SH5 Updates from the SUBSIM meeting next week

[Task Force]

I dont think they were allowed to take pics/vedio during the demo.

[Semtex]

Originally Posted by Shiplord

No, it's just a Twitter message that the demo, the SH5 presentation there in Copenhagen is finished.

i read that twitter message. then not will be demo for us. demo is only at presentation (?)

[Navarre]

Originally Posted by Task Force

I dont think they were allowed to take pics/vedio during the demo.

The meeting is a private event and not a public press event.

The publication of new pictures and videos, I think, is the task of the PR department at Ubisoft and not the task of the developers. They were only in their spare time at a private event of subsim gamers and showed their work at this event. Perhaps Neal is entitled to report more next week, possibly even with new screenshots?

[gutted]

i think those aids like the visible escort's radar and hydrophone sensors will be a good training tool.

instead of just cursing that you always get spotted when playing full real.. you can train and see why, and learn to avoid it.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Navarre

The meeting is a private event and not a public press event.

The publication of new pictures and videos, I think, is the task of the PR department at Ubisoft and not the task of the developers. They were only in their spare time at a private event of subsim gamers and showed their work at this event. Perhaps Neal is entitled to report more next week, possibly even with new screenshots?

There's nothing wrong in hanging onto that hope.....but I think your original assessment is probably the more accurate

[karamazovnew]

Not only accurate, but also very serious indeed. I'm pretty sure that all present there were too smart to NOT make the mistake of taking "some nice pics to show to the boys back home". If they did, they'd better keep them to themselves or they would risk seriously hurting the dev team (and our warm relationship with them).

[KeptinCranky]

No pics, no videos, Guys, the location didn't allow it.

we got shown the game as it's been built so far, the Ubi guys even went so far as to download the latest patch for their working copy.

I can tell you, their torpedo attacks were kinda shoddy, but we were all pretty tired from spending the day in the sun, viewing, sailing on, and diving with the Nautilus submarine

I was impressed by the stuff they showed us, not just the graphics, which were spectacular as you'd expect.

The gameplay aspect is not quite the same as sh3 and sh4, they're evolving into a new direction which might not appeal to the hard core sim heads right away, but that's what realism settings are for, the harder you make it for yourself the harder it will get.

it's almost 2am here in Denmark and I'm going to bed, when all of us start the return journey tomorrow, expect some more info once we get home, get some rest and coffee

Just one more thing... You all know you can never please everyone, but what the Ubi guys are going for in sh5, from what I've seen and the discussions we've had with them, is a game that will please the sim veterans but won't be impossible to play by their 10 year old kid/sister/grandchild.

I'm confident they'll deliver the goods....

and ehh....

[SubV]

While we're all waiting the detailed report from Neal and others, I've decided to post here an official SH5 Q&A from Ubisoft forums.

08.09.2009

How does the camera work in SH5? Has the improvement been made significantly compared to the camera view from SH4?

The player is free to move through the submarine in free FPS-like fashion. We believe that creating a simulation game is not just a question of writing the mechanics that define the machine – in our case the u-boat – but there’s also the very important part of defining the actual human experience. What is it like to be the captain of an u-boat crew, in mid-Atlantic?

You should feel the tension and the claustrophobic atmosphere inside the UBoat and the way it affects the crew.

On the other hand, external camera is now allowed to rise much higher above the sea, allowing a dramatic view of the battlefields and landscape. We’ve changed the water and terrain rendering engine, solving the bugs that prevented this in the previous version and increasing the rendering distance too.

Are we going to get a comprehensive manual of step by step to set up manual firing solution?

We believe manual targeting is a very interesting and rewarding experience. Our ambition is to have it easier to understand and explained IN GAME – without sacrificing its complexity. Of course, there will still be a manual describing all the steps in greater detail.

Being a first person (Captain), how do we manage the crew? And what kind of things we can expect from the evolution of the crew abilities?

In true first person game fashion, the player can walk to a crewmember and click on it, opening the dialogue menu. You can chit-chat, if you want, or tell him to use one of his abilities.

There will be also a crew management menu where you have an overview of each of the crew member’s abilities and the overall performance. Based on the results of your patrol, you will receive a number of skill points which are used to evolve the crew. This allows you to customize your experience as you see fit.

Regarding the abilities, they are based on real mechanics and may even have some penalties. For instance, you can tell your Engines Petty Officer to push the electric engines a little harder, getting that extra knot of underwater speed. Of course, this will result in greatly increased battery consumption and may force you to quit combat and surface much sooner than normally.

Will we be able to make/record movies of any actions during the course of the game so we can replay it at anytime?

No. But any player could use FRAPS of another frame grabbing program to film his experience.

15.09.2009

What other features are there outside the submarine? i.e. is there a kind of screen saver if we are at a harbour? Can we go to a cafe as a first person? Talk to a General perhaps?

The focus of Silent Hunter is always the action at sea, during the patrol, with the time spent between patrols taking a secondary importance. However, the way you prepare your next mission is very important, and you will be able refit your boat with the latest technological gadgets, obtain intelligence from your commanding officer and choose your torpedo loadout. The harbor keeps the first person perspective, but some of the management jobs are better done through 2D interfaces.

How much freedom will we be seeing/getting? Are we able to navigate from the rear torpedo room all the way to the forward torpedo room seamlessly or will it be more like SHIV, click on a ladder/door/hatch to enter the next submarine section?

The player will have full access everywhere inside the submarine. Just like in any other first person game and just like a real captain had. But remember, you’re not just a camera, you’re the captain. Don’t go sunbathing on the fore deck or you’ll have a long way to go to that conning tower hatch before the sub can dive!

Will this be the same in SHV as in SHIV that the player can replace the sailor or officer of his job and do it himself? (Or are we restricted to giving them commands only?)

The player can jump in most of the key positions on the ship – firing guns, periscope, hydrophone, navigation map. More so, each of these stations is realistically modeled, and, combined with the FPS view, the immersion should be total. Additionally, we’re aiming to make the player work SIDE BY SIDE with his crew – be it on the periscope, when identifying a ship, or on the map, when looking for enemy convoys.

Will the AI controlled crew men do their tasks properly? (Better than in SHIV).

They are all well trained sailors. And, with the abilities that the player gives them, we believe you’ll be a proud captain to have them serve under your command.

[FIREWALL]

Originally Posted by SubV

While we're all waiting the detailed report from Neal and others, I've decided to post here an official SH5 Q&A from Ubisoft forums.

SubV

[FIREWALL]

I could sleep better tonite if Nealster would just post.....

" YES WOLFPACKS " Zzzzzz

[JU_88]

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

I could sleep better tonite if Nealster would just post.....

" YES WOLFPACKS " Zzzzzz

I dont think we are gonna find out yet.

[stabiz]

Originally Posted by KeptinCranky

The gameplay aspect is not quite the same as sh3 and sh4, they're evolving into a new direction which might not appeal to the hard core sim heads right away, but that's what realism settings are for, the harder you make it for yourself the harder it will get.

Just one more thing... You all know you can never please everyone, but what the Ubi guys are going for in sh5, from what I've seen and the discussions we've had with them, is a game that will please the sim veterans but won't be impossible to play by their 10 year old kid/sister/grandchild.

I dont like this at all. I have heard this phrase several times lately, and those games have sucked or been downgrades from their predecessors. They should stay with the core experience from SH3, evolve it and add great graphics and wolf packs. The cinematic route/easy access is:

I blame the console market.

And yes, this is me:

[JU_88]

Hmmm, I will reserve ultimate judgment until i play the game.
I have to say what concerns me most is that 90% of SHV chatter has revolved around

Graphics
First person interior
Crew.

There has been very little info about the SHV world outside of the sub,

Wolf packs are a biggie, something we have been begging for since 2005.... but there has been no mention...
Im starting to think that this must be because:

a) AI subs have been neglected (again)
b) Its still in development... (I hope)

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by FIREWALL

I could sleep better tonite if Nealster would just post.....

" YES WOLFPACKS " Zzzzzz

I'm not sure what the return flight details to the US are, seeing as how I was unable to attend the Meet this year

But reflecting on my flight experience from last years Meet, it can zap you for a day or two afterwards.

I'm confident there'll be an update soon.....I hope

[Sonarman]

Looking at it from a Ubi (ie Business) point of view the things listed so far make solid commercial sense their priorities are probably...

1. Update the underlying technology: Improve the graphics engine to bring the series into line with current games/ technology ie dynamic shadows etc

2. Increase market share: introduce new players to the game through the addition of more "handholding" features into the game i.e. the new visible detection radiuses etc

3. Fix /extend the games multiplayer capabilities: this may not be as important as the game has no huge multiplayer following and probably won't in this incarnation without some serious (read costly) re-tooling.

4. Add a major "whizz-bang supercool new feature" sure to catch the eyes of the gaming press: i.e. the full sub walk through + "genre busting" RPG style crew interaction.


I'd imagine/hope once the above list is satisfied our trusty devs will pour/sneak in as much of our and their personal wishlists as possible & practical inside the budget/timeframe allocated to them.