Hey guys, let's start an essentials thread.


Screenshots.. Parabellum and Letterboy1
CTRL-F11. The screenshots are dumped as BMP files into the SH3 directory. Hit Del on keypad to remove user interface.


Fatigue manipulation by "Master" @ Subsim

You can easily disable fatigue with a small edit to the basic.cfg (typically found in C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\data\CFG) I edited it so my officers would not get fatigued. My regular crew were ALL fatigued at the end but none of my officers were showing signs of fatigue.

Example: Edited Crew
Code:
[CREW_6] ;SUBLIEUTENANT
MoraleMin=0.50
MoraleMax=0.80
MoraleStep=0.1
FatigueMin=0
FatigueMax=20
FatigueStep=0.05
CoefMorale=0.2
CoefFatigue=0.4
QualEffect=1.5
Hp=14
Wounded=-0.02
Dead=-0.05
SunkShips=0.1
TorpedoHit=0.05
Experience=300


Example: Original Crew
Code:
[CREW_6] ;SUBLIEUTENANT
MoraleMin=0.50
MoraleMax=0.80
MoraleStep=0.1
FatigueMin=0
FatigueMax=0.6
FatigueStep=0.05
CoefMorale=0.2
CoefFatigue=0.4
QualEffect=1.5
Hp=14
Wounded=-0.02
Dead=-0.05
SunkShips=0.1
TorpedoHit=0.05
Experience=300

Graphics Corruption when starting game from Desktop Icon
--------------------------------------------

Think I lifted this from Subsim?

This will fix the weird graphical errors when starting from your Desktop Icon...

~Bill

First official *Bump*

Great idea Uther

Thanks m8

S!ap

Shift + Pgup/Pgdn = Bloom effect

1) Shift+ page up/shift+ page down = increase/decrease anti-aliasing on the fly.

2) Double-check in weapons management (I key) to make sure torpedos are loading after firing; I don't believe you get a message if you do not have enough crew in the torpedo room (like you do when diesel or electric engines are undermanned). Also you can't load topedos when rigged for silent.

3) Open tube doors before firing or you'll lose a few seconds, making your solution less accurate (as a noob U-boat Captain I learned this the hard way... watched several shots miss just aft)

Q = open tube
W = close tube

Unless of course you are using voice command software.. someone got the link?

H = GOTO Hydrophone station. Stop your engines if you are having trouble finding that elusive ship in the fog, then slowly move the HP wheel around til you hear it. Underwater listening can also improve your ability...Now we need a shortcut key.. SET COURSE to CONTACT..

PGUP, PGDN to raise/lower attack periscope

btw, anyone else finding that the WO doesn't always confirm an order vocally? SOmetimes he tells me the SOLUTION is ready and other times not..

Go to my website regularly also
Takes so much effort i want lots to get the help from it

I think that should read Hydrophone Station.

CTL+PG up or down for periscope to go to full up or down without holding the key.
FWIW,
Good Hunting!

Dominico

those pages are coming along nicely

If you crop those images a bit so you don't have to compress them the detail will come out much better

btw, I love mission building, but when I save my changes in the editor the mission won't load. Anyone know what the proper procedure is?

Reg - The mission must be saved where all the others are. ....data/english/single missions.

Just make a folder and name it the same as your mission file. After you have the folder and mission file set, just copy a .cfg from another mission and you're set!!!! A little work, but well worth it!

Happy mission building!

Mark

on screenshots: I just push the "print screen" key then alt-tab to graphics program and paste it in - no fuss no muss!

For a list of DVD drives that are running SH III click here.


Torpedos that won't reload. Damage is not repaired even with a crew on it.

Turn off Silent Running. It remains on after combat.

(In Response to Uthers request)

Schnorchels were retrofitted to Type VII's and IX's whilst the new boats (XXI and XXIII)were being built. It was because of these new designs that the schnorchel idea regained interest. The idea was originally from a Dutch naval officer who experimented in 1933. By 1940 he's refined the idea to make it into the schnorkel that we know. It was already fitted to Dutch submarines and these subs fell into both British and German hands after the Netherlands fell. Whilst these boats were put into service, neither Britain or Germany's navy saw the point of the schnorchel and took it off!.
The Kriegsmarine actually tested a Dutch boat with it on and concluded "technically intetesting but of no immediate utility"

Skydoc,

I just use a little program that runs in the background called FSScreen. It takes everything from the clipboard and puts it in a seprate folder. This can be used with any game.

So I do not have to use the ackward Control F-11 then have to browse through your SHIII folder. All I have to do is hit PrtScn as fast as I can.

It is FREE and you can find it here for download. Made for flight sim people but it works just fine for SH3 as I have TONS of screen's already. Hardest part I have with it is remembering to turn it on.

http://www.simradar.com/File/2791/FSScreen_Version_1_1.html

Mission Editor ... the problem was that I was not naming the mission the same as the directory.. has to be an exact match

Going to create a set of training exercises first..

bump

That sounds interesting... is there something out there already or is it a mod in the works?

many folks on the flight sim side use a bit of software called "shoot"

http://clans.gameclubcentral.com/shoot/

low cpu overhead and FREE!

HTH

another tweaky trick if you are looking to buy an UeberLeutnant: clicking on the barracks and awards buttons alternatively gives you different selections of officers to pick from.


Gun Technique:

when on the surface and looking to engage with the gun, put your attack p-scope up just a bit so you can see your target - if not already locked with UZO, do so now. Then you can do quick click on the attack P-scope button to get ranges to help fine tune your artillery.

Are you sure this works ? It doesn't for me...I changed the resolution to 1280 x 1024 (I have LCD) and saved the file then loaded the game and took a screenshot...still 1024x768.

Bump.

I wish someone would include how to safely delete some of those 'saves' I have, without losing my career...like mg bites of em....which files, and how many entries do I have to find, to get them all....and still keep the last one.

They sure did make the 'delete' process work backwards, odd....... :rolleyes: .

Voice Activated Commands

For a really good Voice acivated command program.

http://www.subsim.com

Go to downloads/Silent Hunter III for SH3 mods.

Direct URL:
http://subsim.com/subsim_files/patches.html#sh3

Some mapping tools, etc which are nice since my Navigator saw fit to forget his protractor....

Doesn't anybody at Ubisoft know how to produce a decent Merlin sound?

SH3 sounds are excellent apart from a dreadful lawnmower Hurricane sound.

I posted a quick and easy fix in this thread at the SoH.

http://www.cfcforums.com/showthread.php?t=15257&page=1\

Unzip and put it in the data/sound folder. Check if you like it, in the academy AA firing course.

It's a true Merlin recording.

having graphic glitches when starting the game with the sh3.exe? --> open the game CD and make a shortcut for sh3autorun.exe for your desktop.

think you spend too much time in port between patrols? --> go here:

C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\data\Cfg

and open the "basic.cfg" file. Find this section:

change "NbDaysInBase=28" to your desired number of days. Note that upgrades and such will add days to this base value.

Second page??? I think not.... *bump*

Save games that disappear, are corrupted, or have the "war has ended" bug. By MrDalgof

Hit Save and Exit instead of save and continue.


This cleared it up for me anyway.

H = GOTO SONAR

I think that should read Hydrophone Station

A hydrophone is a piece of equipment, a transducer

Sonar is analogous to Radar but uses Sound (acoustic energy) rather than Radio (electromagnetic energy: this has a tough time under water) It uses hydrophones rather than an antenna to couple the transducer to a sound source

Commander Ming
Acting PingMeister and Radio Ops

PS hi Av just popping in to see if there's a patch, I'm getting it later. SH3 I mean

Actually, you are both right. If your boat has SONAR, pressing H will take you to the station where both hydrophone AND SONAR are controlled.

Right click on dead crew while you're surfaced, they'll be buried at sea.

The German Cross in Gold gives your crewman unlimited endurance - I have a Watchman CWO and a Watch/Gunner/Eng Sr Leutnant that never tire!

You need the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st to give the GCIC to a crewman.

The Leutnant has the KC as well, but I haven't noticed any other benifits from that...

Ming you say you have not aquired SHIII yet? If you have an LCD monitor you might be disapointed. The rez cannot be changed stock. You can get a program that will change the rez but it only works with no cd patches. It seems that starforce is keeping the rez locked so you have to remove that first.

Otherwise it is the best sim I have ever played.

BS, SHIII works great with 5:4 LCD monitors. My monitor config even adjusted it automatically to 1024x800. Maybe if you didn't install your monitor's ini files, but that's still user error and not the game.

On a side note; it'll be interesting if Ming can keep is sub underwater for long.

Heya Ming! You should get this one ASAP! You'll like it, trust me on this one!


Quite true, AK, I was just quoting what the key card says.

Some LCD's must use there native resolution or graphics are lessened. In my case I use a wide screen monitor and need to change the rez to 16x9 or 1280x720.

Northern Atlantic Map of the german Kriegsmarine

Movable Protractor / Map Tools v1.1

Still no simple bearing tool for use at all zoom levels. Guess we must put our faith in the devs for that. Oh well, great stuff.

Bump

actually from Dbond:

"You get extra renown for returning to base. All you need to do is get within about 20km of the port. On my machine this distance is easiliy identifiable by a 10 second pause as the port loads. At this point you can hit escape, exit patrol and you will now have the option to "Dock at (port name)" as opposed to "Retun to base" when you are farther away."

So watch your fuel for that extra bit of renown !!!

Word you dont want to hear in the sub...

Bump

Thanks chaps - running fine on my flatscreen and seems to scale ok. Fixed resolution doesn't seem important so it must be ok

Would be the cherry on top if 1600x1200 but the sim sucks you in right away doesn't it and you look right past the "What limitations?" limitations

Ming

Another nifty little feature is the Shift + f11. Instead of taking one screenshot, it takes a sequence of screenshots that can be used to create movies. If you have Quicktime Pro, or After Effects, etc, you can pull in sequential images(file names are numbered in sequence) and create the movie format of your desire.

Here's one I made using this function..

Ingame made movie.

Any chance of making a sticky out of this fine topic?

Shift+F2 while in Command Room, gives you free camera inside.

There`s a whole bunch of mods at the below link in case anyone is interested. Puts

http://subsim.com/phpBB/viewforum.php?f=41

Would recommend against trying to sit on the bottom to avoid destroyers, doesn't seem to work.

ENTER key reassignment

a fix for this was posted few days ago by rlk, it works just great.

While you're sober do this: [Big Grin]

Go to data/cfg

Open Commands.en (or de if using German)

Find cmd313

Change Keyo=oxod ,, "enter"

To Keyo=oxod ,c, "enter"

This remaps to ctrl enter to fire torpedos

I made a small mod that enables crew cheers in the German version.

http://users.pandora.be/johan_eaf274/downloads/CrewCheers_DE.zip

From the readme:

This mod enables crew cheers in the German dialogue speech in Silent Hunter III. When you destroy a ship (or aircraft) in the campaign, one of the crew in the command tower will cheer. No other changes are made by this mod.

You do not need to install this mod if you are using English speech in the game (since crew cheers are already present).

Enjoy

Alt F4 seems to be the key control for "exit game and hide from spousal unit without effecting patrol stats key"...

note: untested wide awake.

ALT TAB works as well! of course, PAUSE it first!


So my Spouse "DIVE" Routine is:

1. "ALAAAAAAAAARM!"
2. press backspace with your right index finger
3. press ALT and TAB with your leftthumb and index finger respectively
4. if properly prepared, have website up in browser on desktop behind game, preferably something like 1-800-flowers (gets you bonus points!) heh heh heh...and set your taskbar to autohide!

"Sticky Hydrophone":

Don't you hate it, that when you're switching between map and hydrophone all the time, everytime the hydro-needle has moved elsewhere?

To have the needle stick where you left it, simply put the sonar-guy off-duty.

Mad-h's post at subsim.... I can also attest it works as advertised. [Thumbs Up]

Mad-h reports: crosshair removed!

open the menu_1024_768.ini file, search for [G27 I12] (the viewport thingy) and change the whole thing to only this:
[G27 I12]
Name=Viewport
Type=1030;Static bmp
ItemID=0x27000001
ParentID=0x27000000

no crashes, no crosshair, you can still choose targets with it (use the middle of the binocular), and yes, the watch officer can help you (deck gun target, or something, nearest warship, nearest merchant and stuff). It works.

I looked all over the manual, readme, and web for the Career "Flotilla - Base - SubType" assignments and completely struck out. So I opened up the "flotilla.cfg" file and made a cheat sheet.

If anyone finds any errors please let me know and I'll edit this post. Hope you find it useful.

1st Flotilla
Wilhemshaven 6/39 to 7/40
Brest 8/40 to 9/44

1939: U-Boat Type IIA
1940: U-Boat Type VIIB
1941: U-Boat Type VIIC
1942: U-Boat Type VIIC
1943: U-Boat Type VIIC
1944: U-Boat Type VIIC

2nd Flotilla
Wilhemshaven 8/39 to 8/40
Lorient 9/40 to 9/44

1940: U-Boat Type VIIB
1941: U-Boat Type IXB
1942: U-Boat Type IXC
1943: U-Boat Type IXC
1944: U-Boat Type IXC

7th Flotilla
Kiel 8/39 to 8/40
St. Nazaire 9/40 to 7/44
Bergen 8/44 to 5/45

1939: U-Boat Type VIIB
1940: U-Boat Type VIIB
1941: U-Boat Type VIIC
1942: U-Boat Type VIIC
1943: U-Boat Type VIIC/41
1944: U-Boat Type VIIC/41
1945: U-Boat Type VIIC/41

10th Flotilla
Lorient 1/41 to 9/44

1942: U-Boat Type IXC
1943: U-Boat Type IXC
1944: U-Boat Type IXC

11th Flotilla
Bergen 1/41 to 5/45

1942: U-Boat Type VIIC
1943: U-Boat Type VIIC/41
1944: U-Boat Type VIIC/41
1945: U-Boat Type VIIC/41

12th Flotilla
Bordeaux 10/42 to 8/44

1942: U-Boat Type IXB
1943: U-Boat Type IXC
1944: U-Boat Type IXC

29th Flotilla
La Spezia 9/41 to 8/43
Toulon 9/43 to 8/44

1941: U-Boat Type VIIB
1942: U-Boat Type VIIB
1943: U-Boat Type VIIC
1944: U-Boat Type VIIC

33rd Flotilla
Flensburg 9/44 to 6/45

1944: U-Boat Type VIIC/41
1945: U-Boat Type VIIC/41

Reduced Fatigue Mod:

If, like me, you don't like being forced to micromanage your crew assignments due to fatigue, this mod will reduce it to a level where you don't normally have to mess with it.

Be aware your crew will still get fatigued if you spend a lot of time at 32X time compression, especially in bad weather.

After backing up your stock Basic.cfg file, replace the entire [FATIGUE_COEF] section with this:

[FATIGUE_COEF]
;comp 0
RegularFactor00=0.0035
SpecificFactor00=0.005
BadWeather0=0.01
;comp1
RegularFactor10=0.0025
RegularFactor11=0.0025
SpecificFactor10=0.005
SpecificFactor11=0.005
BadWeather1=0.01
;comp2
RegularFactor20=0.0025
RegularFactor21=0.0025
SpecificFactor20=0.005
SpecificFactor21=0.005
BadWeather2=0.01
;comp3
RegularFactor30=0.0025
RegularFactor31=0.0025
SpecificFactor30=0.005
SpecificFactor31=0.005
BadWeather3=0.01
;comp4
RegularFactor40=0.0025
RegularFactor41=0.0025
SpecificFactor40=0.005
SpecificFactor41=0.005
BadWeather4=0.01
;comp5
RegularFactor50=0.0025
RegularFactor51=0.0025
SpecificFactor50=0.005
SpecificFactor51=0.005
BadWeather5=0.01
;comp6
SpecificFactor60=-0
SpecificFactor61=-0
;comp7
SpecificFactor70=-0
SpecificFactor71=-0
;comp8
RegularFactor80=0.0025
RegularFactor81=0.0025
SpecificFactor80=0.005
SpecificFactor81=0.005
BadWeather8=0.01
;comp9
RegularFactor90=0.0025
SpecificFactor90=0.005
BadWeather9=0.01
;comp10
RegularFactor100=0.025
SpecificFactor100=0.005
BadWeather10=0.01
;comp 11
RegularFactor110=0.0025
RegularFactor111=0.0025
SpecificFactor110=0.005
SpecificFactor111=0.005
BadWeather11=0.01

Are there any tutorials around for firing torps manually? I've seen the one in the Naval Academy section of the game but it doesn't say how to do it.

I also can't see how to adjust the difficulty level so that I can manually fire torps in the Single Missions.

I'm a newbie, in case you hadn't guessed!

if you hit SHIFT-F11, it takes a series of screen shots... I was wondering why it was boggin down and i lost 4.3 gigs of space....oops

A must have is the JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler (JSGME).

With this you can add and remove any mod without hassle.

You can find it at U-Boot.realsimulation in the SH3 file library under essentials.

FILENAME: JSGME

I just purchased SH3 and am having some trouble with the protection system. It asks for the disk key but the only key I seem to have is the install key code and when I enter it I get an error.

any help would be most appreciated

fitz

One way to get rid of the fatigue is to mod the tonnage requirement for medals.

i.e. drop the tonnage required down to 10t for all medals.... after 3 patrols everybody has a GC.

Guys,
Thanx for all the tips in the thread for editing. But with what do yu edit these files? WORd or any other editorial program?
Please give me some options on programs.
Cheers, UKoppie

Word- or Note-pad will do.

Enter the top line only exactly like it is on the sticker (caps and dashes)
Should work

XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

Hi there,

I tried to open the cfg file, but windows reports that it can not open the file. What am I doing wrong?

TIA

Brad

Hello,

You make nothing wrong...it's a normal behaviour of Windows...
But you not use the good way..
Right clik mouse on the CFG file
You will see a menu...and there you will find option.."open with"...take it and after choice the "Notepad" in the list of applications....
It's just ONE of the basic use of Windows.....
Will remember you...Bill Gates put a HELP section in his OS...and it worth to just check it for the basic use of Windows.

Military regards.





Software is just like sex; it is good only when it's free
My blog
My homepage
WIKI The EAW encyclopedia.
OAWunifiedV1.01 (Final)
US-English interface version
Interface version francaise
Schnittstelle in Deutsch

How to install & play SHIII WITHOUT STARFORCE INSTALLED:

get your SHIII retail disk off of the shelf & blow off the dust
get the latest v1.4b patch for SH3
get the v1.4b crack (from the usual suspects )

install game(DO NOT RUN SH3 after INSTALLING!)
Starforce doesn't install when you install the game, SF is installed the FIRST TIME you RUN the SF protected game exe
install patch(DO NOT RUN SH3 after PATCHING!)
for same reason as above
use cracked files to replace original game files of same name, NOW you can RUN the game safely (and without the CD too!)

this will work until there is an official patch to remove it

BUT PLEASE, ONLY USE A LEGITIMATE RETAIL COPY to INSTALL!

hip63 :p

How to change the airstrike file for more planes, Open notepad and goto Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\Data\CFG\Airstrike.cfg You need to read carefully here, to add more planes for convoy cover just change the line {3.4 add more aircraft probabilistically for a large target} to 3.5 for example.

You can also change your contacts in the file Contacts.cfg for example {Display Range To Opportunity Radio Contacts=300 ;[>0] kilometers[ To 500 or something

Could someone please post an updated list of "must-have" mods for an old seadog looking to get back into the game? I am currently running v. 1.4B without any mods at all. So...

Which gameplay mods SHOULD I use?

And which visual mods? (I saw someone doing an improved seabed mod a while back, looked ace...).

Thank you
Kepler

LOL, was thinking the same thing. I was about to reinstall SHIII after a long absence, (computer crashed), but then I looked at my add-ons folder and thought: "Oh man, to sort all this out! Can't remeber half the stuff, I got here"

Well, right now I am reinstalling Half Life 2.

...I felt the need for something else after a week of monster bashing in Titan Quest...After some thinking I decided to go for HL2 or SHIII, then of course I could fire up Lock-On...come to think of it, I've got too many games :p

The Grey Wolves Expansion (GWX mod):
http://www.users.on.net/~jscones/GWX/

s

Q-Ship mod released for SHIII, compatable with GWX 2.1. Puts

http://207.44.214.111/subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=138229

Here are a working link dating of the 11/20/08 with all the different full Mods and packages.
Go for it, you only live once
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/forumdisplay.php?f=195
Enjoy

Here are a working link dating of the 11/20/09 with all the different full Mods and packages.
Go for it, you only live once
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/forumdisplay.php?f=195
Enjoy