Hi sydney
Let me be the first to welcome you to Subsim. I gather from your post that while you're not new to sub simulations this is the first time you're trying a WW2 sim.
My advice is not to worry about the mods for the time being. Patch the game to 1.4 (which is the latest version) and complete the sub school missions to get familiar with how your boat handles, the controls etc. Then try out a few single missions and even a war patrol or two. Don't worry about whether you successfully complete them, take it as a training exercise, or time you spent on another sub as a PCO (Prospective CO). That's what I did.
This will help you get acquainted with patrolling, plotting intercepts, approaching & engaging targets, and finally escaping. These are fundamental skills that are equally applicable no matter which mod you choose to use.
When you feel you're ready, start a campaign!
At any time if you think you have a good feel of what SH4 has to offer, you can start to look at mods. There are only 2 "supermods" which try to inject more realism, correct inaccuracies, improve the game and add new features - Trigger Maru (TM) or Real Fleet Boat (RFB). I also recommend having a look Run Silent Run Deep Campaign (RSRDC) which when installed features historically correct convoys etc for the entire war.
There is also a major mod (Reflections on the Water, or ROW in short) which is a major graphics-only overhaul.
There are also a number of small mods, some of which may have already been incorporated into the game. Don't worry about these, get some hours in the sim first. Then look for mods which addresses whatever you think could be improved.
Finally, grab a copy of JSGME, which is a very useful tool that makes the adding and removal of mods very easy, provided the mod's author saves it in a compatible format (just a matter of file structure, really).
Don't feel shy about asking your questions here. Most posters are willing to help, this is a great forum!
