Expert opinion on SH4

[witchking]

Hey guys,

After few yrs, I am back to the whole sub simming scene. I used to have tons of fun with SH3, going on a patrol, getting the thrill of intercepting a convoy and engaging in nail biting conflicts with the destroyers and finally blowing ballast in victory to man the deck gun and mop up the merchants. Aaah! good times.

Anyways...I have given SH4 a try.... my computer sucks at running it at good settings. So for now, I am back to SH3. However, I do keep hearing stuff that SH4 is worse than SH3. I realize this was due to the bugs at release point. But what do you guys....the ppl who have been playing this game from day1 to now think about it?

Do u think with Uboat expansions pack at v1.5, SH4 is finally complete as SH3 is at 1.4b??

Would you finally say both are complete sub simulations that can keep us at bay till the day Ubisoft Romania works on a SH5??

cheers,

V

[Torplexed]

I've never experienced any bugs with SH4. No serious game-killing ones anyway.

I've heard a lot of complaints from SH3 players about SH4 being cold, or soulless, or other vague descriptions. The Pacific is simply a different theater. The geography is far different as is the opponent. I think part of the problem is the adjustment. In SH3 you are the underdog on the losing side against an opponent with superior technological and material advantages. In SH4 the situation is quite the opposite. The former situation conforms to many player's ideal game where it gets harder with time. However, I doubt if many USN submariners would have cared that they weren't fitting the ideal gaming scenario.

Frankly, I find both submarine wars fascinating but that makes me something of a minority.

[DarkFish]

and don't forget that now with UBM and Operations Monsun there is an excellent atlantic campaign.
SH4 has much more potential, the only advantage SH3 has compared to SH4 is that SH3 has been modded much more. SH3 has had 3 GWX mods already, SH4 is still waiting for the 1st one...

[witchking]

Great to hear positive opinion on the sim. Thanks for sharing.

Well...I just ordered the Gold edition with Uboat missions on futureshop's website. Total came out to 25$ CDN incl shipping. Not bad for original game + expansion. I spent 58$ on SH3 when it came out.

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by witchking

Great to hear positive opinion on the sim. Thanks for sharing.

Well...I just ordered the Gold edition with Uboat missions on futureshop's website. Total came out to 25$ CDN incl shipping. Not bad for original game + expansion. I spent 58$ on SH3 when it came out.

There are advantages to avoiding the early rush. Even SH3 is only about $9.00 now.

[Platapus]

I enjoy playing both of them, however, I like SH3 better.

One of the reasons, I feel, deals with the GUI.

For me, I find manual targeting easier and faster in SH3 than with SH4.

This is weird as both procedures are very similar. If you can manually target in one game you should not have problems learning how to do it in the other game. However, I do.

The difference between the two games is the GUI. To me, the layout of the controls is easier and faster to use in SH3. I truly think that is why I enjoy playing SH3 more.

SH4 is a great game and a wonderful simulator. I have tried to get the hang of the GUI but I guess there are limits to how many new tricks this old dog can learn.

Until you get a newer computer, I would recommend staying with SH3. Once you get a computer that can handle SH4 at a reasonable rate, give SH4 a really good workout.

You can't evaluate a game based on a few patrols. There is much goodness about SH4.

Good luck and good hunting.

[witchking]

Good to get a sense of your feedback guys. Thanks for posting.

Yeah! I just got it now. I will install it and check it out. I am currently running on xp again and perhaps I can salvage something from it. I can't tell how crazy I am about the graphics of SH4. It looks photorealistic. Especially that diffraction/translucent water effect. I wish SH3 had that.

[Stealhead]

Id would say that diffrence is very much a personal view. I dont have much trouble going from one "GUI"/control scheme to another one once I learn a system I am good with it.I have not played SH3 in some time but its control scheme was mine at the same time i feel fine with SH4s scheme once you get in your head how one goes its fine so long as the given games controls are set up in logocial fasion which I fell that they are in the case of SH3 and 4.

[Akula4745]

I have both games... played SH3 (GWX 3 modded) while waiting on my new system to arrive (not being able to run SH4 was the final straw)... and found the game quite enjoyable and fairly easy to play (still wanna go back and do a career in it).

But since my system got here (finally) I have not been able to pry myself away from the graphics (as you mentioned - superb photorealism) and gameplay of SH4 and the RFB + RSRD mod. I am rambling here... but my point is that SH4 is a sweetheart of a game... and I would absolutely encourage anyone to try it. Do not listen to others... try it for yourself.

[Armistead]

It's an opinion. SH4's graphics are just so much better and realistic and that means a lot to me. IMO if you adjust with the correct mods SH4 is the better game. Doe's lack the drama feel of SH3, being the underdog had it's points. Both are great, I get bored with one, I switch to the other. Sometimes I think it's what you play first.

[Ragtag]

What is this "operaton Monsun"?
A user made mod or something upcoming official addon?

[Torplexed]

Originally Posted by Ragtag

What is this "operaton Monsun"?
A user made mod or something upcoming official addon?

It's a user made mod available here:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=134922

[Ragtag]

Thanks
Downloading now to check it out.

[witchking]

Yeah! Personally I agree with the feeling of 'drama' in SH3. My parents were here today. LOL! I wowed them with SH3 and they were pretty impressed with the graphics. I was showcasing the bismark mission....probably my favourite mission of all sims that i have played so far. its sooo fantastic in immersion.

I think there is that mystique about the german U-boats in the world war period that is unmatched by any other theatre of war in the navy. Its just amazing to experience of the hunter becoming the hunted. And yeah...i can understand if this is missing from SH4 due to the campaign scenario.

LOL! In a perfect world, the engine would be switchable and if we can only get all those sweet eyecandy, the rescue missions which I read about in SH3. That would just be awsome.

[U-84]

just started playing Sh4 last month, i had been playing Sh3 for over a year, and personally i like Sh4 better, but again,comparing Sh3 to Sh4 is like comparing apples to oranges. totally differnt theaters of operations. as for the bugs, the only serious one i have encountered was it crashing when i tried to dock into brisbane once, to which i reloaded, and switched home bases and i haven't came acros a problem like that since.