Best Silent Hunter 4 mods

Hulkster · 05-14-17, 11:02 AM

Good day to everybody! I just joined the forum to ask a question that must have been asked several times already! The reason why I ask it again is because there might have changed something that made the view of people change!

I bought Silent Hunter 1 back when it came out and also 3 and 4. SH4 I bought in 2007 and it looks like it is new (with all papers with it)! I didn't play the game much back in 2007 but now 10 years later I want to play it again on Windows 7 64-bit. No problem there, it runs great on my 8 gb + 3.8 ghz quadcore + Nvidia 770 GTX (with the 4 gb memory adress patch)!

Now with my introduction done, here comes the question! What are the best mods (or supermods for that matter) to use with SH4 in terms of graphics, sound, ingame GUID and gameplay? I haven't got a clue which one I should use?

I already have the Generic Mod Enable (latest) and so what mods should I get to optimize this fine game? I have the uboat missions, so I have version 1.5!

Thank you in advance for all the replies!

propbeanie · 05-14-17, 05:32 PM

OK, just for ease-of-use later:

MultiSH4 which allows you to have separate installs for each mod that you have loaded up, each with their own Save folder. Just don't confuse yourself like someone else I know...

JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler is required to help activate most mods.

He doesn't like to refer to it as a mod, but rather as a utility, but Rocking Robbins Crash Management System without a doubt has save me all sorts of time on re-installs to clean up "issues" with the game. I'm noodling with a lot of mods, and with a lot of activating / de-activating of mods, and it is ~mandatory~ to have. If I'm remembering correctly, he has MultiSH4 and LAA in it. Watch the version numbers of those though. CapnScurvy has an excellent post on the LAA stuff.

With that info in-hand, you can easily experiment to your heart's content, and try ~ALL~ the mods...

Rockin Robbins · 05-15-17, 05:23 AM

Do you have the U-Boat Missions add-on? It is necessary in order to use nearly all the mods available today. Trying to install mods meant for SH4 v1.5 in SH4 v1.4 will just result in chaos.

DaveR · 05-15-17, 04:52 PM

curouis hulkster: I played all the silent hunter series... the only thing I remember, if it was a silent hunter series, in the captain's cabin, was a book the reported sunrise/set times, moonrise/set times and what kind of moon. do you remember anything like that? sure miss it.

propbeanie · 05-15-17, 09:19 PM

Silent Hunter, the first one, from SSI / Aegis... I still run it through a D'Fend Reloaded DosBox... It is very frustrating at times, to think that some aspects of the game that is 10 years older than this game that is 10 years old are better... graphics are definitley 10 years older, but...

DaveR · 05-15-17, 09:51 PM

as I 'remember', I really liked that first one. I agree about the graphics, (and don't remember what it looked like), but I thought the play was very good.

Hulkster · 05-16-17, 01:02 PM

Thank you guys for all the responses! Propbeanie thank you for alerting me to the tool MultiSH4. I might just use that one later, but not right away!

Wow that “Rocking Robbins Crash Management System” utility is great. It is great you gave it to me before I started to mess around with mods. It has all the tools you need and is the absolute basis you need to start with! This is a great start for me! Thank you so much propbeanie your awesome!

As far as the question goes that Rockin Robbins asked me, I can quote from my initial post:

Quote:

I have the uboat missions, so I have version 1.5!

It is so awesome DaveR you mention Silent Hunter 1 because I have so great memories about that one. I play it extensively because it was (believe it or not) the first pc game I ever bought back in 1996. In fact I had it 1 year before I bought my pc a Pentium 2 400 mhz with 64 mb ram and a Matrox G200 and 3DFX Creative Voodoo 2 card!

Absolutely DaverR I do remember the captain’s cabin with the reported sunrise/moonrise and set times of both of them! Here is a picture of what you are talking about: http://img.squakenet.com/snapshot/84...lentHunter.jpg Also the canon here and the inside of the sub: http://www.oldpcgaming.net/wp-conten...2017/02/8e.jpg http://img.squakenet.com/snapshot/84...lentHunter.jpg and the PDC (I think it is called) and Bridge bring back so much memories of my first experience with pc gaming: http://img.squakenet.com/snapshot/84...lentHunter.jpg http://www.oldpcgaming.net/wp-conten...unter/10de.jpg

Especially the Sub Tour I looked at so many times here: http://www.oldpcgaming.net/wp-conten...nter/4tion.jpg I did play Silent Hunter 2 too but I liked 1 better for some reason. Especially on the bridge (on surfaced and in the boot) I liked all the big dials to give speed and dive and also the rudder! I do miss that in Silent Hunter 4 for sure the rudder and big dials!

As for the mods, which graphics mod is the best one to get for a pc that runs it at 1920 x 1200 with 32 CSAA and 8x supersample at around 200 FPS?

Aktungbby · 05-16-17, 03:51 PM

Hulkster!

Preacher55 · 12-04-19, 09:02 AM

Good morning fellas, I need a recommendation or two please. I am running SH4 / uboat missions, v1.5 and I need (want) a sound mod for the ambient sounds, and background voices -- heard one on a Youtube vid that sounded great.

Second, would like graphics improvement but not completely necessary.
I am not hunting a Mega Mod, I don't use realistic settings and don't have time to bother learning manual torp shots etc.... I just go hunting and kill stuff.

Any good audio improvement recommendations?

Any good graphics improvement recommendations?

*Please - no mega mod recommendations, I am totally new to mods and will just make a mess of things with a mega mod.

propbeanie · 12-04-19, 01:58 PM

Welcome to SubSim Preacher55

As to modding, a "mega mod" is actually easier to deal with, if you like what all it does, just because it is an all-in-one package. Everything is "balanced", if you will. A mod like "Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate" (FotRSU) (in my opinion

) is excellent for beginner or expert player. The "base" mod as it stands is probably for the most part, easier than Stock, though there are enemy platforms that can shoot torpedoes back at you, in addition to anything else from small arms all the way up to over 18" cannons... But there are lots of sound mod changes in the FotRSU mod, as well as a "pretty" environment. If you are not wanting anything for the graphics, then THEBERBSTER's update of Webster's GFO (Game Fixes Only) mod is the way to go, since they did some audio changes also. See "THEBERBSTEES All In One Beginners Mega Mod List" - which would also be considered a "mega mod", but is even more user-friendly than FotRSU. Plus, THEBERBSTER is about the nicest person on this site...

As for smaller mods, I am not familiar with most of those anymore, and have to cede to others with more knowledge on those. Just be aware, that for a mod to "take" on a newer, "modern" OS (anything newer than Windows Vista), that you cannot have your game installed in a Windows "Program Files" folder, which would include the "Program Files (x86)" folder, due to Windows restrictions and "protection" of the system. Any "unauthorized" edits in the folder are rolled-back to the previous state, so the older games and utilities like SH4 and JSGME are not considered as "authorized", just due to their age. This is another reason you have to install DirectX v9.0c and the codecs, along with the game, even though you might be using DirectX12. The older games need a couple of the dll files from the older version... You want to create your own folder, outside of the "Program Files" folders for SH4 to install into. If you have a Steam version, see "Moving a Steam Installation and Games"

Preacher55 · 12-04-19, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Welcome to SubSim Preacher55

As to modding, a "mega mod" is actually easier to deal with, if you like what all it does, just because it is an all-in-one package. Everything is "balanced", if you will. A mod like "Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate" (FotRSU) (in my opinion

) is excellent for beginner or expert player. The "base" mod as it stands is probably for the most part, easier than Stock, though there are enemy platforms that can shoot torpedoes back at you, in addition to anything else from small arms all the way up to over 18" cannons... But there are lots of sound mod changes in the FotRSU mod, as well as a "pretty" environment. If you are not wanting anything for the graphics, then THEBERBSTER's update of Webster's GFO (Game Fixes Only) mod is the way to go, since they did some audio changes also. See "THEBERBSTEES All In One Beginners Mega Mod List" - which would also be considered a "mega mod", but is even more user-friendly than FotRSU. Plus, THEBERBSTER is about the nicest person on this site...

As for smaller mods, I am not familiar with most of those anymore, and have to cede to others with more knowledge on those. Just be aware, that for a mod to "take" on a newer, "modern" OS (anything newer than Windows Vista), that you cannot have your game installed in a Windows "Program Files" folder, which would include the "Program Files (x86)" folder, due to Windows restrictions and "protection" of the system. Any "unauthorized" edits in the folder are rolled-back to the previous state, so the older games and utilities like SH4 and JSGME are not considered as "authorized", just due to their age. This is another reason you have to install DirectX v9.0c and the codecs, along with the game, even though you might be using DirectX12. The older games need a couple of the dll files from the older version... You want to create your own folder, outside of the "Program Files" folders for SH4 to install into. If you have a Steam version, see "Moving a Steam Installation and Games"

Thank you kindly - that was exactly the information I needed. Downloading the last recommendation for now. Did I read on another thread that once a mod is installed, it wont be applied until a new career campaign is initiated...and will not go into effect in a "load game" from a previously begun campaign or career? I just made it to the Jap coast and hate to start over....

Aktungbby · 12-04-19, 05:51 PM

Preacher55!

propbeanie · 12-04-19, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Preacher55

Thank you kindly - that was exactly the information I needed. Downloading the last recommendation for now. Did I read on another thread that once a mod is installed, it wont be applied until a new career campaign is initiated...and will not go into effect in a "load game" from a previously begun campaign or career? I just made it to the Jap coast and hate to start over....

The differences between the Stock game, and Webster's GFO are for the most part minimal, and most likely will not cause you too many issues. However, if you are using the same game install for use with a new mod, you are generally better off to empty the game's "Save" folder, which defaults to "C:\Users \UserName \Documents \SH4". Since the game runs off of the Save folder information, when you clear the contents, it allows the full processing of creating another Save folder, which then pulls in all of the newly updated (mod) files. With some mods, such as FotRSU, if you fail to empty the Save folder, you will end up with a mixed-up mess that will barely run, and most likely crash on you. So in the future, when changing mods, it is best to do so when finished with a previous career, and by clearing the Save folder information.

One way around that is to use multiple game copies and MultiSH4 to create unique Save folders for each game copy. I have several folders for each of my FotRSU installs, of which one is the current version, one is the previous version, and one is the next version as it's being worked on. So I have "FRS" for the current version, "FRP" for the previous, and either "FRN" or "FRX" (depending upon my mood

) for the experimental next release... but I also have a TMO and RFB and RSD and OM and FOM, etc... Thankfully, I have a lot of hard drive space for all of my SH3, SH4 and the lone SH5 installs...

- ~BUT~ I still have to empty the Save folder if I'm going to change the mods much in any of my myriad SH4 copies...

05-14-17, 11:02 AM	#1
Hulkster Nub Join Date: May 2017 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 2 Downloads: 4 Uploads: 0	Best Silent Hunter 4 mods Good day to everybody! I just joined the forum to ask a question that must have been asked several times already! The reason why I ask it again is because there might have changed something that made the view of people change! I bought Silent Hunter 1 back when it came out and also 3 and 4. SH4 I bought in 2007 and it looks like it is new (with all papers with it)! I didn't play the game much back in 2007 but now 10 years later I want to play it again on Windows 7 64-bit. No problem there, it runs great on my 8 gb + 3.8 ghz quadcore + Nvidia 770 GTX (with the 4 gb memory adress patch)! Now with my introduction done, here comes the question! What are the best mods (or supermods for that matter) to use with SH4 in terms of graphics, sound, ingame GUID and gameplay? I haven't got a clue which one I should use? I already have the Generic Mod Enable (latest) and so what mods should I get to optimize this fine game? I have the uboat missions, so I have version 1.5! Thank you in advance for all the replies! Last edited by Hulkster; 05-14-17 at 12:18 PM.

05-14-17, 05:32 PM	#2
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 9,735 Downloads: 439 Uploads: 2	OK, just for ease-of-use later: MultiSH4 which allows you to have separate installs for each mod that you have loaded up, each with their own Save folder. Just don't confuse yourself like someone else I know... JoneSoft Generic Mod Enabler is required to help activate most mods. He doesn't like to refer to it as a mod, but rather as a utility, but Rocking Robbins Crash Management System without a doubt has save me all sorts of time on re-installs to clean up "issues" with the game. I'm noodling with a lot of mods, and with a lot of activating / de-activating of mods, and it is ~mandatory~ to have. If I'm remembering correctly, he has MultiSH4 and LAA in it. Watch the version numbers of those though. CapnScurvy has an excellent post on the LAA stuff. With that info in-hand, you can easily experiment to your heart's content, and try ~ALL~ the mods... __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayer/s" - Jimbuna

05-15-17, 05:23 AM	#3
Rockin Robbins Navy Seal Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: DeLand, FL Posts: 8,899 Downloads: 135 Uploads: 52	Do you have the U-Boat Missions add-on? It is necessary in order to use nearly all the mods available today. Trying to install mods meant for SH4 v1.5 in SH4 v1.4 will just result in chaos. __________________ Sub Skipper's Bag of Tricks, Slightly Subnuclear Mk 14 & Cutie, Slightly Subnuclear Deck Gun, EZPlot 2.0, TMOPlot, TMOKeys, SH4CMS

05-15-17, 09:19 PM	#5
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 9,735 Downloads: 439 Uploads: 2	Silent Hunter, the first one, from SSI / Aegis... I still run it through a D'Fend Reloaded DosBox... It is very frustrating at times, to think that some aspects of the game that is 10 years older than this game that is 10 years old are better... graphics are definitley 10 years older, but... __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayer/s" - Jimbuna

05-16-17, 03:51 PM	#8
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 27,822 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	welcome aboard! Hulkster! __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"

05-15-17, 04:52 PM	#4
DaveR A-ganger Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 72 Downloads: 190 Uploads: 0	curouis hulkster: I played all the silent hunter series... the only thing I remember, if it was a silent hunter series, in the captain's cabin, was a book the reported sunrise/set times, moonrise/set times and what kind of moon. do you remember anything like that? sure miss it.

05-15-17, 09:51 PM	#6
DaveR A-ganger Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 72 Downloads: 190 Uploads: 0	as I 'remember', I really liked that first one. I agree about the graphics, (and don't remember what it looked like), but I thought the play was very good.

12-04-19, 09:02 AM	#9
Preacher55 Nub Join Date: Nov 2019 Posts: 3 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	Dumb Question on Mods Good morning fellas, I need a recommendation or two please. I am running SH4 / uboat missions, v1.5 and I need (want) a sound mod for the ambient sounds, and background voices -- heard one on a Youtube vid that sounded great. Second, would like graphics improvement but not completely necessary. I am not hunting a Mega Mod, I don't use realistic settings and don't have time to bother learning manual torp shots etc.... I just go hunting and kill stuff. Any good audio improvement recommendations? Any good graphics improvement recommendations? *Please - no mega mod recommendations, I am totally new to mods and will just make a mess of things with a mega mod.

12-04-19, 01:58 PM	#10
propbeanie CTD - it's not just a job Join Date: May 2016 Location: One hour from Music City USA! Posts: 9,735 Downloads: 439 Uploads: 2	Welcome to SubSim Preacher55 As to modding, a "mega mod" is actually easier to deal with, if you like what all it does, just because it is an all-in-one package. Everything is "balanced", if you will. A mod like "Fall of the Rising Sun Ultimate" (FotRSU) (in my opinion ) is excellent for beginner or expert player. The "base" mod as it stands is probably for the most part, easier than Stock, though there are enemy platforms that can shoot torpedoes back at you, in addition to anything else from small arms all the way up to over 18" cannons... But there are lots of sound mod changes in the FotRSU mod, as well as a "pretty" environment. If you are not wanting anything for the graphics, then THEBERBSTER's update of Webster's GFO (Game Fixes Only) mod is the way to go, since they did some audio changes also. See "THEBERBSTEES All In One Beginners Mega Mod List" - which would also be considered a "mega mod", but is even more user-friendly than FotRSU. Plus, THEBERBSTER is about the nicest person on this site... As for smaller mods, I am not familiar with most of those anymore, and have to cede to others with more knowledge on those. Just be aware, that for a mod to "take" on a newer, "modern" OS (anything newer than Windows Vista), that you cannot have your game installed in a Windows "Program Files" folder, which would include the "Program Files (x86)" folder, due to Windows restrictions and "protection" of the system. Any "unauthorized" edits in the folder are rolled-back to the previous state, so the older games and utilities like SH4 and JSGME are not considered as "authorized", just due to their age. This is another reason you have to install DirectX v9.0c and the codecs, along with the game, even though you might be using DirectX12. The older games need a couple of the dll files from the older version... You want to create your own folder, outside of the "Program Files" folders for SH4 to install into. If you have a Steam version, see "Moving a Steam Installation and Games" __________________ "...and bollocks to the naysayer/s" - Jimbuna

12-04-19, 05:51 PM	#12
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 27,822 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Welcome aboard! Preacher55! __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness; and I'm not too sure about the Universe"