Wish list for the DEVS

[TDK1044]

Many people will have many different ideas about what SH1V should contain. I think the DEVS learnt a lot from SH111 and some of these ideas will find their way into SH1V anyway, but I would suggest that a small group of trusted moderators from SH111 compile a document that includes a list of desired additions and improvements to enhance SH1V prior to its 2007 release. It's not possible to please all of the people all the time, but it is possible to prevent having to issue 4 or 5 patches in the first three months of release of SH1V. If we get this right, SH1V will be the best subsim ever built, and who knows, Ubisoft may then revisit the Atlantic for SHV.

[Drebbel]

That has been done several times. Just before work on the 1.4 patch started the last (afaik) "buglet" inventory was made. We just made an inventory of the stuff SubSim visitors found the most annoying.

And I know various people, including some well respected SubSimmers have been in contact with the dev-team, after playing/testing early versions of SHIII, on numerous occaisions. Several of their suggestions/ideas/comments made it to the final release of the game. They continued to provide their contructive comments and ideas while the patches where being developped.


Regarding the inventory mentioned in the first paragraph: The results where:

Place - Item - Points
1 Watch Officer does not automatically go back to the Bridge when resurfacing 28
2 Why only 8 km visibility ? 13
3 Flakguns have the same trechhold as the deckgun in bad weather although they are mounted higher 14
4 Battery recharge type XXI takes too long and they never get 100% full 17
5 Crew reports are usually too late (especially for aircraft), 95% of the time! Same with exit from Time Compression 10
6 Aircraft AI is way off and cannot bomb correctly 10
7 Some CTD issues and/or strange behavior with the Crew Management System 10
8 Pre-mission torpedo assignment bug where you can flip between options to get unlimited torpedo stocks. / Loading a Before Mission save game will not update the crew with medals, promotions, and qualifications, PLUS they are no longer available to assign. / Loading the After Mission save ALWAYS causes the next patrol grid to be the same as the previous one. 11
9 Blurry look of compass (con not read my course properly) and other gauges 9
10 Radar wheel shows contacts on wrong side of the boat 8
11 No wolfpacks 7
12 Petty Officers with no Machinist Qualification do not go to move to the Electric Engine Compartment when diving and do not move to the Diesel Engine Compartment when surfacing 8
13 Raising the periscope breaks Hyrophone contact with any ships in view. 9
14 Weather not variable enough / Not realistic for time of year and location 9
15 Horribly bugged IXD/2 (disappearing torpedoes, stuck in sub pen, destroyed sonar) 9
16 C2 cargo too strong 9
17 Want to man guns in bad weather 9
18 Lack of history in the campaign 8
19 Reloading external torpedoes should require a calm sea and a stationary Uboat. If interrupted I should lose the torpedo. 8
20 Watch crew does not spot clearly visible (also the case in fog) ships 5
21 Massive fps hit near (empty) ports 5
22 Guns and depth charges of destroyers too accurate 5
23 Repairs are too fast 5
24 U-boat deck/flak gun too powerfull 4
25 Crew fatigues to quickly / Officers recover to slowly. / Need (verbal) warning when crew is getting tred 3
26 Lack of radio messages of any kind. 3
27 Can not run decks awash with lookouts on the bridge 3
28 Enemy ships shooting at eachother 2
29 Shuffle option for Gramophone music 5
30 More random damage, also to vital systems 5
31 No depth info on map 2
32 We can run engines at Flank speed indefinately without any chance of mechanical breakdowns. 6
33 Only 1 type of barrel depth charges modelled 6
34 Watch crew does not automatically take rain coats on/off 6
35 Option to disable friend or foe colours on the nav-map. 6
36 No real crew on surface ships 5
37 Ship spotted messages without bearing 5
38 Torpedo reload type XXI 5
39 Weather still seems to be completely independant of time of year and geographical location 5
40 Reversing engines often throws the rudder off to one side. 5
41 No thermal layers? And/or way to measure them (water tap inside boat) 5
42 Why only 1 prop turning when recharging batteries ? 5
43 Crewmen other than the CE will remain in "panic mode" animation, even when they are no longer being attacked. 5
44 Radar Antenna Destroyed bug. 5
45 Sleeping flakgunners 4
46 Airconsumption type XXI 4
47 No creep motors type XXI 4
48 Torpedo mates bunks are in the torpedo rooms, so they should rest in there while not working 4
49 No German Navy 4
50 Ships accelarate too fast, like they have jet engines 4
51 Interval between pressing crash dive button and the sound sample should be virtually zero 4
52 Re-supply at sea (milch cows and or surface ships) 4
53 Lighthouse shine their light through solid objects 4
54 Why are merchants only zig zagging after they spotted me ? 4
55 There is no number three officer 3
56 Flashing interior lights in type IX boats 3
57 Merchant ship size should be randomized 3
58 Various meters, dials and repeaters still screwed up in Control Room and other Stations 3
59 The current "ruler" in the nav-map is way too imprecise 3
60 Hard to grab waypoints on plot tool 3
61 TDC Bearing Input Instrument imposible to be set at exact bearing. Inner dial can not be adjusted with precision. 3
62 Need to be able to set watch rotations for crew management 3
63 Warped sky texture directly above uboat 3
64 Can not command the sub with out a keyboard 3
65 Non raisable radar type XXI 2
66 Switch time between engines on dives (5sec. and counting)... Unlike when surfacing, hardly feel the switch. 2
67 Weapons Officer firing solutions are much too quick and always 100% accurate. Should be tied to his experience level. 2
68 All ports (enemy and friendly) have no ships in them 2
69 Severly reduced frame-rate when the periscope view goes blury (w/ an ATI Radeon X700 card). 2
70 TDC dials too small 2
71 Advanced radar sets in wrong place 1
72 Flakgunners not able to shoot at waterborne targets 1
73 2 conning tower hatches in Type II (both with no ladder) 1
74 Need key to open all tubes 1
75 Watch crew won't call when a friendly ship spotted 1
76 Water reflections of all boats except type VII still broken 1
77 Why aren't all views unstabalized at 100% realism setting ? 1
78 Strong winds and high seas are sinking small ships. 1
79 No "Invert Mouse" option. 1


Imho good beta testing by a bigger team could have tackled a lot of these problems. But of course we do not know how many of these ""roblems" where already known to the dev-team before the release, I hope most of them where not

[Safe-Keeper]

Imho good beta testing by a bigger team could have tackled a lot of these problems.
Or more production time and patches. I mean, four patches for a best-selling game, what's the matter with publishers these days :nope: ?!

It seems indeed that the trend nowadays with developers is to simply release games, cash in on them, and move on. I remember the old Super Nintendo titles I played, all of which were completely bug-free (OK, there was one bug, in Sea Quest. Can't remember what it was, but it had to do with that truck-like sub. Something about it now looking right and/or not working as it should...). Now games are just rushed to the shelves (with the excuse that "we can patch them later"), and then forgotten.

Just about all the games I've bought or considered buying recently have been rushed, under-patched, or both:
- Empires: Dawn of the Modern World (killed by lack of patching).
- Empire Earth II (killed by lack of patching. Glad I didn't buy it).
- Silent hunter III (hurt by lack of patching, but still floating)
- Battlefield 2 (lack of patches, but still going pretty strong)
- SW Battlefront ("best-selling SW game ever", despite lack of patching - heh, I guess there are exceptions to everything)
- Sudden Strike Resource War (a horriby rushed game full of bugs and with horrific English)

...and the list goes on:damn:.

That list of unwanted features is great, though, if all that can be fixed for SH4, I'll be one happy gamer.

I think the DEVS learnt a lot from SH111
I've missed 109 releases :huh: ?!
(SHIII, not SH111 :P , budd)

[TonyPiech]

What I disliked the most in SH3 was the continual monitoring and moving of crewman who were tired/exhausted. I realize that this could be adjusted by changing values in certain files, however it would be nice if an automatic rotation of crewman could be implemented. The automatic rotation could/should be structured to allow the captain to over-ride as he wishes.

[finchOU]

Hey Drebbel...just copied and paste your post to a note pad file which I saved on my desktop...just so I can really put all of the problems of SH3 in perspective..........really strikes the nail on the head about SH3 IMHO!!..BRAVO ZULU!!!

[VON_CAPO]

Indispensable!!!!
Type XIV "MILK COW"
And associated missions for them.

http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/8837/planstypxiv7fi.th.jpg (http://img233.imageshack.us/my.php?image=planstypxiv7fi.jpg)

Also a AI coordination for wolfpacks in single player and campaign. :yep: :yep: :yep:

The Luftwaffe must explore the ocean too.

Fluid communication by radio (with ability by the AI to answer something intelligent, not non sense phrases like now), the morse code BACK!!!

A acurate map with the current deep.

Get lost in the ocean because my navigator can not see the sun and the stars when it is stormy. :yep: :yep: :yep:

A device to transmit light signals.

A pistol to fire flares.

SNOW and ice in winter!!!

Life boats, debris and survivors swimming. With the capacity to fire flares when they spot some vessel.

I want that the rain and snow match the direction and intensity of the wind.

Big warships should engage in a fight beyond the horizon. It is not real at all the 8 km limit.

[VON_CAPO]

Ability to fill independent ballast tanks and fine regulation of the dive planes.

Ability to choose when I want to use diesels or electric engines.

A realistic damage control, because the current repair stuff to the light speed.

A watch officer and company awaken, because the current is blind, deaf and may be in drugs and drunk.

The possibility to finish my 1945's patrol in some Argentinian harbour. Somebody should be there to hand over my boot.

Traffic in the South Atlantic too.

[sam0t]

Excelent list Drebbel!

I dare to say that with those problems fixed, SHIII would have been perfect. In my mind atleast.

[johnlax]

Yes guys by all means lighten up on the crew management stuff. At least gives the player an option to have it done automatic or toggle off the requirement it really takes away from the game as it is in SH3.

[Dogsbd]

Yes guys by all means lighten up on the crew management stuff. At least gives the player an option to have it done automatic or toggle off the requirement it really takes away from the game as it is in SH3.


Amen!

I want to be a submarine commander, not a personnell manager!

[turnerg]

i have something that would make SH4 awesome....

MAKING DC SEQUEL FIRST!!!!!!

[Takeda Shingen]

Snow and ice may not be such a big deal in the South Pacific.

[Dogsbd]

i have something that would make SH4 awesome....

MAKING DC SEQUEL FIRST!!!!!!



Why? DC is how old? I'm not sure, but I do know it isn't nearly as old as the last PTO Sub sim. Thus no can possibly have waited on a DD sim as long as I've waited on a new PTO Sub sim.

I still enjoy the orginal SH, been playing it a lot today, but it's long over due for a replacment.

[DeerHunter UK]

Snow and ice may not be such a big deal in the South Pacific.

Tak, for you we'll import it. :yep:

[Takeda Shingen]

Ah, picture it: Pulling out of port in Pearl. It's January. The snow-covered palm trees sit blissfully still. How picturesque.

[Redwine]

Some of my wishes :

1]
Thermal layers. They can be modelled as a second sea surface under the real sea surface. A subsim with no thermal layers is how to suck a breast with soutien.

2]
An order for determined crew to take water samples to determine thermal layers position, with a log in some screen.

3]
Interacting Wolf Packs

4]
Molk Cows

5]
Difrent behaviour for DDs and DEs.
DDs on hunter killer groups hunt on you for 30 hours attempting you run out of O2 and batteries, and DEs hunt on you for a wile to maintain you far of the convoy and the they return to escort position.

6]
NO Notepad Feature, it is useless and unreal, instead of it a good mouse working Whiz Wheel into a game screen. I made it for SH2, it is perfect posible.

7]
Very BIG and precise TDC instruments, is SH3 they are so small and off-set, i can say they are near to useless.
May be slide instruments as a mod done for navigation instruments.

8]
BIG periscope bearing strip chart. It is present in the 3D inside view, but is useless there, but we need it into the periscope station view.
This big chart is modelled into 3D vies but in real life, i see planes, they had a Vernier second scale to be more precise and measure small parts of degrees.

9]
No crew fatigue management (it is the most anoying feature for me)

10]
Better operable sonar and radar station as in SH2.

11]
Realistic crush depths.

12]
A working well silent running protection.

13]
We need a Quick Mission Editor as in SH1 and SH2.

14]
A friendly to user Mission Editor as in SH1 or Flanker 2.0.
SH3 Mission Editor is really a Bull S..... i never was able to make it run well, windows runs out my screen, the contain of windows runs out the windows. I was not able to see the contains of windows.


I have 100 more, but these are the most important i remember yet now.

:up:

[don1reed]

Forgive me for reposting this. I thought this might be the proper thread to post this:

In addition to the Photo Recon & Lifeguard missions, I would also like to see WW2 Special Ops Msn of INFIL/EXFIL Marines and/or Australian Coast Watchers, i.e., Macon Is. etc.

Post Photo Recon Msn, have a mid-ocean link-up with PBY Catalina to whisk away the photo intel for timely processing. (Calm Wx: the PBY makes water landing. Foul Wx: Flyby grapling hook pickup of photo canister strung between masts.) Perhaps with Far and Near recognition signal[s].

cheers,

[Takeda Shingen]

Forgive me for reposting this. I thought this might be the proper thread to post this:

In addition to the Photo Recon & Lifeguard missions, I would also like to see WW2 Special Ops Msn of INFIL/EXFIL Marines and/or Australian Coast Watchers, i.e., Macon Is. etc.

Post Photo Recon Msn, have a mid-ocean link-up with PBY Catalina to whisk away the photo intel for timely processing. (Calm Wx: the PBY makes water landing. Foul Wx: Flyby grapling hook pickup of photo canister strung between masts.) Perhaps with Far and Near recognition signal[s].

cheers,

That would be nice. The USN always did a lot of cool things with their subs.

[finchOU]

Inside sub stuff:

1. Realistic Periscope view! When looking through the periscope the only thing i should see is the view through the periscope. Adding torpedo screens, fire buttons, reconition manual, and even the tool bar at the bottom of the screen not only take way from the size of the view (which is very important), but it adds unnessisary light making it even harder to see! There should be a scope veiw and a drop back view with all the stuff you need (stuff mentioned above).....it just stinks of gamism and not simulation!

2. The ability to actually command the boat with out having to use shortcut keys. This should have been fixed in SH3...but just looks like it was scraped for time.

3. A Captains log you can acually write on! more immersion factor!

4. No Range info from the WO(big cheat for manual plotting/targeting)....but need a bearing when a contact is spotted

5. Ability to tweak most anything on the sub from ballast to engine management.

6. Look into Manuvering Boards....and see if you can make a station/screen for an automated one.

7. All compartments...like to see the crew loading torps or sleeping....or glaring at me for taking them out for so long....continuous bread growth would be cool.

8. Breakdowns! I've been on ships....stuff breaks all of the time and is constantly being fixed...not in SH3 though!

9. Food/supplies has to have some bearing on lenght of patrol and moral! The CE should have a vibe on Crew moral and should start hinting that we need to start heading home before the crew is completely overcome with combat fatigue.

Outside the sub....

1. Friendlys?? Wolfpacks?? a must!!!

2. its been said that DD's only have one type of depth charge..this needs to be changed......and make them run out!

3. I would like to see ships doing an UNREP (underway replenishment)....a DD needs to refuel from a tanker.

4. a general improvement in AI in general. convoys are too predictable......they only zig zag for a period of time then go back once a DD is back in the lead. Why do I never see straglers from a convoy in bad weather (alot of ships were sunk because of their inablity to keep up with the convoy..look that one up at uboat.net)

5. damage model was new and pretty good with some exceptions. Ships didnt seem to slow down at all taking two torpedos...the shear amount/weight of water rushing in should be enought to slow any ship to a crawl. Fires dont seem to light up the night like they should.

more stuff...but I cant remember right now.

[LukeFF]

A lot of things I'd like to see have already been mentioned, so I'll just list a couple of mine here:

1. A "track selected target" command for the hydrophone and the radar stations. One can select a target via the hydrophone station or lock on to a target via the UZO/periscope and then tell the sonar/radar operator to track that target.

2. In relation to the above: a "plot contact on map" option. This would work both when one is telling the radar or sonar operator to track a contact and when following a target in the UZO/periscope.

3. An option to enter a new compass heading and/or depth via the keyboard.

4. The AI's estimation of a target's speed, range, and AOB should be dependent on their skill level, time of day, and weather conditions. Otherwise, the Weapons Officer will continue to be practically worthless at 100% realism when plotting a firing solution.

5. The time to reload a torpedo should be shown in minutes only (e.g., "Tube ready in about 5 minutes."). The current setup reminds me too much of a space shuttle countdown timer.

[VON_CAPO]

Snow and ice may not be such a big deal in the South Pacific.
If you are talking about the conflict between Japan and the Allies, I must say that it was predominantly in the nothern Pacific.
I have some pics to show about ice and snow:

Snowfall at Japan, data from yesterday.
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6200/japansnownext3days8lf.th.jpg (http://img43.imageshack.us/my.php?image=japansnownext3days8lf.jpg)

Also, Japan in winter, with snow of course:

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/5872/01japansnowjpg0tm.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=01japansnowjpg0tm.jpg) http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7004/02022550cz.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=02022550cz.jpg) http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/8674/jp403l7zr.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jp403l7zr.jpg)

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3158/jp407l2gg.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jp407l2gg.jpg) http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1290/sany02149az.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sany02149az.jpg)

Consider this; if you play american surely you will stalk the japanese shore.

This is a global simulator, where passion for details and duplication of every environment is a must.
Do you remember your first impression about the images when you purchased this game ... ---> :o :o :o :o :o The graphics were amazing.

So, this is only one of the reasons this simulator should include snow and ice.

[VON_CAPO]

A particular desire.

DEVs can you program the graphic engine with Open GL?
Because DirectX ... :roll: :shifty:

Well, you already know which one is the point. :|\

[Takeda Shingen]

If you are talking about the conflict between Japan and the Allies, I must say that it was predominantly in the nothern Pacific.
I have some pics to show about ice and snow:

Not true. The most exstensive theatres of operations for WWII submarines were Indochina, the Mid-Pacific, and the South China Sea. The Kuril Islands and Alaskan theatres to which you refer were only held sparse operations and generally in '42-'43.


Furthermore, the pictures you are citing are (1) from an abnormally active winter and (2) shows snowfall not in excess of 15 centimeters. Also, do remember that Japan is not flat, and unless one is conducting torpedo engagements on the slopes of Mount Fuji, he is not going to see the type of snowfall you are seeing, especially in your fourth picture.

[VON_CAPO]

Not true. The most exstensive theatres of operations for WWII submarines were Indochina, the Mid-Pacific, and the South China Sea. The Kuril Islands and Alaskan theatres to which you refer were only held sparse operations and generally in '42-'43.
Furthermore, the pictures you are citing are (1) from an abnormally active winter and (2) shows snowfall not in excess of 15 centimeters. Also, do remember that Japan is not flat, and unless one is conducting torpedo engagements on the slopes of Mount Fuji, he is not going to see the type of snowfall you are seeing, especially in your fourth picture.
:roll: My dear friend, the point is:
Snow and ice may not be such a big deal in the South Pacific.
That means that you had already dismissed the posibility of snow in this simulator.
If you prefer to play in the tropics, good for you, it is your option.
But it is not a valid option for the rest of us.

By the way. The pics posted by me have the solely intention, to show that we can find snow and ice in a pacific campaign, and not only on the mountains.
You know, an image worth a million words.
I think you are focusing in a secondary target (tropical pacific) because you want to be right.

I suggest you to read very carefully my precedent post.
If after that you understand the same, my recomendation for you would be to take some grammar course to analyze the meaning. :-j

[Dagger U-539]

all of the above plus NO starforce!!

[Drebbel]

all of the above plus NO starforce!!

No Starforce ?Why ? What is wrong with it ?

[turbidite]

a simple wishlist :

-make it possible to use campaign and ship models from sh3 with the improved engine that will be used for sh4 so we can have both cakes
-a working logbook :damn:
-find a decent alternative to starforce

[Immacolata]

I had most fun with observation and targetting in SH3. I really wish they would make a really solid manual targetting system this time, where you can take plottings on the map, use sliders and rulers and all that which was modded into SH3. To me, that was really great part of the game.

In SH3 it was pretty hard to do fast plotting due to the inadequate design of manual targetting. It wouldn't require much to make it work in SH4 I hope. All you need is some commands for you to call out a plot current position on map.

[Sulikate]

my 2 cents:

-new graphic (and dynamics) engine.
-Ability to command either Japanese, US, and if possible German sides.
-More modability.
-Full modeled sub interiors.

[supersloth]

ships that stop or return for survivors and maybe and american version "wolfpacks".

[don1reed]

Snow and ice may not be such a big deal in the South Pacific.
If you are talking about the conflict between Japan and the Allies, I must say that it was predominantly in the nothern Pacific.
I have some pics to show about ice and snow:

Snowfall at Japan, data from yesterday.
http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6200/japansnownext3days8lf.th.jpg (http://img43.imageshack.us/my.php?image=japansnownext3days8lf.jpg)

Also, Japan in winter, with snow of course:

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/5872/01japansnowjpg0tm.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=01japansnowjpg0tm.jpg) http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7004/02022550cz.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=02022550cz.jpg) http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/8674/jp403l7zr.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jp403l7zr.jpg)

http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3158/jp407l2gg.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jp407l2gg.jpg) http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1290/sany02149az.th.jpg (http://img39.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sany02149az.jpg)

Consider this; if you play american surely you will stalk the japanese shore.

This is a global simulator, where passion for details and duplication of every environment is a must.
Do you remember your first impression about the images when you purchased this game ... ---> :o :o :o :o :o The graphics were amazing.

So, this is only one of the reasons this simulator should include snow and ice.

...all, excellent points. Lets not forget some of the USN Submarine battles were also fought in the Alleutian Islands during winter