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Old 05-20-19, 08:56 AM   #1
TheImperialStandard
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Support Major Crashing Issues; Please Help 😢

Captains,

I think I am very simple as far as mods go. I like the realism so I run RFB 2.0 + RSRD as per instructed via their download forums here on subsim. I’m looking for any captain that could help me enjoy this configuration the way it was meant to be.

I really love my modded copy of SH4 but unfortunately I’m about ready to throw in the towel. My version crashes SO MUCH. At one time I timed six minutes between crashes(I run an egg timer as I play for auto save purposes). I’ve learned to live with it but recently it’s impact on my patrols is really hurting my immersion experience and I have suspicions that there may be some other bugs going on that I can’t really put my finger on(some of my crew members have jet black clothes). Please help me... I’ve watched every video... read countless forums here... I successfully modded the game but that is where my tech savvyness apparently ends. But I will follow instructions well.

P.S: happy Armed Forces Day, and happy Victoria Day to my commonwealth ally’s.
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Old 05-20-19, 09:17 AM   #2
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Welcome to the Pacific side of things at SubSim, TheImperialStandard

You mention having the Steam version of the game. Where do you have the game itself installed? Are you in the default "C:\Program Files (x86) \Steam \Steam Apps \Common \Silent Hunter...", or do you have the game in a different "Steam Library" folder? Second, did you delete the Save game folder after activating the RFB / RSRDC combination, or maybe use MultiSH4 to set a new Save folder location? Those are the two main issues that contribute to issues when applying mods.

With the first, the mod(s) isn't fully activated due to Windows "protecting" the Program Files folders from alteration. In the second, the Save folder holds all of the game's loading information, and will "contaminate" what you play, mixing the Stock game with any other modded versions of the game that you've played, whether you've actually done a Save or not. Also, Saving on top of other Saves will make the files so large, that the game has a difficult time keeping track of all of the information...

Last, but certainly not least, is the fact that the game uses a lot of your computer's memory, and as such, can use a "boost" if you will, from something like LAA (Large Address Aware, of which CapnScurvy has a good write-up for in Windows10; Large Address Aware; SH4 Install. While specific to Windows 10, the same can be applied with slight alerations to any of the 64-bit OSes, including Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, as well as 10...
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Old 05-20-19, 09:51 AM   #3
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Thank you for taking an interest in my predicament!

Right off the bat my game is saved on a secondary 1TB harddrive(where all my other games are located) but I have configured Steam to save there as its default. The file path is... “D:\ SteamLibrary\ steamapps\ common\ Silent Hunters wolves of the pacific”... I will cut-paste my current game into the C: folder that I didn’t know still existed until I investigated just now.


Secondly... just to clarify... you want me to delete the games Save Game Folder AFTER adding the mods? Do I add anything back in or just go ahead and test it after that?


Edit: For the first... did you want me to move the game somewhere else? Any suggestions if so?

Second Edit: Where does one find the Save Game Folder in the SH4 files?
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Old 05-20-19, 10:22 AM   #4
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A Warm Welcome To The Subsim Community > TheImperialStandard
Subsim <> Make A Donation <> See The Benefits <> Support The Community
SH3 – 4 - 5 Tutorials > Downloads > Other Useful Information > See Links in My Signature Below
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Old 05-20-19, 11:04 AM   #5
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It usually does not matter if you delete the Save folder contents prior to, or after you apply a mod. The folder is re-created each time the game runs and it finds that it is not there. When the game starts, it will copy all sorts of files over to the Save folder, and it runs from those, which keeps the game folder "clean", usually...

Having the game in D:\SteamLibrary is excellent. Leave it where you have it. No need to move it. It is only when a person puts an older game, such as the Silent Hunter series of games in any of the Windows "Program Files" folders that issues occur. Windows "protects" the folders from what MS would describe as "un-authorized alterations". What happens is that SH4 and JSGME were both written prior to the Windows UAC (User Access Control) implementation days, and as such, are not "authorized" to make alterations to cfg and other files of that sort. It's not that the programs do any harm, just that they aren't "registered" with the OS to do such.

Since mods alter cfg files for ships as well as subs and other game "assets", and the game actually runs off of the Save folder information, it is always a good idea to remove any potential issues for the mod by emptying the Save folder. The "default" location for such is "C:\Users \UserName \Documents \SH4", or similar, dependent upon your Windows version. Temporarily, to "test" things, you could copy the contents of that folder, and paste it elsewhere on your computer for "safekeeping", then empty the original, and see how the game plays. You will have to re-set all of your preferences, and you will not have any career or Saves. If there's no change, you can copy the files back in, overwrite the new stuff with the old, and attempt to continue from where you were...

MultiSH4 v1.5 (download) allows a player to change the Save folder name. (thread: MultiSH4). The game limits the name to three characters (such as "SH4"), so you might have to get inventive with additional similar versions of a mod. The usefulness of this little utility really shines if you want to have several installs of the game, and have each modded a certain way, and at the same time, keep all of the Save folders separate from each other. In this manner, you can have a career and / or Single Missions going on in each of the versions of the game that you've created, and not contaminate each other.

The way to do that is to take a "clean" version of the game (no mods activated, and preferably prior to even using any mods), copy the whole thing, and paste it into another folder. This also works with a Steam install, though you do have to add a few extra steps. Number one for Steam would be to log into your Steam app on your computer and rename your initial SH4 Steam install on the Steam start menu to something like "SH4 Stock", or whatever you want. Exit the Steam app. Then navigate into the "D:\SteamLibrary \steamapps \common \Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific” and Select All (<Ctrl><A>) and copy (<Ctrl><C>). Now go up one level to the "common" folder, and make a new folder, such as "RFB_RSDC", or whatever you want to name it. Go into that folder, and paste (<Ctrl><V>) the game files into there. If you're copying an existing JSGME.exe into there, along with the MODS folder, you should delete the "JSGME.ini" file in that folder, and the "JSGME.ini" file in the MODS folder, along with the "!BACKUP" and "!INSTLOGS" hidden folders, also found in the MODS folders. You might have to change your Folder Options to show the hidden folders / files. That will give you a "clean" install in a 2nd folder. Now log back into the Steam app (close all of the pop-ups... ), and click on the "Games" menu item up top, then on "Add a non-Steam game to my Library". You'll get a "Add a Game" pop-up window. I usually don't mess with the menu choices it gives, since on my computer, there is a lot of krapp that displays, so I just use the "Browse" button, and navigate to the new folder. The dialog will usually open in the Steam install folder in C:\Program Files, so you will probably have to change drives as well as folders. Find that new "RFB_RSDC" folder you created, select the SH4.exe file, and click "Open". It should now be at the top of the list and selected with a checkmark in that "Add a Game dialog. Now click on the "Add Selected Program" button. It should show on the menu as "sh4". Right-click on it in the Steam Library, and choose "Properties". In the top box of that should be "sh4". Change the name to what you want, and click "Close". Right-click again, and choose "Create desktop shortcut" if you want one... In this way, the game will go through Steam's verification checks, and should run just fine. If you try to run it directly from the SH4.exe file in the folder, it will not go through Steam, and will therefore (usually) fail to start. Just be sure and run your MultiSH4 if you use that and make a new Save folder, or delete the exiting SH4 save folder contents.

I've got plenty (perhaps I'll qualify that with "had plenty") of hard drive space, and have several installs of SH4 with FotRSU mod, One with TMO; one with TMO/RSRDC, one with OM, etc... I've done similar with my Steam SH3 installs. SH5 presents difficulties with this technique, in that there is not a corresponding MultiSH for it... Don't forget about my mentioning of LAA in the previous post...
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Old 05-20-19, 12:49 PM   #6
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The burbster,
This was a very confusing reply to me to be honest haha. I clicked on your SH4 link and it brought me to more links, some appeared useful... but like I have no idea what I was looking for. That is all pretty far above my level and unless you could help me navigate it I probably won’t be able to use that page lol. Thanks anyway.

Propbeanie,

I’m going to follow your last comment to the letter and report back on this thread if it works... I may have some questions later as it looked pretty technical.
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Old 05-20-19, 07:40 PM   #7
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It really isn't. Just involved. As I said, Steam complicates things with its licensing requirements, but you can still work with it. Just don't work against it... We do plan to have a comprehensive set of instructions in FotRSU (Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate Edition), which would for the most part, work for all mods. The main problem with documentation with games and mods, is that most folks don't read it... - The game itself, and Steam in particular, neither one have very good documentation on the game itself, much less on modding... Let me know if you need any help, or have questions. It is best if you do so in your thread here, for the benefit of other users. THEBERBSTER's SH4 links page is something that all players should read. I know you're after a particular issue, but his thread is excellent. Also not to be missed is Rockin Robbins Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks thread, which THEBERBSTER also links to. Much much better info than what comes with the game...
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