SH 2, 3, or 4 - which is most accessable for a noob?

[raven22153]

I just got all 3 in the last month & I've heard stories that the learning curve may be steep for sub-noobs. I'm going to post this question to the SH4 forum as well.

[Telgriff]

I had never played a subsim ever, before SH3. When I first started, I had the realism almost at 0% to get used to it. Its learning curve isnt too insane as long as you go through the naval academy a few times to get a feel for how it runs...and we have some awesome amounts of info on the forums and wiki :)

[XXi]

Simple: SH2 is not very good to say the least, te game was buggy and canot be compared to SH3. So what remains as an option is SH3 or 4. SH4 needs some patching, while SH3 with either NYGM or GWX is very, very good no matter if you`re a noob or expierienced. In general, early in the war the enemy is quite green so you have some time to learn :hmm:
For NYGM or GWX - check the SH3 mods workshop part.
Gute Jagd und fette Beute !

[Camaero]

If you play SHIV then it is hard to go back to SHIII because there are amazing graphic improvements and also some very nice immersion additions. (I love how the battlestations and crew rotation works!) The problem is the gameplay is just not where SHIII is yet. It will be, but not yet. So either get SHIII or SHIV but probably not both. :huh:

[JScones]

At the end of the day:

if you are interested in U-boats, play SH3.
if you are interested in US diesel submarines, play SH4.
if you are interested in U-boats *and* US diesel submarines, play both.
if you are interested in Nuclear subs, look elsewhere.Easy really. ;)

[GoldenRivet]

At the end of the day:
if you are interested in U-boats, play SH3.
if you are interested in US diesel submarines, play SH4.
if you are interested in U-boats *and* US diesel submarines, play both.
if you are interested in Nuclear subs, look elsewhere.Easy really. ;)
right on the money.

i dont think you will have much trouble with stock SH3, master it and work your way up to something like GWX... when you have had enough of the atlantic and find youself interested in the pacific, try SH4.

I bought SH4 when it was released, played it for a week and shelved it... it has more bugs than my first appartment... mods are trickling out for SH4 but if you compare it to SH3 in its current condition SH4 doesnt have a leg to stand on at this point.

SH4 will be an awesome game in about a year, until then :down: UBI screwed the pooch and put an OK game in the hands of killer modders who would make SH4 scream but until then we have to wait. transparent water or not :shifty:

[HM.Medico]

The first submarine sim I played was SCS: Dangerous Waters and kicked ass at it. Unfortunatley, I got bored of it after about a week an a half and abandoned submarine sims for ages.

Then, about two or three weeks ago bought SHIII and have gone from someone who crashes into breakwaters to a 20,000 ton to patrol tiger.

SHIII is easy to get used to and PC Power Play said that SHIV had a rubbish tutorial and manual and the likes.

SHIII forever :rock:

[Hitman]

I just got all 3 in the last month & I've heard stories that the learning curve may be steep for sub-noobs.

Hmmmm that depends a lot from many factors....

Have you played submarine sims before?

Have you some knowledge about WW2 submarine naval warfare that can provide a general orientation?

Others have answered here about the game quality or historic location itself, not about the learning curve. Regarding the learning curve, all of them have realism options that let you play from arcade to simulation. My advice is to try and have as many realism features enabled as you can stand. Otherwise getting used to them later is sometimes difficult, and what's worser, you might have developed tecniches and ways of playing which can't be applied with realism features enabled, something that can make it even more difficult for you to get used to the game in advanced modes.

My two cents for you:

1.- Choose what you want to play, U-Boots or US submarines
2.- Read a bit about real submarine naval warfare and procedures (Tons of links in these forums to webs and books)
3.- Start playing with realism settings you are confortable with, but if possible, leave only map updates, auto targeting, external views and invulnerability "ON".
4.- Once you are used to the sequences of: Search patterns, approach to enemy, shoot and escape, start enabling more realism. The sooner you start with manual targeting, the better. You will see that shooting in manual requires more time to collect data and being much closer to the targets, which can force you to modify almost all other tactics in the approach sequence. So better learn what you will need to do in manual even if you play in auto, so you later have it easier when going hardcore.

And above all, have fun:up: This is just a game, so if it bothers you playing it realistically, just disable anything you don't like and enjoy whatever makes you happy:up:

[joea]

The first submarine sim I played was SCS: Dangerous Waters and kicked ass at it. Unfortunatley, I got bored of it after about a week an a half and abandoned submarine sims for ages.

Then, about two or three weeks ago bought SHIII and have gone from someone who crashes into breakwaters to a 20,000 ton to patrol tiger.

SHIII is easy to get used to and PC Power Play said that SHIV had a rubbish tutorial and manual and the likes.

SHIII forever :rock:

Uhh no. SHIII was rubbish when it came out too.

[geosub1978]

SH3 1.4b is very good as tutorial for subsims beginning from low realsim and going all the way up to 100% realism. Certainly with WAC or GWX mod applied.

BUT I still cannot understand why people keep on judging SH4:down: :down: . The very stock game had indeed some great weaknesses but now the level of the game is once more very high with 1.2 and some of the individual modes.

I would suggest even for a brand new player to beggin with SH4 1.2 and choose the modes he wants from the *** List of Modifications *** (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108964) of SH4 forum without any regret!!!

[Jimbuna]

It's really down to whatever 'sails your boat' :hmm:
I'd suggest SH3 stock, patched to 1.4b, slowly/gradually tick the options boxes till your playing at a reasonably high realism level then once compitent give GWX a try.
If that doesn't work, try SH4 but be advised, the game is not all that playable at the moment :nope:

[HM.Medico]

I got a version that came updated :P

I don't know what base is like.

[joea]

If that doesn't work, try SH4 but be advised, the game is not all that playable at the moment :nope:

JScones had it right, oh disagree with the bold look at geosub1978's post above plenty of mods that make it quite playable though not up to SHIII's level ... yet. I got both but can only play SHIII for the moment.

[Spytrx]

this question is like 'what is better to move my sideboard in - a lorry, a van, or a estate car? - it's a personal preference really...

if you got all three - why don't you play all three one after the other and then decide which you like best and feel most comfortable with? Once you made up your mind choose the relevant forum and ask specific questions about the problems you have...

[Puster Bill]

At the end of the day:
if you are interested in U-boats *and* US diesel submarines, play both.Easy really. ;)

Actually, if you want both, play this:


http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/2636/subbattlesimulatorke6.gif

Spent many a day and night hunting both Allied and Japanese convoys on my mighty IBM XT-compatible.:rock:

/Older than I look or act.

[Jimbuna]

:roll:

Cor!!...a blast from the past :D

[geosub1978]

The most important reason I now prefer SH4 than SH3 is because in this game I feel like participating in the war effort and not just wandering in the ATLANTIC with BdU not sending me to the areas were something is going on, even if this is a landing, or a convoy path or whatever, expecting my pre-knowledge of what is going to happen in order to see some action!

This has made me to disregard the game's bugs/weaknesses, which I have to admit that they still exist of course!

SH3 My imortal beloved

SH4 My illegal beloved

[Brag]

Raven:

You may find my webbie interesting to help you up the "steep" learning curve. :D

[raven22153]

Gentlemen,
Thanks one & all for your suggestions; I will START w/ SH3 and see how that goes. If all of my missions start AND end like the end of Das Boot (sunk in port), I’ll solicit some help & read some more of the tutorial stuff that I’m finding on this site. To answer some of your questions, I am a complete noob to these subsims, so I can’t say that I favor U-boats over U.S. boats, or vice-versa yet. I’ll try to work my way through SH3 & then try the GWX mod. I remember playing some quasi-text/ASCI (?) SUBWAR game in college in 1979 & nearly flunking because I wasted so much time in the computer lab getting depth-charged. I have read a little on sub warfare and I enjoy sub movies so I’m not completely in the dark as to what this kind of game will entail. :ping:

<Changed the color from black so i could read it, NeonSamurai>