New to SH4: List of "Essential" Mods? (Interface especially...)

[Eugene_Flucky]

Hello, to one of the most remarkable online communities I've ever seen.

I've played SH3 for years, but never installed a single mod. Of course I read a lot about some of them, but I never tried them.

Now, I'd like to sink my teeth into SH4, because I want to get to know the interior and performance of a Gato class sub to the extent that I've become accustom to the VIIB. Plus, I've just finished reading a few memoirs (Flucky of the Barb, O'Kane of the Tang, and Calvert on the Harder and Trigger. And... the warm waters of the Pacific seem like a nice change from the Atlantic. (And... ehem... Surface Search radar sounds pretty amazing).

MY QUESTIONS FOR YOU VETERANS:

I jumped into SH4 for the first time last night for about an hour to try to get used to the controls....

1) Do the controls eventually become as fluid as the SH3 controls, or are they as inefficient as they feel, and if so, are there are mods out there to help with this?

2) It appears that they made the INCREDIBLE move of having 3 "watches" set up in shifts. Is this as effortless and auto-pilot as it looks? If so, I'm super-stoked about this. Or have I misunderstood?

3) Are there are other mods you guys would consider "essential" to someone who has never played SH4 before? Which ones, and could you give a quick reason for why its considered an essential?

THANK YOU!

[Torplexed]

2) It appears that they made the INCREDIBLE move of having 3 "watches" set up in shifts. Is this as effortless and auto-pilot as it looks? If so, I'm super-stoked about this. Or have I misunderstood?


Welcome Aboard!

That's one feature works perfectly. About the only worry you have with the crew is if you forget to take them off Battle Stations when the battle is over. If you don't, they'll drop off with exhaustion standing at their posts at some point.

[razark]

1) Do the controls eventually become as fluid as the SH3 controls, or are they as inefficient as they feel, and if so, are there are mods out there to help with this?
There are mods out there that will change the controls to a very SH3-like setup. I've been playing like that since the game was released, so I don't even know what the originals were.

Edit:
I believe TMOKeys is the one I'm thinking of. It reassigns the controls to match those of a mod called Trigger Maru Overhauled. That mod was designed with controls much like SH3 from the beginning, to make it easier for people to move over from SH3.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/downloads.php?do=file&id=173

[fireftr18]

Welcome aboard Flucky! I see you've given up on the marines and transferred to the Navy.
:Kaleun_Salute:

You're on guard duty. Keep Armistead and Wolferz in the bilge.
:k_confused:

Your questions:
1. I never played SH3 so I can't offer a comparison. I think the controls are fluid. As far as modding the controls. Some mods change the GUI controls. The keyboard shortcuts are very useful. You can go into the config file and change the shortcuts as you want.
2. Once you get your crew set, you can ignore it while on patrol unless something really bad happens and you have to make adjustments. There are a lot of resources here on SH4 crew management. Battle stations sets all crew members on duty in their assigned compartment. After finished, with the battle, you have to manually turn off battle stations. Otherwise, you get the situation Torplexed mentioned.
3. Play SH4 unmodded for a while to get accustomed to the controls. Then start experimenting with the mods. I use TMO with RSRDC. TMO makes a lot of improvements in all aspects. RSRDC changes traffic to historical as far as the game allows. I use MaxOptics because it makes the view on scopes larger. I then use other smaller graphic and sound mods.

[Warren Peace]

:Kaleun_Salute: New Captain on the deck! Welcome aboard sir!

It's been so long since I played SH3 I have no idea what the default controls are, and even when I did play it was never without Gray Wolves installed, so I regret to inform you I am useless in comparing the two, however I did get used to SH4 after a bit; the keyboard shortcuts are a godsend so I would work to memorize those as quickly as possible. Haven't touched 4 in about a year, but I started a new patrol yesterday (curse you ramjb for starting a play through and making me jump back in!) and it took about 5 minutes to remember everything.

The watch system works exactly as you believe it does, which is one of the best improvements between SH3 and 4. Duty rotations were not the Captain's job, so I shouldn't have to worry about them. I will reiterate that you need to remember to secure from battle stations, but beyond that your crew will do their job without your involvement.

As for the "essentials", you're going to get numerous answers to that question because it is largely personal preference. The setup I've been running for ages is: Real Fleet Boat 2.0 with Run Silent Run Deep and MaxOptics V; and I keep Operation Monsun on standby for when I want to take a U-boat for a spin.

[Aktungbby]

Warren Peace!:salute: after a yearlong silent run!

[razark]

Got a microphone hooked up? You could always skip learning the controls and yell at your computer instead:
sh4speech (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=119430)

[Jimbuna]

Welcome Warren :sunny:

[Delanski]

Heyo! I'm a couple months new to the SH series, SH4 and SH3 in particular. At the moment SH4 is my main game so I'll share my current mod list.
Although I'll point out that I've made a fair amount of changes with some mods just to have my game as close to the stock game.

Websters GFO Mod - This fixes a number of things under the hood, also adds custom U-Boats missions as well. Made some changes with this mod and I've redesigned the modded ingame Order Bar (to look much nicer).

Nav Map Make Over - This mod is great! Changes that bland ol brown ingame map into something much nicer to look at! (Have this on the top of your mod list then GFO afterwards)

Less Plankton - Clearer underwater scene

3000 Yard/Meter Bearing Plotter - It's a nice handy tool to have! I've redesigned this one as well. Someone ripped the tool straight from SH3 so it has a pixelated sub icon in the centre (Erggh!). Redesigned it have the SH4 stock sub icon and also made it to work on the Authentic measure setting (Yards for US and Meters for Germans)

Eye Patch for missing eyes - Oh, if your crew happen to have no eyes all of the sudden, this mod will fix it up!


If anyone is interested in the mods I've redesigned. I'll be happy to share.

[Rockin Robbins]

Yes, I recommend TMOKeys for SH3 players. Razark is right on point there. Don't expect a fleet boat to work exactly like a U-Boat. It will take some time to get fluid but it will come. Knowing both fleet boats and U-boats improves your handling of both.

Enjoy!

[Eugene_Flucky]

Thank you guys big time for the excellent feedback and advice! I've got a list of mods to try now, and I'm stoked. You guys are right: the controls are already becoming fluid, but keyboard shortcuts sound like the final cure. I cannot believe I never played this game before - I already love it over SH3.

On an unrelated message, I'm either the luckiest SOB in submarining, or SH4 walks everyone into this on their first patrol and I'm a sucker playing an easy game, but get this:

Not even 1,200 miles west of Midway on my first patrol/mission (I forget the date I think it's Feb of '42), I began getting a ton of fly-overs, which pushed me to 64 feet. Then, sonar reported a warship at long range to the north.

I changed course to 20 degrees to take a peek, and before long, my sonar map was glowing with a friggen TON of blue lines, indicating a convoy like crazy, off to the east!

I could only pray that they were heading west and not east, and I trucked it north at 64 feet at flank speed. I estimated that I needed to cover 3.4 miles to get into any reasonable firing position (even this would result in 2,500 yard runs). Then, I was pushed down to 300 feet (praise God for the thermal layer - what a blessing) and slowed to a crawl as the first escorts began zigging through my track.

At this point, I still had no idea what this convoy was, but I knew I was going to put the USS Silversides on the map, regardless.

The destroyer passed without alarm, and when I assumed he was 2,000 yards past me, I eased back up to 64 feet. Well, you aren't going to believe this! I raised scope and in my field of view from horizon to horizon was:

> FIVE heavy cruisers!
> a BATTLESHIP.
> FOUR fleet carriers...!!!!!

Have you guys ever even seen a task force this juicy? I couldn't believe it.

UNFORTUNATELY, the Battleship had already crossed my track and was on the western horizon, drifting into the haze. There was not a chance.

However, these 6 glorious bow tubs and 4 glorious aft tubes of the Gato class were unbelievable.

I SANK two of the friggen carriers, crippled the third with fleeting shots at extreme angles (it was already well beyond my track, but the other two were walking right into it a few minutes later - they capsized quickly with 2 torpedoes each).

And during this I sank TWO heavy cruisers (missed another like a chump, but by then he was zigging and throttle-jockying all over the place, and even at 1,100 yards, I missed).

All of this required a couple tube reloads, but I have several torpedoes left.

I had to go to bed at 12:30am, but tonight, kids permitting, I'm going to see if I can possibly catch up to that friggen battleship and devote all the rest of my torps to putting its 25,000+ tons on the bottom. The 1st fleet carrier was listing to port heavily (deck near the water line), but its speed wasn't affected. Maybe I can finish it off too, but I really want to see that battleship one more time.

He was already cruising - the task force's speed appeared to be 15-16kts, and I wonder if he won't zip it up to the max. But I'm going to try to surface and blaze at 20kts as much as possible. It was 4pm in the afternoon, so I have a lot of daylight left, unfortunately. I'm going to head north and then run right behind him.

A lot of these guys could ease into a convoy or task force and ride in the wake of their targets up to even 2,500 yards distance, provided there was no moon. I don't know if the game engine will allow for something like that, but I'll be chasing this heavy b---tard all the way to Tokyo if I have to.

WISH ME LUCK - and please let me know: have you guys ever seen a task force like this? Is this something everyone gets on their first patrol, to accommodate the ADD Call of Duty dorks? Man, I hope not! I want a Medal of Honor and a luxury suite when I get back to Pearle :D

[razark]

> FOUR fleet carriers...!!!!!

LIES!

I've been playing this game for years, and I know that there's only one task force that contains any carriers in the whole Pacific! You must be cheating! Next, you'll be claiming you saw the Flying Dutchman, too!



Seriously, I've played since the game was released, and it wasn't until a month ago that I ever saw an enemy carrier in the campaign.

[Eugene_Flucky]

At risk of casting MORE doubt on the claim, I guess I mistyped earlier - there were THREE carriers, at least that I know of. I think I only saw the rear half of the task force.

I sank two of them, and wounded a third.

Well Raz, that is unbelievable. My heart was racing last night! I thought about that Battleship chase all day. I haven't been this excited about a video game in years. I just picked SH3 back up 2 weeks ago after not having played since my last child was born.

--------

Now, I must admit... I left work early today, and reloaded from a previous save, and replayed the glorious scene a few times.... I couldn't help myself! I didn't go back so far as to cut the convoy off, so I still have the Battleship chase ahead of me, but........ and this is probably ridiculous to you guys... but I replayed it until I sank all three carriers...... aaaaaand three heavy cruisers..... for a grand total of 106,000 tons.......

I know, I know. BUT - I just couldn't stand it. It was such an amazing situation.

Since this wonderful game doesn't overwrite all saves, I will load it back up in a day or two and take some pics of these carriers and this convoy. Such an unbelievable find. Never in all my SH3 days did I come across anything like this. Only once, and it was a task force protecting a Cruise Ship at its center. I assumed it was a troop transport, but apparently it was a hospital ship. I did NOT see the markings, and I earned a ton of negative renown. I want to say it was -1500. That stormy night happened probably 5 years ago, and not since then have I ever had this much excitement in SH3.

And on my first night of playing.... I just can't believe it. I feel like the kind of newb I used to growl at from having dual-battleship encounters. Never in all of SH3 did I see a battleship out of harbor. And now I see 3 carriers, 5 heavy cruisers, and a friggen battleship. Unreal. I'm sure I'll never top this, as long as I play!

There are at least 5 destroyers. I only encountered 2 as I slipped in at 300ft depth, but already as I chase the pips (it's gone from 4pm to 11pm in game as I work around to the north of this task force), I have seen 3 more on the north edge of the remaining task force.

What I'm really wondering about is the historical reality of this. Would 3 carriers have been travelling from Midway back to Japan in early 1942? It's almost as if Midway never happened, and the fleet just turned around or something.

I am NOT complaining. Realistic or not, this was amazing.

[slipf18]

I have never come across any grouping of warships like that but then again I don't generally engage warships on purpose. Maybe I will start poking around....

[Crannogman]

I suppose it's possible that you somehow caught the Pearl Harbor strike force headed home. I've never managed that (they're fast and have a head-start), but the Midway task force is a similar prize. The Pacific naval war was a lot more symmetrical than the Atlantic, which is why you're seeing such big enemy task forces at sea. Vanilla SH4 is also a relatively target-rich environment.

That's one reason I like RSRD - they worked hard to make the shipping (warships and merchants alike) historically accurate, based on war-time Japanese records. The counterpoint is that it can become rather repetitive/predictable.

GFO aims to fix a variety of minor bugs, and is considered crucial by many.

OTC includes a lot of tweaks that improve the ability to successfully perform manual targetting, and to make visual appearance better in general.

TMO and RFB are less familiar to me, as I haven't yet felt the need to further change gameplay. Spyron is another campaign mod that focuses on secret/special missions such as supplying/evacuating Corregidor or inserting special forces.

I personally like the map improvements in NMMO. I am currently developing a map mod that aims to correct geographic inaccuracies - mostly coral reefs and port structures, although the necessary secondary changes are pretty taxing as well - I've basically scrapped all deadlines, but hope to have a limited release out "soon."

PS - also, the radio stations can make it a lot more immersive. So long as you have plenty of storage space on your drive.

[Crannogman]

Also, in terms of it being a "realistic" event in early '42. The Japanese had at least 6 fleet carriers in action (at least before Coral Sea in April/May), and were pretty upset when US carriers raided the Marshalls and Wake (or was it Marcus) Island in Jan/Feb '42. But the Japanese were also busy deatroying the ABDA force in Indonesia and raiding Sri Lanka. So the number of Japanese fleet carriers available for adventures in the Central Pacific varied widely, and would depend on the date.

[Warren Peace]

Warren Peace!:salute: after a yearlong silent run!

Welcome Warren :sunny:

Thank you gentlemen, it's good to be back.

At risk of casting MORE doubt on the claim, I guess I mistyped earlier - there were THREE carriers, at least that I know of. I think I only saw the rear half of the task force.

I sank two of them, and wounded a third.

Well Raz, that is unbelievable. My heart was racing last night! I thought about that Battleship chase all day. I haven't been this excited about a video game in years. I just picked SH3 back up 2 weeks ago after not having played since my last child was born.

--------

Now, I must admit... I left work early today, and reloaded from a previous save, and replayed the glorious scene a few times.... I couldn't help myself! I didn't go back so far as to cut the convoy off, so I still have the Battleship chase ahead of me, but........ and this is probably ridiculous to you guys... but I replayed it until I sank all three carriers...... aaaaaand three heavy cruisers..... for a grand total of 106,000 tons.......

I know, I know. BUT - I just couldn't stand it. It was such an amazing situation.

Since this wonderful game doesn't overwrite all saves, I will load it back up in a day or two and take some pics of these carriers and this convoy. Such an unbelievable find. Never in all my SH3 days did I come across anything like this. Only once, and it was a task force protecting a Cruise Ship at its center. I assumed it was a troop transport, but apparently it was a hospital ship. I did NOT see the markings, and I earned a ton of negative renown. I want to say it was -1500. That stormy night happened probably 5 years ago, and not since then have I ever had this much excitement in SH3.

And on my first night of playing.... I just can't believe it. I feel like the kind of newb I used to growl at from having dual-battleship encounters. Never in all of SH3 did I see a battleship out of harbor. And now I see 3 carriers, 5 heavy cruisers, and a friggen battleship. Unreal. I'm sure I'll never top this, as long as I play!

There are at least 5 destroyers. I only encountered 2 as I slipped in at 300ft depth, but already as I chase the pips (it's gone from 4pm to 11pm in game as I work around to the north of this task force), I have seen 3 more on the north edge of the remaining task force.

What I'm really wondering about is the historical reality of this. Would 3 carriers have been travelling from Midway back to Japan in early 1942? It's almost as if Midway never happened, and the fleet just turned around or something.

I am NOT complaining. Realistic or not, this was amazing.

Early '42, I don't believe so, but the stock game does some... odd things regarding historical events, hence the very heavy use of Run Silent Run Deep. That being said, very nice catch. I haven't managed to be in a position to hit the Midway taskforce, but I've caught up with the reinforcements heading to Wake a few times (Hiryu, Soryu, and 2 heavy cruisers whose names escape me).