Second thoughts on purchasing SH5

[Quasimodo]

Ahoy fellow submariners.

I rarely post but usually pour over the forums garnering information and advice. However today I thought I'd go to STEAM and purchase SH5. But after reading all the horror stories about bugs, glitches and UbiSoft/UbiPlay letting you play...then asking for a new account, then locking you out I'm thinking of asking for a transfer to a nice, quiet base on shore instead of heading out to sea.

Has UbiSoft corrected any of the problems mentioned here in the forums or will it become something that makes me regret going against my better judgement?
Or can I just download it, play the in game campaign (I don't do multiplayer) and hope for the best? Downloading mods is like trying to read Sanskrit. Although I consider myself computer savvy I am not too confident in messing with the programming. I'd rather take my chances on moving on a convoy surrounded by a large fleet of escorts. The odds are crazy but at least understandable to me.

I do enjoy SH3 although with Windows 7 and a great Alienware Area 51 system I can no longer play it. SH4 runs just peachy but I miss my UBoat. Some much appreciated advice from you old salts would be welcome.

Be safe and happy hunting!

:subsim:

[Quasimodo]

Thank you Blitz......I'll order SH3 from STEAM. I gave my disc copy away after I couldn't get it to run. If I have problems getting it to run I'll come back and check to see how I can work through any issues.

:up:

[vdr1981]

...SH4 runs just peachy but I miss my UBoat. ...

Never heard for SH4 v1.5 U-Boat missions official addon and "Operation Monsun" megamod? :hmmm:

Hi BL!TZKRE!G
That statement you have made is now totally unfounded.
sobers mega mod and The Wolves Of Steel are highly reliable.
All SH versions unmodded are bugged as we all know.
Peter
I guess you've misunderstood him...He just express contrition for buying the same game two times without intention to play it at all and he's never mentioned anything about TWoS or Sober's modlist...

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi Vecko
Its an age thing I am afraid, I do not always see what is there but what I think is there.
Its called having a senior moment.
I shall remove it of course and apologize.
Peter

[THEBERBSTER]

My apologies BL!TZKR!EG for misrepresenting what I read in your post.
Peter

[vdr1981]

Hi Vecko
Its an age thing I am afraid, I do not always see what is there but what I think is there.
Its called having a senior moment.
I shall remove it of course and apologize.
Peter

Naaah... It's just that we saw a lot of threads with similar beginning but also with somewhat uglier ending...:yep:

A lot of Subsim veterans will always prefer SH3 and being SH3/4 veteran my self , I respect that...
However, You and I know better now. We know that properly modded SH5 can be also very (VERY) rewarding too , maybe even more rewarding than any previous SH title, especially with latest Enigma addon... However, it is not for everyone, that's for sure...It does require certain amount of reading, watching and computer savvy skills

I dont want to create to much fuzz about it, but if SkyBaron succeeded in his latest work, SH5 will officially become the most realistic and geekiest WWII submarine "simulator" (not the game) ever...:yep:

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/skybaron123/prog_zpstszc9mas.jpg

[Ashikaga]

That looks so awesome ! Hope he succeeds !

Have 1800 Euro to spend ?

http://www.tarnmilitaria.com/?product=15913

The guy has an IMMENSE collection of KM stuff.

Wish I was RICH.

:Kaleun_Cheers:

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi Vecko
I totally agree with you.
SH3 has the heritage and SH5 has the bad boy image.
Those of us fortunately playing TWOS know that it can stand alongside anything that SH3 can through at it.
I play both LSH3-2015 and TWOS on alternative days usually.
The Enigma machine is not difficult to understand once you know what you are doing even for an old fart like me.
I wrote out and printed the PDF instructions so I would know each stage of the operation.
Peter

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi BL!TZKR!EG
Thank you for that.
Peter

[alboverburn]

If you decide to buy, don't buy it from steam.
I purchased a key from g2a.com for $5.50, put the key into the uplay client and downloaded sh5 from the uplay client.

[Ashikaga]

Solved his problem.

No worries there xD


Ashikaga.

[maillemaker]

As was mentioned, if you play SH5, then don't buy the steam version. Buy it direct download from Amazon or something. It's usually like $10.

You have to mod it to be playable. Wolves of Steel megamod is very good, but I find the game still to be very flaky. I end up having to save game like every 5 minutes because I CTD so often. If you can limit yourself to 256 time compression or maybe 512 then you might avoid CTD issues but personally I cannot play the game that slowly - it is maddening. But any higher than 256 and you risk CTD which I get all the time.

However the graphics are much much better than SH3.

SH3 will play on a windows 7 machine just fine. I recommend GWX 3.0 with it.

Steve

[vdr1981]

I end up having to save game like every 5 minutes because I CTD so often. If you can limit yourself to 256 time compression or maybe 512 then you might avoid CTD issues but personally I cannot play the game that slowly - it is maddening. But any higher than 256 and you risk CTD which I get all the time.



Sober has been recommending max x256 TC since first mods for SH5 so I really don't see anything new and strange here. SH5 low tolerance for high TC is a well know fact...

If you can't stand slow moving gameplay and "boring" patrols, you don't play modded SH5...Simple as that...

[gap]

I dont want to create to much fuzz about it, but if SkyBaron succeeded in his latest work, SH5 will officially become the most realistic and geekiest WWII submarine "simulator" (not the game) ever...:yep:

http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a605/skybaron123/prog_zpstszc9mas.jpg

Now WHAT's that? :o

:Kaleun_Salivating:

I know for a fact tha SkyBaron is working on a new secret nazi sensor, and recently he has sent me a PM on german RADARs and RWRs, but the exact nature of his current research is still an ENIGMA to me :D

[SkyBaron]

I know for a fact tha SkyBaron is working on a new secret nazi sensor, and recently he has sent me a PM on german RADARs and RWRs, but the exact nature of his current research is still an ENIGMA to me :D

:) nothing secret. This will be a RDF simulation based on the real RDF receiver (Peilempfänger) used by Uboats to triangulate convoy communications, and other possible interesting uses later on -- radio navigation for example. More details once it's finished.

That RDF loop antenna will finally have an actual gameplay use in the SH series! :up:

[kevinsue]

A lot of Subsim veterans will always prefer SH3 and being SH3/4 veteran my self , I respect that...
However, You and I know better now. We know that properly modded SH5 can be also very (VERY) rewarding too , maybe even more rewarding than any previous SH title, especially with latest Enigma addon... However, it is not for everyone, that's for sure...It does require certain amount of reading, watching and computer savvy skills

I dont want to create to much fuzz about it, but if SkyBaron succeeded in his latest work, SH5 will officially become the most realistic and geekiest WWII submarine "simulator" (not the game) ever...:yep:


While in a shopping centre one day I found SH3 in one of the bargain bins and never having heard of the game, decided to buy it and try it out. On the same day I found SH4 and then finally SH5 in other game shops and decided that it wasn't worth the effort to return to the other shops to get a refund for the earlier versions. I'm glad I didn't because I after looking on the internet for information, I happened to find Subsim and the community and soon realised that all three versions shined in their own individual light, with each filling different criteria for different people.

After installing SH5 and playing around with the various mod combo's, the Silent Hunter series reminded me of the nautical version of Falcon 4, with the modding community taking an original mediocre game and turning it into something special. I have all three versions on my computer with the most popular mods installed but for me personally, I always gravitate towards SH5 and have not put the time into learning all of the nuances and features that the earlier versions have to offer.

With the latest megamods installed, I think SH5 is fast becoming a submarine "simulator" more so than just a game and look forward to the future, especially if the GR2 exporter becomes a reality. I'm sure that as I have had one version or another of F4 on my HDD for the last 18 years, SH5 will also be there for the foreseeable future. To me it's more than just about sinking ships but more about learning the history, learning about the skills and tactics required of this era and sometimes just enjoying walking around on my boat and taking in the scenery. :up:

[maillemaker]

If you can't stand slow moving gameplay and "boring" patrols, you don't play modded SH5...Simple as that...

And that suuuuuuucks.

Steve

[Ashikaga]

Yep it is a radio direction and range finder indeed :)

Looking forward to that Mod !!!

Awesome immersion !

Great to see another falcon player btw !
You really need to get IL2 Cliffs of Dover with the Team Fusion Mod !!!


Ashikaga.

[gap]

:) nothing secret. This will be a RDF simulation based on the real RDF receiver (Peilempfänger) used by Uboats to triangulate convoy communications, and other possible interesting uses later on -- radio navigation for example. More details once it's finished.

That RDF loop antenna will finally have an actual gameplay use in the SH series! :up:

Amazing!

I have noticed that the range-finder interface got a band selector. Is it really working, or you included it just for eye-candy? I ask so because no RADAR/RWR controller has a frequency-range setting, and this is a shame because it makes RWR upgrades utterly unrealistic in game. You get progressively higher detection ranges, whereas any new upgrade should earn you the possibility of detecting newest generation enemy RADAR's together with lesser chances to be detected due the emissions of the RWR itself, but at the cost of a reduced enemy detection range... :doh:

[vdr1981]

You guys are creating offtopic by posting constructive and interesting posts in yet another SH3 vs SH5 pointless thread...

[gap]

You guys are creating offtopic by posting constructive and interesting posts in yet another SH3 vs SH5 pointless thread...

:o :har:

[Aktungbby]

I always gravitate towards SH5 and have not put the time into learning all of the nuances and features that the earlier versions have to offer.

With the latest megamods installed, I think SH5 is fast becoming a submarine "simulator" more so than just a game and look forward to the future, especially if the GR2 exporter becomes a reality. learning about the skills and tactics required of this era and sometimes just enjoying walking around on my boat and taking in the scenery. :up: NICE! you've inspire'd me to reload SHV after 3 year hiatus (Ubsoft's interval upgrades caused difficulty) and 'tickle the dragon's tail' with a 'mod soup' this time. I might try a real TDC this time around.:salute:

[Ashikaga]

To be honest the range direction finder was a device to detect RADIO signals, not RADAR signals.

Only at the end of the war the Kriegsmarine experimented with the FüG Radar/radio beaming device by installing night fighter anttenae on their boats. Did not really workl as well as they hoped. The Night fighters were very proficient with it but they had the Night fighter stations which operated the large Tiger and other Radars. So they worked in Unison and for a long time from the large bunker at Deelen, the Netherlands.

http://www.gyges.dk/Wilde%20&%20Zahme%20Sau.htm

They did use a device called the Naxos radar detectror also.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/FuMB-7_Naxos_and_FuMB-26_Tunis_antenna.jpg

The type IX U boat used radar with large antennae as well as detectors with smaller round antennae. The VII we have in this game does not have those until you get to the VII C/41 Atlantic version afaik.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v247/IMPERIALCOMMAND/RADAR_zpsgeu7drhc.jpg

http://www.uboataces.com/radar-warning.shtml

http://uboat.net/technical/radar.htm

The Radio Pfeilempfanger could home in on radio message signals and then you could basically triangulate where the signal was coming from, in a general direction sort of way.

http://battlefrequencies.com/radios/EP2.html

The Kriegsmarine never knew or even understood that the Allied Navies managed to make their broadband radar signals into a narrow band signal which then enabled them to "see" conning towers and later in the war even periscopes.

That, combined with Asdic and Huffduff did the trick.


Ashikaga

[gap]

To be honest the range direction finder was a device to detect RADIO signals, not RADAR signals...

I appraciate your honesty Ashikaga. I was already aware about the difference between a RDF and a RADAR, but a reminder can't harm :03:

My question was going in another direction though. I am actually more interested into any possible method of making the game to differentiate between distinct wave bands, than in the nature of those waves or in the different sensors able of detecting them. Who knows, maybe SkyBaron has found something on that :hmm2:

[Ashikaga]

OOOH !! I get your point ! By the way since other people too, some of whom might know a bit less about the technical as well as operational history of the U-boat war also read these topics it is never bad to give some more explanation I think ;)

That would be awesome indeed ! Adding in all frequencies should be possible somehow but how would you go about it ? Audio files coupled with frequencies so you hear at least a sound ? And how would the game calculate everything?

LW MW SW....... And more !

Lets hope they succeed !

:yeah:

[kevinsue]

:) nothing secret. This will be a RDF simulation based on the real RDF receiver (Peilempfänger) used by Uboats to triangulate convoy communications, and other possible interesting uses later on -- radio navigation for example. More details once it's finished.

That RDF loop antenna will finally have an actual gameplay use in the SH series! :up:

Just gets better and better! Will this mod be a new station like hydrophone and radar, or will it be "standalone" like the Enigma?
I hope that there will be some way to incorporate this new RDF receiver mod into TheBeast's Room_QR1 (silentmichal's dining room) mod if the actual 3D model in the radio room is used as a station. :up:

[SkyBaron]

I appraciate your honesty Ashikaga. I was already aware about the difference between a RDF and a RADAR, but a reminder can't harm :03:

My question was going in another direction though. I am actually more interested into any possible method of making the game to differentiate between distinct wave bands, than in the nature of those waves or in the different sensors able of detecting them. Who knows, maybe SkyBaron has found something on that :hmm2:

I don't think the game shows any extra info about the detected radar type or its source (ie. a warship, an airplane, etc.) The only thing radar related I did was the Metox BEEP warning sound, already included in TWoS with the latest updates.

[gap]

I don't think the game shows any extra info about the detected radar type or its source (ie. a warship, an airplane, etc.) The only thing radar related I did was the Metox BEEP warning sound, already included in TWoS with the latest updates.

I am afraid this doean't answer my original question. :)

I make myself clearer: I know all too well that the game has no support for differentiating between the various radar types based on the frequency of their emissions, or on any other criteria. To the best of my knowledge, no information about radar/rwr emission/detection wavelenghts is stored in stock game files, and there is not an easy way to bypass this limitation.

Yet, from the development of the radar technology, a parallel war was fought by both WWII factions for improving their own detection devices and making them stealth to each others. This fact implied a continuous change of the frequencies emitted by radars and detected by radar warning receivers. To make things even more complicated, is the fact that even a "passive" detection system such as an RWR, was not so passive after all since even its feeble emissions could give away own presence to the enemy, or at least so was feared by the Kriegsmarine. This fear implied on turn a further reduction of the noise signature emitted by the newest RWR devices and, matter of factly, a correspondent reduction of their detection range during the course of the war.

More details on the topic can be found at the following link:

http://radarworld.org

All of the above is why, seeing how your range finder interface has a band-selection switch, I was wondering wether you have found a way to mimic the differential detection of different RADIO frequencies which might apply to RADARs/RWRs as well.

[vdr1981]

More constructive posts...Someone should be banned...:O:

[SkyBaron]

All of the above is why, seeing how your range finder interface has a band-selection switch, I was wondering wether you have found a way to mimic the differential detection of different RADIO frequencies which might apply to RADARs/RWRs as well.

How would you see this being applied in game? For example, once the player's RWR detects a radar signal what should happen? Would that be based on which radar model the signal comes from? The idea sounds interesting :) but I'm trying to understand the practical application during gameplay.

More constructive posts...Someone should be banned...:O:

I think all the SH5 mod talk in this thread helps to show how SH5's modding is ahead of SH3's in many areas. It might help people who are in doubt whether to give modded SH5 a try, making the discussion related to the original question. However, it may be better to create a [TEC] thread about radars, with links, ideas and resources. Maybe something will come out of it! :)

[vdr1981]

I think all the SH5 mod talk in this thread helps to show how SH5's modding is ahead of SH3's in many areas. It might help people who are in doubt whether to give modded SH5 a try, making the discussion related to the original question. However, it may be better to create a [TEC] thread about radars, with links, ideas and resources. Maybe something will come out of it! :)

Of course mate...I was just fooling around a bit. :yep: It's kinda annoying to watch same pointless threads over and over again. It's like some people have never heard for "search" function, or they just don't care...:yep:

Your and work of other skilled modders sends very clear message.
And to be honest, the truth is that SH3 may be more stable and have "Kiel canal locks", but it will probably never have realistic navigation of TDW class, fully functional Enigma machine, manual dive planes controls, realistic (not beautiful) graphics and level of customization like SH5 even now has ...

I remember some old TDW posts about "dead horse beating" and personally , I think he was right after all...:yep:

[gap]

More constructive posts...Someone should be banned...:O:

In that case, I am willing to volunteer for an immediate ban :O:


I think all the SH5 mod talk in this thread helps to show how SH5's modding is ahead of SH3's in many areas. It might help people who are in doubt whether to give modded SH5 a try, making the discussion related to the original question.


Let's be fair, the SHIII-IV modding community is not as bad as we depict it. I have started visiting their forums on a more regular basis, and so far I have found an overally relaxed, cooperative and stimulating climate there. The times of the opposite SHIII-modding factions, used to fight against each others for whatever reason, no matter how trivial, seem to be finished for good. There are some great mods there too, many of them waiting to be ported to SH5, and modders that we SH5 people could learn a lot from, if only we put an end to the chronic rivalry dividing the fans of the two games. :)


However, it may be better to create a [TEC] thread about radars, with links, ideas and resources. Maybe something will come out of it! :)

My bad for spreading information all over the subsim forums :oops: :D

How would you see this being applied in game? For example, once the player's RWR detects a radar signal what should happen? Would that be based on which radar model the signal comes from? The idea sounds interesting :) but I'm trying to understand the practical application during gameplay.

Simplifying:

early RADARs only worked on a single frequency or on a short range of frequencies. Later models could switch among two or three different bands. Nowadays, these bands are well documented for most WWII-era RADARs. The higher the frequency that the device was tuned on, the higher its resolution (i.e. the easiest detecting small objects), but at the cost of a shorter detection range (long waves travel further away from their source than short ones).

RWRs on turn could detect a limited range of frequencies, but still wider than the range of frequencies emitted by their co-eve RADARs. If a RADAR was in the range of a RWR, and the frequency it was emitting was comprised within the band of frequencies that the RWR could detect, there were chances of it being actually detected. Early RWRs only gave a sound alarm, but later devices could also provide information on the general direction of the detected signal.

In game we can easily customize range and resolution properties (IIRC, the latter are labelled as "surface factor" in Goblin Editor) of any single radar, but so far there is no way to tell the game which frequencies each RADAR should "emit", and which range of frequencies each RWR should detect. I dont know how complex or how flexible sensor's scripts are; but if we could make the game to read the missing wavelenght properties from an ASCII file, or even from the game name of any individual RADAR/RWR device modelled in game, and to compare them for deciding wether a given RADAR can be detected by a given RWR, I am sure the degree of realism of SH5 would register a sudden peak. :03:

There would still be some shortcomings, like the impossibility to simulate multi-band RADARs or RWRs able to indicate the direction of any detected signals, but those are of secondary importance IMO and, if possible (I have some ideas on this respect), we could try and address them in a second moment... :yep:

[THEBERBSTER]

The problem as I see it is that newcomers to Subsim are picking up the negative responses from SH3 old timers who have still got their heads buried in the sands as to how they may have tried SH5 years ago and binned it.
It would be challenging now for any of those people trying SH5 with TWOS to be so negative about it unless they are totally biased in their views of SH3 over SH5.
Vecko hit the nail on the head with what SH5 and TWOS now has to offer.
I'm sure the use of the search function is known about.
The problem here is that people to day are not prepared to trawl through the posts when it much easier and quicker to start a new thread.
Personally speaking I am never happier when I have a manual to read and you can learn an awful lot just by reading other posts even sometimes old ones.
Peter

[Webster]

More constructive posts...Someone should be banned...:O:

if we banned people for getting off topic the entire website would be 90% shut down

but your point is valid that people should stick to the topic and start a new thread if they want to start up side discussions about sh5 vs sh3

[Ashikaga]

Gap,

Shall I develop a laboratory setting simulation for you ?

Sorry, could not find any images of German Laboratories.

http://www.archives.gov/boston/exhibits/homefront/images/3.05-mit-lab.jpg

;)


:Kaleun_Cheers:

[gap]

Gap,

Shall I develop a laboratory setting simulation for you ?

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2qsggy
:D :O:

[gap]

...your point is valid that people should stick to the topic and start a new thread if they want to start up side discussions about sh5 vs sh3

Fair enough