Questions, more questions and then some...

[ubootmate]

Moinsen, fellow skippers and board members!


I want to achieve the best possible game experience of SH3.
Therefore I decided to accept some tweaks and helpful support tech but I am not a big fan of all the BIG TIME MODS, no matter how enhanced they might be.
I know, lots of awesome graphics and improved atmosphere as well as increased radio communication along with lots of adopted units and crew avatars are waiting to be downloaded but for now, I'm not interested.


I get my satisfaction mainly out of managing the crew, improving them and really developing them as the war goes on. As side effects I cherish getting medals and promotions of my own but this is definitely not my main goal.
I thought it might be useful to describe what kind of player I am from the start.

So I decided to buy the Green Pepper Box (containing SH3,4 and 5) after my original SH3 box was nowhere to be found after I moved to a new house in 2019.
Additionally I downloaded SH3 Commander, which I think is as useful as any tool out there to enhance the basic gameplay of the stock game.


After reading lots of threads in numerous forums (including this one) I decided to register here and get some additional help because lots of questions remain.

Here are some issues I still encounter and would like to have them resolved with some help of you guys and gurls.

I checked the following boxes in the SH3 CMDR career options menue:
historic Uboat availability, set the number of days in base to 16 and use real ship names in the PL`s as well as the randomization of the gramophone tracks.
I also tried the realistic crew transfers, start patrols at sea, as well as the realistic career length options but deselected them for several reasons, but those reasons are not the topic here.
So maybe some of you can help me out with the interesting topics I have.

My issues with the Game/SH3Commander are:

1.) I play with "skip intro movies" but the game plays them anyway when I start it via SH3Cmdr. Why?

2.) Do I really have to wait until the first patrol is completed after starting a new career to customize the crews names and officer avatars? Too bad one cannot customize the crew right from the get go...

3.) When playing with the "realistic" crew setting starting off a new career there are - of course - several crew members with medals and/or patrol experience randomly distributed part of your crew. Since I like to start with a clean slate for everybody (and putting training patrols and the spanish civil war patrols aside, nobody can have war patrols under his belt on Sept. 1, 1939) I quickly dismiss them and replace them with newbies from the barracks even if I lose one or more crew members with a qualification. So what would be the better option : To select "already in SH3" and check the box to "randomise names and experience" only or leave the selection on "realistic", what do I gain/lose with either setup choice?

4.) When filling out the remaining slots with crew members from the barracks, how can I detect, where this particular soldier has his working area (i.e. bow torpedo or diesel engines)? I know, I can see his designation in SH3 Cmdr later on but I mean in the moment of selecting and accepting the soldier to be part of my crew. Is this possible?

5.) I would like to have a long career and would like to get promotions and medals along the way as an incentive so to speak. So I would like to really fine tune the renown settings and tweak them to my liking - regarding medals and promotions.
Starting out as a Leutnant zur See is fine with me but I want to be able to at least achieve Kapitän zur See later on. While I am aware that it should be possible to even get to Vizeadmiral with the proper adjustment I find it a bit far fetched to command a front boat as an Admiral. Same goes with the medals, I want to be able to collect them all, but what is the actual "pool" of available medals in the game?
EK 1 and II as well as the knights cross with its numerous variants but what about the Gold cross, the uboot-badge and the uboot-clasp?
What do I have to do/tweak to achieve the following:
- a chance to get at least promoted to Kapitän zur See later on if successful ?
- a chance to receive all the aforementioned medals later on if successful ?
- setup the renown figures to my liking without crashing the game
I want it hard to get promoted and rewarded but not impossible i.e. in one career I was still only Oberleutant zur See after 6 very good patrols but already cashed in the the Knights cross with oak leaves and swords but was still without the Uboot badge.



I read these threads but would like to know if this is the latest on this subject since it dates all the way back to 2010:
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...d.php?t=174120
This is even older:
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...d.php?t=134306


Thanx in advance....



U-Mate

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by ubootmate

Moinsen, fellow skippers and board members!


I want to achieve the best possible game experience of SH3.
Therefore I decided to accept some tweaks and helpful support tech but I am not a big fan of all the BIG TIME MODS, no matter how enhanced they might be.
I know, lots of awesome graphics and improved atmosphere as well as increased radio communication along with lots of adopted units and crew avatars are waiting to be downloaded but for now, I'm not interested.


I get my satisfaction mainly out of managing the crew, improving them and really developing them as the war goes on. As side effects I cherish getting medals and promotions of my own but this is definitely not my main goal.
I thought it might be useful to describe what kind of player I am from the start.

So I decided to buy the Green Pepper Box (containing SH3,4 and 5) after my original SH3 box was nowhere to be found after I moved to a new house in 2019.
Additionally I downloaded SH3 Commander, which I think is as useful as any tool out there to enhance the basic gameplay of the stock game.


After reading lots of threads in numerous forums (including this one) I decided to register here and get some additional help because lots of questions remain.

Here are some issues I still encounter and would like to have them resolved with some help of you guys and gurls.

I checked the following boxes in the SH3 CMDR career options menue:
historic Uboat availability, set the number of days in base to 16 and use real ship names in the PL`s as well as the randomization of the gramophone tracks.
I also tried the realistic crew transfers, start patrols at sea, as well as the realistic career length options but deselected them for several reasons, but those reasons are not the topic here.
So maybe some of you can help me out with the interesting topics I have.

My issues with the Game/SH3Commander are:

1.) I play with "skip intro movies" but the game plays them anyway when I start it via SH3Cmdr. Why?

2.) Do I really have to wait until the first patrol is completed after starting a new career to customize the crews names and officer avatars? Too bad one cannot customize the crew right from the get go...

3.) When playing with the "realistic" crew setting starting off a new career there are - of course - several crew members with medals and/or patrol experience randomly distributed part of your crew. Since I like to start with a clean slate for everybody (and putting training patrols and the spanish civil war patrols aside, nobody can have war patrols under his belt on Sept. 1, 1939) I quickly dismiss them and replace them with newbies from the barracks even if I lose one or more crew members with a qualification. So what would be the better option : To select "already in SH3" and check the box to "randomise names and experience" only or leave the selection on "realistic", what do I gain/lose with either setup choice?

4.) When filling out the remaining slots with crew members from the barracks, how can I detect, where this particular soldier has his working area (i.e. bow torpedo or diesel engines)? I know, I can see his designation in SH3 Cmdr later on but I mean in the moment of selecting and accepting the soldier to be part of my crew. Is this possible?

5.) I would like to have a long career and would like to get promotions and medals along the way as an incentive so to speak. So I would like to really fine tune the renown settings and tweak them to my liking - regarding medals and promotions.
Starting out as a Leutnant zur See is fine with me but I want to be able to at least achieve Kapitän zur See later on. While I am aware that it should be possible to even get to Vizeadmiral with the proper adjustment I find it a bit far fetched to command a front boat as an Admiral. Same goes with the medals, I want to be able to collect them all, but what is the actual "pool" of available medals in the game?
EK 1 and II as well as the knights cross with its numerous variants but what about the Gold cross, the uboot-badge and the uboot-clasp?
What do I have to do/tweak to achieve the following:
- a chance to get at least promoted to Kapitän zur See later on if successful ?
- a chance to receive all the aforementioned medals later on if successful ?
- setup the renown figures to my liking without crashing the game
I want it hard to get promoted and rewarded but not impossible i.e. in one career I was still only Oberleutant zur See after 6 very good patrols but already cashed in the the Knights cross with oak leaves and swords but was still without the Uboot badge.



I read these threads but would like to know if this is the latest on this subject since it dates all the way back to 2010:
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...d.php?t=174120
This is even older:
https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...d.php?t=134306


Thanx in advance....



U-Mate

1. No idea. Is Commander installed correctly ? I like putting it in the game install root directory.
For that matter, post your games install path.
2. Yes, as far as I know. But if desired, just dock immediately and start patrol #2.
3. In terms of medals, etc., not much difference. The "Already in Sh3" uses how the game is setup via your install.
4. Yes, two ways. a. If there is an empty slot, the new member will automatically be placed there. b. You move them to where ever you want them yourself, via the barracks option screen.
5. Those functions are controlled via the basic.cfg file found in path game\data\cfg.
However, Commander alters that file unless it's prevented from doing so. See the static.cfg file in the your Commander's install cfg folder.

[ubootmate]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

1. No idea. Is Commander installed correctly ? I like putting it in the game install root directory.
For that matter, post your games install path.

First of all a big THANX to you for trying to tackle my knowledge shortage!
Lets start with the first issue.



To answer your question:
Both programs have seperate folders.
The Game (SH3) is located in the obvious "Ubisoft/SilentHunterIII" path, while Commander has its own path, namely "SH3 Commander".
Anything wrong with that setup?


Oh and then there`s something I read earlier on the Ubisoft forum about the SH3 Commander:


"Runyan, it does a lot of things. Some good, some unexpected. If you launch the game through it it will change your crew rankings to German from English. But there is one ehem, "negative effect". depending on your defintion of negaitve
It will make changes to the tonnage of merchant ships - for example a C2 goes from 6200 tons w/o the mod applied down to 4400 tons or so, a T3 goes down to 8800 from ~11,000 etc. Renown is unaffected.
You do NOT have to run the game through it and you can roll back the changes it made at anytime- just be aware that you'll prolly want to edit the merchant ship tonnage back up to defaults if you do launch the game through SH3Commander."


The entire postings can be found here:


https://forums.ubisoft.com/showthrea...-SH3-COMMANDER


Is this true? Or are these flaws (reduced tonnage values) corrected with the later versions of the SH3 commander since these postings are from 2005!

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by ubootmate

First of all a big THANX to you for trying to tackle my knowledge shortage!
Lets start with the first issue.



To answer your question:
Both programs have seperate folders.
The Game (SH3) is located in the obvious "Ubisoft/SilentHunterIII" path, while Commander has its own path, namely "SH3 Commander".
Anything wrong with that setup?


Oh and then there`s something I read earlier on the Ubisoft forum about the SH3 Commander:


"Runyan, it does a lot of things. Some good, some unexpected. If you launch the game through it it will change your crew rankings to German from English. But there is one ehem, "negative effect". depending on your defintion of negaitve
It will make changes to the tonnage of merchant ships - for example a C2 goes from 6200 tons w/o the mod applied down to 4400 tons or so, a T3 goes down to 8800 from ~11,000 etc. Renown is unaffected.
You do NOT have to run the game through it and you can roll back the changes it made at anytime- just be aware that you'll prolly want to edit the merchant ship tonnage back up to defaults if you do launch the game through SH3Commander."


The entire postings can be found here:


https://forums.ubisoft.com/showthrea...-SH3-COMMANDER


Is this true? Or are these flaws (reduced tonnage values) corrected with the later versions of the SH3 commnder since this postings are from 2005!

1. The root of your problems are the game's install path. Never allow the game to install to it's default as doing so causes problems with applying mods, etc.
Make a path for it to install to, i.e. c:\sh3, etc.
2. That tonnage info. applied to an early version of Commander. The last one has an option box to check as to whether to use that feature or not.

[ubootmate]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

1. The root of your problems are the game's install path. Never allow the game to install to it's default as doing so causes problems with applying mods, etc.
Make a path for it to install to, i.e. c:\sh3, etc.
2. That tonnage info. applied to an early version of Commander. The last one has an option box to check as to whether to use that feature or not.

Greetings, Mr. Pancoast (nice name by the way ) and thanks for offering your two cents.



Okay, just to be sure, to make it work from scratch I will deinstall both programs and reinstall them in a new folder with the name you suggested - like right now.
Where exactly in the commanders setup is this feature?

As a sidenote: My Commander version is v3.2.0.203. Is that the latest, up-to-date variety of the program?? If not, what is the newest version and where can I get it?



Greetings
U-mate

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by ubootmate

Greetings, Mr. Pancoast (nice name by the way ) and thanks for offering your two cents.



Okay, just to be sure, to make it work from scratch I will deinstall both programs and reinstall them in a new folder with the name you suggested - like right now.
Where exactly in the commanders setup is this feature?

As a sidenote: My Commander version is v3.2.0.203. Is that the latest, up-to-date variety of the program?? If not, what is the newest version and where can I get it?



Greetings
U-mate

1. Be sure to also delete any files found in a path such as c:\documents\sh3. Your path won't look like that but something similar depending on your OS version.
2. I like installing Commander in the game install folder. I.e., if I have the game installed in c:\sh3, Commander is installed to that path.
3. You have the correct, last version of Commander.

[ubootmate]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

1. Be sure to also delete any files found in a path such as c:\documents\sh3. Your path won't look like that but something similar depending on your OS version.
2. I like installing Commander in the game install folder. I.e., if I have the game installed in c:\sh3, Commander is installed to that path.
3. You have the correct, last version of Commander.

Yup, correct intervention, Mr. Pancoast.
Got that box checked as well.
I found two of my profiles (2 Kaleuns) in the folder
"documents/personal documents/SH3" and deleted them instantly.

Regarding the new installation:
The CD asks me to install the install shield wizard first - which I have just completed.

After accepting the the license contract setup wants me to name the the target folder, where the program shall be installed to.


I created a folder named "silenthunter3" so the final path looks like this:
C:\Program Files (x86)\silenthunter3


Now the program asks me to select a program folder for the game and suggests "Ubisoft\Silent Hunter III", but my newly created one is not selectable
and the ubisoft folder is not located in my self created "silenthunter3"-Folder.
So, what to do here?

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by ubootmate

Yup, correct intervention, Mr. Pancoast.
Got that box checked as well.
I found two of my profiles (2 Kaleuns) in the folder
"documents/personal documents/SH3" and deleted them instantly.

Regarding the new installation:
The CD asks me to install the install shield wizard first - which I have just completed.

After accepting the the license contract setup wants me to name the the target folder, where the program shall be installed to.


I created a folder named "silenthunter3" so the final path looks like this:
C:\Program Files (x86)\silenthunter3


Now the program asks me to select a program folder for the game and suggests "Ubisoft\Silent Hunter III", but my newly created one is not selectable
and the ubisoft folder is not located in my self created "silenthunter3"-Folder.
So, what to do here?

Sorry, I should have been more specfiic; do not install anywhere in the Program Files, etc. paths.
Only install directly to a folder outside of them. I.e., instead of the path you have listed, make one on your main hard drive.
I.e., c:\silenthunter3 < - note the removing of the programfiles path. c = whatever your main hard drive is called.

[ubootmate]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Sorry, I should have been more specfiic; do not install anywhere in the Program Files, etc. paths.
Only install directly to a folder outside of them. I.e., instead of the path you have listed, make one on your main hard drive.
I.e., c:\silenthunter3 < - note the removing of the programfiles path. c = whatever your main hard drive is called.

Fine, no problem, got that down too.
But the question remains even after creating "c:/silenthunter3" :

After installshield Wizard accepted this particular path to install the game to, he asks me to selest a program folder for the game and suggests "ubisoft\Silent Hunter III" or select one from the existing ones - and unfortunately the newly created is not one of the selectable ones....

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by ubootmate

Fine, no problem, got that down too.
But the question remains even after creating "c:/silenthunter3" :

After installshield Wizard accepted this particular path to install the game to, he asks me to selest a program folder for the game and suggests "ubisoft\Silent Hunter III" or select one from the existing ones - and unfortunately the newly created is not one of the selectable ones....

Right, if I'm understanding you correctly that won't matter. Only the install path is important.

[ubootmate]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Right, if I'm understanding you correctly that won't matter. Only the install path is important.

Well, okay, but I still have to select and/or name a program folder or else I cannot click "proceed"...


I chose "Silent Hunter III" (without ubisoft as main folder)...
and it seems to be working.


c:/silenthunter3 is the folder where all the data is being installed to as we speak. All the subfolders of the game are there (sh3.exe, data ...)
Now the Installshield Wizard asks me whether to install "Gameshadow" from the CD or not? What is this program, do I need it or shoud I discontinue to install it?

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by ubootmate

Well, okay, but I still have to select and/or name a program folder or else I cannot click "proceed"...


I chose "Silent Hunter III" (without ubisoft as main folder)...
and it seems to be working.


c:/silenthunter3 is the folder where all the data is being installed to as we speak. All the subfolders of the game are there (sh3.exe, data ...)
Now the Installshield Wizard asks me whether to install "Gameshadow" from the CD or not? What is this program, do I need it or shoud I discontinue to install it?

Do not install Gameshadow.

[ubootmate]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Do not install Gameshadow.

As you say....
I canceld the installation of Gameshadow.
So I have the game ready.
c:/silenthunter3 contains the SH3.exe and all other game folders like data, documentation, Support, mission editor etc.....
Just finished the requirement section and it tells me that my system is capable of playing this game.


Whats next?
SH3 Commander?
Any specifics or things to monitor before installing the commander?

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by ubootmate

As you say....
I canceld the installation of Gameshadow.
So I have the game ready.
c:/silenthunter3 contains the SH3.exe and all other game folders like data, documentation, Support, mission editor etc.....
Just finished the requirement section and it tells me that my system is capable of playing this game.


Whats next?
SH3 Commander?
Any specifics or things to monitor before installing the commander?

No, sounds like you're all set. Commander has specific files to use with the various megamods but if you're just using it with a stock SH3 install, you won't need those.

[ubootmate]

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

No, sounds like you're all set. Commander has specific files to use with the various megamods but if you're just using it with a stock SH3 install, you won't need those.

Ah...and how am I going to get enhanced patrol logs with ships names and use crew management like custom names ?
Is this possible without installing the SH3 commander?