Latest update on the Ubisoft site

[Ritmeister]

I would like them to comment on both the graphical enhancements and the mechanical aspects of either gunfire or torpedos on the targets.
This is what this sim is all about, right?

The stock torpedo damage effects in many ways, stock SH3 in particular were always regimented and controlled for the most part by hit points.( i.e. destroyer - ne hit, small freighter - one hit, lrage mercahnct - 2 hits, oil tanker one, maybe 2 hits or roll the dice to see if it goes up in a gigantic fireball) The mods made by the community in both SH3 and SH4 went miles to increase my feeling of immersion. Target speed, the fact the ship was empty or full, the critical areas with oil or fuel tanks, sometimes dangerous cargo; even an atack in heavy seas with water pouring in hatches and so forth. I think the basic terms was ntural sinking mecahnics.

I think ( not sure) that it was hard coded in both SH3 and 4 that ships just kept plowing ahead regardless of damage. How many dozen times have you seen a destroyer sink itself by plowing ahead relentlessly at 25 knots tils it burie the bow, almost the same with frieghters.


Its so exciting to see what at first appears a non critical hit fosters other damage, fires, explosions occuring sometime even an extended period after the attack. I think a lot of this was accomplished by the modders and an enhanced version of same be included in SH5.

I did read the comments about bows breaking off and other area and one or more components reaming afloat. This is realistic in limited cases I'm sure but shouldn't be an every other time deal. Otherwise it does tend toward arcade feel. Which is what we all DONT want.

Even with all the terric artwork on the SH4 ships or Modded SH3 ships there was alwway that letdown when a ship DID break in half, where for all the realism it looked like the ship had been cut in half by a bandsaw.

I hope this type of appearance could/should be enhanced as well as other damage effects on the structure.

ANything regarding damage or sinking that makes you feel like you've really attacked and done damage is an immersion buiklder. I'd have to say few or none of us want anything to do with arcade type performance.

[TDK1044]

04.11.2009

Can you tell me please if the damage interface of SH5 will be at least with the level of accuracy reached in SH3?

Even if the mechanics behind the damage management are at the same complexity, the interface is lighter and more focused on most important aspects. None the less, you won’t lose any information or degree of immersion compared to the old games. Additionally, we are implementing some more advanced flooding control mechanics which would be a blast for the player.

During the storm in the Atlantic, will the stormy features/elements like rain drops, lightning, layers of grey clouds be more realistic than the previous releases of SH?

The weather system is enhanced compared to the previous titles; it is now more dynamic and realistic. Expect to see weather conditions correct to the climate zone in which you travel, for the respective season and moment of day. You will face raging blizzards in the North Sea and enjoy the nice weather in the Med, and this will change the way you fight.

Is there any game adjustment in any game stages for the environment? For example:
- during the storm, how much the player wants for the sea to swell or how dark the player wants for the clouds?; or how often the lightning to show up?

- Another setup whether we want to see the sunshine, or semi sunshine, or just murky grey clouds?
- What other features that a player can set similar to the above mentioned. scenario
We have no plan to develop such a feature. The environment is meant to mimic reality and real weather, and the player is not supposed to alter it to his preference. However, we expect the new work we have done in this area to make the weather both nicer “to be in” and more varied overall.

I believe that the UBoat can go to the Southern Hemisphere or at least to the Pacific region ... no? Knowing from the war history with the involvement of UBoat in the Pacific (like SH4 UBoat Missions), will there be a feature (or perhaps a surprise??) that we will encounter Japanese Navy/convoys who ask for UBoat support?

While the player is still free to go as he pleases, there is no plan to include the “Monsoon boats” in the release version of SH5.

[Sailor Steve]

The weather system is enhanced compared to the previous titles; it is now more dynamic and realistic. Expect to see weather conditions correct to the climate zone in which you travel, for the respective season and moment of day. You will face raging blizzards in the North Sea and enjoy the nice weather in the Med, and this will change the way you fight.

...However, we expect the new work we have done in this area to make the weather both nicer “to be in” and more varied overall.

That is certainly some welcome news.

[Rothwell white]

As anyone any idea when SH5 could be released

[Seeadler]

Originally Posted by Rothwell white

As anyone any idea when SH5 could be released

hopefully when it's done

[Rothwell white]

Originally Posted by Seeadler

hopefully when it's done

yep thats true but i wondered when

[THE_MASK]

Blue and white writing . If you stare at it the blue sinks in and the white stands out .
More advanced flooding .
More dynamic weather .
Great .

[Faamecanic]

Originally Posted by JU_88

Totally, people are missing the big picture,
Dont they realise that Ai subs mean that NPC Uboat will attack ships?
thats already half way to having wolfpacks.

I think your reading into the Devs saying "there will be AI subs in the game". There were AI subs in GWX... they just drove all around doing nothing.

We are hearing the same thing about wolfpacks that we did prior to SH3 being released.

Not trying to be negative, but I also have been let down by high expectations (as the Devs have too Im sure) that were unfunded/underfunded by Ubi. Ubi has had 3 chances so far to "make it right" (SH3, SH4, SH4 Uboat) and has overpromised and under achieved on each one. I will buy SH5.... as I have all the others. Heck the SH4 Uboat was nothing more than a customer paid for patch....and UBI STILL screwed it up.

But Im very worried that Ubi is "dumming" down the Sim so the twitch shooter kiddies can have fun. If we hear the "console" word, or "cross platform"...then we know we are doomed.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Faamecanic

But Im very worried that Ubi is "dumming" down the Sim so the twitch shooter kiddies can have fun.

I couldn't agree with you more.

Originally Posted by Faamecanic

If we hear the "console" word, or "cross platform"...then we know we are doomed.

A legitimate fear, since these consoles got their own keyboard.

[JU_88]

Originally Posted by Faamecanic

I think your reading into the Devs saying "there will be AI subs in the game". There were AI subs in GWX... they just drove all around doing nothing.

Nope I don't think I am. I have good reason to belive that the AI subs will NOT be as you described above.

As for 'dumbing down'

The devs will set out to do what all devs set out to do
-Which is: do everything then can to please the hardcore fans - while drawing in new comers & casual gamers who may have a passing intreast in subs
Ubisoft isn't a charity - and I guess even games developers need to eat sometimes.

Whether the player decides to play a shooter or a sim will be determined though realism settings I am sure.
In regards to SHV being ported to 360 or PS3, that is.... very very unlikey. If MS dont even want to port their own sims to their own console, why would they want to port Ubi's?
I just cannot see a submarine game being marketed on a console, no matter how 'dumbed down'
The 'Shooter kiddies' would run a mile.

You guys worry far too much.

[Faamecanic]

I just hope your right JU.... (IRT AI subs and such).

The reason we all worry is from being somewhat burned in the past with rushed releases and things that are half done.

Again dont get me wrong. The Devs would love to put everything we are talking/dreaming of into a sub sim...but that would require a budget probably 100X greater than what they have to work with.

My main gripe is whatever they come up with...for heavens sake...PLEASE dont release it buggy as all get out. I mean OBVIOUS stuff like even after 1.5 came out... the helmsman still says "Rudder Rudder" when you command rudder amidships.

[Seeadler]

Originally Posted by Alex

A legitimate fear, since these consoles got their own keyboard.

Oh yes, we use at home a Logitech Cordless MediaBoard keyboard for PC and the PS3

Originally Posted by Faamecanic

I just hope your right JU.... (IRT AI subs and such).

The reason we all worry is from being somewhat burned in the past with rushed releases and things that are half done.

Again dont get me wrong. The Devs would love to put everything we are talking/dreaming of into a sub sim...but that would require a budget probably 100X greater than what they have to work with.

My main gripe is whatever they come up with...for heavens sake...PLEASE dont release it buggy as all get out. I mean OBVIOUS stuff like even after 1.5 came out... the helmsman still says "Rudder Rudder" when you command rudder amidships.

i think where they messed up in the past was in not allowing time to get full reports on bugs from the players so all the bugs can be fixed.

how many times have we tried to offer imput for the next patch only to hear them say "no more patches are in the works" and then poof heres a patch for you, but we see they failed to address the issues we were trying to tell them about because they didnt want to hear it. its like they purposely chose not to hear about the bugs we knew about and only fixed the bugs they were aware of or wanted to fix.

i know some bugs might have cost too much to fix so they may have ignored them for that reason but i also think some were just forgotten or not known when the next patch was put together.

[Steeltrap]

With all this discussion of damage modelling, I hope they don't get conned by 'exception memory' syndrome.

What I mean is that people tend to remember exceptions. Why? Because they are exceptional! For example, people remember the destruction of HMS Hood in a catastrophic explosion following a short exchange of fire with KMS Bismarck and KMS Prinz Eugen. Is it right to conclude battleships (or battlecruisers if you want to be picky) are prone to blow up with little provocation (and please save yourself the trouble of discussing battlecruiser destruction in Jutland etc, as it's off topic - even though it's an interesting topic)?

What's needed is an accurate analysis of available data.

As an example, the majority of light cruisers sunk by torpedo in WWII took only 1 hit to sink. Same with escort vessels, they almost always sank after a single torpedo.

With merchantmen, there was variation based on the size and class of vessel (tanker v general cargo v bulk carrier), its age etc. Tankers benefit from their construction but suffer from the problem of the nature of their cargo. If you look through the data on ships sunk by U-boats in the Atlantic, you'll find they were considerably smaller on average than that depicted in SHIII, took 1 torpedo to sink, and often did so in fewer than 15 minutes.

Yes it is good to allow for 'statistical outliers' (look up the Ohio in Operation Pedestal for a good example!), and variations based on some of the factors mentioned in this thread and my post, but NOT at the expense of the overriding fact that MOST vessels sank within fairly predictable times based on farily predictable damage.

What I wouldn't want to see is an ocean full of bows and sterns bobbing around like oversized corks waiting for a few deck gun shells to dispose of them.

Cheers all

[hellfish6]

Originally Posted by kapitan_zur_see

I cannot say i'm not a bit worried about this kind of news...
I just can't get why people are nearly opening a bottle a champagne whilst hearing something like "kleine fahrt voraus" instead of "eine dritte[...]" and that sort of ultra-minors things! Come on, it can be modded in like an hour of your time

And it doesn't push devs to concentrate more on important things if we keep asking for minors things. And their choices of our questions to answer to reflect this in my opinion...

I would have rather like to see major questions only, those that has a great impact in-game be it for gameplay or atmosphere and are huge work to mod (when it's possible...).

Agree 100%.