Gratified for "grown-ups"

zygoma · 04-19-12, 01:32 PM

Hope I've posted this in the right place.....
After perusing the forum for a few months now again (I joined in 2006 when I first got SH3, but never posted).....it's pleasing to see that this sim (dare I call it a game? I think not!) is populated with a fair mix of students and .... ummm.... more "seasoned" enthusiasts. I just last month turned the same age as the B-52 bomber, and yet I see there are at least a couple of Silent Hunters older than I am.
In a era where most simmers/gamers seem to be thinking of what they want to be when they grow up, or get out of high school/secondary school, I'm enthused to see that SH3 (and its descendents, I suppose) has attracted a great number of folks who are serious about the ga......err, simulation.
Perhaps I'm projecting a bit, but I think it's great that people with a lifetime of experience in related disciplines (either computers or genuine military service and/or combat) contribute to making this such a great community. All of this makes for a more immersive and accurate sim. I don't know if Ubisoft envisioned the kind of loyal following it fomented with the publication of this series, but I'm grateful for their existence.
It's even more gratifying for me to see this kind of age spread in SH3 because I've been involved in Eve Online for a few years now. Unlike a U-boat simulation, it's impossible to visit a Caldari "Raven" battleship in a museum and see the shield boosters and microwarp drives installed in its "mid slots" and the Siege Missile (torpedo) or Cruise Missile Launchers in its high slots, to see how well the game mimics "real life" spaceships.
I alreay know that, at 60 years old, I'm the oldest player by about 15 years in my player corporation (think of it as a "guild" for WoW folks).
I went to Reykjavik in March 2011 for the Eve Fanfest. Out of the few thousand attendees, I was pretty easily the oldest guy in the room during the large presentations and small workshops.
It was amusing to be the subject of so many fans' photos as I wandered around. I can imagine the people going home and saying, "...And there was this old dude there, he was in the Player-vs.-Player competition!" when they shared their pictures.
It's very nice to feel not so out-of-place here.
Are there ever any "real world" gatherings of Silent Hunter fans? I hope to get to see a diesel electric boat again one day. The last one was the USS Ling, now in New Jersey, but at the Brooklyn (New York) Navy Shipyard when I toured it with my Boy Scout troop around 1967 or so.
And I've seen the pictures that one of our Kaleuns posted about a U-boat in Finland. Any others still intact enough to be on display anywhere?
Thank you to all who help, interact, instruct, improve, mod, etc., this game and participate in the forums.
My two careers have been in commercial two-way communications maintenance, and public safety (firefighter-paramedic, then Alaska State Troopers). I may not be a better boat's captain now than I was when I got Motorboating merit badge, but I've learned a lot about things I have no experience with.
Thank you to all for making this better.
-- Zygoma -- (perpetual n00b)

Herr-Berbunch · 04-19-12, 02:25 PM

The age range here is great, I think there are more than a couple older than you - I sit nicely in the middle (although the wrong side).

There are meets organised but to do it properly takes a lot of effort. Occasionally there are smaller gatherings and I think Gimpy117 was talking very recently about a such a meet around Chicago (??? I think???) in the coming months.

There are a few U-boats around the world, the best examples, I think, are at Chicago and Laboe (Germany).

I'm envious of your trip to Iceland, but not for your reason for going.

Have fun,

Herr-B

Laufen zum Ziel · 04-19-12, 03:13 PM

Got you beat. My mother was nursing me when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack came over the radio

I am probably the oldest player in the forum.

andwii · 04-19-12, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laufen zum Ziel

Got you beat. My mother was nursing me when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack came over the radio

I am probably the oldest player in the forum.

you win

I am probably one of the youngest around here, just last month turned 18. Yet I feel I was born in the way wrong generation. You ask a random teenager what a simulator is, they will either not know or call it a game. lol

Herr-Berbunch · 04-19-12, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andwii

just last month turned 18. Yet I feel I was born in the way wrong generation. You ask a random teenager what a simulator is, they will either not know or call it a game.l

That's the beauty of SUBSIM, where else can 18 year-olds and 60, 61, and 62 year-olds hang out and shoot the breeze on a daily basis - not forgetting the odd 37 year-old.

It is indeed, I believe, mostly due to the running of the site - there's no (or not much) 'I know the answers, I'm not going to tell you the answers - find out for yourself' that appear on many other fora. Ask a question and get a honest and decent response, everybody here seems to know that they, too, once didn't know it all. Obviously the type of games and the community help, but that guiding hand that has created this beast should get a lot of the credit.

Telemon · 04-20-12, 04:20 AM

Greetings,

Who's the oldest in the forum?

I'm throwing down the gaunlet!

Born 1932 and wil be 80 in August.

Incidently I celebrated my Diamond wedding anniversary on the 5th of this month.

Get some in laddie!!

u crank · 04-19-12, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laufen zum Ziel

Got you beat. My mother was nursing me when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack came over the radio

I am probably the oldest player in the forum.

Hey Laufen zum Ziel, you're making me feel like a teenager, a 61 year old one.

I think it's great that there are sims like the SH series that appeal to a broad range of ages. It's a great way to stay young.

And of course hats off to Subsim for having the same appeal to young people
and old geezers alike.They got to be doing something right.

flag4 · 04-20-12, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laufen zum Ziel

Got you beat. My mother was nursing me when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack came over the radio

I am probably the oldest player in the forum.

WOW!!

Boompus · 04-20-12, 11:28 AM

1961

Sailor Steve · 04-20-12, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herr-Berbunch

Hey! Nap time.

HEY! Nobody tells me when to take a nap! I take my naps when I want!

I think I'll take a nap now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boompus

1961

Just a wee lad.

Sailor Steve · 04-19-12, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zygoma

Are there ever any "real world" gatherings of Silent Hunter fans?

There have been many. The first was in 2000, London in 2003, Houston in 2004, Amsterdam in 2005, Houston again in 2008, Copenhagen in 2009 and the minimeet in New England in 2010 ("mini" only because Neal wasn't there).

The only one I attended was Houston 2008. You can read about that one here:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=143186

Boompus · 04-19-12, 05:29 PM

I wonder how old the oldest Kaleun was in active duty, and if there's still one or more alive...

andwii · 04-19-12, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boompus

I wonder how old the oldest Kaleun was in active duty, and if there's still one or more alive...

I think there are still a few around I think Reinhard Hardegen is still alive not sure though, and the oldest I can think of would be Bruno Mahn who was 55.
http://uboat.net/men/commanders/youngest-oldest.html

04-19-12, 01:32 PM	#1
zygoma Loader Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 84 Downloads: 66 Uploads: 0	Gratified for "grown-ups" Hope I've posted this in the right place..... After perusing the forum for a few months now again (I joined in 2006 when I first got SH3, but never posted).....it's pleasing to see that this sim (dare I call it a game? I think not!) is populated with a fair mix of students and .... ummm.... more "seasoned" enthusiasts. I just last month turned the same age as the B-52 bomber, and yet I see there are at least a couple of Silent Hunters older than I am. In a era where most simmers/gamers seem to be thinking of what they want to be when they grow up, or get out of high school/secondary school, I'm enthused to see that SH3 (and its descendents, I suppose) has attracted a great number of folks who are serious about the ga......err, simulation. Perhaps I'm projecting a bit, but I think it's great that people with a lifetime of experience in related disciplines (either computers or genuine military service and/or combat) contribute to making this such a great community. All of this makes for a more immersive and accurate sim. I don't know if Ubisoft envisioned the kind of loyal following it fomented with the publication of this series, but I'm grateful for their existence. It's even more gratifying for me to see this kind of age spread in SH3 because I've been involved in Eve Online for a few years now. Unlike a U-boat simulation, it's impossible to visit a Caldari "Raven" battleship in a museum and see the shield boosters and microwarp drives installed in its "mid slots" and the Siege Missile (torpedo) or Cruise Missile Launchers in its high slots, to see how well the game mimics "real life" spaceships. I alreay know that, at 60 years old, I'm the oldest player by about 15 years in my player corporation (think of it as a "guild" for WoW folks). I went to Reykjavik in March 2011 for the Eve Fanfest. Out of the few thousand attendees, I was pretty easily the oldest guy in the room during the large presentations and small workshops. It was amusing to be the subject of so many fans' photos as I wandered around. I can imagine the people going home and saying, "...And there was this old dude there, he was in the Player-vs.-Player competition!" when they shared their pictures. It's very nice to feel not so out-of-place here. Are there ever any "real world" gatherings of Silent Hunter fans? I hope to get to see a diesel electric boat again one day. The last one was the USS Ling, now in New Jersey, but at the Brooklyn (New York) Navy Shipyard when I toured it with my Boy Scout troop around 1967 or so. And I've seen the pictures that one of our Kaleuns posted about a U-boat in Finland. Any others still intact enough to be on display anywhere? Thank you to all who help, interact, instruct, improve, mod, etc., this game and participate in the forums. My two careers have been in commercial two-way communications maintenance, and public safety (firefighter-paramedic, then Alaska State Troopers). I may not be a better boat's captain now than I was when I got Motorboating merit badge, but I've learned a lot about things I have no experience with. Thank you to all for making this better. -- Zygoma -- (perpetual n00b)

04-19-12, 02:25 PM	#2
Herr-Berbunch Kaiser Bill's batman Join Date: May 2010 Location: AN72 Posts: 13,203 Downloads: 76 Uploads: 0	The age range here is great, I think there are more than a couple older than you - I sit nicely in the middle (although the wrong side). There are meets organised but to do it properly takes a lot of effort. Occasionally there are smaller gatherings and I think Gimpy117 was talking very recently about a such a meet around Chicago (??? I think???) in the coming months. There are a few U-boats around the world, the best examples, I think, are at Chicago and Laboe (Germany). I'm envious of your trip to Iceland, but not for your reason for going. Have fun, Herr-B __________________

04-19-12, 03:13 PM	#3
Laufen zum Ziel Eternal Patrol Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Hiding on the bottom Posts: 1,783 Downloads: 853 Uploads: 457	Got you beat. My mother was nursing me when the news of the Pearl Harbor attack came over the radio I am probably the oldest player in the forum. __________________ RIP Laufen zum Ziel

04-20-12, 11:28 AM	#9
Boompus A-ganger Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Somewhere in Grid AN85 Posts: 80 Downloads: 84 Uploads: 0	1961 __________________ Boompus AOB 90°, Q'plah..Los!

04-19-12, 05:29 PM	#12
Boompus A-ganger Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Somewhere in Grid AN85 Posts: 80 Downloads: 84 Uploads: 0	I wonder how old the oldest Kaleun was in active duty, and if there's still one or more alive... __________________ Boompus AOB 90°, Q'plah..Los!

04-20-12, 04:20 AM	#6
Telemon Helmsman Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 103 Downloads: 288 Uploads: 0	Greetings, Who's the oldest in the forum? I'm throwing down the gaunlet! Born 1932 and wil be 80 in August. Incidently I celebrated my Diamond wedding anniversary on the 5th of this month. Get some in laddie!!