New to Silent Hunter

[danhall86]

I really want to play a WW2 subsim. Nice graphics are a plus (silent hunter 5 is apparently the forerunner there) as visuals are the most immersive feature to me, but a nice open ended campaign where i can just navigate the ocean sinking things to my heart's content (not without a challenge) is equally important. And ofcourse a healthy dose of realism.

I'm looking at either Silent Hunter 4 or 5.

Which of these two games is the best in it's most recently patched and modded form - both viusally, campaign and gameplay wise.

If I was to go with SH4 or 5, which Modpack is the best to go with to get a definitive experience of each of these titles?

eg. best choice is...
Game: SH4/SH5
Official patches: up to 1.*
Modpack: _________

Ideas of where to start?
I'd get both of the above if I could, but I'm just entering the fray so it's probably wise to start with one, and preferably the one that simmers think is the best SH to date! Thanks :salute:

[Luken]

[NOT PLAYED BOTH BUT SOMETHING ABOUT SH5]

Game: I personally chose SH5, only because of atlantic theater of war. I think nobody knows for sure what is better from what I read. These games are just different (SH5 is more moddable I suppose, but has more glitches at the same time and is younger).

Modpack: SH5 doesn't have one (non out-of-date) modpack = you need to put a A LOT of research in modding your game (choosing mods, putting them in correct order etc). I have now like 50 mods installed, literally - no joke. I'm still not sure if it will make some problems, because of possible incompatibilities between mods, but works for now pretty good. This is a major drawback but if you will take your time to do this work, you will get a brilliant game about atlantic theater.

[Newinger]

I don't think it's too hard to get a decent SH5 setup. My MOD order is:

1. Magnum_Opus_v0_0_1
2. Magnum_Opus_v0_0_1_Patch2
3. SteelViking's Interior Mod V1.2.2 Patch
4. NewUIs_TDC_6_9_0_ByTheDarkWraith
5. OPEN HORIZONS II_full v1.6
6. DEUTSCHMOD_1.0.2
7. Carotio_IntercontinentalRadioPack
8. sobers Alt crew names V4 SH5

Comments:

1./2.: Although old, Magnum Opus is still the easiest way to get many important smaller MODs in one package.

3. Improves the interior of the sub -- a little darker, dirtier, more believable. Only this patch is needed, because it's already a part of Magnum Opus.

4. Interface mod. Lets you choose between improved SH5 interface, SH4 interface or SH3 interface -- an interface mod like this is definitely needed, because otherwise you can't quickly access all important stations.

5. More and more varied missions, extends campaign to 1945, and many other good additions

6. German Translations and fixes for mods 1 to 6

7. Several radio stations from all over the world with accurate timing of radio news; also works in SH4.

7. Randomizes names of the crew of your sub


Everything feels very stable so far. Ah, also you definitely need the hydrophone patch by TheDarkWraith, but this does not work with the Steam version of the game, only the DVD. So be sure to get SH5 on DVD, not via Steam.


On the other hand, SH4 is -- in unmodded state -- more stable and has less bugs than SH5. With Operation Monsun and OMEGU mods, it's a rather good Atlantic experience, you get access to all relevant boats and not only the Atlantic, but also the Pacific campaigns of the Germans. On the other hand, imo these mods are not as polished as GWX. LSH or WAC for SH3.

In my personal experience, I spent more time in modded SH3 and modded SH5, but not that much time in modded SH4.

[Dogfish40]

Welcome danhall86!

Get'em both!! You'll love both theatres.
D40

[danhall86]

Thats great Newinger, and thanks Luken for further positive feedback about SH5! I think i'll go with SH5 then, and I won't buy from Steam. I saw a DVD copy in a shop yesterday for just £10 (bargain) so i'll be off to collect it in a bit.

I was just reading this other post...
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=192163

And SH5, as it is now thanks to modders, has that in spades compared with even the most heavily modded versions of SH3. Your crew isn't just icons on the screen that you haul from here to there anymore, they're actually fully animated characters that you can talk to. Your boat isn't just a collection of "stations" anymore, it's actually a living, breathing environment you can walk through while listening to their conversations in the background, hearing the radio blaring, the gramophone playing or whatnot. When you have water flooding your boat, you're actually wading through it...


This level of immersion sounds incredible. Especially the part about the sub actually flooding when damaged!

Would all of those features be present if I installed your list of mods Newinger?

[0rpheus]

To be honest DanHall, they're all good - and they're all cheap, usually in the sub (no pun intended) £10 region. A quick breakdown:

SH3: by far the most complete feature set, graphics are feeling old now but you won't get more in one game anywhere else. GWX is the main mod.

SH4: Different theatre and minor differences in things like manual TDC (the US used a different kind of torpedo computer), different subs, though not as many as SH3. I started with 4 and it wasn't bad stock, with Trigger Maru Overhauled its almost perfect. You'll want the Gold Edition which includes the 'U-Boat Missions' add on to ensure you have all the patches before installing mods; most won't work without the U-Boat addon. Great place to start as modding is easy (compared to SH5), there are several supermods available and the TDC is easy to get to grips with; graphically still decent, though not as good as 5.

SH5: Best graphics of the lot, and nice immersion being able to walk around in (most) of the whole sub & decks. This also means it needs a beast of a system to run on: 64 bit windows, at least 4g RAM and at least 1gig decent GPU (my old 5770 used to struggle) to play it at high textures etc. Stock game is pretty abysmal and virtually requires mods to play. A lot of work has and is being done (OHII campaign, TDW's TDC mods all essential), but no supermod exists yet and as such getting 30+ mods right in your mod soup can be a pain. When it works well, though, it knocks the socks off the other games.


If I had to suggest a starting point, I'd say SH4 - easy to mod, still looks nice and stock (or Game Fixes Only mod) is working well enough that you don't have to mod right off the bat. Start with stock 4 (with Uboat missions, extra content as well as game fixing patches), then mod it when you're ready with TMO or another supermod. That'll teach you the modding process a little. Then, when you're ready, move on to 5 (disc copy NOT steam!). The modding will be harder, but the rewards greater - and then, if you really really love it, get SH3 for the hell of it as well :D

Hope that helps! :salute:

[Sailor Steve]

I saw a DVD copy in a shop yesterday for just £10 (bargain) so i'll be off to collect it in a bit.
Bargain? You can get it on Amazon.co.uk for £2.49. And if you use the link at the bottom of this page Subsim gets a (admitedly tiny) cut.

[Hinrich Schwab]

I would recommend starting with SH4 first. As has already been said, it is playable out-of-the-box and only requires minimal modding when the time comes. Silent Hunter 5 requires modding in order to approach the abilities of its predecessors. Graphics and immersion are the two things that 5 has over any of its predecessors. It is an extremely beautiful game. However, that is all it has going for it without its mod overhaul. 4's stock AI is also better for beginners. It presents some challenge without being too overwhelming. I have a friend of mine who, like me, has 3, 4 and 5 and it was 4 he cut his teeth on. the stock AI in 3 really punished him for his mistakes, slight as they were. 5's stock AI is a blithering idiot who will "teach" you bad habits that will get you killed in the other games or with TDW's IRAI mod active.

Bottom line: get SH4, learn the game and learn the tricks of modding, then get 5.

[flostt]

Also have a look at the post from Sailor Steve in this thread:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=191905

QUOTE:
Which one is more appropriate is really up to what you're looking for in a submarine simulation. Do you only want to play u-boats, or are you also interested in the American campaign in the Pacific. If the latter, then SH4 is the only choice. If you want the latest, greatest graphics and a role-playing atmosphere, but access to only Type VII u-boats then SH5 is a great place to start. If you want a fully fleshed-out experience but with more dated graphics, SH3 will keep you occupied for years.

The truth is that all three are very cheap on Amazon these days, so if you get one and don't like it you can always start on another. If you go that route there is a link at the bottom of this page that gives Subsim a small cut of everything purchased at three different Amazon outlets.
UNQUOTE

[danhall86]

Thats great thanks all for the info.
Just upgraded my machine to a Radeon HD 6770 overclocked (I already have a core i7 and 6GB ddr3 memory) so shouldn't have any issues with SH5 graphics...fingers crossed.
You'd think there would be a demo somewhere to try it?

Going to jump in at the deep end and go for SH5. I'll have to figure out the modding as I go. Shouldn't be an issue though as I'm used to playing modded games.
Look forward to sharing news of how I get on.
Thanks all again for the warm welcome.
Dan