SH4 should not be sitting on your shelf - Play It !!

[Front Runner]

It seems to me, from my own experience, that sequels are always compared to the original, at least at first.
It takes some time getting used to new things, such as the great underwater views in SH4. I am playing with graphics maxed out and I am amazed at the immersion factor from the external camera during night attacks, especially the underwater view when in very shallow water and running silent. Your boat has no place to go but periscope depth, maybe 70 ft. at most. If the Jap DD's detect you, you're dead, they'll get you eventually.
Last night, I played the spy mission and encountered a small convoy in my path. It was night and I submerged to periscope depth
(comment - bug/feature- the DD's will detect you outside of 8000 yards even at night. Also they will detect your periscope from that distance if you leave it up too long and make a beeline directly at you from 8000+ yards away.)
Slowly, I put the sub into position, but two DD's somehow detected me and I had to deal with them in a "knife fight" type battle.
I waited until after their attack run, when they slow down to listen and launched a torpedo at high speed, short range at them. Sunk them both.
Now to take care of the Large Modern Tanker. It took me a couple of hours playing at 1X to put myself into attack position, and finally launched three torpedoes at the tanker. Boom, and she's sunk.
Now to evade the remaining DD and sneak away to continue my mission.
Finally, after running dead slow and silent, I broke contact to continue the spy drop off.

I only had a couple of minor annoyances (reported bugs) and no CTD's.

The bottom line is that it does take some time to get used to the new SH4 platform and when the bugs are squashed or worked around, the immersion factor again takes over and pulls me into the game.

After playing SH4 for the past few weeks and going back to SH3 and SH3 GWX and Dangerous Waters, I found myself starting to miss some of the features I've grown used to in SH4, such as the incredible underwater immersion factor from the underwater view external camera. The DEV team did an outstanding job on this alone.

They have done a lot of things right even though we all agree that there is a bug list. We know they are working hard to squash as many as they can in the next patch which will raise my rating of SH4.
First impression was low 6 out of 10.
Current impression is much better 7.5 out of 10.
I expect the patch to yield a 9 out of 10 and beyond as more patches and mods are developed.

SH4 should not be sitting on your shelf. If you are refusing to play SH4 while waiting for the patch you are missing out on some great game play and familiarization with the SH4 interface.

[Steel_Tomb]

I'm sticking with SHIII and GWX for the moment, not because I don't like the game I think its awesome. Its just a few things (that for ME) that let it down. When 1.2 comes out though I should pick it back up...shame about the ****ty FPS on my system. (average 25 compared to 60 something in SHIII!)

[Front Runner]

I'm sticking with SHIII and GWX for the moment, not because I don't like the game I think its awesome. Its just a few things (that for ME) that let it down. When 1.2 comes out though I should pick it back up...shame about the ****ty FPS on my system. (average 25 compared to 60 something in SHIII!)

Isn't it still playable at 25 fps?
What graphic settings are you using? I suppose you've tried to tone them down as much as acceptable.

I have the machine to be able to run the graphics all the way up without an FPS hit (except for the noted bugs, message clipboard and polygon of death.) Cost a pretty penny as well and I can't get away with writing it off as a business expense my accountant sez.
Alienware Rocks...

[shawnyp420]

Yeah...SH IV is definitely collecting dust until the patch comes out. I'm one of those that feel it is "unplayable." I'm just not enjoying the game with so many freaking holes in the software....Silly Devs....

[mookiemookie]

I agree. There's so much here to love, and it really does get better as you start holding it up to its own merits instead of comparing it to GWX or whatever.

If it's as "unplayable" as some people say, I wonder why I've been PLAYING it nonstop for the past 2 weeks!

[robbierob2005]

I'm sorry but I'm back to shiii for now. I bought the game but the bugs are annoying me. Perhaps the 1.2 patch will fix alot of things.

[JFL1]

Sorry, but I stopped playing Sh4 and returned to ShIII/GWX.

When I undergo a patrol, I invest some time in the sim. That is what I find rewarding in these games. You sit in front of your PC, you try to immerse yourself in the sim, and you try to achieve that best results possible while taking decisions that will, eventually, allow you, your virtual crew and your sub to make it home safe and sound.

So, when I have to consistently fight the software itself (crew falling sound asleep while on a watch, TDC not working, radar somewhat erratic, saved games unstable at times, etc.), I am distracted from the immersiveness of the sim. I feel like a software user, not a simmer.

Pretty graphics and "Hollywood effects" wear thin rather quickly. It will take quite some work and time (from Ubi and the modders community) for SH4 to be what it should be: a great addition to the SH series.

In conclusion, when patches and mods will make this game an enjoyable sim, I will more than gladly play it.

[drewsbu]

I'm sick of getting CTD and getting forced retirements after 3 patrols. WTF!

[OakGroove]

ATM i'm just firing it up to test some of the recent mods.

[Godalmighty83]

il play it when its fun.

sh3 is just so much better, better interface, less bugs and greater ingame information.

sh4 is just a irritating but pretty buggy mess with a painful UI coupled with little player information. yes i can change torps and subs but that's pretty pointless if the game doesn't actually tell you there specs. + the crew system is a definite step backwards.

pretty pretty graphics can only cover so much of a turd.

[mookiemookie]

And another positive thread about how much fun someone is having with the game degenerates into whining and complaining.... :nope:

[BlackSpot]

And another positive thread about how much fun someone is having with the game degenerates into whining and complaining.... :nope:

I don't quite get all this. They've shelved the game (as we've all been told over and over again), yet they're still reading the forums of a game they're not playing only to drop by every now and again just to let everyone know....they've shelved the game. :damn:

Thanks for the updates on the shelving issue.

[Packerton]

I find its more Atmospheric to be a German Sub Commander.

Really it just feels right.

[Godalmighty83]

And another positive thread about how much fun someone is having with the game degenerates into whining and complaining.... :nope:
I don't quite get all this. They've shelved the game (as we've all been told over and over again), yet they're still reading the forums of a game they're not playing only to drop by every now and again just to let everyone know....they've shelved the game. :damn:

Thanks for the updates on the shelving issue.

perhaps its in the hope that one day eventually the game will be as fun as sh3, if every member was 'this is awesome!' all the time ubi would just kick back thinking job-done like they have on so many other games which are hideous messes.

[Hartmann]

Its very difficult to play with a lot of bugs, poor performance, graphics , and the lack of personality and atmosphere. No fun... no play. :dead:

i´m waiting for more patches and upgrades from the dev team and modders, i have the game installed but only for test mods and look in the files.

for serious play i still use SH3 and GWX because sh4 could need more time of work to be an finished product, but i´m sure that with the time it can be a great sim.:yep:

[Snakeeyes]

Not before 1.2 and a S@%^@&tload of bugs are fixed. My computer time is precious. Why should I use it on something substandard when I can sim on Steelbeasts Pro or GWX?

[GoldenRivet]

Hmmm... it seems you have a lot of people who are diehard SH4 fans "just because" and then you have a lot of people who are not.

Personally i like the game, i have been playing SH4 about equally as much as SH3 lately. And im sorry if some of my posts bring up "old news" but given the nature of my job i have not been able to play SH4 almost since the day it was released, but i have to admit Its nice to get into an American boat for a change.

Yes SH4 looks great. I dont think it lookes that much better than SH3 But in a game like this looks are not 100% what it is all about though is it? (i would hope not.)

The corporate bozo's who had dollar signs in their eyes that rushed a GREAT dev team into releasing an incomplete title are really who are to blame... and in the end the consumer ends up being the ones who lose.

sure the mod community can make this into an awesome game but my argument has been "is this really the job of the mod community to take an OK game and make it into a stellar one?" the answer is no... or at least it should be. at this point a fair portion of the consumers stop being consumers and start being free beta testers and programmers who fix the mistakes of others.

SH4 has TONS of potential, SH4 looks fantastic and I think SH4 has brings a lot of neat ideas to the table for a ww2 sub sim... its just unfortunate they were given such a crappy time table, and for that the game suffers bugs - the players suffer frustration - and UBI suffers a loss of face with some of the players.

i enjoy playing the game - despite the fact that its hard to look past some of the more annoying or more serious bugs, or despite the fact that it is more or less SH3 with a new map some new options and environmental effects - but so far it has been for the most part and enjoyable game to play.

I think a lot of players (myself included) will eat their words when the heavier mods are released. For example - the radio that was more or less useless in stock sh4 is now awesome with the captain midnights radio mod by CaptainCox.

we will have to give SH4 time to mature and grow into something more enjoyable than it is now, but in the mean time i for one will be playing it, not letting it collect dust on the shelf. :D

[DJSatane]

My game is sitting for now until next patch. I want to enjoy the game after its more polished. Further I don't want to start single player campaign until chronometer calculation of speed works and maybe some save game issues are resolved. Looking forward to next patch.

[USS_shipmaster]

I m playing SH4, but I dont have same enthusiasm about it like I had playing SH3 with GWX. I m just practicing... like in submarine school waiting for a 1.2 patch. And just practicing is so boring.
patch 1.2 should solve at least 5 problems for gameplay:
- solve chronometer problem (speed solution in manual targeting)
( i can do calculation manually without paper, but map resolution of a distance is very poor possible error is up to 20% on short distance ( when you dont have a time for 3 minute measuring)
- solve A button problem, not just remove A from operating keys.
- change stupid crews reports like "we are running out of oxigen" when already on the surface etc etc etc
- CTD main cases
Anyway we need 1.2 as soon as possible.
I understand all difficulties of dev team with dead line etc problems and did not put blame for delays on them, but on UBI management.
I' m so familiar with this dead line policies, stupid memos, reports, "we dont care thats it not ready " etc.
Guys this situation its typical for management in software development business in the modern way (narrow specialization, where one department doesnt know amd doesnt want to know that is going on next door).
:-) Good Hunting!
VK

[Front Runner]

Bugs not withstanding. SH4 grows on you the more you play it.

I agree wholeheartedly that there are some very annoying bugs....
However....playing within the framework of the 1.1 release has still given me some very nice gameplay.
What I'm trying to get across here is that the more you play "through" the bugs, the more you see the work that the DEVs did complete or come very close to completion on.

Instead of playing a career, try playing through the missions, not just once, but several times, using different strategies. They play very well, (bugs not withstanding) and I've come away from the game thinking about it and wanting to get back into it as soon as I can.

I find myself clicking on the SH4 icon more often than on Dangerous Waters, SH3, and Neverwinter Nights 2, and then it's 2 O'Clock in the morning and I've just finally managed to break contact with those DD's that have been dogging me the past couple of hours.

Give SH4 another try.
Use the Real Fleet Boat Mod
The CBS Radio Pack Mod

Also try the
Pearl Harbor Menu Mod which is pretty neat.
I tacked on some more audio to FDR's speech
Eternal Father
Taps
Church Call and
Hymn to the Fallen

I've added lots of 40's swing to the Gramophone and started playing with radio station configurations.

I have not entirely abandoned SH3 GWX which I think is superb! I am just getting out of the North Atlantic for awhile to visit far away places like the Bungo Suido.

Watch out Bungo pete, I've got some TNT for ya, and I'm comin' to get ya.

[Iron Budokan]

I have been very critical of SH4 but even I don't think it's 'unplayable'. I, too, am just waiting for the patch and then I'll return to it... :)

[Sea Demon]

In my own opinion, SH4, even in it's current form beats out SH3 in alot of ways. The immersion is just so much better in this new Pacific theatre. I actually got tired of the Atlantic theatre, and German U-boats in general. I also got tired of "report to XX25 and patrol for 24 hours." I got tired of being on station for weeks with endless rain. I admit GWX fixed alot of stuff from the original, but I also have to say I am enjoying the immersion of SH4, the new theatre (Pacific), being on the winning team (US Navy), sinking Japanese military and merchant marine vessels, and the newer and better graphics more than anything from SH3. Sorry, but even SH3/GWX does not give me as much enjoyment as SH4 because it is still the same old boring Atlantic Ocean with the same old boring German U-boats. There is just so much of it I could take.

Bottom line, if you enjoy SH3 more and are "shelving" SH4, it's time for you to go away to the SH3 forum and leave us SH4 people to enjoy our game. Thank you very much.

[Iron Budokan]

Bottom line, if you enjoy SH3 more and are "shelving" SH4, it's time for you to go away to the SH3 forum and allow us SH4 people who are enjoying it to have some peace.

Quite full of yourself, aren't you?

[Sea Demon]

Bottom line, if you enjoy SH3 more and are "shelving" SH4, it's time for you to go away to the SH3 forum and allow us SH4 people who are enjoying it to have some peace.

Quite full of yourself, aren't you?

Actually, I'm just fed up with the grandstanders that are so full of themselves, they got to continue to hammer away at how they are going to "shelve" it because it is so "unplayable" in their own minds. Despite so many people enjoying it. I say, go ahead and uninstall if you want. Your grandstanding is unneeded. :roll: