Supplement to SH Survey: What should Ubi do to make SH5 the best?

[Onkel Neal]

Please note any comments, ideas, suggestions, and observations you would like to make about SH5; what would make it great, what mistakes from SH3/SH4 not to repeat, etc.

NOTE: Post your thoughts and opinions, do not comment on other member's posts in this thread. Flaming not allowed.

Thanks
Neal

[AVGWarhawk]

1. Complete TDC functionality
2. Radar/Sonar completely functional and separate.
3. Crew is not attached to substructure meaning getting DC'd they are hurt as a result because the are in the cannon crew slots.
4. Better AI reaction and smarter! (includes aircraft)
5. Refer to number 1
6. Fuel consumption moddable
7. More variety of ships.
8. Playable surface ships(escorts) with fully control of your other escort vessels and weapons. Obviously smart AI subs to hunt me!
9. Fleet boats have 4 independent engines.
10. Each prop is independantly controlled.
11. Control planes controllable other that full up or down.
12. Some type of trim interface when submerging.
13. Radar picks up land masses and weather.


Obviously these areas of concern are from SH4.

[onelifecrisis]

Cool. Here's my 2p:

1. A DYNAMIC CAMPAIGN (like in SH3) is essential for me. There's no way I'd buy a modern subsim if it only consisted of a bunch of scripted missions.
1. No I didn't screw up my numbering! This is jointly in first place for me: NO BUGS. Or at least very few bugs and no critical ones. Big bugs ruin even the best of games.
3. Personally I think German subs in the ATO make for a good game because the war got more and more difficult for them, and a good video game should do likewise, so in the ATO you don't have to sacrifice that aspect of realism for gameplay.
4. Speaking of realism, I'm all for it!
5. AI. Nuff said.

[Sailor Steve]

Make SH5 better than its predecessors?

1) Add all the functionality of SH3 Commander - ship names, billions of possible crew names so you don't get repeats, easy ability to adjust game parameters.

2) Ease of modding. SH3 was a huge step in the right direction. SH4 is even better. Both theaters do not have to be complete; just make it easy for follow-ons to be added. Harbor pieces easy to move and change, terrain editing, things like that.

[Carotio]

As I answered in the survey: mod-ability as most important feature.

Anyway, I would like to see both theaters again, and this time with all boats involved.
This means real narwhals for us campaign
This means all German uboats and not only one (plus fantasy).
And why not also British, Japanese, Russian and Italian subs?

I'll surely come up with more later and edit...

[mr chris]

In no order.

- More ship classes big and small merchant and warship.
- Historicity accurate harbours and bases.
- SH3 Commander built in.
- Large dynamic campaign taking in all theatres of the uboat war.
- Wolf packs and Milk cows

[ref]

First of all, (even I'm certain that they weren't made by lack of knowledge but for the pressure of releasing the product), please don't make the same mistakes present in sh4, for example:

• KM grid, there are remnants of the sh3 grid in sh4, which interferes with the new grid system.
• 3d Objects can't be clicked on the exterior views (uzo, crew) even when they should.
• state machine controller not working as expected (i.e.: in port they should be making random animations as stated in the commands set in the dat files, but instead they're scanning with the binoculars).
• These are a few of the programming problems I found.

Now for new features:

• Better AI (terrain/objects avoid routines, etc.).
• Wolfpacks, not so hard, the basic idea is included in sh4 with the reinforcements/scout routines.
• AI Torpedoes , a must both for wolfpacks and AI ships.
• More than two compartments recognized for the interiors, so we can optimize the work of Tomi and DD.
• Last, but the most important in my point of view is the release of documentation of the format of the files, even when most of it has been deciphered by the community, some parts remain unknown.

Ref

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by ref

First of all, (even I'm certain that they weren't made by lack of knowledge but for the pressure of releasing the product), please don't make the same mistakes present in sh4, for example:

• KM grid, there are remnants of the sh3 grid in sh4, which interferes with the new grid system.
• 3d Objects can't be clicked on the exterior views (uzo, crew) even when they should.
• state machine controller not working as expected (i.e.: in port they should be making random animations as stated in the commands set in the dat files, but instead they're scanning with the binoculars).
• These are a few of the programming problems I found.

Now for new features:

• Better AI (terrain/objects avoid routines, etc.).
• Wolfpacks, not so hard, the basic idea is included in sh4 with the reinforcements/scout routines.
• AI Torpedoes , a must both for wolfpacks and AI ships.
• More than two compartments recognized for the interiors, so we can optimize the work of Tomi and DD.
• Last, but the most important in my point of view is the release of documentation of the format of the files, even when most of it has been deciphered by the community, some parts remain unknown.

Ref

As per Ref....plus the ability to take a British player sub (and more nations if possible).

[coronas]

1: Interact with High Command, with other subs, with planes, with neutral and enemy ships, radio traffic, ...

2: Better weather management.

3: All said before in this thread.

[onelifecrisis]

Oh and I almost forgot!
It'd be nice if the world was round in SH5.
I mean a real sphere, both in terms of navigation and in terms of graphics (SH3 - and I presume SH4 - have a flat square world and the ocean is rendered in such a way that it curves upwards which I think is meant to simulate the earths curvature but it really doesn't work).

[Egan]

Here goes.

1: I'm with Steve on this one: SH3Commander functionality, including start dates, crew names, realistic crew transfers, the Officers Club and realistic career lengths. I would even like to see the little round up of our characters life like SH3C had. I really liked that.

2: Crew mangement. Expanded over sh4 which was a marked improvement over sh3. I would like realistic crew tranfers (as stated above,) experience gains that seem to actually matter, reaction times imrpoved through training etc. I want to feel like a u-boat skipper and that meens looking after and getting the best out of my crew. I'd also like a weapons officer who is less accurate. Perhaps have the accuracy increase the longer he is observing a target?

3: Realism in every field, from the spotting ability of aircraft to DD attack patterns to ships running zig zag. I would also like to see a realism increase to systems management so we can do things like run the electric engines on the surface, control how many engines we are running, trim up or down and allow us to run decks awash (with the possible drop in how easy we are to spot etc,) Also, improvements to Sonar, Radar would be good.

4: Damage and repair. Please, realisitic repair times and damage. No more repairing a bulkhead in 10 seconds, or instant death when diving too deep. Also, I would like random system breakdowns to things like engines, just to add to the flavour.

5: Dynamic campaign. Cannot have a Silent Hunter game without it. The two most important additions to me are Wolf Packs and other subs - both allied and axis.

Cheers.

[Seeadler]

what would make it great
1. A dynamic campaign with more dynamic than the free choice to decide where I go. The effectiveness of the wolfpacks should be impact on the behavior and routes of convoys

2. Functional wolfpacks! Hey, the old DOS game "Aces of the Deep" had them and they had worked.

3. A multiplayer with player controled destroyers. Only one type of MP destroyer and MP submarine is enough for the release, more could be delivered in addon's. Radar, sonar on the destroyer should functionally implemented not only a command sim like in SH4 multiplayer.

4. Better modding ability. Tools for the customers to import new content f.e. harbour layouts should not be so realistic but give the modders the chance to complete this work like the scenary modders do it for the fligh simulator community

what mistakes from SH3/SH4 not to repeat
1. Don't push the game out before it's finished
2. Not announced on the website that there are plans to release modding tools (still on the SH3 website ) and then never let it happened.

[lurker_hlb3]

"Historically accurate" Dynamic campaign for both PTO/ATO along with all the necessary ships / subs / aircraft

[JScones]

-OPTIMISED CODE! SH4 went part way there
-Accurate AI
-SH3 Commander (incl Crew Manager and Patrol Log Editor) functionality built in, especially date based changes. SH4 went part way there. I think it is fair to say that if it's in SH3Cmdr, it's because there was a community demand for it. Adding a Nightclub feature (for example) is a simple few hours work but makes a big difference
-Ease of modding, including ability to add new subs and nationalities (ie British, Dutch, Japanese)
-Improved crew management - I have a Chief Warrant Officer, let him do his job of micromanaging crew rotations, discipline, admin paperwork (transfers) etc
-Accurate ranks, including JNCOs
-Medals/badges awarded as per historical criteria and timelines

[kiwi_2005]

Have access to all compartments in the submarine. Have options where if we wish we can head to the engine room to start the motors - Ive always wanted to do that, or load torpedos in the aft/bow. Ive always wanted to do that too! There's a AI character in every compartment which we can take over when needed. For instance if motors need fixing we double click on the engine room guy and we're now him grab the spanner and get to fixing the motors, start the motors this might include pressing a few swtiches. Want to load a torpedo? no problem just double click on the torpedo guy and get to it by clicking a switch to work the winch that picks up the torpedo and with another flick of the button the torpedo slides into the tube then we have to let the captain know through the speaker that the torpedo is being loaded etc., All in 3d not on a 2d screenie. This can be a choice to either let the AI perform the tasks or we can.

Would also like to see deep under water canyons, or when close to the shore there's reefs etc.,. At the moment we can dive and never have to worry about hitting any enviromental threat (except for the seafloor) thats in the waters. Surely it wasn't all plain and flat where getting close to an enemy shore to attack a port should not only be a feat from avoiding the escorts but also keeping in mind of what Mother nature might put in our way.

I know sounds abit to crazy but thats how i would like the next sub sim to be!