[REL] SH3 Commander Release 3.1 is now available!

[JScones]

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

I started a new GWX/OLC/SH3C career with "simulate a realistic career length" checked, and SH3C has retired me after just 3 patrols (each patrol lasted about 4 weeks). I know it's random, and I know I can override it and get my Kaluen back on active duty, but I'm curious because I assumed there would be a minimum career length (of more than 3 patrols). Is that not the case?

Up until R2.5, SH3Cmdr based retirement solely on the number of patrols completed, with retirement guaranteed to not occur before the 6th patrol. However, this approach created an imbalance because 6 patrols in an IXD2 is much longer than 6 patrols in an IID.

So the feature was changed to consider *both* the number of patrols completed AND the total number of days spent at sea (look at your Personnel File for these two figures). This evens it up a bit across all U-boat types. It's a slight variation from reality, but fits in better with the game...and results in less user complaints.

So, yes, it is quite feasible to be retired after as little as two patrols if each was long enough.

The rules/boundaries are outlined in SH3Cmdr's "SH3 options.cfg" file. The default values can be changed to suit your gamestyle/preferences.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by onelifecrisis

When I try to upload my personnel profile to GeoCities, it refuses to accept it because of illegal characters in the file name (spaces and a hyphen). I can rename the file easily enough, but renaming all the links in the html is a slight pain, especially because I have to do it every time I update the profile from SH3C. Any chance you could use underscores in the filename? If not, no worries... just thought I'd mention it.

Yeah, a few people have mentioned this over the years. I keep forgetting.

Unfortunately though, it's not likely that there will be any more releases. I'm quite happy with the product as it stands, especially considering that no bugs have been reported. Anything else that needs adding needs to be balanced against the rubbish one has to go through to explain a simple concept such as installing extra files (I mean, really, how hard is it to understand the "GWX Users" note in the first post? ). Of course, incorrect instructions in the GWX manual doesn't help though; and it's obvious that there are some people here that need instructions on getting from their front door to the letter box.

However, if there are any more releases, they will be driven by data updates, ie more ship names etc. Accordingly, such releases may be simply data file updates...<shudders and thinks for a second>, nah, no more releases.

[bigboywooly]

it's obvious that there are some people here that need instructions on getting from their front door to the letter box.

I am lucky
My letterbox is in my front door

:rotfl:

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by JScones

...ie more ship names etc...

Well, you would probably want to double-check the work, but you wouldn't really have to release something like that yourself, would you?

[Catfish]

Hello,
i like this add-on more and more, now my drunken sailors are being arrested and i have all kinds of problems of keeping a good crew, some are even killed in Koenigsberg by partisans already in august 1939 ... i tell you Poland DID attack us first lol. I expect all kinds of mechanical failures lateron in this war, too...

Apart from that i started the first patrol from Koenigsberg, setting the "start at sea" option to on, and it worked. Just came up some 30 km from Koenigsberg when the game started. Only point is the green dot for Koenigsberg was now where my boat was, but it vanished then .

I still have a question: When i handle medals, promotions etc. with SH3 Commander i am not supposed to do anything crew-wise in SH3 when it runs ? Is this right ?

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

[Samwolf]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Hello,
i like this add-on more and more, now my drunken sailors are being arrested and i have all kinds of problems of keeping a good crew, some are even killed in Koenigsberg by partisans already in august 1939 ... i tell you Poland DID attack us first lol. I expect all kinds of mechanical failures lateron in this war, too...

Apart from that i started the first patrol from Koenigsberg, setting the "start at sea" option to on, and it worked. Just came up some 30 km from Koenigsberg when the game started. Only point is the green dot for Koenigsberg was now where my boat was, but it vanished then .

I still have a question: When i handle medals, promotions etc. with SH3 Commander i am not supposed to do anything crew-wise in SH3 when it runs ? Is this right ?

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

I don't know about everyone else, but I totally ignore promotions, medals and qualifications in SH3 and just use SH3 Commander. It's a way better system.

[Reece]

A long overdue thanks Jaesen, the graphic presentation is excellent, this version, overall, is stunning!
Cheers.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Well, you would probably want to double-check the work, but you wouldn't really have to release something like that yourself, would you?

Nah. I guess my rationale behind that statement was that I know of a few people who are working on different SH3Cmdr data files (for unrelated reasons) and I thought that releasing them all in one combined pack might be the way to go. But it doesn't have to be this way; and certainly not if you, for example, have a huge ships list now ready to go while someone else still has a few weeks to go on their stuff.

[Catfish]

Hello,
just encountered a CTD with SH3, do not know whether it has something to do with SH3 Commander ? Or maybe with the last GWX2.1 fix ?

Mods enabled:

GWX2.1 Minor fix
GWX Location for Holtenau and Brunsbuettel locks
GWX merged campaign
GWX open hatch mod
GWX 2.1 mission orders
Lifeboats&debris v. 2A
Torpedo damage final
OLCE2 2.01 1st part
OLC GUI Special 2nd part
OLC realistic map contact updates 3rd part

Started via SH3 Commander, "start at sea" enabled, also enabled "rollback SH3 Commander after each game".

Started a career at Koenigsberg, 2 patrols, ok. Always started and finished the game near the green dot at sea named "Koenigsberg".
Before starting the 3rd patrol in early october 1939 this yellow msg window told me new base would be Kiel. Stayed in AO98 for the time told, sank a polish patrol boat, and tried to transfer to Kiel.
As soon as i approach Kiel, or better the green dot where i would finish the game to "teleport" to my new base, i get a CTD - it does not matter at which speed (tried it with 2048x, and with 8x).
In the "K" window Koenigsberg is still listed as base, but i don't know whether this has something to do with the problem.

4th try: This time i hit Esc and dock at base before reaching the green dot, and was safe in Kiel or so i thought. Left SH3, and started SH3 Commander. Patrol is visible, docked at home base. Started SH3 via Commander, game started, but after loading the last save "in port before new patrol" it would again crash to desktop short before the mission is loaded completely.

Anyone else experienced this ?

I hope it did not also screw up other files since i enabled the "rollback SH3 after game" option, and the game did not terminate normally. Restarting SH3 commander this time the manual rollback button was visible ?!


Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

[Wolfehunter]

JSones, I have a question,

I've noticed when using JSGME I add my sub texture mod and it uses the same folders (\data\Textures\TNormal\tex\) overwriting an other persons mod using the same folder structure, JSGME ask for confirmation if its ok to continue.

Why would JSGME be concerned with the folder structure? Because alot of major mods share the same folder structures.

For an example,

OLCE2 (OLC Ubermod 2.0 Part 1) Installed in GWX 2.1 JSGME

I enable my Wolfehunter_VIIB_Final skin,

I get a message saying,
Folder "data\textures\TNormal\tex" has already been added by the "author" mod.

Enabling this mod may had adverse effect on your game.

There are other combinations that may cause this issue to with other mods.

Now if I want to remove OLCE2 before I remove my skin I get the Mod cannot be disabled as...

Your older version of JSGME didn't do this..

Thanks for your time,

WH

[JScones]

Originally Posted by Wolfehunter

I've noticed when using JSGME I add my sub texture mod and it uses the same folders (\data\Textures\TNormal\tex\) overwriting an other persons mod using the same folder structure, JSGME ask for confirmation if its ok to continue.

Why would JSGME be concerned with the folder structure? Because alot of major mods share the same folder structures.

For an example,

OLCE2 (OLC Ubermod 2.0 Part 1) Installed in GWX 2.1 JSGME

I enable my Wolfehunter_VIIB_Final skin,

I get a message saying,
Folder "data\textures\TNormal\tex" has already been added by the "author" mod.

Enabling this mod may had adverse effect on your game.

There are other combinations that may cause this issue to with other mods.

Now if I want to remove OLCE2 before I remove my skin I get the Mod cannot be disabled as...

Your older version of JSGME didn't do this..

Prior to v1.6.0, any new folders created by JSGME when enabling a mod would be left behind when the mod was disabled, even if all the contents were removed. This was not tidy and contradicted the aim of JSGME.

From v1.6.0, JSGME maintains folder integrity, meaning that it monitors what new folders are added by mods and then removes them when the mod is disabled. This means that folders are treated like files and are no longer "orphaned" by JSGME.

In this instance, remember that the GWX installer removes the \tex folder. So, when you add mod OLCE2, it adds the folder plus files. Your mod may have no relationship with any of OLCE2's files, but because your mod too attempts to create a "new" \tex folder (remembering, JSGME's point of reference is always the "clean" version of the game, sans all mods), it reports the error and then the integrity kicks in, meaning you can't remove OLCE2 until you've removed your mod, for if you could, there's a potential for empty folders to be left behind again.

[Wolfehunter]

Originally Posted by JScones

Prior to v1.6.0, any new folders created by JSGME when enabling a mod would be left behind when the mod was disabled, even if all the contents were removed. This was not tidy and contradicted the aim of JSGME.

From v1.6.0, JSGME maintains folder integrity, meaning that it monitors what new folders are added by mods and then removes them when the mod is disabled. This means that folders are treated like files and are no longer "orphaned" by JSGME.

In this instance, remember that the GWX installer removes the \tex folder. So, when you add mod OLCE2, it adds the folder plus files. Your mod may have no relationship with any of OLCE2's files, but because your mod too attempts to create a "new" \tex folder (remembering, JSGME's point of reference is always the "clean" version of the game, sans all mods), it reports the error and then the integrity kicks in, meaning you can't remove OLCE2 until you've removed your mod, for if you could, there's a potential for empty folders to be left behind again.

So what do you suggest I do with my tex folders in the skin mods? Is there a new setup with GWX 2.0 2.1?

Thanks for you help,

WH

[Catfish]

Hello,
those workshop threads are sometimes lacking direct answers to encountered problems lol
Greetings,
Catfish

[JScones]

Originally Posted by Wolfehunter

So what do you suggest I do with my tex folders in the skin mods? Is there a new setup with GWX 2.0 2.1?

Don't ask me, I'm not on the GWX team.

I do know that GWX removed the tex folder as far back as GWX1 (when I was on the team and built the installer) - the .tga files were re-packed into the .dat files to improve performance. This doesn't mean though that you can't still add files to the tex folder, which is what a lot (perhaps even the majority?) of mods still do. It just means that the first mod to create the folder becomes the owner of the folder, as opposed to SH3 itself. Basic integrity - nothing more, nothing less. And certainly nothing that is related to JSGME; it's just reacting to what it is presented with.

The way I see it, you have two options: either accept the file/folder integrity with the assurance that JSGME is maintaining sound integrity of your SH3 installation; or disable all mods, manually create the tex folder and then re-enable all mods again. With the folder then existing "at source", you won't have a folder integrity problem when any mod goes to add to it.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Hello,
those workshop threads are sometimes lacking direct answers to encountered problems lol
Greetings,
Catfish

Frankly, I think *no* answer would be direct enough for you Catfish.