Wish List for an expansion pack

[Torpex752]

This is just my idea to see what anyone else would like to see in an expansion pack for SH4 if one were to be developed. So PLEASE no rants or anything other than ideas.

My First desire would be to be able to conduct a bombardment mission similar to the ones Flucky & The USS Barb did.

The second one would to have some new/expanded features on the boats, like Port & Stbd engine control.

Third- remove the TBt and install the "polaris" as historically accurate.

Fourth- smoke from the diesels on ocassion (like on the boats 5th war patrol before overhaul)

Fifth- start in 1940 as a PCO on a new boat out of Portsmouth New Hampshire-report to Groton base for warshots and do an Atlantic training patrol before Dec 7th. randomize this so you could wind up in Pearl or Manila or even on a training patrol on Dec 7th.

Sixth- Make all final conversions complete from metric to Imperial. Factor in a "Whole Crew Morale" for the time period. IE: Early war confusion, leadership was not at its peak so the possible influence of say 100% is only 40%, and as the patrol wears on and no sinkings, crew morale sinks which has a negative impact on damage control, and basic crew performance.

Seven-Make rescuing/taking a POW possible to gain information on area shipping, routes, etc

Eight- Expand on the damage control screen-options-methods-view.

So any way...... IF UBI SOFT did an expansion with these and other new additions I'd buy it.

now PLEASE dont start smearing UBI , this is just a "what if" thread. THANKS!

Frank "Torpex" Kulick
Subsim Staff

[GerritJ9]

If it's just "what if"....... I'd like to see the possibility of playing other Allied subs- RN "T" class, or (my choice) RNethN "K.XIV" class, "O.16" or "O.19" class.IL2 offers the possibility to play for several nations so it is not impossible by any means.

[John Channing]

And out of respect for Frank and his long service here any OT posts, pro or con, will be deleted. Nothing personal to anyone, but just to keep this clean.

So to keep from having to delete this one, here is mine.

A complete training school taking you through every aspect of approach and evasion (preferable with V/O instructors). You would go against allied ships using training torpedos. Each mission would get harder and harder until you could handle just about any situation. Once you graduated then you would go out as a PCO, then get your first boat.

JCC

[Bando]

1. Some sort of way to work with another sub. Making a wolfpack. It sounds just awesome to me that the first attacking sub would get a lot of attention from DD's, luring them away, so the second and third sub would get some decent shots in. Total mayhem in the convoy, ships scattered all over the ocean without structure in the comms. Everyone is running around to save it's own butt.

2. Never got to play SH3 myself. Hearing a lot about it on this forum, maybe it's possible to add this into SH4. I know a dedicated team is doing an epic WIP to achieve this, but an expansion pack titled "global war" would certainly get my wallet out to pay for such a thing.

3. Active mapping. As the war progresses (globally) it would be known by skippers where the enemy waters would be, which ports to use to refuel, where to refuel and rearm and so on. This should be interactive. We all know how the war ended, but if the players actions could "represent" the actions of the force he/she plays for, the campaign could really be dynamic, without telling the outcome of the war. As is now, it's possible to encounter Yamato, sink it, encounter it again. In the campaign setup as mentioned above that would be impossible. Every side has it's order of battle and that's it. Producing new units would depend on ports, industry, whatever. I'd really like to see something dynamic.

[LukeFF]

-Realistic navigation option: no more GPS-accurate locations of your submarine given on the map. The accuracy of your position will depend on the weather, time of day, visibilty, and the experience of your navigator.

-Limited rations: we already have limited fuel, so why not limited rations? Each boat carries a set amount of rations (say, 60 days). Each crewmember consumers one ration unit per day, and if he dies, then his remaining units go into the overall "ration pool." If food runs low, you can cut back on rations, but this will have an effect on the crews efficiency and morale.

-Realistic torpedo loading: if the sub tilts more than X number of degrees, the crew will stop trying to reload torpedoes. WWII era subs needed to be as level as possible for the crew to be able to load the tubes safely and quickly.

-More coastal traffic for the Japanese.

-Realistic numbers of capital ships. Sink two Yamatos, and that's it. They won't magically reappear at a later date.

-Proper voice comms for the crew - things like saying "Double oh" instead of "zero zero", and () "rudder amidships."

[CaptainHaplo]

Well since we are talking wish list... A truly dynamic but interactive campaign (this came close...)
By this - I mean the game would have a strategic AI. Instead of scripted although randomized shipping - a true simulation where each side starts with historically accurate amounts of shipping - and undergoes losses and buildups in a semi-historically accurate way. Granted the strategic AI could juggle resources to accomodate needs (building shipping), but only in a limited way. Yes - this would drastically cut down on contacts (although it could be easily made to give multipliers to resources so you could - if you wanted - flood the seas with ships) - but would truly be a Simulation... In this way - if you hit a task force - you know you truly accomplished something that can change the war (game).

Yes - this could open the possibility for a different outcome - or it could be coded to force a drawdown and conclusion of the war as desired.

Doing this would also allow a change in the "renown" system. Instead of using it on equipment - it could be used to influence patrol areas. As you perform better - you get better patrol areas - but could "influence" Command to give you an area that looks even better! Since traffic wouldnt be scripted - it might be a target rich zone - or a dud given how the AI routes traffic....

If anyone at Ubi wants a design doc on this - I could draw up a detailed description......PM me if ya want.

[Sonarman]

Here are my suggestions for expansion packs:
1. Playable destroyers / convoy command
2. All/more compartments modelled on sub at least engine and torpedo and radio rooms with additional challenges eg monitor oil levels, decode radio messages etc.
3. Playable Japanese subs
4. mining operations

[bosna387]

Here are my suggestion for expansion packs:

In multiplayer game to enable sharing sub with other players like sonar,command room,attack periscope...

[maerean_m]

decoding radio messages ... interesting. don't stop, bring it on ...

[Sonarman]

An enhanced navigation module would be nice, where depths were shown on the chart and the player had to be much more careful to avoid grounding loss of vessel/renown also navigational buoys could be included and navigating within ports could be made more difficult. Carefully manouvering the sub through locks and into basins to a specified berth, making docking more difficult, akin to landing in a flightsim. Where a small mistake could cause the ship to be badly damaged causing a loss of renown or a stay in drydock etc. One additional feature that would help here is the ability to walk around on the bridge to get a good view when docking.

Another thing that would be nice would be a move away from the generic cities to a representation of the actual cities and towns in the Pacific theatre at the time of ww2.

[Misfit138]

Would be really cool if I'd be able to surrender to the enemy or scuttle the boat on those certain circumtances. Feels kind of stupid that when I've managed surface the boat after taking heavy damage from the depth charges, I get killed anyway to the gunfire from the destroyers...

[u-168]

Yep Port & Stbd engine control would be nice to have also if when you go out on to really big targets you can call for backup and 2 or 3 subs will come to youre aid to help also if you dock at the port's you can moor enywhere you like even out to sea when in a battel.Plus the anchor can be blown off. .

[Sonarman]

Originally Posted by Sonarman

One additional feature that would help here is the ability to walk around on the bridge to get a good view when docking.

as an alternative to moving around we could "click into" the positions of the other guys on the bridge /lookout positions (in the same way we do with radar sonar etc) and assume their viewpoints. Therby giving us an all round view from different positions and even heights.

[JayR]

1) Atlantic

2) More emphasis on the campaign

[Rockin Robbins]

The Atlantic has been mentioned a few times. Perhaps after a successful cruise you could be assigned a new boat and take command in the Atlantic. One of the most harrowing parts of any boat's career was it's initial trip as a new boat down the coast of the US past the gauntlet of U-Boats to the Panama Canal (another addition to the expansion pack!) and across the Pacific the first time to Pearl to see the devastation at Pearl. Welcome to the war, kiddies! This is NO GAME. We play for keepsies here and Admiral Lockwood will see you now.

How about modeling the opulence of the Hotel Gooney Bird on Midway? .....maybe not.