Silent Hunter 4 patch v1.3: Where? When? What?

[luminousbit0]

I am so far very disappointed in this game. I think the vast majority of us bought the game based on name and reputation alone. To have to received the product we were expecting is very disrespectful. I hope to see some sort improvement very soon!

[Weigh-Man]

I agree with Neal 100%, 1.3 Patch please

[oilburner]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

It's coming up on two months since Silent Hunter 4 was released. Two patches have brought the game up to where it is stable and most of the basic features are functional, but there are still several key aspects that need attention and it's too quiet in the Ubisoft camp. I have not heard anything about the status of a third patch, which the game needs to be considered complete. Before the dev team gets too far from the construction site, Subsim is going to mount a campaign for patch v1.3. Silent Hunter 4 is an enjoyable game but has yet to reach the point where we consider it complete. The future of the Silent Hunter franchise depends on maintaining a reputation for quality.

We call on Ubisoft to complete Silent Hunter 4. We don't expect every wish to be fulfilled, but there are several key gameplay issues that loyal players and Ubisoft customers, who bought an incomplete game, deserve to have addressed. These include:

• All AI needs tweaking, too often merchant ships all come to a stop and muddle around when under attack. Destroyers guarding merchants and especially in task forces occasionally seem somewhat uninterested in firing back. The Subchaser is unable to fire its main gun at all. If you mod the Subchaser to have a second gun in a raised position where the AA gun is it will fire this gun. The Akizuki DD has a similar issue, of the four guns it has only the two guns on the raised platforms actually fire. When the boat is rammed by a destroyer (for example) the destroyer generally comes of worse and often explodes.
  
• Units of measurement: Imperial units for ship dimensions, torpedo depth gauge, range figure in the TDC and Position Keeper, all UOM issues need to be resolved.
  
• Campaign retirement – feature or bug? Bug. Suggestion that it should be optional.
  
• Repetitive patrols still get assigned.
  
• Chronometer still doesn’t work as described in the manual. “The Chronometer bug”, this needs a quick and dirty fix, just a simple speed response in the text box when the Speed button is selected in the TDC, as occurs when the player clicks the Depth Beneath Keel button. But, importantly, the player should still have the choice of manually entering his own speed estimate in the TDC.
  
• Radar needs finishing touches. It doesn't work when heading South 90deg to 270deg. Is SD radar fixed? Does is not detect ships but will detect aircraft? Also, when SD radar fitted there is no A scope display.

We need your help to demonstrate the need for patch 1.3. Join the campaign here and make yourself heard. Post here. Don't hesitate or put it off. This thread will need hundreds of names to merit any attention.

To vote, simply make a reply in this thread and add your thoughts.


Neal Stevens
Subsim

Other issues and discussion can be found in this topic.

Ubi (and most other game software companies) has been known for releasing buggy software and then fixing it after release. EA is the same way except half the time they never even get the fix correct. What is disturbing is that UBI appears to be following the same mantra as EA..."we will put crap on the shelves and if enough of you buy it we'll make it worth your while...if not, tough luck".

Look at the Battlefield series for EA...each successive release has been buggier than that before it and the sales have reflected this.

As the game industry constantly changes, self publishing and alternative methods of distribution are constantly popping up. In the very near future a publisher will have to bring something to the table more than just money. Ubi, what will you be bringing???

[Tieg]

I totally agree 100% with Neal's accessment. I am particularily irked by the retirement bug. I have had some kick a@# patrols and instead of getting upgrades to better boats or the desired decoration I get retired for lack of aggression. Now to make the war work...I have to remember my tonnage and the date patrol ended so that when I do get "retired" I start a new campaign.

[pdechene]

One; maybe more patches are required.

When I use the keyboard for "Periscope depth" and "crash dive" my engine telegrapth goes to "stop" and I remain on the surface.

After about a half an hour of playing, crew members begin to continously announce numbers. It continues throughout the rest of the game.

I have also had destroyers ram me. I received no damage and they sank.

I don't know if this is a bug or not; but I can't recover survivors in a lifeguard mission. I have come next to them; I have run over them going forward and backing down, but still no joy. Any advice?

Phil

[drussxx]

i am 100% behind everybody in the need for this patch to bring the game up to standard

[Ghostieguide]

Got my vote. Iv`e been holding off stating a campaign till 1.3 comes out, I`m still in training playing SH3.

[Mud]

Dev team , finish what you've started.

Mud

[DennyMala]

I fully support this initiative.
I'm not a very active member of this community, but one thing for sure I'm a very active SH player and a long term Ubisoft customer.

Ubisoft needs to regain our trust. Nothing more is needed to say.

[dfritch]

As a "lurker" who has bought just about every naval type sim since GATO, from subs to every Harpoon release to SH3 to Dangerous Waters to War in the Pacific (okay, that's not really a naval sim), please don't put us in a position where we write off an entire publisher, UBI!

[Wolfar]

100% behind everyone on this.

[fremac]

I have given up on SH IV. What I hoped was going to be the ultimate, state of the art sub sim, has been nothing but a source of frustration and disappointment.

In spite of a great group of gamers and their supprt and faith in SH IV it appears UBI has left the SH IV sim diving towards crush depth. Such a shame for what could have been the best sub sim to date.

I will no longer buy Ubi products and will block their email advertisements until they produce the much needed fixes, patches and improvements. By the way a decent manual would be nice.

And seeing as SH IV deals with Pacific theater, the WW II timeline in the manual might reflect events other than those occuring in Europe. That's nit picking I suppose but it indicates the attitude of Ubi towards this sim.

Fremac

[iccalm]

I agree completely. I especially dislike forced retirement, and the weather needs to be less Atlantic, more Pacific.

[8BALL]

I have stopped playing the game simply because it needs patch 1.3.
come on UBI give us what we payed for. The BBB don't want to here
from all of us.

[Greenpencil]

We really need a new patch for SHIV...