[REL] Fifi Enhancements for NYGM

[bweiss]

Originally Posted by Fifi

The shift+N x128 feature is from Hsie option selector (Stiebler part, from memory)

Ah thanks Fifi, you da man. Well I'll have to wait till I feel like messing with Stieble's selector at some point. It's a nice idea, but gets in the way when saving a patrol, well if one uses a capital "N" in the save ID.

I still think it did it when I hit lower case "n". Haven't tried it since that one time.


Oh, and I found out (no one told me...), that Danish merchants are neutral. Yes I know they were a protectorate of Germany in real life. 5th SS Pzr, "Wiking" Division among others were recruited there. But, the conn flag chart shows Denmark as an enemy (Allied), during the war.


So I ran across one in AO78 on my test run of U-570 (A boat history which is a strange war story if ever there was one). The rain was heavy with thick sea mist that kept the Tramp almost invisible until I nearly ran over her, spotted it at 1000 meters. She was an armed Tramp, crew at her guns, I figured her for a blockade runner. Don't think she ever saw me on the surface. Her crew never fired a shot. (First clue I missed). So I put two fish into her and split her in two. I kept checking the flaggen chart, and it kept telling me it was an enemy ship, even though I knew it really wasn't. What a show! Watching this thing getting hit with the first fish was beautiful, then the after explosions, fires, all manner of stuff blowing up in the air. Nice.

All proud of meself I radio Doenitz thinking I'd get a big cigar when back in port, instead I get a radio response telling me to stop sinking neutral ships.


So is this like Norwegian ships? Where they are neutral when sailing on their own, but considered an enemy ship when in an Allied convoy? I guess so from that experience.

War is so confusing.

[fitzcarraldo]

Oh, oh, I get to help somebody. If you select manual targeting in the difficulty settings, and uncheck the "No WO Assistance", or something on that order, then you get the speed, range, and AOB, course all input automatically, but he won't give you the specifics on screen. It's input to the TC by the WO, and the WO also won't give target type or range on screen. Otherwise you get a pretty accurate shot. It also changes some things if you're using the single contact ability. I use it, but limit it to 10 km range, and these settings will block out the type/name of the ship, and just show the NE/NW/SE/etc., direction and the little black box. No ID.

There is also a modifier out there somewhere to dummy down the WO's estimates on range, course, speed and AOB when you set things to use Manual targeting, but allow the WO to assist, so as to not make it too easy but still allow the WO to assist. There were different percentages of accuracy for which one could modify files to their liking but I forget the name of the mod, (dunno if Fifi used it in this). I don't use manual targeting.



Now, I need help from someone. Anyone know how to disable the current SC5 "N" key? It's from the mod that gives the Max/Min 128 speed which has become popular, but I don't use it and it creates issues for me when like I try to save a patrol file and use the name ANxx, or anything with an "n" in it. Soon as I hit the N key even when saving the game, it pops up a message that I've entered the 128 zone, and if I return to the game without saving, or when I reload it, I'm doing 128 Mph. Cops don't like that.

Caused me to hit bottom in shallow water other day.


Someone please tell me how to disable the N key 128 Max/Min setting/

This is justa guess, I don't use the function but you might have depressed the Shift key or Ctrl key. Maybe even the Caps Lock is on.

From the Read Me:

Shift+N X128 (Blocked)
Ctrl+N X128 (Unblocked)

Just a shot in the dark ... Jerry

The shift+N x128 feature is from Hsie option selector (Stiebler part, from memory)

Many thanks for all the help. I´ll try it now.

Best regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[Rod999]

Reshade
This mod looks great, but for those interested in tweaking the visuals even more here is a video explaining how to get Reshade running in SH3 with widescreen mod. Works like a charm. I added some common parameters useful for older games, tuned them to my liking and the sim looks fantastic. No CTD so far. Note: The poster of the video uses Reshade for better night view. I am not using his tweak. My purpose of using Reshade is a general improvement of the sim's look.

[Fifi]

[fitzcarraldo]

Very nice!

Fitzcarraldo

[Fifi]

M17B finished in 2 skins

[GrenSo]

[fitzcarraldo]

Awesome. Many thanks!

Fitzcarraldo

[FUBAR295]

Looking good my friend.

[bweiss]

Wow, beautiful new models.

[rik007]

They look great Fifi!

[bweiss]

Crikey! Those nice looking Abnenerbe skins from Onealex, and the ones that weren't included in Onealex, (VIIC Skins 6, 7, and 8), separately dl'd, really chew up the FPS.It's not so noticeable at sea, but in port sitting at dock it drops around 20-25 FPS.

Fifi has done a masterful job of increasing FPS by among other things, reducing graphic and sound file size loads. The crew uniforms were cut in half, (1024x1024 halved), so you can change them just fine, but one needs to follow Fifi's method of reducing the size. They look great and help the FPS. Don't know what all graphics he reduced throughout the game, but the crew uniforms can really chew up FPS. The bigger they are the more they use. It didn't occur to me that the sub skins worked the same (duh). And so do the sound files. I tried to replace Fifi's "amb_SubmarineInterior.wav" with an old favorite of mine thats 141mb (Fifi's is like 27mb), and that also chewed into my FPS. I went back to Fifi's file.

The Fifi default skin, at least for the VIIC, does not use an inordinate amount of FPS. This is an unfortunate circumstance as the Onealex Abnenerbe skins are beautiful. Would really like to use those. So now my question is; how's come the default VIIC skin doesn't have the same effect? Or, put another way, why do the other skins from Onealex and Abnenerbe really kill my FPS? And I figure if they do that in port, they will also do it in the midst of a convoy. Since I don't like surprises, I'll just stick with the Fifi default VIIC skin (which is beautiful in it's own right).

Wonder what happens if one does a 1024x768 halved of the boat skin graphic files? Can that even be done? Gonna give that a shot, see what happens.

...it's always the lil things.

[iambecomelife]

Wow, my old modded merchants are still being seen here and there lol! I appreciate the interest, nice work. They are quite ancient, over 10 yrs mostly, so I look forward to retiring them in the coming years.....but good job on the old girls! This will be their last "hurrah" before much more advanced ships take their place. Regarding frame rates, I also look forward to seeing what can be tweaked to improve performance; I get excellent framerates for SH4 on an old PC so I think lots can be done with the various DATs and TGA's cluttering SH3.

[bweiss]

Well, my idea worked for me. I'm also using an older but gooder rig with a GTX 980. Does pretty well, but is showing it's age.

Yeah, so if FPS is an issue with the nice Abnenerbe boat skins, try using IrFan View or something and just reduce the boat skin graphic file size. I just picked 1024x768 cause it's easier in Irfan View to do it that way for me anyway, then pushed the half button, save and presto.

That bumped up my in-dock FPS by 30 something. In nice weather sitting listening to the band at berth in Lorient gets me 58ish FPS, using Abnenerbe skin 8, w/reduced size and all the original graphic files (guns, conn, etc). There's a slight loss of granular detail, but not enough to bother me. Beauty's in the eye of the beholder. But the boat is still a beauty and FPS is schmoove.


Re-did the reduction in a 1024x1024 halved, and that turns out much better. More granular detail and same FPS savings.

[Fifi]

Love this one in its 2 skins