The "Sea Wolfe" Returned to SDTEHO

[TheBlackKnight]

The "Sea Wolfe" has set to the high seas again from COAS into SDTEHO.
The transition replacement was not completely flawless, but it works well.

I always enjoyed this ship with its working gimbal navigation compass and sailing model. After modifying the files, everything works correctly (sails, rigging, lighting, sailor points, etc) in Storm Engine 2.9 and this game, except it adds additional cannon to the ship (+2 for both starboard and port sides), and introduces the original COAS "cannon bug", as they cannot be removed based on the hidden program folder script file and model file discrepancy. I cannot correct this deficiency without potentially breaking my game along with lack of direct access to the program folder, even though I could potentially override this file anyway. This model was replaced from the similar unique game ship model, "Mirage" obtained via the Dutch Gambit English Privateer questline, but potentially could work with any model in the game, preferably unique. This was done WELL AFTER returning the ship from its fake "Flying Dutchman" and it is changing in hull image design. When I switched the model, the only stat that was upgraded was maneuverability was upgraded at the Kapstervil shipyard. Essentially you will always have 4 additional cannon, until they are destroyed, which then the game reverts to the 22 20 lb guns as per standard on "Mirage". All other statistics are identical.

Once the ship is fully upgraded, it is a VERY powerful 4th rate ship, and surpasses most 3rd rate ships including corvettes, if sailed correctly. It can even take down 2nd rate ships, if you really skilled and patient.

If someone else decides to do this change, remember a very important modding point:
NEVER have a critical game save at sea when the ship model is rendered the FIRST TIME, as this will CRASH and BREAK your game at that point (but not previous saves, if you are not at sea). This is because the game is "looking" for the original ship model files, and there are significant differences between the two models. Save you game ON LAND first, and then board the ship, and everything will be correct.

One thing I noticed about the "Sea Wolfe" ship model, it is does not have the EXACT amount of damage modeling for masts/sails as the "Mirage", however is still well above most of the models in complexity. This was an upgrade in Storm Engine 2.9.

"Fair winds and following seas".

- TBK

 

[SD:TEHO]

Apart from the Sea Wolfe you have a much better looking Charles and much more beautiful backgrounds than the original has.

 

[TheBlackKnight]

Final Note:
After testing and my oversight, there was something I omitted from my original posting.

The "Mirage" already has a ship upgrade immediately after acquiring the ship (ie tonnage) therefore, no more guns can be added after the model is swapped. You can still upgrade the other three areas with no problem. I would recommend speed, maneuverability, and hull strength as the preferred choices over wind angle, crew min, and crew space. Testing confirms that this ship model maxes out at 160 crew with 170 overload, upgrading gives 200, 30 added crew not worth it in comparison to the hull increase of over 600+.

 

[LarryHookins]

<--- See wolf? Sea Wolfe! Woof. Ha! Hm.

You replaced the quest ship Mirage with this model? Did you have to do anything besides swap out the various non-script ship files? I'm assuming you didn't change the ship init c file.

I didn't care for the Mirage when I sailed it once. But I remember this ship, probably from COAS.

 

[TheBlackKnight]

Only the model, texture, interface, and sailorpoint files were changed. I did not modify the ship ini c file as a modification insertion, as this would break the game unless I restarted. This model cannot be inserted until after it is captured, since the game switches the texture mapping after its return to St. Johns. If you attempt to do this model change before the return, the game would most likely crash due to conflicts, or at best case a completed untextured (el blanco AKA albino) ship.

The "Sea Wolfe" is a much better model than the "Mirage" overall, although the basic detail is about the same, but adds the working ship compass. All functions of this model work correctly in SDTEHO, including masts and damage. The one primary advantage of the "Sea Wolfe" over "Mirage" is the height of the rear hull and removal of the railings which give excellent visibly in first person sailing mode. Many people never even saw the ship if they never completed this COAS quest with Edward Low. It was one of the harder missions, since it normally occurred earlier in the game when a player was low level.

As I stated earlier the only minor glitch is the cannons, which is based on the model mismatch.
Once you have the "extra" 4 cannon (2 per side) eventually destroyed, this can be corrected via cannon "reinit" in the refit screen by removal of all cannon and restoring them back which resets the correction permanently as per the original model. The cannon bug will also self correct. The ship sailing screen will show a small gap, because it still thinks 26 cannon are supposed to be loaded, but that is a really minor glitch. 10 20 lb cannon per side on this ship is unrealistic for a 4th rate as it applies to this game. 8 cannon per side is much more accurate.

I definitely would recommend do this same trick for the City of Justice quest corvette as well, either using the Black Pearl Russian modification, or the USS Constitution model. It makes the game so much more entertaining.

 

[Doc]

I like to have that ship! Can you somehow upload your files?