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View Full Version : Simple Integration - Writing Patrol Logs / Reading Books


Frederf
08-18-09, 04:16 PM
The following is two related suggestions for Silent Hunter 5. A lot of suggestions for the upcoming release are grandiose, pie-in-the-sky ideas that would require massive development effort and very early introduction into the development cycle The two ideas listed below should be relatively to introduce at a moderate to late stage in development and should provide good bang-for-the-buck value in terms of development effort.

Writing Patrol Logs

One of the stronger modern references to WWII submariner activity is the patrol log. They vary from simplistic statements to rich paragraphs and give surprisingly efficient insight into the reality, complexity, and feeling experienced. Similarly, letting Silent Hunter players construct, read, and exchange journals at sea will provide a feeling of history and connection with their boats and the community at large.

The best thing about logging is that, given a few simple tools and abilities, the content is all user-created. There are no 3D modelers and skinners to employ for countless hours. Some rather compartmentalized programming and minimal UI design is all that's required.

The list of suggested features (priority top):


User Entry. Automatic, unalterable entries feel cold and severely lack flexibility. Even a simple blank space for the user to type whatever he wants would be invaluable.
Import / Export. More than likely, players will want to share their creative works with others and also take in works made by the community.
Assisted Insertable Features. Insertable hyperlinks that are tied to map coordinates, timestamp entities, casualty reports, standardized weather entries, templates, and reduce the workload and enhance the presentation. Any automated or templated entry needs full user delete/edit control.
Screenshot photograps. Pictures make a written work far more accessible. Automatically resized and placable amidst text with black-and-white or GUI-free options.

Try not to think too small or restrictive in this idea. Let the template/auto-function definitions be in script files that users can edit and create their own. Allow several concurrent logs in case people want to make a separate weather or navigation log for instance.



Reading Books

I can't count the number of times that I've wanted to read some website, pdf, or forum discussion while playing Silent Hunter but have been unable to since the document is outside the game and I'm inside. Given a way to have simple text (possibly with graphics) books accessible in game, so much could be possible.

Community-written submarine guides could be referenced and read by new players while playing. Historical manuals, orders, and references could be read during patrols. Even simple entertainment reading is easy.

Books might have a date associated with them to control release. A 1944 book might not be accessible in 1941 for example. Not all documents would choose to be restricted but the possibility opens up loads of opportunities.

Biggs[CV]
08-18-09, 05:14 PM
I would love to be able to write notes in the patrol log. :salute:

henriksultan
08-18-09, 05:27 PM
It would be a HUGE immersion factor to be able to write the log, and a great way to spend time during those mission that you do play with out speeding time (coz you all do it right?).

Listen up to Frederf and make it even easier to share these logs, no more need to sum it all up after the missions over or use paper and pen (not that big of a hassle but a tad more work when sharing stories).

Great post :up:

Rockin Robbins
08-18-09, 05:30 PM
Ditto!:yeah: That's a great idea. Let's see what we get. I hope my pessimism is unfounded.

oscar19681
08-18-09, 05:45 PM
How could i forget this. They had it in silent hunter 2 i think. And indeed how many times i wanted to add my personal view into the log when exiting stuff happened on patrol.

Captain Vlad
08-19-09, 06:22 PM
Both those ideas are raw elegance.

I remember an old DOS sci-fi game that let you write captain's logs...loved it then, loved it now.

Books? On patrol? With the ability to put in your own .doc or .pdf files to read while you hunt? I don't think I'd ever stop playing...

jtm55
08-19-09, 06:56 PM
Hi All

That's a excellent idea. I hope it's included in Silent Hunter 5

Stealth Hunter
08-19-09, 07:41 PM
Great idea. Probably won't make it in, though. Ubi never has been too hell-bent on satisfying some of the more meager wants of their customers.:shifty:

billyjack
08-19-09, 10:42 PM
Tired of silent hunter 4 at times , I'm sure you do to as with any game you play it, you play it, you play it & well you play it, I would like to see something DIFFERENT this time, don't get me wrong I LOVE silent hunter 4 GREAT GAME. no wait AWESOME game, But I know that you can only fit about 4 gigs on a dvd or have they moved to Double layer dvds now? been so long since i bought a store bought cd, i like the download the game and burn my OWN DVD,
but all this stuff we want in the game, i agree about the mussem ditch that i NEVER use it anyway. but i saw the trailer and I'm thinking to myself hmm, NOW IF omg please if only it plays this way. you can talk to your crew watch them work ect, I'm tired of watching that guy tighten that same damn bolt over and over, it's tight dummy move on :har:. but i mean with today's technology lol they should SAID should be able to implement something for all of us. i mean i love mods and more mods but i hope they take the TIME and do us right this time , and NOT have to download 4 or 5 or 6 patches THEN the mods on top of that. UBI I PRAY YOU TAKE YOUR TIME , PLEASEEEEEE for the love of the game. As we ALL love it.:yeah: FOR god sake do it right, THANK YOU tho for putting out another which I have faith you will do it right THIS time silent hunter. My thanks to you. :salute:

TarJak
08-20-09, 12:24 AM
It would certainly add to the immersion. again hope it gets in but not one that would stop me buying it if it wasn't there.

Grothesj2
08-20-09, 03:29 AM
A good idea and it would seem to be a relativly easy feature to add.

Myxale
08-20-09, 06:29 PM
Oh god yes! Patrol logs! Gimme the power to write them!

Sitting in my virtual Kaleun's Bunk, opening a drawer and start writing about the life on a Boot!

But honestly!

The Kaleuns bunk could be used that way. Typing or writing logs.
Or taking a look into the crew's-files.
Performances, Shifts or Watch Roosters, LI Reports.

It would be the real deal!

Please UBI give this Kaleun something to do while the sea is calm!

JScones
08-21-09, 06:09 AM
This goes to show how much happiness can be created from such a simple addition. Surely a notepad or similar would not take much effort to implement; just a static screen to capture and display user-entered text, as well as default (but editable) system generated "ship sunk" and other key messages.

An "open" file format allows modders to develop tools to import/export and share KTB's across the community.

My only disagreement with Frederf's suggestion is that I want period KTB's; no hyperlinks or embedded images as IMHO that just makes it tacky. And stick to period KTB layout too, otherwise again, it just becomes tacky and arcadish.

Insofar as viewing online material, given the nature of u-boat warfare (lot's of quiet time), the ability to browse the web or open reading material easily from within SH5 should be seriously considered.

Frederf
08-21-09, 04:24 PM
I was thinking like "click on a link and it takes you to that part of the nav map" type hyperlinks, like Armed Assault does in its briefings. Thinking back on it I can't think of a really good reason to do this unless you want to cater to people that can't be bothered to be told lat/long.

I'm just sick of being told "Patrol S of the Admiralty Islands" in RSRD and having no clue where the heck those are. There's so many places referenced in RSRD that you just have to "know."

Thinking about it again having a link where you click on "Ship Sunk" and it zooms the map to that location would be not at all too useful.

LiveGoat
08-21-09, 07:10 PM
I'd like to see all actions taken by the captain (player) recorded automatically in the log book with the date and time. I seem to remember one of the old sub games did this. Fast attack or Silent Hunter I maybe? Would be cool to review prior mission "actions taken" logs while on patrol to possibly avoid repeating errors, review tactics etc...

JScones
08-21-09, 07:47 PM
I'd like to see all actions taken by the captain (player) recorded automatically in the log book with the date and time.
At the risk of comparing, if SH5 has an internal system for recording messages similar to SH3, then this would be easy.

My original plan with SH3Cmdr was to provide the user the whole system generated text file log which they could edit as they liked (withthe help of a filter) as well as add new entries. Would mean that, for example, calling for a weather report would see the response automatically added to your log.

Thinking about it again having a link where you click on "Ship Sunk" and it zooms the map to that location would be not at all too useful.
I'm an analyst from way back, so a screen plotting the location of all my sinkings would be mighty nice. But I would expect to be in the minority on that on.

Frederf
08-21-09, 09:54 PM
I would hope that you could make map marks from a variety of different symbols to see a scatterplot histogram of your various warship, merchant, and air contacts so you can see emergent trends.

JScones
08-21-09, 09:59 PM
Ahhhh, porn for an analyst. :rotfl:

Would be nice. :up:

Archangel
08-21-09, 10:10 PM
I like the idea of having a feature that will enable us to read material from within the game while playing, would make it a bit more fun to play.

karamazovnew
08-21-09, 10:41 PM
About that captain's bed....
It would be nice to limit the TC to a low value and only allow time skiping when you click on the captain's bed. Time would pass as fast as your processor can handle it and you'd be woken up if:
- a certain number of hours has passed
- the sub has travelled X miles / the sub has reached the next nav point
- sun rise/set or a certain hour
And during this time, the sub would follow a customisable procedure such as:
- travel 30 miles
- dive to 30 meters and listen for enemy
- surface to recharge batteries
- snorkel travel
- make reports at X hours
etc. And while you "sleep" you'd still be able to walk around the sub in a floaty hazy camera and see people doing stuff (2x or 3x faster than normal).
All reports should be written by you, no more instant course/speed for convoys you spot at 16 km away. And the notepad should be somehow linked to the map, but I disgress.
Maybe they could include a checker/chess game to play with the crew. I need the practice :oops:. :har:

YukonJack_AK
08-22-09, 02:35 AM
I ABSOLUTELY love the idea of having an edit-able log in-game! Especially if it worked in conjunction with the existing log:

June 2, 1941
0945hrs: Smoke Sighted at 289
<then add your own text about what, when, etc... ie - 0950hrs: Went to general quarters and readied all bow tubes. Turned to intercept on course 310 etc etc>

I do that right now via a dual screen setup on my system running SH3 on one and Notepad on the other... but DAMN it'd be nice just to do it from the Captains Bunk and it'd save me alot of extra typing.

The other idea of a 'catalog' of your sinkings/sightings/contacts via points on a map would be great - before a mission, when you get your patrol orders, you are viewing an image of the map that has multi-colored dots on it corresponding to sinkings, contacts, etc... don't think that'd be hard to do... hell I do it by hand using a very large version of the SH3 map thats been laminated and a dry-erase marker...

...just some ideas :smug:

FIREWALL
08-22-09, 02:50 AM
I like the idea about " Interogateing " Just give'em a good beating and throw'em over the side. :haha:

Sailor Steve
08-22-09, 02:16 PM
My thoughts:

Patrol Logs: No automatic entries at all, except maybe start and end of patrol. You sink a ship, you put in what the recognition manual said; i.e. "British tanker, 8000 tons class". At the end of the patrol, as with SH3 Commander, you find out it was the SS Herefordshire, 8398 tons.

Just as long as I can write the actual data myself, I'll be happy.

Books: Maybe historical manuals, i.e. an actual almanac, in which you can look up sunrise and set, and moonrise and set times for any day of the war. These already exist and should be easy to import.

Frederf
08-22-09, 08:32 PM
All reports should be written by you, no more instant course/speed for convoys you spot at 16 km away. And the notepad should be somehow linked to the map, but I disgress.
Maybe they could include a checker/chess game to play with the crew. I need the practice :oops:. :har:
The first thing is something I was gunna suggest myself. I think it's silly you spot 3 ships on the horizon in SH4, send a contact report, and then read your own contact report to figure the enemy's course and speed. When you send a report it should pop up a little form where you fill in number of ships, course, speed, uncertainty, position, etc and then send it off. Game might even reward you for highly accurate reports.

The second thing, chess, checkers, cards, etc with your crew is something I hadn't thought of but is a darn good idea.

The other idea of a 'catalog' of your sinkings/sightings/contacts via points on a map would be greatAs long as you could make custom map marker marks (why is it always the X?) and they would persist between patrols.... there's really no reason for the devs to work to make a dedicated scatterplot feature. If you give players the ability and the tools then we can do so much for ourselves even with simple tools.

Patrol Logs: No automatic entries at allAs cool as full manual entries is, I think having automatic entries lowers the workload for the player that is not a diehard journaler. You definately want all entries editable or deletable not to piss off the dedicated subsim enthusiast by forcing auto stuff down his throat but if there was a "Auto journal entries" checkbox and/or the auto entries were able to be edited or deleted then the diehard player shouldn't be upset.

The best part about having books built into the game is that UBI doesn't have to make but 2-3 little "starter books." There will come a wealth of book files from the community as long as the feature is there. Low work for the devs for a lot of flexible payoff for the playerbase.

LiveGoat
08-23-09, 05:59 AM
Now that's an idea!: "Navigator, give me a weather report", "Javohl, her kaleun." "Chief, give me a status rteport on fuel and damages." "Javohl."

Wait an hour or however long is appropriate (perhaps use TC). Go to your Bunk or to the assigned officer and get the report.



At the risk of comparing, if SH5 has an internal system for recording messages similar to SH3, then this would be easy.

My original plan with SH3Cmdr was to provide the user the whole system generated text file log which they could edit as they liked (withthe help of a filter) as well as add new entries. Would mean that, for example, calling for a weather report would see the response automatically added to your log.


I'm an analyst from way back, so a screen plotting the location of all my sinkings would be mighty nice. But I would expect to be in the minority on that on.

Kapitan_Phillips
08-24-09, 03:57 PM
I love the idea of having reading material to enjoy whilst on the patrol. Perhaps you could also put your own books in there aswell.

I'd quite like there to be some degree of personal interaction with some crewmembers aswell; for example, a crewman might be looking at photographs of his girl - you could then approach him and talk to him a little about her. The same for football matches or something. This could be tied into a crewmembers opinion of you.

mookiemookie
08-24-09, 04:32 PM
Now that's an idea!: "Navigator, give me a weather report", "Javohl, her kaleun." "Chief, give me a status rteport on fuel and damages." "Javohl."

Wait an hour or however long is appropriate (perhaps use TC). Go to your Bunk or to the assigned officer and get the report.

If it takes my navigator an hour to stick his head out the hatch and tell me if it's rainin' or not, he's getting shot out the torpedo tubes! :rotfl:

Sailor Steve
08-26-09, 12:18 PM
I would like it if the Navigator would all on his own tell you when the weather is starting to change. And even better if you can set TC to drop when he does.

FIREWALL
08-26-09, 12:21 PM
For some reason I prefer the WO who is on the bridge to give me a weather report.

Sailor Steve
08-26-09, 12:34 PM
I agree - that was a problem with you getting a report while submerged, fixed by mods. What should happen is that the Navigator goes up there and makes regular checks, while he's doing sextant shots.