TMO With Training Wheels 152 (TMOWTW_152) is up

[dgrayson]

Trigger Maru Overhaul With Training Wheels is available here: http://files.filefront.com/REL+SH4+v15+TMOWTW+1527z/;10637628;/fileinfo.html

This is an edited version of TMO_152. It creates a middle step  from stock to TMO.

Here are the differences:
The intro movies are back in.
The Loading Screen identifies it as Trigger Maru Overhauled With Training Wheels. courtesy of Yooperbacker.
The main menu notifies you that you are playing TMOWTW and whether the American game or the Uboat game is enabled.
The boxes, triangles and their directional tails are back in.
The map icons for ships and planes are back in.
The distance from the position of the sub that generates radio reports of contacts has been doubled.

The stock Gramophone is back in.
The Nomograph has been removed.
Both of these can be reversed by enabling the TMOWTW_ Imperial_SpeedChart_Nomo MODlet. The Gramophone will still work, but it will be on the bottom of the pull down chart.

If you want the next unit/previous unit back, enable the TMOWTW_Next-Previous_Unit MODlet

Washington Radio now has some patriotic music added.
Thanks to Yooperbacker for his help on this.
If you love old time radio, there are a lot of radio MODs out there.

The Captain’s Desk photo is Betty Grable. Hubba, hubba!

The Gold Chronograph is by DMz a.k.a De@dMe@t.

The Radio:
There is a new radio image. It replaces the stock radio image with a more historically accurate looking one. The image was created by Subsim.com user castorp345
control buttons by teiandreyteider@gmail.com

Here is what doesn’t change:
Just about everything else in TTM
The AI is untouched, aircraft capabilities are untouched, and the environment is just as dangerous, so “Y’all be careful out there”

Install this with JSGME

Enable any MODlets after enabling TMOWTW.

Just like in Trigger Maru Overhauled, you can run either an American game or a Uboat game. If you wish to play a Uboat career you must enable the TMOWTW_Enable_Uboat_V4 MODlet. It's in the support directory. Disable it and you can play your American saves again.

For those that want the orange marker that shows the sub position, the "TMOWTW Show Sub Underwater Marker" by Yooperbacker is included, with his permission, as a MODlet.

The main loading screen was reworked by Yooperbacker

Dave

[harrysubdriver]

Looks like a fine idea, thanks Dave
I would be nice if one of the Modders could make a mod adding a Gauge to see the depth under the keel like in Silent Hunter 1. I find pinging to find the depth a PITA and you can’t do it when most needed, when in the presence of the enemy or it could give your position away. 

Harry

[aanker]

I would be nice if one of the Modders could make a mod adding a Gauge to see the depth under the keel like in Silent Hunter 1. I find pinging to find the depth a PITA and you can’t do it when most needed, when in the presence of the enemy or it could give your position away. 

Harry

That's why there is a reduction in reality points for using the DUK gauge in SH1.  Until I joined PTC I never knew there was a gauge.  I usually don't read manuals and I didn't read SHCE's until then either.  However I do read the Readme's that Ducimus says nobody reads..... lol
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but in real life they had to ping to find an accurate DUK that was not charted.
 
Art

[Rockin Robbins]

Not only did they not have a Depth Under Keel meter but they had no Hull Damage Meter either. But players squealed until Ubi felt they had to install it. Didn't matter. Now the same squealers are squawking about not being able to repair hull damage they see on their meter.

You can't make those people happy. Seek reality and let 'em squeal about that.

[dgrayson]

The Hull damage meter is a problem. As soon as someone figures out how to make it vanish, I’ll do just that. There is also the “Close to the Bottom” icon that came with 1.5 that needs to be dealt with. It’s almost as informational as the DUK in SH CE.

Dave

[harrysubdriver]

Correct me if I'm wrong but in real life they had to ping to find an accurate DUK that was not charted.
 
Art

Your right Art, but it sure would be nice , at least they had charts in real life that they could get information from even if inaccurate sometimes but heck in real life they did not have a exterior camera to see the ships on the surface either or the bottom outside the submarine. 
I know sometimes guys like it to be super realistic but they all seem to forget 'It Just a Game' 

Harry

[aanker]

I have to admit Harry that since I found out about the DUK gauge in SH1 I've been happily using it ;-)
 

The Hull damage meter is a problem. As soon as someone figures out how to make it vanish, I’ll do just that. There is also the “Close to the Bottom” icon that came with 1.5 that needs to be dealt with. It’s almost as informational as the DUK in SH CE.
 
Dave
 

Maybe it's as simple as editing the dds file to make the squares transparent to get rid of the pop-ups for Battle Stations, Shallow Water, Silent Running etc. and the text could probably be commented out ( too.  I would also like to find a way to edit out the hull damage meter.  It might be easier to do than I think (but I'm slow ... but steady ;-) ... still learning)
 
On the other hand if it was easy someone would have done it already......
 
Art
 
PS: this looks promising:
 
In menu_1024_768.ini there are a series of "Warnings" like these that may be for the buttons?
 

............... (edit) ........
 

Anyone played with deleting these yet?  I wonder what will happen.  I don't want to break it......

[dgrayson]

Art,

You don't have to delete them just to try it. I am a bit busy today or I'd try it myself. Here is what you can do.
Create a folder and name it "Test Icon Changes" for example.
In that folder create another folder name "Data"
In the Data Folder create a folder named "Menu"
Create a copy of the menu_1024_768.ini and put it in the Menu Folder

So the path is Test Icon Changes\Data\Menu\menu_1024_768.ini

Then go to the pertinent lines of the menu_1024_768.ini in your MOD and remark them out by putting a ; before each line you wnat removed.

Like this:
;[G3F I133]
;Name=Warning_CloseToSeaFloor
;Type=1032;Button
;ItemID=0x3F0C0003
;ParentID=0x3F0C0000
etc.

Drop your new MOD into your MODS folder, enable it, run the game and see if you wind up with a sucess or a face full of pie. That way you don't "break" anything.
 
Dave

[aanker]

Art,

You don't have to delete them just to try it. I am a bit busy today or I'd try it myself. Here is what you can do.
Create a folder and name it "Test Icon Changes" for example.
In that folder create another folder name "Data"
In the Data Folder create a folder named "Menu"
Create a copy of the menu_1024_768.ini and put it in the Menu Folder

So the path is Test Icon Changes\Data\Menu\menu_1024_768.ini

Then go to the pertinent lines of the menu_1024_768.ini in your MOD and remark them out by putting a ; before each line you wnat removed.

Like this:
;[G3F I133]
;Name=Warning_CloseToSeaFloor
;Type=1032;Button
;ItemID=0x3F0C0003
;ParentID=0x3F0C0000
etc.

Drop your new MOD into your MODS folder, enable it, run the game and see if you wind up with a sucess or a face full of pie. That way you don't "break" anything.
 
Dave
 

Thanks Dave but I asked if anyone did it yet... before I re-did somebody's work.  The results of inserting semi-colons in menu_1024_768.ini section(s) are:
 
The game freezes while trying to load.  After getting out of it and after the game picture closed out an error box was on my desktop that said, "Menu ID (a place letter/number) not found".  Obviously the Menu ID it was looking for was the "insignificant" one I had commented out.... lol
 
It's probably easier for me to edit the graphics.  I have the Gimp and a dds plug-in.
 
I don't use the JSGME, don't have a MOD's folder, and install selected mod files by hand ... even big ones like TM.  If something were ever to go wrong I have a clean install for backup.
 
Happy Hunting!
 
Art

[dgrayson]

I'll have a look tonight Art.

Dave

[scubamatt]

At the risk of offending most everyone, can someone please tell me the basic benefit of Trigger Maru Overhaul (and its training wheel version) compared to playing 'Stock' SH4? I have only a few minor mods installed, and TMO (etc) looks like a huge change to the game environment. Why should I install TMO(etc)?

 

Not trying to knock TMO, but I see it and a couple of other 'big ticket' mods mentioned all the time, and I'm wondering why they are so popular/good/mandatory, and so on....

[dgrayson]

@ Art,
You’re right, easier said than done.

scubamatt

TMO and it’s illegitimate offspring TMO With Training Wheels are SuperMODS that take advantage of some of the individual MODS that are out there and have a whole group of changes  that are the creation of Ducimus. Here are some of the things TMO does.

Graphics improvements. Most of ROW and Pacific Environments improvements are in there. The differences are dramatic. The Sub interiors are more functional and look better too. The Christmas Tree works, there are levers in the conning tower for Battle Stations and Crash dive. The uniforms are more realistic, the periscopes are smudged around the edge, the list goes on and on.

Game play Improvements.

The Campaign layers have all been reworked. Convoys zig zag and the traffic is greatly reduced. Major battles have more accurate Orders of Battle. Aircraft are reduced to more realistic levels, but they are more deadly and can spot you in calm seas at 200 feet. The escorts are aggressive and dangerous. Hard to get away from.

Sub crush depths are more realistic and you can dive below 450 feet. Sub set speeds, 1/3 2/3 are more reasonable and range is realistic. There is better information available to you. You can get things like the weather, hours to end of set course, distance to end of set course, range at this speed. My favorite is Enter no longer fires a torpedo. How many have you lost by accident that way? It takes Control + Enter to fire. The keyboard has a better layout and the Help screen are expanded. There is a Nomograph and a pull down Pacific Map.

If that is enough to pique your interest, down load TMO or TMOWTW and read the FAQ and readmes.

Pop it in with JSGME and have some fun. You can always disable it if you don't like it.

Dave

[aanker]

Trigger Maru started out as "Flavored to Taste" ... a collection of mods Ducimus liked and it grew from there.  Taters campaign layers were added and Ducimus further edited the game files and also the campaign layers to make the game play more gamey(??)... lol
 
Real Fleet Boat was started by Beery for the rivet counters among us and when he moved on to something else that interested him he turned RFB over to the RFB Team that now develops it.
 
Although I've had/have TM & RFB installs to see what they're all about I prefer Stock SH4 that I've modded to my taste using ideas I've learned from Ducimus, Beery, Mush Martin, Anvart, and others.
 
That's what I like about SH4; almost anything is possible including eventually figuring out how to remove the annoying little boxes... LMAO
 
Art
 
edit - PS: here's some good info on editing the menu_1024_768.ini file:
 
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111832
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=132032
 
there's more by searching for "menu_1024_768.ini" at subsim
 
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=132372

[Ducimus]

Haven't stopped by this forum in a little while.

dgrayson, great work man!

[scubamatt]

OK, halfway done with my first patrol, running TMOwTw (and PTC 8 Cycles). This is my first try at Manual TDC, 100% realism, using a 'supermod', starting in Asiatic Fleet, and using the new U-boat addon (SH4 patched to v1.5 before mods).

I don't know if this is because of the mod, or the v1.5 update, or just that I never noticed before, but I'm totally blown away by the new sounds and background environment. I had to save my game and run through the house looking for my wife to make her come listen to it.

Extremely cool sounds so far:

Crewmen (plural) shouting orders (one guy sounds a little panicked) and reports after I order a crash dive (two freakin Zeroes jumped us six minutes after the patrol started outside the base!!!). One of the voices sounds just like Harvey Keitel - yes, I'm probably going nuts, but I tell you it sounds like Harvey Keitel giving reports.

MC1 and crew, giving orders to surface the boat and switch over to charging the batteries.

The sound of the diesels shuddering to a stop as you dive the boat.

The sound of the diesels coughing to life after you surface, then the happy roar of diesels at work as you pick up speed.

On top of these cool new sound effects, I actually used the hydrophones (thanks to Rockin Robbin, and his video on Dick O'Kane Sonar Only Attack method). Have never done that before, had no idea you COULD use them, much less HOW to do so. Got report of a warship bearing 315, Long range. Rotated the hydrophones to that bearing, aand as I got close to the correct bearing I could hear the enemy props turning...MULTIPLE kinds! Deep (pitch), slow churning ones as well as higher pitched faster ones. Spent several minutes just playing with the hydrophones. Then saved my game and ran off to shanghai the wife again. Dragged her in to listen to the hydrophone sounds, and as I rotated the bearing around again, I heard a screw sound at bearing 040...soft, but getting louder by the second...but I was sure the sonar had reported the closest contact at 289 a little while ago...I nudged the sonar guy to report again, and he says "Contact! Warship! Bearing 039, Closing Fast!" Apparently I'm inside the escort screen, and about to be run down by a tin can!

I click on 180 feet and the boat begins to descend (we were at periscope depth, scope down). We listen as the screws get closer, and louder and LOUDER and then seem to pass overhead....I look over at my wife, and we both look up at the ceiling...then remember where we are and look at each other with silly grins.

"Wow," she says. "It sounds just like he went over us and into the neighbor's apartment."

I'm going to have to shut the music off, though. Between it, and the new sound effects, I'm as wound up as an eight day clock. My dinner sat here by my elbow and got cold while I worked my way past two task forces and into the straights. My wife made me save the game and I'm typing this as she reheats my food.

What a great way to spend the evening! I can't wait to try out the Dick O'Kane method and see if it works for me. After the patrol I'm going to try out the SH4 Report Generator (beta test) to see how it works.

Big kudos and thanks to Rockin Robbin and Dgrayson for bringing SH4 to a whole new level for me! <salute!>