I started out with SH3 and GWX, and when I first got SH5 it was a fair time after the release as I read all the horror stories about it on here. I loved the graphics over SH3 but that was the only real draw for me, otherwise the game felt empty and it didn't grab me like SH3. However, I went off to other games and didn't touch either SH games for about a year and a half but then I sat down and watched Das Boot for about the 6th time and as always, it drew me back to SH3. Coming here once again to grab mods, updates to mods and sparkly new mods I ventured into the SH5 forum and was pleasantly surprised by the progress that had been made on SH5. So I made a mod soup for that too and would alternate between the two versions but again, SH3 felt richer despite the dated graphics.
Now though, after another break from subsims I'm back playing again and this time with TWoS and I have to say I'm quite content. I still miss the depth that SH3 combined with SH3Commander gave but all in all SH5 is extremely playable now and when I do venture into SH3 I find myself missing elements of SH5 which is a turnaround from a few years back. Honestly, if you like the SH series you have to experience SH3 with SH3Commander as it makes you feel an affinity with your crew that SH5 can't offer right now to that level, but SH3 took a long time to reach the depth it's at right now and you have to remember that SH5 is it's younger sibling, so I'm sure there are many breakthroughs yet to come. I fear SH5Commander will not be one of them though which is a real shame but as the crew system is completely different I doubt it's even possible unless that system can be completely overhauled.
SH4 is also worth a look, I've played it with the Uboat addon and Ops Monsun mods but I don't think I gave it a fair chance before going back to SH3, it didn't grab me so much, and it didn't get as much modding love either compared to SH3 and now SH5.
Anyway, my two cents worth, I'm sure you will not need to use the refund system as it's worth having in your collection and it stands as the best example of sub simming to date (in my opinion), why Ubisoft didn't just stick with that formula and upgrade it to modern standards I will never know, they only had to come to these very forums to see what people wanted, instead they alienated all of us with a dumbed down crappy console port saved only by those modders at subsim that took it in when Ubi abandoned it.
Any issues you have, there'll be an answer or workaround right here waiting for you. Always been the case for me.
