too easy to escape destroyers in sh4

[Joonatanr]

Hi

I recently bought silent hunter 4 and I can safely say it's probably one of the best sim games I've ever played. However there is one thing that does bother me. It seems that it is practically impossible to get detected by japanese destroyers. I have played it until 1942 August and I have never been damaged by a depth charge attack.

Most of the time it seems that as long as your sub is below the thermal layer, the destroyers don't pick you up at all. Depth charging is usually incredibly inaccurate. The destroyers use very little sonar despite that fact that they seem to have the technology.

In sh3 one had to use all of one's capabilities to evade destroyers and sometimes even that wasn't enough. In sh4 silent running and 50 meters of depth are enough to make a sub invincible from anything.

Eventually I became tempted to try out the destroyers by never going below 40 meters and even still they didn't manage to even dent me. Sometimes destroyers pass right over my sub and don't even try to use sonar.

I'm running patch 1.3 at the moment. so the question is are we dealing with faulty AI or is it just the case of early war and inexperienced destroyer crews etc. that is causing this.

Right now the only place where the destroyers can pose any kind of threat is in extremely shallow waters.

[WernherVonTrapp]

What version of SHIV do you have, 1.5 with the U-Boat expansion Pack?
Also, what difficulty settings (realism percentage) did you select?

The stock version can be like shooting fish in a barrel sometimes. I think that'll change if you load up one of the megamods, like TMO.

[Anthony W.]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

What version of SHIV do you have, 1.5 with the U-Boat expansion Pack?
Also, what difficulty settings (realism percentage) did you select?

The stock version can be like shooting fish in a barrel sometimes. I think that'll change if you load up one of the megamods, like TMO.

TMO makes everything harder - and - IMO - more interesting. I sat under the thermal layer with next to 0 battery (damaged) with 2 flooded compartments, 150ft below test depth, with 2 destroyers and a sub chaser above depth charging. Thank GOD none of them got low enough.

I still wonder if they ever run out of depth charges...

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Joonatanr

In sh3 one had to use all of one's capabilities to evade destroyers and sometimes even that wasn't enough. In sh4 silent running and 50 meters of depth are enough to make a sub invincible from anything.

The Japanese were never as formidable as the Allies in the ASW department. Destroyers and escorts working alone accounted for 16 of the US subs lost. Those working in concert with aircraft were involved in 22 of the total 42 US subs lost to enemy forces. That's in contrast to the nearly 800 U-boats lost in the Atlantic to enemy action alone. Except for the overwhelming number of planes it throws at you the stock game is somewhat realistic in that regard.

[Armistead]

You need at least patch 1.4, better buy the Uboat addition and patch to 1.5.

The escorts even at hard settings are pushovers in stock. Load TMO, they act more reasonable, but you need 1.5 for TMO 2.1 which makes the game more realistic.

The other issue is crew ratings. I've set most of my escorts to veteran and elite...They're simply killers if you make mistakes.

Playing stock is nothing but arcade play. There is a version of TMO for 1.4, so you could use that if you don't want 1.5.

[Anthony W.]

Originally Posted by Armistead

You need at least patch 1.4, better buy the Uboat addition and patch to 1.5.

The escorts even at hard settings are pushovers in stock. Load TMO, they act more reasonable, but you need 1.5 for TMO 2.1 which makes the game more realistic.

The other issue is crew ratings. I've set most of my escorts to veteran and elite...They're simply killers if you make mistakes.

Playing stock is nothing but arcade play. There is a version of TMO for 1.4, so you could use that if you don't want 1.5.

1.5 is the best gaming money I've ever spent. Save for the 4gb of RAM I bought to run at some sweet settings

[Joonatanr]

Well I'd love to update it to 1.4, however I bought the game from steam <big mistake apparently> and therefore the highest I can go is 1.3 at the moment. I'd actually be willing to spend 10 dollars on the U boat campaign, but after doing some research I discovered that some people weren't able to update it even after buying the expansion. Not sure how that works exactly.

Does anybody know if there's any way to install the patch manually, or can anybody confirm that buying the U-boat missions from steam will fix it up to 1.4/1.5

To be honest, this sucks..... Apparently all the bugs that are the most annoying get fixed in 1.4 (the repeating mission bug for one).

[WernherVonTrapp]

You'd best get a hard copy on a disk. Here, take your pick from this page:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...er+4&x=11&y=17

Once you get the disk, read the "How To Uninstall Silent Hunter IV" sticky at the top of this forum's main page and then install from the disk.

[Joonatanr]

I'm guessing it'd be more economically feasible to go for the U-boat mission addon instead. Then at least I'd get some new material to play with. I'm guessing they charge quite a lot of shipping costs for delivery into Estonia.

[Thrair]

Hey there. I'm a fellow steam user, and I can tell you the steam version of this game is ornery.


May I ask how you purchased the game? Was it as part of a pack? Or stand alone?



*EDIT*Just checked, and the U-boat addon pack is listed separately in my games library in steam, and I purchased it all together. So I'd think it'd still be possible to get the addon.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by Joonatanr

I'm guessing they charge quite a lot of shipping costs for delivery into Estonia.

I just ordered and received a purse for my wife (from Prague).

Shipping cost -$7.00 (U.S.)
Look on my wife's face when it came - Priceless.

[Daniel Prates]

Originally Posted by WernherVonTrapp

I just ordered and received a purse for my wife (from Prague).

Shipping cost -$7.00 (U.S.)
Look on my wife's face when it came - Priceless.

By no means I intend to do merchandising in this forum, but I do suggest 'gamersgate', where you buy online and simply download the game anytime you want. Saves you shipping and other problems.

TMO is indeed very chalenging. DDs working in groups (say 'tokyo express', for instance) will actually work togeter to hunt you down. Great.

[Hawkbill]

Originally Posted by Joonatanr

Hi
It seems that it is practically impossible to get detected by japanese destroyers. I have played it until 1942 August and I have never been damaged by a depth charge attack.

Most of the time it seems that as long as your sub is below the thermal layer, the destroyers don't pick you up at all. Depth charging is usually incredibly inaccurate. The destroyers use very little sonar despite that fact that they seem to have the technology.

In sh3 one had to use all of one's capabilities to evade destroyers and sometimes even that wasn't enough. In sh4 silent running and 50 meters of depth are enough to make a sub invincible from anything.

Eventually I became tempted to try out the destroyers by never going below 40 meters and even still they didn't manage to even dent me. Sometimes destroyers pass right over my sub and don't even try to use sonar.

I'm running patch 1.3 at the moment. so the question is are we dealing with faulty AI or is it just the case of early war and inexperienced destroyer crews etc. that is causing this.

Right now the only place where the destroyers can pose any kind of threat is in extremely shallow waters.

You see, The problem here, Is your Game is broken. The Destroyers in SH4, 'ell, I can hardly play it without dying of either Planes or them.

The reason they don't notice you under Thermal layer, Is because pinging doesn't pass through the Thermal layer.
And the reason that Depth charges are inaccurate, Well, Let's say, It's like trying to hit a Bird out of the sky, with a rock. Sure, The bird will die if you hit it, But the rock is so slow, And the bird so fast, And you have only such a range on it... What i mean is, You can move Horizontally, Faster then the Depth charge can move Vertically, So by the time it reaches you, You've evaded it. Even at Periscope depth.

Now that we've got the Pinging and the Depth charges Tackled.

The... "Lack" of pinging, like, What? They Ping all the time, It's like they don't even know you're there, They just like the sound. The destroyers i have in my game, I can barely get within range before i hear the dreaded "Ping.... Ping.... Ping...."

I'll summarize this. In short, Your Game is broken, Or you are a VERY lucky man. That or you don't come across Destroyers as often as i do. (Sometimes they just don't notice you.)

And incase you notice, Yes, I created an account of the forum just to reply to you.

[razark]

Originally Posted by Hawkbill

And incase you notice, Yes, I created an account of the forum just to reply to you.

Joonatanr
Join Date: 08-16-2009
Last Activity: 05-08-2011 03:54 PM
Total Posts: 4

I don't think he's really going to care that you responded to his year and a half old post, even if you did create an account just for the occasion.