View Full Version : New to site, and I have a few questions.
Hello, everyone! I was a big fan of the original Silent Hunter. I bought it when it came out and literally played it for years. As time passed, and my PCs were replaced with newer hardware and operating systems, it got to the point where it wouldn't run anymore.
I tried Silent Hunter II, but didn't like it nearly as much. I played one carreer through and never played it again. It lacked the "free-form" aspect of the original SH (being able to roam at will during campaign play), crashed a lot and, frankly, I just prefer the Pacific Theater.
Fast-forward a few more years and I stumble across my original SH disk while going through some boxes. I decided to see if there was an update, and I discovered SH4. I got it about a month ago and have been playing it a few hours a week. I'm rapidly becoming just as hooked on this one as the original SH.
I did the tutorial missions, found out for my self just how crappy the "manual" is, and have lurked around this site for a couple of weeks. I've had many questions answered and learned a lot here at SubSim (thanks everyone!).
I do have some un-answered questions, though:
1) I've just finished my 5th patrol on my first carreer. On my first patrol, I got jumped by a Betty bomber and didn't dive fast enough. Minor damage to my boat and my gun crew and I were injured (I was on the bridge). When I RTBed, I was awarded a Purple Heart. Cool... but now, after every patrol, I'm awarded a Purple Heart, even though I haven't been injured again. Only one award shows up in my "Medal Box" in my office, but after completing each subsequent patrol I see the picture of the medal and the citation. Interestingly, it has the date of the encounter where I was actually injured. Looking at my log for each mission when in my office shows "Award" as the last entry for each patrol. Is this normal? I've pulled off a couple of impressive actions during some patrols (in my mind at least) and I'm suspecting this "bug" is preventing me from getting other medals.
2) After completing my last patrol, I was given the opportunity to take a Salmon-class boat, which I did. Leaving Brisbane, I decided to see what it can do before getting in the thick of things. The red needle on the shallow depth gauge (periscope depth) is at ~55feet. When I call for periscope depth, my fully extended periscope is still about 3 feet below the surface, even in glassy-calm conditions. Bug?
3) The original SH had a "leader board" that showed your total tonnage to date and compared it with other, historical skippers. Is there anything like that in SH4?
4) In Crew Management, why are some of my crew's photos black and white? They seem to eventually become color photos... they seem to go to black and white when I move them between slots.
5) The original SH had a hot key for Radar Depth ("R", IIRC), dos SH4 have something similar?
Sorry, for the long-winded introductory post. It's been fun getting back into the Pacific Theater after so many years away!
Vaux
Sailor Steve
08-12-10, 10:13 AM
WELCOME ABOARD! :sunny:
Your experience with SH2 pretty much parallels that of most of us. Mods turned it into a great game, and it was fun going head-to-head with Destroyer Command, but the lack of dynamic campaign kept if from ever becoming a real sim.
The entire community staged something of a mutiny when it was first announce that SH3 would have a similar "campaign", and the game was delayed six months while they rewrote it to match the career mode of Aces Of The Deep and SH1. We're eternally grateful they took that step.
I don't know the answers to some of your questions but this one:
4) In Crew Management, why are some of my crew's photos black and white? They seem to eventually become color photos... they seem to go to black and white when I move them between slots.
The crew is divided into three watch bills, or shifts. Only the watch currently on duty has the colored pictures. If you call General Quarters they will all come on duty, and everything will be more efficient. Don't forget to secure from GC when you're done with the combat though, or you'll be back here asking "My has my crew all gone to sleep at their stations?"
Sorry, for the long-winded introductory post. It's been fun getting back into the Pacific Theater after so many years away!
You're fine. Go to the General Topics forum sometime. Then you'll find out what "long-winded" really is!
:rotfl2:
Welcome Aboard. :DL
About questions 1 and 2, they could well be stock bugs.
The stock game is pretty FUBARED with bugs.
3) The original SH had a "leader board" that showed your total tonnage to date and compared it with other, historical skippers. Is there anything like that in SH4?
It's in the office. Just to the left of the big map, where you activate your mission.
5) The original SH had a hot key for Radar Depth ("R", IIRC), dos SH4 have something similar?
Not in stock. You'll have to order the depth yourself (approx 40ft IIRC).
Many of the mods fix a lot of these, and other issues.
I predict you will go mod shopping real soon :03:
Thanks for the replies, guys. I have the 1.4 patch on my game and the only mod I have is the "Real Clothes" one. It just seemed strange seeing everyone in perfect uniforms all the time. If I go for one of the major mods, should I start a new carreer, or should it work OK in my current one?
Thanks for the replies, guys. I have the 1.4 patch on my game and the only mod I have is the "Real Clothes" one. It just seemed strange seeing everyone in perfect uniforms all the time. If I go for one of the major mods, should I start a new carreer, or should it work OK in my current one?
Acquire the U-boat missions add-on. It's payware, but it's worth it. It bumps the game up to the 1.5 version, which most of the mods use these days.
If you're installing a major mod, I'd suggest restarting a career. It might work, but it might not. Don't take the chance.
WernherVonTrapp
08-12-10, 11:49 AM
Oh well, looks like everything has been covered. Welcome to the PTO, Vaux.:salute:
Stealhead
08-12-10, 04:28 PM
If you are in a Porpoise,Salmon, or Sargo class sub on the early war versions the night periscope and the attack periscope are on different levels and the night scope is shorter and lower in the sub so when you want to use the night periscope you'll need to go to about 49 or 50 ft to use it because the sub goes to a depth for the attack scope.Or you can use the periscope in the conning tower(attack scope raised/lowered by page/up page down) in stead of the one in the control room(night/observation scope raised/lowered by insert/delete)
Get 1.5 and go for some mods. Have fun out there.
@Stealhead: I figured that very thing out about the periscopes when playing last night. I was on the bridge, looking around and noticed the hole for the observation scope near the base of the tower, but didn't see the hole for the attack scope. I raised both scopes and noticed the attack scope went higher. Doh! One more difference from the S boat I started with!
I've seen the 1.5 add-on on Ebay for around 5-6 dollars. I think the old sailing kitty budget can handle that!
I think I'm going to see where my current carreer takes me before I put on a major mod. Whenever it ends, either on VJ day, or some earlier date, deep in the briney, I'll stick this one out as-is.
I've been doing a little reading on the Trigger Maru Overhauls and the Real Fleet Boat mods... is there one that's generally preferred over another?
I think I'm going to see where my current carreer takes me before I put on a major mod. Whenever it ends, either on VJ day, or some earlier date, deep in the briney, I'll stick this one out as-is.
That's probably a smart move.
Get a good feel for the game before you throw a major mod at it.
RFB vs TMO.
Which is preferred?
Depends on who you ask.
In all seriousness they are both very good.
And are both well liked and respected on his forum.
You may need to do what I did.
I used a little tool called 'Multi SH4'. Lets you run more than one install.
I used one for RFB and one for TMO, and ran a few patrols in each before making my final decision.
But you got a career to do before you get to that point.
Enjoy mate :DL
@Sergei: Cheers, mate, and thanks for the advice!
Completely unrelated: I always enjoy visiting London and the UK in general. You guys have the best beer in the world, in my opinion (which can be awkward at times since I'm married to a German woman :D). A real-ale ESB and Poacher's pie pub lunch is one of my favorite meals in the world (and I've visited a fair portion of it)!
You guys have the best beer in the world, in my opinion
I wouldn't tell the Frau that ;)
I wouldn't tell the Frau that ;)
Oh, she figured it out years ago (those clever Krauts). One day she realized that when she went booze shopping, she'd come home with Warsteiner, Becks, Spaten, etc. (which I like as well), but when I went booze shopping I'd come home with Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout, Hobgoblin Brown Ale, and various ESBs and IPAs. Kind of a dead give-away.:hmmm:
mobucks
08-13-10, 10:41 AM
Both TMO and RFB are excellent. However RFB seems like it has some bugs in the latest version. I still play it though because i like longer repair times and when a plane takes your nose off the uboat you die! not motor back to pearl with a planet sized hole in your bow. If i could add that stuff to TMO, it would be my perfect mod.
Both TMO and RFB are excellent. However RFB seems like it has some bugs in the latest version. I still play it though because i like longer repair times and when a plane takes your nose off the uboat you die! not motor back to pearl with a planet sized hole in your bow. If i could add that stuff to TMO, it would be my perfect mod.
Is there some sort of head-to-head comparison of the features in RFB and TMO?
mobucks
08-13-10, 03:23 PM
well, both mods have pretty damn good (excuse me, excellent) .pfd manuals that explain what and why about what is changed. TMO has a 2.0 .pfd and i think it is included in the mod. RFB has a manul for 1.52 i think, but it gives you a good rundown of features nonetheless.
Stealhead
08-13-10, 06:47 PM
When it comes to RFB vs. TMO Id say it really just boils down to what the individual player prefers.
I myself prefer TMO over RFB because for me TMO has a better balance between playability, realism and historical accuracy personally I prefer the enemy AI of TMO as well.That is not to say that RFB is a bad mod by any means only that I prefer TMO.
You'd really have to try them both to find the one you like best.Much like test driving a new car.
tomoose
08-19-10, 12:26 PM
Vaux;
you'll have to decide for yourself. RFB and TMO are both damn good mods. When you decide you'll also want to consider the Run Silent Run Deep campaign mod. While RFB and TMO fixed/upgraded specific gameplay issues, RSRD addresses campaign/historic issues and creates a more authentic scenario (i.e. ships in their proper shipping lanes, famous naval battles taking place at the right time and place etc). Conversely, you can come back from a patrol in RSRD either empty handed or with only one or two sinkings simply because you couldn't find a target. RSRD is definitely not for the "I need action NOW!" crowd but IMHO it makes just one sinking that much more challenging and satisfying.
:salute:
I'm goin' down
08-20-10, 02:09 AM
The dds in TMO are really tough. Ducimus has made a great supermod, and I think it is the toughest one out there. FOTRS has great visuals, but is not as difficult (haven't played it for quite some time though.) There are some great mods around too for any of the supermods. Attack mods include Easy Aob and the new 3D TDC, which is good if you want to play with map contacts off. Also, go to the Mobo forum and read about MoBo, a program re manuevering ships. Those mods will keep you busy. RSRDC can be combined with TMO and RFB, and it will insert all of the manor convoys and task forces that were in the Pacific and where there were major (and minor?) battles, the appropriate enemy boats and aircraft will be there.
I am trying to figure out celestial navigation, but I cannot get a handle on it.
I just got back from my first patrol with my new Salmon class (7th patrol over all), and I did NOT get a Purple Heart. Maybe I just kept banging my shin on some valve in the old S boat? :D
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