Getting to know your crew

Nisgeis · 02-06-10, 12:51 PM

In SH3, you had the same chaps on your bar and you could recognise them at a glance. With SH4, it was random people and depended on who was on that particular watch at the time, so you never really got to 'know' your crew. With SH5, it looks like you will be able to wander the boat and promote/train your crew for certain skills. OK, it's got skill points, which some see as a bit RPG character setup, but it's quite a nice way to do it rather than through a 2D screen and it's also not 100 nautical miles from renown, which is hardware upgrade points.

The game seems to be going out of its way to allow you to interact with the crew more and get to know them better than before, so they actually feel like your crew and not just some icons. You can even by the looks of it go to the hardware guy and ask him what the latest kit is and get him to install it (for a renown cost of course.

With 3D flooding and interactivity, it should make for a better DC experience. So, will this increase the sense of immersion for you?

IanC · 02-06-10, 01:01 PM

Getting to know your crew (name, face, background etc...) will definitely add to immersion. You should get a better sense of 'bonding' in SH5, with both crew and the actual boat, than other SH titles. We'll have to see if anybody sheds a tear if one of them dies.

mookiemookie · 02-06-10, 01:07 PM

I'm looking forward to what the community can do in terms of altering the crewmembers appearance - the devs said that this would be possible. I'll laugh when I see the first "Das Boot Crew" mod.

ReFaN · 02-06-10, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

I'm looking forward to what the community can do in terms of altering the crewmembers appearance - the devs said that this would be possible. I'll laugh when I see the first "Das Boot Crew" mod.

i Agree with you completely, cant wait

26 days left

Hartmann · 02-06-10, 01:35 PM

Mod an tuned down the superpowers.

the ubi page don´t show now the superpowers, but sure that still stay there

Kapitanleutnant · 02-06-10, 02:29 PM

Quote:

With 3D flooding and interactivity, it should make for a better DC experience.

This is basically the only positive improvement to the game in my opinion. It's also something that we know absolutely nothing about yet. We've seen no depth charge attack and no crew animations except some really poor stuff in the latest UbiTV preview.

I would think that since Ubi have evidently sacrificed so much of the simulation to put these things in they would be eager to show them off, but so far we've seen zilch.

Chad · 02-06-10, 02:35 PM

Das Boot crew mod would be awesome

Letum · 02-06-10, 02:48 PM

Human (AI) interaction in computer games these days hasn't advanced much
beyond the days of the interactive novel. you select some options and
get a predictable out come. It's a little like interacting with an automatic
call center.

That is not to say that it can't add a lot to a game; it can, but immersion
isn't one of the things it adds.
Immersion happens when you stop being fully aware that your in the
game and just feel like you are 'there'. That isn't going to happen with
a dialogue menu in front of you.

IanC · 02-06-10, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letum

<snip>
That is not to say that it can't add a lot to a game; it can, but immersion
isn't one of the things it adds.
Immersion happens when you stop being fully aware that your in the
game and just feel like you are 'there'. That isn't going to happen with
a dialogue menu in front of you.

But we all played many RPG's that made us feel like we were there. You need a little help from your imagination sure, a little effort to put yourself 'there' but it's like with everything else. Heck, reading a book is nothing but a big dialogue menu no?

Letum · 02-06-10, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanC

But we all played many RPG's that made us feel like we were there. You need a little help from your imagination sure, a little effort to put yourself 'there' but it's like with everything else. Heck, reading a book is nothing but a big dialogue menu no?

A better analogy might be a book written from the point of view of
someone who keeps having menus pop up when he talks to anyone.

It may no be impossible to imagine you are that person, but the menus
don't make it easier to be that person.

Don't get me wrong, I do think dialogue menus have a place in many
games, subsims included. They are a useful device and you can get
high levels of immersion in a game that has them. They just don't
add to the natural feeling of being a person.

ryanglavin · 02-06-10, 05:54 PM

I have a feeling I'll be one of those people that cries when "little Johann" gets his brains blown out by a kingfisher. (Sadly, thats happened to me in 1939 in SH 3... bit hilarious)

IanC · 02-06-10, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Letum

It may no be impossible to imagine you are that person, but the menus
don't make it easier to be that person.

I hear ya. Maybe there can be a more natural/immersive way to communicate with NPC's...

THE_MASK · 02-06-10, 06:09 PM

Why is it that in so many games you have a little program to change facial features of people yet sh3/4 never had one ? Maybe we will get something like this in sh5 .

Kapitanleutnant · 02-06-10, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanglavin

I have a feeling I'll be one of those people that cries when "little Johann" gets his brains blown out by a kingfisher.

This assumes that the crew can be killed, which I'm seriously starting to doubt.
The devs have said that each crew member has their own little plot to follow - the crew are also visually distinct from one another. What happens if one of them is killed halfway through his "plot"? Obviously that may not be a big deal, but who replaces him? Have the devs created 20 unique "backup" models to replace dead crew? I doubt it. I doubt even more that they've created 20 backup plots.
This leaves the possibility that ubi's flagship "innovation" for the game - the interactive crew - could be missed by any player unlucky enough to get his watch crew shot to death on Patrol 1. You think they'll let that happen?

I'm calling it now - it'll be impossible for any crew to die in SH5 unless the entire boat is sunk.

THE_MASK · 02-06-10, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kapitanleutnant

This assumes that the crew can be killed, which I'm seriously starting to doubt.
The devs have said that each crew member has their own little plot to follow - the crew are also visually distinct from one another. What happens if one of them is killed halfway through his "plot"? Obviously that may not be a big deal, but who replaces him? Have the devs created 20 unique "backup" models to replace dead crew? I doubt it. I doubt even more that they've created 20 backup plots.
This leaves the possibility that ubi's flagship "innovation" for the game - the interactive crew - could be missed by any player unlucky enough to get his watch crew shot to death on Patrol 1. You think they'll let that happen?

I'm calling it now - it'll be impossible for any crew to die in SH5 unless the entire boat is sunk.

In australia its classified as PG
Consumer Advice
Mild violence and coarse language; Gaming experience may change online
Category
Computer Games
I dont think death scenes are allowed under this classification .

02-06-10, 12:51 PM	#1
Nisgeis Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 2,909 Downloads: 77 Uploads: 11	Getting to know your crew In SH3, you had the same chaps on your bar and you could recognise them at a glance. With SH4, it was random people and depended on who was on that particular watch at the time, so you never really got to 'know' your crew. With SH5, it looks like you will be able to wander the boat and promote/train your crew for certain skills. OK, it's got skill points, which some see as a bit RPG character setup, but it's quite a nice way to do it rather than through a 2D screen and it's also not 100 nautical miles from renown, which is hardware upgrade points. The game seems to be going out of its way to allow you to interact with the crew more and get to know them better than before, so they actually feel like your crew and not just some icons. You can even by the looks of it go to the hardware guy and ask him what the latest kit is and get him to install it (for a renown cost of course. With 3D flooding and interactivity, it should make for a better DC experience. So, will this increase the sense of immersion for you? __________________ -------------------------------- This space left intentionally blank.

02-06-10, 01:07 PM	#3
mookiemookie Navy Seal Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 9,404 Downloads: 105 Uploads: 1	I'm looking forward to what the community can do in terms of altering the crewmembers appearance - the devs said that this would be possible. I'll laugh when I see the first "Das Boot Crew" mod. __________________ They don’t think it be like it is, but it do. Want more U-boat Kaleun portraits for your SH3 Commander Profiles? Download the SH3 Commander Portrait Pack here.

02-06-10, 01:35 PM	#5
Hartmann Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Grid CH 26, Spain ,Barcelona Posts: 1,857 Downloads: 204 Uploads: 0	Mod an tuned down the superpowers. the ubi page don´t show now the superpowers, but sure that still stay there __________________ But this ship can't sink!... She is made of iron, sir. I assure you, she can. and she will. It is a mathematical certainty. Strength and honor

02-06-10, 02:35 PM	#7
Chad ACE Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,274 Downloads: 60 Uploads: 0	Das Boot crew mod would be awesome __________________

02-06-10, 02:48 PM	#8
Letum Navy Seal Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: York - UK Posts: 6,079 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Human (AI) interaction in computer games these days hasn't advanced much beyond the days of the interactive novel. you select some options and get a predictable out come. It's a little like interacting with an automatic call center. That is not to say that it can't add a lot to a game; it can, but immersion isn't one of the things it adds. Immersion happens when you stop being fully aware that your in the game and just feel like you are 'there'. That isn't going to happen with a dialogue menu in front of you. __________________

02-06-10, 01:01 PM	#2
IanC Grey Wolf Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Running silent and deep Posts: 902 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Getting to know your crew (name, face, background etc...) will definitely add to immersion. You should get a better sense of 'bonding' in SH5, with both crew and the actual boat, than other SH titles. We'll have to see if anybody sheds a tear if one of them dies.

02-06-10, 05:54 PM	#11
ryanglavin Samurai Navy Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Evading that Hunter/Killer Group on my Tail Posts: 584 Downloads: 35 Uploads: 0	I have a feeling I'll be one of those people that cries when "little Johann" gets his brains blown out by a kingfisher. (Sadly, thats happened to me in 1939 in SH 3... bit hilarious)

02-06-10, 06:09 PM	#13
THE_MASK Ace of the deep . Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 9,226 Downloads: 901 Uploads: 73	Why is it that in so many games you have a little program to change facial features of people yet sh3/4 never had one ? Maybe we will get something like this in sh5 .