CAOD mods?

[AngusJS]

Hi,

I have played a little of SH3 on friends' computers, but my ancient laptop won't run it. Thus, I'm left with CAOD until I get a new computer. I own SH2 but I never got into it.

Are there any mods for making CAOD more realistic? Things like making aircraft more deadly or reducing spotting distances? Or changing the rate of fuel consumption?

Is there a way to fire torpedoes manually, without the TDC?

In my last career I sank 100,000 tons by 1940, and that was without using the deck gun, and ignoring single ship contacts which were more than 17,000 meters away (as if I didn't see them). Are there any other "rules" which can be applied to get a more accurate result?

Thanks

[MarkShot]

I play AOD from time to time. I did search the Net and never found any mods or utilities for AOD/CAOD. However, Subsim does have some tips on hex editting your save game file, but I don't think they will really up the difficulty level. I, myself, have mainly played in the early years, but I understand that it gets much harder by the end of the war. Maybe just start your career late in the war, hex edit to take an early model U-boat, and patrol off the coast of England. Perhaps, that will be the challenge you are looking for.

If you play SH1, there are a set of utilities which allow to pick your sub, crew level, and patrol maps.

[Bertgang]

Originally Posted by AngusJS

Hi,

I have played a little of SH3 on friends' computers, but my ancient laptop won't run it. Thus, I'm left with CAOD until I get a new computer.

Same problem here, so I'm playing countless caod missions or careers.

You're already doing your best to make the sim more realistic, so I can only add some little suggestions.

Use "victim view" on selected targets spotted daytime; sometimes you will be able to see a neutral flag (on the opposite side, I once discovered a q-ship that way, and this could be unfair).

Forget the years from 1939 to 1941, play just following times; it's a totally different challenge, as escorts and aircrafts become higly effective most of time.
Night and fog are no more the happy road for surface attacks, but to suicide; lot of units are able to spot and attack you, when you are nearly blind.

Refuse the XXI when offered; it's really amusing the first time, then it's like to fight against a Greek phalanx by mortars and machineguns.

[turbidite]

Originally Posted by MarkShot

I play AOD from time to time. I did search the Net and never found any mods or utilities for AOD/CAOD.

Actually there is one mod for CAOD, it modifies the default sound samples to use dasboot ones. I could dig it up on my old cdroms if anybody is interested.

[AngusJS]

Originally Posted by Bertgang

Use "victim view" on selected targets spotted daytime; sometimes you will be able to see a neutral flag (on the opposite side, I once discovered a q-ship that way, and this could be unfair).

I didn't know they had Q-ships in AOD!

That's a good idea about the flags. I tried it yesterday, and I came across several different flags. The majority were what I took to be US flags (solid red field with a blue upper corner). Then there was a flag with a white field and red stipes, which also had a blue upper corner. There were other flags which were solid red. I didn't know what they were.

I don't suppose anyone knows what flags are in the game and what they look like?

[The Noob]

Originally Posted by turbidite

Actually there is one mod for CAOD, it modifies the default sound samples to use dasboot ones. I could dig it up on my old cdroms if anybody is interested.

I am. Even if i play SH3, i do ocasionally play CAOD. Would be great if you could upload this.

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by AngusJS

I didn't know they had Q-ships in AOD!

That's a good idea about the flags. I tried it yesterday, and I came across several different flags. The majority were what I took to be US flags (solid red field with a blue upper corner). Then there was a flag with a white field and red stipes, which also had a blue upper corner. There were other flags which were solid red. I didn't know what they were.

I don't suppose anyone knows what flags are in the game and what they look like?

The solid red field/blue corner flag is the British flag.

The white field/red stripes, etc. is the US flag.

[Bertgang]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

The solid red field/blue corner flag is the British flag.

The white field/red stripes, etc. is the US flag.

Right.
Other kinds of flags are for other states; I find very amusing to discover them, but it doesn't happen so often.

The q-ship is a little known feature, and it isn't easy to find one.
On victim view, the ship looks as an unarmed merchant (no deck guns, in short) but, if you look carefully, a strange detail could reveal the hidden weapon.
I won't say more about that, as the greatest fun for me was the pleasure of the unexpected discovery.

[turbidite]

Originally Posted by The Noob

I am. Even if i play SH3, i do ocasionally play CAOD. Would be great if you could upload this.

Here's the readme (file is 984 Kb at http://rapidshare.de/files/36340249/aodsfx.zip.html)

AOD & CAOD SOUND FILES INSTALLATION

To use these files all you have to do is place them in the AOD/CAOD sound directory in the main AOD\CAOD directory.
Make sure you back up the original files you want to replace.
For some of the files to work properly you need to rename (simply change the file extension to *.bak, *.old etc) one or more other sound file as below. Renaming a file makes it invisible to the game, which then simply ignores it.

The files in the zip are as follows:

Sound effects list.rtf - a list of the spoken commands

Blow1.raw - the more convincing SH compressed air sfx & and not like someone farting in the bath...

Dchg_nr.raw - depthcharge sound from the film...

Dchgfar2.raw - again from the film

Drattle1 - 3.raw - from the film

shipex2 raw, Shipexp.raw - shell & torpedo hits from various sources.

Dgunnear.raw - Works well in the dos version as the visible splash closely follows the sound. Not so good in CAOD where you can dodge the shells...

Sonarout.raw - ASDIC ping from the film. You will need to rename sonarret.raw to something else to get the full efect. In the film they didn't hear the no contact ping. (Note the mistake in the file names...)

HUllcrk 0,6 & 9.raw - new go deep sounds - from SH and the film.
You need to rename Hullcrk4.raw to something else (so its ignored)- for some reason its used as one of the deathrattle sounds!
I intend sometime soon to do some new sfx using only those from the film - its difficult to do , quiet sections of the film + noisy whine from the VCR does not make a good recording, but I've worked out how to do it now...)

Valrm1 - that ALARM sound. rename the hatch sound and the other alarm file.


I have included engine/sea SFX files that work best with the different versions of the game (AOD/CAOD):

AOD dsleng.raw for AOD - the silent hunter sea sound mixed with the aod diesel sound, works great as the game changes the tempo the file is palyed at to suit the engine speed.

CAOD dsleng.raw - the silent hunter sea sound mixed with the SH deisel sound, I find in CAOD I end up hating the sound of the engines stuck at flank, even if your only doing a couple of knots! The SH engine sound is less grating and works quite well. DOS version players could still use this sample if they choose.



IMPROVING CAOD SOUND PERFORMANCE

The problem seems to lie in that there arn't enough channels in Windows to play all the sound effects. So when things get busy you lose the FX. If you lighten the load of non-essential reports and sounds things get better. The game simply ignores missing sounds - so rename sounds to something else (*.bak *.old etc)

The following are my prferences:

Get rid of the electric engine sound - too noisy and grating.
Remove requested depth, heading, speed reports. Engine telegraph sound.

I've produced a file specifically for CAOD , of the LOS! order (5gc) mixed with the sound of the torpedo relase. I've found that when your setting yp your attack and press the button, the two original sound files drown out the engine sound. Combining them seems to help. To use the file rename torp3.raw and the 5xc.raw where x is your chosen language.


MODIFIED AOD & CAOD LANGUAGE FILES

I've included replacement files to go in the subsim directory. These files change the text seen in the at sea part of the game. I've altered radio messages to something a little more interesting using info from Iron Coffins etc. These files are designed to be used withe the delayed aircrfat sightings and metox sound files
For CAOD ccopy the relevant bits into your version of the language.txt file, its slightly different from the dos version, & I can't be arsed to change it!


METOX BODGE JOB

Why, Oh, why was the radar detector removed in patch 1.2?

The delayed.. sound file changes the aircraft sighted report by putting a 10 second pause before the sound. This allows the AC to get closer, especially if your using time compression.

To simulate metox, I've simply renamed the radar signal detected file to the aircraft file. Now youll have warning...


ENJOY

Marc


TO COME : How to change your torpedo loadouts!

[MarkShot]

Thanks for posting that.

The thing about drop outs is interesting and perhaps I'll give that a try.

Would anyone have complete sound file map for the entire game? Also, what application can be used to play a RAW file?

Thanks.

[The Noob]

Originally Posted by MarkShot

Also, what application can be used to play a RAW file?

And wich to modify them? I wanna make my own mod...

[Bertgang]

Originally Posted by turbidite

TO COME : How to change your torpedo loadouts!

Hey, that too should be a great feature.
I once saw a similar "coming soon" in an old flotilla's webpage, but the mod never appeared there; hoping for a better outcome, now.

[Tanyrhiew]

I made that mod years ago! Interesting to see that my typing has not improved over the years - I've still got stubby fingers.

Something like soundforge will handle raw files. I used an old application that came with my very old sb16 card. The samples where all recorded from a VHS copy of a certain film. In these days of DVD's I'm sure someone can do better, though if I remember correctly, the AOD/CAOD sound engine can only handle 11KHz samples.

I believe the Subsim AOD/CAOD faq has the hex editing detaills for changing your loadout. If not I'll dig around through my archives to see if I still have the details.