9 year time warp

[BadSeed]

When I was a little kid I would play in the bath with my plastic toy of a German u-boat. I thought it was the coolest looking thing ever and I wanted to live on the Yellow Submarine.

When I was a little older I remember plaing a green-lined sub game in an amusement parlour where you'd actually look through a periscope and have to sink ships rocketing across the horizon line... No Idea what it was called but it hooked me into Subs forever. I would also play a plastic "board game" where you'd roll ballbearings across the thing to knock out the other guy's little ships.

About 9 years ago I had been playing Aces Of The Deep since it's release and was thoroughly enjoying Silent Hunter and joined SubSim to eagerly await the arrival of Silent Hunter II. I have fond memories of great people, a supportive and inclusive community.

Unfortunately at the time I was also into Quake and at that time online forums were a great place to get information but the Quake forums were full of garbage posted by kids with egos bigger than their hard drives and brains smaller than their.... pubic hair.

Fast forward 9 years. I have been concentrating on my life and work responsibilities but life moves on. Quake is dead but SH4 is cheap! So I buy a computer.

I puchased a copy of SH4 and WOTP and when I go to the "information superhighway" to check for information, I find that SH5 has been released!! So I rush out and buy it, install it and discover that things have definately NOT progressed as the years have.

Needing some sound advice and share my experiences with others of like mind I return to this oasis of calm and support to find those same kids have moved on into... let's say "other interests".

Not everyone has the time or lifestyle to be slaves to technology or have the unlimited download limits at superhigh speeds, nor the time to devote to knowing what a mod is or the crap one must go through to make a game run the way it's supposed to run when they have just charged me full dollar for it.

I have a life and huge responsibility outside of computer games however I would like to participate in the small time I do have to commit to it and enjoy my digital submariner experience.

After 9 years away it's just such a depressing change. Neal you must be so disappointed. You may not see it, living through it every day but I am really shocked. The attitudes and community have changed so much.

So what smart-assed remark will you type to this? Make it good because history will remember you, like the posts on Quake forums.

[Platapus]

Welcome aboard.

That is a great story I am sure we can all relate to.

I, also, have fond memories of that arcade game.

Here, you are with friends.

[Nicolas]

1 of my first memories i have of consciousness, i was watching Das boot on tv maybe i had 2 or 3 years i don't know, the scene of the periscope and the destroyer, it just amazed me and i wondered what was that, and if those things existed in this world hehe, i got marvelled.

[Blacklight]

The arcade game you are describing is called "Seawolf" It was essentially a shooting gallery where instead of a gun, you looked through and aimed with a periscope. It was actually quite popular in arcades. The only problem with it was the fact that only the player could really see what was going on on the screen during play. A large portion of profit for an arcade game is potential players being able to watch the game in action before deciding to part with their quarter. Battlezone (the first 3D tank sim arcade game) also had this issue (Fun fact. The US army really liked Battlezone and contracted the company to build a version of it to train it's tank crews. The result was called "Bradley Trainer" and I believe only two or three units were built).

Anyway, surprisingly, Seawolf was popular enough to warrent the creation of a sequel, "Seawolf II" although the popularity was probably more due to the coolness of the really cool looking game cabinet than the game play.

[TLAM Strike]

The Russians and North Koreans copied it...



Of course being a true Socialist Machine there is no coin slot in the Russian Game.



Honestly their real subs are not much better looking...

[Turbografx]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

The Russians and North Koreans copied it...

Lol @ the cowboy on the game cabinet next to it. Don't they know cowboys are capitalist American pigs?

[ajrimmer42]

Welcome buddy

Originally Posted by Blacklight

Wow, I have a handheld version of that, got it years ago. Like just the periscope eyepiece with fire buttons on either side. I think they did a battle tank version too. I think it was called 'Sub Command' or something.

[Castout]

Okay did you get Silent Hunter 3?

Silent Hunter IV without super mod is worse than Silent Hunter III


And buying Silent Hunter 5 was a mistake imo

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by BadSeed

So what smart-assed remark will you type to this?

I'm a little tired right now, but I'm sure I can think of something. What kind would you like? (we aim to please).

No DRM (I still have no idea what that is) there.

It's an acronym for Digital-Related Moronitis. It's something that comes with select items that exudes a toxic gas. Some are infected with an instant case of net rage, which is worse (if you can believe it) than road rage, while others are possessed by a sudden religious epiphany which is manifested in fits of undying love and worship. In both cases the victims fall into uncontrollable bouts of self-aggrandization and harsh criticizm of the others' symptoms, coupled with mockery and insult-throwing.

It's all rather ugly, so we Don't Really Mention it around here.