[Cpt-Maxim]

Maybe a more clear answer to the actual question.

The Gold version "is the SH4 with U-boats included in the retail box"
And the U-boats included part is how SH4 becomes 1.5.. if you install SH4 and if you install U-boats, then you are now SH4-1.5 ready to go...

Anyone who bought the regular SH4 at one point in time might have bought U-boats as a seperate add-on, but once they install it, they are now SH4-1.5 ready to go...also.

Some of the purchases of the U-boats add-on at a later time, were digital downloads from steam or direct to drive.. Basically no difference, but direct to drive potentially only allows you to activate your software once, where steam is more forgiving every time you wipe your hard drive, you have to ask for permission to re-activate what you purchased.. (from direct to drive only, from what I hear..)

Half the people in this forum call it SH4-1.5 and the other half call it SH4 with U-boats installed.. so there is a terminology switch, but it's the same.

And, finally.. I can't think of any good reason to have any version less than 1.5, since MODs can usually be brought up to date or are forward compatible for the most part. It helps if you like to tinker in the files.