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Lonecrow
06-30-10, 08:04 AM
It has been yeaars since I played a sub sim and after seeing the whole concept of walking around and actually commanding the ship really intrigued me. I used to be a die hard flight simulation enthusiast with the full HOTAS setup but eventually go out of it. I missed a simuation so I decided to go for this. I did play Aces of the Deep

This brings back memories.. look at those graphics!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glc_qGTTMXk

So my initial thoughts were - this game takes fricken forever to load! The manual was a joke and useless. I have no idea what the hell I'm doing. But it looks great! I mean it runs perfectly on my GeForce 250 in high rez. But looks will only get you so far.

Sort of like meeting and dating chick that looks really really smoking hot and then you are lucky enough to date her, get her in the sack and she's so horrible that is spoils the fact she's hot. Not to mention you find out she can't cook or clean!! She's just a trophy to show everyone.

So far that was my initial impression of the game.


Some of the things I had to learn by reading through the forums here and some questions are still unanswered. I shall post them

Is there ANY WAY to get the deck gun or flak gun to be fired by anyone else other than the captain? Why do I have to do it? I mean I like the option of doing it but I'd rather have someone else. Am I missing something? I'd like to see the gunner get more and more accurate as I assign them points etc.

Firing underwater is a joke as well. The water in high waves we shouldn't be allowed on the deck at all we'd be swept away. It shouldn't even allow you to man the deck gun/flak gun at all if the waves are too high.

Never been able to figure out how to use the TDC for the aft torpedo, not even sure if it works or I'm going something wrong. It always shows it trying to go out the front.

It would be nice if it would somehow tell you when you were trying to shoot something that would be out of range as a reminder to us newbies.

Some of us are not history buffs but also don't want it to be point and shoot, want it to be as realistic as possible but there has to be some sort of aid tools to help you learn to master torpedoes and how to do it. I would have never figured it out without the help of some posts here.

Ships you can damage them heavily and they don't sink at all after hours. I understand it seems to show the damage where you hit so if you hit below the water it should be flooding. I know they could close off those compartments and keep it afloat etc.. But some ships would be smart enough or not damaged enough to pull that off. I know some warships were hit by Japanese dive bombers were on fire and managed to limp to port.

Using the deck gun - does it even matter WHERE you hit it? Can you aim for specific points that will do more damage? Will HE do more than AP? If I aim to hit below the water will it help the flooding along?

Seeing the guys on deck standing around like they are having a smoke makes me laugh too. If they were scrambling around jumping overboard and maybe throw some lifeboats out there as well it woulda helped add to the realism.

For the sounds - if you were in the middle of a convoy of 6 undefended merchants that I just sunk pretty much with the deck gun, you wouldn't hear just "water" splashing on the bow. You'd be hearing screams of men in the water, shouting and all that. It is missing that whole element of knowing you just sent a lot of men to their graves and it is well known you could hear them screaming swearing etc..

Alot of it is pretty dang cool though I admit I am hooked for now, but I can see myself get pretty bored soon.

But there is nothing more exciting than bumping into a euro liner that is 80000tons heading at 22kts and you can't catch up in time so you surface to try and close the gap, it sees you and kicks it up to 29kts and gets away. Damn how exciting .. like a BIG FAT juicy target .. the temptation of tartarus...

I'll post more newb type observations as I get them :)

Lonecrow
06-30-10, 08:06 AM
One other thing - this is BS that you have to be on the internet to play this game. I'm going up north to a cottage where there is no internet and I have this loaded on my laptop. Now I can't play it at all on my vacation at night if I wanted to.

This really really angers me.

Zedi
06-30-10, 08:26 AM
There is a lot of topics like yours around here, so better go and read them as all your questions are already answered there... is no point to repeat the same answers again and again for every new player. Mix the game with some mods and you will like it even more.

Every SH release was bugged, every time moders worked hard to fix it and make it a good game. It's a shame, but I hope this was the last time and there will be no SH6 under Ubi logo. These guys are just unable to provide a good and finished SH game, failure is their nickname. So for a very long time, SH5 will be the best and only subsim we can get on the market (except if you don't like to play ancient games like SH3). Live with it and let's hope for a better future with mods saving the game.

edu
06-30-10, 09:15 AM
Every time I tried to playing the game, every second, SH V is screaming all time "Hey, Iīm unfinished, donīt do that, dontīt try that, iīm a stupid bad done game but iīm the only one and look pretty!

Itīs too much for me, impossible to play.
I Donīt like very much get hungry so I quit and play other awesome well done games that doesnīt make me feel disappointed, fooled, sad and stupid because I LOVE SUBSIMS! :nope:

But others like it. I donīt Know. One man/woman, one opinion.

Lonecrow
06-30-10, 11:42 AM
I'll guess we'll have to wait for the unpaid consultants to finish the game..

I mean I am getting entertainment out of it for sure. But calling it a "simulation" would be a stretch.

Good news is the game has only crashed on me 2 times in a week so far.

Zedi
06-30-10, 12:15 PM
Depends on what you call simulation. Clicking on huge dials on ur screen or ... playing into a full 3D virtual world that simulate very good the u-boot era.

For example, I play with the UI hidden and shortcuts, so I have a nice and clean full screen. My favorite part is when I order dive, then go down in front of the obs. periscope and watch the depth dial waiting for a full dive. Then raise the scope and start hunting. Here is when the simulation start to break and that's because this game was not designed to be played on 100% realism.. stadimeter is broken, map tools too.. so is impossible to continue the full simulation.

But, is better than what we had in any previous SH where we played more like a Star Trek simulation than a real u-boot one. Teleport to stations, one click target tracking, ur scope was full with huge ugly dials etc. So I say the simulation part is working pretty much, with the help of few mod these bugs are solved.

What annoys me very much is the stupid AI. No matter if is the crew or the enemy, the AI is completely retarded and that's killing the game :(

Lonecrow
06-30-10, 01:37 PM
UGH!!! I decided to go to a british coastal port just to see what it looked like and if there would be any traffic (see how real it was) and there were 6 escorts patrolling outside of it. I stealthily made my way in right to the dock and saw two big fat merchants sitting there parked!!!

I call for all stop and get ready to set up my torpedo shots and it CRASHED TO DESKTOP!!! UGH!!! 20 mins of manuvering for NOTHIGN!!

Lonecrow
06-30-10, 02:44 PM
Managed to figure out how to fire the deck gun automatically.. you have to use your binoculars while on the con tower..

For your batteries will they recharge faster if your engine is running on the surface? I managed to find a quiet place to hide on the surface while I wait for the batteries to recharge but seems reallly slow and I already put max points into the guy who increases battery recharge..

voss
06-30-10, 03:14 PM
Managed to figure out how to fire the deck gun automatically.. you have to use your binoculars while on the con tower..

For your batteries will they recharge faster if your engine is running on the surface? I managed to find a quiet place to hide on the surface while I wait for the batteries to recharge but seems reallly slow and I already put max points into the guy who increases battery recharge..
I believe you need to be running your diesels to turn the electric engines into a dynamo. the faster the diesels run, the more quickly the batteries will recharge. :know:

Lonecrow
06-30-10, 04:30 PM
Ok great thanks!

Also how do you get the flak guns to fire automatically at aircraft? I can't seem to target them and get them to attack them. Even though I hear they are crap..


Also how do you know which ports are friendly to dock and refit? The Neutral ones look the same color as the friendly. I was able to refit at a german island north of my main base but when I went to one in spain the same color nobody was there nor could i dock..