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[2024.1] Historical Flags and Identification Booklet

Current version: 1.4.10



Historical Flags and Identification Booklet (or simply Historical Flags, HF) is a mod that adds historically accurate ensigns and flags for 75+ countries and territories from the WWII era as well as a fully functional in-game flag identification booklet.

HF covers civil ensigns, naval ensigns, and national flags where appropriate. HF modifies the ensigns flown on ships' models, flags on docks in ports, the groups & entities icons on the map, and the small flags on the target list (either the ones when selecting an officer at a targeting station or at mission debriefing). The preview image is for illustration only and is not an exhaustive list of flags in the mod. Full list of included countries here.

This mod is savegame compatible but clearing the cache folder is recommended.

If you are not using mods like UBE or Living Uboat consider enabling the Flags Diversity submod to be able to see many of the HF flags in vanilla convoys!

The in-game booklet UI can be used in the periscope or UZO to recognise flags. It covers allied, neutral, and axis ships and has a working table of contents with links for easy navigation. Below are two images explaining how to use it (note the toggle button now starts at the bottom left corner of the screen).




Note: prior to v1.3.5 the toggle button could appear outside of the screen. This should be fixed now but if it happens again please reduce the UI zoom with the “page down” button and you should see it appear. It can then be dragged to a better position.

HF includes the historical German flags with swastikas. If you want to enable “safe mode” do as follows:

• Navigate to the mod folder, which should be \Steam\steamapps\workshop\content\494840\2397616976;
  
• Open the HF.xlsx in the Data Sheets folder;
  
• Change the SafeMode value from False to True in the Settings tab (see image below). Attention! Make sure to write True, not true or TRUE;
  
• Save and exit.
  
• To be sure the change takes effect, navigate to C:\Users\[YOURUSERNAME]\AppData\LocalLow\Deep Water Studio\UBOAT\Data Sheets and delete all the contents of this folder

This change can be done (and reversed) without needing to start a new game.

HF is aiming at maximum historical realism, however in some cases we chose to prioritise diversity over exact accuracy.

For example, Free France start flying the croix de Lorraine[en.wikipedia.org] after late June 1940 but there is a small chance it will use the jack instead for flavour. Another example is that all the Commonwealth navies will share the White Ensign[en.wikipedia.org] in the 3D world and on most of the UI elements, except for the visible target list and the list of ship sunk at the end of a patrol, so you can see what countries the ship you sunk actually were from!

This version is only compatible with the full release version of the game. Other flag mods that change flags purely by texture or materials will cause conflicts for some flags, but many of the major flag changes by HF are code-based so those should overload any asset-only changes. Other mods affecting flags will likely not be compatible.

• HF is designed to work with U-Boat Expanded
  
• HF should be compatible with LIVING UBOAT
  
• HF is not compatible with any other flags mod that alter the German flag

Full changelog is available here.

• V1.4.10 – Fixed crash on loading the booklet button in safe mode.
  
• V1.4.9 – Code change for improved stability.
  
• V1.4.8 – Changed the way the booklet button is loaded in order to improve stability.
  
• V1.4.7 – Added code safeguards for injection issues, fixed date-based dynamic icons for France vs Free France.
  
• V1.4.6 – Code changes to fit with the release version (included support for new Harmony version); increased chance (to 50/50) that Gibraltar will fly the Crown Colony ensign instead of the Blue Ensign; added a chance (50/50) to fly the Maltese Crown Colony ensign instead of the Blue Ensign at Malta; added a small chance of flying the Tunisian flag in Tunis instead of the French flag; replaced merchant ensign by state flag at Salamis when owned by Greece; replaced Blue Ensign by Mandatory Palestine flag at Haifa; replaced Blue Ensign by Dutch flag at Aruba; replaced Blue Ensign by South African Union state flag at Capetown; replaced merchant ensign by state flag at Buenos Aires; introduced date-based dynamic flags (for France, some ports in the Mediterranean, Lebanon, and the Baltic states).

• New booklet UI.
  
• New flags: Colony of Trinitad, Colony of Sierra Leone, Italian Social Republic.

Moronic political comments complaining about "censorship" of the Nazi flags in games and other media will not be tolerated. In particular, trying to argue why the Soviet flag is not treated the same way as the Nazi flags will expose you as the political ignoramus that you are. Preserve your dignity, don't do it.