New Skipper Here

[stethnorun]

Hey all, I was told this is the place to get all my sub info. I just picked up SH4 Gold...I think it comes patched to the latest version but I read about the conning tower bug. I confirmed that the dates for the conning tower refits are indeed not patched. Is there a player patch for this (or do I need to edit each sub's file manually)? Also, are there any other leftover bugs that could spoil the fun? Thanks for any help.

[Sailor Steve]

WELCOME ABOARD!:sunny:

Yes, SH4 Gold with the U-boat missions comes patched to 1.5 and is the latest official release.

There are several mods that create a special crew area to move the bridge crew to so they don't get squashed by depth charges while submerged. The supermod Real Fleet Boat contains this and I'm pretty sure Trigger Maru Overhauled does as well, but I'm not certain as I haven't played it. You won't do wrong to give either of those a try, as well as Run Silent Run Deep, which fixes a lot of campaign flaws. If you're into u-boats, give Operation Monsun a try.

[stethnorun]

Hmmm...well I'm looking to mod the game as little as possible. I just started, so I want to get a feel for the stock game before I jump into any mods. Unless the stock game sucks without mods. I just get the feeling that since you sub fans are so simulation-y, the mods will add on even more realism. Currently I am at zero percent realism in my game and I can barely do my job effectively as it is.

Unless one of the mods you mention make it easier on a new player, I really just wanted to know if there were any player patches that fix bugs like the conning tower not updating when certain dates in the war are reached.

[Stealhead]

You can use the MODS right away if you want to as you can still set your realism lower. Dont pull the i want to play the game for a while then get a mod. If you do this when you do load up some mods you will kick yourself for having waited so long.I wish Id have loaded up the mods as soon as i bought the game rather than having played stock for a few months. Not that the stock game is bad its just that the mods really make the game alot more fun to me.For Trigger you will have to add the crew quarters mod seperately.

[Rockin Robbins]

Hey new skipper, welcome to Subsim, the living Silent Hunter manual! Exactly what kind of conning tower problem are you talking about? Both Trigger Maru Overhauled and Real Fleet Boat play with timing on conning tower upgrades, but the very upgrade process isn't precise, just as it was not really precise in real life either.

Each time you end your cruise at home base, the game's virtual blind chimpanzee tosses a dart at a virtual target, at least where he virtually thinks the virtual target is, since he's virtually blind. If he sticks the target you get an upgrade: conning tower, radar, deck gun, Bofors AA gun, new sub, who knows?

Now that conning tower upgrade might first be available in June 1, 1942. But if the virtual blind chimp doesn't nail the target on June 2 when you return to port, you're otta luck. Each time you return to port he tosses the dart for upgrades again. It's possible, but not likely, that the chimp will be more like a chump, take a bad attitude toward you and NEVER hit the target to give you that upgrade all the way to the end of the war. Be nice to the chimp!

Then, you might be talking about something completely different, in which case I am the blind virtual chimpanzee here. How bout a banana?http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/RockinRobbins13/smileys/banana2.gif

[stethnorun]

Heh...well I just read on gamefaqs that the spec files for the sub are enterted incorrectly such that some dates overlap or something, which confuses the game into thinking that you should never get upgraded. But maybe I'm wrong.

Here is the link:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=926972&topic=45268079

Anyway, ok I'll bite. Which mods should I download and what are the main benefits of each? Like what is the main point of each one? Remember my focus is on making things as uncomplicated as possible, so mods that add a bunch more things to worry about, I don't want.

[ichso]

Aloha, Mr. new skipper :salute:

[Rockin Robbins]

Heh...well I just read on gamefaqs that the spec files for the sub are enterted incorrectly such that some dates overlap or something, which confuses the game into thinking that you should never get upgraded. But maybe I'm wrong.

Here is the link:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=926972&topic=45268079

Anyway, ok I'll bite. Which mods should I download and what are the main benefits of each? Like what is the main point of each one? Remember my focus is on making things as uncomplicated as possible, so mods that add a bunch more things to worry about, I don't want.

OK, that's just game code to force the blind chimpanzee to hit the target by a certain date. Not too sporting in my book. You don't want to be responsible for costing a poor blind chimp his job do you?

No, that's not a bug. There were subs with bathtubs running around till almost the end of the war. Some people just think that when they read that the USS Goldfish lost her bathtub on June 1, 1942 that meant every sub in the fleet lost theirs on the same day. Didn't happen. Keep the chimp employed!:up::haha:

I recommend learning the game unmodded. How are you going to know if you like the changes a mod brings if you aren't familiar with what changed? Good judgment comes from good information. Personally I like to keep the mod situation simple. I run Real Fleet Boat or Trigger Maru Overhauled (I have an installation of each), Run Silent Run Deep for either of them, current patches for the previous mods, various missions, my USS Kraken shark mouth sub skin, 3000 yard/meter bearing plotter....uh.....I'm working from memory here....in my RFB installation I'll run TMOplot and TMOkeys. I run FRAPS retail version in the background if I'm doing any crash test dummy work for one of the modding teams (I started taking video of their mods' work and let THEM evaluate what's happening) and that's about it!

Keep it simple and avoid mod conflicts. I personally avoid any tack-on environmental mods because they all interfere with gameplay somehow and the supermods include environmental effects that don't hurt gameplay.

[stethnorun]

Well I got no problem with the upgrade being randomized, but for the sake of fun, it really should be upgrade within a reasonable time frame (ie if the first upgrade happened on June 1, all subs should be upgraded by like October 1). It may not be realistic (as you say some subs may have had their bathtubs till the end), but it does take some of the fun away to miss out on cool new upgrades just because you are unlucky.

Anyway thanks for the response. I'll just leave it as is.

To repeat my earlier request so I can get an answer:

Anyway, ok I'll bite. Which mods should I download and what are the main benefits of each? Like what is the main point of each one? Remember my focus is on making things as uncomplicated as possible, so mods that add a bunch more things to worry about, I don't want.

[stethnorun]

Update: Ok I'm downloading the latest TMO and RSRD mods, along with the Max optic binocs fix. Guess that's enough to get me started.

[Rockin Robbins]

Well I got no problem with the upgrade being randomized, but for the sake of fun, it really should be upgrade within a reasonable time frame (ie if the first upgrade happened on June 1, all subs should be upgraded by like October 1). It may not be realistic (as you say some subs may have had their bathtubs till the end), but it does take some of the fun away to miss out on cool new upgrades just because you are unlucky.

It also bites to take a couple of depth charges in the conning tower just because you got unlucky!:haha:

I always recommend that people play the game stock first to get used to the default behavior of the game. Then they can judge whether they like or don't like the changes made by mods they're interested in. With no standard of comparison, you can't compare!

[stethnorun]

Yeah that's what I was thinking. But after reading the changes (mostly just the highlights), they seem like good ones. I love the better starting options. Also like the changes to the missions and the overhaul made to aircraft. I'll keep playing and see if everything else works out well.

[stethnorun]

Update: Decided to stick with just TMO for now. Now I'm just trying to get a hang of this game.

[Rockin Robbins]

Oh, I love TMO! It's generated some of my peak gaming experiences. But it has a heart of stone and very sharp teeth!:gulp:

[Armistead]

Well I got no problem with the upgrade being randomized, but for the sake of fun, it really should be upgrade within a reasonable time frame (ie if the first upgrade happened on June 1, all subs should be upgraded by like October 1). It may not be realistic (as you say some subs may have had their bathtubs till the end), but it does take some of the fun away to miss out on cool new upgrades just because you are unlucky.

Anyway thanks for the response. I'll just leave it as is.

To repeat my earlier request so I can get an answer:

Anyway, ok I'll bite. Which mods should I download and what are the main benefits of each? Like what is the main point of each one? Remember my focus is on making things as uncomplicated as possible, so mods that add a bunch more things to worry about, I don't want.

If TMO1.7 is too much, try TMO with training wheels.

[swmicros]

My vote goes to RSRD to start. Move up to RFB, TMO with training wheels on 100% realism (or close to it) and then TMO when those get too easy.

I went straight to TMO and got real frustrated real fast.

[stethnorun]

Can you run down the basic points of each of those mods? Why are some easier than others? Are they all pretty much equal in quality, just different in difficulty?

[swmicros]

Can you run down the basic points of each of those mods? Why are some easier than others? Are they all pretty much equal in quality, just different in difficulty?

RSRD for more historically accurate (and interesting) campaign missions.
RFB for more realism in sub behavior and damage.
TMO when it all gets too easy and you want more of a challenge.