SH3 1.4b is very good as tutorial for subsims beginning from low realsim and going all the way up to 100% realism. Certainly with WAC or GWX mod applied.
BUT I still cannot understand why people keep on judging SH4

. The very stock game had indeed some great weaknesses but now the level of the game is once more very high with 1.2 and some of the individual modes.
I would suggest even for a brand new player to beggin with SH4 1.2 and choose the modes he wants from the
*** List of Modifications *** of SH4 forum without any regret!!!