A few questions from a potential returning skipper!

[hermanJnr.]

Hi everyone :)

I got SH4 a while ago after wanting to dip into SH3 for quite some time, but never finding the time. SH 4 came out and brought it back to my attention.

Since then, I've had a bizarre love/hate relationship with the game. I love the atmosphere, graphics, gameplay, but hated the psychic, countless enemy pilots, silly bugs, and game-crippling megabugs (crew dying for no reason, anyone? :) ).

I keep coming back to the game again though, for that awesome feeling you get when a tanker explodes and slowly splits open like a ripe banana, or maybe when you take the propeller off of a destroyer and watch it bounce helplessly in the waves.

Right now I'm staring at the game as it lies on my desk, wondering if I should reinstall it.

I can't remember the number of the last patch I played with, but I hear a 1.5 patch is out now with the expansion?

I guess I'll leave the expansion until I really get into the game again, but I just had a few questions about changes to the vanilla game in my absence:

- Have the psychic swarms of extremely accurate pilots been toned down at all?

- Are many crippling bugs left?

I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me a quick summary of what the vanilla game is like right now...I want to return so badly, but it's just a frustrating exercise if those damned planes remain the same.

Thanks in advance for any replies!

- herm :yeah:

[quietguy52]

I'm running the plain brown wrapper with the 1.4 patch only...

I've not been "constantly bugged by swarms of planes"... depending on geographic location, I'll get bounced from the air by one, sometimes two aircraft. I've been running a campaign and now in April 1944.

As for "megabugs", nope... none that I've encountered.

Is your equipment up to the task of running SHIV? If not, you'll have probs.

Good luck and good hunting... :salute:

[FIREWALL]

There's also many big mods for your enjoyment that improve the game.

[neosnk35]

aircraft detected...DIVE!!!! too dangerous too fight it out with those planes.. i think it was toned down in vanilla 1.4
one of the major mod(RSRDC) that i used seems to put them to their respective range of patrol.. you wont see an enemy plane patroling just 200miles of midway in 1944(unlike in vanilla 1.2).. hate those planes in 1.2 they pop out of nowhere... that is so far away from their airfields.. but still they are dangerous to the sub... in some places if ever you are near an a enemy arifield or a TF containing a carrier you will still get that evil swarm of planes

[banjo]

Get the UBM addon 1.5. Adds many nice features.
Try TMO or RFB.
When you settle on one of those, play it for a while then add RSRDC.

[quietguy52]

Get the UBM addon 1.5. Adds many nice features.
Try TMO or RFB.
When you settle on one of those, play it for a while then add RSRDC.

What features, specifically?

[AVGWarhawk]

What features, specifically?


Too numerous to make a list but once loaded you will wonder why you played stock all these months.

Are you familiar with JSGME (Jones Soft Generic Mod Enabler)? This is step one.

[quietguy52]

"Are you familiar with JSGME (Jones Soft Generic Mod Enabler)? This is step one. "

I've read various references to it over on the Silent Hunter forum.. I've not modded my SH4 version (1.4) at this point. I'm in the midst of playing through my first full campaign and wanted to first do it using the plain brown wrapper version.

[AVGWarhawk]

"Are you familiar with JSGME (Jones Soft Generic Mod Enabler)? This is step one. "

I've read various references to it over on the Silent Hunter forum.. I've not modded my SH4 version (1.4) at this point. I'm in the midst of playing through my first full campaign and wanted to first do it using the plain brown wrapper version.


Great idea! Once done PM me and I will set you up with the mod enabler and get you going with these mods. You will be amazed what these guys do for the SH series. :rock:

[Task Force]

Yea. You havent played sh3/4 until you have add a super mod. They cange the game play. and make the game alot more better/realistic.

[quietguy52]

"Great idea! Once done PM me and I will set you up with the mod enabler and get you going with these mods. You will be amazed what these guys do for the SH series..."

Thank you... I will take you up on this!

[Soundman]

Yep, just do it, you won't regret it. :up:

[neosnk35]

better start downloading from FF quietguy.. ive heard its gonna close its services.. the majority of the mods were uploaded in there..

[hermanJnr.]

I couldn't resist :D
Installed the game and patched up to 1.4.

I'm gonna play 1 full Career of out-of-the-box SH4, I think, and then try out the mods banjo recommended (thanks :) ).

I started a Career in 1943, on 42 Realism...after watching WernerSobe's TDC videos though (very helpful!), I've restarted and, rather foolhardily, I suspect, upped the realism to 92 :D

I underestimated how satisfying manual targeting is...sinking my first cruiser (granted, in the Sub School :D) with the TDC and manual depth settings was awesome ^^

So yes, while it looks like I'm going to end up on the wrong end of a depth charge soon (or run out of fuel with my terrible target-finding abilities), I'm looking forward to much more fun :P

Thanks for the helpful replies, everyone!

[Armistead]

Once you load 1.5 and use TMO or RFB you'll see a whole new game...worth playing. I wouldn't waste any time playing stock when you can have wonderful graphics and a realistic game with 99% of the bugs gone.

[hermanJnr.]

Just remembered something that's not really worth it's own thread, so thought I would chuck it in here :P

I remember a while back seeing a very good video tutorial on intercepting radio contacts on the navigation map...probability corridors, manouevering into a good ambush position, that kind of thing.

Anyone know which video I mean? I've searched stickies and all sorts but it's not around it seems.

Really the thing I find hardest in the whole game, I think, is simply intercepting these juicy convoys that keep appearing as cryptic red squares before they reach their destinations.

Thanks!