Help A Newbie

Sailor Steve · 02-28-08, 08:00 AM

First, WELCOME ABOARD!

The only reason SH4 got the "good" graphics is that it's two years newer. While I love them all, I agree with Torplexed that the Pacific War has gotten short shrift of late. I would like to see SH3 brought up to current standards, but I'll play both until something better comes along, which I may not be around to see. And, still agreeing, I would say that after three years the German version is still getting better every day, with new immersion mods constantly adding to the feel. There are two great GUI mods making manual targetting much more realistic, and I'm rather impatiently waiting for part two of the 'Kiel Canal Locks' mod, so I can waste even more time just watching the scenery.

As for what and how to play, these sims are now so advanced that you can have fun doing anything you like, from good old-fashioned 'just going and killing something' to having to use manual navigation, including taking sun-sightings with the sextant.

Please, ask all the questions you like. But not right now - this has me so excited I have to go play.

neon_black88 · 02-28-08, 08:28 AM

The reason I chose SH4 over 3 is pretty much because I'd rather have the better looking game, I mean Idealy i'd like the better gameplay, but mods arn't going to make much a difference to me untill I get a handle on the game. I could't tell the difference in realism between them yet anyway. I mean im alreaddy overwhelmed in the Realism department (in a good way) and the immersion department.

The furthest ive goten in terms of getting my feet wet so far is the convoy attack in the tutorial, what I'd love is a step by step guide and explanation based on that tutorial (I'm not suggesting someone here does, I mean if you do great, but im not holding my breath is what I mean).

Ok heres my first question, where do I start in that tutorial... I can see the ships on the sonar, after setting the range to the midle knob, but I dont really know how that translates into what direction to go in, exept that that in turn puts it on my map. So theres a bunch of markers for the ships so I head in that direction not knowing how long it will take, I do this on the surface (its best to do long distance travel on the surface yes? I dont know if that was right in this circumstance though). Eventually I see a plane, submerge periscope depth, get completely lost, try to head in the general direction of ships. I surface again, an escort starts shooting at me. I lost all sense of doing anything right there, but I did manage to sink and escort (with auto-targeting ofcourse, im not going that far into the deep end yet).

Well that pretty much sums up how much I dont know what im doing hahah. It might take a while, but Im going to get some kind of grasp on this game if it kills me.

kylesplanet · 02-28-08, 09:04 AM

Download this video and watch it. It really helped me get started:http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111445

There are many more training guides and videos in this thread:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108931

Hope this helps out and good hunting!

DavyJonesFootlocker · 02-28-08, 11:05 AM

Ah. another Bilge Rat! Welcome! But you did not cough up the $100 entrance fee (payable to me IN CASH, of course!) So, that means you'll be thrown overboard unceremoniously.

howler93 · 02-28-08, 11:11 AM

Welcome, Neon!

Congrats on your SH4 purchase- you're going to love it! Before SH4 I had no knowledge at all about submarine ops. in the Pacific. It inspired me to read several very good books on the subject (Silent Victory, Thunder Below, Wahoo...) and you'll find, as I did, that submarine warfare in the Pacific was every bit as fascinating as the U-boats in the Atlantic.

Regarding tips for noobs, just dive in and get your feet wet. Once you've played some, you'll have some more specific questions and the folks at this forum will jump at the chance to help you out...most of 'em anyway :rotfl:

If you'd like some very general advice I'll offer my .02 and say: Dive when you detect aircraft, don't waste torps on destroyers, listen to good WWII era music during patrols, and keep a fine bottle of scotch handy to celebrate any significant sinkings (or a good ginger ale if scotch isn't your thing). Most of all, have fun and enjoy!

Good hunting,
Howler

neon_black88 · 03-01-08, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kylesplanet

Download this video and watch it. It really helped me get started:http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111445

There are many more training guides and videos in this thread:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108931

Hope this helps out and good hunting!

Thanks alot! Just sank my first two ships thanks to that video. It took me long enough, I was spoted by planes a couple of times and even bombed(?) once.

I have a question though, the triangle never went green in the periscope despite the ships being on a perfect 90 degree angle, and both ships took TWO torpeedos each with seemingly no or little damage. They were frieghters of some kind, I surfaced and took both of them out with the deck gun, but neither ship had any kind of flame damage or any visual damage after the two torp hits (it was night though) and kept moving forward (how long does it take for a ship to stop after engine failure?), what could have happened?

Torplexed · 03-01-08, 07:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neon_black88

I have a question though, the triangle never went green in the periscope despite the ships being on a perfect 90 degree angle, and both ships took TWO torpeedos each with seemingly no or little damage. They were frieghters of some kind, I surfaced and took both of them out with the deck gun, but neither ship had any kind of flame damage or any visual damage after the two torp hits (it was night though) and kept moving forward (how long does it take for a ship to stop after engine failure?), what could have happened?

Sounds like you had the same affliction which vexed so many actual US sub skippers. Duds. Or partial duds. The MK 14 torpedo was a very buggy weapon for the first two years of the war.

neon_black88 · 03-01-08, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torplexed

Quote:

Originally Posted by neon_black88

I have a question though, the triangle never went green in the periscope despite the ships being on a perfect 90 degree angle, and both ships took TWO torpeedos each with seemingly no or little damage. They were frieghters of some kind, I surfaced and took both of them out with the deck gun, but neither ship had any kind of flame damage or any visual damage after the two torp hits (it was night though) and kept moving forward (how long does it take for a ship to stop after engine failure?), what could have happened?

Sounds like you had the same affliction which vexed so many actual US sub skippers. Duds. Or partial duds. The MK 14 torpedo was a very buggy weapon for the first two years of the war.

Wow 4 dud torpedo's? Thats quite and achievement (!?). Looks like the first tweak ill be playing with is Dud torpedos off :p.

Also my second question of the day, just had another little quick session. Moved towards tokyo for patrol, the first thing that happened was the first mission objective wouldnt complete (patrol hanu island or whatever its called), I went past the mission marker and patrolled around alot but it never completed, got attacked by alot of planes though, which brings me to my second question, holy crap there is alot of planes!? I probably spotted planes about 12 times but never spotted a ship. Whats the procedure after spotting a plane? Usually there close enough to see us, so I just dive... come up again later, then the inevitable other plane comes and spots me. I ended up getting frustrated and just shooting a couple of them down. Then nudging the poor pilot in the water (no prisoners of war eh?)

Torplexed · 03-01-08, 09:56 AM

Yeah, this sim tends to credit the Emperor with a few more planes than he probably had available for Home Island defense. Most Sentais & Chutais based in Japan early in the war were busy training not patrolling. Your best bet is to never let them see you. Radar is your ally. Submerge well before they come into visual contact range. If you stubbornly stay on the surface to fight it out, the Japanese AI will just vector more planes your way.

Keelbuster · 03-01-08, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neon_black88

The reason I chose SH4 over 3 is pretty much because I'd rather have the better looking game, I mean Idealy i'd like the better gameplay, but mods arn't going to make much a difference to me untill I get a handle on the game.

S'weird - i actually like the graphics better in SH3. I've thought long and hard about it. And I do.

GAMEPLAY IS EVERYTHING.

This should be tattooed on every gamer; console, PC, or even handheld. Amen.

Powerthighs · 03-01-08, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steinbeck

I want to use manual targeting and have d/l and looked at most of the guides you guys put out, all great help to me and have enhanced my experience of the game. So a big thank you to everyone for the time you have all put into making this a greater game for me.. I am now ready to try... manual targeting and it seems to be that one can only have this if 'Realistic' is chosen in Options when starting a new career. Is this correct? I can't get this option without, I have tried other options ie 'Custom' with leaving map updates selected. Doesn't work.
Any advice here will be a great help Thank you

Select whatever difficutly you want. Then, when in the office in your campagin, click the radio on the bookshelf on the left side of the screen. It will bring up the options screen. You can then configure the specific check boxes to whatever you want, including manual targeting on.

bb-subs · 03-02-08, 12:03 AM

I have been deep into GWX 2.0 and loving.
But today I ran SH4 for the first time and did the navigation test. Love the graphics, there are a few other things but I do not like the crew or torp. managment.
Near the end there are the two Liberty ships and I put two torps into one of them the used the deck gun.
How do you get the range to target I did it on the map, it's not like SH3 where you had the info a the attack center.
Got a heck of a kick out of the damage model on the ships looking into them is great, love.
But it is so frustrating without my ranging and torpedo control.

Grant

neon_black88 · 03-02-08, 12:37 AM

Quote:

S'weird - i actually like the graphics better in SH3. I've thought long and hard about it. And I do.

Not me :P, ive played SH3 and I can defenetly say without a shadow of a doubt I prefer the graphics in SH4. You must like the game so much its distorting your idea of graphics. And yeah gameplay is everything but like I said, both games play the same to me at the moment because I know so little. I can always buy SH3 later when I feel SH4 isnt offering me something that SH3 can, but I dont think that will happen to me any time soon.

Just bought the U-Boat missions today

. So at least I can get some U-Boat action without having to buy SH3.

SuperCavitation · 03-02-08, 01:38 PM

To answer your battery query... i usually run at 1-2kts and can go an entire evening and most of the following day without issue.

02-28-08, 08:00 AM	#1
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	First, WELCOME ABOARD! The only reason SH4 got the "good" graphics is that it's two years newer. While I love them all, I agree with Torplexed that the Pacific War has gotten short shrift of late. I would like to see SH3 brought up to current standards, but I'll play both until something better comes along, which I may not be around to see. And, still agreeing, I would say that after three years the German version is still getting better every day, with new immersion mods constantly adding to the feel. There are two great GUI mods making manual targetting much more realistic, and I'm rather impatiently waiting for part two of the 'Kiel Canal Locks' mod, so I can waste even more time just watching the scenery. As for what and how to play, these sims are now so advanced that you can have fun doing anything you like, from good old-fashioned 'just going and killing something' to having to use manual navigation, including taking sun-sightings with the sextant. Please, ask all the questions you like. But not right now - this has me so excited I have to go play. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

02-28-08, 09:04 AM	#3
kylesplanet Commodore Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 629 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 0	Download this video and watch it. It really helped me get started:http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=111445 There are many more training guides and videos in this thread: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=108931 Hope this helps out and good hunting! __________________

02-28-08, 11:05 AM	#4
DavyJonesFootlocker The Old Man Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Stink Drunk in Trinidad Posts: 1,572 Downloads: 138 Uploads: 0	Ah. another Bilge Rat! Welcome! But you did not cough up the $100 entrance fee (payable to me IN CASH, of course!) So, that means you'll be thrown overboard unceremoniously. __________________ "Silence means death. Stand on your feet. Inner fear your worst enemy."- Sepultura. My Silent Hunter 5 mantra is this......"Torpedo missed, sir!" A P-400 is a P-40 with a Zero after it. A proud member of the Wikipedia Haters Club

03-02-08, 12:03 AM	#12
bb-subs Bosun Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 65 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	first time out I have been deep into GWX 2.0 and loving. But today I ran SH4 for the first time and did the navigation test. Love the graphics, there are a few other things but I do not like the crew or torp. managment. Near the end there are the two Liberty ships and I put two torps into one of them the used the deck gun. How do you get the range to target I did it on the map, it's not like SH3 where you had the info a the attack center. Got a heck of a kick out of the damage model on the ships looking into them is great, love. But it is so frustrating without my ranging and torpedo control. Grant

03-02-08, 01:38 PM	#14
SuperCavitation Loader Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Dallas, Tejas!! Posts: 87 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	To answer your battery query... i usually run at 1-2kts and can go an entire evening and most of the following day without issue. __________________ "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast. For I intend to go in harm's way." - Captain John Paul Jones, 16 November 1778, in a letter to le Ray de Chaumont.

02-28-08, 08:28 AM	#2
neon_black88 Watch Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 17 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	The reason I chose SH4 over 3 is pretty much because I'd rather have the better looking game, I mean Idealy i'd like the better gameplay, but mods arn't going to make much a difference to me untill I get a handle on the game. I could't tell the difference in realism between them yet anyway. I mean im alreaddy overwhelmed in the Realism department (in a good way) and the immersion department. The furthest ive goten in terms of getting my feet wet so far is the convoy attack in the tutorial, what I'd love is a step by step guide and explanation based on that tutorial (I'm not suggesting someone here does, I mean if you do great, but im not holding my breath is what I mean). Ok heres my first question, where do I start in that tutorial... I can see the ships on the sonar, after setting the range to the midle knob, but I dont really know how that translates into what direction to go in, exept that that in turn puts it on my map. So theres a bunch of markers for the ships so I head in that direction not knowing how long it will take, I do this on the surface (its best to do long distance travel on the surface yes? I dont know if that was right in this circumstance though). Eventually I see a plane, submerge periscope depth, get completely lost, try to head in the general direction of ships. I surface again, an escort starts shooting at me. I lost all sense of doing anything right there, but I did manage to sink and escort (with auto-targeting ofcourse, im not going that far into the deep end yet). Well that pretty much sums up how much I dont know what im doing hahah. It might take a while, but Im going to get some kind of grasp on this game if it kills me.

02-28-08, 11:11 AM	#5
howler93 Medic Join Date: May 2007 Location: Telluride, Colorado Posts: 162 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	Welcome, Neon! Congrats on your SH4 purchase- you're going to love it! Before SH4 I had no knowledge at all about submarine ops. in the Pacific. It inspired me to read several very good books on the subject (Silent Victory, Thunder Below, Wahoo...) and you'll find, as I did, that submarine warfare in the Pacific was every bit as fascinating as the U-boats in the Atlantic. Regarding tips for noobs, just dive in and get your feet wet. Once you've played some, you'll have some more specific questions and the folks at this forum will jump at the chance to help you out...most of 'em anyway :rotfl: If you'd like some very general advice I'll offer my .02 and say: Dive when you detect aircraft, don't waste torps on destroyers, listen to good WWII era music during patrols, and keep a fine bottle of scotch handy to celebrate any significant sinkings (or a good ginger ale if scotch isn't your thing). Most of all, have fun and enjoy! Good hunting, Howler

03-01-08, 09:56 AM	#9
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Yeah, this sim tends to credit the Emperor with a few more planes than he probably had available for Home Island defense. Most Sentais & Chutais based in Japan early in the war were busy training not patrolling. Your best bet is to never let them see you. Radar is your ally. Submerge well before they come into visual contact range. If you stubbornly stay on the surface to fight it out, the Japanese AI will just vector more planes your way.