Readers' Comments Archive
June '99 - Aug '2000
August 9, 2000
I told you on July26 that I had installed Silent Hunter, and the screen came up fine. Only after I printed the manual did I have problems. So, I put the disc away.
Now, a miracle has happened. My Grandson, who had been away all summer, returned and came by. He proceeded to install Silent Hunter into Windows 98, and it has been playing beautifully for two days now. I have been practicing how to maneuver the sub and going up against a small convoy without escorts. I have finally made my first "kill" - a 900 ton coastal tanker. As it becomes easier to play, I will have more and more fun. Hopefully, I will be really experienced by the time Silent Hunter 2 comes out.
Many thanks for all your help and encouragement.
Cliff Jung
Hey, the future belongs to the young, eh? Good hunting!
July 18, 2000
Thanks for your two e-mails and for your concern.
At about the same time as I received your kind offer regarding your sending me a copy of FA. Now, using the original to install the game and running the game, it does seem to work reasonably well. There are still some intermittent crashes where everything just goes black (with no re-boot), but in general, FA is now running. The truth of the matter is that my involvement with FA is just the Band-Aid to keep me satisfied until (at last) SHII is available, and indeed in the German version. I just can't dig being on a VIIC where everyone is speaking English!
Once again, many thanks for your interest and help over that last few weeks. If you happen to be in Germany in the Cologne area at some time in the future, be sure to give me a call.
All the best to you.
Tv
July 15, 2000
Hi, Neal.
I really like SSR. As I think I told you, I had been away from war simulations for almost 10 years, so when I saw your package, 'Ultimate War Game Collection, Vol 2, WWII', I ordered it right away.
I've been so busy, though, that the only game in there that I've played is Silent Hunter, but I'm puzzled about something. Why are these other sims played from the viewpoint of the other side, specifically the Germans? Luftwaffe Commander, Panzer Commander, and now, I hear that SH2 will be played from the U-boat perspective.
Am I old-fashioned or something, to feel a distaste about playing from the German point of view? What's going on? Did the sim writers just run out of new ways to write sims from the Allies point of view, or did the sim players themselves burn out from always playing from the Allies point of view, or are the sim writers just trying to attract a more international audience?
Thanks, Will
Hi Will,
You are not alone in wondering about playing a wargame from the German perspective. A lot of people feel the same way, to varying degrees.I will try to explain my feelings about this, which means I don't speak for anyone else, but perhaps others feel similarly. Sometimes I wonder if playing any wargame is "right", considering what it represents.
The Allies opposed German and Japanese military expansion in WWII. If you were American or British, you most certainly believed in the Allied cause. If you were a citizen of Germany or Japan, it makes sense to realize that you would probably support their cause. Patriotism is a common thread among all nations. Even when one's country is doing "wrong", the citizens of that country will rationalize it away.
The Germans didn't invent war, and there have been wars since creation, by different nations, in differing alliances, for differing causes. The British fought the American colonies (1776-1779), the British fought the French (1337 to 1453, the Hundred Years' War), the French invaded Russia (Napoleon 1812), Germany/Prussia, Russia, Britain, and Austria defeated the French (Waterloo 1815), Britain, America, Russia and France allied against Germany (August 1914-1918), ..... you have to ask yourself, who are the "bad guys"? The individual nations? The citizens of the nations? The determined and often megalomaniacal leaders?
It's pretty easy to blame Hitler and the top echelon of Nazis but I believe that they were to blame. They had their hands on the controls of authority and they wanted war. Each individual German would have preferred to live in peace, just as the people of America, Britain, and France. But what do you say when your country goes to war? In America they call you a draft dodger, but in Germany or Japan....
Every nation has an army and navy, with soldiers and sailors whose job it is to fight when their leaders tell them. Even when they believe the war is wrong or hopeless, most armies do not slack up or waver. They rarely refuse to fight when ordered. German pilots, U-boat men and tank commanders didn't have much choice. They had trained to defend their country and that is what they believed they were doing. They fought hard and bravely, even though they fought against us. To refuse would mean death by firing squad.
So with all that said, when I play a wargame as a German or other nationality, I keep in mind that there were young men, through no decision of their own born in their native country and raised to believe their country was special, who found themselves in war they couldn't win. It is a tragedy whenever any war occurs, for the winner and the losers.
Hope this helps. I'm not trying to sway your opinion, just offering my thoughts. Enjoy the games!
May 18, 2000
Dear Neal,
Thanks for your quick response! The solution to installing CAOD was really simple. I just refused the test and proceeded with the install. However, I had to change my graphics to 640 by 480 with 256 color pallete. My computer is a relatively new AMD K62 with 64 MB RAM. Also, I have a 32 MB graphics card. Again, thanks for the help and your great editing at SUBSIM!
Sincerely,
Rory Voeks
May 18, 2000
Hello Neal,
Thanks for the tip on successfully completeting the last mission in the 688 game. Your tip worked like a champ.
Another question, now that I finished the set I was given a message and a code to get Dolphins, is that legit or a come on?
I also have Fast Attack and installed the download and it has worked really well. I run it in ms-dos and delete everything not needed and it works fine. I would recommend it to anyone who likes simulations. I also got SSN-21 Seawolf, but I have just started learning it so I can not pass any information along.
Thanks for the help
Ron
I don't know if the Jane's dolphins are still available but when 688(I) was new, the offer was valid. I received a pair myself.
May 8, 2000
Hi Neal,
I'm very humble, I can't thank you enough for all your help, I'm going to make a donation to the Starlight Foundation, It's a charity over here that looks after young children with cancer.
Thanks again for all your assistance
Stuart Campbell
I got you covered. That's part of the SUBSIM Review service, to help players in need.
April 15, 2000
I see a lot of nice sub sims out on your site but failed to see any mention if any of the companies are planning to include us MAC users in their upcoming games. I can understand when Mac/Apple was thought of as a company that might not be there for very long so why bother (as some people thought), but that has proven to be a bad call. Now that Apple proved itself again I was wondering if you know of any companies that are planning to include us in their future games...(would be nice).
Thanks..
David A. MichaelUnfortunately for the Mac skipper, subsim selection is limited. The two Deadly Games subsims, U-Boat and Drumbeat, are available, but I believe that's it. If you hear of any others, let me know.
April 3, 2000
Dude,
I love your subsim site. I myself have been playing computer games since 1980 when my dad brought home an original IBM pc (no hard drive and 2 5-1/4's drives). I grew up on Gato and Sub Battle. The graphics were great for their time although shooting wire framed ships did get old. Lets just say that it left a lot up to the imagination.
The first 688 and Aces grabbed my attention but the detail just wasn't there. It was all point and click to shoot and run like hell. I tried the silent hunter demo and enjoyed it but found it a bit difficult. There's really no sonar other than "low speed screws bearing 355". I just finished tom Clancy's SSN book (based on the game) and thought it was great! You'll find it enjoyable.
Anyway, great site! I'm going to pick up a copy of Jane's 688(i) as soon as I grab some more funds.
Drew
Lincolnton, NC
March 16, 2000
Hey Neal,
Thanks for the keyboard controls for Silent Service II. I'm going to try and visit the USS Clamagore this weekend, but it all depends on me getting a ride across the harbor. Hopefully I can get my brother to give me a ride, but I'll keep you posted. I bought the WW2 value set last weekend (the one with SH CE) and, if I didn't have to work, I'd be out there in the Pacific right now.
My first patrol went good, but my second... whew! I was ordered to photograph the harbor at Truk island. When I got there, I found a Ryoju(?) carrier and a Yamato BB, plus 2 CL's and a tanker protected by about 5 escorts and DD's. Luck was with me and my USS Shark, and I evaded the escorts and got hits on the carrier and the BB. It took me 4 torpedoes to sink that battleship! I evaded once again underneath the convoy, with about 20 feet to spare under the keel, and drove inshore. (I figured they'd never think I went there!) Luck was again on my side and I put more torpedoes in the carrier and those cruisers. Then, the escorts had me... 6 full hours of viscous depth charges made me retreat with my tail between my legs, but I came away with moderate damage. This is only the beginning... Thanks again for all of your help and support! I'm officially back in the world of subsims!
mark
ps. Have you visited Truk island in the summer, ahh such a beautiful place! :)
Truk is certainly on my list! Enjoy the sim and don't forget the lifejackets.
March 13, 2000
Hello Neal.
Just a few words to say what a beautiful web-page you have. Actually all the people from the 'Sub' group have lovely sites. Keep up the great work as there's a lot of us out there who really appreciate your work. Jim Irving (Kiwijim)
Amateur Radio Station: ZL2BMH
E-mail: zl2bmh@hotmail.com
or zl2bmh@xtra.co.nz
March. 5, 2000
My first sub sim was Silent Service, which I played for months on a friends Commodore 64. I haven't played any sub sims since that time, and only briefly read the boxes when I came across them in stores. Recently I watched a special on Subs, and it brought my interest back. It wasn't until I was reading a release schedule for games in development that I remembered the SubSim Review (There was mention about Silent Hunter II).
I've spent the rest of the day researching sub sims, and tried to determine which would be best suited to me. I decided upon 688(i) Hunter/Killer. Most of the local stores that catered solely to computer software have closed down in my area, and the only other locations sell software don't have anything remotely similar. I'm really not one to order things on the net, and would prefer instant gratification by driving 30 miles to get the game I want. In this case I was running out of options. I decided to check the EA store... To my surprise, they don't have that game listed. (I also wasn't able to find anything in the SubSim Store for that matter) The only thing that has given me hope is finding this site. To my knowledge, it's the only one of it's kind, and it's actually updated regularly, even though the sub sim market has been relatively stagnant for years. I'll definitely bookmark your site, and return often.
Haze grey and under way
Michael
Feb. 24, 2000
Hi Neal, these few lines only to inform you that all is OK. I installed all games contained in 2 Aces CD-Roms without any problem! SIERRA technician's suggestion was absolutely correct. After having switched to English language it has been very easy to install the games.
Thank you again Neal. You did really a great job!
Forgive me now, but I have a convoy waiting for me in North Atlantic and I must try to sink some ships....
Thank you again Neal!
Ernesto
Feb. 3, 2000
Neal,
Thank you sooooooooooo much. It works! No boot disk. No config.sys or autoexec.bat fussing. Even the sound works. It installed beautifully. I didn't let it put in the voice recognition. All I need to do is change my display to 256 colors for the bridge views.
I am looking forward to getting Silent Hunter II through you. Is it a good idea to preorder? Sure wish they could pin down a date but it is better to delay than to cut corners on quality. Your SHII interview was like food to an empty stomach. I have one of the screenshots as my desktop. My wife hasn't changed it. Tell them we need a steady supply of SHII screenshots while we wait. My Silent Hunter I is still backordered but now I am back at sea and have my U-boat fix. :-)
Thanks again
Dave
Glad to hear it's up & running, Dave. As to pre-orders, your credit card is not charged until the game ships to you.
I don't usually post a series of exchanges in the Reader's Comments section but this was a jewel. As you will read, a game tip that helped me get Silent Hunter running on a PIII also helped a gentleman in Belgium. This is exactly what SUBSIM Review is all about!
Jan. 29, 2000Hello,
First excuse me for my bad English because I'm an old man (62 years) and I live in a French country of Belgium. I'm an unconditional lover for the game Silent Hunter but since I have replaced my old 486 PC for an Intel MMX 200 with a Sound Blaster PCI64V and Windows 98 the game refused to run, I have tried all possible things but nothing works. When I try to launch the game I received a address crash error message and when I try in Dos System it refused my sound cart. I have download a demo but it's the same problem. I can run the game but without sound. I know also that my CD is an older version of 1996 but I'm in retreat with not much money. Can you help me?
Kinds Regards
J. Beaufort
Hello Monsieur Beaufort,
I have a computer with the same sound card. I installed Silent Hunter and it runs without error. Maybe what I have done will help you. (I outlined the tips in the Silent Hunter section of TACTICS & TIPS).
Dear US Friend,
Nice ! Wonderfull ! The game runs perfectly, more and more thanks, you are a champion! Everybody told me that this game was death for the new PC. Now because you are a very good people I am going to play with a submarine game.
Have a giga nice day my friend
Jack
Jan. 26, 2000
Hi Neal,
I periodically receive Fix My 688(I) emails, and am flattered that people are still playing. You're right, I can't disclose anything now, but hope to have something for you in the near future about our next effort.
Regards,
Kim[Kim Castro, Sonalysts--Jane's 688(I)]
Jan. 4, 2000
Neal !
I do thank you for the advice. I reinstalled the DX6, and now Jane's 688 works again. In the mean time, I choose a higher refresh rate for my video adapter to 85. Just as perfect as it was.
greetings from Netherlands.
Rick
Jan. 3, 2000Neal,
I'm the guy you met who wants to work on the USS Stewart. I've been enjoying your website at home and have caught the Subsim bug! After reading your Subsim page I went out and bought 688(I). What a great simulator! I'm still working my way through the 250 page manual. It came with the electronic version of the manual. I'm trying to print it out as I don't like reading it on the computer. I'm still learning how to read the Passive Sonar Waterfall displays!!!
The question I have for you is, I tried to buy Silent Hunter and the guy at ET told me it wouldn't work on my brand new Compaq Presario computer. It came installed with Windows 98. He said Silent Hunter is a DOS based game and wouldn't work. Do you know if there is a version of Silent Hunter that will work on my computer?
Thanks,
Bill ScrogginsHi Bill. Silent Hunter can be made to run on a Win 98 system. Sometimes it can take a little tweaking, but it is do-able. I installed SHCE and used a DOS window inside Win98 and it plays fine--sound, movies, and all. If you don't have the same luck, check the tips section.
November 27,1999
Thanks for the tips on getting Aces of the Deep to run on a Win 98 system. I used the "End It" program on your website...the one that shuts down non-essential Windows programs, freeing up enough memory to run set-up.
Now I'm up and going (have been for a week). My only gripe is that the program seems to crash periodically now that I have a type XXI U-boat. Never had a problem from 1939-43 when using the type VII or the IX, but now I do with the better boat. Frustrating.
Oh well, I guess this will tide me over until Silent Hunter II comes out in 4/2000 (or thereabouts). Funny thing about AOD....I had forgotten how much fun it was. Setting it up was worth the trouble!
Mark Tera
Galveston, TX
Nov 11, 1999
Sorry, I don't have any tips etc. I am hoping that you may know of a Sub Sim available for the Palm OS. I used to Play Sub Battle on my Mac Plus (back in 1989). It seems that that game should work just fine on a palm pilot. Do you know if this game or any other is available for the Palm Pilot?
Thanks in advance, Glen Bolen
Sorry, Glen. Haven't come across anything heavier than Chess for my P/P.
Oct 22, 1999
Subject: 688(i) Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 23:12:44 EDT Okay, First of all. This site rules. It's really quite impressive, educational and simply entertaining. It has motivated me to become much more dedicated to 688(i) than I thought I would be. Please add my name to the pettition list.
Frankly, I'm half ready to stand outside Sonalysts with a picket sign, shouting things. Which means either there's something very wrong with me or I just love this Sim. (Maybe a bit of both).
Anyway... great site. Thanks!
N eo
October 17, 1999
Hello all,
Just curious if there are any two player games... one controlling the submarine or submarines, and another controlling ASW forces trying to find and kill the subs. As a retired Navy ASW specialist, I'd like to see a game from the point of view of the surface and air guys... are there any realistic ones out there??
Rodeo
Wolfpack and Red Storm Rising are the only ones I know of. 688(I) and Seawolf will allow two-player games but your only platform choice are subs.
Oct 5, 1999
Hye,
my name is Flávio, from Brazil!! Sorry for my bad english.
Well, I founded your Site at the Combat Simulation's Site, at LINKS!! And I liked very, very much, because I was looking for this kind of Site for months, expecially to downloaded the 688 i Hunter Killer missions!!
I'd like to know how can I foud the RED STORM RISING's Site,because I wanted to buy it and, heve you ever heard the game called AKULA RED HUNTER, from "Crusaders Studios"; their Site was "crusaderstudios.com" but they don't exist anymore, do you know their new Home Page??
Please answer me!!
Thanks a lot!!
Flávio G.
Crusader Studios sank a few months after announcing Akula. Their other sim, Greyhounds of the Sea, was even advertised in magazines, so it may have been in development. Alas!
October 4, 1999
Neal,
I'm writing to you from Ireland. Congratulations on a great site!!..very helpful and informative. Fleet Command is an excellent game, but I agree with your criticism regarding the lack of independent response of the ships when being attacked by SSMS; especially in campaign 4!!...Has anybody managed to achieve the 75% rating yet??!!
I've put on the new patch for Fleet Command. It certainly makes the response to hostiles more realistic. I'm still having a problem with campaign #4. I don't think it's possible to get 75% in this campaign!!!...the Russian ships seem to able to take more damage than the U.S. fleet. I think I'll turn the whole fleet 180deg and steam the hell out of the danger zone as fast as possible!!!
Also, on another topic, LET'S HAVE A GRAPHIC UPGRADE AND EXPANSION DISK FOR 688(I)!!
I'm looking forward to SH2 as well!!.
Keep up the good work Neal!!,
Cathal
October 3, 1999
Hi Neal
I just wanted to drop you a few lines, and let you know what a great job your doing with this website, the Radio Room and all the others things put together make a truly great combination. It was through a post that I put on the Radio Room that helped me finally to get Silent Hunter to play on my computer. Since high school I have been fascinated with the American Submarines in the Pacific during WW II. So when I found a game that actually simulated those conditions I was delighted. I was somewhat put out when it wouldn't play on my computer. It was through your website and SilentHunter.com that I picked up enough clues to piece the puzzle together that finally helped Silent Hunter work on my computer. I'm glad I got it working because this game is a hoot to play. So, I just wanted to say thanks, and keep up the good work.
Regards,
Jeff JohnsonHey, thanks, Jeff. The fraternity of naval and subsim players isn't as large as Quake, Tomb Raider, and Age of Empires (great game!) groups, so we gotta stick together. I am glad SSR was helpful in getting Silent Hunter underway. That's our Prime Directive: doing what we can to enable players to get the most out of their subsim experience and to strengthen the genre. Good hunting, pal!
August 24, 1999Please add me to the petition as I was extremely disappointed that Sonalysts ended up with an eye-candy version of Harpoon rather than the much slated [by many retailers I spoke to] "688(I) Under the Ice" that they were supposed to produce. I was hoping this would have far more accurate systems akin "Fast Attack's" BSY-1 emulation. Thanks for a great site, I've been looking for a Fast Attack anti-crash patch for ages.
Scott Grammer.
August 22, 1999Yes, add my name to the petition list. I've purchased two of the Janes 688i sub sims and neither would load in my computer. One CD was just "dead" and the other , the video wouldnt load. These Janes games are selling in the Bargain section of my local Staples store for $12.99. Am I going to buy another? Hell No!
I'll wait for Silent Steel 2.
Robert Schuller
It's getting very fashionable for sim developers to abandon their creations shortly after birth. Rumor has it SSI will no longer fund additional patches for Fighting Steel.
July 27, 1999Neal,
Love your site. Just acquired Silent Hunter in shovelware with Panzer General (PG is interesting but SH is the real reason I bought it.) I've been reading through all the read me's of the upgraded features. If you know and have time to repsond (If not I'll understand).....I've started playing the campaign patrols and I see these contacts that come up. Very helpful. (I had a great opportunity at a BB group when I had to pause and step away. Came back and the PC had hung. Drat.) Where does the information from the contacts come from? I confess I haven't read the manual word-for-word but I did a search (It's a PDF) on "contact" and came up empty. Can't all be coast watchers as the groups are far out to sea.
Any ideas?
Best.
Bill
Thanks! The info Silent Hunter simulates is from coast watchers, yes, and but much of it is simulated broken Japanese coded transmissions. The Japs were so punctual and logistical minded, they would transmit their location and travel schedule to HQ and the Americans would be there waiting for them.
July 14, 1999TO: Editor of SUBSIM Review
RE: "Tom Clancy's SSN"
'SSN' is nothing short of an insult to serious naval gamers and to those of us who have had a lifelong ambition to one day command vessels such as these. The manual and Clancy's personal video introduction states that "'SSN' will depict underwater operations in a visual sense, now we know there are no windows on submarines but as a commanding officer you need to form a mental picture, we'll do that for you".
This is an understatement.
The large display giving you a lovely panoramic view of your boat (even though unless the boat is shallow you should actually be seeing nothing but black) is a joke. The missions are canned, it's just a matter of taking a couple of notes and you can be through on the second go. The SONAR display is pathetic. The depth control system is a total cock-up, as a commanding officer, you SPECIFY the depth, others take care of maintaining it. Not so in 'SSN', controlling the movement of the 'Cheyenne' is like driving a motor vehicle (actually the whole system of control and display in 'SSN' is just crap). And to top it off the "English" accent of the actor playing news reporter David Kendall is one-hundred percent ludicrous (actually I'm still not sure if those news movies are supposed to be a joke or not).
I am happy to say that my old copy of the Mega-Drive version of '688 Attack Sub' is a very good game by comparison (and I'd go as far as to say it's quite sublime compared with much newer 'SSN'), and that I own that and not 'SSN' which is on loan from a friend.
One has to ask who is responsible for this game of farcical proportions. Of course having Tom Clancy written all over it is I suppose a clear indication of it's lack of quality.
J. Prowd
Wow, an Anti-Tom. And I thought I was the only person who wasn't in love with Mr. Clancy's amateurish writing style. Bravo!
June 29, 1999I enjoyed your review of FS. I sounds like it might be a modern version of a game I enjoyed very much: TF1942. However, I have a question, the answer to which will have a huge bearing on my purchase decision.
While I understand the designers' decision not to include carrier warfare, I must know: are scout aircraft included on BB/BC/CA vessels that were historically capable of carrying them? If not, does this affect gameplay significantly, (i.e.- do the scenarios include scouting and manuever phases in order to get into a favorable attack/defense position, or do they all just start out with you in visual range of the enemy)?
Thanx
The game is set up for immediate engagements. While this may not be purely realistic, it doesn't detract from the gameplay. Fighting Steel assumes a big ship engagement is about to occur and it ensures you will enjoy it.
June 28, 1999Neal -
I'm with you 100% on your review of Fighting Steel. I'm one of those people you mentioned that has chafed my elbows on the carpet measuring distances between model warships more times than I can remember, and this is the game I've been waiting for.
I have a pretty good feeling about the crashes being fixed and I'm looking ahead to the expansion issue. It seems to me they could take this two ways: 1). Add aircraft, subs, and land. 2). Branch off into eras where aircraft and subs were not a factor. Although I would like to see both options pursued, I'm a hopeless gun aficionado and I would love to see this engine used to make a predreadnaught game featuring the Spanish-American War and Russo-Japanese War. Do you think there would be any support for such a game, or should I go back to painting miniatures?
Mike Spencer
I would love to see Fighting Steel followed up with a sequel that addresses subs, planes, and terra firma, but I won't deny that I'm not optimistic. There have been rumblings that the design group has had problems delivering on time and SSI may cut their losses.
For additional messages, see the next Archive page.
Well, now it's up to you. Set the record straight! Which Sims have you been playing? Had any program errors you'd like to warn others about? Know any really good techniques for racking up major tonnage? Let us hear from you!
CYBER-SUBMARINER'S REPORTGood Hunting!