[Drebbel]

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

This thread's to discuss how you want the maps in Silent Hunter IV to look.

Good idea for a thread. Interesting subject. I think SHIV chart should look a lot more like real WWII charts

I think it'd be nice to have some information as part of the maps in addition to your position, contacts,

Yes, but only contacts that you crew has in eye or radar sight. The rest should be an optional setting in the realism menu.

and cities.

I agree ! All real sea charts list the coastal cities.

The Shells of Fury chart (below) appears to have mine fields,

I also expect SHIV to have minefields, and yes, they should be charted. Or atleast the ones we are aware off.

Othe areas could just be marked "suspected japanese mines""

I'd like time-accurate labels on patrol zones,

As far as I know patrol zones where no standard labelled on charts

convoy routes,

Seems unrealistic to me. But have this as an option in the realism menu would be ok with me. But why not go for a nice map like was included with SHIII ?

areas of high maritime activity, aircraft coverage, and other relevant information.

I think those should not be on the map. But maybe a solution would be to have some kind of information booklet (in-game) and have the posibility to tick a few boxes to get this kind of info on the map. Would be like asking your navigator to draw this info on the charts.

I also would really love to have a decent coastal pilot book. I know US subs used them a lot and it would be great to include these in the game. When sailing/patrolling along the coast I know skippers checked the coast pilot books all the time. Maybe the dev-team can look into it, maybe the ones from WWII are not copyright protected anymore. But I also think UBI is not going to take that risk (even if they think it is allowed), some one might always start suiing them.

To get an idea what a coast pilot is check out this link of a 2006 coast pilot:
http://nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/coastpilot1.htm

If something like this can not be included maybe the dev-team could write its own and include dangerous coast,reefs,uncharted, land marks, ports, port equipment, towns, mountains, rivers, etcetera etcetera

It'd also be nice if, when closed-up, the charts looked like real-life charts, such as this one (or did Silent Service charts differ somehow? I'm used to sailing charts like this one).

Yes, they should definately look more like sea charts. I really hope the dev-team looks at some WWII sea charts. I have seen a couple and they are more detailed than SHIII, but not at all as detailed as the sailing chart you posted. And ofcourse there where no colors on the charts.

I also think there should be uncharted areas on the map. I am currently reading the book "Submarine Diary" and already 2 times the author mentioned uncharted waters, a bay and an area in the middle of the sea, with many reefs. it was indicated on the chart that this area was uncharted. I think that would make a nice addition to SHIV.