Dan, please don't misunderstand my questioning as griping. All I'm trying to do is better understand what will be released in March and part of that is speculating on what I've read so far and voicing some of the conclusions I've come to.

Thanks for the direct answer it clears a lot up for me and give me an insight into how the game will play out for me.

As I've already stated having been used to it from SH3/4, I'm interested in still being able to choose my starting point and dates. It sounds from your answer that these choices out of the box will be limited but easily moddable to allow greater control over where I start.

The big question from there will be how the game plays outside the confines of the out of the box campaign.

Ok I'll get it but....
 

Seems every version is a matter of throwing something away and adding something new.

Why can't these game developers simply build on what the comunity points out as the pathway....

Make it easy to command and make the crew work. If I command a range on a target an officer should use the UZO and state that range... If I command "dive" the crew should initiate the dive given certain sequenced events including the closing of the hatchway.

I'll buy it but probably will gripe.:doh:

I m a little concerned about the direction the gameplay may take however. i think PC gaming is being drawn toward PS3 or console style gaming. The days of having an open sandbox, unscripted environment is becoming very rare, I saw this change happen to a favorite series of mine on the PC recently. I would be really worried if they are intending to make a console version of the game as well as PC. Thats usually a bad sign that we will have more of an arcade game rather than a true simulator.

I can deal with ALL the limitations as long as this game remains a simulator and does not become a FPS/RPG console game! I will not buy or play such a game and stick with SH3 instead. Im sure the devs will do the right thing!

I am very perplexed as to why they would only model one type of UBoat (with a few slightly different variations), and only a certain part of the war. As far as modeling only one uboat, you have simply modeled boredom into your game after about 5 or 6 patrols. Even if we will end up using the Type VII most of the time, almost all of us changed back and forth between the various boats just to add a little variety.

As far as ending the game in 1943, it makes the entire game seem incomplete. If your goal is to leave a portion of the game open for an Add-On, then I am fine with that as long as you follow up with your add-on soon. I hope you are able to generate revenue to keep the series going, but you do need to follow up soon to make your game feel more complete.

The greatest news is that the game is very modable. With that, I can honestly say that this game probably won't reach a level that we are looking forward to until about 9 to 12 months after it is released. I truly think the modders have alot to do to bring this game to hard-core simmers likings, and this will take time.

I still want to know if we'll be able to confidently save games mid-patrol. Now THAT would be a HUGE leap forward in the SH series. :yeah:

This does worry me too. True PC games are vanishing. I'll wait till I'm comfortable before I buy the game. I'll read peoples posts on the forum and see what they say. Some pic I'm sure will be posted so I'll have an idea of what they're playing if not some youtube vids...:yeah: But I'm not rushing into it yet. Something smells fishy.. :O:

I am very worried that the AI is going to cheat or get super nerfed in order to make UBI's idea of a "sim".

Doesnt matter. They are not getting my $$$.

Funny I have never had any issues saving mid patrol, hundreds of times, in SH3, only if close to a port!:oops: can even reload a mid patrol-save submerged, with SH3 Commander!:yep:

Me either, but then I don't save mid-patrol for that very reason, lol.

Were they? My understanding has always been that BdU kept a very tight rein on them, and they always went exactly where they were told, at least up to a point.

My all-time favorite is from Time Enough For Love: "The optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds. The pessimist is afraid he might be right."

@ jclasper: WELCOME ABOARD!:sunny:

Or my favourite, a pessimist is what an optimist calls a realist (or a realist is what an optimist calls a pessimist depending on how you read it). :O:

Appreciate the interview, Neal, and the bit of candor that the dev team has given.

Have been involved in the "Letters from Home" project and the limited career will at least reduce the significant effort needed to write letters every month for every career to the end. We'll see if we can resurrect that add-on.

Maybe an awkward question, but how much of Tomi's work will be incorporated into SH5? Does anyone know...or is it something that should/will/must be held close for legal reasons?

JScones: Finally, it is good to know that one can close the game while submerged or close to a convoy in mid patrol while using Commander. We have been warned several times not to do so and that makes it awkward to go forward if 'under' or attacking a convoy if there is not enough time (real time) to go to the absolute end, expecting a DD attack for several virtual hours.

Look forward to SH5 and almost certainly forthcoming brilliant mods. In any case, am grateful to Ubi for any development they do, without them what would we have, eh?

SHV
 

Bit disapointed with just the one uboat type and the 1943 end, not sure if I will buy it or not, have to wait and see if the modders can do something with it.

no they cant.