and they all derive from plain old 688 Attack Sub by EA before that, was my first PC game on my ol' 286 actually :)

I have both and have just started playing SHIII. Others have outlined the technical differences so I will just say that on the whole I like SH more. It is the one that I find myself thinking on when I am away from the computer. That said I am much more into WW2 games as a whole, be it naval sim, flight sim or even shooter.

but on the topic of the old ones.. my first sub game was Silent Service for the original Nintendo, was set in the Pacific and you could only be US Navy.... anyone remember that one?

I certainly remember 688 attack sub. I had a demo version of it where you could only do a training mission I believe, but I played it over and over.

Although I'm yet to get DW (and one day I will), I hear that multiplayer there blows SHIII out of the water - for those who enjoy that kind of thing. Admittably, multiple people playing different stations on the same machine is already appealing enough - and the potential for interesting matchups and head-to-head combat seems to be appealing enough :hmm:

I have DW and i found the learning curve too STEEP! Of course you can play this game with an easy option auto crew etc., but this is a type of game where if you really want enjoyment out of it, it has to be played in realistic mode. I like how though in DW you can take command of a destroyer or pilot as well. Good options.

Silent Hunter 3 is a different story, you can enjoy the game with 100% but also its still a brilliant game to play even with auto-targetting on.

My buddy had Silent Service on the Nintendo, but I didn't, so I never got into it although it looked pretty damn cool.

688 Attack Sub, however, I do have some experience with. I was around 6-7 years old and for some odd reason it was on my Dad's computer at his shop (he's a diesel mechanic, his shop doesn't even use a computer anymore they went back to doing all the books by hand.) I tried and tried to play that game, and although I somehow managed to sink ships from time to time, I never really knew what the hell was going on. I'm sure it woulda been fun if I were a little older and could understand what was going on :oops:

Obviously there are major differences including the time period, technology, and scope of the game. The biggest gameplay difference is that SH3 has a dynamic "open" campaign with few specific goals (though there are canned missions) while DW is all canned missions, many with non-combat goals (reflecting the versatile nature of sub operations today). You also get more platforms including helos and frigates in DW.

But for me, there is a quantum difference in the "feel" of the games. For whatever reason, it is reflected by every WW2 vs modern sim game I've played, be it tanks, fighter planes, or subs. WW2 stuff just has a more visceral "in your face" feel. you have to go to guns on the target, your best sensor is the mark I eyeball, and no fancy computer does any work for you. Modern sims feel more sterile (to me), more about pushing buttons than getting your claws into the enemy. DW has a VERY steep learning curve, but with autocrew you can focus on driving the ship and less about manipulating the sonar array. But it is VERY detailed and rewarding when you do things right. you really feel the lack of 20 guys helping you out though. SH3 has a more limited set of tools at your disposal so you are better able to focus on the mission.

It is more refined than DW (game interface-wise), but DW has a pretty hardcore group of modders just like SH3 who are working to iron out the bugs or make things more realistic.

Get both though, there ain't many naval sims out there and they all need to be supported!

My first sub game was Red Storm Rising for the C64, which was an awesome modern sub sim. Very challenging, with dynamic--rather than canned--missions.

There is a "Hunt for Red October" box at my mom's house that I have no idea where it came from. It's got instructions for installation on several different machines of the time, and they look pretty damn complicated. "Plug the joystick in port one: put the disk in, unplug the joystick and move it to port two" <- Wha?? :doh: I don't know anything about that game and I'm not about to buy a 20 yr old computer to find out, anyone know whether it was cool or not?

So your mom played "Hunt for Red October" ?

Ooooh, is she married??? :hmm:

I think that's the reason because the IIWW is so fascinating to so many people: is the last "manual war". The man was still who makes the difference. The machines had not enought differences to disable the man's capabilities. There wasn't enought quality difference between tanks, planes, ships, weapons... that a good soldier/pilot/commander/general... could not manage and win.

Now, a very good Captain driving a Han (nuclear chinese sub) has nothing to do against a drunken Captain on a 688i. The sensor and weapons difference are tooo high.