Base Time 2018

[propbeanie]

I do know that you can get "different" results when traveling East / West across the "time zones" and Saving the game. Thanks for that Front Runner - and you also passed the "typo test" with "Through" thrown in there for "Throw"... sorry 'bout that... It makes one wonder how the computer's clock and maybe multi-cores affects the game's "time" routines.

Edit: Now, I know this is easier to accomplish on a Win 8 or 10 machine, but on my Win7-64, you have to jump through hoops to run the Window Program Compatibility applet. You can get to it easiest from a "Search" on "Program Compatibility" or by right-clicking on the SH4.exe file, and choosing "Troubleshoot compatibility" about the middle of the top section of the context menu. Or you can go the long way and choose Properties, then the Compatibility tab, then the "Help me choose the settings" link, which brings up a dialog that then won't find SH4.exe, so you then have to "Browse" and choose it. Windows will then come up with a "solution" with settings for "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)". Since I've got multiple installs of Fall of the Rising Sun on my computer, I'll try and let my sub run North all night, beginning tonight, and see what I get with a WinXP SP2 setting on my computer, and get back with you Front Runner...

[Front Runner]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

......It makes one wonder how the computer's clock and maybe multi-cores affects the game's "time" routines.
......I'll try and let my sub run North all night, beginning tonight, and see what I get with a WinXP SP2 setting on my computer, and get back with you Front Runner...

Sounds good. I’m trying the same thing. I had not thought of “compatibility mode” for WinXP SP2.

[propbeanie]

Some how or other, I forgot about my surgery tomorrow morning, so it would be Friday evening before I try that... It's a bear gettin' old...

DiectX v9 has been around since 2002, and Silent Hunter III since 2005. SH4 has a lot of 3 in it, and I wonder about the differences in the DirectX versions that over-write the game's v9...

[Front Runner]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Some how or other, I forgot about my surgery tomorrow morning, so it would be Friday evening before I try that... It's a bear gettin' old...

DiectX v9 has been around since 2002, and Silent Hunter III since 2005. SH4 has a lot of 3 in it, and I wonder about the differences in the DirectX versions that over-write the game's v9...

Good points. OK. I think we may be tilting at windmills. I'm intrigued though.
By the way, I am using the time that the upper limb of the sun, or moon, is on the horizon as my sunset/moonset, Base Time. The object is completely gone over the horizon.

So, here is what I am currently going to try. I have downloaded and installed the DX9 2010 Runtimes from Microsoft.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/down...s.aspx?id=8109

This is a two step process. First download the file to any folder you wish and then run the installer (as administrator). Some say that this is unnecessary as Windows 10 (probably other older versions of Windows, after XP) install all variations of Direct X for backward compatibility. None the less, I installed it. You can probably check by searching for "d3d9.dll". I use the App "EVERYTHING" as my computer file search engine.

https://www.voidtools.com/downloads/

Next step is to create a shortcut to desktop from the executable you are using to start SH4 (in my case I renamed SH4.exe to FOTRSUv71.exe)
Right click on the shortcut and in the target field add "-force-d3d9" (without the quotes) For example my installation is on Drive D in the Subsims subfolder, so mine reads
"D:\Subsims\SH4FOTRSU\FOTRSUv71.exe -force-d3d9"

Run SH4 from the shortcut. I don't know how you can tell if it works or not but I believe the research I did to get there. (see EDIT 1) Follow the instructions for GOG on the following link.

[EDIT 1] Yes, I have found the way to check to see what version of DirectX that SH4 is currently using. Download Process Explorer from Microsoft. I put it in my Utilities folder. Run it as administrator. In the "View" tab, select "Show Lower Pane" and then "Lower Pane Views", select "DLLs". I can verify that my FOTRSUv71.exe is using d3d9.dll.

[EDIT 2] This track appears to be a red herring. Even with compatibility settings off, SH4 will (automatically?) use the d3d9.dll. I found this out by removing compatibility settings, running the game directly from the executable, (no shortcut) and checking Process Explorer.
I'm still proceeding with my 1x test, as described, just in case I'm missing something. #TiltingAtWindmills

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sys...ocess-explorer

https://inxile.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/...ctX-9-Windows-

Test the game to make sure it still works. In my current test I am going with 1x play with Vertical Sync on to see if there is a difference in my previous test points, 01/03/1944 Sunset (1840 Almanac time, 1827 Base Time) and the 01/04/1944 Moonset (0016 Almanac time, 0029 Base Time).
I am also using the WinXP SP2 compatibility mode and running as Administrator and forcing DX9.

In addition, I have found the extension for the nVidia control panel, "nVidia Inspector", which allows you to create a profile using your SH4.exe and then limiting the frame rate to whatever you choose.

I'm not sure if this will actually have any effect on SH4 at all, even with frame rate limited. I tested it to make sure it actually limits the frame rate, it does, but I have yet to do a 1x test with it activated in order to observe whether or not it has any effect at all.

https://www.guru3d.com/files-details...-download.html

I'm going to try the 1x with Vertical Sync on plus the XP SP2 compatibility and forcing DX9 before I introduce frame rate limiting.

[EDIT 3] I ran the test (1x, VS on, XP SP2 compatibility, forced DX9, admin) and got a slightly different result. Hmmm. Gained 2 to 3 minutes of accuracy in favor of the Almanac time. Base time on earlier runs for the 1/3/1944 sunset were consistently 1827. On this run, Base time indicated 1/3/1944 sunset 1830. Almanac sunset is 1840. I'll need to run this test again to be sure.

I'm trying frame rate limiting next to either rule it out or verify the error is directly related to fps.


[EDIT 4] OK. I ran the test (1x, VS on, XP SP2 compatibility, forced DX9, admin and frame rate limited to ~54-55 fps. There is definitely a difference in my arrival at the 1/3/44 sunset point (154 deg. 0 min. east, 25 deg. 52 min S) Base time for sunset (upper limb setting below horizon) was 1847 which is 7 minutes later than the Almanac prediction (1840). My first test runs had sunset occurring consistently at 1827, 13 minutes early with VS on and 60 fps. My next test run with XP SP2 compat. and forced DX9 was 1830, ten minutes early. It looks like fps definitely has an effect on the celestial sphere synchronization issue. Wow, I was not expecting that because the frame rate limiter is external to the game. This is now beyond my pay grade. I don't understand the timing issues in game from way back in 2007 when SH4 was being developed. All I can do now is tweak my nVidia Inspector settings until I've minimized the sync issue. Time to just PLAY THE GAME which, BTW, is still great after all these years! FOTRSU makes it even greater! My solution may vary widely with your solution if you even dare take this long road to perdition.

Simply put, set VS on and play at 1x to 2048x time compression and ignore the errors.

I've got coffee!!! And, the next few days off.

Oh, one thing that gets me through the 1x play is listening to Fred's Radio Stations, I have many, while interacting with the game. I love vintage radio.

Propbeanie, Good luck with your surgery. Getting old is, well, challenging. I just turned 70 myself. Egad!

[Front Runner]

(Note: This is mainly for those interested in 1X (no time compression) play and/or how 1X play between time compression play affects the timing of the celestial sphere.)

I've been doing some more 1X play experimentation. I currently have my graphics card vertical sync settings set to 1/2 refresh rate of my 60 hz monitor (using nVidia Inspector), so I'm getting 30 fps on my 60 hz display. The 1X accuracy over time appears to be very acceptable. The graphics are just fine at 30 fps. Remember, that this is a 2007 game and some of us were struggling, at the time, to even get up to 30 fps. I have no idea why the developers chose to use celestial sphere timing that appears to be frame rate critical. I think of it like this, the sea is, more or less, a fixed screen display, while the celestial sphere plays somewhat like a "movie" in the background. If there are excess frames per second displayed it appears that the movie plays too fast. Think of it as if the video portion and the soundtrack are out of sync. I've been tracking (1X) sunset, moonset, sunrise, sunset, moonset and so far, all have been within single digit minutes early or late compared to very large (30 to 90 minute to 120 minute) differentials when playing without vertical sync enabled at full frame rate capacity. In my case about average 240 fps (balls-out).
As I've stated before, that high fps differential accumulated during 1X play can affect the day/night, sunrise/sunset, moonrise/moonset cycles so that, theoretically, your own ship appears to be under way in the darkest of night, while the BT clock indicates it should be daylight hours (I'm on a north-south track and I haven't changed BT time zones east-west,) and to your enemies in the game, it IS daylight hours and they can see you! It is out of sync to you, but not to them.

[propbeanie]

I can confirm the "error" with sync off on my computer. I definitely find it interesting that limiting the frame rate of the game also helps "correct" the problem... Thanks for all of your testing of this Front Runner. As a side note, CapnScurvy has the FotRSU mod now set to a default of "Sync On" in the graphics settings area.

[Front Runner]

I did a bit of research on 30 FPS games and found that UBIsoft actually recommends setting many of “their” games to 30 FPS..
Here is a link to UBIsoft customer support post about FPS. Interesting.
https://support.ubi.com/en-US/faqs/000031917

Also, here is a discussion about adaptive v-sync and 1/2 refresh rate.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/23467...448/?l=turkish

I’m finding that SH4 runs very smoothly using adaptive v-sync and 1/2 refresh rate. I’m getting 30fps and very few “micro-pauses”.
I’m not having any noticeable “input lag.”
These settings, so far, nearly eliminate the “No V-sync, “balls out FPS” synchronization error that I previously reported.
I’m well into my third day underway at 1x play and my last sunrise was off by only 2 minutes! I believe that SH4 runs best, all around, at 30 fps.
I’m now wondering if the synchronization error also applies to SH3!