Another 'Few Questions' post!

[BIGD101]

Morning all.

Will keep it short. Was going to play SH5 but DRM put me off so opted for SH4. Loving the game, got a few patrols under my belt and getting to know more and more as I play.

Questions:

1. Does anyone know if I can download older user manuals some place? The manual for SH4 is not bad but there are certain things I just would like to look into.

2. Should I keep my sonar running or should i just use focus mode? I wonder if only to run it in bad weather maybe as the lookouts might not be as effective in bad conditions?

3. I need find out what the different circles and half-moons are for on enemy ships etc, I've always assumed that the largest one is visual range, inner and small half-moons i have no idea, this is why i want to download the manuals from older games!

4. Does shooting at life rafts make me a bad person!? :arrgh!:

5. What the hell is the thermal layer and what does it do?

6. I plan to get U-BOAT missions at some point, in the meantime is there any critical mods I should install!?

Cheers guys/girls!?

BIG D

[Admiral8Q]

1. Does anyone know if I can download older user manuals some place? The manual for SH4 is not bad but there are certain things I just would like to look into.
Nope. Learn the hard way or ask questions here.

2. Should I keep my sonar running or should i just use focus mode? I wonder if only to run it in bad weather maybe as the lookouts might not be as effective in bad conditions?
Passive sonar has no way of being detected.

3. I need find out what the different circles and half-moons are for on enemy ships etc, I've always assumed that the largest one is visual range, inner and small half-moons i have no idea, this is why i want to download the manuals from older games!
Moons and half moons? I have no idea what your talking about.

4. Does shooting at life rafts make me a bad person!? :arrgh!:
Why bother! It accomplishes nothing! Arrrr:arrgh!:

5. What the hell is the thermal layer and what does it do?
Under the thermal layer they have a very tough time of finding you.

6. I plan to get U-BOAT missions at some point, in the meantime is there any critical mods I should install!?
Sqrew mods, unless you need them.:hmmm:

Cheers

[BillBam]

3. I need find out what the different circles and half-moons are for on enemy ships etc, I've always assumed that the largest one is visual range, inner and small half-moons i have no idea, this is why i want to download the manuals from older games!


The largest outer ring is visual sight, the next inward is their hydophone range (listening for your sounds.), the inner most ring is their active sonar cone (pinging you) and the void behind the ship is their dead zone caused by their own prop noise (if you are hear you are in their baffles and they cannot hear you.)

[BIGD101]

The largest outer ring is visual sight, the next inward is their hydophone range (listening for your sounds.), the inner most ring is their active sonar cone (pinging you) and the void behind the ship is their dead zone caused by their own prop noise (if you are hear you are in their baffles and they cannot hear you.)

Thats what I thought but wanted to be sure! Thanks for that.

[Admiral8Q]

The largest outer ring is visual sight, the next inward is their hydophone range (listening for your sounds.), the inner most ring is their active sonar cone (pinging you) and the void behind the ship is their dead zone caused by their own prop noise (if you are hear you are in their baffles and they cannot hear you.)
Oh, that's what BIGD101 meant. Sorry BIGD101, my bad. :ping:

[CCIP]

5. What the hell is the thermal layer and what does it do?


Just to expand on it a little - the thermal layer is basically a (really simplifed) term for changes in water temperature as you get deeper. Obviously the further down, the cooler the water (usually!), but it's more complex than that. Sometimes you will hit sudden transitions where the water temperature drops a few degrees within just a few meters. That's a layer. Often that will be because of currents.

Now, temperature affects density. Colder water is more dense, warmer water is less dense. Density, in turn, affects the speed of sound - or, in simpler terms, the way sound waves travel through the water. Sudden, layered changes in temperature/density will cause sound to refract and sometimes even reflect off the layer boundary - much like light refracts/reflects off the surface of the water (very similar kind of phenomenon). What this means for you in the sub is that if you are below that boundary, the sound waves - both coming at you (from enemy active sonar) and from you (to the enemy passive sonar) will be distorted by the layer. That means that the contact they pick up would give distorted impressions of distance, or for that matter not be picked up at all.

In practical game terms, when you get under a thermal layer, it reduces the enemy's chance of picking you up.


Oh, and for mods - I strongly recommend either TMO or RFB+RSRDC or OM+OMEGU if you like U-boats. Head on to the mod forum for those!

[Sailor Steve]

6. I plan to get U-BOAT missions at some point, in the meantime is there any critical mods I should install!?
The stock game has quite a few problems. You should install either RFB or TMO, and then the RSRD Campaign. That will make your experience much more realistic. After that the smaller mods are entirely up to your tastes.

Once you have U-Boat Missions you'll want Operation Monsun, which gives a full Atlantic campaign and a much better experience.

[Admiral8Q]

I guess I haven't seen the problems. I bought sh4 gold with U-Boat add on.

[Armistead]

As a few have stated, the stock game is just rubbish, nothing but a kiddie arcade shooting game...Load mods. Mod's make the game worth playing.
I've always been a TMO man, but many like RFB, so you could try each out. However, TMO 1.9 with RSRD to correct the traffic layers, what a great game. There are many smaller mods that I love, but make sure you read all the info so you don't turn your game into fubar.

Also, supermods already have an enviroment mod, so the graphics improve 100%..I really don't see anything much better in the SH5 video's, except land, OTT, with the env mods of SH4 the graphics are almost as good. With the right video settings, I think SH4 looks as good as SH5

[BIGD101]

Thanks guys, some good info here! As for the mods I will hunt them down, I guess I can just search for 'TMO' 'RFB+RSRDC' 'OM+OMEGU' in the forum search and it should take me to the right place right?

I saw on another thread and I have lost it now but it was a bit of software from the looks of it that controlled what mods are installed and any one time, i guess giving you the chance to un-install and re-install at any time? Anyone know the name of it and where I can get it from?

Cheers
BIG D

[A. Smith]

It's called JSGME - JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler. It's really incredibly useful.

I'm afraid I don't have the link on hand, but it shouldn't be too hard to find.

[razark]

JSGME (http://www.users.on.net/%7Ejscones/software/products-jsgme.html)
This thing is wonderful.

Trigger Maru Overhauled (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=132330)

Real Fleet Boat (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=159709)

Fall of the Rising Sun (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=147988)

Run Silent, Run Deep Campaign (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=123467)
Make sure you get the version for whichever mod you need.

Easy AOB (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=152945)
If you're doing manual targeting, this is great.

[BIGD101]

Hey thanks for all the help and links guys, good work! All I have to do now is get U-Boat Missions as it looks like I need that to make them run!

Cheers
BIG D

[Freebird]

It sounds like you have 1.4 and need 1.5?
I guess this link is only good for No. America so, I don't know if this helps...

http://digitalstore.ubi.com/0/5867/product/Buy-Silent-Hunter:-Wolves-of-the-Pacific-U-Boat-Missions-Download

Get that before you do any mods due to most mods being compatable with 1.5 only.

Gary