Author Topic: [S3G] The Silent Hunter III Guide - Not Only For Beginners of [SH3]  (Read 1153116 times)

Offline REV_BL!TZKR!EG

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LAST CHANGE: 20230208

This thread is meant as a documentation-resource and not intended for discussion and useless welcome-mails that contain no helping info. You guys may continue to use the cluttered Susi-forum for that kind of nonsense. If you want to give feedback, have a question that you would like to raise or would like to have something added COME TO TEAMSPEAK! It is best to not use SuSi because the only response you will get is from their stupid "welcome-comitee" and no help at all. Yet much better is to come to TEAMSPEAK and talk. Also highly recommended is to have TeamViewer/AnyDesk ready for a "quick help-session"...


[TEAMSPEAK] - [ANYDESK] - [TEAMVIEWER] - ALL FOR FREE

 01 - This Overview On Contents
 02 - Resources - What You Really Need!
 03 - (Re-)Installation Of SH3
 04 - Multiple Installs
 05 - Mega-Mods
 06 - Recommended Mods And Modding In General
 07 - Recommended Tools And Addons For Players
 08 - Multiplayer-Gaming
 09 - Tactics And Strategy
 10 - Historical Research For Those Who Like To Know . soon: Technical & Historical Research
 11 - Videos? Videos!
 12 - THE LAST KNOWN VERSION OF SH3-Community-Manual
 13 - Silent Hunter III-Nomenclature

This guide had been online on SuSi for more than half a decade until their SNOT-gang decided to censor it completely because it was me who wrote it. So rethink if you really want to donate to such guys who deprive such helpful information from their paying community only because of some petty personal animosities.
« Last Edit: 20230419, 14:52:50 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »
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Offline REV_BL!TZKR!EG

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Resources - What You Really Need!
« Reply #1 on: 20171022, 20:54:04 »
Resources - What You Really Need!
  • You need reliable download-resources:Forget the download-section over at SuSi, where unluckily nothing gets updated. The admins there obviously do not care for working links and updated files at all and you must even pay for some of their downloads.
  • You need this stuff in any case:
    • You need a place to discuss your view or ask questions:
      • - best using 'voice' on TeamSpeak
      • - If you like to be spammed with useless welcome-doodle-messages without any attempt of help, enjoy SuSi... - but: You have been warned!
    • You need a group for effective immersion and much more fun in your gameplay, so consider joining an online-flotilla (in other games referred to as clans): What shall I say... ► Compare yourself... ◄
« Last Edit: 20220929, 12:48:01 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »

Offline REV_BL!TZKR!EG

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(Re-)Installation Of SH3
« Reply #2 on: 20171022, 20:55:05 »
(Re-)Installation Of SH3's basis: V1.4b

2020...SH3 has turned 15 years old and still people are posting utter nonsense on the SuSi-whiners-club and elsewhere, so let us get some things straight ahead:

[1.] Silent Hunter III functions on all known Windows-versions from XP on. Read that word 'all' as 'any'. Period! It does not matter which sub-version of Windows (home, pro, whatever, 32 or 64 bit), so stop asking! You must only follow our instructions, correct a few settings and use our tools.

[2.] It does NOT matter where you get your SH3-installation files from: from Steam, from an old DVD, from a new DVD, etc. All of them function! You must only follow our instructions, correct a few settings and use our tools.

[3.] All you need is a clean, unmodded (e.g. unchanged) original stock version, the basis: V1.4b. A clean and unmodded stock install (also called "plain vanilla") is the basis for ALL mega-mods for SH3 and here is how to make that, will you just read and follow it please, it is NOT difficult! Really not!

[4.] A word about Ubisoft's Starforce-crap: The first victim of UBI's user-rights-nonsense and DRM was and is the user himself. We have seen their "support" on dealing with Starforce and the issues that came with it. Starforce is NOT compatible with Vista, nor with succeeding Windows-versions, and will not be. It must be removed. Period. Do not discuss. Do as you are told!

[5.] More and more I got to come to the conclusion that FIEDLER has written much better instructions than my own. I have just read what
he wrote @UBISOFT recently. I have therefore removed my instructions and link to his! FIEDLER, THANK YOU A LOT!


Specific STEAM-instructions:

RECOMMENDATION: FIEDLER'S STEAM INSTRUCTIONS ARE @STEAM-FORUMS: How to run STEAM-SH3-V1.6b-GWX-WIDESCREEN on Win10

If you buy it on STEAM the Steam-Launcher installs it for you automatically.
Spoiler: "Take this extra step if you have modified SH3 in any form" • show
Open your Steam app
In the Steam app, go to your Steam Library, find "Silent Hunter III" in your list of Steam games, right-click on it and choose "Delete Local Content..." This will un-install SH3.
Close the Steam app.
Go ahead and re-install the Steam version of SH3 in the normal/default location:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Silent Hunter 3
Run SFSF and select to run the STEAM-FiX. It will also apply the 4GBT and make your SH3 run in compatibility!
Enjoy!
From now on you do NOT anylonger use the Steam-Launcher to run SH3, only run it directly - or use S3F as a better alternative
From now on you can mod AND PATCH the game, for example install GWX, then S3C, then the GWX-supplement-files into S3C.
There is NOTHING difficult with that if you only switch on and use your brain!


Other online/download-versions:

Do the exact same. Apply the STEAM-Fix. Even if it is the UPLAY version (!).


DVD-versions:

RECOMMENDATION: FIEDLER'S STARFORCE INSTRUCTIONS ARE @UBISOFT-FORUMS: You can make any DVD work on Windows 10 !!!!!

It does NOT matter what kind or brand of DVD you have got. All of them function! You must only use our tools and follow our instructions! The misinformation continously spread by incompetent village idiots on SuSi (THEDONATIONBERBESTER & co) and several LSH3-blockheads (URMELchen and his brainless lemmings) and many more can safely be ignored: They have no clue, we have proved them wrong numerous times! There might be different opinions, but our approach actually works! With our approach you can run ANY mod, ANY mega-mod, you will be able to enjoy the unterwater-world of SH3 in ANY version of Windows, you will be able to play without the DVD in the drive and you will never have to care about the Starforce-nonsense again!


It cannot be so very difficult really, can it?!
Installed your game from DVD?Apply the Starforce-Fix
Bought your game on Steam?Apply the Steam-Fix
Downloaded your game, e.g. from Ubisoft?Apply the Steam-Fix


Here is which steps to take and again: Please follow CLOSELY and TO THE LETTER (NO JOKE!).

Only if you had installed SH3 before: show
  • Copy your careers and data by securing the ...\data\cfg folder to anywhere you like.
     => That way you do not lose your careers, settings, missions which are stored in %USERPROFILE%\Documents (Windows-handle).
  • Uninstall SH3.
     => Needed. Otherwise it is not going to work.
  • Run SFRemove, which is the removal-tool of your/our choice.
     => Needed to get the uninstall clean.
  • Reboot.
     => Needed by Window-cleanup-routine because you have just done a driver-uninstall.
  • Begin installation of SH3 as normal, BUT:
     => Change the installation-path so you do NOT install to the default path "Program Files (x86)".
    Always guide the installer to a custom path that is NOT controlled by Windows/UAC, for example C:\SH3-stock or D:\games\SH3\stock or alike.
    Just never use default installation-paths (although even GWX has it as default!) and pick one on your own choice!
    The reason for installing games outside of the default programs folder was, is, to avoid the UAC and not having to remember to play as admin. The UAC might prevent the game from writing and saving files.
  • When you get to Game Shadow: ***CANCEL*** that install.
  • When you get to finish screen DO NOT press "Finish"!
  • Execute the patch-to-1.4b with settings "Run As Admin" and XP service pack 2, for my version this file is called "sh3_dvd_1.4b_emea.exe"
  • ONLY after that has completed, THEN hit finish. WAIT! BE PATIENT!
    If you get "This program cannot update the installed version of Silent Hunter III because of the following reason: ...Stuka.cfg: unknown.version."
    then all is good, only that error message is wrong. It tells you that your SH3-version does not need to be patched further.
    All is good. Exit the updater. => This might look weird, and yes it is. But DO NOT otherwise cancel that install earlier. THIS IS VERY CRUCIAL!!
  • Then the launcher screen runs to check system specs and a reboot message appears. DO NOT reboot!
  • Exit the specs-check screen. DO NOT click Launch. THIS IS VERY CRUCIAL!
  • Run SFSF , select to run the Fix that corresponds to where you got your SH3 from as explained above.
    It will also apply the 4GBT and make your SH3 run in compatibility
    (by the way: which service-pack does not matter, any works!).
    If you like also apply the automatic H.Sie-patch (using S3F)
Only from now on RUN the game. I strongly recommend to make a .zip of your installation NOW - you will need it. Promised. You may now also copy back your previously backupped files like career-data etc.
ENJOY!

What if you have already started the game: show

What if you have already started the game - contrary to our instructions by the way? First off:

So in the VERY RARE case you ignored instructions and mistakenly activated the Starforce-Protection, and that is done by starting the game, you run
[SFSF-MODULE] - The New Solution for "Steam" & "Starforce" Issues, select STARFORCE-FIX and your install will be repaired.


More interesting stuff...
Current Projects - An Introduction
Nomenclature - An Overview
Software specifically developed for the Doenitz Elite Flotilla
What you need to play Silent Hunter III - MultiPlayer-Wolfpack-missions with us
« Last Edit: 20220929, 15:17:46 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »

Offline REV_BL!TZKR!EG

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Multiple Installs
« Reply #3 on: 20171022, 20:55:44 »
Multiple Installs

And YES! It is with only a few basic tweaks possible to have multiple installs of SH3 running on your system without interference. What's essential is that you, as soon as you have a basic install of Silent Hunter III patched to V1.4b running, make zip-archive of it, so that you can COPY that original install as many times as you want to different sub-directories - or simply let S3F do the copy-and-activation-work for you...
 
You may want to use one of these copies for playing a vanilla-game, another for testing mods and yet another for GWX and yes, yet another for NYGM, and... ah yes, yet another for LSH, because it's such a cool mod - and so on, and so on for as many installations as you like. That way you do not ruin your NYGM-career only because you wanted to try out that new Uber-Boot-mod or something. You still have the other directories UNinfluenced by that mod and still have a clean basis-version in your zip-archive...
 
But then? How do you handle all these installations?
 
THE OLD APPROACH
Have MultiSH3 in every installation-directory to fix the Data-Path.
Have JSGME in every installation-directory to configure mods for this very installation.
Have S3C in every installation-directory along with its Mega-Mod-Related-Data-Files to have it run with this particular mod.
 
 
THE NEW APPROACH
...is S3F!
Simply let S3F do the copy, then let S3F do the multiple-installs-functions (MultiSH3 has 100% been recoded and included in S3F) and then let S3F run the corresponding versions of any other SH3-tool that is known.
 
Nowadays I do no longer install by hand, I have burned a DVD with a correct installation and just unzip it on a new computer and then use S3F to make copies and S3M-activate them for parallel usage. S3F does all that for me - and for you, too!
« Last Edit: 20220929, 15:17:22 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »

Offline REV_BL!TZKR!EG

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Mega-Mods
« Reply #4 on: 20171022, 20:56:26 »
Patches? MODs? Mega-MODs? What is all that about?

Over the years, SH3 has received much more attention than any other game of its genre. So many MODifications have been done to the basic game, that one can state it has evolved into a whole new game. Hardly any section of the game has been left untouched: You will come across SOUND-MODifications, GRAPHICS-MODifications, GAMEPLAY-MODifications, REALISM-MODifications, GAMEPLAY-MODifications, even the executable game-files have been PATCHed. MEGA-MODifications are also available, providing combinations of MOD-collections in integrated one-pack-solutions.

I have compiled overviews in PATCHES FOR SiLENT HUNTER III [SH3] and their appropriate installation and [SH3RES]_Widescreen-Resolution-Solutions.

Defined by a rule of thumb: If the executables (EXE/DLL/ACT) have been changed, it is a PATCH, everything else is a MOD, combinations of single MODs and/or PATCHes are called MEGA-MODs.


Mega-Mods

Despite the hundreds of small and single mods, there are quite a number of socalled mega-mods around. Please do not bother asking which is better compared to which ever else. Just try them out... Now the best: You can find all the important mega-mods in one place - for free and for you to try out: = [S3A] =. All the descriptions were moved over to [S3E] - Excellent and Universal Mega-Mod-Installer, so look there! Socalled 'Mega-Mods' such as the FLB-Modpack are not much more than modpacks or compiled modsoups. You get much more out of the game if you look at the published JSGME-modlists: [HOWTO] Your JSGME-MOD-List For SH3. Be inspired!

If you want to install a Mega-Mod, then the general "order of appearance" must always be:
  • Original SH3 --- either Steam-fixed or Starforce-fixed and updated to V1.4b
  • [your mega-mod of choice, see list]
  • S3C
  • S3C Super-Mod-specific cfg files
  • S3H
  • S3S
  • Tycho
^ (S3F can help you with most of this work)
+ Mods to your liking (this is your "mod-soup")
« Last Edit: 20220511, 19:46:57 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »

Offline REV_BL!TZKR!EG

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Recommended Mods
« Reply #5 on: 20171022, 20:57:48 »
Recommended Mods
Even when you have decided to go for a Mega-Mod, there still are great a many extensions that you can put in and play. Or you might want to create your very own and personal mod-soup. The unfortunate thing though is that almost all older links on SuSi are broken and when you ask for links to be updated or fixed, you are either ignored (as happened to GlobalExplorer) or even infracted when you remind (as happened to gatordad and myself), so let them drown in their rubbish.

A good start is to take a look at what others run as mods in the list of 'mod-soups': JSGME-MOD-Lists.

Modding In General
Modders make modifications. The main goal and purpose: "To bring a nice product to a higher level", so if you want to dive deeper, and that is into modding, only then you need certain tools which are not helpful for the beginner.
Just to mention some of which we use...
10.01 7z - to pack our data - [DOWNLOAD]
10.02 NPP - Notepad Plus helps you compare and edit texts - [DOWNLOAD]
10.03 JSGME - for configuring/adding/removing/testing mods - [DOWNLOAD]
10.04 S3F - to comfortably run multiple installs for testing - [DOWNLOAD]
10.03 GiMP - to modify graphics - [DOWNLOAD]
10.04 XVI32-HexEdit - to edit raw data - [DOWNLOAD]
10.05 OllyDbg - [DOWNLOAD] - H.sie gave me that nice tool long ago and I do not regret it!
10.06 S3D - Silent 3ditor by Skwas - S3D homepage - Open sourced S3D file parser APIs - [TEC] How to create new game fonts (bitmap/OFF)
10.07 Diving Duck's Scaling Wall - and more: www.divingduck.de/moddingtools.htm but most links are dead there.
10.08 BL!TZKR!EG's Modders' SDK which has loads of tools in an AiO-package.
« Last Edit: 20220418, 10:19:28 by REV_Grey Eminence »

Offline REV_BL!TZKR!EG

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Recommended Tools And Addons For Players
« Reply #6 on: 20171022, 20:59:15 »
Recommended Tools And Addons For Players
[1.] S3C - SH3-Commander (also called SH3C)
[2.] JSGME - JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler - [DOWNLOAD]
If you want to see what modders of the entire world have done to improve SH3, then you better have this tool installed! Do yourself that favour! Its latest version is V2.6.0.157.
This tool provides you with both insight and overview of the mods installed and you can easily configure, install (=activate) or deinstall(=deactivate) mods to your liking.
[3.] S3F  - SH3-Front-End is a multi-tool that integrates all your installed mega-mods and all other tools onto one dynamic desktop-menu and can launch them for you.
Follow the link into a whole new world of Silent Hunter III.
[4.] ME2 - SH3-MissionEditorX2 is now included in [S3MT] - The Silent Hunter III-Mission Toolkit.
[5.] Screenshots
Surely at some time you want to show what fun you had. We encourage every Kommandant to do that, see our ARCHiVE. We recommend that you use PicPick because the
internal CTRL+F11 function is not suitable for certain higher resolutions anyway. Also take a look at Snapper.  Every |DEF|-Kommandant receives his own file-slot in our cloud to
store his patrol-pictures in. We also encourage all our Kommandanten to bring even more style and immersion to their Kommandant-thread by making their screenshots look aged. More to consider: HOW TO USE MEDIAFIRE AS PICTURES HOST FOR NON-EXPIRIRING IMAGES - How to post a screenshot?

Not or not anymore recommended
[1.] MultiCopy - the version that LSH published was based on my idea and the reason I left their team to code S3F to prove my idea works.
Their version does only copy, but not let you amend the 3 letter folders, so their version needs MultiSH3 - outdated, fully included in S3F as "S3M" with BOTH functions.
[2.] MultiSH3 - Potoroo's MultiSH3 does nothing else than change the 3 letter folder name of your documents and settings, does not make copies nor manage them - outdated,
but fully included in S3F plus management menu plus copy functions
[3.] SF Remover - completely recoded in "Project SFSF" and nowadays included with S3F plus several specific functions for SH3
[4.] Version Check - only displays some info, but does not let you do anything with it - outdated, fully included in S3F plus numerous additional details and even patch options
« Last Edit: 20230208, 14:01:24 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »

Offline REV_BL!TZKR!EG

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Tactics And Strategy
« Reply #7 on: 20171022, 21:01:30 »
Tactics And Strategy
There is a vast amount of good documents on manual targetting, tactics and how our grandpas actually did what they achieved.
 
Solution Solver version 1.3.3 - Visual targeting tools & aids.
Hydrophone Tracker v1.1b - Track targets without a sonar ping!
« Last Edit: 20220929, 15:18:32 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »

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Historical Research For Those Who Like To Know For More Immersion
 
 
There are a number of interesting websites about U-Boote (thus mostly German), some of which are:
Kriegsmarine U-Boot Grid Charts
http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine
https://uboot-recherche.de/u-534
http://grid.nylle.de/find
U-Bootaces.com
U-Boot-bases.com
subart.net
submarine-history.com
www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?57633

 Historisches MarineArchiv
 Kriegsmarine Planquadrate (grids)
 Kriegsmarine Marinequadratkarte
 U-Boot-Zentrale
 U-Boot Radar Warning Receivers - Metox, Wanze, photos
 OKM-Tagung 1944
 Convoy Index Page
 Torpedo-Loadouts for LSH
 http://www.photoship.co.uk/
 http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/types.html
 (Location of sinking!)
 http://www.U-Bootaces.com/history-gallery.shtml
 http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/pscope/index.htm
 http://monsun-U-Boote.spaces.live.com/
 http://www.u-boot-archiv.de/index.php
 http://www.juergenthuro.de/html/links.html
 http://www.subart.net/
 http://www.uboot-netz.de/Frameset.htm
 
http://www.U-Bootarchive.net/
 (KTBs [Eng])
 http://www.ubootwaffe.net/
 - U-BootWAR.NET
 - UNTERSEEBOOTE.CO.UK

 http://www.wehrmachtslexikon.de/inha...hnisMarine.htm
 http://www.kbismarck.com/u-boot/index.html
 
 (Juergen Rohwer's Chronicals 1939-1945)
 
 Here you can find TRUE U-Boot MARINE COATS
 
 Sub versus Sub? Yes, that really happened: http://uboat.net/fates/sub-sunk.htm
 U 4 versenkt am 10.04.1940 HMS THISTLE mit zwei Torpedos (ein Treffer)
 U 9 versenkt am 10.05.1940 die französische DORIS mit einem Torpedo
 U 35 versenkt am 01.08.1940 HMS SPEARFISH mit einem Torpedo
 U 144 versenkt am 23.06.1941 die sowjetische M 78 mit einem Torpedo
 U 149 versenkt am 27.06.1941 die sowjetische M 101 mit einem Torpedo
 U 140 versenkt am 21.07.1941 die sowjetische M 94 mit einem Torpedo
 U 584 versenkt am 10.01.1942 die sowjetische M 175 mit einem Torpedo
 U 123 versenkt am 18.04.1943 HMS P.615 mit einem Torpedo
 U 565 versenkt am 15.11.1943 wahrscheinlich HMS SIMOOM mit einem Torpedo
 
U-37 vs Sfax (Q182)
P322 vs U-168
USS-321 USS Besugo vs U-183
HMS Venturer vs U-771
HMS Venturer vs U-864
the only time in the history of naval warfare that one submarine intentionally sank another while both were submerged.
O21 vs U-95
Sahib vs U-301

 Monthly losses: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...boot_krieg.jpg
 
http://web.archive.org/web/20121123032539/http://www.ubootwaffe.net:80/
A question about this site. It is to read that the crew listings were moved to "HMA - Historisches Marine-Archiv",
see: https://www.forum-der-wehrmacht.de/index.php?thread/30960-crew-list-von-ubootwaffe-net/

SH5, but also interesting:
A Guide to Historical Gameplay
Agru-Front-Lehrmaterialien - Gesamtausgabe Handbuch zu "Silent Hunter - Battle of the Atlantic"

http://www.u47.org/english/index.asp
https://web.archive.org/web/20160305203829/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/annemariepurnell/index.html

check: https://forum.axishistory.com/viewforum.php?f=110


uboat.net     Norwegian Merchant Fleet
CONVOY WEB     Battle of the Atlantic
Dt. U-Boot-Archiv     German Naval History
U-Boot Aces     German Propaganda Archive
Bismarck.com     U-Boot archive.net
https://web.archive.org/web/20060205135654/http://www.ubootwaffe.net/
« Last Edit: 20221010, 12:13:50 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »

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THE LAST KNOWN VERSION OF THE... SH3-Community-Manual !!
« Reply #9 on: 20171022, 21:18:44 »
« Last Edit: 20230208, 13:53:27 by REV_BL!TZKR!EG »