stock game will give you a much better view of the outside world. You can get as close as you would like to the units involved, even positioning the camera on a ship, to get a "first person" perspective of the action. Using the "pause" key you can stop the action, yet still move the camera around to a position you like for a picture. I've even paused the game, moved the camera into the path of an incoming shell, then restarted the action listening to the shell as it wizzes past. Neat stuff!

[Leandros]

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

Fred as I understand you, you'll be using the SH4 ME for your mission building....yet needing to use the only good tutorial for SHIII's ME for reference. That will work just fine, I do too.

That is correct and I have made missions with this in the SHIII. I do see a difference in the SH4 ME from what is described in the manual - "mission parameter" looks different.

The couple of trials I have made are quite simple and all validated. I have tested them with the "time" testing tool, too. They work. I have a distinct feeling there is something peculiar with the folder or file arrangements in the game as I find the saved folder/files when I try to open them through the ME but not when opening them through Windows. It is as if the game either refuse to accept - or show them.

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

One thing you might want to do is to download a mission someone has built and see what they did. That AoB Test Mission is a simple .mis file having a stationary submerged Porpoise sub with several Japanese ships approaching at different headings. You can have JSGME load it into your game, finding it in the Single Missions menu of the game. It's short, but to the point. There are no plane fly overs, but that's not what I made it for.

I haven't installed the JSGME on the new computer/game.

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

You do have to be a bit careful with your units (although, I think this may be just what YOU want). I remember making a similar mission with Jap ships approaching. Behind them a couple of miles, I had a U.S. carrier and a couple of escorts approaching next. As I watched the Jap's go by, a couple of U.S. planes swooped in and sunk one of the ships! They had spawned from the carrier on their own and did exactly what they should have done......detected and attacked the enemy! That's not what I wanted to do, but it's what I should have expected.

Well, that sounds great!

Originally Posted by CapnScurvy

One thing you may want to do is add a mod that allows you to have a better "Free Camera" than what the stock game offers. Not that I'm pushing my mod to you (most mega mods do the same thing), but using Optical Targeting Correction for the stock game will give you a much better view of the outside world. You can get as close as you would like to the units involved, even positioning the camera on a ship, to get a "first person" perspective of the action. Using the "pause" key you can stop the action, yet still move the camera around to a position you like for a picture. I've even paused the game, then restarted the action listening to the shell as it wizzes past. Neat stuff!

I'm missing that on the SH4 version I have (1.4.0), I used that function a lot in SHIII. I'll look into your suggestions.

What mods do you recommend me to install otherwise?

Fred