At the risk of comparing, if SH5 has an internal system for recording messages similar to SH3, then this would be easy.

My original plan with SH3Cmdr was to provide the user the whole system generated text file log which they could edit as they liked (withthe help of a filter) as well as add new entries. Would mean that, for example, calling for a weather report would see the response automatically added to your log.

I'm an analyst from way back, so a screen plotting the location of all my sinkings would be mighty nice. But I would expect to be in the minority on that on.

I would hope that you could make map marks from a variety of different symbols to see a scatterplot histogram of your various warship, merchant, and air contacts so you can see emergent trends.

Ahhhh, porn for an analyst. :rotfl:

Would be nice. :up:

I like the idea of having a feature that will enable us to read material from within the game while playing, would make it a bit more fun to play.

About that captain's bed....
It would be nice to limit the TC to a low value and only allow time skiping when you click on the captain's bed. Time would pass as fast as your processor can handle it and you'd be woken up if:
- a certain number of hours has passed
- the sub has travelled X miles / the sub has reached the next nav point
- sun rise/set or a certain hour
And during this time, the sub would follow a customisable procedure such as:
- travel 30 miles
- dive to 30 meters and listen for enemy
- surface to recharge batteries
- snorkel travel
- make reports at X hours
etc. And while you "sleep" you'd still be able to walk around the sub in a floaty hazy camera and see people doing stuff (2x or 3x faster than normal).
All reports should be written by you, no more instant course/speed for convoys you spot at 16 km away. And the notepad should be somehow linked to the map, but I disgress.
Maybe they could include a checker/chess game to play with the crew. I need the practice :oops:. :har:

I ABSOLUTELY love the idea of having an edit-able log in-game! Especially if it worked in conjunction with the existing log:

June 2, 1941
0945hrs: Smoke Sighted at 289
<then add your own text about what, when, etc... ie - 0950hrs: Went to general quarters and readied all bow tubes. Turned to intercept on course 310 etc etc>

I do that right now via a dual screen setup on my system running SH3 on one and Notepad on the other... but DAMN it'd be nice just to do it from the Captains Bunk and it'd save me alot of extra typing.

The other idea of a 'catalog' of your sinkings/sightings/contacts via points on a map would be great - before a mission, when you get your patrol orders, you are viewing an image of the map that has multi-colored dots on it corresponding to sinkings, contacts, etc... don't think that'd be hard to do... hell I do it by hand using a very large version of the SH3 map thats been laminated and a dry-erase marker...

...just some ideas :smug:

My thoughts:

Patrol Logs: No automatic entries at all, except maybe start and end of patrol. You sink a ship, you put in what the recognition manual said; i.e. "British tanker, 8000 tons class". At the end of the patrol, as with SH3 Commander, you find out it was the SS Herefordshire, 8398 tons.

Just as long as I can write the actual data myself, I'll be happy.

Books: Maybe historical manuals, i.e. an actual almanac, in which you can look up sunrise and set, and moonrise and set times for any day of the war. These already exist and should be easy to import.

The first thing is something I was gunna suggest myself. I think it's silly you spot 3 ships on the horizon in SH4, send a contact report, and then read your own contact report to figure the enemy's course and speed. When you send a report it should pop up a little form where you fill in number of ships, course, speed, uncertainty, position, etc and then send it off. Game might even reward you for highly accurate reports.

The second thing, chess, checkers, cards, etc with your crew is something I hadn't thought of but is a darn good idea.

As long as you could make custom map marker marks (why is it always the X?) and they would persist between patrols.... there's really no reason for the devs to work to make a dedicated scatterplot feature. If you give players the ability and the tools then we can do so much for ourselves even with simple tools.

As cool as full manual entries is, I think having automatic entries lowers the workload for the player that is not a diehard journaler. You definately want all entries editable or deletable not to piss off the dedicated subsim enthusiast by forcing auto stuff down his throat but if there was a "Auto journal entries" checkbox and/or the auto entries were able to be edited or deleted then the diehard player shouldn't be upset.

The best part about having books built into the game is that UBI doesn't have to make but 2-3 little "starter books." There will come a wealth of book files from the community as long as the feature is there. Low work for the devs for a lot of flexible payoff for the playerbase.

Now that's an idea!: "Navigator, give me a weather report", "Javohl, her kaleun." "Chief, give me a status rteport on fuel and damages." "Javohl."

Wait an hour or however long is appropriate (perhaps use TC). Go to your Bunk or to the assigned officer and get the report.

I love the idea of having reading material to enjoy whilst on the patrol. Perhaps you could also put your own books in there aswell.

I'd quite like there to be some degree of personal interaction with some crewmembers aswell; for example, a crewman might be looking at photographs of his girl - you could then approach him and talk to him a little about her. The same for football matches or something. This could be tied into a crewmembers opinion of you.

If it takes my navigator an hour to stick his head out the hatch and tell me if it's rainin' or not, he's getting shot out the torpedo tubes! :rotfl:

I would like it if the Navigator would all on his own tell you when the weather is starting to change. And even better if you can set TC to drop when he does.

I agree - that was a problem with you getting a report while submerged, fixed by mods. What should happen is that the Navigator goes up there and makes regular checks, while he's doing sextant shots.