Thank you Subsim community!
 

:Kaleun_Salute:
I Just wanted to take a moment and thank all of the dedicated players, modders, Subsim Website Admin, and game developers for keeping the submarine sim genre alive. (You have to give the devs props, otherwise, we wouldn't have these great games to mod)


The first submarine simulation I ever played was "Gato" for the Apple //c back in 1986.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...-box-cover.jpg https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=...AAAAAdAAAAABAh
I had a lot of fun playing this game when I was just 7 yo. My dad was a submariner and I thought submarines were really cool back then. So I played this game for hours, not realizing I had no idea what I was doing.



A few years later, I stumbled upon Silent Service. I never owned it, but a friend of mine did, and I would play it any chance I got!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...nt_service.jpg


I never played the second one. I also somehow missed out on Silent Hunter, and Aces of the Deep, which I have heard were really good games back in the day.


The first subsim I actually purchased was Silent Hunter II in 2002. I had joined the Navy, and volunteered for the submarine force by then. We were on a port call during deployement and it had just come out. So I picked it up because it looked like a decent game. I was right! I spent so much time playing SH2, especially after Destroyer Command was released as a companion game, I nearly ruined my marriage before it started :o. This is when I first found my way to Subsim.com and was introduced to modding. :03: Many thanks to Projekt Messerwetzer, and the SH-DC Interop patch.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...r_II_cover.jpg


Also about that same time I came across Sub Command. Full disclosure, my Leading first class and I would sometimes go home after work, and fire up the old 56k modem, link up online and play Sub Command against each other. I'll never forget the time I used a tactic in the game that I had just finished learning as part of my sonar supervisor quals. He was pretty impressed, or angry. Not really sure which, but it was the first time I beat him.
https://howlongtobeat.com/games/Sub_Command.jpg


Obviously I didn't stop there! I went on to play Silent Hunter III, 4, and 5, as well as Dangerous Waters, Cold Waters, U-Boat, and Wolfpack. Although I admit, I haven't gotten to really play those last 3 due to computer limitations. I recently got a high end rig, and I can run them max graphics and still get 60+ FPS, so I intend to get into them more now.


My favorite is still SH4 especially with the FotRS mega mod. I really thank every one of those people who worked on that mod because it makes SH4 like new again, and is keeping it relevant even today, when it was released in 2007!


And all that would not have happened without this community. You all are awesome! Awesome for your suggestions, your time devoted to making good games better, your attention to detail and historical accuracy, and mostly your love of the submarine and everything that entails.


Thanks from an old retired submariner, who's been playing sub sims for more than 75% his life, and did the real thing for 20 years.


:Kaleun_Salute:


Also, thank you to everyone who took the time to read this long post!