Wolfpack vs Uboat -- Differences ? ? Pro's/Cons

John Pancoast · 05-04-19, 08:22 AM

Correct me if wrong Neal, but while there may not be a "There's a convoy, get ready" message, in reality, Wolfpack just starts (currently) at the next step from such a message and one knows there's a convoy somewhere in the vicinity.
I.e., in SH one gets: A. A convoy reported message then goes to an intercept spot and then B: hunts for and hopefully finds it.
Wolfpack just skips A and goes to B in other words. The B has the same aspects in either game (other than multi or not obviously) ?
Regarding TC, I'm not sure it's any more "gamey" then plopping one's boat in the middle of the ocean with the foreknowledge that there's a convoy already nearby.
But doing the "plopping" is a good time saver idea, which of course, is all tc is too.

Ragnarokkr · 05-04-19, 05:50 PM

as mentioned previously by gutted, the gameplay does get repetive, with the current situation being that the subs spawn almost within sight radius to the convoy.

Personally I don't think this is inherently a bad way to do it, and Neil got right on the money.

Waiting is not always fun.
Games are supposed to gratify the player and not bore him enough to leave the hatch open on a hydrophone check.

For now atleast I will be waiting for new content and features, with my eye trained especially for

- new adversaries (like new warships and airplanes to dodge),

- later some variations to Uboat models (like the type II coastal boat and IX),

- maybe some sort of "career mode" (though no ideas how this would be done)
- i like interacting with the enviroment on the boat. If Wolfpack is going to be a firstperson immersive uboat crawler, then the conning tower, bridge etc should have some nice buttons and knobs to push and turn because i like things that do other things.
- mission fail/success screen rework. its pretty anti climactic the last i saw of it.

But a small dev team means no breakneck speed and so i will simmer down for now with these ideas off the top of my head, retreat back to my hole and wait for new updates.

TLDR: Yes its repetetive. New content pls. Good luck devs.

blackswan40 · 05-04-19, 08:13 PM

My thoughts on Wolfpack Updates ect

1. When the escorts get Hedgehogs that will be a whole new ball game and uboat crews will have to adopt new stratergies like greater reliance on the sonarman as he reports the escort with Hedgehogs closing calling out the distance as he listens intentley judging the distance of the approarching escort.

2. When Aircraft are put in Wolfpack that raises the bar again do you surface on a cloudy winter day trying to close the distance to a Convoy when liberators with radar are in your area and the Aircraft communicate with the Convoy escorts giving them your location

3. Wolfpack a one size fits all Simulation so to speak as regards from what the Devs have said so far AI Bots on the unmanned stations for Single Player nice touch that.
The idea of some sort of Campaign realy excites me i dont know if this will happen.

I have written a SH3 GW3 Campaign for the Steel Sharks Clan in the scripted leyer of the mission editor i would love to write something similar for Wolfpack as well as new Missions making them more challanging having the escorts with different crew class compitant Veteran Elite.
More escort types stretched Flower class river class captain conlony class Usn ewarts bensons buckleys tacomers as the war progresses with better deadlier Depth Charges.
Also Merchants from different nations.

Re Missions the bigest Wolfpack Convoy ive seen so far was 32 merchants 3 escorts
writing a Wolfpack mission 36-40 merchants laid out 4 rows of 9 then 4 merchants at the back with 4 escorts but a escort support group arrives on the scene an hour into mission so will you go for more tonage or do you now evade the toublesome escorts and slip away to fight another day

4 . Human Controled escorts now this sounds very interesting indeed dancing around AI escorts is one thing evading A Human controlled escorts a whole different ball game for sure.

I know its a Big wish list with a capital B

THE_MASK · 05-04-19, 08:30 PM

Wolfpack Played 12.5 hrs
I dont like multiplayer so i dont play much of Wolfpack atm . I can see though that it is miles ahead for that virtual out on the sea feeling and comradary when you have real players playing along side . There is a lot of the roadmap to be added .
The devs seem fanatical about having a highly polished problem free game .

Uboat . Played 6.3 hrs
Too convoluted (maybe i just need to play it a bit more) , no hardcore options . Very early beta imo .
The bugs dont worry me because the devs atm are hitting the bugs out of the ball park .

I bought both games .
This is the golden era of pc ww2 sub games atm .

Onkel Neal · 05-05-19, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

Correct me if wrong Neal, but while there may not be a "There's a convoy, get ready" message, in reality, Wolfpack just starts (currently) at the next step from such a message and one knows there's a convoy somewhere in the vicinity.

You are correct, essentially that is what happens. When Wolfpack starts, you know there is a contact out there somewhere.

Same with Silent Hunter: when the TC abruptly drops from 2018x to 1x, you know there is a contact.

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Pancoast

I.e., in SH one gets: A. A convoy reported message then goes to an intercept spot and then
B: hunts for and hopefully finds it.

What do you do if you do not find it?

John Pancoast · 05-05-19, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

You are correct, essentially that is what happens. When Wolfpack starts, you know there is a contact out there somewhere.

Same with Silent Hunter: when the TC abruptly drops from 2018x to 1x, you know there is a contact.

What do you do if you do not find it?

Myself, the watch can't find it visually or the sonar man can't find it via the hydrophones (I don't listen to them myself, that's his job) after the calculated time frame I should have, I return to standard patrolling whether that's continuing onto an assigned area, etc.

Re SH tc, I only respond to convoy reports and they don't stop tc. Only time it would drop is if I'm at an intercept area via a report, but I'm rarely above 1x there anyway.
Rarely use 2048 (sometimes near base during a return) and so never had a 2048 to 1 contact drop; at that speed wouldn't one be right on top of them (in a bad way) anyway ?
I need to get a new pc.

05-04-19, 08:22 AM	#1
John Pancoast Ocean Warrior Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Minnysoda Posts: 3,193 Downloads: 490 Uploads: 4	Correct me if wrong Neal, but while there may not be a "There's a convoy, get ready" message, in reality, Wolfpack just starts (currently) at the next step from such a message and one knows there's a convoy somewhere in the vicinity. I.e., in SH one gets: A. A convoy reported message then goes to an intercept spot and then B: hunts for and hopefully finds it. Wolfpack just skips A and goes to B in other words. The B has the same aspects in either game (other than multi or not obviously) ? Regarding TC, I'm not sure it's any more "gamey" then plopping one's boat in the middle of the ocean with the foreknowledge that there's a convoy already nearby. But doing the "plopping" is a good time saver idea, which of course, is all tc is too. __________________ "Realistic" is not always GAME-GOOD." - Wave Skipper Last edited by John Pancoast; 05-04-19 at 08:57 AM.

05-04-19, 08:13 PM	#3
blackswan40 LSH-2022 Liaison Officer Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: IN THE STEEL SHARKS VIRTUAL OCEAN Posts: 2,520 Downloads: 589 Uploads: 30	My thoughts on Wolfpack Updates ect 1. When the escorts get Hedgehogs that will be a whole new ball game and uboat crews will have to adopt new stratergies like greater reliance on the sonarman as he reports the escort with Hedgehogs closing calling out the distance as he listens intentley judging the distance of the approarching escort. 2. When Aircraft are put in Wolfpack that raises the bar again do you surface on a cloudy winter day trying to close the distance to a Convoy when liberators with radar are in your area and the Aircraft communicate with the Convoy escorts giving them your location 3. Wolfpack a one size fits all Simulation so to speak as regards from what the Devs have said so far AI Bots on the unmanned stations for Single Player nice touch that. The idea of some sort of Campaign realy excites me i dont know if this will happen. I have written a SH3 GW3 Campaign for the Steel Sharks Clan in the scripted leyer of the mission editor i would love to write something similar for Wolfpack as well as new Missions making them more challanging having the escorts with different crew class compitant Veteran Elite. More escort types stretched Flower class river class captain conlony class Usn ewarts bensons buckleys tacomers as the war progresses with better deadlier Depth Charges. Also Merchants from different nations. Re Missions the bigest Wolfpack Convoy ive seen so far was 32 merchants 3 escorts writing a Wolfpack mission 36-40 merchants laid out 4 rows of 9 then 4 merchants at the back with 4 escorts but a escort support group arrives on the scene an hour into mission so will you go for more tonage or do you now evade the toublesome escorts and slip away to fight another day 4 . Human Controled escorts now this sounds very interesting indeed dancing around AI escorts is one thing evading A Human controlled escorts a whole different ball game for sure. I know its a Big wish list with a capital B Last edited by blackswan40; 05-05-19 at 02:17 AM.

05-04-19, 08:30 PM	#4
THE_MASK Ace of the deep . Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 9,226 Downloads: 901 Uploads: 73	Wolfpack Played 12.5 hrs I dont like multiplayer so i dont play much of Wolfpack atm . I can see though that it is miles ahead for that virtual out on the sea feeling and comradary when you have real players playing along side . There is a lot of the roadmap to be added . The devs seem fanatical about having a highly polished problem free game . Uboat . Played 6.3 hrs Too convoluted (maybe i just need to play it a bit more) , no hardcore options . Very early beta imo . The bugs dont worry me because the devs atm are hitting the bugs out of the ball park . I bought both games . This is the golden era of pc ww2 sub games atm . Last edited by THE_MASK; 05-04-19 at 09:01 PM.

05-04-19, 05:50 PM	#2
Ragnarokkr Watch Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Ocean of a thousand lakes Posts: 16 Downloads: 9 Uploads: 0	as mentioned previously by gutted, the gameplay does get repetive, with the current situation being that the subs spawn almost within sight radius to the convoy. Personally I don't think this is inherently a bad way to do it, and Neil got right on the money. Waiting is not always fun. Games are supposed to gratify the player and not bore him enough to leave the hatch open on a hydrophone check. For now atleast I will be waiting for new content and features, with my eye trained especially for - new adversaries (like new warships and airplanes to dodge), - later some variations to Uboat models (like the type II coastal boat and IX), - maybe some sort of "career mode" (though no ideas how this would be done) - i like interacting with the enviroment on the boat. If Wolfpack is going to be a firstperson immersive uboat crawler, then the conning tower, bridge etc should have some nice buttons and knobs to push and turn because i like things that do other things. - mission fail/success screen rework. its pretty anti climactic the last i saw of it. But a small dev team means no breakneck speed and so i will simmer down for now with these ideas off the top of my head, retreat back to my hole and wait for new updates. TLDR: Yes its repetetive. New content pls. Good luck devs.