Oh wow, this is really really bad

[junkets]

Also, have a look at the patrols of U-48, considered as the "most successful".

https://www.uboat.net/boats/patrols/u48.html

Patrols are between 20-30 days, with ships sunk between 0-8.

[SubV]

Basically, what most needed is a new SH3, with state-of-the art graphics and optional multiplayer. More ships, more variations, maybe some elements of procedural generation and/or dynamic campaign.

I don't think we can mod this to a playable state. At least, not yet.

[Nordmann]

Originally Posted by SubV

Basically, what most needed is a new SH3, with state-of-the art graphics and optional multiplayer. More ships, more variations, maybe some elements of procedural generation and/or dynamic campaign.

That's probably never going to happen, I'm sorry to say. Indie developers have limited resources, and AAA developers won't touch this genre with a ten foot barge pole. Ubi themselves appear to have given up on Silent Hunter for good, probably as a result of the backlash and nonsense surrounding SH5.

I said at the time that dumping on SH5 as hard as this community did was only going to drive away the one publisher prepared to take the risk, and I'm afraid that's exactly what happened. It was likely already a break-even series for Ubi, so all the bad press achieved was making it even easier for them to write it off and move on to more profitable ventures.

At this point I'd say we're very lucky to have UBOAT, and we either give it a chance, or else we can look forward to nothing for the foreseeable future. Eventually the older titles will struggle with newer operating systems, and if there's no new games on the horizon, then this could pose a rather significant problem for many of us.

Let's not sink this one early chaps, please!

[JU_88]

Originally Posted by SubV

Basically, what most needed is a new SH3, with state-of-the art graphics and optional multiplayer. More ships, more variations, maybe some elements of procedural generation and/or dynamic campaign.

I don't think we can mod this to a playable state. At least, not yet.

I don't know about most, but there is certainly a faction who wanted that.

And yeah what you are witnessing with Uboat is a game with roughly the same scope and depth as SH3, but how long it takes for a team of 3 to complete and polish what a team of about 30 made previously.

The only advantage Deepwater has is that they did not have to build the games engine from the ground up as they went with Unity. otherwise compared to UBI's manpower, funding and resources they are disadvantaged in every way imaginable.

[Sub187]

Originally Posted by Nordmann

I said at the time that dumping on SH5 as hard as this community did was only going to drive away the one publisher prepared to take the risk, and I'm afraid that's exactly what happened

Come on, with the SH games Ubisoft delivered a series of buggy, unfinished products that were DRM'ed to death. The backlash was, and still is, completely justified. I know the current standard is to accept any and all half-finished shovelware publishers throw at the public, under the calling "support the devs, it's better than nothing!", but with that attitude the situation will never change and consumers will be kept being put over a barrel.

Ubisoft should've known that a mediocre effort leads to mediocre sales.

[bstanko6]

Here is a crazy idea, what about us... Subsim?

Can't we develop a game to our standard?

I mean, Neal tagged along with Wolfpack, and look what happened there. A pretty damn good game.

And I know we have great guys here who are, were, or interested in game development.

Can we build our own superior sub simulator?

I have limited game knowledge, but I would gladly help!

[clayton]

Originally Posted by Sub187

Come on, with the SH games Ubisoft delivered a series of buggy, unfinished products that were DRM'ed to death. The backlash was, and still is, completely justified. I know the current standard is to accept any and all half-finished shovelware publishers throw at the public, under the calling "support the devs, it's better than nothing!", but with that attitude the situation will never change and consumers will be kept being put over a barrel.

Ubisoft should've known that a mediocre effort leads to mediocre sales.

^this

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by bstanko6

Here is a crazy idea, what about us... Subsim?

Can't we develop a game to our standard?

I mean, Neal tagged along with Wolfpack, and look what happened there. A pretty damn good game.

And I know we have great guys here who are, were, or interested in game development.

Can we build our own superior sub simulator?

I have limited game knowledge, but I would gladly help!

I'll give Wolfpack a try once they incorporate solo play options. I hear that's at least in the works... although I haven't been following it too closely. I would not be as excited for instance if they just programmed bots to do what the humans are doing now. Rather, I'd want playable stations that I can rapidly switch between.

[bstanko6]

You got to try the game with people it’s fun!

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by bstanko6

You got to try the game with people it’s fun!

I'm sure it is... If it doesn't have solo though, it's a non-starter for me.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

I'll give Wolfpack a try once they incorporate solo play options. I hear that's at least in the works... although I haven't been following it too closely. I would not be as excited for instance if they just programmed bots to do what the humans are doing now. Rather, I'd want playable stations that I can rapidly switch between.

That's the same approach I favor. Allow the player to manage as much as he wants but also give him/her the UI to set speed/depth/course so he can focus on scope observation and TDC when attacking, and hydrophones when evading. I play a lot by myself, it's tricky to find time to coordinate games with other players (outside of our excellent scheduled games) and except for the cumbersome running between the dive planes and the TDC in the conning tower, Wolfpack is an excellent solo player platform. Having a mode with the single player dashboard will really explode the game's potential.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

I'm sure it is... If it doesn't have solo though, it's a non-starter for me.

Well, it is solo-with-effort now. It doesn't take ages to switch between stations. You'll be there in mere seconds. At the most you'll spend a couple of seconds more going up the ladder in the conning-tower for the TDC or AP. (But nothing like Uboat where the crew is walking front to aft in their leisure time) And just as much time to go to the bridge and another stair further the deck gun. But you should be assured to be safe and have the time anyway if you want to go there.

I imagine the bots will allow you more focus on a task you choose while solo-playing. It is not a requirement to run the boat. Just that you have less to worry about and not as much stress to check the menial tasks. And if you have the experience of games like SHx/SC/DW or older hands-on sub-games then you'll know how to prioritize your actions a bit better than a complete newby to the genre.

And if you haven't already, just watch a few video's of how the game works. Granted, there are not so many videos (or I have not found them outside of here) where serious teams successfully attack a convoy.

[John Pancoast]

Originally Posted by Sub187

Come on, with the SH games Ubisoft delivered a series of buggy, unfinished products that were DRM'ed to death. The backlash was, and still is, completely justified. I know the current standard is to accept any and all half-finished shovelware publishers throw at the public, under the calling "support the devs, it's better than nothing!", but with that attitude the situation will never change and consumers will be kept being put over a barrel.

Ubisoft should've known that a mediocre effort leads to mediocre sales.

This #2.

[XLjedi]

Originally Posted by Pisces

Well, it is solo-with-effort now. It doesn't take ages to switch between stations. You'll be there in mere seconds.
[snip]
I imagine the bots will allow you more focus on a task you choose while solo-playing. It is not a requirement to run the boat.
[snip]

This is what I don't get... Granted, I have not played the game, but I would think, the way to accommodate solo play would be to forget bots and just add quick-travel icons for each station to the bottom of the screen. Or have a little window at each station to give access to certain commands like engine speed and helm control.

If they're going the route of bots... I don't want bots driving while I'm working out an attack course, or watching a target through the attack scope.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by aaronblood

This is what I don't get... Granted, I have not played the game, but I would think, the way to accommodate solo play would be to forget bots and just add quick-travel icons for each station to the bottom of the screen. Or have a little window at each station to give access to certain commands like engine speed and helm control.

If they're going the route of bots... I don't want bots driving while I'm working out an attack course, or watching a target through the attack scope.

Ok, we will have to see how they implement it exactly in WP. I don't know either. But I'd rather have simple AI check whether the boat is still at periscope dept and adjust the diveplanes accordingly (uselessly because you set the EOT at Stop), than have to worry about that too while I am watching through the scope. Or have the helmsman keep steady course in bad weather while I am on the bridge looking out. The idea behind Wolfpack is team work and segregation of responsibilities (though not enforced). And hands-on controls for immersion enhancement. Adding all those UI elements would detract from the 3d environment you play in. I guess they will come back from that a bit to make it easier. But there is nothing from stopping you to become a control freak in this game by doing everything yourself.

p.s. It feels weird talking about another game in this forum. Feels a bit off topic.