Positive preview at SIMHQ

[TarJak]

Originally Posted by Steeltrap

I'm sure a lot of us would like to see your definitive statement about DRM, especially around the fact you won't support it due to the nature of your laptop use, prominent in your final review.
Cheers

The OSP DRM scheme actively discriminates against anyone who travels frequently and plays games on their laptop.

Use of the game is restricted to times when you have internet access, which for me when travelling is usually work time, as the cost of access in most hotels and some public places is so ridiculously high, to make it laughable that any one would want to use it for gaming.

No play in any form of transport unless you are prepared to pay the stupid costs of mobile broadband. So I can't play when flying to my destination and have seen all the in flight movies and still have 3 hours to kill before landing.

No play for most armed forces personnel stationed overseas or on ships/submarines where internet access is restricted.

How many potential customers of Ubi will be hit by this. OK SHV customers may be limited, but extrapolate this over their entire catalogue and their potentual p!ss off factor increases significantly.

Sales people, business people, pilots, armed services personnel all of whom travel often and have significant down time and large enough numbers of whom use gaming to fill the void of staring at the same four walls when having a jet lag induced no sleep night.

Trust me, it's not fun waking up at 2am and being wide awake with nothing but hotel TV to entertain you.

[Lord Biceps]

This preview doesn't really tell me anything I didn't already know or could deduce from the screenshots.

[THE_MASK]

Originally Posted by Lord Biceps

This preview doesn't really tell me anything I didn't already know or could deduce from the screenshots.

I agree my Lord , previews dont seem to give away much info . I beg my lords pardon sir . Good day .

[Safe-Keeper]

Originally Posted by JScones

Then why absolutely no mention of critical gameplay elements, such as enemy AI? And Wolfpacks? "I hope they are used". Yet oodles on the visuals ("I probably cannot describe the game any better than the screenshots."). Odd that after 10 hours of gameplay "serious wargamer" aspects hardly rated a mention.

Great. Now I am forced into numbing "point and click" interaction with the crew. I hope this doesn't mean a daily visit to the exciting world of the torpedo room.

(sorry about the spacing between lines here, don't know why the forums do that)

WATCH OFFICER







Your orders, Herr Kaleun!

1. Man AA and Deck gun.
2. Stand down the watch crew, prepare to dive.
3. This is a nice conning tower you've got yourself here. {Skill: Flattery}
4. You look sad.
5. That will be all.

:picks 4:

WATCH OFFICER







Well, ja. You zee, I wuz working on ein Potion called "U-Boot Specialcoctail", but mein Rezipebuch has gone missing. Wizout it, I kann nicht make the Potion to zell to ze crew.

1. Man AA and Deck gun.
2. Stand down the watch crew, prepare to dive.
3. Weather report, please!
4. This is a nice conning tower you've got yourself here. {Skill: Flattery}
5. Don't worry. I will find out who stole the book.
6. That will be all.

:picks 5:

WATCH OFFICER


You vill?! How splendid! I knew I could rely on you, Herr Kaleun! I will share with you my Coctail when it's done! {You received 10 Renown!}

1. Man AA and Deck gun.
2. Stand down the watch crew, prepare to dive.
3. Weather report, please!
4. This is a nice conning tower you've got yourself here. {Skill: Flattery}
5. That will be all.

:picks 5:

In-game message: YOU HAVE RECEIVED A NEW QUEST

:accesses Orders screen:

ORDERS




U-58, Commander Safe-Keeper von Bergen

1. Patrol grid AF49 for hostiles. Tankers are priority targets.
2. Find William's missing book.
3. Help Peter get a boyfriend. COMPLETED!
4. Help the engine crew get rid of the ghost in the Diesel Engine Room so that they can get back inside.

Level 6 U-Boat Skipper/Thief / XP 1654/1700
Affiliation: German U-Boat Weapon, Rangers' Guild; Chaotic Nazi
Married to Peter van Lang

[Nordmann]

Sounds like my kind of game! Oh, wait, I see what you did there.

[Safe-Keeper]

When you reach Level 19, you can cast Summon Battleship!


Seriously, though, I do want SH5, but having to click on people to give them morale boosts when they need them is going a bit overboard, and I think I'm just going to mod that out.

[martes86]

[Iron Budokan]

Originally Posted by Safe-Keeper

When you reach Level 19, you can cast Summon Battleship!

Yeah, but you have to make sure you have a soul shard first, which you get from a quest chain out of Lorient, before you cast that

[Iron Budokan]

Originally Posted by Lord Biceps

This preview doesn't really tell me anything I didn't already know or could deduce from the screenshots.

It told me the reviewer was enamored of graphics. Well, that's fine, I guess. But it told me absolutely nothing about simulation gameplay or replayability.

I'll say it again. These fanboy "previews" that ooh and ahh over the graphics mean very little to me. I know the game looks purty. We all do. I'm not arguing that.

But I'm still waiting for a preview/review written by a hard core subsimmer who actually knows the genre and not someone who admits he doesn't play submarine simulations a lot.

[Safe-Keeper]

Yeah, but you have to make sure you have a soul shard first, which you get from a quest chain out of Lorient, before you cast that

Oh. That's why it didn't work.

See, I got fed up with the random encounters with wolves and Urinating Sailors, and just fast-travelled form the city to the harbour instead of running there. Never got that sleek black car either. So I missed the entire quest chain, unless it's the one that starts when you rescue Bernard from the rabbit that's in the process of killing him, and he gives you a treasure map out of gratitude.

Did raid the dungeons under Wilhelmshaven, though. Lots of good stuff in there. Amazing how many of those lemons and Homing Torpedoes I can fit in my Inventory, though, they really should make you over-encumbered once you've picked up two or three of them.

[heartc]

1WO: "I saw a dolphin the other day. Horrible creatures."

Kaleun: "Nasty things, but I heard the meat's not too bad."

Silent Hunter V: Oblivion.

[Lord Biceps]

Originally Posted by Iron Budokan

It told me the reviewer was enamored of graphics. Well, that's fine, I guess. But it told me absolutely nothing about simulation gameplay or replayability.

I'll say it again. These fanboy "previews" that ooh and ahh over the graphics mean very little to me. I know the game looks purty. We all do. I'm not arguing that.

But I'm still waiting for a preview/review written by a hard core subsimmer who actually knows the genre and not someone who admits he doesn't play submarine simulations a lot.

Exactly. I'd especially like to know more about the functionality of the AI, examples of the dynamic campaign being affected by the player, and so on. Already know about the graphics, the DRM, the 3D-sub, etc., now tell me about the game mechanics!

[Lord Biceps]

Originally Posted by heartc

1WO: "I saw a dolphin the other day. Horrible creatures."

Kaleun: "Nasty things, but I heard the meat's not too bad."

Silent Hunter V: Oblivion.

I fear that the crew interaction can get VERY repetitive after a couple of patrols...

I wonder if they implement the same "observations" NPC's in Oblivion offer after you reach certain skill levels. "You're a fit one...been running a lot?"

[flag4]

Originally Posted by Bilge_Rat

Tom Cofield is one of us, a serious wargamer. I trust his opinion. Did anyone miss these tidbits?





the comment about SH4 is because, like me, he prefers to play as the good guys in the Pacific rather than as an evil Nazi...

sorry, but they were not evil or nazi's. most were ordinary young german men and not affiliated with the nazi party. and thank ubi(!) we have a game where we do not have to be american.

[heartc]

Maybe we should also be able to make a "character build":

"Birthsign: Shadow. Being born under the sign of the shadow, this power grants you and your surroundings to become invisible once per day. Plan your transit through Gibraltar accordingly!"

"Skills: Persuasion. You have a way with words. Convince Großadmiral Dönitz that the British have cracked the Enigma Code."

...