I've never played the other SH sims, so my opinion is not fully informed, but personally I love SHV.
I do agree that some mods are necessary to properly enjoy the game, however. Right now I'm running about a dozen of them, most of them minor tweaks (like adding torpedo critical hits), but a few are major improvements.
- TDW's new UI mod, discussed previously in this thread, is a godsend. I personally enjoy the ability to issue orders by clicking on icons representing the officers, and it adds a plethora of other commands normally inaccessible.
- TDW's IRAI, also previously mentioned, is also a great mod and makes for an actual challenge. I've got it toned down to 0.85 sensor effectiveness, and so far it's provided a very good challenge. I'll probably increase it as the war goes on, but for now it feels appropriate. I can still survive major actions (like kicking a hornet's nest by sinking a carrier and battleship *grin*) by staying ultra silent and very deep, but even then it took an hour of playtime for them to give up (and I did take some damage, but fortunately it did not mess up depth control and I was able to maintain depth without engine power - but it was a close thing).
- I don't remember the name, but someone has a mod that adds hundreds of songs to the gramophone. Coupled with the new UI, I just love it. I frequently fire up the sim just to read while listening to the music.
- Lite Campaign mod. Basically cuts the tonnage objectives in half. Much more realistic (though the missions still expect you to be the top u-boat ace *grin*).
But my point is: don't give up on the sim due to its rough edges. Mods really do fix up the game, and makes for a brilliant experience. Learn how the mod manager works, and experiment.
Itkovian
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