[REL] Dark Waters

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

This is interesting. I have currently locked the FPS at 60, reason being, that it a) keeps the sunset and sundown times from moving rapidly forward/backward and b) that it is supposed to prevent A/C just "flying by" the boat when using TC.


I have experienced CTDs when approaching large convoys. Could this be, because I have locked the FPS at 60?

....meaning that your system cannot slow the frame rate so it terminates the program?



it's possible.

create yourself a mission, or hijack your next mission, create a huge RGG, unlock your graphics' setting frame rate, and give it a go.

i, myself, have never varied my frame rate and consequently have never had a problem....that i detected.

[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by KaleunMarco

....meaning that your system cannot slow the frame rate so it terminates the program?



it's possible.

create yourself a mission, or hijack your next mission, create a huge RGG, unlock your graphics' setting frame rate, and give it a go.

i, myself, have never varied my frame rate and consequently have never had a problem....that i detected.

Just a guess of mine ... I will give that a try and see if that will solve the issue ...

[propbeanie]

The game was designed to run at 30fps, and when you "lock" a framerate in most video card apps, that is just a "cap", but does not restrict the game to just that framerate. If you are crashing with only large convoys, then you might be running out of memory. This would include not enough RAM to begin with (4Gig recommended minimum), or hard drive space (7200rpm drive with about 1/2 of its space free recommended), or possibly the 4Gig Patch or LAA you used are not properly applied to a write-enabled SH4.exe file. There is also the possibility that if you are crashing only on certain large convoys, that there is a mis-configured ship or airplane involved, either with a "bad" name, or "bad" Type=" line.

[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

The game was designed to run at 30fps, and when you "lock" a framerate in most video card apps, that is just a "cap", but does not restrict the game to just that framerate. If you are crashing with only large convoys, then you might be running out of memory. This would include not enough RAM to begin with (4Gig recommended minimum), or hard drive space (7200rpm drive with about 1/2 of its space free recommended), or possibly the 4Gig Patch or LAA you used are not properly applied to a write-enabled SH4.exe file. There is also the possibility that if you are crashing only on certain large convoys, that there is a mis-configured ship or airplane involved, either with a "bad" name, or "bad" Type=" line.

Again, very helpful - thanks! Yes, the game crashes at certain convoys and after about 1h or so of D/C attack.

Let me check one-by-one:

- If I undestand correctly, if I set the FPS to let's say 60, it won't go higher than that but would go lower depending on game status, correct?

- My PC config is: i7-3770 CPU @ 3.40GHz, 8GB RAM. I have the game installed on Drive :/C ... :/D has a bit less than 50% space left and :/C about 2/3 (just got an upgrade) ... so, I not sure that's the issue...

- I applied LAA but simply starting the program and selecting the sh4.exe and running the program, and getting the message that the activation was successful. If there is more to that than meets the eye, I certainly would be interested finding out about it ...

- So far, the game will not load certain large convoys and crash, and as said, after being submerged for about 1h of D/C attacks (I'm wondering if having the External View or Event Camera activiated could have somthing to do with that) ...

Comments welcome ...

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by Kapitän

Again, very helpful - thanks! Yes, the game crashes at certain convoys and after about 1h or so of D/C attack.

Let me check one-by-one:

- If I undestand correctly, if I set the FPS to let's say 60, it won't go higher than that but would go lower depending on game status, correct?
That is correct - pb

- My PC config is: i7-3770 CPU @ 3.40GHz, 8GB RAM. I have the game installed on Drive :/C ... :/D has a bit less than 50% space left and :/C about 2/3 (just got an upgrade) ... so, I not sure that's the issue...
Should not be an issue. You computer could have one hand tied behind its back with that hardware and have onboard video, and would still do fine with SH4, dependent - pb

- I applied LAA but simply starting the program and selecting the sh4.exe and running the program, and getting the message that the activation was successful. If there is more to that than meets the eye, I certainly would be interested finding out about it ...
Right-click on the SH4.exe file, and choose "Properties" from the context menu. On that first "General" tab, toward the bottom, is the "Attributes" section. Make sure the "Read-only" tick box is cleared. You should re-run LAA again after that, if that tick box had a check mark in it. - pb

- So far, the game will not load certain large convoys and crash, and as said, after being submerged for about 1h of D/C attacks (I'm wondering if having the External View or Event Camera activiated could have somthing to do with that) ...
Do you have any "Splash Clang Thunk" type of sound file set mod for the depth charges loaded? If you do, try removing it after arriving back in port, and see what happens next patrol with that. - pb

Comments welcome ...

What is your mod list Kapitän?

[Kapitän]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

What is your mod list Kapitän?

Okay, clear on the first two points.

On LAA, I checked the Attributes on the sh4.exe, and the "Read-Only" Box is unchecked.

I do not have any other mods outside of what is provided with the game installed, in the order given here:
- Real patch 1.4 full
- Patch 1.4.2
- KSDII_New_interface1.4.1 Salvo type label for IX
- Convoy radio reports ON
- English objectives names
- No radio antenna poles
- Increased underwater clarity

During one convoy attack that the game managed to load after the 3rd or 4th attempt, I did notice that there were a couple of cargo ships in there, that from a distance were appearing bright neon green and when getting closer, had some kind of green camouflage color. Not sure if that is merely a graphic card issue or perhaps a "bad" ship installed in the game ...

[Seewolf_]

Hello,
I hope somebody can help me. I think I did everything right when installing the game and the mod. But when I try to start the game I get the following Error Massages. Files are in the attachment. There's a whole lot more error messages, all about files being missing, but I've copied all the folders into the appropriate directory.

Best regards
Seewolf

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by Seewolf_

Hello,
I hope somebody can help me. I think I did everything right when installing the game and the mod. But when I try to start the game I get the following Error Massages. Files are in the attachment. There's a whole lot more error messages, all about files being missing, but I've copied all the folders into the appropriate directory.

Best regards
Seewolf

ok, fifty questions time.

what kind of license to use do you have? Steam? DVD? Something else?
in what folder is SH4 installed?
can you post your JSGME mod list? (Tasks-Export Activated Mods to-Clipboard, then paste here)
which 4 gig tool have you installed and configured for SH4?

[Seewolf_]

Ok, my installation path is this:
D:\Steam\steamapps\common\Silent Hunters Wolves of the Pacific

I have a Steam License
4GB Tool, i have this one https://ntcore.com/?page_id=371
And i have only activated one Mod, Screenshot in the Attachements.
And i use Windows 11, if that matters.
To me it looks like the program is missing a few files. But I can't find the files he's missing in the download of the mod either.
When I start the game I see the intro movie, and then the loading bar, but when it has arrived at the end, the error messages come up.


Thank you for your quick reply!!

[KaleunMarco]

Originally Posted by Seewolf_

Ok, my installation path is this:
D:\Steam\steamapps\common\Silent Hunters Wolves of the Pacific

I have a Steam License
4GB Tool, i have this one https://ntcore.com/?page_id=371
And i have only activated one Mod, Screenshot in the Attachements.
And i use Windows 11, if that matters.
To me it looks like the program is missing a few files. But I can't find the files he's missing in the download of the mod either.
When I start the game I see the intro movie, and then the loading bar, but when it has arrived at the end, the error messages come up.


Thank you for your quick reply!!

i think you have a Steam-Windows11-SH5 issue where one is getting in the way of another and your installation is corrupted enough that the game will not run.

unfortunately, i do use neither Steam nor Windows11, so you are going to have to wait for another user who is a Steam/Win11 veteran to read this thread and reply.

good luck!

I think it's simpler than that. He probably got SH4: Wolves of the Pacific on Steam, but it's not updated with SH4: U-boat missions.

Thus, Dark Waters (and most of SH4 megamods) won't work because the game is not updated to v1.5.

@Seewolf_ can you check what version is shown on the lower right corner of the Main Menu screen? It should be 1.5 to run Dark Waters.

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by Seewolf_

Hello,
I hope somebody can help me. I think I did everything right when installing the game and the mod. But when I try to start the game I get the following Error Massages. Files are in the attachment. There's a whole lot more error messages, all about files being missing, but I've copied all the folders into the appropriate directory.

Best regards
Seewolf

Those errors are from using the Steam "Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific" version (Ubisoft SH4 v1.3) instead of the Steam "Silent Hunter: U-Boat Missions" version (Ubisoft SH4 v1.5). In other words, the mod needs the U-Boat Missions that were added by Ubisoft in the v1.5 paid upgrade, or the full "Gold Edition". .

- Ah-ha-ha - JapLance just beat me to the punch!!!

but that's where that missing black80.tga comes from...

[Seewolf_]

Originally Posted by JapLance

I think it's simpler than that. He probably got SH4: Wolves of the Pacific on Steam, but it's not updated with SH4: U-boat missions.

Thus, Dark Waters (and most of SH4 megamods) won't work because the game is not updated to v1.5.

@Seewolf_ can you check what version is shown on the lower right corner of the Main Menu screen? It should be 1.5 to run Dark Waters.

Yes, that's probably the problem, because I haven't installed Uboat Missions, the version I have only includes the standard game.

Unfortunately I can't start the game to check which version I have installed, because the game doesn't start in the vanilla version. The process runs in the task manager in the background, but I don't get a start screen, in Steam I can see that it's running. If I install the mod then it starts at least until the loading screen.

Now the question is whether I should simply buy the addon Uboot Missions via Steam, whether that works? Unfortunately, I can't find the Gold Edition on Steam.

[propbeanie]

I was expecting Steam to have a Christmas sale going on, but apparently, it either already ran, or has not been done yet, anyway, at $10US, not a bad price, but sometimes will be found for $3.50US. Definitely worth the price even at $10, especially since over 90% of the mods are written for v1.5 of the game.

In the meantime, with the 'modern' computer, Windows, and the old DirectX v9.0c games, such as Silent Hunter 4, you will encounter quite a few graphics issues. Back in the day when the game was written, Windows XP was the OS, and display monitors were analog. Now you have Windows 10/11 and display monitors are LCD. Windows has User Access Control (UAC) and other 'modern' technologies to protect you from yourself, and to do that, Windows "locks" the Program Files folders and most user areas from "unauthorized" editing. Since Silent Hunter 4 and JSGME are "old" legacy apps, they are not "authorized" by the modern Windows to edit any of those folders, so your Steam Library has to be outside of the influence of those Windows folders, such as your D:\Steamapps set-up. You must also have the DirectX v9.0c dll (Dynamic Linked Library) files loaded. Again, you should be fine there, since the Steam install does that.

However, Steam has no clue what you have for a display, so the thing to do is use the Windows screen resolution dialog, and see what it shows the resolution set to, and if it shows " (recommended)" in the listing. That would be your display monitor's "native" resolution. Set Windows to that, and then once in the game menu, see if there isn't a choice in the "Optioins", "Graphic Settings" menu drop-down box. One thing to remember is that the game was written when 4:3 and 5:4 monitors were the norm, but they did have 16:9 available eventually, but not super widescreen, so if you have a 21:9, you might have to "window" and use a 16:9 choice that fits on your display.

In addition to that, and quite possibly your trouble with getting the game to run, is the SH4.exe file's "Properties" settings. By default, Windows wants to "help" pretty things up, smooth them out, and maybe even scale them for you, without consulting you or the game about it, so you have to tell Windows to stay out of the way. Navigate into the game's root folder where the SH4.exe file is, and right-click on it. That will bring up a context menu. On Windows 10, the bottom choice is "Properties. Left-click on that. In Windows 11, the list is much shorter, and "Properties" is usually 2nd from the bottom of the list. When the "Properties" dialog initially opens, you are on the "General" tab. Near the bottom of that page is "Attributes", and a "Read-only" tick box. Be sure that box is clear. Then click on the "Compatibility" tab. On this page, you sometimes have to click on the "Run compatibility troubleshooter" button, but you can try to click on the "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" button, and set it to Windows 7, or a Windows XP. You might also have to tick the "Run this program as an administrator", but you'll have to experiment. In your situation, you most likely have to tick the "Disable fullscreen optimizations", and almost assuredly, click the "Change high DPI settings" and set it to "Application". There are slight differences between Windows 10 and 11 in the display dialogs, but they are slight.



OK your way out, and then use a utility to change the header of the SH4.exe file to use more of your RAM. There is NTCore's 4Gig Patch, which is also available on SubSim in several flavors and versions, or Large Address Aware, of which CapnScurvy did a nice write-up on in his Windows10; Large Address Aware; SH4 Install, when he first upgraded from Windows 7 to 10, and explained things nicely. You would not need LAA or similar for the Stock game, but almost all of the mods benefit from the use of one of those utilities. Anyway, let us know how you get along with all this, or if it is too much data too soon...

btw, if the game is running in the background, but not displaying, and you can see it in the Task Manager, use Task Manager to "kill" the process before you do any altering of things. If after adjusting the "Properties" dialog, the game still does that, give a shout and there is a work-around to that by editing a text file. You might also have to empty the game's Save folder ("C:\Users \UserName \Documents \SH4" by default), and since you are having troubles anyway, would probably be a good idea to do preemptively.

[Seewolf_]

So, the game is running now! The solution was probably really the missing addon Uboat Missions. I've already started a career and everything is going great so far. Thanks again to everyone involved! If there are any problems in the course of the career, I will report here again.

Just one last question, can I somehow change the language in the game to German? So the voice output is in German, but the written text is unfortunately not. If that doesn't work, no problem, that would be nice.

regards
sea wolf