First impressions of an SH5 newbie

[eschemschnuz]

Herr Kaleuns,:salute:

First off: the purpose of this thread. Given the supposed brouhaha over the quality of SH5 in relation to its immediate predecessors, i am hoping to record my immediate thoughts and comments on the product as i try to complete a campaign in SH5. I am mindful of the fact that i am likely to change my mind on things as i go along.

To anyone reading this thread: as always, please take the posts with a grain of salt - come to think of it, grab a generous handful just to be on the safe side. :O:

I purchased SH5 the second time around online via Ubisoft. No downloading or installation problems encountered, although i got a tad confused with changing the setting to "offline". You do need to register a username/password in order to login, and then proceed with going offline.

My machine met all minimum requirements; a little lag with the mouse, but it's nothing i can't live with. Followed Sober's thread on starting out (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=180044), and his instructions worked to a tee (though i did not add any mods). Decided on the "British Coastal Waters" mission at the lowest game settings. Set out from Kiel for my first patrol in command of U-34, a Type VII-A boat with an unexpectedly meagre complement of torpedos.

Will write more when I can.

Yours truly,
Eschem

[finchOU]

nice....I did one of these a couple of months ago trying the same thing..to compare stock SH5 to others. Got frustrating till I got MODS....but still have things that annoy me....but have gotten used to it. I curious to see what you think.

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 1:

Re-learn everything.

That's the operative order of the day for previous SH gamers going into SH5 for the first time. The most obvious visual change is of course the FP mode and its controls: "W-A-S-D" and the "right-click" mouse. I think i've moved around inside the boat more times in one day than i have in SH3 and SH4 combined!

If nothing else, i highly appreciate SH5's attempt at conveying a sense of spatial awareness, whereas before i never quite understood where everything was. Sure, i've seen Das Boot countless times, have seen photos of U-995 from multiple angles, and have stared at the rough plan specs of the SH3 interface for many an hour. But with the FP mode in SH5, going up and down the boat, i finally get to see how all those jumpcuts and all those snapshots interconnect.

And all around me - cramp, cramp, cramp! The claustrophobia comes through.

As far as attacking controls go, i am clearly out of my depth (no pun intended... well, maybe a little). Ran into a convoy on 25-Sep-1939 and proceeded to use up all my eels without registering a single kill. Yes, i did hit a couple of boats - which i'm sure came down to luck more than anything. Most of the time i was fumbling around trying to decide whether to use TDC or not to use TDC (or TAI, as i found out later). Apparently, TDC in SH5 simply means going manual!

Meanwhile, the two burning ships went on their merry way.

On 29-Sep-1939, i sunk my first ship, a 7001t large steamer carrying war supplies @ Long. 0 degrees 22' W Lat. 55 degrees 3' N, dispatched by deck gun in rough weather.
Not entirely proud of it, but it's a start.

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 2:

4-Oct-1939: Refitted at Kiel; I was denied permission to "end patrol", as it were.

Following SH4 and its use of "mission icons" on the map, SH5 has done away with the famed grid system employed by the Kriegsmarine during the war, and has opted for the infinitely more difficult "Longitude and Latitude" method of positioning (difficult for the directionally challenged like myself). I suppose with the icons you don't really need grids, but it still feels weird not seeing them on the map.

9-Oct-1939: Boy, is my face red. Again, i used up all my eels and failed to hit a lone ship from point-blank range! Again, i had to use my gunner to finish the job. Immediately went back to consulting my TAI schoolbooks on "Hitting Anything Moving with a Torpedo 101".
2232h: Hog Island Type A Freighter, 4160t @ Long. 0 degrees 57' W Lat. 55 degrees 42' N

PS: Hey, i'm now a mate! Arrrrr...

[THE_MASK]

The game is rubbish without the mods . I still enjoy reading the vanilla review though .

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 3:

11-Oct-1939: Refitted at W'haven. Hey, if i can't disembark, might as well "not disembark" here.
More mishaps - dug into a ship with my bow on my way out of the harbour. No damages sustained luckily.

14-Oct-1939: O happy day! All that brushing up on shooting lessons paid off - finally got to use my eels for something else other than missing my target. Crippled a lone ship with my first two, but couldn't do the job with the next two. Needed the deck gun to finish her off (again!). I think my torpedoman's getting dejected.
1629h: Cimmaron class tanker, 7600t @ Long. 0 degrees 01' E and Lat. 54 degrees 56' N

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 4:

16-Oct-1939: Hooray! My first "proper" sinking! :D
1445h: Large steamer (war supplies), 7004t @ Long. 1 degree 2' W Lat. 55 degrees 5' N

Instead of having to click and drag 50-odd names and faces all over the boat, in SH5 you only have to deal with 11: 2 officers, 3 petty officers, and 6 sailors - with each occupying "key" positions. While crew management in SH3 and SH4 meant having to shift your men around a lot (mainly due to fatigue and/or mitigating circumstances), SH5 dispenses with that in favour of a more "personal" touch, which involves quite a bit of moving around the boat and checking up on people. So far the FP interactivity appears pretty rudimentary, but then again, this is my first attempt at playing a game with an FP mode.

18-Oct-1939: Fired 2 eels at a lone ship but scored only 1 hit. Had to use the deck gun in rough seas to finish her off.
1609h: Liberty cargo, 7173t @ Long. 0 degrees 53' W Lat. 55 degrees 55' N

19-Oct-1939: Ahh, it feels good when you can make every eel count - especially if your last one is the aft torpedo against a fishtailing ship! :rock:
0335h: Cimmaron tanker, 7600t @ Long. 1 degree 46' W Lat. 56 degrees 23' N

21-Oct-1939: Disembarked at W'haven. Hey, i managed to dock! :yeah:

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 5:

5-Nov-1939: Left W'haven on Patrol 2. Increased the gameplay realism to 30 percent:
Limited fuel & batteries = 15 percent
Realistic reloading time, dud torpedos & no event camera = 15 percent

8-Nov-1939: Located a convoy heading SE and fired a salvo of 4 on the nearest ship. Scored 3 hits to leave her dead in the water but unable to administer coup de grace due to incoming escort. Was able to make a measured dive in shallow waters but thankfully the escort did not pursue for long. Used my aft torpedo to finish the job.
2115h: Large steamer (war supplies), 7012t @ Long. 0 degrees 51' E Lat. 54 degrees 15' N

Am starting to get the hang of this TAI, but it's a very far cry from the auto-targeting settings in SH3 and SH4. For the latter two, what i basically did was approach the target from abeam, look in my sights, wait for the ship to hit bearing 0 and fire. Not so with the TAI, which uses a series of numbers measuring both the speed of your target and the speed of your torpedos. So it really doesn't matter how you approach the target, as long as the numbers match. What makes it harder, at least for now, is that the relatively slow speed of the eels means that you have to come to within 2000m to get a good shot away - something i am extremely uncomfortable with, even in SH3 and SH4.

And you know there's no way i'm touching those electric T2's! :nope:

[kendan]

I enjoyed reading your enthusiastic review of SH5. I've been perusing the forums, checking on whats new with the game, and after about a year of it sitting on the shelf, I think I'll give it another go. Seems like with a proper mod loadout, the game seems quite tolerable now. My first go around was with out any mods, so this time I hope its better.

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 6:

9-Nov-1939: Did a bit of deep sea diving to test out the batteries.
0610h: Dived 40m at slow speed.
1125h: Surfaced after 5h 15mins; Batteries at 84 percent.
1815h: Batteries back at 100 percent; may need to improve recharging times.

10-Nov-1939: Large convoy? No escort in sight? Fired 4 eels before going to town with the gunner. :rock:
0428h: Troop transport, 16965t
0437h: Liberty cargo, 7172t
0441h: Hog Island Type A freighter, 4142t
0446h: Hog Island Type A freighter, 4267t
0449h: Large steamer, 7012t
0454h: Large steamer (war supplies), 7027t

So it seems i don't have an UN-limited supply of ammo for the deck gun. I was beginning to wonder.
PS: I still haven't been able to find/access the "Deck Gun" interface in SH5. Not that it matters, since i rarely ever use it anyway.

11-Nov-1939: Returned to W'haven with my first mission under my belt; chose the somewhat foreboding "Blockade of Germany" mission for my next patrol.

25-Nov-1939: Left W'haven for the North Atlantic in my new Type VIIB; no major upgrades implemented.
PS: I only just realized i had been awarded the Iron Cross (both classes) when i returned to port the last couple of times. Someone must've pinned them on me while my back was turned. :O:
PPS: Come to think of it, i don't even know what my u-boat designation is; had to radio BdU to find out it's U-46! :oops:

[TheDarkWraith]

PS: I still haven't been able to find/access the "Deck Gun" interface in SH5. Not that it matters, since i rarely ever use it anyway.

You won't find it because it doesn't exist in stock SH5. The same thing goes for many other 'essentials' you need (i.e. compass for one). You need a UI mod to add these 'essentials' so you can set/interface with them :yep:

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 7:

2-Dec-1939: Currently patrolling the designated area between Iceland and the Faroes.
0613h: Made contact with a warship heading WNW; decided to give chase at full speed.
0750h: Fired a salvo of 4 before realizing the target had changed course to NNE, away from the boat; called off pursuit.

3-Dec-1939: Made contact with 2 warships heading WNW at 1636h; decided to give chase at full speed. Fired 2 single shots at the first target which sent her to the bottom. Switched over to the second ship, which remained on the exact course as the first. Fired another 2 eels but did not sink her; again the target did not respond by fishtailing. Pointed my rear end in its general direction and finished her off.
1814h: Rawalpindi armed merchant cruiser (AMC), 16965t @ Long. 11 degrees 51' W Lat. 62 degrees 42' N.
1818h: Patroclus AMC, 11207t

I think i'm starting to get the hang of this TAI stuff. :up:

[elanaiba]

It's interesting to read about all these missed torpedoes, seems more akin to real patrol reports than all the point-click-hit of SH3/4 era.

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 8:

3-Dec-1939: Plotted a course back to base that would take us along the remainder of the supposed "northern patrol lines" before turning north and around the Shetlands. Arranged for another battery test while i catch a few ZZZs.
1843h: Dived to 40m at "slow".
2347h: Resurfaced; batteries at 84 percent.
0146h: Batteries recharged; a much better recovery rate.

7-Dec-1939: Some unwelcomed excitement off the Norwegian coast.
1635h: Made contact with what appears to be a task force heading NE; pursuit at full speed.
1733h: My original intended target somehow managed to evade a salvo of 3 from within 1000m, but my trajectory allowed for a shot at the ship following behind with my aft torpedo. Sank an 'A' class destroyer (1188t) at Long. 2 degrees 58' E Lat. 62 degrees 58' N.

Had a bit of a moment when a couple broke away from the convoy to come looking for me; the boat kept falling past 160m before i ordered the tanks blown. A second diving attempt again yielded the same reaction; again i had to blow the tanks to regain control.

8-Dec-1939: More action off the Norwegian coast!
0214h: Contact with a merchant this time, also heading NE; pursuit at full speed.
0307: Large steamer (war supplies), 7018t @ Long. 2 degrees 53' E Lat. 61 degrees 27' N; used my last torpedo (aft) and the gunner to bring her down.

10-Dec-1939: Returned to W'haven.

Some of the SH5 bugs are starting to show i believe. During the last two attacks, there were depth-keeping problems as well as difficulties in maneuvering on the surface using the compass provided.
Also, i find my watch crew unnervingly quiet, particularly after making visual contact. :shifty:

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 9:

Was awarded the Front Clasp upon returning on the last patrol; upgraded the hydrophone to the KDB.

24-Dec-1939: Christmas Eve!? Oh, that's cruel... Left W'haven for our fourth patrol, heading back to the North Atlantic.
8-Jan-1940: Reached the patrol area; despite maintaining slow speed throughout the journey so far, fuel is down to 77%.
11-Jan-1940: Nothing to report; received orders to reposition at 0019h. Fuel now down to 69%.
13-Jan-1940: Finally, something to sink! Got the gunner to do the nasty. Props to the WO for spotting something and letting me know for once! :Kaleun_Binocular:
0510h: Large Steamer, 7012t @ Long. 14 degrees 23' W Lat. 61 degrees 05' N.

Either it's an act of massive bravado or an oversight of major proportions on the part of the Ubisoft designers to make the ship's bosun the descendant of Heinrich Heine, a Jew who converted to Christianity (and quite a polarizing figure both then and now). No doubt they may have wanted to build on the character's "backstory" as an aspiring writer, but they could've made it a lot easier on themselves by choosing somebody else. Goodness knows Germany has a whole host of poet laureates in days gone by. :huh:

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 10:

30-Jan-1940:
On my way back from a fruitless patrol when i stumbled upon a small task force off the Norwegian coast (where else?) heading NE. Fired a salvo of 4 at the nearest target and 2 speculative shots at the ships trailing. Escorts did not pursue, thank goodness.
1320h: Tribal destroyer, 1850t @ Long. 2 degrees 39' E Lat. 61 degrees 43' N

One more SH5 bug to point out: the observation periscope loves to rise up on its own when you put out to sea, and refuses to retract in its own interface.
Managed to get around it by pressing the [PgDn] key in FP mode.

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 11:

4-Feb-1940: Returned to W'haven after 41 days at sea; fuel at the end down to 31%. Could probably cut it finer next time. Very despondent at failure to meet mission objectives.

18-Feb-1940: Went back out to the North Atlantic as soon as i was able; this time the patrol area will be closer to Scotland, near the Outer Hebrides. Tried lurking around there the last time out, to no avail. Hopefully this patrol will be more successful.

A tad disappointed at the choice of emblems available in SH5, given the number of designs available from historical records. I sincerely hope they weren't copyrighted!

[saipan]

did u get the mod for more emblems?

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Day 12:

Hey, i only just noticed that the "plus" sign on the crewmen's mugshots means that medals are available (in limited quantities, of course). Awarded the Iron Cross to my gunner and LI.

29-Feb-1940: Sighted a merchant at 9kms, moving away at speed. Ordered the chief mechanic to overcharge the diesels and play catch-up. Had the gunner have a go at them but the target unexpectedly returned fire at close range. Dove for a few minutes and contemplated a torpedo attack, but conditions were too difficult. Resurfaced behind the target at a safer angle for the gunner to finish the job. No hull damage from enemy fire.
0859h: Cimmaron class tanker, 7602t @ Long. 7 degrees 15' W Lat. 59 degrees 39' N
PS: Mouse in FP mode malfunctioned right after the attack ended; did the old save/stop/start routine. Weather's taken a turn for the worse at the restart, so we settled in at 40m for the night. :Kaleun_Sleep:
1-Mar-1940: Failed to complete "Blockade of Germany" mission within alloted deadline; heading back to base.

4-Mar-1940: Visual contact with a small task force of 7 in the afternoon off the Norwegian coast, heading SSW. Aimed for the biggest ship in the middle of the pack, but made the mistake of diving too soon; scored only 1 hit to no real effect. Tried to blast off my pursuer from aft but failed; resurfaced after an hour.

6-Mar-1940: Returned to W'haven.

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Patrol 6:
Weserubung. Tried to complete it all in one patrol (and failed, naturally).:Kaleun_Mad:
Am feeling a jarring disconnect with the SH5 missions. Maybe it's because these are historically grounded, i'm not sure, but right now i'm getting the sense that two completely different things are happening whenever i'm playing. First, there's the "sink 'em all!" mentality that i'm sure every gamer has, but there's also the mission-based objectives, which for some reason come across as being rather abstract and esoteric (to me, anyway).

An example: this last outing i managed to sink 10 enemy vessels (9 merchants and a troop ship) - i believe that's my best ever tonnage in any SH game, ever. And yet at the end of the day, the summary reads: "Operation Weserubung - Failed", because i wasn't able to locate (and sink) an enemy battleship off the Norwegian coast within the alloted time given. Honestly. :nope:

As for the patrol itself, i can only say this: i hate recon missions. The very thought of having to hold your breath (for days on end!) while creeping to and from the enemy's camp, pausing only to gulp sweet, sweet oxygen ever so briefly before going back down again lest the warships should catch you on the surface stealing air, with absolutely nowhere to hide because your keel has already hit rock bottom... I hate recon missions.

[eschemschnuz]

Do-over: ah yes, the two greatest words in the English language. :Kaleun_Smile:
Decided to start from scratch after mulling over the deadline-intensive nature of the SH5 missions. While i commend the designers' efforts in injecting history lessons into the game -- i'm almost convinced the "Blockade of Germany" objective of sinking an aircraft carrier is a direct tie-in to HMS Courageous -- i can't imagine the real u-boat commanders of wars past being chained to such time constraints, what with fuel consumption being rather high on their list of priorities (not to mention coming back to port in one piece).

Anyhoo, thoughts on Patrol 2 redux:

With some semblance of "experience" under my belt, i was able to complete the "British Coastal Waters" mission over a whole month earlier than my first try. i'm guessing that extra month saved is going to come in handy.

Since everything about SH5 is tied to the mission objectives, strict weaponry management has also become the order of the day. I'm currently using one eel per target, with the gunner finishing her off if required. Naturally, most of my first promotion points (from the tutorial) go to the torpedoman, with the gunner and the soundman next in line. The "morale officers" (i.e. bosun and cook) are likely to get the short end of the stick, i'm afraid.

Set sail from Kiel in U-28 (Type 7A) on Sep 20. Took about 24 hours to reach the Skagerrak and hit the open sea. Sunk 8 enemy merchant vessels (including wiping out an unescorted convoy of 4 Liberty cargoes in a zero-visibility downpour) before returning to W'haven on Oct 3. Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class upon disembarking.

[eschemschnuz]

Thoughts on Patrol 3 redux:

Left W'haven on Oct 17 on the "British Supplies" mission. Took the shortcut to the southwestern approaches. Seriously, using the English Channel as a "shortcut" just to save precious time. The real u-boats didn't do this, did they?

To be honest, the trip appears less harrowing in SH5 than in SH3, although this time round, i couldn't shake off a Class A destroyer that kept fishtailing ahead of me. And then, a Tribal shows up and made a beeline. Used a couple of eels and took it out. The Class A reacted and it too made a beeline. Took that out too. Dover was some distance behind me; the channel exit beckons.

All in all, sank 10 enemy ships (not quite 50% of the overall objective) before returning to port via the shortcut (again!). Tried out the whole "decks awash" maneuver (that the game mentioned on the "waiting" screen) during the crossing -- about a depth of 7m in calm waters; very interesting. Might not be that effective in especially tight spots, but could prove useful for stealth assignments.

Returned to W'haven Oct 28. Received a new Type 7B commission (U-53) upon disembarking.

PS: One thing i just noticed. So far, the enemy planes do not attack in SH5. If this trend continues for the remainder of the game, it is a bug i can happily live with. :D

[Sailor Steve]

The real u-boats didn't do this, did they?
No. In fact they were under standing orders not to use the Channel in August, while they were still at peace. Once the war started the Channel became a deathtrap.

[THE_MASK]

Good review of the vanilla bugs and game things that should have been included . It would be more helpful to get a review of the bugs with the latest mods installed though :yep: So few people do it .

[eschemschnuz]

No. In fact they were under standing orders not to use the Channel in August, while they were still at peace. Once the war started the Channel became a deathtrap.

Much thanks for the history lesson. Chalk one more up to historical inaccuracy (despite actually aiming for that very purpose) on the part of the SH5 designers.

Left W'haven for my 7th patrol on 20-Feb-1940; everything that has happened in my last 3 patrols can be summed up in four depressing words: "needle in a haystack".

Thoughts on Patrols 4, 5, and 6 redux:
Requested the "Blockade of Germany" mission for each of the three, and the end-result is three fruitless months of searching with nothing to show for. Oh sure, sinking a Nelson battleship at Scapa Flow "might" have been a highlight (i'd never done a "Prien" before), and my tonnage score is (ridiculously) over 200,000, but until you're able to sink the right ships in the right area at the right time, the mission tally reads "Incomplete", and that's very demoralizing.

On the other hand, in my last patrol, i sank a Cimmaron tanker some 160km from the "centre" of my designated patrol area. The green tick went on, which got me thinking: perhaps the patrol assignment as specified by SH5 covers a much, much larger area. My guess is a 200km radius. I'll try to keep tabs in future outings.

[eschemschnuz]

Chose the "British Supplies" mission for my 7th patrol after the misery of the previous three. End result: my best outing against an enemy convoy - 5 torpedoes, 5 enemy vessels, with the deck gun strafing another 2 before running out of ammo. Indeed, my biggest mistake was to waste too many eels against an earlier convoy. Used the 'shortcut' again to get to my workplace and back.

The only other interesting tidbit actually came after returning back to W'haven. Disembarked on February 28 - only one day before the "Blockade of Germany" deadline ends and the "Operation Weserubung" option becomes available. Chose the former just to see what happens.

Sure enough, upon heading back out of the pen, i find myself on a new patrol without a mission.

[Sailor Steve]

Oh sure, sinking a Nelson battleship at Scapa Flow "might" have been a highlight (i'd never done a "Prien" before), and my tonnage score is (ridiculously) over 200,000, but until you're able to sink the right ships in the right area at the right time, the mission tally reads "Incomplete", and that's very demoralizing.
The entire campaign system is SH5 has nothing whatsoever to do with the real war. SH3 and SH4 are much more realistic in that aspect. All the games make it possible to get extraordinary tonnage scores.

[eschemschnuz]

Have just completed the "Total Germany" campaign of SH5. I think this would be a good place to summarize my final thoughts on the game (for now):

1) I like it. :D

2) Being able to wander about the u-boat for the first time was an enlightening experience for me. I never could grasp that sense of spatial awareness from Das Boot (both novel and movie), nor from the Patterson books, nor from previous subsim games, including SH3 and SH4. In SH5, I finally got it. :yeah:

3) I still get confused about the re-assigned command keys when i'm rushed. R = surface, F = periscope depth, V = dive, etc. :06:

4) FP deck gun AWOL; on the other hand, mad gunners shooting in bad weather are most welcomed. :salute:

5) Yet to be strafed by a single aircraft (also most welcomed!); currently my favourite bug in SH5. :haha:

6) TAI - certainly a much more demanding attack system than the "bearing zero" method of previous subsims. I was already starting to fool around with the "TDC" in SH3 and SH4; can't imagine even thinking about it in SH5! :hmm2:

7) "Mission-based" objectives - easily my least favourite part of SH5 so far. Good for history lessons, but they place far too many constraints on the freedom and flexibility in gameplay, which in turn actually hinders the realism of the u-boat experience. And as I found out in my last 3 patrols, they also render the u-boat patrols themselves redundant after the deadlines have passed and the options are off the table. What's the point in "sinking 'em all" if you're gonna get a failing grade anyway? :/\\!!

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5809

8) On a more positive note, I actually got to sink an enemy submarine! A 540-ton "U Class", to be precise. What's more, I actually sank her by way of "ramming". :rock:

[eschemschnuz]

Have just completed the "Happy Times" campaign. As the title indicates, it was very enjoyable.:Kaleun_Applaud:
Got thru 4 of the 5 missions - i still am baffled at the decision to make hunting down capital ships "mandatory" in SH5. Usually, i run the opposite direction at the sight of one of these, but so far finding just one in the North Atlantic would be an achievement in itself! On the flip side, I did like the challenge of sinking the tankers; for the first time, i was actually compelled to make an effort to identify my targets by sight, something i imagined the real u-boat crews had to do in double-quick time.

Now, I had waxed lyrical about the "immersive" nature of the FP mode in SH5 in previous posts. So i thought: why not take some pictures?

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5793

Das ist mein boot. The bow, to be precise.
The torpedo guy at the end there seems to get down very easily, i find. Probably because everyone keeps disturbing his porn pile.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5794

Working my way to the back of the boat, these are the bow quarters.
I still can't get these two to get up and do anything.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5795

Tweedle-whine and Tweedle-wee manning their posts in the radio room.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5796

Naturally, it is always the captain's job to clean up after them, so they put my bed right next door. Terrific.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5797

The command centre, with everyone trying to look busy.
Personally, i think they've been using the TC button behind my back.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5799

Here we have the stern quarters, used to store both food and petty officers.
Incidentally, my bosun is the bald one with that thing hovering over his head.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5800

Our boat's galley, with the cook doing some sort of "shuffling dance".
He says Black America will "dig it" once the war is over. I have no idea what he's talking about.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5801

At the back of the boat, we find the weirdos who run the diesel engines.
Their hygiene could use some improvement, though - I'm thinking of introducing moist towelettes myself.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5802

And here we have the electric motor... hey! No slouching on the job, soldier!

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5803

This is the stern, crammed with just about everything else that is essential in a u-boat.
Beats me why my gunner spends his down time hanging out here.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5804

Another view of the command room, but with a difference: this one shows a ladder!

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5805

The ladder leads to the conning tower. This is where i spend most of my time in SH5.
Some of you may have noticed another ladder to the left, which leads to...

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5806

...the bridge!
Pictured here is the 2WO, who seems to have this thing for hogging the UZO.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5807

Here are two of his minions during their watch.
As you can see, they are really, really, really, really, really, REALLY enthusiastic about their work.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/picture.php?albumid=665&pictureid=5808

And finally, we have the "wintergarten" of U-69.
Notice how clean it is. Absolutely no cigarette butts to be seen anywhere!

[THE_MASK]

Enjoyed the whole thread :salute:

[eschemschnuz]

Finally completed a walkthrough of SH5. Since I already did a pretty adequate summary of my initial thoughts about the game, I'll just add a few points that stood out between my previous updates and this one:

1) I STILL like it. :D

2) One thing that did bug me more was the number of times the game was liable to crash the whole computer. No matter how many times you save, it still is a bitch to reboot.

3) Character interaction does get redundant after a while. Something to work on for future projects.

4) The aircraft still leave me alone for the most part; it remains my favourite bug in SH5. :haha:

5) I've actually started mucking about with the TDC for single targets. Pretty fun challenge actually, if you have the time and patience (or are any good at math). :hmm2:

6) "Mission-based" objectives - the history lessons continue in the Arctic (sinking FIVE Didos, really?), finally culminating in the "Black May" scenario, which I heard upset a few people on this forum. Strangely enough, I've got no problem with it.

My own personal take on the ending to SH5 is this: hindsight tells us that there were NO happy endings when it came to the u-boat war, for a whole host of reasons. In SH3 and SH4, that ending was summarized in four anti-climactic (and imo, deeply unsatisfying) words - three, if you count apostrophes. So having an altogether different take on the end of WW2 (or at least, the u-boats' impact on its overall outcome) was a welcome sight for me. :yep:

That's all i got!

[CrabMan]

[QUOTE=eschemschnuz;1916165]Have just completed the "Happy Times" campaign. As the title indicates, it was very enjoyable.:Kaleun_Applaud:
Got thru 4 of the 5 missions - i still am baffled at the decision to make hunting down capital ships "mandatory" in SH5. Usually, i run the opposite direction at the sight of one of these, but so far finding just one in the North Atlantic would be an achievement in itself! On the flip side, I did like the challenge of sinking the tankers; for the first time, i was actually compelled to make an effort to identify my targets by sight, something i imagined the real u-boat crews had to do in double-quick time.

Now, I had waxed lyrical about the "immersive" nature of the FP mode in SH5 in previous posts. So i thought: why not take some pictures?


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hahha nice work man, i agreed with you completly
:up:

[jsheikh]

Good review. It was very enjoyable to read:)