Supplement to SH Survey: What should Ubi do to make SH5 the best?

[Kpt. Lehmann]

I also wish for weather patterns that don't become 'stuck' in an endless loop.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Kpt. Lehmann

I also wish for weather patterns that don't become 'stuck' in an endless loop.

Bloody right!!

Spent nearly a fortnight of my life on that chestnut

[LukeFF]

Mark 24 homing torpedoes for Allied ASW aircraft.

[LukeFF]

Hydrophone performance should be more dynamic and based on a number of factors:

• Above or below a thermal layer
• Sea state
• Salinity and water temperature
• Number of contacts: the more ships traveling in a group (i.e., a convoy) the farther away it should be able to be heard. Conversely, the range at which a lone contact can be picked up should be less than that of a convoy.
• Size of the contact: the large the ship, the more machinery it is running, so the more noise it is going to make.

[Peto]

Depth Charge Physics: Depth Charges at deep depth should have a smaller damage radius than they do at shallow depth due to pressure. However, deeper depth should also increase the risk of flooding/leaking from damage incurred.

Reduced Cavitation at deep depth.

Sonar: Model Doppler Effects (red/blue shift) for determining if contacts are moving/turning towards or away.

[Sea Hawk]

Please can we have some British submarines, we were out there, it was not all U-boats and the USA.

You could have a Mediterranean campaign with British subs stopping Rommels supply lines to North Africa.

How about British hunter/killer subs to intercept Nazi U-boats and warships at the entrance to the U-boat bases.

Midget submarines!!
How about attacking the Tirpitz, or infiltrating Singapore harbor.

[PL_Andrev]

Damage status:
* Damage control system (etc flooding inside hull, red/yellow status of rooms) like SH3
* Better mechanism of flodding on SH3 (sub's rooms are gradually flodded) than SH4 (only partially 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 flodded... no subs room, only "similar" square is flooded...)
* Status of leaks/pumps as SH3
* Hull repair priority to fast stopping leaks (in SH4 usually classical equipment is repaired as first... because nobody know about degree of leaks for room - no information about leaks!)
* Best idea at SH4: percentage repair status (but is should be changed time status 'when ready' on player request)
* Best idea at SH4: on small depth watertight bulkheads are still hermentic

General:
The best way is combination of the advantages of SH3 and SH4 - it will be best solution for damage control team. The SH3 has a better damage / status of the ship as a whole ship (for example: the degree of section damage, degree of leaks, the pumping status), while SH4 is a better model of damage / status for individual items of equipment inside the ship.

External (additional) equipment of ship:
In my opinion the additional equipment was better on SH3. Why:
* big graphic of ship - more readble
* big icon of equipment on ship - more readable where equipment is
* big, more readable icon of additional equipment (as legend)
In SH4 all these items are "so small and not readable"... but SH3 model is OK.

Weapon / torpedo status:
SH4 has better, more readable status of loading torpedoes, but graphic at SH3 is more readable (higher icon of torpedo/submarine)
I think that in this panel should be available too:
* debrises ready to use (if number of debrises is limited)
* torpedo launcher status1 (ready/damaged/destroyed)
* torpedo launcher status2 (close/open = empty/flooded)
* if torpedo launcher's door are damaged when closed, torpedo 'ready to shot' should be possible to unload and reload again to other, working launcher

Silent running off
1) parameters of finding players editable by players maybe as different chance to find sub by DD for example as range vs depth etc if:
* silent running off and speed = 0
* only repairs are in progress
* only torpedo reloading in progress
2) if multiplayer mode 'sub vs human DDs' will be added: sub should generate random sound (to help hunt them by human/AI escort):
* sound of pressuring water on sub's hull + sound of repair mode (hammers, etc) + sound of reload torpedo mode

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sea Hawk

Please can we have some British submarines, we were out there, it was not all U-boats and the USA.

You could have a Mediterranean campaign with British subs stopping Rommels supply lines to North Africa.

How about British hunter/killer subs to intercept Nazi U-boats and warships at the entrance to the U-boat bases.

Midget submarines!!
How about attacking the Tirpitz, or infiltrating Singapore harbor.

I'm with you there

[Sea Hawk]

I was thinking X-craft rather than chariots, but "what the hell" why not have both.

[Sea Hawk]

Originally Posted by Annatar

It's probably doable, but it won't - or shouldn't - happen.
A principle of game design is not to punish the player for something they have no control over. Its like game design 101, and there's really nothing a player could do to protect themselves against misidentification by a friendly, short of never ever surfacing - which is what people would start doing.

I would **** a brick if I lost an entire career in 1943 because I got obliterated by a friendly BB who didn't recognise me. It may be realistic, but there's a certain point beyond which realism stops being fun.

It was a fact of life, kills by friendly aircraft did happen (despite flags & identification signals). British subs would dive in home waters if any aircraft was spotted, friend or foe. If we want reality then it should be factered in.

Originally Posted by Sea Hawk

It was a fact of life, kills by friendly aircraft did happen (despite flags & identification signals). British subs would dive in home waters if any aircraft was spotted, friend or foe. If we want reality then it should be factered in.

Could you please give us a link to this fact where german u-boats were attacked by friendly fire ?

[LukeFF]

Another thing I'd really like to see a return of from SH3 is different starting submarine rosters based on the year in the war. On both the American and German sides, there were small but noticeable differences in crew rosters based on what year and month of the war it was. For instance, on the German side, boats didn't start carrying Sani (medic) until the latter years of the war. On the American side, there were no Third Class Machinists or Motor Macs until late in 1943.

[LukeFF]

A better definition of crew specializations I think is also needed, if we're to believe these are to represent real-world ratings:

• American crews (change 1): create a new speciality called Electrician, instead of the current system, where electricians and machinists are lumped together. To make this change worthwhile, separate the motor compartment from the diesel compartments, like it is in SH3.
• American crews: (change 2): get rid of the "Lookout" (or whatever it's called in stock) specialty and re-name it "Quartermaster" (giving it the proper icon as well). These were, after all, the petty officers that stood watch on the bridge.
• German crews: again, change the Lookout specialty name, but this time to Boatswain (or Bootsmann, for those who prefer the German spelling. ).
• For both crew sets: get rid of the Command specialty. It's far too generic and should be replaced by the Machinist specialty (both sides utilized Machinists in the control room on every watch). Add a Navigator specialty to represent the Steuermann on the German side and the XO and QMs responsible for Navigation on the American side.

[Hanomag]

Sweet Jeebus!

Theres nothing left to say....

Oh wait... how about an "unlockable" Flying Sub!!??

Or a 100% realistic sea floor with accurate depth??? The brown sand disappearing into blackness was always kinda cheesey.

Sorry but I waited to long to respond to this thread, all thats left is the ridiculous.

[Platapus]

Ice Cream maker that actually functions?

Hanomag, we have not even scratched the surface of silly.