Going to try SH4

[Anthony W.]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

You say that "damn" as if you were actually there. Also for the record, I mentioned that my 'example' had nothing to do with anything, and was just an example off the top of my head. We were talking about the difference between two mods, in case you missed it.

Still holding spite for lives unnecessarily lost

And I know, I just thought it was worth mentioning as a side note

And - if you think the submarine thing was bad, go look up his "Blitz Calls" ref. the whole war profiteering thing

[commandosolo2009]

Originally Posted by Cpt-Maxim

No matter what advice you get in here, including mine, you will have to go as far as it takes to satisfy your own curiosity on how each mod plays out.

+1

[I'm goin' down]

Going to try SH4

Thanks for sharing. My dogs did not budge.

[Dogfish40]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

Welcome to the dark side!


Well, there's 'realism' and there's 'realism'. RFB strives to duplicate real operations and real difficulty, which can sometimes be easy and sometimes hard. The concept behind TMO isn't to make the game more difficult and less real, but to make the player behave in a more realistic fashion. Let's say the Japanese never set their depth charges for more than 200 feet. RFB might keep that precisely, which is more 'realistic'. TMO might set them for as deep as 600 feet, because the reality was that the submariners might not know they couldn't be set for more than 200 feet and having them that way, while realistic in a technical sense, gives the gamer information he wouldn't have had in real life, which means we get to cheat in the name of 'realism'.

The above example has nothing to do with the actual settings in either mod, and is just an example. But you get the idea. All of that said, I prefer RFB because while I like my game to feel 'real' to me, I don't usually bother to remember actual settings of that sort, and so I don't need to be pushed to play realistically, since I'm pretty bad at it anyway. Even with auto-targetting I tend to get pretty low tonnage scores simply because I tend to imagine it's really happing to me and so play in a fairly cautious manner.

But that's just me. I'm not trying to suggest one over the other, just point out the difference in the different concepts between the two mods and how they each deal with 'realism'.


No. It has setting choices and runs fine at several different resolutions. Mine is set to match my screen at 1440x900.

Couldn't have said it better! This is the Beauty of this sim, that you can mod this game (and SH3) to your taste. I like to play as if I'm back in '41 as if the war is happening and history is in the making (sort of), at 1.5 with GFO (Game Fixes Only for the benefit of Flax) even at this level I'm constantly running into new problems to solve, (the latest being visibility. After upgrading, I'm using better graphics so fog has come into play). So Flax, welcome aboard and have fun tweaking the game to your liking and Good Hunting!!
D40

[Flaxpants]

Thanks Dogfish, looking forward to getting into it. Reckon I'm nearly good to go- all I need now is the DVD..... Just preparing the boat and crew for a sneak attack on Gibraltar in SH3 (Oct 41) so that'll keep me busy in the meantime.

[Flaxpants]

Sorry for the double post

Just wanted to say I have got it all installed without a hitch and last night started the US campaign (RFB, RSRD). So far so good- I would say I am impressed!- The environment in particular is a huge improvement over SH3, the ambient lighting really feels like being 'outside'- you can almost smell the salty air! The sunsets are breathtaking. Lots of obvious improvements over its predeccesor, at least graphically.

One big bonus for me is not having to worry as much about saving the game, with the limited time I get to play the game I have to fit my session into a predetermined time period, usually 2 or 3 hours, and with the SH3 save issues I had to plan my movements around that, which was a pain in the butt.

I have one question- where can I read the gyroangle? So used to having it on my attack scope...

[I'm goin' down]

I do not have my game running, but go to periscope view. Open the left side of your screen to the screen that has the PK button and the two ships (called ship's dials.) (The other screen is the TBT screen.) Drag your cursor over the verticle reitcle on the ships dials, and you will get information, including the gyro angle, aob, your birthday, neal stevens' bank account number, etc.

Someone else may be able to articulate it better, and maybe put up a screen shot for you.

[Flaxpants]

Thanks mate

[FIREWALL]

Just installed SH4-UBM with RFB and RSRD mods. Hope I got them right.

It's been sitting in the dust for quit awhile. Saw this thread and thought I'de look it over. Am going to go slow. Not going to rush into a soup of mods yet.

[sharkbit]

Definitely try both TMO and RFB with RSRD with the appropriate mod. Both are very good mods with different flavors. Sailor Steve's assessment is spot on. Both mods have different philosophies.
I've switched back and forth as the mood suits and there is the option for multiple installs as well.
Personally, I like TMO's philosophy of trying to make you behave as a real skipper did and am running TMO.

The biggest thing I had trouble with when first playing SH4 was getting my head around the differences in TDC's. The US TDC takes a little getting used to when coming from the U-boat TDC. But with practice, it becomes second nature as well.

Don't worry though, SH4 will probably not make you want to shelve SH3 forever. I switch back and forth as the mood suits. Both games have their good and bad points.

[Flaxpants]

I've no plans to shelve SH3/GWX at any time- SH4 is my bit on the side!

I'm a few hours into my campaign now, and just sunk my first merchant of the coast of Japan. I decided to head south initially and refuel in Borneo, then made my way North again. I think I was at sea nearly 9 weeks before my first encounter with a another ship in open water- no problem with that, I'll find the best places to be soon enough. I've heard the Luzon Straits are pretty good, and presumably anywhere along the Japanese coasts and inlets.

Still getting my head around the US TDC, and the PK- My usual form of attack in the u-boats is to set the boat up well ahead of the target, after having gathered all available data, 90 degrees to course, and just to set the TDC up for the point when the target will be on my 0 bearing. When he passes the crosshairs I fire. (Fixed bearing attack?). I'm trying to think how I can use this method with the PK...ie, I wish to enter the data into the TDC but I don't want that data updated over time. I haven't actually tried it yet, so it may be no-brainer. I guess I'm a little confused about the relationship between the PK and any periscope input.

All in all though, very happy I got SH4, lots of things to like about it

[magic452]

You can enter data into the TDC and it will not update unless you turn ON the PK. Check out the O'Kane method in the bag of tricks thread. It's a constant bearing shooting attack much like you can do in a U boat.

Being a SH3 guy just try to remember that in THIS game the Stars and Striped are the good guys.

Magic

[Flaxpants]

Originally Posted by magic452

You can enter data into the TDC and it will not update unless you turn ON the PK. Check out the O'Kane method in the bag of tricks thread. It's a constant bearing shooting attack much like you can do in a U boat.

Being a SH3 guy just try to remember that in THIS game the Stars and Striped are the good guys.

Magic

Makes sense! Presumably then the 'On' button is the Big Red One with the Light on it? (said from behind sofa). Is the 'on' state reliant on the periscope being locked to the target?

Yes, its fun being able to play both sides, a bit like going abroad and remembering to drive on the right (which is of course the wrong side of the road to be driving on)

[vodkaphile]

Originally Posted by magic452

RFB fixes most of the things that are fixable so your pretty good on that score. For realism you have a good start.

The fleetboat TDC and PK take some getting use to, work differently than Uboats.

Magic

That has been my biggest issue.

I know all the math behind everything but the whole system is just different.

I mean just 30min ago I finished a patrol in SHIII heavily modded for realism and sunk 4 merchants, 1 destroyer and 1 submarine. Granted it is early 1940 in my current career in a VIIB sub.

The most I have sunk in a mission in SHIV are 2 merchants and 1 sampan (Deck Gun).

I have played SHIV far far less mind you.

[magic452]

Originally Posted by vodkaphile

That has been my biggest issue.

I know all the math behind everything but the whole system is just different.

I mean just 30min ago I finished a patrol in SHIII heavily modded for realism and sunk 4 merchants, 1 destroyer and 1 submarine. Granted it is early 1940 in my current career in a VIIB sub.

The most I have sunk in a mission in SHIV are 2 merchants and 1 sampan (Deck Gun).

I have played SHIV far far less mind you.

In all reality you fight a fleetboat much different than a Uboat.
Stealth and ambush are paramount in Fleetboats. You gotta track, plot and set up your attack and most often from longer ranges unless it's a single. You shoot the fattest one or two targets and do a runaround and repeat.
For this the US TDC and PK are excellent tools. Uboats are much more suited for close in quick firing action.
The problm is in this game you can't do much of the things a real US TDC could do.

The tracking. plotting and set up are what I enjoy most, sinking ships is just frosting on the cake.

@ Flaxpants
Lock the target and input Speed, AoB and range/bearing (in that order) with the PK(red button) on. You can than unlock the target and the PK will continually up date THAT firing solution, you can look at other targets but can't set up any data for them. If your solution is very good you don't even have to look at your first target to fire. A handy feature in very bad weather.

Magic