| SUBSIM Review |
 October 19, 2001 |
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****** Updated regularly ****** |
 SPANISH |
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Release date: Nov. ~7, 2001 |
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SUBSIM
Review
October 19, 2001
****** Updated regularly ******
SPANISHRelease date: Nov. ~7, 2001
The latest: 10-19-01:
Silent Hunter II is GOLD! Just got a call from SSI.
And you never thought you would see hell freeze over...
Its official!
Ubi Soft Entertainment and SSI today announce that Silent Hunter II has reached gold master status; retail distribution will begin during the first week of November.
I would personally like to thank all of you for your dedicated support, criticism, and enthusiasm through the many ups and downs in the development of SH2.
Cheers!
Shawn Storc
Producer
Ubi Soft Entertainment
10-4-01: Gold date imminent-Oct. 5~18
The Silent Hunter II dev team is nearing the end of an exhaustive two-month bug squashing and gameplay tuning cycle and gold date could be a matter of days. Get your oilskins out, more news to follow here.
The latest: 8-11-01: Release date pegged at Oct.
The Silent Hunter II release date is now targeted for mid-October with Destroyer Command to follow. While it may seem the development team has retreated to the Bahamas, in truth the activity in SSI and Ultimation's shops has been stepped up. New underwater visuals have been added, complete with depth charges and explosions. Dynamic inclusion factors have been added to the scenario design so the missions will play differently. More sound effects, crew voices, and improved AI round out the latest enhancements.
8-1-01: More previews and screens!
Gamespot Silent Hunter II& Destroyer Command Screenies
SIMHQ SH2-DC SCREENSHOT BONANZA
New SH2_DC Keel Bustin' Shots!
The latest: 6-5-01: Latest screenshots
Work continues to progress on the multiplayer twins Silent Hunter II and Destroyer Command. Wolfpack League has obtained a fresh batch of screenshots that display, among other things, the Destroyer Command calendar screen, the Silent Hunter II torpedo cam, U-boat Wintregarden, and snorkel operations.
5-17-01: Twenty Q&A from SSI Producer Shawn Storc
Q: Will we get a "ship destroyed" message or will we have to use our own judgment whether a ship needs another torpedo to finish it off?
A: That is a function of your chosen realism settings. If you choose "Limited Target Data", you will have to decide whether to use another torpedo, stick around and watch, or sail off without the certain knowledge of your target sinking.
4-25-01: Silent Hunter Conning Tower art
Sample conning
tower artThe player's U-boat insignia can now be viewed on the U-boat tab of the game menu. It is shown at the top of the status text and on the U-boat in the 3D view. You can change the insignia simply by clicking in the insignia area above the status. This will cycle through all of the insignia stored in:
SH2/Insignia
Insignia textures stored in that folder are in TGA format and can be modified. Additional textures placed in that folder will be found when the game is run.
Each insignia texture must be a 128x128 32-bit alpha-channel TGA. The upper 128x64 segment is applied directly to the front of the conning tower. The lower part is split into two 64x64 segments. The left segment is applied to the starboard side of the conning tower, while the right segment is applied to the port side of the conning tower. Typically these are mirror images, but this is not a requirement.
4-19-01: These are tumultuous times!
Only months after The Learning Company was transferred to Gores Technology and proudly announced a new name for the consolidated entertainment division, GAME Studios, Gores worked out a deal to sell it off to UbiSoft, the French software juggernaut. So now the producer of Silent Hunter II, Destroyer Command, and Harpoon4 will be called Red Storm.
Result? Another delay to the beleaguered project. What did the dev team have to say? "We can put the time to good use!" We trust they shall. With barely over a year on the SH2 project, they rebuilt it from the ground up.
But have no fear, SSI is still going strong on Silent Hunter II and Destroyer Command. The dev team continues to tweak, refine, and improve the sims. The latest build has a new option: Limited Chart Data. When selected, much of the God-like powers of the chart map are hidden. You will need to trust your own skill and judgment when attacking targets. No more instant read-outs of the tonnage and speed. You also will not be informed when the "Target has been destroyed" by the AI crew, meaning you will need to decide if you can risk sticking around to see if the ship sinks or expend another torpedo.
More to come soon!
2-7-01: Silent Hunter II & Destroyer Command Interop Report
SUBSIM Review was invited to go online against the GAME Studios reps and try out the first run interop beta of these two sims. Both games are nearing the finish line and interoperability is now the focus. Making a simulation with 3D graphics and good, responsive AI is a task in itself but joining two different sims in online play is a Task with a capital 'T'. Obstacles and difficulties have been met and one development team has prevailed--Ultimation. The Digital Battlefield is set to become much more than a marketing slogan.
For more: SUBSIM Review Interop Report
1-9-01: Press release from The Learning Co. (ex-Mattel Int.) - Game division has new name:
Novato, CA - January 9, 2001 - After completing the transition of its sale to Gores Technology Group, the Entertainment Division of The Learning Company now sports a new name. The division will now be known as GAME Studios*, and it will serve both as third-party publisher and internal developer of PC and console-based content. Its offices will remain in Novato, CA, about an hour north of San Francisco.
The new studio will also be shifting its focus to reflect the changing face of the games market. GAME Studios plans to strongly support next-generation console platforms such as Microsoft's X-Box and Sony's PlayStation 2 Computer Entertainment System, as well as to continue development of its computer franchises such as Myst®, Chessmaster®, Championship Surfer, and the Legend of Alon D'ar.
Why GAME Studios? "While The Learning Company name carries a lot of weight in the educational and productivity marketplaces, there has been a great deal of confusion as to our identity in the gaming community," says General Manager Jeff Hoff. "People never fail to recognize our strong franchise lines, such as Myst* and Chessmaster*, but as an overall brand, we've been referred to as The Learning Company, Broderbund, Mindscape, SSI, Red Orb - you name it, we've heard it. So, we felt it was time to come up with a name that left no doubt in anyone's mind. Simply put, GAME Studios is what we do; it's who we are."
As a result, the GAME Studios brand will cover all games released by the studio, regardless of genre or platform. The GAME Studios division will also continue to market and publish products under the Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI) brand, including role-playing games such as the upcoming Pool Of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor, as well as real-time strategy, military strategy and simulation titles.
"As a result of the sale and corporate restructuring, both industry media and gamers were under the impression that SSI was going away. That definitely isn't true," says Bret Berry, Vice President of Product Development. "Since it was sold to Mindscape, Inc. in 1994, SSI has always existed as a brand within a greater divisional structure, whether it was part of Mindscape, The Learning Company or Mattel, and it will continue to do so."
Berry goes on to add, "There's no doubt that SSI has a great history, and has garnered a great deal of respect within the gaming community. When coming up with a new name and structure for our division, retaining the SSI brand as part of GAME Studios was pretty much a no-brainer."
12-8-00: Brian Rubin and the Gamer's Alliance have a fresh interview with Ultimation. An excerpt:
In general, SH2’s interface has been carefully designed so that each duty station in the U-boat is designed as efficiently as possible. Each duty station is only one or two mouse clicks (or hotkeys) away. Each station also has all of its relevant information contained on one screen, so the player doesn’t have to constantly flip between different interface “layers”. It’s not quite as colorful as would be if we forced the player to actually walk-around the U-boat and climb ladders and open hatches, but the interface is very fast and very playable. I’d say it’s a big step forward from the original Silent Hunter’s interface, which was already very solid.
For the complete interview and screenies, see Gamer's Alliance
11-22-00: A SUBSIM Review Exclusive! The World Premiere SH2 Beta Preview
Excerpt: The enemy ships appear at a distance as the smallest of bumps on the horizon, something you would have rarely noticed in Aces or SH1 and dismissed as a pixel glitch. In SH2 that teeny little nub out there is the lead ship of a 20-ship convoy. As it draws nearer you can see it creep into sight, trailing smoke.
The captain’s quarters contains the calendar by which you may determine the lunar phases, a critical item in a U-boat captain’s repertoire. The logbook is a much more robust version of the SH1/Aces chronicle. Every major command and occurrence is logged automatically and the player may choose to add personal notes as well. The whole record is saved as a text file in a folder so the player may pull it up and excerpt sections for online reports.
10-19-00: Silent Hunter II continues to meet its milestones. After a shaky period earlier this year when the original developer, Aeon, could not make its contractual obligations, the sale of Mattel Interactive, and the resumption of work by Panzer Commander developer Ultimation, it looks like the way is clear for Silent Hunter II to make its first patrol soon. Believe it or not, it is nearing completion. Barring an unforeseen setback (major code problems), SH2 should go gold near the end of the year. Naturally, the goal is to get it on the shelves before the holidays but all evidence shows that Ultimation is committed to doing it right.
Exclusive SUBSIM Review screenshots of Silent Hunter II in action!
Close call!
9-1-00: Print magazine PC Gamer has a two-page overview of Silent Hunter II and Destroyer Command. Of interest are the mentions of kamikaze inclusion (DC) and a more realistic manner of tracking the escorts hunting you (SH2) than the original's map view with sonar lines.
Technical additions include the appearance of a hydrophone station, which simulates a sophistic listening device that submarines used to identify the class and heading of ships from the sound of their propellers underwater.
Aside from the shift in sides and the attendant technical differences such as different types of at radar, torpedoes, sonar equipment, etc. found on German U-boats, Ultimation will stay true to the design philosophy of the original Silent Hunter. Silent Hunter vets can expect the sequel to have similar play mechanics to the original.
For more, look for the October 2000 copy of PC Gamer on newsstands.
8-30-00: Interview with Troy Heere, part of the SH2/DC dev team. An excerpt the ever popular topic, campaign mission structure:
On Silent Hunter II:
We chose a compromise path between a fully dynamic campaign and a fully static one. We track things like ship damage and ship losses and replacements and adjust the player's force strength dynamically between missions. A ship that requires a lot of dockyard time may not return for two or three missions and destroyed ships may not be replaced for a while.
Campaign missions will also have dynamic elements such as randomized starting positions and even randomized force compositions. Missions will also appear in somewhat randomized order. The goal for us, really, is replayability, and we think the elements we've built into the campaigns and their missions will realize this pretty well.
On Destroyer Command:
More than 100 different types of ships are modeled in the game, including every U.S. destroyer that served in combat in WWII. Aircraft will play a major role in the game with appropriate AI for different types such as bombers, torpedo planes, fighters, and observation planes.
Read the full interview - NOTE: This article and website are MIA.
8-19-00: A question and answer session at the Unofficial Silent Hunter II website stirs up controversy. The dev team reveals that the campaign mode will consist of scripted missions. Players want--demand!--an open-ended career campaign mode in the same vein as Aces of the Deep and the original Silent Hunter. Mark Kundinger (Ultimation producer) answers critics with a more detailed description of a sample career mission. Join the debate here.
7-27-00: The Silent Hunter II Website has been redesigned and new screenshots added.
7-27-00: A fresh interview with producer SSI/MI and dev team Ultimation. Jump to COMBATSIM.COM to read the interview.
7-10-00: Work continues by new dev team Ultimation. The "Uzo" and deck gun stations have been redesigned and now are 3D.
6-20-00: Mattel Interactive has signed Ultimation as the dev team to replace Aeon. Prelim release date is possible Q4 2000.
For additional details, see SUBSIM News
Up Scope - what it's all about:
Silent Hunter II recreates the historical battles in the North Atlantic between Germany's vaunted U-Boat "wolfpacks" and the naval convoys of the American and British Navy - the lifeblood of the Allied war effort.
Silent Hunter II is being developed by Ultimation, Inc. and marks the fifth collaboration between Mattel Interactive and the Petaluma, CA-based game developer. Ultimation is currently working on Larry Bond's™ Harpoon4™, which is scheduled to ship this November, as well as Destroyer Command™, which ships in 2001.
Updated features also include a full complement of realistic environmental effects, including sea conditions ranging from glassy smooth waters to punishing squalls. Weather, in addition to rain and cover of darkness will play important parts in the tactics and strategy of your U-Boat command. An array of over 50 types of military and civilian ships, aircraft and submarines complement the 4 highly detailed U-Boat models at the players' disposal.
Silent Hunter II will also capitalize on the latest video rendering technology, with external views rendered in full 3D and with full 360-degree viewing capability. On the deck, a first-person mode enables commanders to target and attack both sea and airborne enemies using the anti-aircraft machine guns or the deck cannon. A multimedia presentation features detailed interviews with combat veterans as well as interactive tours of a German U-Boat.
Articles and previews:
A Day in the Life of a Destroyer Captain,
In Words and PicturesSilent Hunter II Innerview: with Rick Martinez, Senior Producer
Multiplay and Destroyer Command
Links for Silent Hunter II
- NEW! Wolfpack League -SH2 online fleet
- Ultimation - Developer
- Silent Hunter II website
- SSI - Producer
- SUBSIM News - regular SH2 updates
- Forum - for Silent Hunter II
- SimHQ - #1 Sim News site
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