Silent Hunter 5 - Honest Opinions?

[Paulie76]

I've been reading reviews, watching gameplay videos, looking at screenies and examining mods. My poor old computer probably couldn't take it. Though upgrades in Ram, video card, etc... have kept it in tip top shape, there's only so much upgrading you can do to a five year old beast, lol. But still I watch and think about SH5.

What I'm wondering is, based on what I've seen, what does SH5 offer me that would make it worth a whole new computer for me? What is there in the game that I don't already have with my modded SH3 (beyond graphics...thinking more in gameplay here)? To me, it looks like a glossed up version of what I've already got...so is it worth it?

Anyone have it? My questions aren't really answered with the screenies or videos I've seen since it's not really about graphics for me at all. But is the dynamic campaign that much better? Crew Management? etc...? Are the features of it worth the upgrade, or is there nothing new that I don't already have with my GWX, MaGUI, SH3Speech, etc...

Been wondering about this for a while. I was deathly afraid of reinstalling SH3 onto Windows 7 after reading some horror stories and I thought seriously of SH5 during that time. I'm very happy that my SH3 fears were put to rest and I'm happily cruising the GWX waters in search of convoys, but still the thought is niggling in my brain. So I ask for honest opinions. Is it worth it?

Paulie

[Gargamel]

I second this question.

Having enjoyed SH3+GWX so much, I've considered upgrading to SH5.

is it worth it?

Stock SH3 was just a game, but GWX feels immersive. I dont want to lose that feeling by 'upgrading'

[JScones]

The best thing you can do is ask this question in the SH5 forum as well. That way you can balance the "SH5 sux, that's why we still play SH3" comments from here with the "SH5 looks good enough to eat!" comments from the SH5 forum.

[Jimbuna]

The best thing you can do is ask this question in the SH5 forum as well. That way you can balance the "SH5 sux, that's why we still play SH3" comments from here with the "SH5 looks good enough to eat!" comments from the SH5 forum.

Agreed but I will say this....I can't think of any game worthy of a new computer purchase unless said rig is already planned/necessary anyway.

[JScones]

I agree. I certainly wouldn't buy a new computer based solely on the weight of peoples' recommendation's here for one game. Might be a very expensive $1050 or whatever if the OP follows the "I agree :yeah::up::salute:"s but ends up not liking it himself. Much better to have a personal reason for upgrading (I upgraded my computer in Feb because I was sick of my daughter nagging me for one...), and then determining whether or not to stick with SH3 or go to SH5. At least then if SH5 "sux", you feel like you've only wasted $50, not $1050 (...so I have no regrets not installing SH5).

Having said that, I think a few people upgraded their computers just for SH5 and are happy, so to each their own.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Yep, I'd agree with Jasun and Jim. If you're going to buy a new computer then buy one, but don't buy it just for one game... Five years is a reasonable age to want to swap, and I think the more modern PCs will last much longer.

Every game, no matter how good/bad has it's knockers and it's pro-brigade, but the fact that now SH5 is available for only a tenner then it's got to be worth a peek, but only if your rig is up to it. Only you can then decide which camp to park your butt in. :yep:

[VONHARRIS]

I agree with Jasun and Jim. I just will not buy a new PC or even upgrade for just a game.
Moreover I haven't read the best reviews for this game , full of bugs etc.
Anyway IMO SH3 + GWX and all these mods I can find is everything I need.

[Kapt Z]

I'm still having too much fun with SH3+mods.:up:

I haven't even made it to SH4 yet.

Besides, from my understanding SH5 seems to give you more eye candy, but not much else.

Type VII is the only boat you can choose.
Not a true dynamic campaign.
The war ends in 1943

Didn't see any need to rush out and get it.

Then again, it's been a long time since I visited the SH5 forum so maybe they have changed some things for the better.;)

[Yoriyn]

Heh.
I upgrade my computer years ago to play SH3 :O:

[K-61]

Agreed but I will say this....I can't think of any game worthy of a new computer purchase unless said rig is already planned/necessary anyway.

I'm glad my wife didn't see that comment before I bought my last desktop. Otherwise she wouldn't have let me get it. I even bought a six piece surround sound speaker setup and a large "C" shaped desk so that I could place the satellite speakers in a proper surround sound configuration. The desk takes up nearly half of our bedroom. My wife would have chopped it up for firewood by now, but we don't have a fireplace in our home.

[Paulie76]

Oh no no...sorry if I didn't explain right! Sometimes my typing gets ahead of my brain and it all stops making sense, lol. I should have worded it better.

My computer is old. I've upgraded it as much as I can and so any next step I take would be to a new computer. Regardless of gaming. I actually use it more for writing and 3D modeling and such rather than gaming. Just mulling over in my head when (and if) that new computer comes if I should dive into SH5 or reinstall SH3. That's all. I wouldn't buy a new computer for a game because at the moment there's only two games that I actually play, X-Plane and SH3.

[K-61]

Speaking of SH5, did they finally integrate truly functional AI boats and wolf packs, and if so, are they any good?

[SilentSnake]

I believe they have. Its included in the IRAI mod by TDW. I dont think they can use the deck gun though but they definitely attack ships now together.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Oh no no...sorry if I didn't explain right! Sometimes my typing gets ahead of my brain and it all stops making sense, lol. I should have worded it better.

My computer is old. I've upgraded it as much as I can and so any next step I take would be to a new computer. Regardless of gaming. I actually use it more for writing and 3D modeling and such rather than gaming. Just mulling over in my head when (and if) that new computer comes if I should dive into SH5 or reinstall SH3. That's all. I wouldn't buy a new computer for a game because at the moment there's only two games that I actually play, X-Plane and SH3.

Well if you put it like that then a new rig it is, one of the first things you should do is install SH3, even if you buy SH5. And X-Plane. You'll get good returns on these games with a new multi processor and modern RAM and graphics cards. Just time how long it takes to load a session of SH3, before you buy your new rig, from clicking to start the game to getting past the 'Not so long ago...' screen. Then repeat with a new machine and be amazed :D

[Sailor Steve]

I can't agree with those who say "Don't buy a whole new computer just for a game", mainly because I bought the one I have now just so I could play SH3. Everything else I do could be done on the rig I bought in 1998.

I would have bought a new computer already, but I had to put money into other projects, so I'm still waiting. And I need a newer rig to play SH3 with all the mods that have come along, let alone SH5.

As for SH5, it is better than SH3 in more ways than just graphics, but if it was just SH3 with the new graphics I'd buy it. Unfortunately, while there are improvements, it is incomplete as far as boats you can run and length of time you can play into the war. Still, the only thing keeping me from buying it is the DRM, which requires a constant connection. If you can live with that and its other failings, the price is certainly right.

[Jimbuna]

Hey Jaesen....who is this Jasun fellow people often refer to, any ideas? :DL

[JScones]

No idea. I was hoping you knew? :hmmm:

:DL

[Herr-Berbunch]

Sorry :yep:

I knew it was phonetically the same as Jason, and somebody the other day put Jasun so I just assumed that they new best.

Never assume!

I'm going to dig that post out now and find the culprit... :D

Edit: You can blame Tessa! On more than one occasion, too.

[JScones]

On every occasion, IIRC. However, if I got sensitive every time someone spelt my name wrong, geez... ;)

[FIREWALL]

I think to keep everything in perspective. We have alot of members here we perceive by the way they post, as adults.

Unfortunatly they play and post here, on their parents or their own computer in their bedroom bought, by their parents for, school work.

Not built for gameing.:damn:

So as far as upgradeing goes, if they have one in their bedroom their, juiceing it up on the sly to play the latest SH Version.

What seems easy ($1000.00 or less) to an adult with a job to upgrade can be daunting for one with only an allowance and small jobs.

I can understand the Gameing and Hardware co's pushing for you to continually buying the Latest and Greatest but, NOT a Website. :nope:

Buy what you can afford is my Motto.

I could go on and on about this but, I think all here are smart enough to get my drift. :DL

[Jimbuna]

On every occasion, IIRC. However, if I got sensitive every time someone spelt my name wrong, geez... ;)

Too bloody right.....Jenson :DL

[frau kaleun]

Hey Jaesen....who is this Jasun fellow people often refer to, any ideas? :DL

We should ask Neil, I bet he knows. :O:

[Tessa]

Putting the whole buying a new machine to play the game aside, all the answers so far have really been clever dodges to the question at hand (and from the SH5 forum getting any honest feedback on the game from our perspective/expectation of play) is almost nil.

First time I watched the trailer was very impressed by two aspects, the complete freedom to move about your boat; and the biggest (at least imo) the ability to change the course of the war based on how your game is progressing. Irl had the Kriegsmarine succeeded at Narvik, and if the Hood, Nelson, Rodney, Illsutrious and or King George among other capital ships been sunk early in the war there's little room for debate that things would have played out differently. The final result may still have been an allied victory, though by attacking capital ships at wars start; thus allowing the Bismark and all the other pocket battleships and heavy cruisers to safely make it out to the Atlantic imo you would have been doing a lot more convoy hunting with little or no escorts for much longer into the war.

The whole ability to change the chain of events is very appealing. Even if they unfold the same, just at a much slower rate its still cool that you can see that your actions are making a difference.

[Hinrich Schwab]

I looked into SH5 and read several reviews and I could find little positive response for the game. While this normally does not bother me, the fact that the DRM requires the game to always have access to the internet and the game will pause when it loses connection is a deal breaker for me. If Ubisoft's servers go down, you cannot play the game. I will not purchase a game with DRM software that anal retentive.

[reignofdeath]

I agree. I certainly wouldn't buy a new computer based solely on the weight of peoples' recommendation's here for one game. Might be a very expensive $1050 or whatever if the OP follows the "I agree :yeah::up::salute:"s but ends up not liking it himself. Much better to have a personal reason for upgrading (I upgraded my computer in Feb because I was sick of my daughter nagging me for one...), and then determining whether or not to stick with SH3 or go to SH5. At least then if SH5 "sux", you feel like you've only wasted $50, not $1050 (...so I have no regrets not installing SH5).

Having said that, I think a few people upgraded their computers just for SH5 and are happy, so to each their own.

To be fair, if it can run SH5 smoothly, its probably going to run almost anything with no hiccups.

EDIT: And on a side note, how much would it cost to build a gaming rig for SH5 to run smoothly with mods?? Im looking into the possibility of doing such since I have a new job. I saw $1000 thrown around in the thread. Im just curious to wether thats accurate?

[Brag]

I've had a rig built in Chile that meets the SH5 specs, it cost me slightly under a thousand USD. I think in Europe and US it would cost about the same.

It runs SH3 with GWX just fine :D

[Madox58]

$1000.00 U.S. would build a better then good enuff system to run SH5,
if you do it yourself.
I figured $500.00 U.S. would allow me to build a system.
It would take some tradeing and spare parts robbing.
But it could be done.

[Hitman]

1.000.000 $ or € rig can fly you to the moon, but still isn't enough for SH5 if you don't have the proper internet connection ...

Long ago I discovered that past the novelty of the first months I had actually not much interest in SH5, and I'm more than happy to live with Sh3/Sh4 for my submarine needs. Well modded they still rock, and are flexible enough to allow me to tinker and make a GUI to my liking without learning Python :doh:

Sh5 is OK for anyone who really wants it. Me ... I'm too old and used to SH3/4 to move on. :salute:

[Madox58]

1.000.000 $ or € rig can fly you to the moon, but still isn't enough for SH5 if you don't have the proper internet connection ...
And there is the biggest problem with SH5.
:nope:

And We thought we had it hard with StarForce.
:o

[Herr-Berbunch]

I've had a rig built in Chile that meets the SH5 specs, it cost me slightly under a thousand USD. I think in Europe and US it would cost about the same.

It runs SH3 with GWX just fine :D

And it cost you a trip back to the shop for a new hard drive IIRC :hmmm:

[Madox58]

And it cost you a trip back to the shop for a new hard drive IIRC :hmmm:

Yes.
But remember it involves:
Several Sherpas with those 'push-me-pull-me' creatures.
(Alpakas or something?)
Abseiling steep cliffs, overflowing with the Kundalini of the unbridled jungle growth.
Something to do with an old Land Rover or some such?

Adds up to big $!
:haha:

[Tessa]

It sounds like the only real upgrade SH5 has is eye candy then?

[Sailor Steve]

No, it has other things, but it's still incomplete.

[Jimbuna]

It's still early days....more should follow.

[flag4]

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/7403/sh5img201003241540572.jpg

...it does look very beautifull. and if it played a la SH3, well, we'd never need another WWII sub-sim.

[Ducimus]

Silent Hunter 5 - Honest Opinions?

In a nutshell:

Same simulation, some missing functionality, super hot graphics.