[TEC] Something I have been working on but stuck

[Bubblehead1980]

In TMO 2.0 have been trying to make it so can start career at different points of war as in RSRD instead of just two points in in the year. I've tried following examples and all but keep getting something wrong as it causes a CTD. Any experts wish to weigh in?

[propbeanie]

Not an "expert" by any stretch, but CareerStart.upc is all you'll have to alter, if you are not adding any more bases. An annotated entry:

[CareerStart 1] - Header, each "start" has to have this, number sequentially
ID= Beginning - This has caused more trouble than I care to remember
NameDisplayable= 1941 - What you want to show on the menu
StartTimeInterval=1941-12-08, 1942-02-01 - some are one day, some are weeks
BackgroundPic= 1941.tga - the "stock" comment: ; picture that is displayed on the background when this option is selected
CareerStartBriefingText= - not used by the game ; The war has just started, and we're being beaten.
RenownOptions= 1000, 2000, 5000 - the renown awarded for "Easy", "Medium" & "Hard" menu choices

In stock then, you have the four "starts". You are wanting to add some in between the others, so where you add them, you number them sequentially from the one above, and edit the numbering of the ones below. As I mention, that "ID=" thingie has no documentation, but Front Runner and I were experimenting with that back during the "Base Time" thread of his, and a few of the FotRSU starts forced us to either alter the "Start" dates, or alter the "ID=". Someone else with more knowledge of this undocumented nightmare will have to chime in on it... Everything else is rather self-explanatory... just be sure you number each start properly. Now, each of those CareerStart headers has the individual locations to start:

[CareerStart 1.Flotilla 1] - follows the CareerStart number, and the "Flotilla" is just the number of the entry
ID= C1Flotilla1 - same basic thing as above, and like the CareerStart ID, where is it used?
NameDisplayable= Pearl Harbor - this shows on the menu, and is not related to anything else
IDLinkFlotilla= PearlHarborCommand - as it says here: ; link to ID in Flotilla upc file
IDLinkUserPlayerUnits= F1Porpoise, 4, F1Tambor, 5, F1Gar, 4 - same: ; enumeration of ID(s) that point to submarine upc file
FlotillaBriefingText= - not used
FlotillaCommonality= 1 - another one of those "undocumented" items: ; to be used when a random choice is assigned

[CareerStart 1.Flotilla 2] - Number two in this start
ID= C1Flotilla2 - follows suit
NameDisplayable= Manila - displays on the menu
IDLinkFlotilla= FremantleCommand
IDLinkUserPlayerUnits= F2Sboat, 6, F2Porpoise, 7, F2Salmon, 6, F2Sargo, 11
FlotillaBriefingText=
FlotillaCommonality= 2 ; to be used when a random choice is assigned

So, it really is rather simple, other than the numbering and the ID for the CareerStart. Follow the stock example though, and copy off of Ducimus and lurker_hlb3, and you won't go wrong too often in that regard, though lurker does run over Stock in RSRDC with the LateWar ID... When I did similar, the game would CTD... ah well...

But notice that the "Flotilla" in the CareerStart has nothing to do with the Flotilla in the Flotillas.upc file. Each "Flotilla" is number sequentially as they appear for each Start. However, the IDLinkFlotilla line must exactly match a "Flotilla" ID in the Flotillas.upc file, such as ID=PearlHarborCommand or ID=AsiaticFleet, or whatever your respective Flotillas.upc file IDs are. Then, to be doubly certain of using a correct boat, the boats listed on the IDLinkUserPlayerUnits= line should match the Flotillas.upc "command" ID listing, such as Pearl is Flotilla 1, so the boats are "F1Porpoise" or "F1Tambor", etc. The following comma and number just designates how many "names" to choose from in the cfg list of the Roster for the sub, such as "3" chooses from the first 3 valid names. If I remember correctly, the use of an invalid number causes issues...

[fred8615]

Or you could just install my Pre Pearl Harbor Career mod in my sig. It has the full range of start dates as the stock game.

[J0313]

I would like to be able to get t Tench a little earlier. Say around October of 44. It's almost a waste to get it so late because there really isn't a whole lot left to shoot at at the end of the war.

[Bubblehead1980]

Thanks for responses guys. I will try again later in the week to see if can get it to work.

[Bubblehead1980]

Originally Posted by J0313

I would like to be able to get t Tench a little earlier. Say around October of 44. It's almost a waste to get it so late because there really isn't a whole lot left to shoot at at the end of the war.

Interesting you brought that up. I have two plans for the Tench Class in that regard. One is to enable an earlier start date of say October 25 1944 so they will put new boat leaving port late October arriving in patrol zone early November and will provide a couple of patrols where are plenty of targets. I have also worked extensively on the 1945 traffic since to be more historical but also provide targets for players. For example, in 1945 organized traffic along the pacific coast of japan was almost non existent. However, a small 1500 ton merchant would ride the coast under escort from several surface vessels and air patrols (more escorts than merchants left). This necessitates player to patrol closer to shore submerged in daylight with occasional radar sweeps. Forces into some tough choices and a lot of risk. Could be the only good chance have to shoot on the patrol, to attack, let it go back try to surface for end around while dodging patrols and opt for night surface attack etc. Close to shore have to worry about shore batteries, mine fields. etc. I've made it a challenge, still tuning it up.

Second, I plan to Tench to New Construction in 1944 if possible with revamp of the training missions.

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by Bubblehead1980

Interesting you brought that up. I have two plans for the Tench Class in that regard. One is to enable an earlier start date of say October 25 1944 so they will put new boat leaving port late October arriving in patrol zone early November and will provide a couple of patrols where are plenty of targets. I have also worked extensively on the 1945 traffic since to be more historical but also provide targets for players. For example, in 1945 organized traffic along the pacific coast of japan was almost non existent. However, a small 1500 ton merchant would ride the coast under escort from several surface vessels and air patrols (more escorts than merchants left). This necessitates player to patrol closer to shore submerged in daylight with occasional radar sweeps. Forces into some tough choices and a lot of risk. Could be the only good chance have to shoot on the patrol, to attack, let it go back try to surface for end around while dodging patrols and opt for night surface attack etc. Close to shore have to worry about shore batteries, mine fields. etc. I've made it a challenge, still tuning it up.

Second, I plan to Tench to New Construction in 1944 if possible with revamp of the training missions.

be sure to do the same with all of the equipment that goes with the Early Tench.

Good luck!