Should I get it?
 

I've been hunting for a decent single-player subsim to play when there aren't any Wolfpack games going on, and I've set my sights on SH4.
Do I need mods? How buggy is it? How big is the learning curve?

Re: SH4 thoughts & recommendations...
 

Ok, to begin with... :D

SH4, IS NOT NOW, nor ever will be a hot mess like as with SH5. No, it is not buggy, though there is some things needed to know to ensure a smooth as possible game play experience, over all.

1. Do NOT install it in either C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86)... EVER... instead, see of setting up your own folder, tagged as such:

C:\Games\SH

In this folder, set up your clean copy of SH4... and run it only as needed to allow the set up to finish...

Once this is done.. Never, ever mod it. EVER. This will & shall be the master copy of it, to use to make clean copies from that you can mod, after setting them up independent of the Master copy.

That said, then set up another folder in C:\Games\

& name it whatever mod flavor you wish to use.. such as 'Operation-Monsun: Dark-Waters' (this is a SH3 variation for SH4, on steroids & looks better, to be frank..)

or FotRS-U-EN (if you are so inclined to run a sub as a U.S. skipper...)

I do have a set up guide, that goes more into detail of setting up & can be found here:

https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/sho...0&postcount=16

I use Steam, as My source for SH4 & as best I can say.. set up using disk as your medium of install, should be similar enough to use it for that means of access. As for Ubiscrew... erhm... *cough.. cough... I mean Ubisoft aka Uplay... :D is a different critter & I had no success in setting up multi copying from them, as a source... hopefully someone on here, may know of a successful means to do so, from them.


Now for the grand prize question... :hmmm:

Do you need mods to play SH4.. If you're content to just play it as it is, out of the box... then No... the mods I've named but a few of, do enhance the playability of SH4... but, ultimately... only you can decide to play it straight out of the box, with that new sub smell... or mod it up some... the choice.. is yours. :yep:

Is there a steep learning curve... Nope :up: If you've played SH3 before, it's relatively similar in certain aspects, with regards to keyboard commands... for the most part. In short, relatively simple to play right off the rip...

Hope this helps...

Fair winds, smooth seas.. and plentiful hunting.

M. M.

:Kaleun_Salute:

How do I create another Steam folder on the same drive?

You cannot. That is why you don't install Steam to the Program Files folders. If you have a laptop, and only one hard drive available, you'll have to move things, or re-install. See Moving a Steam Installation and Games for more info. Another option is a fast external hard drive, and create a new Steam Library folder in it. :salute:

Would I be able to download it normally, go into SteamApps, and then move SH4 to another folder?

Re: Steam installation..
 

No.

Follow the link that propbeanie provided to see how to change the library location.

If you have, as I do a 2 hard drive set up in your computer ( C: is My main, ( D: is set up on C: to allow for restoring the Op system,should that be needed to be done.. hopefully never, but.. you never know... ) & E: is where I stock pile mods for all the SH games I have.. which is SH3, SH4 & SH5, by the way & some other games that I play that play better modded... & the drive I also set up the various launchers, such as Steam. On C: is where I have the library for Steam games stored at to play, which is outlined in the guide I hot linked in My last post. Everything I did to enable making more than 1 copy of SH4 to mod of whatever mega mod I want to use , you can follow that guide, as it does work. ) I've got 3 copies modded to play We dive at Dawn, the Brit sub career mod, Operation Monsun: Dark Waters, the Uboat career mod & Fall of the Rising Sun: Ultimate English, the U.S. sub career mod (version 1.1 w/ patch, at this time.. until the next update/upgrade for it comes out, that is... :haha: )

If you do NOT have a 2 hard drive set up, I believe you should still be able to install Steam launcher in the Program files or files (x86) & set up the library in a folder created by you but NOT in either files or files (x86)... I think... I have NOT tested that to be frank & can't swear to that 100 %... but.. NO, you can't install SH4 in Steam Library & move the SH4 game folder anywhere else.

You can, however, create your own folder named SH4-whatever(replacing whatever with how you will remember how you have it modded (take for example, Fall of the Rising Sun, hence called FotRS) so that folder reads SH4-FotRS & is located in the steamapps\common folder, then copy the guts of the SH4 unmodded copy & paste it into the SH4-FotRS folder, add in JSGME, MultiSH4, run MultiSH4 to set up a new game save folder (giving the save folder the name of FRS) then activate the mega mod & any subsequent add on mods via JSGME. before running the game, set permission to run the SH4.exe , to admin level, send a copy of the SH4.exe to desktop, rename it there to SH4-FotRS & finally use Large Address Aware to have your computer assign SH4 4 GB's of RAM, pointing out just where the SH4.exe is located.

It unfortunately requires the Steam Library to be able to be played. As long as you do all whatever in that folder, even making copies of SH4, then you're good to go... I believe.

I outlined all of this in the guide I hot linked...

Hopefully this helps... :shucks:

M. M.

:Kaleun_Salute:

I say 'yes, by all means!' IMHO, it's one of the best of the SH family. I suggest using one of the mega mods because the out of the box game is kind of buggy and boring. I'm playing Fall of the Rising Sun Unlimited and find it quite addicting. You can really take it to a new level with all the mods available. As for learning curve, it's on par with SH3. You can smooth that out some by going through the sub school missions.

I have the Steam version and I have it a C:\Steam directory on a separate drive. Like other's have said DO NOT USE C:\Program Files. Find the Burbster's how to's which will take you through installing the game.

Have fun........:Kaleun_Salute: :Kaleun_Cheers:
MacGregor

One more thing: you need the version 1.5 with the Uboat missions added. I understand the Uboat missions add-on is available on Steam, but I don't use a Steam version.
If you don't use Steam, you can find SH4 Gold (v1.5) on Amazon for a reasonable price. All the "best" mods require that your baseline SH4 is v1.5. I happen to prefer Fall Of The Rising Sun Ultimate (FOTRSU). It is the least buggy and certainly the most fun of any I've tried from a US Pacific sub perspective. You're going to love SH4. :Kaleun_Salute:

I've been enjoyed SH3 then SH4 off and on for years and find it to be as difficult and engaging as I wish to get... Difficult to believe it's over ten years old, and thanks to the SubSim community maven modifiers it has had a life long after its demise as a mainstream game...

FWIW, preferring "onboard" games vice the Steam online route I purchased the CD version, installed it in a folder in my SSD F drive and a couple of years later added SH5 which upgraded SH4 to v1.5 that is required for most mods. I play it stock with the only mods being for the large protractor (a must have) and mouse dragging for setting sonar direction.

Overall it has run well and I play it four or five hours a week.

:up::up:

I downloaded it and installed it through Steam regularly, figuring that I could delete it and retry if it failed. It works fine, had my first crash but I have the feeling nothing is unusual there. Thanks fellas

:Kaleun_Wink:

Hey M. M.==

I am in full agreement concerning questions: we are all teachers and students. I know a great many things but I'm the first one with my hand in the air when I don't know. In fact, the older I get, the less I know:k_confused:

In communities such as Subsim, it's often nice to have a back channel. Those in the forum don't always have the same attitude toward learning.:hmmm:

Thanks for the guides. I'm going to spend a little time in study to make sure I have a solid grasp. I finally got SHIV FotRSU dialed in with mods. I'm having fun playing. Last night I prowled into Garapan Harbor Saipan and sunk a 6600t freighter tied up to the pier. I posted pics on the last page of stories and patrol logs.

Here's a question: how do you setup a sig pic. Does your img come from the Subsim album or another site?

Take care....
Macgregor.......:Kaleun_Cheers:

yes, SH4 is very enjoyable.
be sure to buy the SH4 1.5 with Uboat Missions...preferably on CD/DVD.
:Kaleun_Salute:

Hey MacGregor, :Kaleun_Cheers:

From what I have ascertained, the sig pic, comes from subsim itself.. I did at 1 time, have 1 of My own choosing & don't right off remember the exact methodology of changing it. I'll at some point, re look that info up, though in the mean time, am sure some other site member could very well point the way to that info.

As for the guide, should you have something that is not clear, I shall be more than happy to answer them..

As always, fair winds, smooth seas & may you have plentiful targets...

M. M.

:Kaleun_Salute:

I'm hijacking this thread a bit but I wanted to ask why I shouldn't mod the original installation? In the worst case scenario can't I just delete the folder and reinstall?

Thanks :Kaleun_Cheers:

Yes you can, but it is a lot easier and faster to Delete (not uninstall) the current version, and then just copy a "pristine" originally installed version from another place on a hard drive.

I installed a clean version of SH4 v1.5 to my game drive, then copied it to a different drive "as is". That became my "pristine" version. I could then add mods to the installed version (not the "pristine" copy) all I want. If I decide to start over, I simply delete the SH4 folder and all its contents from the Documents folder, then delete the game I don't want anymore, then copy the pristine version back to the game folder. I also rerun Large Address Aware. Very simple, and doesn't disturb any Windows settings since you did not do an "uninstall".

Of course, if you want to do it the hard way, uninstall the game you 've been running, delete the SH4 folder from Documents, and reinstall the game from whatever original media you have., taking care NOT to install it in one of the Program Files folders that Windows wants to use. Then you have to also rerun Large Address Aware.

Either way will work, but the delete/copy method works best for me. Have fun!
:salute: