The external camera is...

[Ducimus]

Friday night fun thread.

(choose what you feel is the most correct answer to you)

[Littlealx]

I voted life's blood.

I love watching the wake's of the fish heading for the target! it's ten times better when you take a look and it looks like your calculations are about to pay off :arrgh!:

[CCIP]

occasional. I rarely watch the action nowadays actually, I prefer to concentrate on the attack and not spoil the immersion in the role of the captain. I use it a lot when nothing is happening but I just want to watch my boat cruise through the waves, though. I also use it sometimes to watch sinking ships when an attack is over and finished. Otherwise... not so much.

[Ducimus]

You girlymen! :rotfl:

[stabiz]

Life`s blood!

[Q3ark]

I voted for movie ticket,love watching the action as it happens. Maybe if there where more going on inside the sub i wouldn't use it as much, but right now the crew dosen't seem very real. Besides how can i enjoy Leo's ROW from inside the sub?

[Q3ark]

You girlymen! :rotfl:

Well thay do call me Davina at the weekend:rotfl:

[Rockin Robbins]

I've been watching sinkings through the periscope lately. Really what I've been doing is looking at Dave's ocean and sky and taking screenies of my own boat, although I can do that with the free deck cam too.

@littlealx: that's what the attack map is for. Here! Wear this dunce cap for the next 15 minutes.:rotfl:Duci, have a pink girlyman dunce cap?:cool:

Right now I'm playing with Rubini's nHancer settings for my graphics card trying to tease out the last 10% of rendering excellence from my graphics card. I added some fps too, going from 25 to 38 in bridge and external camera view.

But mostly the external view is how you tell the story of an attack sequence. Unless you just depend on the attack and nav maps, how else are you going to do it? A shadow puppet show?:up: Call me a journalist.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2007-12-08_200024_977.jpg
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-07_205844_137-1.jpg
In the bottom screenie you can pick out the constellation Sagittarius right at the nose of Kraken and just to the right, the hook of Scorpius, the brightest and first-recognized constellation for those living in the southern hemisphere. Were this a real sky you would be able to pick out the bright Milky way rising out of the spout of Saggitarius. almost obscuring the stars in front of it and making the stars of Sagittarius very difficult to pick out.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SAGGITAR.jpg
Taken from the Florida Keys just after sunset. You can see some sky glow on the bottom of the picture, but Sagittarius is in the lower middle of the shot. Just TRY to pick it out. This is not much brighter than it would appear to the naked eye at sea with no artificial lights to destroy your amazement. Ok, call me an astronomer. Or call me crazy!:-j

[ReallyDedPoet]

Besides how can i enjoy Leo's ROW from inside the sub?

This :roll::up:


RDP

[swdw]

When I'm doing "paperwork" at home (actually working on the work laptop), I often fire up SH4 with ROW, and let the boat putt across the Pacific in real time with the external view on. Something soothing about the wave action, colors and sounds in the background while WWII era music is playing over the radio.

http://www.kickinbak.com/posts/pacific.jpg

[Sailor Steve]

Color me 'occasional'. In SH3 I always tried to stay inside, but I really love looking at the harbor traffic, and looking at my sub from other viewpoints - especially looking down from the plane's view. It's a hard one to give up.

I imagine it will be the same for SH4; that ocean sure is pretty.

[Ducimus]

Life`s blood!


For Stabiz, no doubt about that!

[Sailor Steve]

Life`s blood!


For Stabiz, no doubt about that!
Why would you say tha...

Oh, yeah, "Mr. Video".:rock:

[DrBeast]

My vote went to Movie Ticket too...for the same reasons Q3ark mentioned.

[ekempey]

I never use it anymore, as running a low end computer forces the frame rates down to 2-3fps in external view, and 5-7 in periscope view. Besides I like the suspense that TM 1.7.5 gives me watching a DD bear down on me through the periscope (and the crash diving that proceedes).

[stabiz]

Life`s blood!

For Stabiz, no doubt about that! Why would you say tha...

Oh, yeah, "Mr. Video".:rock:

:rotfl:I used it religiously before I was making vids too, I love the ability to roam like a bird. I rarely use it to cheat, and mostly in ports. Like Stve I love watching the sub from above, when it glides slowly along. Subsims ftw!

[FAdmiral]

First One !! although I would not call it "Lifes Blood" but rather my window to
see how the AI is reacting to everything I do. Then someday (when layers are
fully upgraded to historical levels) I can begin my first campaign knowing that
I will not get all the Dev shortcuts that came with the stock game....

JIM

[V.C. Sniper]

For the girlyman! Real sub skippers had no such view!

[capt_frank]

Never use anymore.

Just trying to be as realistic as possible within my own limitations. I always play with unlinited fuel due to time game-play contraints (read high TC use) and map contacts on. That's all. Have not yet figured out how to get by without the later.

Spend most of my time on the nav map and at the periscope, visit the bridge mostly to watch ships sink.

[Travis Reed]

External what? I live in the 2D world that is the nav map

At least, until I get the parts needed to rebuild my PC...to something reasonably modern...

[manucapo]

i cant let go of the external cam.

i want to, but the lure of the external cam is to strong

[panzer 49th]

When I'm doing "paperwork" at home (actually working on the work laptop), I often fire up SH4 with ROW, and let the boat putt across the Pacific in real time with the external view on. Something soothing about the wave action, colors and sounds in the background while WWII era music is playing over the radio.

http://www.kickinbak.com/posts/pacific.jpg

interesting effect going on with your ocean there looks odd

[Zero Niner]

Movie ticket for me.

[SteamWake]

Movie ticket for me.

Ditto

[ICApproval]

I would vote that it should be an option in TM. If the player wants true reality then he can choose not to use it. I have been running TM for about 3 weeks now and it has really added to the full imersion of the game. I would probably not turn it on too often unless I wanted a little change of gameplay after so many hours at "real life".

[Wilcke]

....girly man here....:nope:

[Rockin Robbins]

I am on a cruise you could never dream of it has been so incredible. First, I encountered a convoy of 2 tankers, a medium split freighter and another merchie accompanied by 5 escorts. Approaching from the north with intent to engage escorts with a sternful of cuties, I was detected long range, driven under and swarmed. Whilst twisting and evading, I came up to 99 ft and swam out a couple of cuties to see what happened. What happened was I wasted 2 cuties and was driven off. Not a good beginning.

This evolved into an all-night battle with 4 separate approaches during which I sank the two tankers, the medium split and two escorts with cuties. My first approach was before sunset and my last shot, sinking a DD was at 10:30 am, the whole battle fought in real time over three days of my time! Leaving the scene of the crime I couldn't dream it would get better!

Proceeding to the Formosa Straits, I found RSRD just swarming me with convoys. I had to avoid targets to get to the ones I wanted! With no cuties and only 4 torps left, 2 Mark 18's and 2 Mark 23's I started off sinking a tanker, which attracted three escorts! Now I had 2 Mark 18's and 1 Mark 23. I resolved to make trouble for the escorts, since I had 30k tons of merchies under my belt. The following testimony of the external camera will justify the above bullschnitzel:
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-14_190024_218.jpg
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-14_192403_187.jpg
Two of the suckers after me, an Akizuki and a friendly Shiratsuyu.
First, I disabled one with a down the throat shot: not my normal tactic vs Akizukis. Then I had a choice with 1 torp left. Finish off Akizuki or shoot Shiratsuyu. Shiratsuyu attacked with great vigor, leaving me no choice. I got lucky and he went down.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-14_192516_484.jpg
So now the Akizuki is hanging out with no power and I'm hanging out with no torpedoes. Mexican standoff? Let's find out. I came up to 30' directly astern so I could dive quickly if he fired. Nothing. What now? What do you mean, what now?:arrgh!:

The crippled DD began firing starshells! They're the first I've seen in the game! The sound of a gun firing momentarily freaked me out. And then the whole world lit up! I guess they know I'm here....
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-14_192136_437.jpg
Surface! Battle stations surface! Man the deck gun! We pounded the Akizuki for 20 minutes listening to the screams of dying men as HE tore up the weaponry, searchlights and deck. I took the external camera aboard my victim to record the carnage.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-14_202030_703.jpg
Finally he went down by the bow, finalizing my cruise at a record for me of 5 escorts of DE or above. Out of torpedoes and out of ammunition for the guns I prepared to return to base.

But what did TM and RSRD serve up for me? The most beautiful sight possible in the game, one everyone thought was impossible until Leovampire pulled the ultimate buffalo out of the hat. This one's for Dave:http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-14_203754_109.jpg
There were five beautiful plumes of smoke on the horizon from yet another approaching convoy. I set course to avoid. Enough for one cruise.

Lastly, my finest screenshot to date, as a DD takes one on the chin and charges to his death. This one has drama.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-13_193950_691.jpg
Finally I got all the elements together to make a perfect shot: the water, the fire, the motion of the dying DD, the stars, the smoke, the clouds. One shot justifies the external camera. This one has jigsaw puzzle written all over it! :eek:It's movie time!

[bookworm_020]

Movie Ticket, I just love to what the torpedo's go home and sink that ship I've been hunting for 2 hours!:up:

[Deerdiver]

Movie ticket for me! I just love the way this sim looks. The external camera is far too much fun not to use it. As I have limited time to play, and not being one to stay up for five days without sleep to sail across the Pacific, the external camera puts that little icing on the cake when a plan comes good and some ships are sunk. Just watching my sub sailing is good.

[FooFighters]

My F4 and F12 buttons are completely worn out (TM layout)..

I love the visual aspect of SH4.. especially with ROW.

:up:

[cmdrk]

I use the ext cam to pass the time when there isn't any action and to take snaps for my daily change of wallpapers.


RR, liked your astrophoto. I know what Sagitarius looks like but I couldn't pick it out. Just a sense that I know that patch of sky.

[Rockin Robbins]

I use the ext cam to pass the time when there isn't any action and to take snaps for my daily change of wallpapers.


RR, liked your astrophoto. I know what Sagitarius looks like but I couldn't pick it out. Just a sense that I know that patch of sky. Thanks! That's my point. An easy constellation we might be able to spot in a second on land becomes impossible to find at sea hundreds of miles from any light. I've heard stories from astronomers who observed an eclipse from Ayers Rock in Australia that the Milky Way cast a shadow there! Imagine: something most people who live in a city have never seen so bright it casts a shadow!

I'm afraid the sky at sea would look very different from what we see in SH4 and the more we know about the sky the less we would recognize it. As the sky gets darker and clearer away from land the star colors become much more apparent, especially the red giants, which are suddenly easy to spot everywhere! Another thing that happens when there is no light pollution and the air is very clear is that the stars look much more the same brightness. It is difficult to separate a 2nd magnitude star from a 4th magnitude star, even though one is four times brighter than the other. And you see literally thousands of stars so dim that you've never seen them before. That makes it difficult to pick out the constellations that are outside of the Milky Way too. It's a humbling but wonderful experience if you're supposed to know the sky.

[The Fishlord]

Two of the suckers after me, an Akizuki and a friendly Shiratsuyu.
First, I disabled one with a down the throat shot: not my normal tactic vs Akizukis. Then I had a choice with 1 torp left. Finish off Akizuki or shoot Shiratsuyu. Shiratsuyu attacked with great vigor, leaving me no choice. I got lucky and he went down.
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/Silent%20Hunter%204/Cruise%2014%20Formosa%20again/SH4Img2008-01-14_192516_484.jpg
So now the Akizuki is hanging out with no power and I'm hanging out with no torpedoes. Mexican standoff? Let's find out. I came up to 30' directly astern so I could dive quickly if he fired. Nothing. What now? What do you mean, what now

I've never seen an oil slick come out of a ship like that! I get the feeling a lot is going wrong with the graphics in this game though, not much of a surprise.

BTW, you said "Take the external camera aboard the DD". How did you do that, since the unit selector doesn't go very close and the normal freemove camera won't go close either?

[DrBeast]

I've never seen an oil slick come out of a ship like that! I get the feeling a lot is going wrong with the graphics in this game though, not much of a surprise.

BTW, you said "Take the external camera aboard the DD". How did you do that, since the unit selector doesn't go very close and the normal freemove camera won't go close either?

Ah, that's because you don't have ROW, I guess. Get to this here thread (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=122408), download the mod, and enter a whole new SH4 experience ;)

[Wilcke]

I've never seen an oil slick come out of a ship like that! I get the feeling a lot is going wrong with the graphics in this game though, not much of a surprise.

BTW, you said "Take the external camera aboard the DD". How did you do that, since the unit selector doesn't go very close and the normal freemove camera won't go close either?

Ah, that's because you don't have ROW, I guess. Get to this here thread (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=122408), download the mod, and enter a whole new SH4 experience ;)

exactly, plus oil slicks and starshells....it is astonishing...

[CDR Resser]

This sim is just too beautiful (especially with ROW, thanks Dave) to stay inside the sub or on the bridge all the time. It's better than a movie ticket. I get to be O'Kane, Morton or Gene Fluckey for a while, and then get to watch it all in living color.

Respectfully Submitted;
CDR Resser

[Sailor Steve]

Respectfully Submitted
Sue Grafton fan, eh?:sunny:

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Aha! Mr. Ducimus. Your Mk-14 torp you sent out made a 180 degree and sank ya!:yep::lol:

I have to say it's my Life's blood now. I may even enable them in my next career mode. The cameras lets me see Leo's wunderbar work, besides who wants to stay indoors looking at a bunch of smelly guys anyway when you can look outside other than the tower thinking about Maggie Thatcher (erm, that didn't come out right).:nope:

Who ya callin' girly man!:/\\k:

DJF.

[SteamWake]

Ohh Ohh I get to vote again !!!

Uhhh dunno why but Im gonna do it :p

[sunvalleyslim]

Love to watch the sinking ships............:help:

[mgd]

eye candy is the prize of the game

[Schlippittz]

I take a peek outside from time to time to watch torps impact or ooh and ahh over the sinking hulk of a ship. :up:

[walrusbomb]

the external camera is berry seck see.

love watching planes whiff after a crash dive and hard 90 to port.

[Sailor Steve]

:rotfl: on me. I had to read that three times before I got it!:sunny:

[Frenssen]

"For the girlyman":arrgh!:
I really enjoy seeing my boat ride the waves in all it`s visual glory and I had a self imposed rule of not using the camera to spy on enemy ships. Unfortunately I couldn`t resist the urge to f12 that DD that was about to drop on me, so in my current career I play with externals off.

[Type941]

apparentely 7 people live in 2d world.... :lol: