Fresh Faced Recruit -SH IV
 

Hi everyone, I am relatively new to the submarine simulator scene and I've got a few questions so please be easy with the new guy :D.

My questions will range from patches to in-game stuff.

So first off, I got this game about 3 months ago through steam without the U-Boat Missions Expansion which means I am stuck with version 1.3. After a few gruelling days, I've finally understood the "fundamentals" - navigating, positioning for an attack, evasion, even manual targeting and so on.

Here comes the questions...

• I've read that SH IV by itself has v1.4 as its latest patch and steam won't update it. I've tried manually downloading the v1.4 patch itself but apparently the directory is incorrect so I can't install it. I've also read in the Ubi forums that the v1.3 on steam is actually a "typo" and the actual version of SH IV without the expansion on steam is v1.4. I tried to confirm the version by installing Trigger Maru Overhauled for v1.4, it seemed to load however at about 80% of the loading bar, error shows up and it says i have a few missing stock files. So what I need from the subsim community is clarification, what is the actual version of SH IV on steam (without the U-Boats Expansion).
  
  
• Another question is about Manual Targeting, particularly the legendary Dick O'Kane Technique. There are many tutorials out there ranging from Youtube to step by step instructions in forums and I've learned a lot from these and I almost made it to work however for someone who's not too bright at mathematics, I have a problem with AoB in the TDC. How exactly do you measure angular deviation that you will use to subtract from 90° to get the "actual AoB" and so on. Also please take in to account in your answers, I am playing on steam version 1.3 so I can't really install any mods/tools/tweaks etc. whatsoever. Only the stock game.

Thanks.

:salute::salute::salute:

Welcome aboard, depthtok33l. Always fun to have a new guy to push around, err, I mean, share our vast wealth of knowledge, and provide guidance.
:salute:

Your first question. I don't use Steam, so I can't help you on that end. On the loading screen of the game, look at the lower right hand corner. That will give you the version you're running. When you can, go ahead and get the U-boat expansion. The latest mods are written for it. It also fixes a lot of problems. You don't need to upgrade incrementally, the U-boat add-on upgrades it to version 1.5 and includes all the up-dates.

Your second question. Personally, I still use auto-targeting. I learned how to do manual and can do a decent job with it, even sonar and radar only attacks. I just simply don't like it. There are some advantages to using manual. It takes a lot of practice. Find the tutorial that works for you and do your best.

WELCOME ABOARD! :sunny:

Don't let fireftr18 get away with anything. He's just glad to have somebody lower on the totem pole than he is. :O:

The latest patch is actually 1.5, which updates several things and adds u-boats to the game. Unfortunately the Steam versions don't always play well with patches or mods. Other than that I can't say much because I live by the disc.

I'm sorry to not be more help, but I too use Auto Targeting, mainly because my math is pretty much non-existant. There will be others along who are experienced with Manual Targeting and will be able to help.

Welcome Aboard Matey :salute:

welcome aboard
 

DEPTHTOK331:salute:

Welcome, DEPTHTOK331 ! :salute:

I purchased SH4 and the U-Boat Missions Expansion(Patch to 1.5) through Steam and had no problems so far. I think it is really worth the money and makes playing with the latest mods a lot easier.
Important : DO NOT INSTALL TO YOUR SYSTEM PARTITION (Usually C:\...\SteamLibrary\SteamApps\...) !

WElCOME DEPTHTOK33l to SubSim!!

As fireftr18 points out, the game version is shown on the "main" game screen, in the lower right corner:

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w.../Version10.png


That's a bunch of whooie!! You can't have a "typo" of the game version unless someones been messing around with the game files!!! The "v 1.0" text in the above picture comes from the games Data/Menu/menu.txt file. The only way you can get a different "text" of the game version is for someone to change the text in the menu.txt file at the #213 entry. If someone has done that.......then what in the world is Steam selling?!?

Sounds like the guy from UbiSoft's forum that posted that tidbit must be working for Steam!!

Either way....that's Bull Poop. Version 1.3 is inferior to version 1.4. If your game reads "v 1.3" on the "main" game screen....that's what you've got.

It's too bad, but just last year there were DVD disk versions of the "Gold Edition" (that has version 1.5, which included the U-Boat Missions Add-On) could be bought for under 10 dollars. This year, the supply must have run out because I don't see anyone selling a DVD disk version of the latest/complete game (unless its on E-Bay used; or Amazon selling them for $40 to $60 plus).

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Dick O'Kanes ideas are to get as perpendicular to the targets path of travel, get as close as you can, then fire away. The idea being a perpendicular angle will provide the entire targets width exposed to you. Moving in close to say 1000 yards distance is like sticking a pistol into someones gut, then pulling the trigger.....even grandma can do it. As long as you lead the target a reasonable amount to account for its speed, you're going to get hits. However, you won't get the chance to have this favorable position in all cases. So, learning manual targeting will help in many different type's of situations.

Auto targeting takes all the guess work out of figuring AoB, Range, or target Speed. You'll still miss if your not perpendicular to the target, or allow the gyro angle to be greater than 15-20 degrees off center. Or, you don't "lock" the target to allow the TDC to keep up with the targets changing position. Other than that, the green triangle tells you when to shoot.

In manual targeting you have to master several things to get a proper firing solution. One of the things you should learn is map plotting a target's position. You use the Navigation Map to plot its course (its the map that has the "tools" for marking a targets position, or measuring distance), which will help in your positioning of the sub for the upcoming attack. Without knowing where the target is, or what tract its going to take, you'll be lost in getting into a firing position. The map plot can also determine the target's speed. If you know it traveled a certain amount of distance, compared to a certain amount of time to travel that distance....speed calculations can be made. This can be done with the Game Options set for either "No Map Contacts Update" enabled or disabled. Being enabled, you'll not see the target ship's icon on the map....you'll need to make a map plot just like the real life crew did back in the day.

I won't go into much more detail, but you may like to download this "High Realism Tutorial" I made some time ago. It will help in this kind of manual targeting/map plot.

Also, my AoB Calculator can help in figuring a targets bearing, or AoB. Its a hand held tool with three disks that can help when map plotting. This .PDF version is opened with Adobe's Reader. Just follow the directions.

I always wished there was a mixture of Auto and Manual targeting simulated in the game. I can do manual targeting but only on one target at a time... Too much math for me to keep straight to get reliable hits on multiple targets. Been nice to have the ability to enter in all the required info or the info you want and the request the other. I thought SH3 kinda had this option.

Stop using math LOL

Actually I would suggest you study Dick O'Kanes method. It tends to make targeting easier.

You'll find extremely good techniques and tactics here:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=146795

Welcome :up:

I too got "steamed".

After a few days, I hopped onto amazon.com and bought the digital download of sh4 with the uboat expansion. I had/have no interest in the uboat part, but I did want the last and hopefully most bug free version, so I just bit the bullet and bought it twice.

I'm glad I did.

I also learned not to buy via steam unless its the only option.

Question 1:
I don't know exactly where Steam stores the games on your system. But you need to take a look at the file-properties of the SH4.exe executable. Take a look at the details tab of the file properties page. It should give the actual version.

I suspect it can be found in "c:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\Silent Hunter 4"

since ...\Steam\steamapps\common\ is where all my Steam-games are, but I personally made Steam keep it's storage folder out of the default "Program Files" folder. It helps to keep Windows UAC of my back.

If not, then just make Explorer search your entire C-drive for the file sh4.exe. And right-click on it and choose properties.

Question 2:

AOB is the angle between the target bow or course, and the viewing line towards your sub. So from his point of view!. Or alternatively on the map: between the target's course, and the line from him to you.

So you have 2 options:

1: Learn how to associate the looks of a target through a periscope (how are the structures on it positioned against one another) against a known AOB. And then extrapolate between it. This is a matter of learning and experience. But can be helped by making a custom mission with just a dormant ship in the sea, and you sailing around it (submerged) looking at it from different vantage points.

You can also use the skewed images in the recognition manual to help approximate which AOB angle it is. AOBs greater than 90 degrees are facing and moving away. So you may not want to go after those. But it is important that you learn to recognize those too. Aft facing sections are usually not visible when viewing from the front. And side-views can either show the rear facing wall, or the front of something. So that helps narrowing down AOB >90 or <90.

2: As CapnScurvy already suggested, make use of plotting on the map. The target bow is obviously pointed along it's course. If you can plot where the target is currently at along that line, then by using a line from your your boat to his direction (known as a true bearing line= your course + crew report or periscope bearing), then you can measure the Angle on the (Target) Bow. There are tools for that on the navigation map.

So that arduous work of plotting the target's position, leading to his course line drawn on the map makes the rest of the targeting work much more easy. But once you are spotted, map drawings loose their meaning as the target changes course.

Thanks everyone. It seems like I have no choice but to purchase the U-Boat Missions add-on, it's more expensive too :wah: ($19.99USD for Oceania, $9.99USD for US). Learning a lot here!

Depthtok33l, you might want to look at this site for purchasing the "Gold Edition" DVD disk version I posted in this thread. It's still on sale for the price of just the U-Boat Missions Add-on you found.

The Gold Edition is the complete stock game.....bringing the game up to version 1.5.....with the German U-Boat Missions/Subs already in the files. When ever you can buy a DVD disk, and have it in-hand, its much better than a download (no matter how cheap the download is)!