schlechter pfennig
04-28-10, 01:20 PM
First off, let me apologize in advance for this 'novella'. :)
I've always had an interest in submarines, ever since I was a kid. Had I known that the navy still had attack submarines, I would have been a squid instead of a 'Green Bean'. Alas, I was under the impression that the only submarines the US Navy had were boomers and, frankly, the idea of serving on a submerged ballistic missile platform was not at all appealing to me so, instead, I joined the Army and volunteered for Special Forces. Not that I regret that, because I don't. I got to parachute, rappel, cross-country and downhill ski, fire all sorts of firearms, crew-served weapons and heavy weapons, and blow up stuff. And they paid me to do that, too! :D
I've never had an interest in video games, a-la Super Mario Brothers, etc. Repetitive, same-old, same old, memorize-the-steps-needed games appeal to me slightly less so than weekly colonoscopies. I will confess to owning three flight simulator games --Red Baron II, Jane's F-18 and WWII Fighters (and also profess to purchasing the Saitek X-52 flight controller system)-- but, hey, I also like flying. I've also had chances to pilot some aircraft, too, including five minutes in the co-pilots seat of a C-130 (but I won't say much more about how I managed to do that one ::cough::cough::).
The first time I ever encountered a 'submarine simulation' was many years ago in my dim youth. I don't even remember the name of it --I think it might have been 'Silent Service' but I don't remember. What I do remember, and quite clearly, was spending over eight non-stop hours playing it. Had I owned a PC at that point in time I would have gotten a copy of that and played it until the floppy melted. :D
OK, let's fast-forward quite a few years now. February 2006 to be precise. I'd been reminiscing about that ol' sub game I'd played and, as a lark more than anything serious, I Googled for PC submarine games. And followed a link to a review about Silent Hunter III.
The reviewer could not have gushed more about Silent Hunter III. The more I read, the more I wanted the game. One description particularly stuck out to me: the reviewer had mentioned how none of the ships ever sank the exact same way. I suppose that one caught my eye more than anything else because, as a kid, I used to take my old ship models over to a nearby creek, ballast them with lead fishing weights, then 'torpedo' them with my BB gun and watch them sink. :oops:
So on 22 February 2006 I downloaded Silent Hunter III from Direct-2-Drive (which I'm glad I did, as buying it that way completely avoided the Starforce issue that plagued so many) . . . and my life hasn't been quite the same since.
There were so many things about the game that appealed to me, ranging from the Naval Academy tutorials (which made a tutorial still seem as if part of a career), the fact that I could directly control certain functions if I chose (like deck and flak guns) or simply leave them in control of the assigned crews), all the way to each patrol being different, never the exact, predictable, 'same-old same-old'.
Oh, looking back on it now I have to laugh when I compare the stock, 'vanilla' game to what I run now. For instance, I remember being so 'wow-ed' with my deck gun prowess, and enjoying the thrill of pounding merchants with that, that I'd actually bought Destroyer Command in order to enjoy that even more so (well, that and to try playing out a destroyer against U-boats in multi-player; but we all know how that turned out, don't we?)
After a while, though, even with as much fun as I'd been having, things slowly started losing their luster. What need was there of strategy and tactics, when destroyers and escorts were so laughably inept? Go ahead, make me laugh and try depth-charging me! :zzz:
I don't remember how I originally discovered my first mod. I wasn't even aware of the concept of 'modding', and my first thought upon reading about it was wondering if that was even legal. Wasn't something like that the same as hacking and/or cracking proprietary files?
If I recall correctly, the first mod I installed was a nomograph. But I do recall how I installed it: directly copying and overwriting game files. See, I also wasn't aware of JSGME, either. (And what a program that is, too! Jaeson, IMO, is truly the unsung hero of SHIII, for his blood, sweat and efforts with JSGME and SH3 Commander)
I'm not sure how I stumbled across Subsim; another one of those fortuitous events, and one I have been eternally grateful for. Between the SHIII forum and the SHIII Mod forum, my eyes have been truly opened to a wonderful, amazing world.
If it came to awarding acknowledgements and kudos I wouldn't know where to begin, so I'll just say thank you one and all. I'm grateful for everyone, from the giganormous efforts of the GWX team who have intensely revolutionized Silent Hunter III for me, to JScones and his JSGME and SH3 Commander, all the way down to those whose mods have been just little things, perhaps a single sound file, but in actuality anything but 'little'.
Leaving port used to be the ho-hum drudgery necessary to get to the real action: torpedoing and sinking ships. Now I spend the first hour at TC1, real-time, steering my boat by rudder and eyeball instead of just plotting out the necessary course and 'speed sprinting' using time compression. Waiting for the locks and Wilhelmshaven, instead of being a begrudged 'time-waster', instead is a time for reflection and introspection. I watch my berth slowly disappear behind me; in the early part of the war I'm filled with eager anticipation, while in the latter part I watch port slowly fade in the distance while I feel melancholy, wondering if I'll ever see home again, if we'll make it back this time. I listen to the cry of gulls, the splash of my bow waves, the low rumble of the diesels, their smoke training aft of my churning, frothy wake.
Returning to port used to be nothing more than a necessary, to-be-hastened step prior to garnering my richly-deserved renown, and 'spending' that on nifty upgrades, and again hastened by the gods of time-compression. And now, just like leaving port, returning is something I do slowly and leisurely at TC1, real time, and finished only once I've backed into my berth and have come to all stop. And, again like leaving port, the feelings evoked upon returning differ depending upon what stage of the war it is. Early in the war I'm filled with a sense of triumph and success, even if I am jonesing for fresh vegetables, eggs and milk (and, hopefully, even fresher female companionship!). :O: Finding out I've been reassigned and having to leave my boat to my exec (and a wholehearted, fervent Thank You to Jaeson for that Commander ability!) is frustrating yet understandable. Later in the war, however . . . all I feel is dull relief in seeing my berth. Just getting home alive is a major victory. (Hell, sometimes just getting out of the sub pen without getting plastered by bombs is a major victory!) I'm tired and battered, as often as not my boat is damaged and just as battered, and all I'm looking forward to his a long hot shower then dropping off in my bunk, able to sleep without fear of discovery. And when I do get transferred (assuming I've lived that long) it is with a sense of mingled shame and gratitude.
I catch myself giving the minesweeper crew a cheery wave as they turn about after guiding us out. What a thankless, boring job they have! And the formerly-boring task of assigning 24 U-boat war badges, well . . . I picture giving each crewman a little congratulation speech as I award them. Quite often, while at sea, I'll drop TC to 1 and just stand on the bridge for up to an hour, enjoying the waves and swell as we knife through them. That's especially relaxing in an odd sort of way when the sea is truly wild and rough, bow rising and falling with metronomic regularity, the whump as the bow slices down and spray lofts up in a soaking spray.
But then there's escorts and destroyers and aircraft . . . and depth charges, which are no longer anywhere near as 'ho-hum' as they had been. Being spotted now is no longer a minor irritant and annoyance, something that interrupts attack runs. Oh no! Escorts and destroyers are, most definitely, on my poopy list. There is no more maniacal 'hit-and-run' tactics. I've truly had to learn tactics and strategy, and patience to boot, for failure in any of these areas leads to a very quick death. I've spent up to six hours, real time, desperately trying to evade relentless destroyers intend on my demise, and the entire time my belly has been knotted, my heart pounding. I've never had any sort of game evoke what I feel as, yet again, I hear the pinging sharpen and increase, hear the thrum of churning screws overheard and followed by the dull, powerful explosions all about me.
Back in February 2006 I'd thought I'd found the submarine simulation of my dreams. I was wrong, though. I didn't find it at Direct-2-Drive . . . I found it here, in this community.
Thanks to each and every one of you who have relentlessly toiled to make a good game an even greater simulation!
I've always had an interest in submarines, ever since I was a kid. Had I known that the navy still had attack submarines, I would have been a squid instead of a 'Green Bean'. Alas, I was under the impression that the only submarines the US Navy had were boomers and, frankly, the idea of serving on a submerged ballistic missile platform was not at all appealing to me so, instead, I joined the Army and volunteered for Special Forces. Not that I regret that, because I don't. I got to parachute, rappel, cross-country and downhill ski, fire all sorts of firearms, crew-served weapons and heavy weapons, and blow up stuff. And they paid me to do that, too! :D
I've never had an interest in video games, a-la Super Mario Brothers, etc. Repetitive, same-old, same old, memorize-the-steps-needed games appeal to me slightly less so than weekly colonoscopies. I will confess to owning three flight simulator games --Red Baron II, Jane's F-18 and WWII Fighters (and also profess to purchasing the Saitek X-52 flight controller system)-- but, hey, I also like flying. I've also had chances to pilot some aircraft, too, including five minutes in the co-pilots seat of a C-130 (but I won't say much more about how I managed to do that one ::cough::cough::).
The first time I ever encountered a 'submarine simulation' was many years ago in my dim youth. I don't even remember the name of it --I think it might have been 'Silent Service' but I don't remember. What I do remember, and quite clearly, was spending over eight non-stop hours playing it. Had I owned a PC at that point in time I would have gotten a copy of that and played it until the floppy melted. :D
OK, let's fast-forward quite a few years now. February 2006 to be precise. I'd been reminiscing about that ol' sub game I'd played and, as a lark more than anything serious, I Googled for PC submarine games. And followed a link to a review about Silent Hunter III.
The reviewer could not have gushed more about Silent Hunter III. The more I read, the more I wanted the game. One description particularly stuck out to me: the reviewer had mentioned how none of the ships ever sank the exact same way. I suppose that one caught my eye more than anything else because, as a kid, I used to take my old ship models over to a nearby creek, ballast them with lead fishing weights, then 'torpedo' them with my BB gun and watch them sink. :oops:
So on 22 February 2006 I downloaded Silent Hunter III from Direct-2-Drive (which I'm glad I did, as buying it that way completely avoided the Starforce issue that plagued so many) . . . and my life hasn't been quite the same since.
There were so many things about the game that appealed to me, ranging from the Naval Academy tutorials (which made a tutorial still seem as if part of a career), the fact that I could directly control certain functions if I chose (like deck and flak guns) or simply leave them in control of the assigned crews), all the way to each patrol being different, never the exact, predictable, 'same-old same-old'.
Oh, looking back on it now I have to laugh when I compare the stock, 'vanilla' game to what I run now. For instance, I remember being so 'wow-ed' with my deck gun prowess, and enjoying the thrill of pounding merchants with that, that I'd actually bought Destroyer Command in order to enjoy that even more so (well, that and to try playing out a destroyer against U-boats in multi-player; but we all know how that turned out, don't we?)
After a while, though, even with as much fun as I'd been having, things slowly started losing their luster. What need was there of strategy and tactics, when destroyers and escorts were so laughably inept? Go ahead, make me laugh and try depth-charging me! :zzz:
I don't remember how I originally discovered my first mod. I wasn't even aware of the concept of 'modding', and my first thought upon reading about it was wondering if that was even legal. Wasn't something like that the same as hacking and/or cracking proprietary files?
If I recall correctly, the first mod I installed was a nomograph. But I do recall how I installed it: directly copying and overwriting game files. See, I also wasn't aware of JSGME, either. (And what a program that is, too! Jaeson, IMO, is truly the unsung hero of SHIII, for his blood, sweat and efforts with JSGME and SH3 Commander)
I'm not sure how I stumbled across Subsim; another one of those fortuitous events, and one I have been eternally grateful for. Between the SHIII forum and the SHIII Mod forum, my eyes have been truly opened to a wonderful, amazing world.
If it came to awarding acknowledgements and kudos I wouldn't know where to begin, so I'll just say thank you one and all. I'm grateful for everyone, from the giganormous efforts of the GWX team who have intensely revolutionized Silent Hunter III for me, to JScones and his JSGME and SH3 Commander, all the way down to those whose mods have been just little things, perhaps a single sound file, but in actuality anything but 'little'.
Leaving port used to be the ho-hum drudgery necessary to get to the real action: torpedoing and sinking ships. Now I spend the first hour at TC1, real-time, steering my boat by rudder and eyeball instead of just plotting out the necessary course and 'speed sprinting' using time compression. Waiting for the locks and Wilhelmshaven, instead of being a begrudged 'time-waster', instead is a time for reflection and introspection. I watch my berth slowly disappear behind me; in the early part of the war I'm filled with eager anticipation, while in the latter part I watch port slowly fade in the distance while I feel melancholy, wondering if I'll ever see home again, if we'll make it back this time. I listen to the cry of gulls, the splash of my bow waves, the low rumble of the diesels, their smoke training aft of my churning, frothy wake.
Returning to port used to be nothing more than a necessary, to-be-hastened step prior to garnering my richly-deserved renown, and 'spending' that on nifty upgrades, and again hastened by the gods of time-compression. And now, just like leaving port, returning is something I do slowly and leisurely at TC1, real time, and finished only once I've backed into my berth and have come to all stop. And, again like leaving port, the feelings evoked upon returning differ depending upon what stage of the war it is. Early in the war I'm filled with a sense of triumph and success, even if I am jonesing for fresh vegetables, eggs and milk (and, hopefully, even fresher female companionship!). :O: Finding out I've been reassigned and having to leave my boat to my exec (and a wholehearted, fervent Thank You to Jaeson for that Commander ability!) is frustrating yet understandable. Later in the war, however . . . all I feel is dull relief in seeing my berth. Just getting home alive is a major victory. (Hell, sometimes just getting out of the sub pen without getting plastered by bombs is a major victory!) I'm tired and battered, as often as not my boat is damaged and just as battered, and all I'm looking forward to his a long hot shower then dropping off in my bunk, able to sleep without fear of discovery. And when I do get transferred (assuming I've lived that long) it is with a sense of mingled shame and gratitude.
I catch myself giving the minesweeper crew a cheery wave as they turn about after guiding us out. What a thankless, boring job they have! And the formerly-boring task of assigning 24 U-boat war badges, well . . . I picture giving each crewman a little congratulation speech as I award them. Quite often, while at sea, I'll drop TC to 1 and just stand on the bridge for up to an hour, enjoying the waves and swell as we knife through them. That's especially relaxing in an odd sort of way when the sea is truly wild and rough, bow rising and falling with metronomic regularity, the whump as the bow slices down and spray lofts up in a soaking spray.
But then there's escorts and destroyers and aircraft . . . and depth charges, which are no longer anywhere near as 'ho-hum' as they had been. Being spotted now is no longer a minor irritant and annoyance, something that interrupts attack runs. Oh no! Escorts and destroyers are, most definitely, on my poopy list. There is no more maniacal 'hit-and-run' tactics. I've truly had to learn tactics and strategy, and patience to boot, for failure in any of these areas leads to a very quick death. I've spent up to six hours, real time, desperately trying to evade relentless destroyers intend on my demise, and the entire time my belly has been knotted, my heart pounding. I've never had any sort of game evoke what I feel as, yet again, I hear the pinging sharpen and increase, hear the thrum of churning screws overheard and followed by the dull, powerful explosions all about me.
Back in February 2006 I'd thought I'd found the submarine simulation of my dreams. I was wrong, though. I didn't find it at Direct-2-Drive . . . I found it here, in this community.
Thanks to each and every one of you who have relentlessly toiled to make a good game an even greater simulation!