The Silent Hunter IV (Pacific Campaign) SUGGESTIONS-LIST

[Drebbel]

So here we are, the SUGGESTIONS-LIST thread. The idea I have is that ideas are already bounding about in about 3 maybe four different threads. Use this thread for suggestions that you think could benefit the game, these necessarily don't need to be ideas that you wish they game will have. They could be crazy idea/suggestion/posibilities that are floating around your head.

Use the other WISH-LIST (http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=46279) thread for your personal top list of things you personally want in SHIV. Use this SUGGESTIONS-LIST for other ideas/notes/reminders/suggestions/ultimate dreams/options/crazy ideas/creative-thoughts for the SHIV dev-team.

[donut]

Air raids,rescue pilots ditched,insert coast watchers,extract refugees,photo recon missions,running decks awarsh as a stealth feature,man guns in a lite chop-flack any time look outs can axcess bridge,fuel leakage vaunterability,damage control surface repair only,over lapping rate qualifications in repair parties,sub should be able to turn inside that of DD turning radius DD's not quite so fast to manuver and close-account for momentum, otherwise SHIII has done great,best so far :sunny: :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

[Safe-Keeper]

MP dynamic campaign. Join up with two buddies (each taking command of one boat), go complete a patrol, save, join up again later, load the campaign file, go on two more patrols, and so on. It'd be awesome, especially if there was a good comm system.
A roster system allowing you to see an overview of all the other friendly submarines in the game, including their kills, number of patrols, date of commission, date of scuttling/sinking, role, captain's name, etc. Every sub in the fleet has an AI, missions, etc.: They leave, do their duty, return home for refitting, and repeat.


Air raids,rescue pilots ditched,insert coast watchers,extract refugees,photo recon missions,running decks awarsh as a stealth feature,man guns in a lite chop-flack any time look outs can axcess bridge,fuel leakage vaunterability,damage control surface repair only,over lapping rate qualifications in repair parties,sub should be able to turn inside that of DD turning radius DD's not quite so fast to manuver and close-account for momentum, otherwise SHIII has done great,best so far sunny sunny sunny sunny
Wrong thread :-? . And all those are "given".

[jericho791]

Single Player Wolfpacks - You and various other AI submarines that can be called on to engage a Convoy. I like sinking ships as much as the next guy, but I just don't have enough torpedoes to bring down the big guys while keeping the DD's on their toes!

[Ginger Beer]

a) A game engine that fully supports multiplay in both submarine and surface escort roll...meaning Destroyer Command ( insert number here ).

b) multiposition multiplay submarines...players can get together and each take on a role within the same submarine. Skipper, engineer, watch officer, sonar/radar operator, lookout, gunner etc.

c) Authentic weather generation...no more of SH3's calm one minute / perfect storm the next.

d) Pacific ambience...meaning fabulous sunsets, tropical night skies ablaze with stars with the dark shapes of islands slipping past ( maybe with the occasional cooking fire glowing on the beach )... believe me, I've sailed those seas and I know what its like! :yep:

e) More detailed damage/breakdown models. You're sailing along one day off Formosa, and you're informed that an evaporator has broken down. What's an evaportaor, you might ask ? What impact will it have on the boat's ability to stay on patrol ? Does my engineer officer have enough skill points ( awardable between patrols ) to fix it ?

f) the ability to name your own boat.

I'm sure I'll think of some more :)

[Kresge]

Incorporate known major naval movements and battles to some extent. Would be nice to know that historically there was a large naval fleet passing through this area and maybe I could ambush them.
:up:

[Wulfmann]

Interior damage models that have variety.
Various damage sounds from DCing in the boat
When damage is being repaired, working crewmen in the room.
Interiors of torpedo rooms and engine rooms.
If both rudders can be destroyed, the ability to steee(poorly and barely but steer) the boat with engines
Damage effects from torpedoes more than a smudge on the ship.
Less ships breaking in two so easily, longer more drawn out sinking rather than the usually instant gratification victories
Crew members on merchant ships with life boats taking to the waters
More variation in depth charge damage with longer time to fight and save the boat. That is; more to damage control than just placing a crew man in the compartment. Things player can do himself that actually affects saving the boat.
Men that move in the boat.
When you dive you would go down the hatch and into the control room. When you switch to periscope you do it by walking to the periscope and when you place your face on it you then get the periview! You must walk to the other peri if you want to use it
Kaleun must visit other parts of boat to improve the efficiency of the crew. By staying a certain amount of time to in effect direct operations.
Player becomes similar to one in a FPS
Crew shift orders that allow the change of crew men and then seeing the men moving in and out of compartments
More various merchant ships and less time spending resources building show pieces seen rarely. It is better to have a few less big boys and twice the model of merchant ships, IMO.
The ability to survive a sinking and be found and returned to base but make it extremely rare.
1280X1024 graphic setting as default. PC gamers have better machines or should play on X-Box but not drag down those that are willing to get a decent rig!

I will post more when I have thought more on the subject; this is off the top of my head!

Wulfmann

[Seeadler]

- XBox360 version!

[Safe-Keeper]

When you dive you would go down the hatch and into the control room. When you switch to periscope you do it by walking to the periscope and when you place your face on it you then get the periview! You must walk to the other peri if you want to use it
Kaleun must visit other parts of boat to improve the efficiency of the crew. By staying a certain amount of time to in effect direct operations.
Player becomes similar to one in a FPS
I disagree. This is a sub sim, not an FPS, to put it that way.

[stevo33]

a) More work done on the underwater environments. A colder and more merky feeling to the sea.

b) Under sea terrain to nagivate through. Huge under water canyons in which to hide and foil the enemy radars....

c) Much deeper seas and oceans, some of it seems way too shallow I don't get that dark bottomless feeling.

d)Get it working with Nvidia! Even though its an Nvidia driver problem, sort it out!

e) More dynamic and dramatic skies and clouds, better overall lighting, volume shadows ect.

[Safe-Keeper]

a) More work done on the underwater environments. A colder and more merky feeling to the sea.
Big "I second that"! It was so silly, no offense, to be able to see 100 metres in all directions while submerged and thus be able to dodge everything dropped on you. I loved how Real U-Boat fixed that!

b) Under sea terrain to nagivate through. Huge under water canyons in which to hide and foil the enemy radars....

c) Much deeper seas and oceans, some of it seems way too shallow I don't get that dark bottomless feeling.
I'd say they should make the underwater topography geographically accurate. If it's 1000+ metres deep somewhere in reality, make it 1000+ metres deep in the game. If it's a labyrinth of dead undersea vulcanoes or something in reality, add it to the game.

[gdogghenrikson]

- XBox360 version!

the SH series will never go to consule, they have to many limitations

[Safe-Keeper]

And not nearly enough keys on the controller. It'd have to be something like "X+Y+Start+Up+double-tap L1: Periscope depth" :P .

No, no SH for consoles.

[gdogghenrikson]

And not nearly enough keys on the controller. It'd have to be something like "X+Y+Start+Up+double-tap L1: Periscope depth" :P .
good one

[Sulikate]

a) More work done on the underwater environments. A colder and more merky feeling to the sea.

b) Under sea terrain to nagivate through. Huge under water canyons in which to hide and foil the enemy radars.... good point. a better
atmosphere
would be nice)

[corvette k225]

make it so you can make your owen WEATHER,

wind speed, wave high, temp, rain, snow,fog, water color change.

temp level at changes for all ocean depth levels for sonar range reduce levels.

[Seeadler]

And not nearly enough keys on the controller.
No, no SH for consoles.
There is no need for more keys on the controler, the XBox360 has a USB port to plugin all Microsoft USB PC keybords to use the XBox360 in chat rooms and for emails :yep:

[thehiredgun]

More military targets rather than as on SH lll where about the only military target you get is a destroyer. Also have more progressive sub type availability , Salmon, Gago, & Baleo Class submarines. And include Pearl Harbor as one of the bases. And put such as in the old WWll submarine movies that you started off as an executive officer & earned your right to be a commander.

[thehiredgun]

More military targets rather than as on SH lll where about the only military target you get is a destroyer. Also have more progressive sub type availability , Salmon, Gago, & Baleo Class submarines. And include Pearl Harbor as one of the bases. And put such as in the old WWll submarine movies that you started off as an executive officer & earned your right to be a commander.

[thehiredgun]

Have the ability to find enemy shipping & or military targets in port such as Tokyo Bay as welll as other Japeneese ports. On SHll you never find military targets except for a destoyer.

[todd293]

after torpedoing a ship and it doesnt sink, surface and give them 5 minutes to abandon ship before hitting them again early war before some of the merchants had artillery pieces. on manuel targeting exactly how it was done for real after all this is supposed to be a simulater. and to be given command of a sub that was appointed to you if you want a gato you will have to earn it and not have to sink 200,000 tons to get enough renown to do it. allied task forces floating around as well and doing battle with the japs to be able to run out of food or food able to go bad enough that crew members get sick and have to return to base and accurate weather reports. possibility to have typhoons so that coming up to recharge batteries would really take some planning typhoons were a reality in the pacific :up: there shouldnt be as many storms or choppy water in the pacific as atlantic pacific meant peaceful but when there is a storm its a dandy like above mentioned .

[Chaotic42]

-Support for a range of resolutions. My monitor goes up to 2048x1536 and playing SH3 at 1024x768 is fun, but kind of ugly.

-Allow accelerated time when close to land. It's a pain in the behind going into Kiel when the clock wants to go back to 1x for 10 minutes.

-More automation of the crew.

-The ability to realistically affect the war effort and prolong or shorten it (Something like the Falcon 4.0 campaigns)

[Sniper_1]

Chaotic42 has a good point there (about a truely 'dynamic' campaign). Even though i was a supporter of including a 'Germany Wins' option for SH3, in SH4 there is more scope for you as a single sub skipper to affect the war. As Japan had approx. 6 million tons of merchant shipping, as opposed to 20 million+ for the allies, each ship sunk will have a proportionately greater impact. Rather than winning the war outright, prehaps your successes/failures advance the timeline at a quicker (or slower) pace than happened in RL.

Sniper_1.

[sonar732]

How about playing Japanese subs and destroyers combined with the American subs and destroyers. If DW can combine multiple platforms...why not SHIV?

In another words...updated version of Destroyer Command combined with SH...who knows, insert stations along with it! Your buddies protecting a convoy against you in a Gato, or you in the first Fleet Submarines looking at a juicy Iowa or Essex ship in your scope.

[TDK1044]

One thing I think would be great in SH1V would be more interactive radio contact. I think I recall that SH11 contained radio events where you were informed of a specific target spotted at a specific grid location and you were ordered to intercept it. Also, I would like to hear audio of ship activity happening as a result of a torpedo strike. Alarms, shouting etc.

[Safe-Keeper]

How about playing Japanese subs and destroyers combined with the American subs and destroyers. If DW can combine multiple platforms...why not SHIV?
Because as far as I can tell, Dangerous Waters has low-polygon models, while Silent Hunter IV probably plans to have high-polygon models in Silent Hunter III. I don't know that for sure, of course, but with the positive feedback from frans for their good graphics, it wouldn't be a surprise.

Add to this the fact that each new sub not only requires a model, but also a command room, radio compartment, conning tower interior, and possibly other compartments as well, and you get the answer of why you can't have too many submarines in the game. You also need officers and submarine crew models, voice lines, sound effects (a Japanese sub's engines, alarms, deck gun, etc.), and so on for the new nation. Japanese sub officers didn't wear American uniforms and speak Texan. And so on.

It's like Empires: Dawn of the Modern World. Terrific game (I still design for it) in, among many other things, that it had almost 100% unique units for each civilization (fishing boats being the only exception). However, it came at the cost of units per civ: For example, each had only four sea-going units (a battleship, a submarine, a fishing boat, and a transport), as well as a carrier or flag ship in the case of the Americans and British, respectively.

So if Silent Hunter IV was going to implement submarines and destroyers of different nations, I'm afraid they'd end up with something like only one or two submarines each, rather than the four we have in Silent hunter III (not counting their variations, such as type VII being represented with both VII-B and VII-C, as variations, to the best of my knowledge, all use the same models).

My theory.

[g-z]

When you dive you would go down the hatch and into the control room. When you switch to periscope you do it by walking to the periscope and when you place your face on it you then get the periview! You must walk to the other peri if you want to use it
Kaleun must visit other parts of boat to improve the efficiency of the crew. By staying a certain amount of time to in effect direct operations.
Player becomes similar to one in a FPS
I disagree. This is a sub sim, not an FPS, to put it that way.

I commented on this in the wish-list thread.

I firmly stand by the opinion that there needs to be a more fluid and engrossing system of moving around the compartments yet at the same time keeping away from any FPS tendancies.

What i propose would be like a kind of camera waypoint "track" between compartments. For instance - if i am in the command room and i want to get to the bridge, then i press F4 and the camera moves towards the hatch and up the ladder to the conning tower, and from there up onto the bridge. This is a feature that i have craved from the start after being initially a little dissapointed at the internal navigation dynamics.

Also, when i bring up the navigation map, it feels like i am viewing the map from outside of the sub (if you know what i mean). Using the above idea it would be nice to have the camera zoom into it to try and establish that i am still in the sub and i'm looking at a real chart, rather than a planning screen in "non-space".

[DAB]

An option for a more realistic career.

In SHI, you didn't accumulate renown and then choose your new boat - you simply went with what the navy offered you. Whilst the SHIII system is nice, it doesn't feel right somehow, it'd be nice to have the option to go back to the old system.

Added in Edit
I'd also like to see a bit more depth to the endurance side of things. We have crew fatigue (for better or worse), we have fuel... how about a few extras like food and water. It wouldn't be difficult to implement and could have some interesting impacts.

For example, if water consumption is too high, you introduce rationing - with the inevitable impact on moral and eventually efficency

[flyingdane]

How about playing Japanese subs and destroyers combined with the American subs and destroyers. If DW can combine multiple platforms...why not SHIV?
Because as far as I can tell, Dangerous Waters has low-polygon models, while Silent Hunter IV probably plans to have high-polygon models in Silent Hunter III. I don't know that for sure, of course, but with the positive feedback from frans for their good graphics, it wouldn't be a surprise.

Add to this the fact that each new sub not only requires a model, but also a command room, radio compartment, conning tower interior, and possibly other compartments as well, and you get the answer of why you can't have too many submarines in the game. You also need officers and submarine crew models, voice lines, sound effects (a Japanese sub's engines, alarms, deck gun, etc.), and so on for the new nation. Japanese sub officers didn't wear American uniforms and speak Texan. And so on.

It's like Empires: Dawn of the Modern World. Terrific game (I still design for it) in, among many other things, that it had almost 100% unique units for each civilization (fishing boats being the only exception). However, it came at the cost of units per civ: For example, each had only four sea-going units (a battleship, a submarine, a fishing boat, and a transport), as well as a carrier or flag ship in the case of the Americans and British, respectively.

So if Silent Hunter IV was going to implement submarines and destroyers of different nations, I'm afraid they'd end up with something like only one or two submarines each, rather than the four we have in Silent hunter III (not counting their variations, such as type VII being represented with both VII-B and VII-C, as variations, to the best of my knowledge, all use the same models).

My theory.

Man! I love EDMW, that game is so simple but cool. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v695/flyingdane/653.gif

I thought I was the only one left who still played it, I know it can't stack up to todays games but to me its all about the fun. :up:

[greywulfe]

How about a descent manual? I'm talking Aces of the Pacific / SWOTL style of the early 90's. Even if you have a special edition that is 20 dollars more, a thick manual chock full of historical information, lots of technical details and a big wall mounted map.

[DAB]

How about a descent manual? I'm talking Aces of the Pacific / SWOTL style of the early 90's. Even if you have a special edition that is 20 dollars more, a thick manual chock full of historical information, lots of technical details and a big wall mounted map.

I'd go further.

I'd like the mannual to read like a US Fleet Type Submarine Manual (http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/) The Janes Combat Sim Mannuals were like that.

[TDK1044]

I would really like to be able to set the depth of the sub using the number pad. This would allow for more precision than clicking on the dial.

[Apeboy]

Coastwatchers.

[Takeda Shingen]

How about a descent manual? I'm talking Aces of the Pacific / SWOTL style of the early 90's. Even if you have a special edition that is 20 dollars more, a thick manual chock full of historical information, lots of technical details and a big wall mounted map.

I'd go further.

I'd like the mannual to read like a US Fleet Type Submarine Manual (http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/) The Janes Combat Sim Mannuals were like that.

I concur. Those manuals were great.

[CedricB]

Native voice activation similar to DW. (Of course, SHIII could already have that and I just haven't found it.) Nothing finer than giving a whole string of orders verbally and have the game recognize all of them and give read back on all of them.

Destroyer Command X - nuff said

[raalst]

wouldn't it be nice toe be able to wheel out your own
plane from the watertight hanger and attack the panama canal ?

so, maybe putting a giant japanese sub in the game would offer
more campaign possibilities. they also did transport (sneaking
thru US controlled waters). and a few attacks on military
surface ships.

and, how about a japanese mini sub trying to penetrate pearl harbor ?

personally, being able to steer a dutch sub in the pacific would also be nice, but that is definity a niche.

all this on the assumption that different types of subs are
reasonably easy to add to the game...

[mwe1967]

Well, only been playing a couple of weeks but better crew management would be nice and also to increase realism you should have chances of mechanical breakdowns during long cruises and the chance of being swept overboard if you have your guys out on the bridge during storms and high seas. One time I was looking at them on the bridge during a storm and they were all completely submerged in rough seas that went at least a foot over thier heads!

Also I believe they had false contacts in real life when they detected a "biological" (whale or some other marine life) thinking it was a possible enemy.

In addition to fuel, food supply could also be a limiting factor built in to add realism, with the option to limit or ration food to the crew during long patrols at the expense of lower morale and endurance.

[oche]

I would like to have the TDC SH1 style, so you can enter the data while looking thru the binoculars or periscope for manual targetting, not like the annoying SHIII target data helper.

[Trout]

2 main things:

1) More situations where your boat is damaged (in a minor way)by depth charges. Basically, longer DC attacks with more damage and less death. In SH3 the DC attacks are either trivial or they kill you nearly outright - no in-between. The only reason I no longer play SH3 is because its too easy.

2) A fully modeled 3d interior that doubles as your UI for most functions. Its not enough to model the interior, you have to make people use it. Using hot buttons or keys to command a change in speed, depth or heading is fine, but you should have to look to the gauges in the boat to see your current status. SImilarly, on higher difficulty levels there should be no quick 2d screen for the TDC and torp settings - make people use the 3d version. Follow this logic through and you can imagine playing in a way that rarely interupts your sense of immersion by letting you (or requireing you) to jump to a 2d screen.

So no more "jumping" from station to station. If you want to leave the parascope and look at the plot, hit the plot key and your view point will MOVE (like you are turning and walking) over to the plot.

A 2 second move from one station to the other is really not much less convinient for people than a quick jump. IIRC, both the control room and conning tower in US subs had redundant equipment anyway, so for the captain, everything was pretty close to him.

I think they should also model the ENTIRE sub interior fore and aft. For it not to be just a novelty, they would need to come up with reasons why you would want to walk about the whole boat now and then (maybe to give crew members a morale bonus?, maybe to check the crewmen for visible or audible signs of high or low morale? Maybe to check a compartment log for signs that you should promote people or move them to a different position?)

Trout

[Scared Bunny]

My greatest annoyance: the cyclindrical earth of SH3. Not only is it my wish that a spherical earth be used this time, I also think it would be a great improvement of gameplay:

- there actually being a horizon without having to resort to artificial limiting of vision, i.e. 16 km, or fog.

- accurate travel times for convoys

- accurate distances for all movement. In SH3 for example, the distance between Willemshaven and New York is 1.5 times the real distance (easily checked with google earth). SH3 limits the historical range of WW2 subs operating in the North Atlantic.

[Heibges]

1. Make sure Save Game works perfectly. Corrupted saves occur fairly frequently in SH2 and SH3. This is totally not acceptable.

2. If the captain is going to be renedered, I would rather see him in the 3rd Person Style like Splinter Cell or SOCOM. The ladder climbing and ladder slides in the above mentioned games always makes me think of climbing up to or down from the bridge or conning tower.

3. Dynamic Singleplayer Campaign. This should be a no-brainer, but.....

4. Be able to take over the character model of any crew member, and walk around the ship and perform duties including firing the AA guns. Like in Madden, for instance.

5. Be able to edit the character model of any crew member. Put them in shorts if they are in tropical climbs or weath weather gear if in the cold stormy north atlantic. You should also be able to set Uniform of the Day for a more....uniformed looking crew. Also like in Madden.

[Mart!jn]

I now have the feeling i'm fighting my own war, it is me alone against the allies.
so,
1) putting wolpacks in the game would be great.
2) Contact between u-boats, so you can send coördinates of an convoy to others and they send you coördinates of convoys they have spotted
3) More depth of the water.

[cmdrk]

I made this comment in a different post. Realized it should be here.

It has already been mentioned about the crew management using a watch bill system, so the crew can be set up in shifts. Which I hope includes setting stations assignments for battle stations torpedo and gun.

What I haven't seen mentioned is standing watch officer orders. There have been complaints about aircraft kills when using time compression. Watch officers often had orders to dive at first sight of anything remotely like a plane. I wonder how many subs dived to avoid birds. I'm not saying this should be a sure defense. It wasn't in real war, but would be related to watch crew experience to spot the plane and crew effiency in dives.

The AI for this should not be active when in real time. It can be assumed you, as captain, are on watch and you have to make the order.
Also, if standing orders are triggered, time compression should drop to 1x or 2x depending on hazard.

Other ideas for watch orders can be to perform actions for certain situations. For example, the boat can be orderd to dive to periscope depth at sunrise automatically, or when dawn occurs the game goes to real time and a crew's voice calls for the captain's attention.

This will just be an expansion of the game's logic when ships are spotted, with an added twist of automatically initiat
ing certain commands.

[neustafa]

I would love to see equipment braking out at sea. Say one of your main engins blow a head gasket now you eng. dept. has to work round the clock to get your ship back up to 100%

Also set departments on the ship eg Deck, Eng., ops, and so on.

One thing I think that has been missing from all of the SH's is a cook on the boat. I have been on ships in the Coast Guard and the crews morale can be greatly efficted by the ships cook. Now I have never sail on a sub and the boats I was on in the Coast Guard were 110', but the only thing to do on the boat was to stand watch, eat, and sleep. I would think a sub would be the same.

[xpz67]

I would like more different missions, such as rescueing downed aircrew. Dropping off Spies, that sort of thing.

Blowing up ships got boring and I stopped after 17 missions.

JP.

[Calixus]

Atmosphere, Atmoshere, Atmosphere

1. Render the whole boat, so you can go anywhere
2. Render the crew and show them e.g. movement while manning stations ( its ridiculus to see the bridgecrew vanish with a "plop" when the order to dive comes up), hanging in quarters (a sub is a packed tube full of people ... besides that neat, lofty and unmanned rooms we saw in SH I-III). Shortly: get life into the boat
3. Have realistic radio-traffic (even with the chance to catch open transmissions from foreign stations), for the freaks of us have Codebooks where officers only can decypher Top-Secrat Messages (like the german double-encryption-system for officers Messages).
4. Have mission-orders radioed during missions and not only the three alternative-radio answers like in SH III.
5. Have proper "milkcows" (at least when the nation had support-subs)
6. Implement a record - collection according to the time-period in the Radio-room as well as historical radio-broadcasts for important events.
6. Install "Tokyo-Rose"-broadcasts.
7. Implement the chance to give up/ sink the boat after for e.g. an emergency-surface.
8. Implement the chances of fire within the boat as well as other damages.
8. Implement Crew skills and different drill-alarms (fight leaks, fight fire, counter boarding ...ok maybe a bit far out ... but you see the intentions) to raise crew skills.

All for now and just the most pressing points.

The weirdest wishbone would be to have this in a continuous massive - multiplayer - scenario with a DC-like Feature... but well.

[xpz67]

I would like more different missions, such as rescueing downed aircrew. Dropping off Spies, that sort of thing.

Blowing up ships got boring and I stopped after 17 missions.

JP.

[Munchausen]

1. If at a station, right clicking should always send you back to the appropriate compartment.

In SH3, you can go to the attack scope either directly or by climbing into the conning tower and selecting the scope itself. But you cannot get back to the conning tower with the usual right-click. Which is sad since a number of operational controls can be accessed there (e.g. opening, closing and confirming status of torpedo tubes).

2. Fix the bug in SH3 (for SH4) where the environment doesn’t change under the following conditions:

Start a patrol.
Play for 24 hours game time (e.g. 23 April 0800 hrs to 24 April 0800 hrs).
Save and exit.
Close down the game.
Launch the game.
Reload saved game.
Play another 24 game hours, save and exit, etc.

Playing this way, the weather never changes and the moon remains in the same phase throughout the patrol.

[RoDent]

As mentioned earlier in previous posts about "Better Radio Contact" i found it rather lame when you sent your contact and patrol report that BDU only says "Keep up the good work".

How about something that changes depending on how your mission/ tonage/damage to your sub refects on what radio messages you recieve. And also perhaps the ability of if you get severly damaged or run out of torpedo's and ammo for deck guns that when you report back to base via radio contact perhaps backup or a re-supply ship comes to your aid to either take on the remaining ships that you missed or they resupply you with more ammo and supplies.

[RoDent]

Perhaps a option in multiplayer that allows you to be on either side?
A) you hunt down ships with your sub
B) you hunt down the subs.

[coronas]

Interaction with other subs, ships (friend, foe or neutral), HQ, signal lights, new orders, radio traffic, dud torpedoes, diferent missions, a real fatigue model with real turns(automatic) for tripulation, real sinks with lifeboats and wrecks, etc, etc, etc and a good nighclub in Hawai with music, beer and señoritas.

[DeepSix]

...
and a good nighclub in Hawai with music, beer and señoritas.

Hmmm... a fully rendered Hotel Street.... :hmm:

[Kaptain Kaos]

I like the idea of playing from some of the other Allied / Axis points of view. I'm also a big fan of IL-2 Sturmovik series. Maybe the head honchos at UBISOFT can get the IL-2 and SH folks at the same table and come up with the kind of "pick your country / pick your weapons platform" career option for SH IV that the IL-2 bubbas did so well.

Ability for crew to gain renown as they gain experience rather then go to the "hired gun roster"...tie ship's control / fighting abilities more to crew experience levels.

Full up Nav mode with Quadrant / Sol Shots / Chart Locker etc required to get you to "on station"

Destroyer Command...

Catalina / Condor / Privateer / Ventura, etc Command...(Airdale companion game)

[subber]

May I suggest to NOT use starforce as a copy protection scheme... I`d be more than happy to pay extra for a "dongle". "Steel Beasts Pro" makes use of it and it is VERY convenient at little extra cost.

Anything but Starforce, please.

[DeepSix]

Early war problems with the Mark XIV torpedo/Mark VI magnetic detonator should be included (I would be horrified if that wasn't already part of the plan).

Ditto the comments on Starforce.

[Edit: Oh, yeah, I forgot - getting attacked by friendly aircraft and DDs.]

[Skubber]

Early war problems with the Mark XIV torpedo/Mark VI magnetic detonator should be included

1.Although I think it might be frustrating, I too would prefer to have the historical accuracy of malfunctioning torpedoes.

2. Ditto on the fully rendered interior. Wouldn't it be great to actually swing through a hatch into the next compartment? Even better to go there when there is damage, actually see the flooding rising in the compartment, and maybe even see a damage team working desperately to fix it.

3. Ability to attack Japanese submarines. (the USS Tautog sank two of them.)

4. Wartime realistic military objectives. (As others have already mentioned.)

5. Having the game begin with a cinematic of Japanese planes buzzing, but failing to significantly attack the submarine base at Pearl Harbour.

[kys2000]

1. Improve AI's AI
1.1. improve depth charge accuracy of DD
1.2. revise turnaround radius of DD after bypassing the sub(which should require more distance)
1.3. increase closing speed of DD
1.4. improve search capability of DD against Sub

2. Maneuverability
2.1. multiple players on same sub
2.2. adjustable game difficulty(should be sigificant difference between Easy and Real) for players at various level
2.3. full career design feature in misson editor(not just single or online missions)
2.4. encrypted config.ini for all ships and subs so that no easy parameter cracking or modification
2.5. NO icon or label displayed on map at Real-class(100%) difficulty, all bearing math/config should be completed by player with his own efforts, i.e., full manual approach(using gyroscope)
2.6. more manual operability for Radar

3. Graphics
3.1. add 3D interface for other cabins, and motion of crews
3.2. more crew members can be dragged to be standing on to the bridge to create better moods(especially during leaving and/or returning base)
3.3. add Shift+F2 feature on the bridge so that crew members can move freely
3.4. add crew member moving up and down of periscope real-time at 3D commanding room
3.5. for F3 interface, background of the commanding room and crew members in the room should be moving when the periscope is rotating, while a Torpedo Control panel can be added to fire torpedos(just like SH2)
3.6. improve texture details of all ships
3.7. add more types of history ships
3.8. add more 3D motions for the crew members
3.9. more cloud evolution at different weathers, not just two texture files for every situation
3.10. improve water spray effects, especially for water column effects of gun fire
3.11. improve sea water color diversity for different oceans and depth levels.

4. Sound Effects
4.1 improve sound effect diversity, not just like one single gun fire sound for all guns. (so depth charge detonation should hear different above and under sea
4.2 add emotional tone feature for dialogues, not just like recitation

5. controllable DDs are MOST MOST MOST wanted!!!!!!!!!!!

[CCIP]

What I suggested in the Manual Navigation thread:


-Removing the real-time-updated "GPS map"
-Adding an option to the Nav officer's menu which would be something like "Get nav fix", which would only be available in clear conditions, surfaced. If the conditions aren't right - then you're on your own to guess where you are based on your last known position.

Devs, please :)

[RoDent]

If its going to be historically accurate thats fine.... but for those who wish to create there own missions (not historically correct...just something outa the blue) allow them to create your own ports and design them with there own buildings and such.
So while we are on the topic of mission editor's..... make one thats user friendly but yet allow's for some really neat events, trigger's and such. :up:

[Cpt-Maxim]

Ability To Control Ships OR Subs BOTH sides - USA/Japanese

It seems many people in here want variety in thier naval units as far as gameplay, tactics, which would give viewpoints from different types of naval captains contributions to both sides in the war.

[DeepSix]

Torpedoes that launch halfway out the tube and then "jam," thus taking a tube offline until it can be removed.

[pilotxxl]

I would like to see all types of US subs:

S-Class:

S-1; S-12; S-42 e S-48.

Barracuda;Argonaut;Narwhal;Dolphin;Chachalot;

P-Class:

P-1; P-3; P-5.

Salmon-;Sargo;Tambor;Gar;Gato;Balao and Tench

British S-Class and T-Class/ Group 2 would be welcome, and Dutch too, like the O12;O16;O19 (mine-layer) and O21.

The Kaidai types (KD3-KD4-KD5-KD& and KD7); Junsen and 'C'types of Japanese navy would add a nice touch in the game, but it would be feasible?

I think Silent Hunter IV would be able to make a new path in the game if, like Flight Simulator, give the chance to the community to make new models in order to enhance the game.

In the base models, they only made some types by nation, and take care of other things of real importance such as:

- outfit of ship (spare parts, water and petrol supplies, fresh provisions, munitions);
- net and gross wheight;
- a good fatigue model with random impossibility recoveries by illness and a possibily death by accident;
- engine/radio/radar/rudder/dive planes/manometers and other paraphernalia breakdowns;
- damages only repairable at base or by friend vessel;
- coded messages;
- radio operational with chances of tune in civil radio stations (music and news) and pick other comunications (civilian and war boats) in other languages and codes too;
- morse code between boats by light;
- flag codes between boats;
- chances of asking rescue boats and rescue rafts;
- standard sea routes(chance of make our own routes and save them permanently);
- Crew's quaters, crew's mess and officers quarter's & mess interacting with the fatigue and moral model;
- All possible crew on deck to rest when fatigue is too high;
- Differente tasks to perform during a campaign, and not only 24 hours survey grid (escort/deploy/rescue/and so on);
- Milk cows;
- Stations operating with minimum possible crew or without none (high chances of malfunction);
- Enlisted rates not only petty-officers;
- Ship's cook (we all need to eat)
- Realistic depths and a good weather machine;
- Possibility of make desired depth, direction an velocity in increments of one feet, degree+minute and knot;
- Real search capabilities of DD and other vessels (pls no 360º capability);
- Depth charges blowing separately and in diverse depths with the respective results in the sub;
- Table of sunset and sundown time and meteoroligical bulletins possible when available;
- Much better sound effects;
- Real command voices and confirmation;
- Better log-book w/ possibility of notes added by the commander;
- Rusty and damaged skins aged by use;

That's all folks!

[Sailor Steve]

Torpedoes that launch halfway out the tube and then "jam," thus taking a tube offline until it can be removed.
Nice suggestion. Also "hot-runners"; torpdoes that start running while still in the tube, usually before it's flooded. Both of those occurances were rare, but they did happen.

Also the occassional "circle-runner", torpedoes having the gyro jam. Again very rare, maybe once in 10 patrols, but still...

[DeepSix]

Also "hot-runners"; torpdoes that start running while still in the tube, usually before it's flooded. Both of those occurances were rare, but they did happen.

Also the occassional "circle-runner", torpedoes having the gyro jam. Again very rare, maybe once in 10 patrols, but still...

Forgot about those; I'd like to see them included as well. :up:

[plaice]

I served in the Pacific on subs. and what was special was radio msg where we were advised of convoy movements. This would be needed on getting a sub in position in the Pacific. I hope you are able to put together a Pacific addition. I enjoyed the first one very much, and since I served on one it was a great game. good luck on your progress

[DeepSix]

Thought of another one.

In SH3, by the end of the war, it's not unusual to find yourself under attack by PBYs, Sunderlands, Wellingtons, B-24s - you might have a dozen of them diving, banking, climbing, and generally buzzing around like bluebottles. Even though the late war is supposed to be hard, I think such swarms of a/c - particularly all the 4 engine bombers - are a bit too much, even unrealistic, especially in mid-ocean. Constant harassment by one or two at a time would seem more accurate. As it is, the AI keeps bombarding you with more and more until there are too many, forcing you to dive. I'd rather be forced to dive at the hands of quality, rather than quantity, on the part of the AI.

So in SH4 I'd like to see airborne ASW that's more realistically modelled, if that's possible given that they're going to use the same engine.

[DeepSix]

I know, I know, I'm spamming the thread, but I keep thinking about stuff I'd like to see (chalk it up to anticipation) :) :

Early war, esp. during the retreat and general mayhem in the Philippines and DEI, U.S. subs sometimes spent as little as 24 hours in port. That could be incorporated to have an impact on crew fatigue/morale (I'm not talking about crew management). It might add a challenge - to conduct an effective patrol with a crew that's not completely rested.

[Henchman]

This suggestion has been mentioned already, in this thread and many other SHIII threads, but I'll say it again because it is very important: We need more mission variety (i.e. rescue missions, intelligence gathering, special cargo deliveries etc.)!

Also, (but less importantly) don't forget to include the ability to tune in to "Tokyo Rose" on the radio, as well as historically accurate news broadcasts that correspond to the date/time you are playing. In fact, a fully functional radio that you can manually tune would be great. There could be various radio broadcast stations set up around the world that you could tune in to depending on your location.

[SilentOtto]

+1 to interactive radio!! You read my mind, how would I love to have that big SW - or AM or whatever it is - radio working in SH3... But Pacific stations would be fine too! Listen to emergency channel, music, enemy comms...

[Safe-Keeper]

Some scripted things for the radio would be really nice.

For example, tune in to the emergency VHF channel while sinking a Japanese ship, and you hear frantic maydays from the ship in Japanese. Fight a battle and you hear radio chatter from the combatants.

That, and the radio officer would give reports such as "Getting an SSS distress signal from [ship] at [source co-ordinates], sir"

Manually tune the radio or give the radio man orders such as "Emergency VHF", "News", "Turn off radio", "Volume down", etc.

[DeepSix]

I never have been able to figure out if thermal layers are present in SH3 or not. I thought they were, then I heard they weren't, and I'm still not sure. So - either way, I'd like to see them included in SH4:

Scorpion had a new [July '43] and simple device, a bathothermograph, that was to prove helpful to U.S. submarines in evading Japanese anti-submarine vessels. It roughly measured the temperature of the water outside the submarine, enabling a skipper to find thermoclines, colder layers of water which would deflect or distort enemy pinging. When time permitted, a shrewd skipper would go deep before an attack, measuring water temperature to 300 feet (a moving pen on the bathothermograph gave a continuous visual reading of outside temperatures), so that he would know where to find the thermoclines.

- Silent Victory, pp. 458-59.

[Drebbel]

I never have been able to figure out if thermal layers are present in SH3 or not.

Yes there are, think I wrote it somewhere in the old FAQ thread.

[Driftwood]

Damn, I'm really anxious to get this sim. Looking forward to the End Runs and Stern Chases as well as spotting that smoke on the horizon and staying close to that 100 fathom curve. :up: Oh yes! And screaming "CLEAR THE BRIDGE!"

[DeepSix]

I never have been able to figure out if thermal layers are present in SH3 or not.

Yes there are, think I wrote it somewhere in the old FAQ thread.

Thanks, Drebbel; now you mention it, I think that's where I first read it. Don't know where I heard that there weren't any. :doh:

[FAdmiral]

Judging by all these suggestions, SH4 should be ready
sometime in late 2011...


JIM

[DeepSix]

Judging by all these suggestions, SH4 should be ready
sometime in late 2011...


JIM

I just hope they get it right. I won't buy it if it doesn't come with a blender - skip gets royally po'd if he can't have his margaritas. :-j

[BM357_Fuse]

Lots of good suggestions here on these threads. Here is one of my own:

What I would like to see is the incorporation of many of the ideas listed above to create a totally immersive sim that creates the incentive to play 1x as often as possible. Reacting with the AI crewmen on board and with real players on line acting on your boat or other boats (subs), sitting in the galley watching crewmen eat, and overhearing the lowkey'd conversations going on, even watching a movie with the crew all would add to the realism (and drama) of the sim. Make it with a FULL COMPLIMENT of Officers, Petty Officers, and Sailors that render in a 3-D inviroment, and give the player the option to take control of any of the ships company to act their role out. Have the chance to swim with the crew on a hot day at sea, and in general, pertake in life at sea from all points of view. Lay in your bed and read, write, or doodle... Or jump from your rack when Battlestations sounds out!

You get the idea :sunny:

[FAdmiral]

Lots of good suggestions here on these threads. Here is one of my own:

What I would like to see is the incorporation of many of the ideas listed above to create a totally immersive sim that creates the incentive to play 1x as often as possible. Reacting with the AI crewmen on board and with real players on line acting on your boat or other boats (subs), sitting in the galley watching crewmen eat, and overhearing the lowkey'd conversations going on, even watching a movie with the crew all would add to the realism (and drama) of the sim. Make it with a FULL COMPLIMENT of Officers, Petty Officers, and Sailors that render in a 3-D inviroment, and give the player the option to take control of any of the ships company to act their role out. Have the chance to swim with the crew on a hot day at sea, and in general, pertake in life at sea from all points of view. Lay in your bed and read, write, or doodle... Or jump from your rack when Battlestations sounds out!

You get the idea :sunny:

I Stand Corrected !

Spring of 2015


JIM

[BM357_Fuse]

Oh common FAdmiral, it is a good idea isnt it? :yep:

[VonHelsching]

I never have been able to figure out if thermal layers are present in SH3 or not. I thought they were, then I heard they weren't, and I'm still not sure. So - either way, I'd like to see them included in SH4:

That would be a fine addition for SHIV.

Thermal layers *are not*modelled in SH3. But they have been *modded* to the game by randomizing the DD sensors max depth, using the randomizing functionality of SH3 Commander.

Check the mods section of SH3. The mod was released about 2 months ago. The layers are now fully incorporated in SH3 Commander (external app.) :up:

[DeepSix]

I never have been able to figure out if thermal layers are present in SH3 or not.


Yes there are, think I wrote it somewhere in the old FAQ thread.


...
Thermal layers *are not*modelled in SH3. But they have been *modded* to the game by randomizing the DD sensors max depth, using the randomizing functionality of SH3 Commander....

Now me is confused again.... :lol: Oh, well, as long as they are included in SH4 I'll be happy. Thanks, VH, for the lead on Commander - that would make sense because it would seem to work in much the same way as randomizing the crush depth, which I know has been done. Thanks!:up:

[FAdmiral]

Most ideas here are good suggestions. Historical reality
is the best suggestion of all but we all want to play this
upcoming game before we pass on into the afterlife !!


JIM

[rls669]

I just thought of something really obvious that SH4 should have -- flying boats(and even other planes) that can actually survive contact with water. As far as I can tell in SH3 any plane just explodes when it touches water, though many of the Sunderlands and PBYs I've shot down have floated in gently enough to land.

Having them landing and taking off would be a very nice addition to harbour traffic as well.

[bigboywooly]

I would like to see the units in the game moddeled as they are in sh3
There is a lot of hard work gone on from a few people to give us more and varied shipping/aircraft
Cos you know whatever way they ( Ubi ) go the amount and variety of units in sh4 will be woefull
Be nice to import and export the units between 3 and 4 that way keeping an interest alive in sh3 too
There are times when you just cant beat that cold grey Atlantic weather lol

[FAdmiral]

Easy Modding is the key! Even if the dev team leaves
out lotsa stuff players want, the modders can do the job
and put it in.....


JIM

[DeepSix]

Yeah, "modability" is the key to getting exactly what you want. Despite the difficulty of doing it, SH3 mods are some of the best. Hope SH4 builds on that and is built so it can be modified without too much difficulty. :up:

[Enigma]

Ive alwasy disliked how sunken ships vanish. Id like for the debris and wreckage to be scattered on the sea floor, if indeed it is not too deep, and to remain there throughoutyour career. Even cooler, would be if the wreckage decayed over the years. How cool woul dit be to take an expedition and visit the scene of one of your best convoy raids? The decayed old shipwrecks littering the sea floor....

[-Pv-]

I remember reading in an interview with the SHIII developers thermal layers ARE modeled in SHIII (not reqiuring a mod.)

The explanation is that in WWII thermals were not understood very well (or at all) and the subs on patrol didn't have the gear to detect them (nor did the surface ships) so thermals in SHII are inplimented RANDOMLY.
You nor the emeny knows when you are protected by a thermal or not, so you cannot hunt one up and hide under it. Very much like actually happened in WWII, what appeared to be the beginning of a successful attack would turn sour and the surface attacker would appear to have lost you for no reason (distracted, thermal, poor crew, the sub did everything right?) "Whew that was a close one, but we got away." This is entirely acceptable to me considering the time period and the technology the game represents. When I play smart and manage my risks, I strongly feel I get balanced play out of SHIII and I consider myself somewhat demanding on my sub sims having played them for over 20 years (I'm sure many are more demanding than I.)

I also don't expect thermals to be a deciding facter in SHIV because the US subs didn't have any advantage in the Pacific the Atlantic theater didn't have in this respect.

I don't think it's fair to expect 688i/Sub Command/Dangerous Waters type of thermal detection and evasion in the midst of WWII.
-Pv-

[DeepSix]

I don't think it's fair to expect 688i/Sub Command/Dangerous Waters type of thermal detection and evasion in the midst of WWII.
-Pv-

Agreed, and I wouldn't want to play WW2 with 688-like sophistication. Both Blair and James Calvert say, though, that it was possible to determine where the thermal layers were. Blair mentions that the boats were equipped with a bathothermograph that recorded water temperature. I think that was a definite advantage the U-boats lacked. Also, Calvert mentions taking advantage of thermal layers several times, recalling one incident in particular when his skipper ordered the boat to dive past test depth to take advantage of a thermal layer "at just about 310 feet."

So I think SH4 skippers should have a fairly precise idea of where they are. To be fair, though, dipping below them shouldn't guarantee safety.

[DeepSix]

:D More spam:

Constant active pinging. Apparently the Japanese convoy escorts always did this (Silent Running) and it was a dead giveaway.

Also - constant helm (constant zigging) might be kind of cool. Both the Japanese convoys and the U.S. subs used this trick - the sub fleet eventually came up with some sort of cam or servo or something that assisted the helmsman in doing it. I don't understand how it worked, but it's also mentioned in Calvert's book.

[Swag-man]

Sorry if this apears any where else, I must have missed it. But I think a realistic watch change would be great as this happens in real life, so may be it could happen in shIV as well.:up:

[Donner]

I would like to see the Sofu Gan, or Lot's Wife, modelled into the 'world.' Sofu Gan is a large pillar of rock extending out of the Pacific Ocean about 100 miles from coast of Japan (I do not know it's exact location.) Sofu Gan played havoc on the nerves of many a captain as the radar would pick this formation up as a single pip not unlike that of a solitary ship.

It would be nice to be approaching Japan and have the same thing happen! :ping:

[donut]

I have been remembering to post this thought for real life immersion for months so that SHIV might implement it. :hmm: So Here goes.
The Stealth Meter,although a nice option, is not reality represented.:roll: (cartoon like it is)

Please replace the stealth representation.:lurk:
(Suggestion);
The sound clarity of the sonar pings,should indicate detection, location, lock,for stealth,or lack of same,of Submarine.

To the game crews listening ability.(immersion)you must listen.
Sharp pings,indicate DD search,lock=Sub.detection,:down: Indistinct pings=DD hunting, not detecting Sub.:up: Red lines,from Subs location,could Ind. bearing & range,to aid evasion by the skipper:arrgh!: Dev.team please to consider. Thanks,Donut:sunny:
(Advise) Play SHCE to see how implemented.

[Drebbel]

Good ideas. But please make these "cheats" optional in the realism menu.

[donut]

@ Drebbel's $.02 opinion. Stealth Indication is an option in the realism menu.
Ref.-SHIII :roll: Only suggesting,listening to pings,for same effects would seem more
real life immersion for SHIV

Additional suggestion:Torpedo's do not bounce off thin hulled merchants,if they do not detonate on impact,they punch a hole in the hull,and go off on time out,end of run time,if set to impact.(Real life) Set to magnetic torp.might dent chine,& deflect off in rough seas though,or run under,for a miss.SHCE did not have magnetic detonates,quire? :hmm:

[DeepSix]

A simple idea I got from reading a thread over in the SH3 forum: include a Distance/Speed/Time calculator for us non-math types. Where knowing any two variables would let you solve for the third and plan an interception for a map (or Ultra) contact accordingly. This would be so easy to include - it's math; this is a computer game.:D This is not difficult math, and I'm sure many people are content doing it in their head or scratching it out on paper, but it'd be a help to those of us who forget formulas and frequently make mistakes with their "figgerin'" - especially when converting a decimal into a 60-minute time unit.:D

[DeepSix]

It's probably been mentioned but I want to add my request for

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v676/PocketPlane/Spy_vs_Spy.jpg

Sub vs. Sub. The Allies sank several enemy subs (including a couple German U-boats, IIRC) with subs.

[Threadfin]

Yep, alot of Japanese subs were sunk by US boats, but only one US boat to Japanese subs, Corvina I think.

That's one thing I really like about Pacific Aces. "Torpedo in the water sir". Dive!

[Safe-Keeper]

1.
Remember how in Gran Turissmo, as you completed race after race your car would gather mud? Clearing the mud was a simple trip through the car-wash at a cost of almost nothing, and having it there was a great touch of atmosphere.

I'm just wondering if your chart in Silent Hunter IV couldn't work the same way. You know how when you erase something in reality, there's sometimes this grey stain left, or a bleached spot where you applied the eraser too hard (I feel so dumb actually explaining this:-?). Let's have the chart work the same way. After seven patrols, it'll be full of eraser marks, old notes, etc. etc. etc. When you grow tired of it, just hit a "Request new chart" button after patrol (or something like that:p) free of charge and get a fresh chart.

2.
Add more map tools. As was said, add a free-hand pencil tool. Also, I'd like to place "sunken ships" icons myself.

[Payoff]

*I would like to be able to rig for red manually as in SHII.
*A random external flyby view as seen in flight simulators for eye candy purposes, but not controllable to tempt me to cheat.
*Ability to order " all hands on deck "or " harbor stations " when leaving and entering port. Again in the eye candy department.
*I like the no GPS navigation idea alot.
*Random breakdowns and system failures with realistic repair times would be great.
*3D crew and additional compartments would add greatly to the immersion factor.
*Ability to locate ships/convoys via radio intercept as Devs had planned to include in SHIII.
*Sonarman fix, so he can hear what I hear. . . like in the song.
*PLEASE no evil Popeye telling me " We've been detected sir ".
*I hope they leave my case of brewski's under the captains bunk.

[Safe-Keeper]

*A random external flyby view as seen in flight simulators for eye candy purposes, but not controllable to tempt me to cheat.
That'd go under my cute "Elaborate External View" wish.

Give the external view (which'd still be a realism/challenge option) some more abilities such as Follow Oject, Track Object, Fly-By View, Cinematic Mode (camera focuses on action, keeps changing angles, etc., like in a movie), Follow Projectiles (lock on to a battleship and choose this, then follow the heavy shells as they slam into the enemy's destroyers:arrgh!:!), and, most importantly, a Record feature so that you can playback your favourite Silent Hunter IV moments and/or share them on-line!

[Sailor Steve]

**Ability to order " all hands on deck "or " harbor stations " when leaving and entering port. Again in the eye candy department.
I've thought about that one as well. It was fun in AOD to see your crew lined up at attention when you pulled in or out of port.

[Safe-Keeper]

Look at this old concept drawing:

http://www.silent-hunteriii.com/ss/trece-ub.jpg
Which might mean they at least considered the feature for Silent Hunter III.

It'd be nice if it was in this upcoming title. That, and some real harbour traffic - and an pre-mission start choice to start a kilometre or outside of harbour, rather than in it (just for convenience's sake).

Suggestion:
1. Lanterns and search lights (most likely hand-held, unless US subs had search lights mounted on them, which I doubt) for the sub. Ability to turn them on/off at will. Lanterns for all other vessels in the game (turned on/off by AI when it should be). Would be really nice to have in port.

2. Signs to warn about skerries.

3. Model ropes, anchor chains, bouys and the likes that you can get your propeller entangled in while sneaking trough a harbour. Doesn't need an elaborate animation or anything.

4. Working anti-sub nets that you actually get stuck in, rather than "titanium curtains" you crash into. I'm not asking for the net to fold itself around the sub when it runs into it, but please make it so that the player can get stuck in it.

5. When you sink a ship, it stays where it sunk for the rest of the war, except if it ruins the game by being there (if it blocks a bottle-neck that's the only way into a harbour, for example:oops:. Heh, maybe that could be a renown source, trapping the Japanese fleet in a bay by sinking a merchant:p). Also, have algae and other sea-plants grow on the wrecks over time (should be simple, just a matter of various textures). I think this'll be a nice feature, and although you most of the time would not notice the wrecks, maybe once or twice you'd stumble upon a merchant wreck and go, "is that the ship I sunk in the previous mission? Wow, it is! That is so neat!". If the ocean had some wrecks from other engagements, that'd be nice, too.

6. I don't know the exact procedure here, but funerals at sea shouldn't take one second (or did they?)! And they were not carried out with enemy destroyers present! Have the funeral ceremony take some time (in effect, you choose "Bury dead crew" and the game skips ahead half an hour or so), maybe accompanied with a cutscene. Have it be something that you can only do while away from hostiles. Regarding contacts with enemies while carrying out a funeral, I'm not sure how that'd work out. Any historical evidence of submarines getting ambushed while burying dead crewmen?

Also, while I know this is macabre, maybe they should make it so that if you didn't bury your crew, they'd start smelling, detracting from morale?

6a. As well as a Navigator order saying "Plot Intercept Course" on easier difficulty, I'd like a 100% manual targetting and intercept setup for 100% a challenge level career (I don't like to call it "realism" level as it's not realistic for a CO to do these things). At 100% difficulty/challenge rating you'd have to do everything by yourself like so (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=88961).

6b. Also, when ordering the WO or NO to plot intercepts/torpedo attacks, it shouldn't take one second like in Silent Hunter III. Have it take a realistic period of time, depending on his experience and some other factors.

7. Step-by-step interactive tutorials like in games such as Age of Empires 2, instead of video tutorials. Messages like the one in the guide I linked to in (#6a) are shown throughout the mission, and triggers make sure everything happens in a certain way.

8. Many more events and triggers for the editor. There's a lot of things I want to do with it that I can't do (such as triggering an event when a vessel other than mine reaches a specific zone). Add things like starting damage/flooding to ships, customizable ammunition level/spare parts, AI attitude (very aggressive, cautious, etc.), customizable weather (to a much higer degree), sub-system breakdowns, specific messages from your crew, etc.

For example, let's say I want to make a mission where you're patrolling near enemy territory in an old submarine and suddenly have an engine breakdown. You are in the middle of a patrol, so your boat is down to 78% hull integrity, your crew is tired, all torpedoes are gone, and you have little MG ammunition and spare parts left. Your orders are to stay on the surface and patrol the area, diving only when necessary. Mission starts at 700 Hours. At 701 Hours, you receive this, with accompanying custom .wave file: "CE: Engines are acting up, captain. Think they might stop completely if we ain't careful with them." 705, a Japanese destroyer is set to intercept you. At some point between 714-720 Hours,your engines break down (see #9). You radio for help, and Command responds it's assigning a nearby merchant a cruiser escort and sending it to aid you. Good thing there was both a patrolling warship and a merchant with spare parts near you. ETA: 2 hours.

Less good thing the destroyer has intercepted your radio communiqés and finds you. In shallow waters, with no torpedoes, an already-damaged boat, and a fatigued crew, you need to fight for your dear life to survive until the escort of the supply ship "relieves" the crack Japanese warship that's viciously hunting you.

Just one example on what you can do with an advanced editor. A very intense, very hectic and fast mission that wouldn't be possible in Silent Hunter III.

9. Random break-downs of sub-systems (ie. engines, pumps, compressors, etc.), torpedoes jamming in tube, guns jamming, bow planes or rudder jamming, engines breaking down, etc. Realistic occurance frequency and an option to turn it off (like dud torpedoes).

10. Ship names, shown on the side/aft of the hull.

11. Injuries that cannot be healed by your medic and which may require you to get the crewman unloaded quickly to a hospital ship or port if you don't want to lose him (or if he's too wounded to work).

12. N.O. order that makes him plot where ship contacts wil be in x hours, provided you know the target's speed. Effectively, he draws a line on the map with notches on it, each notch marking where the contact will be with each passing hour (clumsy way of writing it.. Sorry).

13. Ships with actual illuminated windows to simulate internal lights. The lights can be turned on and off at will.

14. Real weather. Make it local, not global. Make storms move, like in reality, and make weather more realistic overall (no calm seas to gale winds in one minute). It'd be nice to be patrolling under clear skies and see rain clouds hanging ten kilometres to your west:)... We need some northern light and shooting stars, too. And snow that actually covers your hull if you're on the surface for long enough. Again, just a little texture change that'd do so incredibly much for the game.

15. Floatsam, wrecks, etc. stay for a realistically long time. Oil spills don't just go away. They should be flammable, too, and it should be dangerous to drive your boat trough the flames and smoke (and it would affect the performance of your deck/watch crew, who'd be inhaling smoke and/or get too close to the flames).

16. When the hatches for the external torpedoes are open and a loading is in progress, you have the choice to bring the torpedo back into its slot, or carry it into the sub, but you can't dive. (diving means losing the torpedo). External tubes cannot be loaded in high seas, and waves slipping into the open slot is treated as a particularly mild flooding.

17. Ability to put sonar/hydrophones on speakers, so that you can hear it without being at the headphones.

18. AI planes and vessels actually firing torpedoes.

Damn, where did all the forummers go? Are they hibernating until the next Ubisoft update?

[Threadfin]

Good ideas, however US boats did not use external torpedos as far as I can tell. The Gato class for example had two external torpedo slots, but they were used for other purposes like ready ammunition for the guns.

As O'Kane (I think) said, no skipper would allow a situation that prevented his boat from diving.

I particularly agree with 6b, 9, 14, 17 and 18.

[Safe-Keeper]

Suggestion: No accurate guesses on highest realism. Having a watch officer tell you the target is exactly 4392 metres away and on a bearing of exactly 49° ruins immersion and takes away some of the intended challenge of the TDC process (you're supposed to find the range yourself, remember?). Better to have him say "close range" and "off our starboard bow" or "about 45°" or something. More accurate as he gains experience.

Also, the sonar-man could, if sufficiently skilled, should be able to listen to the target and tell you what type of merchant or warship it is as well as how fast it runs. Believe it or not (not that most of you already know:p), but you can tell how fast a ship goes just by listening to its screw sounds.

[Sailor Steve]

US boats used a split-image rangefinder that gave you a very good estimation just by focusing the image and then looking at the dial. Bearing is indicated on the stadimeter, so the captain at the periscope said "Bearing" and his XO looked at the dial, wrote down the EXACT bearing and said "MarK"; then the captain said "Range" and the XO wrote that down and said "Mark", and they had it darned close right off the bat.

As to the sound, doesn't the SHIII sound man already say "Merchant, bearing xxx, long range, moving fast, moving away"? Could a WWII hydrophone man actually say "Small merchant, making seven knots"? Somehow I don't think so.

[Safe-Keeper]

Auto-Depart and Auto-Dock features once we've sailed in and out of harbour 1000 times and are starting to grow a little tired of the ships, planes, cheering crowds, and whatnot:p. Akin to the option to start off airborne in flight simulators, rather than on the runway.

Auto-Depart: You start at standard speed, moving towards your assigned area, 25km from the port.

Auto-Dock: When you're close enough to a base to hit "escape" and choose to dock there, a message automatically appears:

Dock at [port]?

[ ] Don't show this again.

[Yes] [No]

Auto-Dock and Auto-Depart are both toggled on/off at will in the options menu.

If possible, no ghost ships reporting contacts. If I see a contact on the map, it should be because an actual entity of whatever shape and form visually or otherwise spotted it, pinpointed it by radio intercept, or otherwise verified its whereabouts. I'm not saying this is possible as there migth not be enough ships and aircraft and they might not cross the shipping lanes, and it's quite possible that if someone spots the contact they'll also destroy it, but if it can be implemented without too much trouble, I'd be all for it.

More info in the UI: Screenshot (http://news.softpedia.com/images/reviews/large/shIII_004-large.jpg). Look at that gray bar with the Stealth Meter and Silent Running icons. You could squeeze so much info in there that it frightens me. Weather, torpedo tube status, objective status (completed, unresolved, failed, by use of icons), depth under keel, etc. Depending on difficulty level and whatnot.

More info documents off-screen that you can pull into view and use, like in the Grey Wolves super-mod.

More sounds on hydrophones: As shown (http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/sonar/chap4.htm). Sea-life, whales calling, waves against beaches, shells hitting water, etc.

[Safe-Keeper]

OK, so I like the way saved games work in Silent Hunter IV, as it made it a bit harder to exploit by loading old saved games (to try a convoy attack again, for example).

What I liked less was that if you arrived at a moment you wanted to return to later (not for the career's sake, but because it was a good moment, like when you found a historical event like the Bismarck's sinking or something), you couldn't. Return to it, and all following saves are deleted:damn:.

But how about this:
You have the option to save your career, and you have the option to save the current moment (with all stats such as ammunition, provisions, crew, damage, etc.) as a file that can be opened as a single mission. The game's so early in development that it might be possible. When saving, you enter a short description of the situation, then hit the [OK] button, and then you can later open the situation from the Single Missions list. This'd also allow you to easily spread good moments over the Web. And no matter how well or poorly you do when you play the Single Mission-version of the Career save, it'll have no effect whatsoever on the career it's from.

You can re-live past moments without being a cheater, and without losing your current moments to the anti-exploit "save-all-games-after-this-one-feature".

That's actually how Empire Earth and Empires: DOTW (and thus very likely Rise and Fall, since it uses about the same engine) worked: They saved games in scenario format (although with a different extension). So you could play the campaign, save, fish the saved game out of the Saved Game folder, change the extension to .scn, and open it up as a scenario.

[Safe-Keeper]

Yes, Ubisoft, we want everything. This too. Was it 2039 the game was going to be released:p?

http://www.anbg.gov.au/flags/signal-meaning.html. Good read.

Initially, I thought this'd be nice as eye-candy (along with ship's names shown on their sides, flying a broomstick upon returning to port, and so on). But then I thought about it some more and figured it'd be a good actual game feature, getting information from ships by means of signal flags and pendants.

I'm not asking for having to read and translate them yourself. I'd rather have it so that you had the game read them for you, to put it that way.

For example, when selecting a vessel on the navigation map, you see all the data shown by the flags next to it in addition to everything else. Like:
S/S Mayflower, Coastal Merchant.
Speed: 19 Knots.
Heading: 093°.
Doctor on board.
"Doctor on board" being a flag-communicated stat and the rest being default information (ship name shown if within proximity).

As a side note, ships with doctors on board could be docked with to unload wounded.

Another relevant one is "I am disabled, communicate with me" flying from the mast of a crippled ship.

[Drebbel]

Besides the recognition manual being on a shelve in the control room (I would hate it to be just availble at the scope) and Coastal Pilot book I was thinking the following --->

How about having a couple of empty books on the shelve. Clicking on those books would open (in-game) the book with the text you have added (out-game) to a specific txt file.

So now we can all create an in-game book with notes we really want to have at hand ourselves.

I think this must be easy to code and would be welcomed very warmly by many users !

What you think, good idea ?

Happy Sunday All !

[DS]

Here's my perfect SHIV (some items no doubt similar to previous posts):

1. SH1 game play. Don't take anything away. Just add. (I'm undecided about the value of long transit times on the way to patrol areas in SH2 and 3. I think it made sense to do the whole transit in the Atlantic where enemy shipping was everywhere. I'm not so sure about the Pacific, unless we can up the time compression ability somewhat. I think the sailing from Pearl to a patrol area near some Pacific islands would be pretty quiet until you arrived in enemy waters.)

2. Add SH3 graphics

3. Complete the boat interior and keep the crew members. I thought they added to atmosphere in SH3.

4. Add better coastal detail (more action happened by the coasts in the Pacific, and some palm trees and beaches would be a nice touch for photo recon and harbor penetration missions). Mines, nets, etc should be added to protected harbors. Add charted and uncharted coral reefs and sea mounts for shallow water grounding hazards.

5. Make repairs take as long or longer than they did in SH1 (SH2 and SH3 repairs all seem to be complete within really quickly even on max realism, no matter how battered the boat. In SH1, repairs could take hours...). The "realistic repairs" option should mean REALISTIC.

6. Model crew training challenges. Add occasional misshaps for inexperienced crews (accidental broaching after torpedo launches, too much diesel smoke on the surface giving away your position, temporary loss of depth control on crash dives (diving with red still on the board?), occasional unexpectedly slow dives due to crew error, etc). This will really encourage cyber skippers to run training dives and manouvers between contacts to build crew experience to they don't scr*w up during a real contact)

7. Model sailing challenges. Allow a more fluid sailing model, which is to say, the boat should not handle as if it is on rails. Let the boat dive to 71 feet before leveling back up to PD at 65 feet. Let a turn run a few degrees over before the helmsman corrects. Wave action should cause depth and course reading fluctuations, especially when shallow.

8. Model navigation shallenges. Add currents and weather affects on speed and course, and allow growing deviation between plotted ownship position and actual position, to be corrected periodicaly with an occasional sextant shot or shore land mark triangulation (makes it harder to plot and intercept a convoy or avoid that charted shallow spot if you're not even a 100% sure where your own boat is, right?)

9. Bring back target zig zagging.

10. Random tonnage is a big plus.

In short, add to the sailing and submarine simulation aspects, as well as the combat simulation aspects.

Those are all plus's that wil help ensure that SHIV sails off into subsim history as a winner. At the very least, don't take away anything that SH1 had that made it a classic still played by some today.

Cheers.

[Wilko]

:rotfl: if they put in everything suggested in this thread we should see it some time in 2010 for the cost of $150us/$230aus :rotfl:

I agree with DS about the long transit times from base to your patrol grid, be nice to have a warp feature for those that don't want to have the puter sit there endlessly, I read a book now while I transit.

Agree with keeping our 3D crew- I am used to them and would like the ability to have them wandering around with out a shirt or just a rag tag shirt as we see in most pictures, and have a automatic crew rotation in place, I'm the boss and don't need to tell Joe that he is tired and should be in his rack.

theres more but my head hurts and thinking is fading fast :dead:

[sumpis]

I agree with DS about the long transit times from base to your patrol grid, be nice to have a warp feature for those that don't want to have the puter sit there endlessly, I read a book now while I transit.
Maybe someone already has suggested this, but lazy me would like a complete warp feature. When everything is sorted up I would like the ability to take a nap in my quarters and only be disturbed if something important happens. I decide whats important before I go to bed. It's a checklist with options like:

Wake me up:

at waypoint #
at dawn
at sunset
when # torps are loaded
radio contacts in vicinity

and so on.

So when I have modified the checklist (usually at default values) I click sleep and get a black screen with some nice ambient sounds from the boat. Now the computer does a lot of number crunching without the need to display graphics. Now anything could happen, maybe I hear a soft hydrophone report and wake up, or maybe I hear "Crash Dive!!!" because I have ordered the watch to crash dive on plane spottings.

...and have a automatic crew rotation in place, I'm the boss and don't need to tell Joe that he is tired and should be in his rack.
Fatigue should only come from work and bad environment. Rest reduces fatigue. This calculates whatever the TimeCompression. The only time the captain should have to care is when undermanned or when whole crew is in bad shape. However, overriding and topping the crew should be possible.

Wear and tear on equipment would be very nice. Leaks, electrical problems, loud engine and pump sounds and so on happening on patrols. Best have a skilled Chief Engineer to work on these major and minor problems that show up. Some gets fixed totally, some you have to live with. The problems should follow a boat/equipment from patrol to patrol. The engineers in port promises a problem to be fixed, but later it may show up again.

[LoBlo]

I'ld just like to say that I won't buy this game without a demo first. Nothing personal, but its policy. Others may or maynot feel the same, but my gut says that having a demo will boost sales.

[Sailor Steve]

So now we can all create an in-game book with notes we really want to have at hand ourselves.

I think this must be easy to code and would be welcomed very warmly by many users !

What you think, good idea ?
I just noticed this part. SHII had a logbook that recorded every order given and everything that happened. It was a bit too much, and it while you could type in your own comments it was difficult and awkward.

A logbook that records dive/surface times and torpedo firings would be nice, along with an easy-to-use player-notes function.

[Safe-Keeper]

More accurate feedback, both from my officers and from the UI.

What I mean with officer feedback is that I want to hear things like "we've been entangled in a sub net, captain!" or "captain, we've hit a mine!". As long as the officer responsible knows what's happened, he should tell me. Damage reports are great, but I'd like to know what caused the damage, too.

Also, "Cannot comply" is very vague. It'd be far better to say something like "no officer at helm station", "we're out of fuel", "engines are destroyed", etc. Also, when torpedoes aren't being loaded, it's misleading to say that it's "waiting in queue for loading" if something's keeping it from being loaded. It should say "loading halted due to silent running", "embarrassing G.W. bug prevents loading", and so on.

As for UI feedback: If I lose my boat to a titanium anti-submarine net, I don't want the post-patrol screen to say "U-boat destroyed by collision". I want it to say "u-boat crushed by atomic bomb-proof titanium anti-submarine net" or something to that effect. If I'm rammed by a destroyer, I don't want the game to tell me that I lost my submarine in a "collision". I want to hear that I lost my submarine to "ramming". Likewise, running aground is not what I would call "colliding" (although in the technical sense it is, of course). If I run my boat aground, simply give me a message saying "submarine grounded".

[edjcox]

:p

Some ideas

Bad weather with crews manning deck guns, AA, loss of crew if really bad waves.

Lightning strikes with crew injuries, loss if direct

Ability to cram supllies ie extra ammo aboard for AA, Deck gun.

Night lighting of conning tower instruments (red or green) reticles lighting.

More rapid ability to range deck gun say using numeral and then refine ( ie 15 = 1500 meter then refine, or 65 = 6500 meters and refine, command could be ctrl key then numerals)

Azimuth and elevation indicator on TYPE XII Flak turrets (perhaps a scal on turret sidewall with a mechanical pointer for elevation and a simpe mechanical azimuth scale with boat bow as 0 and stern 180.)

Depth charge noise (click of detonator then the wham, splashes)

Torpedoe noise on sonar (whine of props, failures, etc)

Multiple sonars ( how to confuse one another in surface boats)

Sonar repeater/jammer employed by Germans to replay sonar location attempts. Device picked up ASDIC and then repeated false echoes.

Ability to cram extra ammo (deck gun, AA, etc ) aboard

Ability to fire (red, green, white, abd blue flares)

:doh:

[Safe-Keeper]

Some ideasGreat ones at that, if you ask me.

Bad weather with crews manning deck guns, AA, loss of crew if really bad waves.Another man-over-board fan? Splendid:up:!

Lightning strikes with crew injuries, loss if directWhy didn't I think of that?

[alfonsuas]

Destroller Command 2 is very important

[Sailor Steve]

Ability to cram supllies ie extra ammo aboard for AA, Deck gun.
Where? It wasn't done that I've heard of.

Night lighting of conning tower instruments (red or green) reticles lighting.
Did they do that? I'm not arguing, I don't know.

More rapid ability to range deck gun say using numeral and then refine ( ie 15 = 1500 meter then refine, or 65 = 6500 meters and refine, command could be ctrl key then numerals)
Submarine deck guns were moved manually by turning hand cranks. Naval Weapons of World War Two has traverse and elevations rates, but I can't get to my copy right now. I think it was something on the order of 3-4 degrees per second, so speeding it up that way would probably not be realistic.

Azimuth and elevation indicator on TYPE XII Flak turrets (perhaps a scal on turret sidewall with a mechanical pointer for elevation and a simpe mechanical azimuth scale with boat bow as 0 and stern 180.)
Nice idea if fixes are retrograded to SHIII, but SHIV will feature US subs in the Pacific.

Depth charge noise (click of detonator then the wham, splashes)
Great Idea. It's already available for SHIII as a mod.

Torpedoe noise on sonar (whine of props, failures, etc)
Already in the game.

Multiple sonars ( how to confuse one another in surface boats)
Did WWII subs have that ability?

Sonar repeater/jammer employed by Germans to replay sonar location attempts. Device picked up ASDIC and then repeated false echoes.
Really? Never heard of that. Again, SHIV is not German u-boats.

Ability to fire (red, green, white, abd blue flares)
Again, did they do that?

[Safe-Keeper]

Ability to cram extra ammo into subIt wasn't done that I heard of.That being said, it would be nice, I think, if you could customize cargo loud-out. I don't know, maybe you could trade some ammo crates for extra food or spare parts?

[Sailor Steve]

You can do that now in SHIII with just a little editing.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=96172

[Safe-Keeper]

I'd like it if I could toggle measurement systems from English to metric. It wouldn't surprise me if the English system (feet, yards, and so on) was used in Silent Hunter IV, but I'm more familiar with the Metric system (metres, kilometres, and so on), so I'll prefer to use that.

[Rilder]

I dont know if this has been posted before but how about more graphic options, right now we only have a couple options, itd be nice to have different settings for like:

Port Detail
Warship/Merchant Detail
Aircraft Detail
Submarine Detail
Crew Detail
Water Detail
Sky/Cloud Detail

I think this would help alot instead of having "particle density" and "High Graphic qual. on/off :)

[Safe-Keeper]

Big yes. More detailed options should be very nice. We can't even set keys or resolution in Silent Hunter III.

If they only add graphics options it doesn't really matter how much they improve their graphics - I can just flee into Options and turn the level back down to Silent Hunter III.

[Cpt.Nautilus]

Instead of having to choose between the god's eye map update, or the do-it-all-by-yourself, a better solution would be as follows:

Lock a ship in the periscope/UZO, press a button and the locked-on ship is updated on the map.

That would simulate very accurately how it was done in real subs, where the Captain was sending target information to the TDC and the guys at the map.

[Cpt.Nautilus]

As SH4 is going to be about Pacific War, patrols are going to get easier and easier as the war goes on and Japan's power decreases.

I wonder if it is not going to get boring... Starting hard and getting easier as time goes...

Thought of another one.

In SH3, by the end of the war, it's not unusual to find yourself under attack by PBYs, Sunderlands, Wellingtons, B-24s - you might have a dozen of them diving, banking, climbing, and generally buzzing around like bluebottles. Even though the late war is supposed to be hard, I think such swarms of a/c - particularly all the 4 engine bombers - are a bit too much, even unrealistic, especially in mid-ocean. Constant harassment by one or two at a time would seem more accurate. As it is, the AI keeps bombarding you with more and more until there are too many, forcing you to dive. I'd rather be forced to dive at the hands of quality, rather than quantity, on the part of the AI.

So in SH4 I'd like to see airborne ASW that's more realistically modelled, if that's possible given that they're going to use the same engine.

[Safe-Keeper]

Suggestions:

Give me the ability to abortdownloads by hitting 'Escape' or some other button. It's really annoying to load up the wrong Single-Player mission and have to sit there grumbling until the damned thing loads so you can quit it.
Mark on the map where on the plotted course I'm going to run out of fuel. Here's one way to do it (http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=443212), with the line turning red where your fuel is estimated to run out.
(http://www.imagedump.com/index.cgi?pick=get&tp=443212)
Implement the features of SH3 Weather, SH3 Commander, and the other great utilities that have been made for Silent Hunter III.Lock a ship in the periscope/UZO, press a button and the locked-on ship is updated on the map.

That would simulate very accurately how it was done in real subs, where the Captain was sending target information to the TDC and the guys at the map.I'd argue that it should only show up once you've gotten map info on it, but that's me.

As SH4 is going to be about Pacific War, patrols are going to get easier and easier as the war goes on and Japan's power decreases.

[quote]As SH4 is going to be about Pacific War, patrols are going to get easier and easier as the war goes on and Japan's power decreases.

I wonder if it is not going to get boring... Starting hard and getting easier as time goes...
What's that doing in this thread?

[The General]

:up:

Here are a few of the things I'd like to see in the eagerly anticipated sequel:

1) More elaborate under-water terrain.

2) Have randomly generated missions built into the historically acurate campaign. What I mean by this is that you could occasionally receive orders from BDU to go escort, hunt, destroy, rescue etc.

3) Make it so submarines can travel under the icepack. Think how cool it would be to try an avoid pressure ridges by using your Periscopes (No external view here, that would be cheating!).

4) Enemy subs should appear in the game and have the ability to attack you whilst submerged. It'd be cool to go head to head with an enemy skipper whilst under the icepack.

5) Whilst we're on the subject of ice, more icebergs!

6) A thermal layer.

7) Thermal underwear.

8) The abillity to roam freely about your submarine. You're the Skipper, you should be allowed to go anywhere you want. The programmers don't have to build all new 3D interiors for the German subs, just build on what exisits. I know the new game is focusing on the Pacific war, but that brings me to my next point.

9) The option of choosing sides. More work for the programmers but hey, do you wanna do it right or don't you?

10) An improved multi-player aspect to the game. That way everybody's happy.

11) Silent Hunter 4 should be the greatest simulation ever made! "If you shoot for the stars, you'll never land in the gutter."

[Safe-Keeper]

9) The option of choosing sides.That's already in. Eject your Silent Hunter IV DVD and insert your Silent Hunter III DVD. There - you've changed sides:p.

7) Thermal underwear.Oh yes! Man, this is going to become a classic!

9) The option of choosing sides. More work for the programmers......modellers, voice actors, mission-builders, play-testers, researchers, texture designers, and documenation-writers.

It would be awesome to have some massive naval game with all sides' subs, not to mention playable surface vessels. But it'd be way too massive to undertake and would cost way too much for the end user to purchase.

[Cpt.Nautilus]

A bunch of good ideas, but:


17. Ability to put sonar/hydrophones on speakers, so that you can hear it without being at the headphones.


I doubt any sound-minded Captain would ever want to broadcast anything on loud-speakers while being hunted by deadly destroyers and running silent for the boat's life...

[Cpt.Nautilus]

As to the sound, doesn't the SHIII sound man already say "Merchant, bearing xxx, long range, moving fast, moving away"? Could a WWII hydrophone man actually say "Small merchant, making seven knots"? Somehow I don't think so.

Note that, in SH3, it was possible to estimate a ship's speed quite accurately just by counting her screw beats. There was a few posts about this at some time. I've produced a table to do so. Look into my history if you are interested about this.

[Safe-Keeper]

Could a WWII hydrophone man actually say "Small merchant, making seven knots"?As amazing as it sounds, yes, they could. As far as I know, they were actually able to estimate quite accurately by listening to the propellers.

But then again, it sounds like a crazy parody of good hydrophone operators. "Contact, 381. Distance 281. Speed 8 knots. 8 breathings individuals on board. Captain's heart-rate normal:p."

New suggestion:
1.After depth charges - remagnetize
If depth charges are dropped near you, you probably will have to remagnetize the hydrophone. Plug the cable into the magnetizer jack, and press the push-to-magnetize button just once. Then plug the cable into the hydrophone jack and listen. If you cannot hear anything, magnetize the hydrophone again. Continue this procedure until the hydrophone is able to pick up sounds. Couldn't this be implemented? After a close call with depth charges, your hydrophones may go off-line for a random amount of time while the operator re-magnetizes them. They'll show up as "Re-magnetizing" in the damage control screen with a number that counts down to the end of the current re-magnetization attempt, and if you give orders to or request hydrophone data from the operator he'll reply "Re-magnetizing hydrophones, skipper".

One of those little things that'll make the game feel more alive.

2. Damage reports on higher difficulty levels.
a. I should not instantly know the status of my entire boat just after it's taken damage. It should take some time for my officers to ascertain and report what damage has been taken, then I get the reports coming in.
b. Damage report should be estimated, not 100% precise. No engineer in reality is able to immediately estimate how long it takes to repair something as accurately as my crew does ("exactly three minutes and fourty-seven seconds, skipper!").

[Capt. D]

It looks like everyone has a wish list for SH4 and all seem to want the game to be as real as it can be with only the peramiters of what can be programed as the limits.

Some additional things I would like to see:
1. The ability to "con" the boat and it's movements more than now. We should be able to control the dive planes manually. If we need to go deeper quicker then we need to be able to adjust the dive angle of the planes for that purpose. If we need to get our aft tubes in line for a shot we need to do more than "right or left full rudder". We should be able to stop all engines and then proceed with back full port ahead full starboard to swing the boat quicker.
2. The feature to land commandos in previous Sub Sim games should be here with SH4 also. One of the biggest concerns with WWII skippers - especially those sailing from 'Down Under" was being part of MacAurthers private Navy. However they were needed and were part of the Sub war. It would be great to have to drop commandos off prior to going to your patrol area. Would even be better if you are dropping them off and can "actually" see them leave your boat from the forward torp room hatch while you are on the bridge! - Same could go for picking up downed pilots - see them climb aboard and go down the hatch. These features would be more interesting to see than a view of the galley and watching the noon meal being prepard. There is only so much space this program will have - let's have it used by some action.
3. During "crash" dives or simple dives would be great to have the scene "flip" to the conning tower and watch the OOD come down the ladder and hear the slam of the hatch. I like the "overview" options on SH2 and 3 both from the "air" and submerged, but could go without those to make room for the ones I have mentioned.
4. The "USS Batfish" had the honor of being one of the best Jap sub killers of the war. These confrontations happened and should be part of or a possiability on any war partol - again realisim.
5. I had mentioned, and others have also, in prior postings, that updates to the war would be great to have. Aces of the Deep had a feature where you could turn on music - even pick a few songs - why not the ability to listen to Tokyo Rose? It happened and would be better then just hearing background music as was the case in AOD. Also why not allow the Captian to "pipe" sonar over the loud speaker system so the conning tower group could hear what the sonar operator was hearing?
6. Try to have more than three or four voices repeating orders or announcing situations. We should be able to hear a report from the torp. rooms that tubes 1 and 2 or 7 and 8 are ready. We should here the Diving Officer confirm the requested depth and then announce the depth once reached or the planesmen verifing the depth request or the helmsmen the same with course. The Exec. (if placed at the TDC during battle stations when the crew management process was done - see how this all falls together) calls out the readiness per TDC readings or repeats what he is inputing.
7. I also think it would be great for the captain to be able to move throughout the boat but in certain compartments the graphics should be high vs others. Example more detailed graphics in the Conning Tower and Control Room then in the crews quarters or mess - e.g. less action or 3D crew in those areas. Use the program space for the "real" action.

Wow got carried away, but having visited 4 WWII boats the interest is huge. As another member said let's have this the best Sub Sim ever. Let's wow away those with doubts.

Happy Hunting :ping:

[Safe-Keeper]

4. The "USS Batfish" had the honor of being one of the best Jap sub killers of the war. These confrontations happened and should be part of or a possiability on any war partolYup. Enemy and friendly AI subs would be really great, if only they can script a good AI for them.

[Patboot]

Again, not scanning thru umpteen pages of posts....


Possibly merge III with IV? The Global Sub War?

Also, I would like to see as many countries in as possible; I can never seem to find any books about the Brits, Dutch or Russian subs.

[Capt. D]

[quote=Patboot]Again, not scanning thru umpteen pages of posts....


Possibly merge III with IV? The Global Sub War?

I think with all the items/senerios that everyone wants SH4 to have (e.g. better graphics land/ships and sub,Intel missions, more features to use with the boat etc.) there will not be enough "room" to merge both. Both sould be sims unto themselves. Great sub sims to play on their own merit. As I mentioned prior (SH4 Yes or No?) maybe a senerio or two can be made for a US boat to incounter a UBoat or two while sailing from Groton to the Pacific or in the South West Pacific arena where some UBoats were sent to hook up with Japanese ships for supplies or to drop of intel. The PTO was intense and if SH4 lives up to its potential will use every bit of available "space" to ensure it will be what everyone believes a PTO sim should be.

Happy Hunting :ping:

[bigboywooly]

Again, not scanning thru umpteen pages of posts....


Possibly merge III with IV? The Global Sub War?

Also, I would like to see as many countries in as possible; I can never seem to find any books about the Brits, Dutch or Russian subs.

Not books but you can have a look at the subs in these :up:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/chalcraft/sm/ww2sm2.html
http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/men/men_british_flotillas.htm
http://diodon349.com/Site_Main_Pages/Intenational_Subs.htm

[The General]

Hey, in SH3, doesn't the sub interior tilt the wrong way when you surface or dive? That always bothered me.

[Capt. D]

Hey, in SH3, doesn't the sub interior tilt the wrong way when you surface or dive? That always bothered me.

Can't recall if is does - but would it not be neat to see the front planes fold out prior to diving? Just some more graphic details that would enhance the visuals. A tilt to the interior would be good too! What about some debries flying around during close depth charge attack?

Happy Hunting :ping:

[Sailor Steve]

Hey, in SH3, doesn't the sub interior tilt the wrong way when you surface or dive? That always bothered me.
It does both; when diving, if you look to port (Weps & Nav Officers) it's pointing down, but if you look to starboard (planesmen) it seems to be pointing up. HOWEVER, if you go to the rear of the control room and look at the hanging food (left OR right), they are all swinging forward, as they should be. The opposite of all the above is true when surfacing.

Also, the observation periscope is in the wrong place, the housing for the attack periscope is missing, there is no helmsman at the front of the control room, and a bunch of other minor stuff, a lot of which has been fixed by mods.

Anything else?:arrgh!:

[The General]

Thanks for the prompt reply Sailor Steve. I've looked again at the tilt and you're abosolutely right, it's just the viewpoint or Avatar, that seems to stay upright in an unrealistic way, that throws off the effect.

By the way, if you aren't too annoyed with me yet, could you tell me where everyone seems to be able to get these wonderful looking camoflage hull skins?

[Bublegum]

Implement a Command, that orders your heavy and light flak to attack ships, independently from the deck gun. Machine gun fire and/or flak fire should be able to sink smaller boats.
Give you the ability the customize your ammo load. (who needs freaking starshells???!?. The SHIII AI crew surely didn't!!!)
A fixed amount of heavy warships. You sink a Carrier, it disappears from that game...

[Safe-Keeper]

Yet another suggestion:cool::
Give me renown (if it's to be included in Silent Hunter IV - I note some people did not like it) for other things than completing objectives and destroying things. For example, give me renown for:

Sending contact reports.
Damaging enemy targets (if I cripple an enemy merchant, I feel I should be rewarded for it).And perhaps other things I haven't thought about.

[Hylander_1314]

How about possible mistaken identity, by your own side? Don't know if it's been mentioned befoe, but it did happen.

[Safe-Keeper]

It's been mentioned before. And yes, I'd actually like to have it. It'd be interesting.

[Sailor Steve]

By the way, if you aren't too annoyed with me yet, could you tell me where everyone seems to be able to get these wonderful looking camoflage hull skins?

I think that one's been answered by now, over on the mods page.

[Payoff]

How about bringing back 10 degree incremental rudder orders as every subsim I can think of has had. I like using voice commands and find it a bother to have to click on the little rudder dial with the mouse for anything other than full rudder.

[Safe-Keeper]

Some more tiny eye-candy things from me:
What if, when driving your sub on the surface through snow, snow starts to accumulate on the deck (just a texture change, nothing major)? I think it'd be a great thing to have, going into time compression during heavy snow and going back to real-time to find a layer of snow on your deck (or conning tower, at least, I suppose the waves would wash away the snow on your deck)! And if you stay on the surface for really long in the cold, there'll be icicles hanging from your conning tower, deck gun, railing, and so on?

Not to mention that if you were emerging from a cold-weather patrol, you'd hear this dripping sound from the melting icicles.

Some frost smoke from the mouths of your watch crew/gunners in the cold would be nice, too.
Just some more tiny things that'd make such a big difference:sunny:.Edit: Another thing
It'd be nice if you implemented land units. It doesn't have to be elaborate or high-polygon, just something basic, with land units (tanks and infantry) being able to move and shoot. Give me a US, UK, and Japanese tank, and a few different infantry models for different nations or sides (Chinese infantry, Allied marines, and Japanese marines, for example?).

[Snakeeyes]

I'd really like to be able to run it well with my current video card. If anyone has any idea if it the ATI 9800 Pro can run it with great framerates drop me a line on this thread.

:up:

[-Pv-]

I have the 9800 and since there's no way to tell what demand SHIV will make on the card until it comes out, who can say. In my opinion, the 9800 does as well or better than the same-priced competition. On my 2.2GHz AMD CPU, I have SH3 turned up to full with no degradation. I have FS2004 set about 75% on average.
I keep my machine aggressively cooled (the 9800 gets hot and is sensitive) and my system lean and mean. For those of you planning to run the game on Vista, expect to double your hardware capability if your current specs are behind more than 2 years. Expect 1 gig RAM min, 3.0+Ghz CPU min (go for dual core if planning to buy a new system.)
-Pv-

[Kruger]

I really do not plan to run Vista ....al least not in the next 2 years. I think the 9800 will do the job, it was and still is a fantastic card. I had a 9800pro, and now I run sh3 on a 6600gt. Maybe you don't believe me....but I get the impression that the 9800 had more sheer power, even if it lacked some new graphic instructions. Anyway, I personally hope, and I'm sure that all of us do, that SH4 will run ok on our present configurations. I can't afford anything else right now, and I still have to upgrade some other pieces of hardware (like my car and my house :)) )

[Safe-Keeper]

Ships don't get magically repaired when they leave your visual range.
Ships, planes, and other military units do fight when encountering each others outside of your range (if CPU-power becomes an issue, just randomly generate an outcome, like "ship a destroyed", "ship a crippled, ship b driven off", and so on).
Ships that change their aganda when something happens (heads to closest friendly port when damaged, calls tug when crippled, alerts hospital ship when going down, intercepts contacts, and so on). Picture GTA, with ambulances rescuing wounded and fire trucks extinguishing fires.I'd like to be able to run Silent Hunter IV at full time-compression in the background. Then whenever something happens, it reverts to either pause or 1x time-compression, and this little note in the lower-right corner of your screen tells you that a ship's been spotted, your waypoints have been reached, your objectives have been finished, etc.

[ssbn627g]

I would really love to be able to utilize both screws independently, for speed and for maneuverability.

[rascal101]

Thanks to the dev team who are working on ths new game.

Here is a big request, but one that will probably be ignored.
It is obvious that there will be improvements in graphics and game play with SH4 to SH3, I would hope that the dev team finds it in its heart to upgrade SH3 with the required code or game modifications to ensure SH3 is brought up to spead with SH4.

There are many of us sub sim fans who are more interested in the Atlantic than Pacific war, but who will buy SH4 as well as SH3, therefore for us we would be keen to ensure SYH3 continues to improve, rather than die.

[Sailor Steve]

I would hope that the dev team finds it in its heart to upgrade SH3 with the required code or game modifications to ensure SH3 is brought up to spead with SH4.
Or else call SHIII closed and give out an SDK so talented programmers and modders can continue to develop the game.

[The General]

Ships don't get magically repaired when they leave your visual range.
Ships, planes, and other military units do fight when encountering each others outside of your range (if CPU-power becomes an issue, just randomly generate an outcome, like "ship a destroyed", "ship a crippled, ship b driven off", and so on).
Ships that change their aganda when something happens (heads to closest friendly port when damaged, calls tug when crippled, alerts hospital ship when going down, intercepts contacts, and so on). Picture GTA, with ambulances rescuing wounded and fire trucks extinguishing fires.I'd like to be able to run Silent Hunter IV at full time-compression in the background. Then whenever something happens, it reverts to either pause or 1x time-compression, and this little note in the lower-right corner of your screen tells you that a ship's been spotted, your waypoints have been reached, your objectives have been finished, etc.

I like your ideas here but I have a feeling that we'll have to wait 'til at least Silent Hunter V before we get this stuff. But it's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil right?

[ricnunes]

I don't know if these suggestion were posted already but here is goes:

-> Give the possibility of starting the campaign in the Phillippines and not only from Pearl Harbour like happened in SH1.
-> Include the S-Class submarines and more important the Balao-class submarines. These were very important submarines in the US inventory during the Pacific campaign (the S-class was important in the begining of the war and the Balao became the main US sub latter in the war). Also the Tench-Class should be included.

[Denson]

Hi everyone, i'm new.


There are some things i didn't liked in SH3

1) Time compression 1x while close to land (already mentionned)

2) I tried several times to lose a DD by going at 4 kts under a merchant...never worked, i've always been sourrounded by DC's that killed me...but the merchant was still i PERFECT shape :shifty: i was 2-3 meters under that mechant! A Polish submarine that was held by a Norvegian port evaded the germans hunters that way.

3) Another case i damged a Escort carrier, 4 corvettes turning around me, i was under that carrier to protect myself, one of the Hunters went directly into the carrier sinking himself and the carrier ( IQ :know: 0)
4) Once i 've been chased by a damaged corvette, i was 1kts faster by using the snorkel, the ship could locate me 100% accurate and it was fireing non stop in my tower. I went to exterior mode, the bullets passed throu the 5 meters of water and hitted my sub with the same power like i'd be emerged :-?

5) Same thing with Sunderland airplanes, after 20min of using snorkel i had a entire RAF over my head. The snorkel isn't that big to be localised so easily, we're not at the age of laser tracking and AWACS

6) in the 1944 i was about 80 kilometers away of Brest, a convoy spotted... 3 merchants and 2 DD. Where the Hell is the Luftwaffe !? I hope the radio improvement in SH4 will allow to ask air support if close enough to a US naval/air base ( maybe just show on a map with green field the range of airplanes depending of the situation of the campaign- avaible base etc). I wish to see the planes on the carrier take off and give some support. Same thing for "milk cows" and food supply. The introduction of the cook is good as well, and what happens if the cook dies ??? :-? The crew says : lets go to the nearest MC Drive (joke)

7) already mentioned - The possibilty to recieve messages of spotted ships by other subs and vice versa. It would be nice to wait and see another sub finishing out a enemy ship that i couldn't coz i ran out of torps/ammo.

8) Depth & Sonar. I had a feeling that it doesn't matter for a DD what's my depth... i dived several time to critical 280 meters and still got perfectly timed DC over my head, somebody said that SH3 DC were not accurate enough :o.... The chemical sonar jammer sould affect more the DD sonar, several times it was useless....

9) Graphic details, well when the gun of a merchant gets hit by my deck gun 3 times in a row ( really precise hit) and still shoots... it's a battleship not a merchant.
Also the ships breaking in 2 pieces, to often. But i'd prefer more pieces in the command tower. If a gun command post is destroyed ( like the historical case of Bismarck) the fire accuracy should be at least halved.

10) Already mentionned - the idea of surviving a sinking is good, let say that a sub sinks and touch the ground at 120m, the crew manages to stops the flood. No engines no batt, u wait for rescue mission.

Update 11) Maybe not in dynamic campaign but in a single mission, is there be a controlable mine-layer sub?

Thats all from me

But i really hope that calling air support or other ships (to repair major damges or tow the sub to a naval base) will work

[shegeek72]

If it hasn't already been mentioned: better seakeeping for the subs. Having the watch crew frequently submerged underwater in a storm (and the CE chanting, "New depth 10 meters!") and the sub disappearing below the waves is one of the more distracting graphic effects in SH3, IMO.
--
http://users4.ev1.net/%7Etaragem/moon_sub3.jpg

[Nokia]

You should be able to abandon the sub! Like if you have heavy flooding and blow your balast and then everyone jump in the water or in a liferaft or whatever and then the sub sinks! That woyld be so freaking cool!

[_Seth_]

I would like to see tidal changes, a considerable factor in naval battles and raiding. Some guy here suggested snow and ice forming on sub, I support that!!!:D
Yesterday i went on patrol from St. Nazaire, and i headed straight up between greenland and canada. I was planning to sail through the northwest passage, just to see if there were icebergs or even better, icecovered ocean. But..NOTHING!!! Thats to bad! I want icecaps to dive beneath (and even surface through), but thats not wery likely in SHIV: pacific theatre (too hot, i guess, but for shiii....):cool:

[Safe-Keeper]

There's always Alaska;).

[_Seth_]

@ safe-keeper: You are right..How could i forget. You have the Aleutian islands and the bering sea; up to Norton sound and the bering strait. My mistake!! Thanx for correction! :D

Q: Wasnt there some japanese action around the Aleutians? I remember seeing something on the Discovery channel about some airbases the japs had up there... And they found a submarine wreck in the vicinity of the Aleutians not long ago...:hmm:

[AirborneTD]

@
Q: Wasnt there some japanese action around the Aleutians? I remember seeing something on the Discovery channel about some airbases the japs had up there... And they found a submarine wreck in the vicinity of the Aleutians not long ago...:hmm:

A: Yep, the Japanese invaded the Aleutians in 1942 concurrent with their Midway operation. They invaded and took Attu and Kiska. The US had Dutch Harbor Submarine base in Alaska which mostly saw action by the older S-boats. The Northern waters took a heavy toll on boats and personnel. Very bad conditions to fight in. Would be neat to be modelled.

[_Seth_]

@ AirborneTD: Thanx for that!! :D

Yeah, that would be a really cool thing to have that modelled in SHIV!!

If ubisoft doesnt care about it, maybe some modders will put the real history "in place"!!

[fire-fox]

yes i think tide's would make the assined missions very interesting. lol

also i would like to see some kind of corse history drewn on the map.

[Safe-Keeper]

Sail boats!

Small vessels with their engines turned off, being driven forward over the water by their sails. Impossible to hear on hydrophones (other than some creaks and whatnot from their hulls) and beatiful to behold.

Not everything ran on diesel in World War II:arrgh!:!

[Klaxon_Alarm]

I was wondering if, in SHIV, you would be able to visually see and/or control the outrigging of the foward dive planes before diving, or securing them after setting up for surface cruise.

[IceGrog]

This is my first posting here………if it’s my last I don’t know…I found this place by accident, I was searching the web when I heard some guys talking about a new Silent Hunter that came out, I used to play this many years ago and loved it, along with Aces of the Deep, now I’m going check this new stuff out.
Any suggestions
thanks

[Safe-Keeper]

The Red Cross organization making an appearance the way it did in Grey Wolves.

[_Seth_]

This is my first posting here………if it’s my last I don’t know…I found this place by accident, I was searching the web when I heard some guys talking about a new Silent Hunter that came out, I used to play this many years ago and loved it, along with Aces of the Deep, now I’m going check this new stuff out.
Any suggestions
thanks

Welcome, herr kaleun! :D

[shegeek72]

This is my first posting here………if it’s my last I don’t know…I found this place by accident, I was searching the web when I heard some guys talking about a new Silent Hunter that came out, I used to play this many years ago and loved it, along with Aces of the Deep, now I’m going check this new stuff out.
Any suggestions
thanks
Try one of the super mods like Grey Wolves or NYGM. :up:
--
http://users4.ev1.net/%7Etaragem/sh3_u100.jpg

[SubConscious]

I would love to see a dynamic campaign for multiplayer. From what I have read, one of the problems with SH3 multiplayer is the lack of time compression. I don't know if this would be possible, but it would be nice to have a time compression system that uses the lowest common denominator amongst the players. For example, if Player 1 sets the game at 32x, Player 2 sets it at 128x, and Player 3 opts for 2x, the time compression is set at 2x. If Player 3 bumps it up to 256x, the current value would be 32x, and so forth.

My thought here is that players could communicate about time compression and make cooperative decisions about how fast they want to advance the game.

Best wishes to the developers and thank you in advance for your efforts. ;)

[finchOU]

Ah this bug of SH3 really makes me mad...as it steals some immersion/realsim from the sim is:

While using TC and you get within sensors range of a Convoy the TC cant keep up and becomes "jumpy"....instantly telling me of the convoy in the area:nope: . I want to have to find convoys myself :ping: not a bug to tell me:damn: . This bug steals some immersion from me. This even happens with a lot of Ram..(just added 1gb to my system).

Hope this can be fixed in future installments.:up:

[The Old Man]

It would be nice for this to be the 1st sub sim to have snow
Roy

[Harry Buttle]

I'd like to see the top of the tactical map being towards the bow of your boat (ie the world rotate around you as you turn), it would help maintain situational awareness.

Re multiplayer/time compression issues, I would see a possible workaround being that you have to sail as a wolfpack and the senior captain controls the course/speed/TC, when an enemy is encountered it drops back to normal speed and control is released back to the individual pack members.

[Drebbel]

I'd like to see the top of the tactical map being towards the bow of your boat (ie the world rotate around you as you turn), it would help maintain situational awareness.

I would realy hate this. Reminds me of how women read a map :D

This would be a very unrealistic option and would certainly cause a big uproar in the community. So in case someone decides to indlude this feature it better be an option that can be disabled

[shegeek72]

I would realy hate this. Reminds me of how women read a map :D
At least we LOOK at a map when driving. :cool:
--
http://users4.ev1.net/%7Etaragem/sh3_u100.jpg

[Drebbel]

I would realy hate this. Reminds me of how women read a map :D
At least we LOOK at a map when driving. :cool:
--
http://users4.ev1.net/%7Etaragem/sh3_u100.jpg

Men look at the road :D

[Safe-Keeper]

I'd like to see the top of the tactical map being towards the bow of your boat (ie the world rotate around you as you turn), it would help maintain situational awareness.As an option for the chicks, fine. Mandatory, nope.

At least we LOOK at a map when driving. :cool::rotfl:
1-1.

Men look at the road :D...2-1.

[shegeek72]

I'd like to see the top of the tactical map being towards the bow of your boat (ie the world rotate around you as you turn), it would help maintain situational awareness.As an option for the chicks, fine. Mandatory, nope.

At least we LOOK at a map when driving. :cool::rotfl:
1-1.

Men look at the road :D...2-1.
Women glance at the map while driving, whereas men refuse to because of the male ego. We're better at multi-tasking. :D
--
http://users4.ev1.net/%7Etaragem/sh3_u100.jpg

[Joe S]

We need a better way to input data on the TDC for manual firing. I suggest the following: When the target is in the scope, hit a key, such as "M" to Mark the bearing.(It would be nice if the fire control officer repeated the bearing)As soon as the bearing is marked a notepad pops up (Better yet, a set of TDC dials that you can enter data onto from the scope screen.. The cursor is already in the little box for estimated range. You enter the estimated range,(however you get it, sonar, stadimeter, whatever), As soon as the range is entered, the cursor moves to aob. You can enter the data ahead of time if you want. After you enter AOB you are ready to fire. You can enter the data with the scope up or down. I would like to see verbal feedback from the fire control team, when the generated solution matches the latest bearing observed in the scope , such as "generated angle on the bow is 15 degrees sir!" or " Generated bearing is 30 degrees sir!". In SHIII the notepad works only for AOB because it depends on an accurate ID for entry of target range, and range is the least critical element of the fire control formula.
When a target is located, we ought to be able to have it marked on the map by the fire control party, based on whatever infor is available. If a lookout sights a target at bearing of 50 degrees, It ought to stay on the map even after we submerge. The dissapearanc of sighted ships is a bad idea or a feature we should be able to opt out of. Joe S

[Drebbel]

We're better at multi-tasking. :D

Yep, I agree, a woman can do anything and talk at the same time :D

[Pants]

We're better at multi-tasking. :D
Yep, I agree, a woman can do anything and talk at the same time :D

LOL i best not say anything..my wife will kill me

But i agree mate :up:

[TinCan]

I didn't read all the suggestions but a mission that requires in an area and dropping off some UDTs/frogmen of some sorts would be okay with me.

[Safe-Keeper]

More:

1. Take the bow-spray effect and water-running-of-the-lens effect from the UZO and periscope, respectively, and apply similar features to every lens in the game - binoculars, camera (if photo missions included), you name it.

2a. Being able to go into navigation map/TDC map view and target ships and aircraft for deck/AA gun attacks from there.
2b. Being able to select multiple targets for deck/AA gun attack ("this ship, then that ship, then that ship").

[Josef Murnau]

Dear developers
After playing for a long time now SH3 in multiplayer, I have some suggestions.

Nr 1, very important. Please add to the resultscreen a "killed in action" information. I am sure, every clan would highly appreciate this!

Less important: May be you could implement more detailed information about: How many torpedos have been shot? How many hits? How many Dephtcharges have been thrown on to your U-Boat ... If one U-boat hits a freighter, but another boat sinks him later, couldn't you divide the tonnage between both of them?

Nr. 2 Please include the chat into the radiotraffic. It would raise the realism feeling, if the chat message cames via radio. And the player could reread it, after a while.

Nr 3 Maps: I would like to see some real seamaps, which show the depht with numbers! And i would realy appreciate if you show distances this time in nautical miles. If you implement this time landmiles i get ill!;)

Nr 4 Generated missions:
Please make them much more variable.

Far away should by out of sight and out of hearing distance. U-boats surfaced. (I would appreciate a tweaking of the unrealistic far hydrophon reach) So you could find the convoy in one or two hours.
Boats could stay in a ligne crossing the convoys randomized course. Not every Boat must be in the same distance!

Medium could be out of sight. Boats surfaced but closer than in "far away". Boats are not in front of the convoy, but randomly around the convoy. Distance randomized, too.

Close could be what is now far.

very close could be, what is now close.

Ok. I have to play a little SH3 now.;)
Greetings
Josef Murnau

[Safe-Keeper]

Nr. 2 Please include the chat into the radiotraffic. It would raise the realism feeling, if the chat message cames via radio. And the player could reread it, after a while.:up: Good one.

Support for camouflaged ships would be nice. I'm still reading that book on Resistance MTBs operating against German-occupied Norway, and it's amazing how well camouflage worked for those little buggers. Look up some photos and see for yourself, it's incredible!

Anyways, I miss that support in my NOROP project, where the watch crew picks up admireably well-camouflaged MTBs as well as those that are in plain sight. Have the camouflaged ships be less likely to be spotted by your watch crew.

Also, since, believe it or not, going slower does not always save fuel, an order to the navigator to optimize fuel usage (by setting the speed that consumes the least fuel on the distance travelled) would be really nice. At the very least, let them be able to calculate fuel spent when waypoint reached (at current speed).

[Safe-Keeper]

To easier keep track of which files you're modifying for your mod, and to easier get to them to correct bugs, make a program that can read creator ID and mod name tags embedded in every file in the Silent Hunter 4 install, or at least in every text file. It could originally look like this:

Mod=SH4_1.0
CreatorName=Ubisoft
Notes=Default SH4 Gato-Class Sub Equipment File

And allow you to change it to this:

Mod=Freelancers_0.1
CreatorName=Safe-Keeper
Notes=Freelancers Roamer Sub Equipment File

Then, when you opened the program and asked for "Freelancers_0.1" mod files, it showed a list of files with the "Freelancers_0.1" tag, along with creator's name and notes for each file, if available. It would also be able to make Notepad or other editing programs open them.

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

Fatigue, and how it works, seems to be one of the 'hot button' issues most of us have with SHIII itself and its various supermods. I've no idea if any of the following is 'doable' for SH4, but here are some ideas I have for how I'd like to see fatigue handled.

1) Presettable --and saveable-- duty stations, that automatically rotate at standard 8 hour intervals.

2) Having TC drop to 1 when crew efficiency is a factor (there is a setting in SHIII for just that: CrewEfficiency; it just doesn't seem to function)

3) Action stations (surface attack, torpedo; surface attack, deck gun; damage control; etc.) that are presettable.

4) Enhanced extended fatigue.

For #1 you'd be able to assign crew to their duty stations before leaving on patrol, and however you'd set them up would be automatically saved and implemented throughout that patrol, and all subsequent ones until you elected to make changes. You'd still be able to individually move (and so override) that if needed; say, for instance, in the event of an extended attack or evasion, where your action station profile was in effect and you needed to rotate the ones on duty there for rest or first aid. So I envision a clickable box setting that enabled/disabled automatic crew rotation for ease of use. Otherwise, when simply traveling (for instance, to your patrol area) your crew would automatically rotate as you'd preset their duty hours. No longer would you have engines coming to a complete stop because the engine compartment crew became fatigued.

#2 is pretty self-explanatory.

For #3 you'd be able to assign specific action stations for various crewmen. SHIII does that to some degree, but it fixes on its own what stations exist and doesn't give you many options as to that, nor does it permit assigning just which crewmen you want at those stations. As one example, I really don't want to have crew assigned to damage control when I go to 'battle stations, submerged', for a singleton merchie.

As for #4 . . . . How about this as an idea? As fatigue increases, the time it takes to perform duties also increases (which some mods already do) but . . .

Once a crewman reaches 'full' fatigue, then passes that (i.e. forced due to circumstances to continue working), things start happening.

For instance, my idea would be that, once reaching full (100%) fatigue level, a crewman could be 'pushed' past that. Doing so would not only continue to increase the time needed to perform a task, but would add a chance of something being overlooked, or done wrong. Things like torpedo depths and pistols set wrong, or not at all. Engines being damaged because an oil leak was missed and it cracked a rod. Breaching the surface when meaning to go to periscope depth.

You could 'push' a crewman until 150% of max fatigue, at which point they would 'grey ghost' and stop functioning; effectively passing out on their feet. It would take as long to recover back to full fatigue (go from 150% to 100%) as it normally does to completely recover (100% to 0%). So a passed out crewman would take twice as long to recover than just an exhausted one.

You'd get warnings that your crew was exhausted, but they'd still keep working (at least, until they 'passed out'), alleviating the abrupt engine stops and the like, which in turn gives you time to rotate them before things stop working.



IMO, managing your crew is as important a duty for a Captain (and his XO, of course) as anything else. And I like being able to 'have a hand' with deciding how that is done. What I dislike with SHIII (especially when running some of the supermods) is feeling as if I have to constantly and repetitively micromanage the crew. I feel that the above would provide the ability to have command oversight of your crew, without the need to constantly fiddle around throughout a patrol with rotating your crew just to keep them from falling faint from exhaustion.


Comments and opinions are greatly appreciated!

[Sailor Steve]

I can't speak to the "150%" idea; it sounds good but I'm not sure I can picture it in action. I'm just replying to the complaint about micromanaging: the Devs have said already that SH4 will have watch bill assignments, and I think automatic watch rotations.

[TarJak]

This may have already been suggested but the renown system in SHIII I think is flawed and should be scrapped in favour of a more realistic system of handling upgrades.

From a realism perspective the renown points system is less than ideal, however some way of tracking success and progress is necessary if nothing other than to provide a mechanism for handing out promotions and awards.

I like the SHIII NYGM tonnage model as this reflects the main metric the Kreigsmarine and the RN used as a yardstick on how they were performing GRT for ships sunk.

I think that upgrades should be handled more by an offer of an upgrade from HQ or even in some cases have the upgrade forced on you but "spending" renown on things doesn't make much sense to me and I'd like to see it scrapped in SHIV.

[Albrecht Von Hesse]

This may have already been suggested but the renown system in SHIII I think is flawed and should be scrapped in favour of a more realistic system of handling upgrades.

From a realism perspective the renown points system is less than ideal, however some way of tracking success and progress is necessary if nothing other than to provide a mechanism for handing out promotions and awards.

I like the SHIII NYGM tonnage model as this reflects the main metric the Kreigsmarine and the RN used as a yardstick on how they were performing GRT for ships sunk.

I think that upgrades should be handled more by an offer of an upgrade from HQ or even in some cases have the upgrade forced on you but "spending" renown on things doesn't make much sense to me and I'd like to see it scrapped in SHIV.

Why not have a dual record system? One for total tonnage and one for renown.

The total tonnage one is pretty straightforwards. It simply records accumulative tonnage sunk.

Renown would be a dual system itself. Total accumulated over your career (for promotion purposes) and 'spendable' renown.

Tonnage would increase your renown. So could other things: successfully reaching patrol area, returning to base under your own power, reporting new contacts, etc.

Some things could decrease your renown: battle damage, requiring a tow back, etc.

'Spendable' renown would function much like it does in SHIII, but it wouldn't be subtracted from the cumulative, total, promotion is based upon.

A suggestion on how to handle the 'spendable' aspect of the renown is not make it exactly spendable, per se. For instance, just because you request a transfer doesn't mean that'll be granted. So why not make upgrades more of a request than a for-certain sure bet?

You'd like a radar upgrade? Request one. That'll be 'X' amount of your spendable renown, and maybe HQ will grant it. Really want one? Up the ante to '2X' of the renown 'price'. (Awwww, C'mon Commodore . . . I really really could use that new radar we've just got into Supply . . . )

The chance of having your upgrade request would be a percentage based upon your patrol history (don't ask me the full details, I'm just tossing this out a-la-brainstorming for the nonce). And, yes, you could 'spend' a chunk of renown and have HQ reply, 'Request denied; try again another time'.

[geetrue]

I want to smell the sea again ... especially that sickening smell after a boat has been submerged for too long, but wait that's nuc's. :lol:

Seriously I would like to see a map of Tokyo Bay full of war time trophies to fight all of the frustration of having to wait for their warships to leave harbor. Maybe it didn't really happen, but it sure would be a lot of fun to empty the tubes fwd and aft, plus fight your way out of Tokyo Bay ... Saving one last fish for the net tender on the way out.

If the developers don't include brooms and Red Balls for ships sunk ... I'm sure after market mod developers will. Those medals in Generals Zero Hour really get my son and grandson's attention when they play that game. So I hope something like that could be done too.

Has it already been discussed about dud's ... and fish that come back on you. That was the sadest part of the war, being hit by your own fish.

[AG124]

I thought I had already posted this here, but I just checked the thread and it appears that I actually didn't.:o

In SHIV, I would really like it if merchants had the potential to have variable tonnages, like they did in Aces of the Deep and still do in Danger from the Deep. Specific classes of warships could be handled by being given a specific tonnage, or a tonnage range of zero. Here are two examples from Danger from the Deep:

Variable tonnage for Medium Merchant:

<tonnage min="3000" max="3800"/>

Specific tonnage for O class destroyer:

<tonnage min="1540" max="1540"/>

At least, don't make the tonnage hardcoded this time.:cry:

[Bezoomney]

How about a descent manual? I'm talking Aces of the Pacific / SWOTL style of the early 90's. Even if you have a special edition that is 20 dollars more, a thick manual chock full of historical information, lots of technical details and a big wall mounted map.

Hell yeah!!! A big wall mounted map! Damn that'd be great! :rock: :rock:
My wife will beat the **** out of me, but the pain will go away eventually.
The map, on the other hand, won't!

Yep, definately second that motion!

[marky]

Name ur own sub feature :up::yep::D;):ping::arrgh!::sunny::rock:

[don1reed]

These wish lists seem a little repititious, but...
earlier in the annals of SHIV forum I posted a request to have a fully rendered Kollmorgen periscope, one that could display in the viewfinder, (like the real ones did)...a split-image rangefinder of/for the target.

I'm not going to repost pics of what it looked like, its all in the archives, somewhere; but, judging range in these sims through the scope is a heck of alot harder than it was in real life.

edit: If the Devs ever get a chance to read this post--its my fondest wish that they go here: http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/pscope/index.htm

and here:

http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/pscope/chap4c.htm#fig4-25

[Torpex752]

So here is my desired list:

1-Damage control: Should differentiate between critical systems that require immediate attention, and non critical, this can be covered in crew management deciding what gets fixed first. The issue here is time management while minimizing the amount of time neded in a non silent running condition.

2-Ship control: (my pet peve) The sub should have a trim pump and a drain pump like a real WWII Diesel boat. This allows for dewatering in a big way (both pumps) or a quiet way with just the trim pump. The ability to use planes and ships angle to assist in depth control while running deep and slow. The option to adjust bouyancy depending on the tatical situation IE: trim heavy at PD, light while going deep.

3- Accurate sonar modeling regarding the ability to blend in with the ocean bottom.

4- If a compartemt floods and the boat is in shallow enough water, the option to abandon ship and conduct a bouyant ascent (after the enemy departs!) If the sub has serious leaks and/or flooding and becomes too heavy and lands on the bottom, the ability to concentrate on the most serious flooding and not see a death screen in 150 feet of water.

5- The S-Class sub in early war.

6- The choice to start a career before dec 7 1941 and actually conduct a training patrol to the PI, or hawaii, or Transit your boat from Groton CT to Pearl harbor. Something along those lines of starting before 12/7/41 :)

7- An Atlantic patrol period for a month or 2 before hitting the Pac Flt.

8- An option in the realism screen to reduce the amount of contact reports.

9- Dont forget US boats were electric drive and that any combo of engines and screws was possible.

10- Crew fatigue should be higher in a S-Class.

11- Chlorine gas, fires, and engine exhaust gas can be isolated to the affected compartemnt, the only downside is that the boat is now divided at the place and no crew can travell through to help with DC efforts. Bou that would help you be able to stay deep longer if needed.

12- The conning tower could flood 100% and it wouldnt be the loss of the boat.

13- Losing the bow &/or stern planes would not prohibit the sub from surfacting or diving, but it would slow it a bit.

14- Dont forget the paint scheme that made it harder to detect a surfaced submarine....

15- Dont forget if you have friendly subs using radar in the area you ar that you can know its a friendly and actually radar pules each other morse code to communicate. (multiplayer stuff)

16- Dont forget that the pacific waters were pretty darn clear and that a shallow sub could be spotted from an aircraft while submerged!

17- If you settel in mud you could get stuck!

18- Smaller harbor patrol crafts did carry DC's and grapeling hooks to drag for subs in coastal water.

19- Minefields in the sea of Japan and the random drifting mine.

20- It wasnt uncommon to capturea japanese fisherman and have him give you some intel about local shipping. (not required but would be cool LOL)

Thats it for now. I know march is near, but when ya got the code, might be good info for a patch! :)

Frank :cool:

[dean_acheson]

The manual redlight is a must. I hate being at 100 meters with a redlight when I don't plan on surfacing.

A captain's cabin with a purpose. Calander, usable logbook, and if you don't get 2 hours of rest a day, it effects your ability to function and or give commands.

The abiliity to put the diesels on and off line to charge or increase speed.

A clickable chalkboard to keep track of d/charges.

[TDK1044]

The ability to set a precise depth using the number pad.

[THE_MASK]

After reading thru the suggestions list from page 1 it seems apparent that a lot of this stuff will be included . How many other game delelopers listen to there customers and implement there ideas ?