[raymond6751]

[JScones]

You're going over old ground. Hacking into the .sav file has been tried by me and TimeTraveler (the expert on these things) months ago. If we could crack it, we'd have perfect Milk Cows (well, with SH3Cmdr anyway).

As I've stated before, the game cannot recognise damage at startup. Equipment is either fully functioning or fully destroyed. Hell, you can't even adjust the Hull Integrity value - it simply changes back to 100%. And there is no way to tell SH3 to "damage x at y days into the patrol". The game just ain't written that way. Damage can only occur via an in-game event.

Increasing effects of damage could be simulated though, by setting HitPoints to lower values or whatever, but again the damage will only occur after an event of some description - getting hit by depth charges, running into a sandbar whatever. Another alternative is to write any random value to any random binary file at any offset. That could cause any element of random results...but it's not an overly robust solution.

Believe me, if any of this was possible it would have been done by now, if not by me then definitely by others.

[Sailor Steve]

I DO understand that. I don't like it, but I understand it. Even SHII had random engine breakdowns which could then be repaired after hours of cruising at a very slow speed.

But, as you say, some things are hardcoded into the game. I remember TimeTraveller's readme from the 'BigWaves' mod, about how he got the winds to go all the way up to 45 m/s, but then any time he saved and reloaded they defaulted back to 15 m/s, so he finally had to settle for playing with the wave heights.

Anything you guys can do to make it better is fine with me (not that that makes any difference). I'm just happy to have the experience get better and better.

[HEMISENT]

Update-kind of long.
Added flak guns reload times increased to simulate jamming/stoppage caused by long periods of exposure to salt water, mechanical malfunctions or poor quality ammunition which was more apt to happen in later years.

Trim control is now a potential problem as boat rides heavy at stern. Depth keeping at slow speeds may prove a bit difficult. Tower tends to broach easily on calm seas.

Radars max range drastically decreased from 50% down to 1500m. Radar
was a new technology and prone to break down due to fragile equipment,
poor or incorrect maintainance or damage. (Sailor Steve request)

This is Campaign Patrol Report using combined Malfuntions/Sabotage files

Aug 14 1944 Brest
17:21 Depart bunker in an older typeVIIB U-48. Boat is supposedly
refurbished and returned to service from training command. My Chief Engineer is not impressed and refers to it as a fossil. 250 meters from the pens my RWR detects incoming radar signals from the North. Air Attack! Ahead Flank! All flak guns manned gunners to fire at will.
A flight of 6 B 24 Bombers in level flight are sighted as guns all around explode into action. Our boat gradually gains enough speed to manuever as a small freighter takes a direct hit not 500m away. The waters all around us erupt as we turn one way then another.

17:31 Raid is over, speed reduced to 9kts to clear the confines of the harbor. We overtake our escort which has sustained minor damage. So far so good.

18:00 Reduce speed to allow escort to overtake us. We need safe passage thru the nets and mines.

18:17 We are approaching the entrance to the channel on station 500m behind our guide.

19:36 Escort bids us farewell-we are on our own. Course set SSE to grid
CE54.

20:15 Aircraft sighted approaching from North. Crash Dive! Explosions rock the boat but no damage done, level at 60m.

20:19 The Chief informs me there may be a problem with the E motors.
Sound contact brg 332 long range slow speed screws. I order course atered to investigate.

20:30 At periscope depth. Lens takes too long to clear up-possibility that the seals were damaged from the recent attack. Finally a small German cargo ship comes into view. Ship is on fire and barely making way. I order the boat surfaced.

20:32 No sooner do the lookouts get to their stations than they are shouting of approaching aircraft. Crash Dive! A pair of Sunderlands appear from nowhere One directly ahead making an attack run on the merchant and the other right off our stern. He was as surprised as we were.

20:34 Explosions in the distance-The freighter is taking quite a pounding.

20:42 At periscope depth..The freighter is visible hdg North on fire smoking heavily tracer fire heading upwards. 2 aircraft are visible using spotlights as daylight fades. Nothing can be done-I order a return to course.

21:22 Surface the boat, Ahead Flank! We need to exit the area and head
toward deeper water.The Chief once again informs me of a new problem, the diesels have apparently seen better days and have difficulty with anything above 10-12 kts. He's assures me that his men are doing everything possible to coax more speed out of the relic. Speed reduced to 9kts to reduce the strain.

Aug 15 1944
02:04 Hdg SSE, Radar detects incoming aircraft at extremely close range. No time to dive Flak guns open up as we are bathed in brilliant light. Cannon fire tears thru upper structure killing both gunners instantly. Crash Dive!

02:16 Boat levels off at 70m. The diesel engine compartment is damaged in the attack and repairs commence immediately.

10:08 We've been down 8 hours now and air is getting a bit stale we will use the recently installed snort to run on diesels and ventilate the boat. The Chief is eager to test the diesels.

10:20 At schnorkel depth, raise observation scope, raise the snort. We have been detected by chance as tremendous explosions rock the boat. Heavy damage is reported to all compartments aft of fwd torpedo room.Crash Dive to escape. Damage reports continue to come in. At 60m the stern is heavy from flooding we realize the boat is headed downward and I order Blow Ballast/Ahead Flank to arrest our descent.

10:29 The boat is stabilized at 20m but we must maintain a higher speed which is draining the batteries. The pumps continue on rear compartments. We have heavy structural damage to the port side from the rear battery compartment aft. The Chief estimates our structural integrity to be under 50% I order a course set to take us home. The forward batteries are functional, aft batteries are offline-estimated repair time 19 minutes. The port diesel is destroyed, The snort is jammed in a partially raised position, everything in the conning tower is
either destroyed or heavily damaged including both periscopes.

10:37 Pumps have finally shut down-all flooding is secured. Speed is reduced to 4kts to maintain trim. We hear distant explosions behind us. I am informed that our fuel is down to 25%, we must have a massive fuel leak. The crew is attempting to raise the snort.

11:00 The rear batteries are once again online.

12:34 The crew has raised the snort and the boat is brought to proper depth. Without the periscopes it is extremely hazardous as we are coming up blind but we need to ventilate the boat plus the Chief is eager to test his one remaining diesel. We will make a short test run.

13:00 Both the schnorkel and the diesel are functioning properly. We put a little charge back in the batteries and head back to 20m until dark.

20:58 We surface the boat to heavy seas and rain, welcome cover from allied air patrols. I order 8kts from the stbd engine. Repair crews ordered to the conning tower.

21:10 RWR and observation periscope are once more operational altho the scope takes an extremely long time to clear up, at least we are not totally blind. The radio antennea and attack periscope are destroyed as are both flak guns.

03:54 We are approaching our minefield area-with no escort and poor visibility we will take it very slow and trust to the charts.

04:50 Approaching the narrows, speed increased to 8kts. This is a bad place to be caught by enemy aircraft with no room to manuever.

05:15 Harbor lights barely visible thru overcast.

05:25 A destroyer appears out of the haze, speed reduced to 5kts as we make our way to the safety of the pens.

All completed Malfunction files sent to Jscones for his review with potential of including into updated SH3 Commander.
Testing continues to determine percentages.

[JScones]

Thanks Hemisent. I've got your files. I've been a bit ill over the last few days so haven't yet given them my full attention. But I will. It's all sounding great though.

[Vader 1]

You are the man!!! I thought I was reading an section from "Iron Coffins"
excellent work sir.
Vader

[HEMISENT]