Newbie to SH4 - and lost in the interface

[RSColonel_131st]

Hi Guys

Been playing Dangerous Waters for months, but doesn't run on my new widescreen - so I finally decided to invest in something newer and got the SH4 Gold Version.

Main problem is that the Gold version ships without any printed documentation, and the PDF on disk is rather superficial. Right now I'm having basic problems with the interface, did a search, but if someone wants to answer these that would be most helpfull.

1) If I'm in 3d control room or on the bridge, can't I click onto TDC, Periscope etc. to use them? I thought the control room was interactive with clickable "hot spots" but so far I only managed to go up on the bridge and back.

2) If I'm in 1st Person on the bridge, switch to external camera (F11) and then back to F2, I'm returned to the control room inside. Is there no way to switch back into bridge view, is it all done trough the mouse interface?

3) No way to re-assign keyboard commands?

4) To delete a save-game, I first have to load a campaign, then go to save-screen and then I can click "delete". Why can't I delete saves from the load-game menu point in the main menu?

I'm sure that the actual combat and concepts of submarine warfare won't be that difficult for me, but the interface itself is more than slightly confusing.

Thanks for all help, and happy christmas

Helmut

[Soundman]

Someone else here will explain more than i can, but yes, the key commands can be edited, but not as simply as other games you may have played. I would suggest you get used to using the keyboad instead of mousing around, that's what I do so I can't tell more on this subject.. Here's one of many threads on changing keys. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108717&highlight=setkey If you use the search feature here on this forum, you'll find out about just about anything you want to.

[Soundman]

Been playing Dangerous Waters for months, but doesn't run on my new widescreen

That's a major bummer. I was thinking of getting myself a new monitor, I'll be rethinking that.

[jgbishop]

I can answer #2. The [F2] keyboard shortcut takes you directly to the command room. Press [F5] to go to the bridge (only works surfaced, obviously). There are other useful shortcuts like this: [F3] goes to the nav map, [F4] to the attack periscope, [F6] to the deck gun, [F7] to the AA gun, [F8] to the sonar room, [F9] to the radar room, [F10] to the sub management screen, and [F12] to the captain's panel. Very handy to memorize these.

As for #1, I have noticed that the hot spots have disappeared in 1.5. Maybe it's a bug?

[ancient46]

I use the Keyboard Configurator for reassigning keys built by one of our fellow Captains. http://www.mediafire.com/?20w94wmgyzg It lists all the in game commands with the keys assigned if any, and the ability to change them. My keyboard links both enter keys together so you can imagine how many torpedoes were fired instead of entering time compression. I changed the firing key to "F" and my man cave's control room is much quieter.

You might also like to try out the Menumaker by Jimimadrid. http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=131625 It is a powerful program that allows you to redesign each tab's menu buttons to your liking. You can also add buttons that are not in the stock interface.

[RSColonel_131st]

Thanks Gents. Bishop, does that mean normal SH4 without U-Boats has the hotspots for periscope, TDC, Sonar?

Maybe I'm just not clicking the right spots.

The keyboard config utility sounds idiot-proof, I'll try that.

Another minor question, if I may - from all the available shortcuts (F1 to F12) I see no damage control and no engine room management. For example, I can not tell if the boat is running on diesel or batterys, and I see no clickable interface to raise a snorkel (did US subs have them - one might think so).

I guess my main problem is that I'm a visual button clicker who does things trough on-screen menus, and with this game most seems to be meant for the keyboard - doesn't help that UBI cut costs by not including a printed key reference card in the box.

I'm sure I'll enjoy the depth of this once I had more time to fiddle around.

Soundman, don't get me wrong - Dangerous Waters can run up to 1600x1200, so you can play it on any widescreen, but either the image is stretched or as with mine, I get black bars left and right. Not to mention that the bitmap resolution of the stations is well below 1600x1200, so in total it is a very "unpleasant" visual experience on a high-resolution widescreen, whereas all my other games (and SH4 now) run perfectly well on 1920x1200.

[jgbishop]

I recall using the hotspots in 1.4, but I don't see them in 1.5. Maybe they were removed...

If you press [F10] to go to the "sub management" screen, there are various tabs to see different parts of the sub. You can view ship damage, torpedo loadout, and the crew management screen. As far as I know, you run on batteries when submerged, and diesels on the surface (i.e. you can't run batteries on the surface). US subs don't have snorkels.

It's odd that you don't have a keyboard guide. The original Silent Hunter 4 box had a keyboard guide and a pretty thick manual (the latter of which was pretty bad). I recently purchased the "Gold" edition of the game, and it only had the keyboard guide. If you press [F1] in the game, you can get a pretty complete listing of the keyboard shortcuts.

I prefer using the keyboard, since I can do more in a shorter amount of time. But, as far as I know, you can do everything in the game using the mouse that you can do with the keyboard. You may just have to hunt around for the appropriate button to press.

[RSColonel_131st]

Shame really, I thought 1.5 would be the most perfect release of the game yet, but it seems that there's also a problem with correct german voice downloads (or is there an official 1.5 voice pack yet... not been able to find one at UBI). Why they would remove the hotspots is beyond me... maybe I'd be better off playing 1.4 without german carrer (albeit that was a main reason I bought the game).

As for Battery/Diesel, I suppose the IXD2 has a snorkel, is there any way to raise that one? Or is it generally so that submerged=batterys?

Thanks all so far.