New preview and interesting new screens (jeuxvideopc.com 11-02-2010) [Archive]

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 03:16 AM

Found that site (in french) with a preview (basically it says that the copy they have is full of bugs that need to be addressed to allow enjoy the game), but more interesting are the screens.

They have a lot new screens and some of them showing a bit of crew characteristics, uboat upgrades, map plotting, keyboard funcions, etc. (At least they allow us to open the tubes when we want - there is a key for that)

http://www.jeuxvideopc.com/articles/2460-silent-hunter-5-battle-of-atlantic/

http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-17.jpg

http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-16.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-11.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-50.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-47.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-43.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-33.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-24.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-25.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-20.jpg

ReFaN

02-12-10, 03:19 AM

Cheers o7

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 03:21 AM

Thanks Darkbluesky.

English translation:

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http://www.jeuxvideopc.com/articles/2460-silent-hunter-5-battle-of-atlantic/&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhjPMV96-wfI6gbxKNTzE6UujL8pQA

If you're not claustrophobic, that promiscuity among men does not bother you unduly and, especially, you feel like a captain, then maybe Silent Hunter 5: Battle of the Atlantic will seduce you.
:o

Purists will be in heaven with a ton of parameters to consider: fuel, oxygen level, type of torpedo, engine condition, agitation of the sea, you can control ... CCT (computer data torpedoes), monitor the surrounding area from the kiosk etc..

;)

If the mass of bugs, which does not really honor the game, is being corrected by its shelving, Silent Hunter 5 should delight both avid long as the amateur unlit through achieving the hair and rich content at will.

Oh dear.

SH3: buggy at release, and many bugs were never fixed by Ubisoft.
SH4: buggy at release, and wasn't fully patched until 7 months after release.
SH5: ...?

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 03:53 AM

I see that they keep the vertical sync option as in SH3 (I don't recall if SH4 had it), I hope and pray that SH5 works right with 3D Vision.

Ubi has ignored all my (an others) questions about that...If it works with 3D Vision I'll go and grab it at light speed...when they drop DRM (but that's another topic)

coronas

02-12-10, 04:24 AM

Thanks for sharing.
:salute:

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 04:29 AM

Still found another in german http://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/PC-CDROM/Preview/18518/67278/0/Silent_Hunter_5.html

And translated in english
http://translate.google.com/translate?js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=1&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4players.de%2F4players.php%2Fdi spbericht%2FPC-CDROM%2FPreview%2F18518%2F67278%2F0%2FSilent_Hunte r_5.html&sl=de&tl=en

Not too much new, but still I thought it could be ok to share

Sgtmonkeynads

02-12-10, 04:44 AM

Unless I read wrong, It says manual torpedo setting is in ! Unless they don't know what their talking about.
But it does say target distance,speed, course, etc can be set by the player !

martes86

02-12-10, 05:18 AM

Did you guys really think the Devs would take all that time of glancing at every detail of Laboe's Museum TDC, like we all were, and then not make it into the game?
Have hope, fellas, not all is lost yet. :DL

ichso

02-12-10, 05:18 AM

http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-11.jpg

Why does in such screenshots always the periscope sticks up in the air ? It doesn't make sense, looks weird and everybody knows already that u-boats had these things :doh:

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 05:26 AM

What I read in the other reviews I think, is that some reviewer (previewer, sorry ;)), missed to be able to touch and activate buttons etc directly in the 3D world.

If I read correctly and that goes in the final version (the previews, as Neal said is likely done with old builds), then I am going to miss quite a lot the direct adjustment of wheels and dials of SH3, and specially the TDC and its tic-tic-tic sound that we had in SH3 when adjusting them, sniff...

Well, maybe modders could add back something similar, if it does not come in stock. We will know in march :D.

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 06:17 AM

Why does in such screenshots always the periscope sticks up in the air ? It doesn't make sense, looks weird and everybody knows already that u-boats had these things :doh:

Yes everybody knows that U-boats had periscopes, but not everybody can recognise a U-boat without one. That's why the preview shots all show the scopes, so that the average gamer who looks at a screeny goes "aha, that's a sub" and not "wtf, I thought this was a sub game".

Brag

02-12-10, 06:28 AM

At least, it doesn't seem dumbed down. I see lots I like, however, not buying unless online requirement is dropped.

urfisch

02-12-10, 06:30 AM

thanks, dude! nice find. finally there are more and more infos...we all waited for so long. but finally also it seems our fears become true...

:(

the status screens look far to modern...the whole interface is extremly arcade like. and the interior with a lazy crew looks very sterile. first things i would change are:

- more crew members in the boat
- dirty textures
- changing the interface
- creating new status screens

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 06:33 AM

Safe-Keeper

02-12-10, 06:33 AM

Does the sea look really, really good (http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-50.jpg) in this one, or is it just me:up:?

THE_MASK

02-12-10, 06:51 AM

Sgtmonkeynads

02-12-10, 06:55 AM

Camoflague has its own page it looks like. Interesting, must be where the emblams are located too. :hmmm:

urfisch

02-12-10, 07:00 AM

Its a preview copy and not the finished product so ,
maybe in the finished product there will be more crew ?
Maybe on 100% realism we can use mtdc , who knows .

any proof for this statement? does neal said somewhere, which version he got? he said, it seems to be a regular copy of the game...

The Enigma

02-12-10, 07:06 AM

It's a matter of taste, but the whole atmosphere (based on the few screens I've seen so far)
is lacking the WW-II sub's atmosphere.

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 07:07 AM

any proof for this statement? does neal said somewhere, which version he got? he said, it seems to be a regular copy of the game...

Not a proof (except if elanaiba is part of dev team, which seems to be, but I am not sure), but still interesting:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=161712

urfisch

02-12-10, 07:15 AM

thanks for that hint...

Dowly

02-12-10, 07:25 AM

Wow, that shot thru the periscope is awesome! Great looking sea. :yeah:

ReFaN

02-12-10, 07:26 AM

Wow, that shot thru the periscope is awesome! Great looking sea. :yeah:

i totally agree on that one!

TDK1044

02-12-10, 07:27 AM

Clearly there is a lot to like here, and that is great news. Two big issues remain though.

1) Every reviewer refers to "many bugs" in the game.

Ubisoft's history tells us that this is likely to be a very buggy game at release. I hope the first patch comes early.

2) The DRM issue hasn't gone anywhere. For many of us, that's a deal breaker. Please don't hijack this thread with more DRM stuff though.

tonyj

02-12-10, 07:35 AM

all the reviewers clearly state that their copies are preview copies which aren't dev complete.

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 07:40 AM

all the reviewers clearly state that their copies are preview copies which aren't dev complete.

Yes, I saw the Neal torpedo loading video, and although it comes from a preview copy too, it seems less buggy (shadows specially). Of course I am aware that it is not possible to compare the copy of "previewers" and the preview one of Neal in a fair way. All is based more in probabilities and opinions. But still it could be released without less bugs than it seems. We'll know in march.

Galanti

02-12-10, 07:41 AM

Mate I'm sorry but have you ever in your life played an arcade game? :nope:
Trust me, they don't look like that.

He means the various indicators, like speed, depth, the 'radar map', the actual shape and texturing of UI components look like they belong more a monster truck driving game or an I-phone than a sub simulator.

The rest of the game does look phenomenal, and plenty of interesting new game mechanics, but this whole UI thing is really bumming me out. I hope it can be modded (and damned quickly) but it seems to me to be a terrible design decision in terms of immersion. And frankly quite baffling, given whom the franchises previously solid history of providing an immersive, more-or-less authentic WW2 submarine experience.

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 07:48 AM

Anyway, I could accept that interface if at the same time they'd keep the ability to activate buttons and dials directly with the mouse in the 3d world (as SH3) which I am afraid we might have losed. Who knows...

himlaviz

02-12-10, 07:53 AM

Nice screenshots :)

Maybe the "modern" UI will make more sense while playing the game, it seems they go for a clean and minimalistic look and making sure it's not in the way for the 3D feeling, like walking around in the uboot. Might also make it easier to design for many different resolutions, 5:4, 16:9 or 16:10.

Perhaps some WW2/Uboot feeling is lost in the UI but maybe the rest of the game/simulation makes up for that.

TDK1044

02-12-10, 07:57 AM

all the reviewers clearly state that their copies are preview copies which aren't dev complete.

The same was true for SHIII and SHIV, and look at the state of those games at release.

Galanti

02-12-10, 08:12 AM

Perhaps some WW2/Uboot feeling is lost in the UI but maybe the rest of the game/simulation makes up for that.

Ugh...maybe....but that modern 'feel' appears to be everywhere, from the speed indicator to the euipment loadout screens. Terrible. And loads of flat, untextured shades of grey.

It actually starting me thinking about how I would do it, so perhaps I should look at it as a challenge. Maybe I'll buy this thing just to change the UI.

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 08:22 AM

He means the various indicators, like speed, depth, the 'radar map', the actual shape and texturing of UI components look like they belong more a monster truck driving game or an I-phone than a sub simulator.

Monster truck games, huh? :hmmm:

http://www.gamemetal.com.br/imagens/roms/img_nintendo64/Monster%20Truck%20Madness%2064.jpg

http://www.gamershell.com/static/screenshots/6714/138758_full.jpg

Sorry but I can't see the similarity.

Seriously, some of you guys are complaining that the GUI looks too modern? FFS, some people will complain about anything. :nope:

609_Avatar

02-12-10, 08:33 AM

Thanks for sharing and I enjoyed the pics! Sure is purdy!

I never really thought that the game would be totally "dumbed down" to appease/appeal to the masses. I did think that they would keep the "traditional" stuff most have come to love and enjoy but add the more simplistic stuff for those that aren't as enthusiastic about all that kind of thing and thus make it more appealing for the masses while still keeping the main base happy. Time will tell once Neal spills the beans. :)

609_Avatar

02-12-10, 08:34 AM

Hey, Neal! Did you hit that CTRL key yet? Did ya? Did ya? ;)

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 08:48 AM

Just in case someone is lazy and don't go to check all the images in the link I posted, here there are a few more.

Personally I think that at side of the UI, the lights and modelling helps to the immersion. For example, I like the light in the first shot between electric engines in the center left, and also to the diesel's... I like the ambience and also the explosions, and the night screenshots. Quite nice and immersive, IMO.

BTW, in the first shot the guys does not have shadows, but in Neal's video (torpedo reload), they have. So I guess, Neal's copy is more recent... (WAIT! maybe they have shadows...I am not sure, now)

I like the recognition book, only that the ship appears in grey. Probably a bug or placeholder. Remember that it is a preview, not the final one.

http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-39.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-41.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-49.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-53.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-54.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-51.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-36.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-30.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-28.jpg
http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-22.jpg

Galanti

02-12-10, 08:53 AM

Seriously, some of you guys are complaining that the GUI looks too modern? :nope:

Yeah, I am. Does this game take place in a modern setting?

oscar19681

02-12-10, 09:05 AM

Thank you so much for sharing. It seems sh-5 starts living up to my experience.

sharkbit

02-12-10, 09:05 AM

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 09:06 AM

Does this game take place in a modern setting?

It's a minimalist interface. There's what? A three or four pixel border around the edge of each item? And you're complaining that those pixels are the wrong shade of grey and too flat-looking. Of course some two-dimensional wood/metal objects that float in front of your first person perspective would be totally realistic (sarcasm). More to the point, it boggles my mind that such details can be considered anywhere near important in the grand scheme of things. In any case we know for a fact that the GUI is totally moddable, and changing some textures will be very quick work for just about any modder, so relax - you'll have your realistic floating metal in no time.

trenken

02-12-10, 09:22 AM

All those screenshots look tasty. The game cant get here soon enough at this point.

Bilge_Rat

02-12-10, 09:34 AM

With my verrrrrry limited French, I can figure out some of the keyboard commands. It appears that 0-5 are engine adjustments for ahead. It doesn't appear that there are any key board commands for reverse. I hope we can go backwards. :D
Between these screenshots and Neal's in game video, I can feel my level of excitement go from "meh" to "hmmmm....":hmmm:

:)

you are correct, 0-5 are all for forward speed: "full stop", "very slow", "slow", "half-speed", "full" and "flank". I don't see a key for reverse, although there are two keys towards the right that control faster and slower speed.

There is also a key on the lower left for "advanced mode", wonder what that is for?

Also a minor nitpicky point, but they refer to the "Deutschland" as a "croiseur", (i.e. cruiser) rather than as a "cuirassé" (i.e. battleship)..:|\\

Galanti

02-12-10, 09:39 AM

It's a minimalist interface. There's what? A three or four pixel border around the edge of each item? And you're complaining that those pixels are the wrong shade of grey and too flat-looking. Of course some two-dimensional wood/metal objects that float in front of your first person perspective would be totally realistic (sarcasm). More to the point, it boggles my mind that such details can be considered anywhere near important in the grand scheme of things. In any case we know for a fact that the GUI is totally moddable, and changing some textures will be very quick work for just about any modder, so relax - you'll have your realistic floating metal in no time.

I never said anything about realistic, I'm talking about immersive. It's a game that takes place in world war 2. It's not too much to expect that all the UI elements look like they belong in that era, too. Especially when Ubi claims to be delivering the most immersive sub experience yet.

I'm not bitching about a 2 cm height discrepancy on the wintergarten that's only visible from the external camera. I'm bitching about something that surrounds the player, that's visible in every screen he/she uses.

Bah, it's probably just me, and like you said, I'll probably be able to change much of it anyway. I'll shut up now and enjoy the rest of my Firday. Judging from your sig, I doubt you and I are going to agree on this one in the near future anyway.

I will say this, though. I do really like the message window in the lower right hand corner, that's a clear improvement over SH3/SH4.

sweln

02-12-10, 09:40 AM

Well I like that GUI. It's clean and you focus on what is important. Since it's BMP's, it's easy to change.

Platapus

02-12-10, 09:42 AM

I am encouraged by some of the reviews/previews mentioning manual targeting.

I sure would like to see some screenshots or video of manual targeting.

But it is encouraging.

DRM I can tolerate if I must, but I gots to have my manual targetin' :shucks:

Onkel Neal

02-12-10, 10:06 AM

Oh dear.

SH3: buggy at release, and many bugs were never fixed by Ubisoft.
SH4: buggy at release, and wasn't fully patched until 7 months after release.
SH5: ...?

I hope this does not come off sounding too preachy, but when you say "SH3 buggy at release", just what sub game are you comparing it to, OLC?

I mean, I did not considered SH3 "buggy". To me, "buggy" means more than a few serious bugs that affect gameplay.

What is the definition of "buggy" to you? A game with 1 or more bugs? A game with at least 2 bugs?

If we say SH3 was buggy, then what sub game was not buggy? They must ALL be buggy, and if so, then why remark on it? :hmmm:

Anyway, looking forward to hearing this explained :salute:

Onkel Neal

02-12-10, 10:07 AM

you are correct, 0-5 are all for forward speed: "full stop", "very slow", "slow", "half-speed", "full" and "flank". I don't see a key for reverse, although there are two keys towards the right that control faster and slower speed.

There is also a key on the lower left for "advanced mode", wonder what that is for?

Also a minor nitpicky point, but they refer to the "Deutschland" as a "croiseur", (i.e. cruiser) rather than as a "cuirassé" (i.e. battleship)..:|\\

Reverse is SHIFT and the number keys.
Lol, I don't see why they didn't just use 6-0 like before :hmmm:
http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe11.jpg (http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe12.jpg) http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe13.jpg (http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe14.jpg)

Does the sea look really, really good (http://img.jeuxvideopc.com/screenshot/11716-silent-hunter-5-50.jpg) in this one, or is it just me:up:?

Depending on the time of day and lighting, the sea looks much better than I have ever see it before.

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 10:37 AM

I hope this does not come off sounding to preachy, but when you say "SH3 buggy at release", just what sub game are you comparing it to, OLC?

I mean, I did not considered SH3 "buggy". To me, "buggy" means more than a few serious bugs that affect gameplay.

What is the definition of "buggy" to you? A game with 1 or more bugs? A game with at least 2 bugs?

If we say SH3 was buggy, then what sub game was not buggy? They must ALL be buggy, and if so, then why remark on it? :hmmm:

Anyway, looking forward to hearing this explained :salute:

Well let me put it this way:

I bought SH3 in 2005. The first time I got it to run without crashing to desktop within 60 seconds (not an exaggeration) was in 2007. And I was running the game on very robust hardware - an Alienware, in fact, and one that I considered worth its extortionate cost because it was so robust (unlike my previous PCs it ran all of my games flawlessly, except SH3 of course). Even after I got the game running it would still CTD once in a while. Not enough to stop me playing, but certainly enough to make me save often (and make me wary of future releases from the same company).

As for the less serious bugs, yes, all games have those, but some have more than others. It took me months to learn all the necessary work-arounds in SH3...

Remember to flip the torpedo speed setting twice. Remember not to leave an officer in the repair team when you dock. Remember not to use the crew management shortcuts. Remember to put an officer on watch every time you surface. Remember to TC until the stormy weather changes before you save and quit, so as to avoid the stuck weather bug. Remember not to press the depth guage until your crash dive has levelled off. Remember to make sure you manually fire on your first deck/flak gun target, after which you may safely use the "fire at will" command. Remember that when you save the game in port it doesn't save your torpedo loadout. Remember not to save the game when ships are nearby. Remember to save the game as soon as ships are no longer nearby. Mod the "days in base" to zero, and mod the "days to apply an emblem" to 14, and remember to apply an emblem twice before going on patrol, thereby increasing the date by 28 days and avoiding the bug that messes up the date and, by extension, messes up your torpedo loadout as well. And that's just off the top of my head. I've not played for a few months and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.

The point is that a lot of small bugs do add up to one big headache.

Bilge_Rat

02-12-10, 10:47 AM

Reverse is SHIFT and the number keys.
Lol, I don't see why they didn't just use 6-0 like before :hmmm:

yes, not intuitive. the shift key is labeled as "course", which I assumed meant the ship's course in degrees, but in french, "course" in a mechanical sense, can also mean a gear shift, although it is not the word I would use.

It also now makes me wonder what is meant by the caps lock key which is labeled "course auto"...:hmmm:

Lanzfeld

02-12-10, 10:48 AM

Remember to flip the torpedo speed setting twice. Don't save the game when ships are nearby. DO save the game at every other opportunity. Don't leave an officer in the repair team when you dock. Don't use the crew management shortcuts. Remember to put an officer on watch every time you surface. Remember to TC until the stormy weather changes before you save and quit, so as to avoid the stuck weather bug. Remember not to press the depth guage until your crash dive has levelled off. Remember to make sure you manually fire on your first deck/flak gun target, after which you may safely use the "fire at will" command. Remember that when you save the game in port it doesn't save your torpedo loadout. Mod the "days in base" to zero, and mod the "days to apply an emblem" to 14, and remember to apply an emblem twice before going on patrol, thereby increasing the date by 28 days and avoiding the bug that messes up the date and, by extension, messes up your torpedo loadout as well. And that's just off the top of my head. I've not played for a few months and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few.

The point is that a lot of small bugs do add up to one big headache.

Very well put. :yeah::yeah::yeah:This is why I bitched about the number of lookouts on the bridge Neal. It is just one of those many many small details that contribute to a much bigger headache later. :damn:

My point is if the little things, like these, can be prevented with the smallest of effort by the Devs then why dont they just do it from the start? I mean really? It is not that hard to look up facts!:doh:

Onkel Neal

02-12-10, 10:51 AM

Wow. That wasn't common, though, was it? I never had those problems and I was surprised to hear that you did.

ReFaN

02-12-10, 10:51 AM

Reverse is SHIFT and the number keys.
Lol, I don't see why they didn't just use 6-0 like before :hmmm:
http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe11.jpg (http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe12.jpg) http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe13.jpg (http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe14.jpg)

Depending on the time of day and lighting, the sea looks much better than I have ever see it before.

Prepare for, Ludicrous speed Foward!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuFAFPjbdy4&feature=related

Onkel Neal

02-12-10, 10:52 AM

Very well put. :yeah::yeah::yeah:This is why I bitched about the number of lookouts on the bridge Neal. It is just one of those many many small details that contribute to a much bigger headache later. :damn:

My point is if the little things, like these, can be prevented with the smallest of effort by the Devs then why dont they just do it from the start? I mean really? It is not that hard to look up facts!:doh:

Lanz, it ALL sounds easy if you say it real fast. Come on, you ever program a game? It is not as easy as you think.

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 10:54 AM

Very well put. :yeah::yeah::yeah:This is why I bitched about the number of lookouts on the bridge Neal. It is just one of those many many small details that contribute to a much bigger headache later. :damn:

My point is if the little things, like these, can be prevented with the smallest of effort by the Devs then why dont they just do it from the start? I mean really? It is not that hard to look up facts!:doh:

Thanks, but actually I think you're jumping to conclusions with the watch crew. It may be that they only had three people on watch in that screenshot. Or it may be that in SH5 a full watch crew is made up of just three people, which might be a historical inaccuracy but it's not necessarily a bug.

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 10:54 AM

Wow. That wasn't common, though, was it? I never had those problems and I was surprised to hear that you did.

Aside from my 2005/2007 blackout, all of the problems I listed are well documented on the SH3 forum (which is where I learned all the workarounds).

Sailor Steve

02-12-10, 10:56 AM

Reverse is SHIFT and the number keys.
Lol, I don't see why they didn't just use 6-0 like before :hmmm:
I LIKE it! Many are the times I've been creeping along in the dark and hit 9 when I meant to hit F7. This will be easy to learn and there won't be any more accidents.

I hope.

Lanzfeld

02-12-10, 10:57 AM

Lanz, it ALL sounds easy if you say it real fast. Come on, you ever program a game? It is not as easy as you think.

I guess you are right. I never have programmed anything. I just do not get it. It must be really hard to put the correct number of men on the bridge.

How we ever got to the moon I will never know! (Actually I do...I am a huge Apollo guy).

Anyways...Thanks for the video Neal. I do really appretiate you taking the time to do that. If they drop DRM I am there. I will try to be more positive. It is a game, after all.:up:

Onkel Neal

02-12-10, 11:09 AM

No problem, Lanz. I know it can be frustrating, and I don't program either. :DL I learned a long time ago when I would say "Why can't you guys do this, it should be easy?" it usually wasn't. When we visited Sonalysts back when Sub Command was underway, the developers showed me the coding and stuff it took to make a few small changes, and the unexepected bugs it could introduce into the game. It was daunting. Similarly, when I visited Duane Doutel and he showed me the code for SH2 that Carl Norman allowed me access to in order to improve the MP; Duane explained how so many things are tied together and changing one thing can mean changing 300 other things, and they in turn may affect 1000 other things.

Also, we have to remember, this is a game, and it will not be exactly like real life, so three guys on the bridge or only two reloading a torpedo tube, yeah, it's sort of an expanded animation from the old games where you would not see any guys at all, just a bitmap of a sub profile and a torpedo slowing inching into place :haha:

Thanks for your understanding. If we are not careful, we could get a trend in the forum going where we find nothing but things we all individually think are wrong and should be fixed. That's not a healthy atmosphere :timeout:

oscar19681

02-12-10, 11:20 AM

Reverse is SHIFT and the number keys.
Lol, I don't see why they didn't just use 6-0 like before :hmmm:
http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe11.jpg (http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe12.jpg) http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe13.jpg (http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe14.jpg)

Depending on the time of day and lighting, the sea looks much better than I have ever see it before.

What are gear up and gear down buttons for if you dont mind me asking?

Lanzfeld

02-12-10, 11:34 AM

I THINK it means to increase speed and decrease speed in set increments?

PL_Andrev

02-12-10, 11:37 AM

ReFaN

02-12-10, 11:39 AM

oscar19681

02-12-10, 11:39 AM

Hey Neal!!!

Do you have any surprise for us???
:D

But wait a minute...
Why on this my screen is shadow under a gangway?
http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/5229/preview101.jpg

OK, I forgot... I did it in Paint.NET
:salute:

Where the hell did you get that screenshot from! I really hope we will get some animated crew members entering the boat via the gangway and have them remain topside till we leave port.

ReFaN

02-12-10, 11:41 AM

The gun even casts a shadow, nice.

Iron Budokan

02-12-10, 11:45 AM

ichso

02-12-10, 11:46 AM

Looks indeed pretty

Heretic

02-12-10, 11:55 AM

Something else to keep in mind with software development is you have a limited budget and schedule. You have to be very disciplined about project scope. You have to have it chisled in stone early on exactly what your finished product will be. Anything out of scope, no matter how cool it may be, has to stay out or you kill your budget/schedule. That's part of what killed Duke Nukem Forever.

As you progress, you may find that some things take longer/more expensive or, very rarely, quicker and cheaper, so you may have to scale back on things you'd hoped to originally include. It sounds like SH5 had some of these things happen. Originally the scope was broader.

It all comes down to prioritizing what you can include with a given budget and schedule. There's simply just not enough time and money to do all the things you want. You have to compromise. People put their hearts and souls into it. They want to release a product they can be proud of.

The same thing goes for bugs. You try like hell to make a bug free product, but the software is so complex it is literally impossible to test every scenario/hardware configuration. And the testing is under the same budget and time constraints. You do the best with the resources you have.

PL_Andrev

02-12-10, 11:55 AM

Where the hell did you get that screenshot from!
Hehe...
It is located on SUBSIM resources, but not published by Neal yet.

Unfortunately, I found only this one..
:salute:

Heretic

02-12-10, 11:58 AM

I saw that screenshot in some other thread. Don't remember which one. Neal is dropping Easter Eggs all over the place.

dangrey

02-12-10, 12:08 PM

I'm very happy that it seems that we can turn off 'Highlight objects'

http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe12.jpg

Heretic

02-12-10, 12:10 PM

I'm very happy that it seems that we can turn off 'Highlight objects'

http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe12.jpg

Does that actually turn them off? I figured it activated the highlight for everything in the scene that's clickable.

Lanzfeld

02-12-10, 12:10 PM

I'm very happy that it seems that we can turn off 'Highlight objects'

http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe12.jpg

That may not turn off highlighted objects but highlight ALL of them at the same time so you can see all clickable areas. We dont know.

Darkbluesky

02-12-10, 12:11 PM

http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe12.jpg

14 fps! Gosh! I don't know in which computer Neal is testing it, but I hope, not too modern...

Galanti

02-12-10, 12:11 PM

I guess the old "Time to course end" and "Range and current speed" functions are history, unless they just don't have keyboard mappings?

TDK1044

02-12-10, 12:13 PM

Nice to see a positive thread about the game. I know I'm one of the leading critics regarding the DRM issue, but, beyond that issue, I want the very best for this game, and some of the things featured here are really nice, Dan. :D

609_Avatar

02-12-10, 01:18 PM

I LIKE it! Many are the times I've been creeping along in the dark and hit 9 when I meant to hit F7. This will be easy to learn and there won't be any more accidents.

I hope.

Ever check out a Logitech G15 keyboard or something similar? Backlighting is your friend! :)

dangrey

02-12-10, 01:29 PM

That may not turn off highlighted objects but highlight ALL of them at the same time so you can see all clickable areas. We dont know.

Yeah, you might be right :wah:

CaptainNemo12

02-12-10, 01:38 PM

I can't believe the navigator's mustache is also highlighted! That mustache must be VERY important to the survival of the boat!:rotfl2:

Iron Budokan

02-12-10, 01:43 PM

Galanti

02-12-10, 01:46 PM

I can't believe the navigator's mustache is also highlighted! That mustache must be VERY important to the survival of the boat!:rotfl2:

The boat can be steered by grasping the ends in case the helmsman is incapacitated by enemy action.

Heretic

02-12-10, 01:54 PM

I think the edges of 3D objects get the highlight which means the mustache is 3D and not just a texture plastered on a smooth lip. That's a plus, I think.

Webster

02-12-10, 04:04 PM

I think the edges of 3D objects get the highlight which means the mustache is 3D and not just a texture plastered on a smooth lip. That's a plus, I think.

anything that is interactive or clickable is whats highlighted or outlined, highlighted or outlined beards can be clicked on to choose the size, length, or type of beard.

its done that way in many other games

Heretic

02-12-10, 04:16 PM

That eye patch bothers me more than the mustache or the hightlighting. A head transplant will be the first thing I'll look into. Hopefully will be as easy as in III/IV.

Webster

02-12-10, 04:40 PM

That eye patch bothers me more than the mustache or the hightlighting. A head transplant will be the first thing I'll look into. Hopefully will be as easy as in III/IV.

maybe im wrong but i wouldnt think a one eyed man would be allowed on a sub, maybe to the end of the war with manpower shortages and the suicidal nature of a uboat at that time but as i understood it the norm was they were very very picky who got to be on a uboat and only the best highly trained were chosen.

Schultz

02-12-10, 04:42 PM

Looks great but I still want the engine room.Neal kick it into high gear:haha:

Diopos

02-12-10, 04:47 PM

It's not an eye patch,
It's the first PATCH.....
:D

.

mookiemookie

02-12-10, 04:58 PM

maybe im wrong but i wouldnt think a one eyed man would be allowed on a sub, maybe to the end of the war with manpower shortages and the suicidal nature of a uboat at that time but as i understood it the norm was they were very very picky who got to be on a uboat and only the best highly trained were chosen.

No, a one eyed man would most definitely not have been allowed. Heck, they didn't even allow guys with any significant dental work on board. The standards were very strict.

Heretic

02-12-10, 05:02 PM

frau kaleun

02-12-10, 05:19 PM

No, a one eyed man would most definitely not have been allowed. Heck, they didn't even allow guys with any significant dental work on board. The standards were very strict.

Yep. Wouldn't have been accepted into the Kriegsmarine, period, and therefore not in the Ubootwaffe. Not in the '30s anyway.

Edit: Altho IIRC the "bio" posted for One Eye in the original "Your Crew" section of the game website indicated that he'd lost the eye in a training accident, so presumably he met the vision requirements when he joined the KM. What would have happened in the real KM in that situation (transfer to other duties, discharged from service, etc.) is another question. Anybody know?

Lanzfeld

02-12-10, 05:22 PM

frau kaleun

02-12-10, 05:25 PM

Well maybe the injury happened on the very voyage we are on. Captain poked him in the eye with a pencil....or something.:shifty:

Edit....maybe his experience level was so high they gave him a waiver?

Doubt the former, from what I remember of the bio, seemed like it was "old news" by the time he became part of the crew.

However I think it did also mention that his father and Onkel Karl were close friends, so... perhaps some strings were pulled? Lol.

RickC Sniper

02-12-10, 05:45 PM

http://www.subsim.com/2010_02/sh5/previe12.jpg

14 fps! Gosh! I don't know in which computer Neal is testing it, but I hope, not too modern...

If Neal is on his own rig he should be doing better than that since that is just an interior shot.
He has, based on the hardware and tech forum: Maybe he can confirm this.
Intel core 2 E8400
dual 9800GT in sli

Galanti

02-12-10, 06:22 PM

I understand why it's there and all. It looks cool and you can include it in the guys backstory and whatnot. Helps bring in new blood. I'm all in favor of getting as many people playing subsims as we can. :up:

But in my game, he's gone. :down:

Reminds me, do we know yet if your core crew officers like Cyclops and the brooding poet guy can be killed or transferred?

onelifecrisis

02-12-10, 09:44 PM

I never said anything about realistic, I'm talking about immersive. It's a game that takes place in world war 2. It's not too much to expect that all the UI elements look like they belong in that era, too. Especially when Ubi claims to be delivering the most immersive sub experience yet.

I'm not bitching about a 2 cm height discrepancy on the wintergarten that's only visible from the external camera. I'm bitching about something that surrounds the player, that's visible in every screen he/she uses.

Bah, it's probably just me, and like you said, I'll probably be able to change much of it anyway. I'll shut up now and enjoy the rest of my Firday. Judging from your sig, I doubt you and I are going to agree on this one in the near future anyway.

I will say this, though. I do really like the message window in the lower right hand corner, that's a clear improvement over SH3/SH4.

Good point (the bold bit). Having given this some thought I've realised I wasn't really looking at things from your POV.

I was a big fan of FEAR. Then when FEAR 2 was released I griped about some things that made it "arcadey" like the little yellow X that appears on the HUD over a foe every time a bullet hits them, and the yellow HUD lines that trail behind grenades, and the blue HUD boxes that surround pick-ups like big neon signs saying "PICK ME UP!" Just little HUD elements, but for me in that game they were immersion killers.

I don't think that the SH5 GUI is anywhere near as "arcadey" as the HUD in FEAR 2, but I can understand how a GUI that doesn't feel right can ruin a game, especially given that - like you say - it's visible all the time whether you like it or not.