300,000 tons and counting.

[Sandman_28054]

On my 11th mission, just took command of my Balto Class sub. Transfered from Pearl to Freemantle and I'm in the 300,000 ton club. Playing at the 49% realism level.

Limited batteries, limited air, limited fuel, duds, no external view, realistic loading, realistic damage repair, etc.

One thing that has helped me, is since taking command of the Balto class sub, I have changed the AA guns from Twin 20mm to 40mm. Taking out the DD's, surfacing and putting about 10 HE rounds and 10 AP rounds into a ship, and then opening up with the 40mm guns helps to sink merchants faster, if that makes any sense.

I just finished dropping off some supplies, sank a cpl of DD's and a couple of Modern tankers on the way there, and patroled the Luzon Straits, ran across a "Large Convoy" of four DD's. Sank them. Four medium composite freighters, sank then. four small conposite freighters, sank them. One medium modern tanker, sank it. And two Small Engine Aft ships, sank them. (I also took target practice at a couple of Sanpans, sank them.)

Total tonnage for this patrol with one torp left in the aft section and 20 rds AP, 20 rds. HE is 96480 tons.

And I still have to make it back to Freemantle.

Can I break the 100,000 tons for one patrol?

We'll see.

[Rockin Robbins]

Yes, breaking 100k tons for a patrol is no problem in the stock game if you resupply a couple of times without ending the cruise. If you search around SUBSIM a bit, you'll find a good many reasons not to. Actually you can do it easily in one patrol just by being selective in your shots. That means no more DD's and smaller merchies. Take your time and cherry pick and you could do 150,000 or more in a single load of torpedoes.

Don't think you're cheating right now. Although your tonnage totals are ridiculously high and you can sink anything you can point the periscope at, you are learning the boat handling skills that will make you successful after you progress to manual targeting, Run Silent Run Deep campaign mod and either Trigger Maru or Real Fleet Boat.

If you were to switch now, you would be in for a shock. Dead sub captains don't learn much. You are in max learning mode right now. Stick it out until you aren't satisfied with the way you are playing now.:up:

[Sandman_28054]

Although your tonnage totals are ridiculously high

Ridiculously high?!?

Well, it was rather low.

And I did under-estamate the total.

I did, however, end up with 100,050 for mission 11.

Well, I got to admit, when I said 300,000 tons and counting, it was from memory.

Brother was I wrong.

If you don't believe me, then believe this:

Captian Benjamin Pratt, Commanding USS Balto:

http://img12.imagehosting.gr/out.php/t209937_SH4Img2008081408.39.59727.bmp.jpg (http://www.imagehosting.gr/show.php/209937_SH4Img2008081408.39.59727.bmp)

Sorry, I wsan't lying.

In case you can't see it very clearly, that reads: 656,071 tons.

I'm over half a million tons and counting.

Perhaps it has been the last 8 months playing SH3 that has helped. :D

[tomoose]

...or perhaps I'm missing your point. Your tonnage IS ridiculously high when you compare it to real-life totals (i.e. every other name on your list) etc. Once you go to manual targetting and a realism-type mod you won't be getting the same numbers.

[Digital_Trucker]

I just want to know where he got a Balto class sub:D

[Quillan]

We know you're not lying. "Ridiculously high" is compared to realistic totals for that era. Look at the other names on the total tonnage list; those are the stars of the US Navy Submarine force, and you're blowing them away.

As you make the game harder, the tonnage you'll sink goes down. Playing Trigger Maru Overhauled, Run Silent Run Deep, at 100% realism, I'm ecstatic if I sink 20k tons in a single patrol. Even this is far higher than real WWII patrols got. However, what RR is saying is not to jump right in to the max difficulty, because it will probably be extremely frustrating if you do. You'll learn how to approach and attack the enemy this way, then you can apply those skills when you crank the difficulty up. Once you're satisfied you can handle this, give manual targeting a try. Once you've learned that, pick up RSRD. Then when you've got a feeling for how that changes the campaign, give TMO or RFB a try. It'll be a vast difference.

[SteamWake]

He is single handedly sinking as much tonnage as the entire fleet ! :rock:

Hey its a game play it at 0% realisim and sink 1 million tons if you want. Have fun :up:

[Sandman_28054]

You know, I was a member of the Steel Sharks clan playing SH3 with their mods installed and after only three missions, I was well over 100,000 tons.

I've only had this game (SH4) for two weeks, it was a birthday present. I play it at the same settings as SH3.

And excues me, I did make another mistake, I have taken command of a 1943 "Balao" Class sub. (On p. 48 of the SH4 book)

And I get faulted.

Well...if you play it with this mod, that won't happen.

Well...if you look at the list, that is representive of what happened in RL.

Well...if you had manual targeting, that wouldn't happen.

I'm sorry guys that I don't quite measure up to your standards.

I'll quit posting this sort of stuff.

My apologies.

[SteamWake]

I'll quit posting this sort of stuff.

My apologies.

Meh dont take all this too seriously.

Sometimes folks tend to lose sight of the fact that this is more of a game than a simulator.

Mod to your taste and have fun.

[Sailor Steve]

I'm sorry guys that I don't quite measure up to your standards.
There's your first mistake right there: assuming anyone around here has standards!
:rotfl:

Don't apologize. And don't stop posting.

This may sound weird, but I'm going to be honest and I'm going to be rude, and I don't want you to take it wrong way.

I don't play at 100% (yet), but I try to play in a manner that I think is realistic and makes me feel like I'm really there. That's just me. I'm not really there, I just like to pretend.

I get angry when someone who is not playing at 100% brags about his huge scores and how good he is. I think if he's going to boast he should at least have something to boast about. That's just me. If you're proud of your gaming ability you should say so. Just don't expect everyone who feels differently to congratulate you.

Bottom line: no matter what you do in life, or even in a game, there are going to be people who think you are doing it wrong. If you talk about how you do it some of them well tell you what they think, and it won't always be pretty. The only people here who have never been criticized are the ones who never post anything other than "I love your mod!" Even Neal himself has received his share of comments. Not many, because he doesn't post all that much.

Some people will say "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen!" Meaning if you don't like the comments, just go away. I say if you don't like the comments, learn to live with them; just don't go away. Post what you like, say what you think. Just expect others to do the same.

But that's just me.:sunny:

[cj95]

Seriously dude.....play at any difficulty you want to.

In the end its for entertainment purposes only and you have to decide whats fun and what is not.


For instance, for me I try to be as realistic as possible with Manual targeting and RFB mods.......howvever at the same time I'll never get rid of external view just for the reason that occasionaly I like to go outside and look at the pretty pictures of my sub sailing by.


If that means I never get to 100% then so be it......I like my pretty submarines. (or my rusty subs as I tend to prefer the S-boats):roll:

[Rockin Robbins]

No anger here at all. And I'm not trying to do your Well...if you play it with this mod, that won't happen.

Well...if you look at the list, that is representive of what happened in RL.

Well...if you had manual targeting, that wouldn't happen.

I'm sorry guys that I don't quite measure up to your standards.
thing.

Actually, you are reading our posts entirely wrong. I am saying that you with three weeks' experience are single-handedly outperforming the entire US Submarine fleet of WWII. This is good in that you are accumulating boat handling experience that will stand you in good stead if you want higher challenges later. My main point was that if you were to step up to the realism/challenging gameplay mods now you wouldn't learn anything but that you didn't like to be frustrated.

Playing TMO/RSRD at the end of 1944/beginning of 1945, if you meet a convoy of six merchies protected by six to eight escorts, in your first attack you won't even get to the merchies. Shooting at the escorts is mostly a waste of torpedoes. For someone with three weeks' experience with the game it's just a quick way to die and wonder what happened.

So I'm saying that you're doing the right thing. Learn one thing at a time. Now you're learning boat handling. You haven't learned not to shoot airplanes, that deck guns are great on sampans and next to useless against surface ships unless you have a half hour lollygagging on the surface to kill, that any armed merchant can outshoot you two to one, that escorts can outmaneuver just about any down the throat shot and if you shoot close enough to have a higher probability a miss is fatal for you or any meaningful evasion tactics. There is a whole world of discovery waiting in SH4 that you haven't scratched yet.

I haven't even mentioned manual targeting. For me, manual targeting is the heart and soul of SH4. The exhileration from one tanker sunk with manual targeting is better than 100,000 tons with auto targeting. But the biggest thrill of SH4 is downing a target you've never even laid eyes on with the conventional or Dick O'Kane sonar only techniques. The first time I sank a ship with sonar my wife thought I'd been bit by a scorpion.:rotfl:

Don't be taking our stuff as criticism of you: it's not. We're trying to tell you that this game grows with you to give you challenge and excitement on ever increasing levels as you grow with the game. You know, Dick O'Kane himself started out knowing nothing about submarines when he joined the Navy.

[Digital_Trucker]

My apologies for the Balto joke, too. Was intended to be light-hearted (practically everything I post is intended in this manner). No ill intentions here, either. That's why the :D was there after the comment.

Steve's right, too, there are no standards or I wouldn't be allowed in:arrgh!:

[Quillan]

If there were standards, this would be an empty forum. :rotfl::doh::rotfl:

[Ariodant]

I played from the bottom up, 0 realism. I'm only at 28 realism now and still pretty happy with my progress. Hey it's only a game, meant for entertainment, not judgement. The posters were only suggesting that you crank up the difficulty level if you felt bored roaming around the Pacific sinking everything. Being God can be longly:D If however you don't find these suggestions useful, ignore them and continue to be the tonnage king--it's not like we can predict which way you'd prefer.

Anyway, have fun.

[SteamWake]

I played from the bottom up, 0 realism. I'm only at 28 realism now and still pretty happy with my progress. Hey it's only a game, meant for entertainment, not judgement. The posters were only suggesting that you crank up the difficulty level if you felt bored roaming around the Pacific sinking everything. Being God can be longly:D If however you don't find these suggestions useful, ignore them and continue to be the tonnage king--it's not like we can predict which way you'd prefer.

Anyway, have fun.

Nice first post !

Welcome to Sub Sim Ariodant you will be up to 99.9% pretty soon :rock:

[Ariodant]

Thanks Steamwake, I lurked for a while and really liked it here.

I wonder what's that missing 0.1% for:hmm:

[jamz]

Heh. Being a slow learner, it took me a while to figure out (thanks, subsim!) how to actually patrol an area and then more time to figure out that you have to stop radioing in for orders or you keep getting more and more of them.

Finally finished patrol #1 with 374,000 tons (running on around 50% realism) :oops:

Yeah, not doing that again. ;)

[Seminole]

Seriously dude.....play at any difficulty you want to.




Ahmen!..this I'm holier than thou because I don't use the extern camera stuff ..is funny as heck at first..but after a couple of years it becomes a bore.


I'm with cj95..its your thing...do what you wanta do...:yep:

[Sailor Steve]

Seriously dude.....play at any difficulty you want to.




Ahmen!..this I'm holier than thou because I don't use the extern camera stuff ..is funny as heck at first..but after a couple of years it becomes a bore.


I'm with cj95..its your thing...do what you wanta do...:yep:
After a couple of years the opposite becomes a bore, too. Sure, play the way you want, even talk about the way you play...but if you're playing on the easy levels, don't be braggin' about how wonderful you are, and expect everybody to say 'Ooh, I wish I was that good!"

And I don't play at 100%, or even 90%. And I've never said I was holier, or better, than anybody. I just think if you're going to brag, have something to brag about.

[LeeVanSpliff]

I'm gonna go against the current here: I think everyone should play the game how they don't like to play it. Probably not the most popular stand point I've ever taken.

[Seminole]

Seriously dude.....play at any difficulty you want to.




Ahmen!..this I'm holier than thou because I don't use the extern camera stuff ..is funny as heck at first..but after a couple of years it becomes a bore.


I'm with cj95..its your thing...do what you wanta do...:yep:
After a couple of years the opposite becomes a bore, too. Sure, play the way you want, even talk about the way you play...but if you're playing on the easy levels, don't be braggin' about how wonderful you are, and expect everybody to say 'Ooh, I wish I was that good!"

And I don't play at 100%, or even 90%. And I've never said I was holier, or better, than anybody. I just think if you're going to brag, have something to brag about.


:hmm: ..scratches head.....why defend against a charge not leveled?..or why did you assume I was talking specifically about you...???? :lol: :lol: :lol: It was just a general observation.

...bragging....even playing at 100% difficulty, about one's achievements is a separate issue...and I agree with you...it is most certainly a bore...but what the hay...it happens.

On the other hand.. the guy can play at any level he wants to and if he posts a thread about his score it isn't for us to tell him he can't...or even throw darts. I don't see anything in the Room or Acceptable Use Rules that prohibits bragging...even bragging when it isn't truly warranted. Maybe these folk just don't yet understand the playing field. They are proud of their achievements and want to share with us ...and I ain't about to dissillusion them.That would be so snobish and elitist. Nobody forces us to read any post..(believe me I skip a lot after the first few words) and anyway like the Captain of U-96 stated they'll come to learn in time. :yep:

[Sailor Steve]

:hmm: ..scratches head.....why defend against a charge not leveled?..or why did you assume I was talking specifically about you...???? :lol: :lol: :lol: It was just a general observation.
But I'm part of that generality, so I felt defensive.:oops:

On the other hand.. the guy can play at any level he wants to and if he posts a thread about his score it isn't for us to tell him he can't...or even throw darts.
I'm not sure I agree, but I take your point. And you're possibly right.

Still bugs me though.

[SteamWake]

Good lord.

This thread continues?

For cryin out loud, play the game the way you enjoy playing the game.

Why try to 'prove' your a better player for playing with this mod or that mod or at a high level of difficulty.

Why try to 'prove' your a better player for having sunk umpteen thousand tons at whatever game settings.

Just enjoy the game and put the epeens away.

[Sandman_28054]

You know, perhaps its just me, but when I consider that I have only had this game for just a little over a week or so, I was realitively early in the missions, playing at the 50% realism level, and had sunk as much tonnage as I did, to me, that was an acomplishment, but here,...

Oh well, as it has been said before, to each his own.

[Sailor Steve]

I'm glad you came back and posted again. Usually this is one of the friendliest forums around, but every now and then something sets one or more of us off.

For myself, my excuse is this: back when we were waiting for the release of SH3 there was a lot of speculation and rumors running around, and I started hanging out at the UBI forums. What I found at that time was a lot of juvenile posting about girls and fanboy raving about "my favorite (ship, plane, girl) is better than yours!" Not that there aren't serious folks there; it's a good place to be. I just feel more at home here. Anyway, after SH3 came out that forum seemed to turn into nothing but "I'm the best! I got a gazillion tons!", and it got tiring.

So I apologize if I overreacted. Maybe your welcome here wasn't as nice as it could have been, but at least it was warm. Hot, even.:sunny:

[Rockin Robbins]

There is a right way and a wrong way to play Silent Hunter 4. Quick and easy way to determine whether you are playing the right way: Ask yourself the question "Am I having fun?"

When the answer is yes, keep doing what you're doing.

When the answer is no, change the difficulty and other settings until you are having fun.

If you were to play the game with the same mods and settings as I do you wouldn't play it for long. Why do you think hard-core sims are such a tiny part of the games market? It's because their learning curves are vertical and brutal. Silent Hunter 4 chose to be approachable and still leave the hard core options accessable. There is no cause to make someone who is learning feel bad about having fun with SH4.

In fact, it's kind of slimey to do that. Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is a product of success or the immediate prospect of success. That's a parade you don't want to rain on.

So full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes, Sandman! Grow a thicker skin and post away. I look forward to it.:up: