Yes. And No. There are people who have dedicated themselves to keeping the old 1.4 versions of the supermods available for those who have objections to buying the UBM add-on. I'm not personally familiar with who they are but only know that they exist.
However, if you want a version of the supermods that is less than about two years old, you must purchase the add-on. I think it's the best $10.00 I've spent, in spite of the fact that I was stuck with the Direct 2 Drive download version. I enthusiastically urge you to resist getting the add-on that way as they stick you with a one time use key. When you need to reinstall the game (and you will!) you're in for one nasty speed bump.
Instead, buy the SH4 Gold version off a store shelf. It has no slimy Sony SecuRom module to scan your computer for innocent software that Sony doesn't like every time SH4 starts up and it can be reinstalled multiple times without the need to go through the hassle of trying to obtain a new key from a company that back burners your needs after they have your cash.
U-Boat missions made some adjustments other than the addition of the U-Boat which make it well worth the trouble to obtain. The most important of these is speed. The original SH4 kept the entire ocean in RAM at all times, including thousands of contacts you would never encounter. UBM loads only the contacts within a certain radius from your sub while all the rest are safely kept in a Shoedinger's Cat-like limbo. The result is a new SH4 that loads quicker and plays better--remarkably better. If that were the only change in UBM it would be a compelling reason to acquire it.
|