Realism- and gameplay-related hardcode fixes for SH3.EXE

[Olamagato]

Most of the work is completed. GUI Editor HD: 60%; GUI GWX Classic 1920x1080: 90%; 1600x900: 90%; 1360x768: 100%. The latter is already to download:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...26&postcount=1

[Wolfstriked]

Ouch,I see that it looks to be impossible to do all combos.Maybe a way to have game search for a different file to read when it uses one of the hardcode patch sentences?

[Olamagato]

Universal Hardcode fixes installer can be done even in 1 day, but I have a rule that did not publish anything which has not been thoroughly tested. In this case the number of tests would be abnormally high (1/2 weeks).

[Wolfstriked]

Its up to you and your time.I'm pretty sure it will help quite a few here.

[h.sie]

@Olamagato: That would be really cool. Take all the time you need.

One suggestion: Instead of doing the changes directly in the sh3-Installation, let the Installer create a JSGME-ready mod (containing all the required files) that can easily be (de)installed using JSGME.

One wish: Is it possible to make it controlable via a script? This would help Stiebler to adapt it for his Add-On.

Sorry for being that unhumble.

[h.sie]

Regarding Radar Warning Receivers. So far I thought, sh3 models 4 RWRs: Metox, Borkum, Naxos, Tunis. But after digging in Sensors.dat I found a 5th one: FuMB391 (or similar), which is also a RadarWarnReceiver. What is the purpose of this one? Is it used by any Supermod?

[Olamagato]

One suggestion: Instead of doing the changes directly in the sh3-Installation, let the Installer create a JSGME-ready mod (containing all the required files) that can easily be (de)installed using JSGME.

More than a year I analyzed the question of how to update the SH3 (GWX in particular) to have a utility value. Well, creating dozens of small elements, each of which often modifies a very small part of the game leads to a mod-salad. Ideally, every improvement should be free of the choice options. I think it has come to similar conclusions GWX team, which cut off their package from the base of a thousand small and inconsistent SH3 mods.
Is this you like it or not, your fix-package is unquestionable improvement of the game. Like patch - which in fact is.

As you know certain files in the game are of particular importance. These are files basic.cfg, xx_menu.txt and menu_1024_768.ini (and some other). Changes in these files are particularly difficult because the impact on the game and for each set of mods. The first controls the game, the second communication with the player, and the third all the graphics.
Allowing frequent changes in these files is the instability of the game. Each super-mod must keep these files in order and avoid unnecessary optional changes in them.
I left a few files as an update GWX not without reason. Applying the same files with a different content from different packages mods imo is a big problem. It avoids creating super-mods, patches and combimods. Well done super-mod should not have options, which the installation sequence will affect for a set of files in the game. But now, when the amount of mods "must have" more than 50, and their total volume has reached >1,5 GB, GWX has lost this property.
In my opinion there are 4 base packages that are de facto GWX updates:
- Wilhemshafen,St Naz,Schluese and xtra ships V6 (campaign upgrade)
- Unofficial Rocket fix (air cover upgrade)
- Hardcode fixes + Colored Hull Integrity (u-boat simulation upgrade)
- Any exhaustive widescreen GUI mod
I created a big package (unreleased yet) that combines them all and is supplemented by a very big number of small fixes of many authors (and me too). I want to emphasize - fixes - no new features (often controversial) in the game (if possible). This small Hardcode fixes package (for dummies) for GWX will be compatible with it. Therefore, several files in this small package is intended to replace the GWX original files.

Too much of note on this on this topic on only GWX, but I wanted to clarify that the swapping of some files GWX had some purpose.

One wish: Is it possible to make it controlable via a script? This would help Stiebler to adapt it for his Add-On.

Yes. Making the smart installer with a batch script is certainly possible.
Some difficulty is the fact that jsgme even in the latest version does not allow scripts to read and write the whole mod-set. I'll have to replace the absence by script.

[Olamagato]

Originally Posted by h.sie

So far I thought, sh3 models 4 RWRs: Metox, Borkum, Naxos, Tunis. But after digging in Sensors.dat I found a 5th one: FuMB391 (or similar), which is also a RadarWarnReceiver. What is the purpose of this one? Is it used by any Supermod?

FuMo-391 was in stock SH3 radar antenna located on the snorkel of type XXI, but the Team GWX changed the destiny of the antenna so that it becomes FuMB-37 'Leros' radar detector antenna because historically that was his job.
Then, the same antenna was used to place on the special modified snorkel for types VII and IX as "FuMB-29 Bali" and "Wanze G2" RWR (type IX only) because later war u-boats older types were equipped with such devices too.
Device names are encoded in SH3.EXE and therefore GWX files still there are references to "FuMo-391" (as FuMB-29/37).

Source: GWX 3.0 Manual

[h.sie]

Thanks.

[Fubar2Niner]

@Olamagato

I haven't been around for a while and just stumbled on this. This is tremendous news kaleun, looking forward to your efforts

@h.sie

Thank you for making this all possible

Best regards.

Fubar2Niner

[Captain Mark]

I reinstalled my old SH3 after a very very long time, in the hopes to find a good mod for it. I chose to use GWX3 and I am pretty impressed, but what actually convinced me to keep playing SH3, is this amazing hardcode fix!

Many many thanks to h.sie, and anyone else that made this happen!

I applied the patch (V16B1) exactly like the readme says, and everything works perfectly together with GWX3 (I did all the tests), even though I applied the patch to an unofficial NoDVD SH3.exe (crack ), because my win7 doesn't like the original SF-infected SH3.exe at all (Incompatibility issues with the SF drivers).

I have a question though: Since I am also using some of the JSGME mods that come with GWX3, is the 16km Atmosphere mod compatible with the Night Vision Fix (by Makman94, Rubini, h.sie), that is included in V16B1?

The V16B1 readme suggests the following Crew Sensor Settings in data/cfg/Sensors.cfg (tentative values):

- Visual range factor = 0.5
- Visual fog factor = 1.00-1.05
- Visual light factor = 0.8

Would these values somehow mess up my 16km Atmosphere mod?

The settings in my current SH3 installation with GWX3 are:

- Visual range factor = 0.5
- Visual fog factor=1.1
- Visual light factor=5.0

So I am not sure now as to which settings are working best with both the 16km Atmosphere mod AND the Night Vision Fix (by Makman94, Rubini, h.sie).

Sorry, I am new to this.

[h.sie]

@CaptainMark:Glad you like it. Regarding visual sensor settings:

I don't know the "final truth". The optimum settings seem also to depend on some other settings in sensors.dat, thus I cannot give a general solution.

Try the following: Set

- Visual range factor = 0.5
- Visual fog factor = 1.02

as fixed values and only vary

Visual light factor between 0.5 and 5.0 and investigate its influence on detection at day and night and choose a value that fits your personal taste.

[rudewarrior]

To continue on this subject of sensors.cfg:

h.Sie: Looking back over my mod soup I have just realized that in addition to this mod, I have been using your "No Continuous 'Ship Spotted' Mod."

Should I just eliminate that now? Or should I just update the settings you have in that to match what you call for in the SH3.exe readme?

[h.sie]

@rudewarrior: i also use the "No Continuous 'Ship Spotted' Mod, and I use the Sensors.cfg (unchanged) that comes with that mod and i must say that i am very satisfied. these are the visual sensor settings taken from nygm (which i've copied before i heard about modding etiquette, sorry).

[AndyW]

Hello fellow Kaleuns,

Good to see so many „old“ names being still here on duty after a long time…

I’m back to this wonderful game after a couple of years and want to give it a try with a fresh installation and the latest “must have” mods. Actually I didn’t want to spend hours on installing and adjusting and combining dozens of various mods. Instead, I want to set sails asap to see if I’m still able to skip a Tauchboot trough enemy waters and sink some tonnage…and get home safe.

So I am planning to install

SH3 V16B1
+ JSGME 2.6
+ SH3 Commander 3.2 Super Deluxe
+ GMX 3.0 Gold
+ probably a mod enabling a sort of real navigation – I remember the mod from vanjast back from 2009
+ probably a GUI with Angriffsscheibe for manual firing solution – not sure if onelifecrisis’ OLC mod is still state of the art

Here are my issues:

1.) Even after reading through the readme and using the search function I’m still not sure if I have to patch up the vanilla SH3.exe to patch 1.4b before patching to V16B1? The manual is a bit unclear here (at least to a bonehead like me)

2.) Any conflicts or issues using V16B1 + Commander 3.2. + GWX 3.0 Gold? Is the installation sequence right?

3.) Any other “must have”- mods which are not already included in GWX anyway which I would need to have prior to my reactivation?

Any suggestions are welcome!