Just picked up SH4

[grottski]

So after downloading and finding out my machine doesn't run SH5 as smooth as I would like it too (its a little older, GeForce 8600 512 mb card and the AMD 64 x 2 4200+ processor aren't quite up to snuff) I picked up SH4 from steam. Really excited to get started in SH4 as I haven't played a subsim since Aces of the Deep.

I'm gonna give the game a run stock for a while but I have already picked up Caustic's graphic upgrade and a nav map upgrade (im hoping its just the map, I will wait to install untill ive played for a bit though) just in case. Are there any other mods to keep an eye out for? I stumbled on some info about Run Silent, Run Deep, but would like to know more about it.

TY in advance! And great site and community btw
Grottski

[A Hidden Soul]

TMO is a good one to use. I personally like using TMO and USS Ohio mod.

[grottski]

TY I may have to check that out, any other good mods I should look into?

[A Hidden Soul]

Depends what side you play. Pacific or German? Both have a lot of good mods.

You running 1.4 or 1.5?

[grottski]

I'm playing American to start, although I do plan on getting the U-Boat pack. Actually I think only 1.3? I downloaded it from steam and I have yet to update it... This could explain why the map mod I downloaded seems to crash on my career start....

Is it possible to just download v1.5? Or do I have to get all patches up to 1.5?

[Sailor Steve]

A new version should already be at 1.4. You have to purchase 1.5. I usually recommend just getting the disc version of SH4 Gold, which is 1.5 out of the box.

[grottski]

My download from steam is claiming its only 1.3, how much does 1.5 cost?

*Edit: OK, so v1.5 is the U-Boat Expansion? If I have already purchased and downloaded the base game through Steam and wish to get v1.5, what is the best way to proceed? Or is v1.4 just v1.5 without the expansion? I plan on getting the expansion anyways but I am a little confused... Maybe just picking up a physical copy of gold would be best anyways (since they are the same price), time to do some research...

[grottski]

OK nevermind, I just found a new copy for $8 on Amazon, unfortunately its being shipped from the UK so it will take a while for it to get here, but I have the base game until then...

[Shredd27]

Well,. even if you had 1.4 the base game is quite quirky/buggy. I first got SH4 when it came out in 07' and was all excited to play an updated version of the very first original SH that ran on MS-DOS. Much to my disappointment, SH4 for me was almost unplayable and many things were very unrealistic so I lost interest. About a month ago I was looking thru my old pc games/sims and ran across SH4 again and since I love the subject matter I decided to give it a try. Knowing about this forum I came here looking to make SH4 the best experience it could be, and it paid off BIG! I learned how to install the mods for the version I have (1.4) and now SH4 is as enjoyable as I remember the original being,.. probably more so. The mods I have are TMO, ISE, Websters Better Air Patrols, Websters New Sounds and Nav Map Makeover. I LOVE this sim now! So do yourself a favor and get modded up,. you won't regret it.

[BigWalleye]

Wow! Shredd27, your experience is about identical to mine. Loved SH2. Jumped on SH4 when released. Too buggy, too much just Wrong. Tossed in in a drawer. Picked it up a month ago an' tried again. 1.5 still too buggy and Strange. Found this forum and all the excellent mods. Now a total fanboy. Play RFB with RSRDC and love it. All I ever wanted from from a new improved SH2.

Grottski, I urge you to try the mods. Using JSGME makes it easy. At least you should use Webster's Game Fixes Only mod with the stock game. (Mod does just what it says.) But TMO, RFB, or FOTRS will add hugely to the enjoyment. And RSRDC - which you can use with the stock game - actually puts you in the Pacific War.

Please don't judge this product by the stock Ubi-version. It can be way better than that.

BTW, all the more popular mods are based on v1.5, so you should get the upgrade. It may be hard to find mod versions for v1.4.

[grottski]

OK, cool, Thanks for all the input guys! I'm going to see if any work with 1.4, if not its easy to swap em out with jsgme. I already have the improved textures mod and I have to say "wow" a huge improvement, I tried the navmap mod but its seems to cause my game to crash whenever I'm near Pearl...

[BigWalleye]

You might try dialing back your graphics level. And keep an eye on your frame rate (ctrl-F8) when running time compressed and getting close to a base with a lot of ships present. If the frame rate starts to sag, bail on the time compression and you may not CTD. Been there, done that.

Godspeed!

[CapnScurvy]

grottski, if you're running a 1.3 version you should defiantly upgrade to a 1.4 version. I've not downloaded from Steam but it's my belief there's something wrong with the download if you only get a 1.3 version from them. It's my opinion you should always have a physical disc to fall back on, in your case, getting only a 1.3 version from a download is like getting short changed at the checkout! There have been plenty of posts regarding a problem with the use of a mod, only to have it learned that the Steam version has some sort of quirk in it. If nothing else, the issue is related to the version that's downloaded.

1.4 is the latest patched version before the wisdom (and greed) of UbiSoft saw fit to charge us for the 5th (and last) patch. This also included adding the German side of play. Even if you never plan to play the German side, the 5th patch is still an improvement over the 1.4 version.

So, my advice to anyone who would like to play Silent Hunter 4 (either for the first time, or from just returning to a game that was pushed aside), get a disc copy of "SH4 Gold Edition" and reinstall the game. You'll get the 1.5 version, with a disc copy to back up any files that will go sour when you start modding your game (and yes, you will have issues from corrupt files if you do much modding).

As was pointed out earlier, there is the Amazon site from the UK that's selling the disc version of SH4 Gold Edition for $8. There's also this iNetVideo site that has it from 8.99. I believe the product is shipped from the U.S. I don't know how long this price or availability will hold out, but as of this writing the offer is still good.

[grottski]

TY again! I went ahead and ordered a Gold copy and it should be here in a week or two, no biggie, at least I have my digital copy until then. I am a little irritated with steam however... Its pretty lazy to sell a digital copy of the game without the most recent patch and in order for me to patch it I have to uninstall (and in the case with Steam, re-download) the game, so I may just try to run on v1.3 testing mods out here and there to see what works. If the mods don't work out I can always swap out with jsgme and if files get corrupted... well I have a physical copy comming so no biggie.

I have not played SH3 or any earlier ones but I have to say SH4 (and what i've played of SH5) are a nice departure from what I've been playing. Subsims have always been special to me, the first game I ever really got into was AoD for msdos (and I still have all those floppies ), and even though SH4 has its flaws (from what I've heard, although I have noticed some inaccuracies already) I'm excited to be playing it Perhaps I'll give SH3 a try when I'm done, the Grey Wolves mod sounds intriguing...

Speaking about mods what exactly are TMO, RSRD, FOTRS, and RFB and what do they do? I assume RFB is a realism mod?

TY in advance!

[A Hidden Soul]

Also, if you want to play a career using TMO with a modern submarine such as the LA 688i, Seawolf, or Ohio class. Just let me know and I'll send ya some links.