[WIP] Wolves of the Kaiser:1914-1918 Mod

[iambecomelife]

Originally Posted by Kapitain Oliver Leinkraunt

Any news out there ? )

Unfortunately, got bogged down in bug fixing! On top of that I have been working 7 day weeks (including this week) and had to cancel a planned big update with screenshots for subsim and the facebook WOTK page, I sincerely apologize.
Had been implementing the last battlecruisers, HMS Tiger and Lion/PR/Queen Mary .... Had a very, very frustrating issue with new battlecruisers not displaying damage properly. But I have overcome it. HMS Tiger now displays holes, catches fire quite nicely, and leans over when she gets torpedoed.

Also reviewed SH4 torpedo damage values and learned a lot.

I am in preparation for the final version of WWI sub interiors, don't want to promise too much as always but they will be nice.

Also made minor environmental changes, using the waves in the game UBoat as an inspiration. I found that having larger waves gives the ocean a nicer look at low windspeeds.

[1Patriotofmany]

Thank you again for taking time out of your life to do this for SH4 fans!!!!

[iambecomelife]

Good news! The Halloween update is a go (technically it will be a few days after Halloween).

The focus will be on:

-U-31 Class capabilities .... Basically, images, stats, and capabilities of this iconic WWI sub!

-Early work on WWI interiors - I can confirm that I am starting on new interior rooms! With all new crew positions...right now up to 8 or 9 men in existing compartments when battlestations are called. No more "command room only" interior.

-The last few major UK surface units. The "Splendid Cats" Lion & Princess Royal, plus Tiger, have been modeled. Also many new cruiser classes.

-Also the last few German surface units ... Nassau Class BB's, Kaiser Class, Furst Bismarck Armored Cruiser, and more.

-Possibly, the awards system....3d versions of the Iron Cross, Blue Max, Hanseatic Cross, etc.

The update should be posted no later than Sunday night, here and on the facebook page.

[iambecomelife]

Mini update: whenever I get home I have been working on the following:

-Further progress on submarine interiors. Jeff Groves has helped with some things (thank you!), others I will be making myself....
In particular I will be making new 50 cm torpedo tubes - started on them
and am very happy with how things are going. UB-III Class photos are being used as the primary reference.
Did the following:

-Torpedo tube clamshell doors
-Torpedo tube bodies
-Valve wheels (various sizes - round and star shaped)
-Butterfly Valves
-Compressed air hoses
-Gauge faces
-Machinery base plates
-Assorted nuts & screws

-Changed the color of some existing items in the command room, mainly valve wheels which were too brightly colored

-Also fine tuned ship damage based on the speed of Lion-class sinking....this is always an ongoing process

-Prepared screenshots for the Autumn update (this takes much longer than you think)

-Additional German award research.

-Also did a little clean up of the comments on the facebook page ... let's just say that the WOTK
Facebook page, which I pay to promote, is not a democracy.
I am a busy person with family commitments; I make no apologies for putting my loved ones before this mod.
Which I am giving to the public absolutely free.

Many private issues have gone on behind the scenes delaying
release - you are not entitled to an explanation ..... but suffice it to say
that taking care of sick relatives comes first. You have been warned, and you know who you are.

A sincere thank you to the 99% of followers who are polite, and don't act entititled.

[SlySkydiver]

Awesome! Didn't even realize this mod was gonna include sub interiors. It's gonna be sick going through and exploring them in the future. Thank you for all the hard work.

[iambecomelife]

Originally Posted by SlySkydiver

Awesome! Didn't even realize this mod was gonna include sub interiors. It's gonna be sick going through and exploring them in the future. Thank you for all the hard work.

Absolutely.... My pleasure. Out of necessity lots of parts will be reused. I only managed to find one single photo of the UB-II class interior, for example. And there definitely will not be a full U-Cruiser/U-139 Class interior, that would just take too long. I am thinking about having one torpedo room for all classes with four forward tubes and another torpedo room model for the 2 forward tube boats, like the U-31 class. It will be easy to replace two of the torpedo tubes with pipes and extra oxygen cylinders.

Surprisingly, the U-139 forward torpedo room was extremely cramped, despite them being huge submarines; I was looking at photos last night and their bow compartment was almost as cramped as the UB-III class. The U-139 forward living/working stations were unpleasant - to say the least .... filthy, claustrophobic, and made worse by having four torpedoes taking up bunk space ..... until they were fired off while on patrol. There simply was not much attention to habitability on subs in WWI, their crewmembers truly were men of iron! It turns out, this helps me ... it means that one 4-tube forward torpedo room can plausibly be used for the biggest U-Boats.

[iambecomelife]

Very early progress on Torp Tubes and new battle stations positions for crew. Crew will sleep when off duty.

[Kal_Maximus_U669]

Hey iambecomelife...
Personally I really can't wait to test... especially since this part of the conflict is never dealt with in games... that said, take your time... your work is colossal... Full grown respect for this modding..

[iambecomelife]

Good news, a big chunk of the forward torpedo room interior modeling is now done! I had been dreading this stage of the project but, it is going great.

Pleasantly surprised at how much got done in just two days of work. Some of the parts are even textured.

Our belated Halloween screenshot update is now on the Facebook site, I will also be posting it here today. Tentative plans re: interiors are for the following rooms to be modeled:

-50cm Torpedo Room (2 tube variant) - Bow and Stern
-50cm Torpedo Room (4 tube variant) - Bow
-45cm Torpedo Room (2 tube variant) - Bow and Stern
-Electrical Engine Room
-Diesel Room (Germaniawerft variant)
-Diesel Room (MAN variant)

Other rooms will be included but they are already-created components I have secured permission for - adapted from other modders' WWII Type II interior.

Very happy with where things stand now.

[ElCid97]

Outstanding work!





The more I see of this, the more I realize this whole genre of sims is truely a labor of love -- regardless of the era!

Keep it up!

ElCid97

[iambecomelife]

OK, finally got the Fall update ready on the other site .... the 50cm torpedo room has already been improved since early this morning.

[IMG]

[iambecomelife]

[iambecomelife]

[ElCid97]

Patience is a virtue we're all having in abundance now, because this will DEFINTATELY be worth the wait!

Excellent, excellent job!

ElCid97

[iambecomelife]

Originally Posted by ElCid97

Patience is a virtue we're all having in abundance now, because this will DEFINTATELY be worth the wait!

Excellent, excellent job!

ElCid97

Thank you kindly sir....El Cid you have a PM, I may be able to think of a few other things after work tomorrow!

In other news, guys, I have done even more work on the fwd torpedo room (50cm) that I already posted; I got to work modeling right after posting my updates on facebook and subsim. I found some priceless new photos of the interior of UB-110 (not the ones you see all over the internet, these are really rare) - very helpful. They allowed me to figure out certain mysteries, like what was between the forward oxygen tanks and the crew lockers.

Also have been looking at Tomi's past work on engines and other interior spaces (disclaimer - the videos are all his work, not mine). Very good for inspiration: