Silent Hunter 6

[ETR3(SS)]

1. Go back to the Pacific.
2. Fix the bugs that have been in the series since SH3
3. The war goes from Dec 41 to Aug 45 (for the pac) make the game that way too.
4. Failing to do more than just the Gato/Balao/Tench class is unacceptable.
5. Ice cream instead of soup!

[robbo180265]

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

1. Go back to the Pacific.
2. Fix the bugs that have been in the series since SH3
3. The war goes from Dec 41 to Aug 45 (for the pac) make the game that way too.
4. Failing to do more than just the Gato/Balao/Tench class is unacceptable.
5. Ice cream instead of soup!

I vote for the ice cream

[kylania]

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

1. Go back to the Pacific.

Maybe it's since Silent Hunter III was the first SH game I played, but I just have no interest at all in the Pacific theater or Fleet Boats, those bloated prickly whales they are. heheh Really in every WWII game/book/movie/whatever just don't like the Pacific theater.

Give me the sleek and sexy VIIC any day! Though I do miss the adorable little IIA/D too.

[silversurfer]

Rather start development on a new version shouldn't ubisoft try and get the current one up to some operable standard.

[ETR3(SS)]

Nothing wrong with that. You can play SH5 with your U-Boat while the Fleet Boats get a turn. OR...they can put both of them in at the same time.

[The General]

How 'bout combining all the work done in the series and making Silent Hunter 6 a global naval simulator? Most of the models have already been built. A player could chose a German, American or maybe even Japanese or British Sub? Hell, why not throw in a playable surface vessel too, a sub-chaser or whatever?

[Nordmann]

They should fix up SH5 first, but I wouldn't mind seeing Fleet Boats as the next outing (fully modelled interiors anyone?), though I really think the British boats need some attention at some point.

[ERPP8]

If Ubisoft didn't completely ignore SHIV I think a lot more of us would be playing it.




This would be awesome:
1. Ubisoft releases a "Fleet Boats in the Atlantic" or something in a stroke of irony
2. Modders change it to be back in the pacific
3. It's like SHIV but a million times better

[TwistedFemur]

UBI will not be getting anymore of my money

domain: silenthunter5.com
reg_created: 2004-09-13 17:38:06
expires: 2010-09-13 21:38:06
created: 2004-09-13 23:38:06
changed: 2009-11-09 16:53:58

[capt-jones]

the general wrote

How 'bout combining all the work done in the series and making Silent Hunter 6 a global naval simulator? Most of the models have already been built. A player could chose a German, American or maybe even Japanese or British Sub? Hell, why not throw in a playable surface vessel too, a sub-chaser or whatever?

this seems the obvious choice the american market (paciffic war) would be the big money spinner for ubi,im no software developer, but im sure after all the hard work that went into SH3 SH4 it must be easy for ubisoft to throw all the codes into a box and sell it,this sounds familiarisnt that what they did with SH5, and we bought it,why they never capitalised on sh2 and destroyer command i will never know its no good buying the name of something if its no good anyway i agree with whats already been said

[GoldenRivet]

Silent Hunter Six?




Dont even start

[Frumpkis]

Originally Posted by The General

How 'bout combining all the work done in the series and making Silent Hunter 6 a global naval simulator? Most of the models have already been built. A player could chose a German, American or maybe even Japanese or British Sub? Hell, why not throw in a playable surface vessel too, a sub-chaser or whatever?

Okay, I have feeling the franchise is over with this one, but just for grins...

At the time frame of SH4, that idea (above) would have been feasible. The next sim (SH5) could have been a very broad-based package covering everything from the USA Civil War, to WWI, to WWII in both theaters. You'd have a bunch of good exterior 3D models, and very minimal interiors... maybe no interiors at all, just a basic periscope/bridge command interface.

Now, however, Ubi has limited future options with a release that shows both a full 3D sub interior and interaction with the crew (sort of) inside that environment. That takes much more in art and programming resources to pull off, and it's probably the reason we only got the Type VII in this game, and the most we might ever get in an expansion is the Type IX. Game companies don't usually reduce the feature set from one version to another, so any hope of more sub models (not to mention surface ships) probably died with this release.

However, remember this is the #1 thing people asked for, back in the SH4 days when people were discussing what they wanted in SH5. Everyone wanted a full walk-through sub interior, and a crew that was more than just mannequins standing there without player interaction. Well, now we have it, but it closes out other options.

Personally, I don't mind that very much. I've always preferred "deep" sims that modeled one platform well, to do-everything sims that can't really do it except in a superficial way. For example, compare the B-17 bomber in something like IL-2, to a dedicated B-17 sim like the one Microprose made. That latter game wasn't perfect, but it was more immersive and detailed (IIRC) than what you get in IL_2, because IL-2 is trying to model so many other aircraft at the same time.

Anyway, to respond to the main topic... given a choice, I'd like to see an upgraded version of SH5 in the same Atlantic theater, building on the current game engine, and expanding into wolf pack tactics. Unfortunately I don't think that's very marketable for Ubi, and they're more likely to make SH6 (if there is one at all) a modern sub sim... something like a Virginia class attack sub, or going back a few years to a Cold War scenario. Whatever it is, it'll be a single boat... if they ever do another version at all. They can't go back to a sub without a full interior now.

[jdkbph]

Originally Posted by Frumpkis

However, remember this is the #1 thing people asked for, back in the SH4 days when people were discussing what they wanted in SH5. Everyone wanted a full walk-through sub interior, and a crew that was more than just mannequins standing there without player interaction.

Be careful what you ask for...? It's almost like dealing with a Genie. Yes, they did ask for 3d interiors and interactive crew and UBI delivered. But I think the assumption was that all else would be at least as it was in SH3. I think if it had been understood that the addition of 3d interiors and interactive crew would cost what it now seems it has, no one would have voted for that.

Personally, I don't mind that very much. I've always preferred "deep" sims that modeled one platform well, to do-everything sims that can't really do it except in a superficial way. For example, compare the B-17 bomber in something like IL-2, to a dedicated B-17 sim like the one Microprose made. That latter game wasn't perfect, but it was more immersive and detailed (IIRC) than what you get in IL_2, because IL-2 is trying to model so many other aircraft at the same time.

I don't know if that's a fair comparison. I think if you wanted to argue that SH5 benefits from bing a single platform simulation, you'd have to demonstrate that the platform simulation is deeper than what you find in a survey (or multiple platform) simulation. I'd be looking for things like the ability to pull the levers to open the ballast tank vents, turn the valves to trim the boat, flip all the switches and turn all the dials on the radios, sonars and radars. Basically something akin to the level of interaction you find in the aforementioned MPS B17 sim.

Aside from the eye candy graphics, I don't see where they have improved the detail or the fidelity of the simulation at all in the "single platform" SH5, relative to the last two "multi-platform" titles in this series.

Oh, and even though it was explicitly excluded from consideration by the OP, I'll still cast my vote for a WWI sub sim. I think that's the one area that hasn't already been done to death (really hasn't been done at all... I can't count Shells of Fury) - and - would be a good fit for the sim and graphics engines UBI has already developed.

JD

[Frumpkis]

Originally Posted by jdkbph

Be careful what you ask for...? It's almost like dealing with a Genie. Yes, they did ask for 3d interiors and interactive crew and UBI delivered. But I think the assumption was that all else would be at least as it was in SH3. I think if it had been understood that the addition of 3d interiors and interactive crew would cost what it now seems it has, no one would have voted for that.

Agreed. Here's an interesting question, I think: If we had a time machine and could go back a couple years, and if Ubi had offered these two choices:

1) You can have a full 3D interior and interactive crew, but just the Type VII sub... that's it!

2) You can have the Type VII and IX, and we'll throw in the XX1 too, for alternate history scenarios, but the interiors will be just like SH4 and you can't walk through the boat.

Which would the subsim community, as a whole, choose? Sure, we'd like to choose "all of the above," but developer resources are always limited, unless we want to wait 10 years between sim releases.

I don't know if that's a fair comparison. I think if you wanted to argue that SH5 benefits from bing a single platform simulation, you'd have to demonstrate that the platform simulation is deeper than what you find in a survey (or multiple platform) simulation. I'd be looking for things like the ability to pull the levers to open the ballast tank vents, turn the valves to trim the boat, flip all the switches and turn all the dials on the radios, sonars and radars. Basically something akin to the level of interaction you find in the aforementioned MPS B17 sim.

I don't think you have to operate all those controls yourself for an immersive (hah!) simulation. The question is more like this: Can I achieve a suspension of disbelief that I'm sitting in front of a computer screen, to believe that I'm in this type of boat, or that type of boat? Early war boats in either WWII theater should feel cramped and limited in capability, later fleet boats on both sides should feel very different inside.

Oh, and even though it was explicitly excluded from consideration by the OP, I'll still cast my vote for a WWI sub sim. I think that's the one area that hasn't already been done to death (really hasn't been done at all... I can't count Shells of Fury) - and - would be a good fit for the sim and graphics engines UBI has already developed.

I'm with you on that one, I've always thought a WWI sub sim might be interesting, if only because we've never seen one. I have some concerns about it being too "un-sub" like.... too much emphasis on surface attacks, no real ASW technology to make evasion after an attack interesting. But it could be fun. I hope someone does this, eventually!

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by jdkbph

I think if it had been understood that the addition of 3d interiors and interactive crew would cost what it now seems it has, no one would have voted for that.

Hate to say I told you so.