SH5: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Platapus · 03-11-10, 04:05 PM

Great review. Pretty straight forward and unemotional. I do have two questions I would like answered

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Things like the Travel mode button (this is a godsend!)

What is this mode and what does it do?

Quote:

- The soundman not reporting "Depth charges in the water" doesn't appear to be working, (edited for clarity)

This makes my brain stem hurt. Could you edit this for a bit more clarity for the slow kids in the back of the room?

Thanks for taking the time to write a pretty good balanced review of SHV. I have bought it but have not installed it yet.

sergei · 03-11-10, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Platapus

(Travel Mode) What is this mode and what does it do?

Also very useful when entering or leaving home port. Does not drop you out of TC whenever you spot a friendly unit, which was mucho annoying in 3 and 4.

As for the depth charge warning: in SH3 when a destroyer close to you dropped charges you would get an audio warning "Wasserbomb", letting you know charges were being dropped close enough to you to potentially damage your sub. Very useful.
This audio warning never made it into SH4, and seems not to be in SH5. Pity, twas a cool and useful feature.

Platapus · 03-11-10, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bilge_Rat

Platapus, travel mode is a new feature that allows you to keep a hi-TC without being dropped out whenever you receive a new radio message/contact report. Great when you want to cross the Atlantic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sergei

Also very useful when entering or leaving home port. Does not drop you out of TC whenever you spot a friendly unit, which was mucho annoying in 3 and 4.

That is a great feature!

Ducimus · 03-11-10, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Interesting reading...I must admit to not knowing what to expect when I opened the thread

Keeping ya guessing ain't i? What's this, Duci can put aside his own preferences and look at things objectively?! The hell you say!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carotio

You should have mentioned more bad elements.

Your right. I did not expand on the lack of functionality nowhere NEAR enough. From lack of TDC functions on spread, to being able to toggle off "fire at will" the lack of function access is FUGLY. I didn't harp on it nowhere near as much as it deserves.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Weather-guesser

WOW Ducimus. That was outstanding. I honestly thought you were going to rip the game to shreds...well balanced and honest review IMO

I thought i would be too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drtechno

How is that a good review in any sense of the word?

I never pretended to be a journalist, and i put review in quotations. My view comes from having dealt with this series for awhile, so im used to seeing a certain level of buggetry. Only the real crippeling issues, or things that can't be fixed by mod really grab my attention.

sharkbit · 03-11-10, 06:06 PM

Nice review!

Doesn't make me want to run out right now and buy it but it sounds like there is still hope for the diamond in the rough to be polished up.

Buddahaid · 03-11-10, 06:15 PM

I thought you weren't going to buy it Ducimus? Can't keep your hands out of the cookie jar anymore than I can.

Ducimus · 03-11-10, 06:18 PM

Technically speaking i didn't buy it. My Girlfriend did. I am however, guilty of pointing it out on the shelf at best buy.

Keelbuster · 03-11-10, 06:28 PM

Ducimus,

glad you're still here and give a damn even if you are exhausted by the unfinished crap that UBI has been passing off as sub sims since SH3. I just hope you and the other heavy modders aren't too tired to give it a chance on SH5. I liked your review and found it informative. It's too early to tell, I guess, but I'm wondering what your gut feeling is:

SH3+GWX,
SH4+TM(or whatever mod combo - i still haven't embraced SH4)
or SH5 + ???

IYHO, what will be the best overall sim by the standards of hardcore kaleuns?

Ducimus · 03-11-10, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keelbuster

IYHO, what will be the best overall sim by the standards of hardcore kaleuns?

I shouldn't answer this question, but i'll pull out the crystal ball of conjecture and stick my neck on the chopping block anyway......

It all depends if the DRM issues are squared away, and a decent mod team forms..

If that happens, I want to say that in a couple years, SH3 and GWX will probably only be thought of when some random person is waxing nostalgia, and SH4 + whatever mod of your choice will only be mentioned by PTO fans because it's the only game they have available to them. So i guess that kinda narrows it down to Sh5.

Cptn_Enth · 03-11-10, 07:19 PM

I'm hoping that the same level of TLC that SH 3 received from the GWX team will be bestowed on SH 5 by the modding community.

After a little over a week, seeing the work that has been already done by the Modders, I feel very at ease that most, if not all, of the problems and missing functionality within the game will be resolved in short order...and that like Falcon IV, the game will hit it's stride only after we as a community roll up our sleeves, get up to our digital elbows in code and shape the game in our own image.

Thanks to Ubi for giving us the diesel/electric engines to power our boat...they just gotta get rid of the tether line (that is the DRM) which keeps us from putting to sea. I see that happening too, someday SOON(tm)...

Regards,

Enth

mookiemookie · 03-11-10, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

My view comes from having dealt with this series for awhile, so im used to seeing a certain level of buggetry. Only the real crippeling issues, or things that can't be fixed by mod really grab my attention.

Great review. And I'm on board with this line of thinking too. In its current state, it's kind of frustrating for me to get into this game. But I'm going to bet the most egregious stuff (morale, phantom shadowing DDs, suicide ships in ports) gets either patched or modded to the point where it won't bother me anymore. So many people get so outraged over the bugs - and yes, rightly so - but I don't think people are seeing the big, long-term picture. Down the line, I think we're going to have a real charmer on our hands.

Méo · 03-12-10, 01:08 PM

Indeed, great review Ducimus.

It's refreshing to see, it differs a lot from subjective polarized opinions.

I particularly like this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Keeping ya guessing ain't i? What's this, Duci can put aside his own preferences and look at things objectively?! The hell you say!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I never pretended to be a journalist, and i put review in quotations. My view comes from having dealt with this series for awhile, so im used to seeing a certain level of buggetry. Only the real crippeling issues, or things that can't be fixed by mod really grab my attention.

03-11-10, 06:06 PM	#5
sharkbit The Old Man Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,529 Downloads: 334 Uploads: 0	Nice review! Doesn't make me want to run out right now and buy it but it sounds like there is still hope for the diamond in the rough to be polished up. __________________ “Prejudice is blind. There will always be someone who says you aren’t welcome at the table. Stop apologizing for who you are and using all your energy trying to change their minds. Yes, you will lose friends, maybe even family. But you will gain your self-respect. You will know your worth. Once you have that, nothing can stop you.”

03-11-10, 06:28 PM	#8
Keelbuster Ace of the Deep Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: BA 72 Posts: 1,092 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Ducimus, glad you're still here and give a damn even if you are exhausted by the unfinished crap that UBI has been passing off as sub sims since SH3. I just hope you and the other heavy modders aren't too tired to give it a chance on SH5. I liked your review and found it informative. It's too early to tell, I guess, but I'm wondering what your gut feeling is: SH3+GWX, SH4+TM(or whatever mod combo - i still haven't embraced SH4) or SH5 + ??? IYHO, what will be the best overall sim by the standards of hardcore kaleuns? __________________

03-11-10, 07:19 PM	#10
Cptn_Enth Watch Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: NY, NY Posts: 29 Downloads: 56 Uploads: 0	I'm hoping that the same level of TLC that SH 3 received from the GWX team will be bestowed on SH 5 by the modding community. After a little over a week, seeing the work that has been already done by the Modders, I feel very at ease that most, if not all, of the problems and missing functionality within the game will be resolved in short order...and that like Falcon IV, the game will hit it's stride only after we as a community roll up our sleeves, get up to our digital elbows in code and shape the game in our own image. Thanks to Ubi for giving us the diesel/electric engines to power our boat...they just gotta get rid of the tether line (that is the DRM) which keeps us from putting to sea. I see that happening too, someday SOON(tm)... Regards, Enth __________________ Cptn. Enth USS Drum Squadron 98 "Blackwater Pirannahs" Pearl Harbor, HI

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03-11-10, 06:15 PM	#6
Buddahaid Shark above Space Chicken Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,332 Downloads: 162 Uploads: 0	I thought you weren't going to buy it Ducimus? Can't keep your hands out of the cookie jar anymore than I can.

03-11-10, 06:18 PM	#7
Ducimus Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 12,987 Downloads: 67 Uploads: 2	Technically speaking i didn't buy it. My Girlfriend did. I am however, guilty of pointing it out on the shelf at best buy.