SH3 vs SH4?

[taukarrie]

Ive been playing SH3 for a few weeks now and im really happy with it. I was thinking about trying SH4 but i was wondering what the general concensus is about how it stacks up against SH3. Im sure the visuals are prettier but im more concerned about the preservation of or improvment upon some of SH3's features.

These are some of the game features ive enjoyed most about SH3 and would like to see revisited in SH4 to really consider giving it a go:

- a long career campaign. the large number of increasingly challenging patrols in SH3 from 1940-1945 were really satisfying.

- dynamic crew. I especially enjoyed the ability to enlist specific crew members and to control their development with promations, medals, and special training.

- Upgradable subs. Im sure SH4 features a number of subs but i really liked how you are able to purchase equipment upgrades and different weapon types as you play through a campaign in SH3.

- Scalable Realism. This was a great system in SH3. It allowed me to start as a complete novice and work my way gradually up the realism scale as i gained skill all the way up to a very challenging 100% realism.

[FIREWALL]

Hi taukarri It all comes down to what your looking for.

Both have been beautifully modded.

The best answer imho is have both.

[Rapt0r56]

I think it depends on your mind between German U-Boats and American Subs, both SH3 and SH4 can turn into a wonderful Simulation with your own enjoyment and some Mods.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by taukarrie

These are some of the game features ive enjoyed most about SH3 and would like to see revisited in SH4 to really consider giving it a go:

- a long career campaign. the large number of increasingly challenging patrols in SH3 from 1940-1945 were really satisfying.

You get the same in SH4.

- dynamic crew. I especially enjoyed the ability to enlist specific crew members and to control their development with promations, medals, and special training.

That works even better if you use SH3 Commander. In SH4 there is better crew management. You don't have to swap them out when they get tired - SH4 has full watch rotation, so they move themselves.

- Upgradable subs. Im sure SH4 features a number of subs but i really liked how you are able to purchase equipment upgrades and different weapon types as you play through a campaign in SH3.

Also in SH4.

- Scalable Realism. This was a great system in SH3. It allowed me to start as a complete novice and work my way gradually up the realism scale as i gained skill all the way up to a very challenging 100% realism.

Same in SH4.

There are some graphics complaints in SH4, but they have been worked on and mostly fixed.

Places where SH4 is better:

The crew management, the graphics, the additional crew when 'Battle Stations' is sounded, the choice of theaters (with 1.5 UBM and the Operation Monsun mod you get a full German U-boat campaign as well as the American one), the maps (you get full latituded and longitude coordinates, as well as KM grids down to the full 4 digits with UBM), and a lot of other details.

What SH4 is still lacking: Some of the graphics provided by GWX and WAC in SH3 (such as the fully-fleshed-out harbors), the finely detailed experience that comes with SH3 Commander.

Overall, both are worth playing.

[KL-alfman]

welcome taukarrie!

first I played just SH3 vanilla, then half a year ago I found this site and installed GWX. now I'm in mid 42 in my third career (I play DiD) and you know, it never gets boring.
I'm a bit afraid SH4 can't reach these high standards but nevertheless last week I ordered a newly found "Steel Edition" of SH3+SH4, so probably I will learn to know the Pacific Theatre.
(had saved some money unexpectantly because of SH5)

[Tarnsman]

My main beef with SH4 is the crew is not as interactive as in SH3. I like working my crew throigh evolutions. Turning to the Navigator and the Cheif and so on to get things done. Sh4 I have to work through a command bar that to me is very strile. The men just dont seem to be a crew that I care about.

[Matador.es]

I have both, played SH4 about 10 patrols and never touched it again. Lost CD & Serial i realised recently. I just cant get used saving Hard Copy meterial (eg.to legal software)

Prefer SH3 above 4; scenario, equipment makes the difference

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Tarnsman

My main beef with SH4 is the crew is not as interactive as in SH3. I like working my crew throigh evolutions. Turning to the Navigator and the Cheif and so on to get things done. Sh4 I have to work through a command bar that to me is very strile. The men just dont seem to be a crew that I care about.

I never considered the SH3 crew all that interactive. I find using the keys and tools more natural, not less.

[Jimbuna]

Welcome aboard taukarrie....both are worth playing if modded.

[Kremmen]

[[SJ]nailz]

I have both, but quickly became bored with SH4, I guess I'm just not bothered about the yanks and the japs.

I know you can get the u-boat addon, but I have SH3, so why should I?

My feeling is it was created for the bigger American market, I cannot argue with the GFX, it is much deeper, the underwater world is much more alive, seaweed, boulders et al. Some of the little touches I love, like being able to see the sub through the surface of the water, like a menacing metal shark, kinda spooky.

SH3 for me.

[sharkbit]

I'm fairly new to SH4(8/09 was my taste of the Pacific in the SH series) but both are very good with the various mods out there. You can mod both to taste.
Nothing wrong with purchasing both and playing either as the mood suits.

If I had to absolutely choose only one, I'd probably go with SH3. That is probably because of my limited time with SH4 though.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Originally Posted by [SJ]nailz

I know you can get the u-boat addon, but I have SH3, so why should I?

Two words: Operation Monsoon, a nice super-mod for the ATO.

[asanovic7]

go buy sh5..

[BillCar]

I'm currently in the process of getting into SH4. I picked it up the other day, and then got U-Boat Missions yesterday. Since then, I've downloaded Trigger Maru 1.9, RSRDC, and Operation Monsun with patches and also the OMEGU environment/graphics add-on (and patch).

It's definitely a nice-looking game, but I can't quite get into the fleet boats. To me, they're unwieldy, fat, and pretty ugly. They were designed around a different philosophy and intention. I will have to read up on some tutorials and also the historical methods of attack –*I don't know a whole lot about how they actually physically executed their attacks. Somehow, a surfaced attack in a Balao seems silly (like trying to sneak into a party full of dwarves while wearing the Empire State Building for a hat).

Operation Monsun seems like a pretty good mod so far, but it also doesn't quite have the amount of modifications for its U-Boats, since it is just one mod being worked on by smaller numbers of people. I will keep playing both TM and OM, but after a couple of patrols in each, SH3 still feels a lot more "right" to me, simply because I've got it customized exactly to my liking.