Modern sub simulators

[Dr.Sid]

I know guy who knows a guy who knows Sonalyst's guys. Will try to get something.

However I'm quite sceptical. DW did not sell well. And they exhausted their engine. They would need to start from scratch.

Only chance I see is that US Navy pays for brand new sim package, and some toned-down version of it will get to game-market.

As for me being last hope .. I'm afraid it is true at the moment. So please accept my humble apology for not being able to dedicate more to it lately.

[Ori_b]

I'm more than "quite sceptical" regarding another modern subsim being produced in the near future (if ever is more like it), and I'm quite sure sonalysts will never get involved in such a project intended for gamers.

In the end, what made sonalysts games great (in the eyes of too few players at least) was their complexity regarding sonar moddeling, and handling of other stations in a modern sub.

The gaming market (thus potential sells) is governed by teenage "Autobots 2" lovers, and you know how they will react to complex games.

And i dont think we will be saved by a future "Silent-hunter 9" either.
The SH series (hence the developers experience) is nothing like the sonalysts titels in terms of station/sonar modeling and the nature of the missions/campaigns. Would a fan of the SC/DW/688I games settle for a shiny graphics/simple station modeling?
And no, i dont think the SH is arcady or something its just very different.

The only chance is a gaming company hiring a company like sonalysts for doing some parts of a subsim, but not to creat it from scratch, and even than we can not predict the finished quality of such a product

[Sea Demon]

It would be nice to get some insight from Sonalysts. I'd love to know how they view their game sales, the genre as a whole, the customer base, and potential future projects if any. I don't want to see modern naval sims fizzle out like this. To me, DW was a great way to advance the sims Sonalysts built. Sonalysts always made advances on their games as compared with their previous releases. I saw great potential in continuing their sims with more additions and other improvements. Unfortunately, it didn't happen this way.

[Nexus7]

Originally Posted by Sea Demon

It would be nice to get some insight from Sonalysts. I'd love to know how they view their game sales, the genre as a whole, the customer base, and potential future projects if any. I don't want to see modern naval sims fizzle out like this. To me, DW was a great way to advance the sims Sonalysts built. Sonalysts always made advances on their games as compared with their previous releases. I saw great potential in continuing their sims with more additions and other improvements. Unfortunately, it didn't happen this way.

I checked theyr official site(s) and,with all the other products, they mention all four simulators.

You could email them, but what could you ask :?:

[Nexus7]

Originally Posted by Ori_b

In the end, what made sonalysts games great (in the eyes of too few players at least) was their complexity regarding sonar moddeling, and handling of other stations in a modern sub.

And i dont think we will be saved by a future "Silent-hunter 9" either.
The SH series (hence the developers experience) is nothing like the sonalysts titels in terms of station/sonar modeling and the nature of the missions/campaigns. Would a fan of the SC/DW/688I games settle for a shiny graphics/simple station modeling?
And no, i dont think the SH is arcady or something its just very different.

I think the same... SC and DW contain such a load of science and engineering that I think a non specialist would have big problems in coming even close to such quality

In some site I found those numbers about Sonalyst's sims sales:
- 688i H/K 400'000 copies
- Fleet Command 400'000 copies
- Sub Command 200'000 copies
- DW: i couldnt find any info

[kstanb]

For me, the main problem with DW and SC is the lack of dynamic campaings like the ones you see in WW2 Silent Hunter series.

I like to cruise the ocean not knowing what kind of threat I am going to face, in DW you already know you will get action soon

I am puzzled Sonalyst didn't do something as simple as re-creating a dynamic campaign like 1988's "Red Storm Rising" game or any equivalent cold war era conflict.

does anybody know if there a modern sub game with dynamic campaings?

[JamesT73J]

SC and DW - for me - didn't really fit with dynamic campaigns. For starters, some missions play for hours, if not days, if you want them to. The sub vs sub stuff is utterly riveting. I'm not sure a DC would bring much to the table.

80% of DW is mastering the sensor picture and bringing weapons to bear on a target; this in itself can be a fascinating exercise. SHIII/IV, while great, tending to be fairly similar once you got the procedure licked. It feels a bit more like an RPG on a small ship.

[kstanb]

Originally Posted by JamesT73J

SC and DW - for me - didn't really fit with dynamic campaigns. For starters, some missions play for hours, if not days, if you want them to. The sub vs sub stuff is utterly riveting. I'm not sure a DC would bring much to the table.

I haven't played SC and DW enough to assess if they will fit within a dynamic campaign, I know some missions are very detailed, but you will be surprised only the first time you play a mission, after that you will know who you are playing against and prepare accordingly

Cold war era submarine warfare for sure can fit into a dynamic campaign. I still miss old "Red Storm Rising", with all its flaws and inacuracies, it was a great immersion, even RPG experience. It is a pitty that no one has created a sub sim that let you roam the seas, periodically getting updates from HQ, and tracking your sensors, not giving for granted anything.
Like: maybe that faint contact is a russian sub, maybe it is just a trawler, maybe it is French sub, you can spend hours tracking it just to discover that it is neutral, and you need to disengage without a fight.

Moreover, dynamic campaigns vs single missions are not zero-sum, you have both in Silent Hunter, and both are amazing

[FIREWALL]

Could the passing of the owner of Sonalyst's have something to do with nothing new comeing out from them ?

I wouldn't count on UBI.

[Hartmann]

Originally Posted by kstanb

I haven't played SC and DW enough to assess if they will fit within a dynamic campaign, I know some missions are very detailed, but you will be surprised only the first time you play a mission, after that you will know who you are playing against and prepare accordingly

Cold war era submarine warfare for sure can fit into a dynamic campaign. I still miss old "Red Storm Rising", with all its flaws and inacuracies, it was a great immersion, even RPG experience. It is a pitty that no one has created a sub sim that let you roam the seas, periodically getting updates from HQ, and tracking your sensors, not giving for granted anything.
Like: maybe that faint contact is a russian sub, maybe it is just a trawler, maybe it is French sub, you can spend hours tracking it just to discover that it is neutral, and you need to disengage without a fight.

Moreover, dynamic campaigns vs single missions are not zero-sum, you have both in Silent Hunter, and both are amazing

Red storm was a amazing game, and only in a floppy disk. I think that the campaign was the best thing of the game

I remember very well the campaign and i found a lot of times unexpected contacts, sometimes a diesel sub, very difficult because you are traveling at 15-30 knts and the distance of the engagament is very close.
Or groups of unknow contacts, ships, subs, mixed groups, and all in the context of a big campaign , where you have to resupply in base after you expend all torpedoes and missiles or in case of damage.

it involves important decisions for example go to repair to port or not

And finally you can play 10 times and always is different.

I think that the only hope of a modern submarine game is in the hands of sonalyst and Ubisoft
sonalist have modeled all ASW tech but lacks in campaign and graphics, and ubi the opposite , very good campaign , great graphics , but not ASW and sonars.

[Castout]

Originally Posted by JamesT73J

SC and DW - for me - didn't really fit with dynamic campaigns. For starters, some missions play for hours, if not days, if you want them to. The sub vs sub stuff is utterly riveting. I'm not sure a DC would bring much to the table.

80% of DW is mastering the sensor picture and bringing weapons to bear on a target; this in itself can be a fascinating exercise. SHIII/IV, while great, tending to be fairly similar once you got the procedure licked. It feels a bit more like an RPG on a small ship.

No more excuses. Take a look at Silent Hunter III. If it can be done with a WWII sub sim it can be done with modern sub sim