The Perfect Silent Hunter Game (German U-Boot Simulation)

[mangaroca]

Things I’d put into Silent Hunter V…

- living world; with dynamic weather (sun, rain, thunderstorm, blizzard), seasons, climates (from arctic to tropical) and environments (water, air, ground), all changing respectively and depending on each other (e.g. arctic 24-hour night in winter or day in summer)
- historically accurate WWII course; with all the countries that participated in it, their equipment and biggest battles
- time stretch between September, 1939 to May, 1945
- historically accurate technical progress in all armies
- the mentioned above biggest WWII battles taking place even without the player’s participation
- historically accurate U-Boot Flotillas and their “fate” (patrolling, sinking allied convoys and being sunk just like it was in reality, existing and operating solo or in wolf packs that respond and act to the player’s input and efforts)
- historically accurate convoys and convoy routes with exact set out dates, speeds and number of both merchant and escort ships present (Clay Blair’s “Hitler’s U-Boot War” may come in handy), player caused sinks delete those vessels from the campaign
- a totally different script concerning every sea vessel, based on buoyancy and displacement (positive keeps it surfaced, negative causes it to sink)
- ships divided into compartments (more or less vulnerable) that have hit points, by damaging or destroying them those below the waterline start to fill with water (the game checks draught), the lesser the damage in % the slower the water gets in – e.g.:

A cargo compartment on a ship (this compartment’s buoyancy = 50% and it’s size in comparison to the whole ship = 60%) damaged at 70% causes it to flood at the speed of 70%; after it fills with water the ship will only be 50% buoyant (and will probably sink) but the time needed for it to fill in was an outcome of the damage done to that compartment (70%) and that compartment’s size aspect ratio to the whole ship (60%). So, this ship’s sinking time is a time at which the compartment that equals 60% of all the ship’s compartments fills with water at a rate of 70%.

- torpedoes, depth charges and HE ammunition have a maximum number of hit points that a single weapon or shell can but rarely implements (100% hit points implemented = critical hit)
- better sea texturing responsible for wakes and splashes (separate wake for right and left propellers, more splashes during sinking, etc.)
- visible damages on all vessels (more particle effects and 3d mesh change, objects ripped off, falling into the water (no buoyancy = sinking )
- visible people on board all ships including the U-Boot (people from sunken ships fall into the water, drown, are being rescued, die of hypothermia or starvation)
- after U-Boot attack, escort ships divide into those that try to find & destroy it and those that help the victims
- rescue rafts and boats (also with hit points)
- radio news resemble events, they are not only words (e.g.: Germany captured Paris = visible change on the map, wolf pack “Burgraff” attacking convoy AN123 in grid BF69 = this really is happening there and the outcome of that battle will be historically correct)
- it is possible to put charges on enemy merchant and blow it up without using torpedoes or gunfire
- it is possible to pick up survivors from the water
- it is possible to imprison enemy captain if he survives and is picked up from the water
- it is possible to take a prize ship (send a few men as her crew and bring her to port – only possible with small and slightly damaged ships)
- it is possible to kill everyone in the water with the flak gun
- extra place for survivors on the deck of the U-Boot (~40), good weather is a must
it is possible to walk around the U-Boot in 1st person mode, both outside and inside visiting ALL the U-Boot’s compartments filled with the crew and moving machinery
- the crew members can become ill, can have accidents (mechanics, torpedo loaders) or, in a stormy weather, they can get thrown overboard
- the U-Boot’s equipment may malfunction forcing the player to repair it or even get back to base (e.g. diesel damage)
- the player can write his/her own diary being onboard (something similar to window’s notepad)
- crew fatigue is not caused by keeping somebody in a specific compartment but by the amount and type of work performed by the person

All the unmentioned things should be kept as they are, e.g.: the generation of the random sea contacts, moon phases according to the years 1939-1945 and other things. Please, feel free to add anything You think could improve this list. Don't criticize... Instead, try to understand...