Why do you play Silent Hunter?

[Boris]

G'day fellow Silent Hunter players,

I need to conceptualise a study for a university assignment and need your help. :D

Basically, all I would like is for you to explain why you play Silent Hunter 3/4.
What are your motivations, what do you get out of it, and anything else that pops into mind.
Also, do you tend to play alone, with others, online etc.

Don't take these questions too rigidly, just write generally whatever you think about why you like playing Silent Hunter games.

The main thing is, why do you play Silent Hunter?

I hope you guys can help, the more responses I get, the better.

Cheers :up:

Boris

[clayp]

To take care of the hours of the day and kill the enemy..

[Raptor1]

I'm a Naval History freak (among other things), i know pretty much everything there is to know about Naval History in the last 150 years, and currently SH4 is the game that recreates WWII Naval combat the best way (atleast that i've seen) :know:

Game-play wise, It's the dynamic campaign, which is truly awesome...:)

[Torplexed]

It's a combination of a lot of things. Fascination with fighting ships and naval history. The ability to operate deep behind enemy lines alone, without being tied to a squadron or task force. The stealth factor. I've also always been taken by the unique and somewhat flawed hybrid nature of diesel subs. Not quite a complete submarine, not quite a surface ship.
It's also a pleasant diversion from mundane real life. :cool:

[tennozan]

History, the asthetics of the ocean, era and cause involved. Probably the entertainment of the cat and mouse chase of it all.

[maerean_m]

It's fun

and a nice change from the likes of Bioshock, Portal, NFS and Freecell.

[Boris]

It's fun

and a nice change from the likes of Bioshock, Portal, NFS and Freecell.

On that... (@ everyone) what does Silent Hunter give you that other games can't? ... and where would you rank SH among all the games you play?

Thanks for the answers so far guys :up:

[DeepIron]

I play SH4 as a Fleet boat skipper, not U-boats, because I've had a life-long facination with the US Submarine Service in WWII. I've studied and read extensively on the subject and its history for over 35 years. Currently, SH4 is the only subsim I can purchase that allows me to "experience" that history at least partially. ;)

BTW, FWIW, I'm a "hardcore" PTO player and I'm interested more in historical accuracy than eye-candy... :up:

[Raptor1]

I already answered what SH gives me that other games don't in my last post

As for how i rank it, currently it's on the top of my "Naval Simulation" category (I can't really compare it to Portal, Bioshock and all the rest of them because it's an entirely different game)

[Deerdiver]

It's a great Sim. It has stimulated an interest in WWII naval history that I never had before. Always been interested in things nautical as my Uncle was in the Royal Navy and I always thought he was just the bees knees. When I was just a wee boy, he took me down to the Submarine Museum at HMS Dolphin. Great stuff. I am even off to Truk lagoon in 2010 to dive the wrecks of the Japanese fleet so I can combine my love of scuba diving and link it into the game. Not many computer games you can do that with!

[Rockin Robbins]

As a teenager, I read Edward Beach's "Run Silent Run Deep" trilogy, was fascinated and just put them down. I got a glimpse into a world I would never get to inhabit.

Ten years later I was married, and my wife's grandfather was a crewmember aboard the USS Kraken. He never talked about his own personal role on the sub except that he was almost ten years older than all his crew except for the officers. But he made up for his reluctance to talk about himself by his enthusiasm for the US submarine program in WWII.

He was an active member of the US Submarine Veterans of WWII and always sent me their newsletters, from which I learned much of what I know. That explains why my viewpoint is often in conflict with history books. The newsletters gave me a taste for primary sources. When Warren Watkins passed, he willed me his entire library of submarine books, most of them signed by the authors, predominately books written by the sub sailors who fought in the war.

An important part of his library was a collection of books on German U-Boats, the character of which made it crystal clear that the American submariner looked at U-Boat sailors as brothers worthy of respect and admiration. "Iron Coffins" began my fascination with the U-Boats and "U-505" by Daniel Gallery was saturated with the respect and admiration of American seamen toward the U-Boat organization.

So I had no resistance to picking up Silent Hunter 3 last October, especially since it was on sale. I learned more about U-Boats from the game than I had learned about in the books just in the limited time I played SH3.

But then SH4 hit the market and stuck the chord: maybe I could command the USS Kraken and maybe she could have a career a bit more in keeping with the spirit of the sailors aboard her than the lackluster career begging for targets that Kraken actually had by virtue of joining the war too late.

SH4 delivered that and more. Thanks to a collection of bits and bytes, I've been able to experience some of the choices, face some of the hardships and feel some of the frustration and joy that the real heroes of WWII faced. Although my life didn't depend on the outcome, I've experienced the frustration of dud after dud, circle running torpedoes, perfect solutions that miss, perfect approaches ruined by a too-alert airplane, great explosions, ships that refused to sink with four hits, fuel leaks and hull damage. I've had both periscope heads turned into scrap metal during a depth charge attack and had to return 3700 miles back to Pearl Harbor blind, depending only on my radar to keep me safe.

It is only a game, but it remains the best way to experience some commonality with the men who fought. As such the purpose of playing SH4 is to honor these heroes by experiencing their lives in as realistic a way as possible.

Down scope!:lurk:

[silentrunner]

I would say beacause I usually like games where you can build a career. Silent Hunter does that veary well. I also dig anything about subs so Silent Hunter is the best game out there.

[FIREWALL]

I'm not bright enough to play any of the more complicated games. It's that simple.

I was told anyone with the IQ of a shoelace can play SilentHunter.

And I think UBI knows that too! ;)

[stabiz]

I like the pace of subsims. I have time to do other things, I have time to micromanage the crew, look at stuff and just whistle away. I also like the fact that I never know what is going to happen, and without dynamic campaigns I guess I would play less.

But most off all I like the free roaming camera.

[kylesplanet]

Honestly, I'm really not a gamer, I only had a couple of flight sim games and thought that was all I would ever need. Got bored one night and downloaded SH4 and have just been deeply involved in it and the history of the US sub war ever since. I keep coming back, day after day, because it really puts you in that submarine. Like RR was saying, you experience the frustrations, fears and jubulation of these heros . When I sit down at my computer and fire up SH4, it 1942 again. When I turn on the in-game radio and hear the Andrews Sisters, Jack Benny, cigarette commercials and the newscast of the day, it's like I'm there and in my mind I am.

I love SH4 because it focuses on an area of WW2 that is so often looked over or just recieves a passing mention, though I imagine part of that is because of the cloak of secrecy the Silent Service has always operated under. I guess in the end, in some fabricated way, I get to participate in a time that has past that truly facinates me and reminds me daily of what these great men did not only for themselves and their shipmates but the entire world. I'm not one of them but for a few hours a day, I feel like I am.

[Wild_skipper]

I started playing with silent hunter 3 becuase i'm a big uboat fan :up: after that i was playing sh4 i loved to change from a uboat to a american sub but when i first played it i hoped that they would make a game with the same graphics and with the german side again wich they did :up::up: but know i hope that they are going to upgrade that again to an atlantic campain because sh4 grapichs + uboats = :rock::rock::rock:

[GeoffBelding]

I have always enjoyed the stalking element of the game, a similar feeling to a sniper, or a suadron of tanks hidden in the trees, I imagine.

I can take great care to approach ships that can fight back, and come from the deep to periscope depth just in time to fire off a series of torpedos that can do great strategic damage to te enemy.

Then to disappear back into the deep without being sunk is very tense but
ultimately very satisfying!

I have about 3,500 hours in my flight simulator log, but nothing tries to shoot you down in that world.

Hope that helps.

Geoff

[me262]

I like to play the german uboat kapitan. its inevitable that I will get my *ss kicked, but that is part of the fasination, I get a lot of pleasure trying to do the almost impossible sink the allies and survive. No one would bother climbing mount everest it it was 60 metres high.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Nice thread :yep:

Posted this in SH3 Forums as well :D

- History.
- Immersion.
- Customization: mods & game settings.
- The great community here.
- Made me aware of SUBSIM.


RDP

[swampa]

I like playing Subsims. Submarines I like every thing about them love them

[THE_MASK]

I dont really play it , i just look at files .

[Kirby_TFS]

I used to fly several different types of plane sims, and fps army combat sims. Playing onnliine usually included playing with people that used cheats. Got really tired of playing against the aim bots etc. It got so bad that I would only play the scripted games and quite playing online. But that got boreing after you've beat the game several times on all the levels. Then I bought SH3 and loved the dynamic feature of the game. No cheating just you againt the enemy, and not fast paced. I guess one of the features I love the most about both SH3 and SH4 is all the mods that are available. They are not created as a cheat, but as an enhancement to the game and to improve on the great games that UBI gave us. You know it is this community that keeps me comming back to read the fourms and watch for mods each and every day. What a great bunch of guys.

[Digital_Trucker]

Some of my first games were sims of one sort or another. Mostly helo and sub sims. While flight simulators (and shoot 'em ups and RTSs) require good reflexes and quick action, sub sims are a thinking man's game. Not that you don't have to make quick decisions, mind you, it's just a different kind of process. I enjoy the thrill of the chase and even the frustration of the SNAFUs. And, not least of all, by any means, the comraderie of the folks that tend to gravitate to sub sims is a major factor.

[Triad773]

I like to try and experience history on a more tangible level. I am a history buff and have come to appreciate what simulations can teach those who are interested in digging deeper.

I had JUST posted this yesterday on my humble forum:

Please keep in mind that it is originally published for those who are not familiar with these aspects of simulation.

Some might call them 'video games,' but programs written for the computer to immerse the user in historical events, using data from machines that are to be 'acted out' go a long way toward experiencing on some level, real situations past. Or, more concisely by interacting with known facts (maximum speed of a given object, weight, mass, etc.,) the user experiences similar predicaments to what historical figures may have experienced.

But with the specialized requirements of today's high-end gaming PC, to make simulation programs run well requires a robust computer that need not only advanced video cards and memory, and sometimes specialized peripherals. Flight and driving simulators require a wheel or joystick, and foot pedals. Communities of enthusiasts have sprung up around the globe who share their passions with others via web-based forums on the internet. These 'virtual communities' serve a purpose that may be lacking in many individual's lives. This is by no means a put down, but a recognition of the often alienating nature that life can take on. Some with perhaps erratic schedules, lack of funds for going out more, or just finding it easier to discuss their favourite pastime with an individual from Finland than finding someone who shares their interests locally. With these facts in mind, I feel it is pretty difficult to find any fault for individuals who choose to use a portion of their off-time with computers than local people- though finding locals who share your passions can be harder, it would be preferable. Beyond that, the enrichment that comes from engaging in a good computer simulation is rewarding from the small historical facets you find. If you want the basic facts, it's easy enough to read about the subject: but to experience on some level what a famous (or obscure) historical person faced gives insight to the surrounding circumstances.

As far as programs written for gaming consoles (X-Box, PS-3,) there is the capacity for good graphics and peripherals to enhance the experience, they lack the scalability and upgrade potential that computers (and in particular, desktop computers- not so much laptops) offer. The particular PC-based simulation market I am familiar with is that of 20 to 60 year olds with some disposable income that they spend on computers and peripherals. I observed a couple of polls on a web forum that asked what the ages were of its members. This was a fairly popular forum with participants from all over the world. My sampling of the poll showed a bell curve whose peak was 40-50 year olds. These are often considered potentially hard-core 'simmers.' They tend to have and spend more money on equipment to play a simulation than the average computer user. This market, being definitely a 'niche' market has only a limited general appeal. To simulation developers, this means that they often have to strike a balance between playability and accuracy. Going too much one way will make their user base unhappy, while making it too daunting turn away more casual players. As software companies strive to make money for their shareholders, the motivation to make console games by selling more volume instead of having a core of long-term users is very attractive. Thus there is the possibility that over time console games will replace computer-based simulation programs.

Simulation has been around before the popularity of personal computers. Before the PC, there was Risk, Stratego, Battleship, Gettysburg, and many other board games by a variety of publishers. The PC has nearly eliminated that market by now. But there are some common elements: a well developed simulation, or war game, or other historical game should basically steer the user towards repeating history, but not force them to. There should be some possible alternative outcome, otherwise why waste your time? To this end, a number of simulations I am into mirror this ethos.

Bringing simulation more into the 'real world,' consider what the pilot of those remote-control unmanned aircraft the US is using: what do you think that pilot is looking at as he sits in a comfortable chair in some air conditioned facility with a set of controls and a few computer screens in front of him? Then switch to the enthusiast sitting in his (or her) bedroom or basement playing a flight simulation. There is less difference as time goes on. Certainly the unmanned aircraft pilot has more telemetry giving him (or her) real-time data that has not only more real, but of more immediate importance. Crash that expensive bird, and it's game over. No reset button on that aircraft!

As a potential recruiting tool, the US Army in conjunction with commercial software developers have developed first-person shooter type games that they are evidently hoping to get some young people interested in joining up. They have even gone so far as to schedule matches with teenagers and people who are Army personnel. I think that is a mis-use of the medium myself. But then I am not into first person shooters either.

So as you look around the forums here, you will see a variety of information that is scattered about under different threads and categories. You may see a review and screen shots of a simulator in this thread, a video that I or others made in another thread, historical elements explored, or enhanced screen shots in yet another. To bring the point full circle then: if they are just video games, then why is it they have the capacity to engage, entertain and demonstrate elements of history all at the same time? The value comes not from participating in some virtual sense, but what is done with the experience. If it inspires further reading on more granular historical subjects, then its value is inherent. I believe computer simulations transcend their medium on some level.

I hope that you have found this article thoughtful, if not illuminating as to why someone would be interested in sitting in front of a computer once they got home after a day job where they, sat in front of a computer all day (likely doing something rather uninteresting).


I am quite sure that is probably too much info, but it's from the gut- the way I feel about the topic.

See http://triad773.com/forum/index.php?topic=74.0 for original post.

PS- I have already learnt a TON from SHIV. Looking forward to more.

Cheers

Triad

[CDR Resser]

It all started when I read Richard O'Kane's book Clear the Bridge on a lark after seeing it on the shelf at the public library at the age of 10 or 11. I haven't been able to put it down since. I usually read it twice a year. I have tried to read everything about WWII subs that I could get my hands on ever since. I had ammassed a sizable collection by the time GATO first came out for one of the early desktop computers, and I had to have it. I have played virtually all of the others since then, from Silent Service to Aces of the Deep and all of the Silent Hunter series.
I am consumed with the desire to experience some of the same things that I have read about since I was a child. This is a chapter of history that absolutely fascinates me.
If I could get a boat and a crew I would be on patrol today.

Respectfully Submitted;
CDR Resser

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

I play it for a lack of a better idea. Nah, just kidding. Actually I had SH4 but never played it due to my old card- an ATI X800 Pro- which never made the grade. When I got my new card I started playing it and got hooked. It's worse than crack cocaine! But man, it rocks!:up:

[Jinx_]

Defiantly the dymanic campaign is a big reason, also because it is a fun change of pace from other games i.e. shooters and whatnot.

[TDK1044]

I play SH4 because it's mentally challenging and hugely enjoyable. The player has the upper hand and the element of surprise during an attack, but is then very much the underdog in attempting to escape the persuing destroyers.

This combination makes you think through every scenario before starting an attack, and sometimes helps you to have the courage not to attack at all. In that sense, I think the game is all about character and judgement....a kind of Naval version of Chess if you like. :D

[Boris]

Thanks for all your replies guys, you've all been a great help :up:

I won't be needing any more material, but I guess you can keep posting for interests sake...;)

[CCIP]

Aw, I missed the boat! :cry:

:p

I think the backstory of mine is kind of neat. I've been a simmer for a few years, so on the surface it looks like I just basically extended my hobby into submarines from planes and such, but actually it goes back further than that. Back when I was about 8 or 9 years old, my dad got an Atari computer, and we used to play games together every once in a while. Our favorite game was Silent Service II. I didn't know any English at the time and didn't understand a lot of things, but somehow that didn't pose a problem! My dad was the captain, I was the XO - I wasn't good at driving the sub, but I got good at identifying ships and suggesting tactics.

Unfortunately nowadays my dad hates PC games and won't even go near when I'm playing SHIII/IV... but back when I first saw screenshots of the in-development SHIII, it brought back a lot of good memories and I knew I had to get it. Never regretted it :) As much as it got to be a pretty serious and technical hobby on its own, for me it's also a secret little escape back to my childhood!

[kiwi_2005]

The stealth of the submarine creeping up ready to pounce on the weak pathetic enemy is what makes me want to play subsims. Attack then slip away to fight another day.

Plus i like submarines :)

Edit:
First game that got me hooked on subsims was Aces of the Deep - everyone here probably played it so will agree its a classic. Then i tried my skills in Fast Attack which was about modern subs but easy to play and a great game. Then i thought well im pretty good at this so tried Sub Command....:oops: Boy that game sent me through the ringer without any mercy. The print out manual was a few inches thick, the learning curve was steep. Sub command is the navy sim of what the flightsim Falcon 4 was - Hard. IMO. I remeber trying a few mods like SCX which improved the gameplay and graphics. Dangerous Waters was another i tried. I long to learn this game but just haven't the time - WW2 sims are more easiler. Somewhere in there i played all the silent hunter series right up to the now SH4.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Erm, the enemy is not weak m8. Try and surface with DDs around and you may just lose your shorts.:yep:

[Major Johnson]

Well I've been playing SH since it's SSI days. Got hooked on the first one and would spend a whole day and into the night playing! There is a thrill to the hunt, and then the excitement of seeing your torpedo hit it's mark! Also, I like that time period for all my games. Anything more current I usually don't have an interest in. I think part of me feels in some way it's honoring the people who actually served. If by nothing else but preserving their piece of history.

As for Firewall's comment about not being bright enough to play any of the more complicated games.........Oh man! I beg to differ!! There is a huge learning curve with SH4. I could never get into SH2 or 3, although I have them. So basically I went from 1 to 4, which is like going from Windows 3.1 to XP Pro! And we all know the manual is a joke, and the training missions barely scratched the surface and really didn't prepare you to Captain your own boat! I've recently gotten reinterested in the game, and I'm hoping some of the interface changes and tips I've read about will help me play the game to it's fullest enjoyment. I'm also going to peruse the Training sticky for those great training videos people have posted! :up:

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Shiver me Timbers! Firewall thou shalt walk the Plank!
Where hundreds of man-eating sardines await you!:yep::rotfl::arrgh!:

I may have dropped out of kindergarten but you don't have to rub it in!

[clayp]

I'm not bright enough to play any of the more complicated games. It's that simple.

I was told anyone with the IQ of a shoelace can play SilentHunter.

And I think UBI knows that too! ;)


Is that why I play it....http://bestsmileys.com/lol/4.gif

[longam]

22 years after the first round with flight simulator 1, I’ve been on the never ending quest to find the ultimate simulation game with eye candy along with strategy and game play. The last 5 years have delivered this with many platforms, and only get better with each evolution and equipment upgrade.

[Gezoes]

I dont really play it , i just look at files .

:rotfl:

Keep at it :up:

[Captain Vlad]

I'd answer, but it's sort of a combination of all the factors everyone else have already listed. Picked up 'Run Silent, Run Deep' once. Been hooked since.

[Zoomer96]

Back in 1962 my dad was doing duty in Korea and my Mom was working nights so my brother had to take me on his dates with his high school girlfriend. Bummer, huh? Well they went to the drive-in and made me sit up front and I watched the show! It was Run Silent Run Deep. Well, I was 6 years old then and a 7 years later I found a copy of Submarine and read it before turning it into the lost and found. I thought it was a great book and whoever lost it would want it back. I remembered the author and looked for him in the local library and read the real Run Silent, Run Deep. Needless to say the book was better! That author of course was Captain Edward L. Beach. I'm only interested in the old Fleet Boats and by the time I went into the service they were mostly gone so I joined the USMC. Silent Hunter is the only way I can command a WWII United States Navy Fleet Submarine.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

I like to sit in the commander's office and say "Yeaaah. I'm king in here."


:rotfl:

[FIREWALL]

Shiver me Timbers! Firewall thou shalt walk the Plank!
Where hundreds of man-eating sardines await you!:yep::rotfl::arrgh!:

I may have dropped out of kindergarten but you don't have to rub it in!


Hell I'm going to award you highest Honors. :know:


You actually read other peoples posts before you post. :up:

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

...and the Academy Award for most moronic performance in a rusty, old sub goes to....

I always thought E on the fuel gauge meant Enough and F meant Finished.:88)