As do I. :Kaleun_Salute:

Let's say We selected Merchants to work on.
Here's the next selection list.
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/pic...ictureid=12299

Very nice ... looking forward to seeing this completed.:Kaleun_Thumbs_Up:

Currently checking with the Good people at SweetScape to see if there's a problem with MY code or maybe a bug.
Anytime I try a WildCard search I get a CTD in 010.
:hmmm:
The WildCard should work and would save a LOT of lines in My Script!

I did change the list of units found save file to name match your search.
Instead of just Data it will name it Merchant-Replenishment.txt and so on.

SweetScape sent me a new version of 010 to test.

"Yes, you found a bug and could you check if this update fixes the problem:"

I did in fact find a bug! So they had me test the next release and it works perfectly!
That's why I pay for the program!
Report a bug and get a fix the next day! If only UbiSoft was that responsive!
:up:
Now running with version 12.0.1h!

I don't know if that bug was present in past versions you Guys might be running. Kind of doubt it.
But I could write a test Script for you to try a check if you'd like.

Now that the WildCard search is working?
I can add the ability to find ALL UnitTypes as an option instead of one Type at a time.

So You can pop all Merchants etc or select by Type as you wish.

New thing happening now.
When I run the Script from my bat file it doesn't work properly.
Having SweetScape look at that issue now.

The Great people at Sweetscape took a look at my script to see what is happening with the -noui switch and why it's not working.
Again, they are Great people to look at things so quickly!
:salute:

To test if your version of 010 suffers the "WildCard" CTD?
Run this Script.
I can guarantee version 12.0.1 will CTD!

Currently running tests to eliminate any Warning messages.
Almost have them corrected!
That would eliminate setting 010's warning changes as I posted above.

New selection box added to choose SH3 or SH4/5
There are differences.

:EDIT!
All errors CRUSHED!
I'm also doing things I don't think Sweetscape ever expected anyone to do so finding some places for a better version update!
I think that would put me up to around 10 or more requests for features that they have included over the years.

Looking at things? It would be easy to adapt the Script for a pretty good Missions editor also.

Cutting the size of the Script by creating variables to use instead of using full statements. So instead of "1=Patrol Craft" 2 times?
I add that once and call it as such M1 = "1=Patrol Craft"
That saves 11 bytes! Estimated savings is about 800 bytes!

I also don't type all the UnitTypes. I use 010 to modify the files in each version so I just cut and paste into the Script!

Example:
Stock list from the Names.cfg in SH4..........

Type0=Patrol Craft
Type1=Corvette
Type2=Frigate
Type3=Destroyer Escort
Type4=Destroyer
Type5=Minesweeper
Type6=Light Cruiser
Type7=Heavy Cruiser
Type8=Escort Carrier
Type9=Fleet Carrier
Type10=Battlecruiser
Type11=Battleship
Type12=Minelayer
Type13=Auxiliary Cruiser
Type14=Special OPS Boat
Type15=Landing Craft
Type16=Elite Patrol Craft
Type17=Elite Destroyer escort
Type18=Elite Escort Carrier
Type19=Super Fleet carrier
Type20=Super Battleship


010 Modified list.......

"0=Patrol Craft", "1=Corvette", "2=Frigate", "3=Destroyer Escort", "4=Destroyer", "5=Minesweeper", "6=Light Cruiser", "7=Heavy Cruiser", "8=Escort Carrier", "9=Fleet Carrier", "10=Battlecruiser", "11=Battleship", "12=Minelayer", "13=Auxiliary Cruiser", "14=Special OPS Boat", "15=Landing Craft", "16=Elite Patrol Craft", "17=Elite Destroyer escort", "18=Elite Escort Carrier", "19=Super Fleet carrier", "20=Super Battleship"

In 010 I used column mode to cut Type off the text.
Then edited it in Hex mode to replace bytes 0D 0A to 22 2C 20 22

I had to figure out a Switch function. Part of the code is below.

switch( value )
{
case 0 : result = 00; break;
case 1 : result = 01; break;
case 2 : result = 02; break;
case 3 : result = 03; break;
case 4 : result = 04; break;
case 5 : result = 05; break;
case 6 : result = 06; break;
case 7 : result = 07; break;
case 8 : result = 08; break;
case 9 : result = 09; break;

Now since Warships start at a UnitType=0? How do We handle that?

if( Class == 1 && Version == 1 && Type1 < 10)// need this section for WarShips in Switch Function below
{
Type = StrDel( Type1, 0, 1 );//This strips the 1st 0!

I play a messy soup, but the central megamod is GWX. So I went through the trouble of doing this and set the distance 7.5k. I have done a little experimenting with it, not a whole lot.

I wanted to follow up and see if anyone had any suggestions for the ranges based on experimentation they have done.

Wanted to see what people out there were doing who were using this.

:salute:

rudewarrior, I found that halving the range still gave them too good of spotting ability for my tastes.
So I changed it to .25 instead. I.e, 16k env. gives them a 4k setting, etc.
I think it works better now.

I, like John, use 4km. Seems to be about right. Don't want them blind, but not eagle eyed also.

Thanx for the input guys, I will modify mine similarly.

However, I wanted to expand this discussion to a bit of theory. It would seem that the primary spotting tool for the convoy would be the escorts.

In order to maximize the spotting, it would seem that the merchants would have trained spotters as well. It would also assume that these spotters would most likely be on the outer ships. Most likely they would be looking to the front and sides of the convoy.

Not necessarily the rear. I suspect that this cannot be simulated.

I have found two articles about the same subject that are very similar here and here.

I found both articles to be rather interesting, and they both come to the same conclusion: u-boats were attacking from within the convoy.

However, the Time article states that they also came to the conclusion that the u-boats were slipping into the convoys from the rear. This is the first I have seen or heard of this. I have gotten the impression that u-boats would slip through the screen up front and let the convoy overtake them.

Are you all able to move into the convoy from the rear? I have to admit that I am suspicious of this method. It would seem to me that an object moving forward in your formation is far more suspicious and easier to spot than one that is drifting to the rear. Has anyone seen this tactic mentioned before?

The book is fairly recent, published in 2019. I am thinking of reading it as it seems that it may have some insights into this very subject.

Edit: I just bought the book. It happens to be on a deal on Kindle at Amazon for only $3! :Kaleun_Applaud:

Just a quick reply, I'll read the articles later.
- No, any u-boat within a convoy was done via it entering the convoy from behind. This was not a common tactic at any time of the war and of course, was completely useless once radar came into play. The boats came from the rear because that was generally less well escorted than the rest of the convoy and convoy "eyes" tended to be to the front and sides more.
Off the top of my head I only know two skippers even mentioning doing it.
- sometimes wartime descriptions of an event need to be taken in context. I.e., just because a convoy thought they were being attacked from within doesn't mean they actually were.
Confusion, etc. can lead to false reports. Just like "eye witness" reports of a crime often are not accurate.
Another example, iirc there are numerous examples of convoy skippers describing some attack and thinking they were being attacked by x number of u-boats, largely because of the severity and number of attacks, when in reality the actual number of u-boats involved was much smaller.
Anyway not saying that is the case with the Time articles, but worth a mention.
- it is all but impossible to simulate this tactic in SH3 for various reasons, convoy spacing restraints being one of them.