Summing it up, based on the info released so far, as I can understand:
We gain:
- snow and better weather
- better hydro behavior of units
- full interior (for the type VII)
- interaction with the crew
- submarine AI (remains to be seen how competent will it be)
- various eyecandy
We lose:
- the last years of war (except if some skilled modder takes on the difficult task of completing the campaign)
- all other types of submarine, except VII
- the old (and much enjoyed) type of periscope and UZO interface
- once again, we miss the oppportunity to have fully-functional wolfpacks (with radio comms, convoy shadowing, reports and everything else)
Still under a big question mark:
- will we be able to bring other sub types in the campaign (how moddable will this part of the game be)?
- what kind of interaction will the submarine AI allow for? Just reacting to contact reports, like the planes in SH3, or will it be more complex?
- will there be any kind of improvement in the AI behavior of surface ships, so that we no longer see the convoys stopping in place and going into a mess when attacked, as was the case in SH4?
- will ships still accelerate and turn in place like sports cars, or do we get better physical behavior?
- even the idea of releasing subsequent DLCs is put under a big question mark, depending on the "feedback," as mentioned in the interview. What if the said feedback is not to the expected level? will the game remain in its present stage (incomplete IMO)?
On a side note, there were so many great ideas planned for SH3 (some audio files and other inactive elements in game hint to them), which did not make it into the final game, that I am surprised not to find at least some of them included in the fifth game of the franchise.
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