Silent Hunter

[anus_pounder]

Looking to get into this series. Was wondering whether I should go for SH4 or 5 ? From what I hear SH5 was quite buggy on release, though I don't know what the situation is at present.

 

[spectre]

Why not go with number three? Unmodded it was easily the best in the series.

 

[Quilty]

I tried 3, 4 and 5.

4 is still my favorite. 3 is cool too, but 4 has a better atmosphere and graphics, imo. I tried playing 5, but it wasn't fun. As far as I could tell, you weren't given as much freedom. I suggest you start with 4, get a feel for it, then go for 5 so you already know the mechanics and can compare it to a better predecessor.

I tried using some mods for 4, but I find that none are really necessary if you just want to get into the game. People will tell you how the periscope is unrealistic or the escorts are broken or whatever, but fuck that shit. People blow stuff like that way out of proportion. Just play it vanilla style, learn how to hunt down those juicy tankers while avoiding escorts and then think about increasing realism by using mods.

I did grab some mod that makes environment effects better and gives your German crew German voices. I tried the Monsun mod, but it was rather unstable and kept crashing after a certain point. However, if you prefer the Atlantic, you might want to give Monsun a try. On the other hand, to me the vanilla map (set in the Pacific) feels like it offers more freedom of choice and a bigger playground, don't know why, just a feeling I guess.

 

[anus_pounder]

Right. I'll start with 3 and 4.

 

[Gragt]

The Nyan Cat can fly, but he can't swim to save his life.

 

[Raapys]

Isn't SH 3 with the GWX mod still the best by far?

 

[Drakron]

I tried playing 5, but it wasn't fun. As far as I could tell, you weren't given as much freedom.

Well you only get the Type VII and only the A,B,C and C/41 versions and the Campaign ends in 1943.
I would say some stuff is better as even if you given some objectives (Go to X) does not mean you have to, there are some campaign objectives.

I would say the biggest problem is the merchant ships ... there is a lack of larger ships and they taken too many liberties with how ships sink, its not strange to having to hit a merchant ship with 2-3 torpedoes for it to sink.

It is easier to hit ships in 5 as they made it rather arcadism.

 

[Lord Haw Haw]

I prefer SHIII with GWX and an OLC-based periscope mod. Operation Monsum comes real close, though, but it's a bit more buggy.

For fleet boats SH4 (obviously) with the Real Fleet Boat mod is accurate as hell regarding boat handling and overall accuracy of the PTO subwar but it also gets easier as the war progresses due to the Japs lagging behind in doctrine and gear. Trigger Maru Overhaul Mod makes the IJN more ruthless although a bit ahistorical.

Between playing Yanks and Krauts, SHIII (or IV with OM) is the most fun cause it gets harder for Germany as time goes on. Of course you can't change the outcome of the war but...

 

[Cassidy]

Silent Hunter 4 with Operation Monsun and KyuB(I think) mods. Don't start at the Kiel Shipyards in 1939 unless you want to try getting good tonnages of sunk ships with a bathtub that carries only 5 torpedoes(Type II). It's still the so called "Happy Times" because by then most ASW is still crude, but with limited torpedo capability of something that was actually a training sub IRL it can be a bit frustrating how oftenly you'll have to get back to a naval base for reloading during patrols.

 

[anus_pounder]

Wasn't there an SH4 LP here ? Can't seem to find it on the list...

 

[DwarvenFood]

Strange thing, Codex Playground seems to be truncated somehow.. DarkUnderlord ?? What Happen ??


Yet, through the search function I was able to find the topic, so it is not deleted:

http://rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=47863&highlight=

 

[anus_pounder]

Ah yes, Operation Monsun. That LP is why I'm starting with 4.

 

[overtenemy]

Feel free to pull a Cassidy and rape/hijack that thread if you want. Been meaning to resurrect it myself at some point but I doubt I'll get around to it any time soon. I'd say you made the right choice with 4. As I've mentioned before I feel it has the best mechanics, where 3 with G.W.X. has better atmosphere and fluff. If you need any help learning to shoot torpedoes, let me know.

Also, sadface for imageshack being assholes and screwing up the old LPs.

 

[anus_pounder]

Well shit. Can't believe I missed that one obvious point written in the game's name itself. SH4 is about the pacific! Looks like OM is a necessity and not an optional mod.

 

[Quilty]

The Pacific can be a really fun place, especially if you're not too familiar with its geography. I had a blast learning where all the sweet spots were, where I could hide, dive deep or attempt relatively safe assaults on harbors. You also get a ton of targets wherever you go, so it's fun in a somewhat derpy way if you just want to jump in and start hunting.

I've been thinking of hijacking that glorious LP by overtenemy and giving it a short spin, maybe a few patrols if I happen to encounter some juicy targets. However, since I'm by no means the ubermensch he was, I would need a truly powerful codexian name to serve as a good luck charm. I dare not disturb old Cleve, so feel free to suggest a name for the captain. I'm gonna need all the help I can get.

 

[anus_pounder]

Andhaira. The light of Islam will guide your holy projectiles to the shaitan's heart. Failing that, you could channel Georgian might to help you.

 

[Drakron]

The Pacific can be a really fun place.

Well yes because if you are playing US the Japanese never really got the hand of anti-submarine tactics and in case you are playing U-Boat the Indian is so much lower priority you never really get much of a opposition.

I did had the weirdest kill when when I was attacking a small convoy that just shattered and I received a message that a Torpedo hit the target but I was in the middle of positioning myself to attack a fleeing ship ... in seems someone managed to steer himself in the course of a torpedo I launched well over 10 minutes before when I made my initial attack and got one hit and two misses, the sink sunk since it was a small merchant,

(And I pretty much raped that convoy, I think 2 ships out of 9 escaped)

 

[anus_pounder]

So, was there anything the japanese got right?

EDIT : This shit is pretty tough. I ended up going for arcade and disabled limited fuel and realistic aiming. So far, my convoy attack and torpedo attack tutorials ended horribly. On the plus side, I have 5 friendly kills to my name.

 

[torpid]

How does Operation Monsun compare to SH3 with GWX? Seems a lot less complete at first glance. And is there an SH4 mod that allows for realistic targeting similar to OLC's GUI mod in SH3? I've come to realize that OLC's mod is just as essential as GWX itself -- I wouldn't be able to play "vanilla" GWX anymore because it doesn't modify the targeting system and the base game's system is mediocre.

As for playing with US boats in the Pacific, that has always come across as boring since Japanese ASW efforts remain weak throughout the period.

 

[Quilty]

I just reinstalled Operation Monsun, but I don't have the KIUBM interface (by karamazovnew) which I remember seeing in overtenemy's LP. The whole interface is the stock one, but the changes to the campaign and map have been made after I installed the mod. I wonder what I did wrong... The KIUBM interface is supposed to be a part of OMEGU, as far as I remember...

EDIT: I may have failed while using JSGME to install all those little mods that come with OMEGU: I just put them all in one folder and then activated it. I guess every mod has to be activated separately. I guess it just seemed logical that all the mods that come with OMEGU are activated at the same time.

 

[anus_pounder]

Finally finished the torpedo and convoy tutorial. Time to pound some anus in career mode. Also, friendly fire is an amazing stress reliever.

 

[Drakron]

So, was there anything the japanese got right?

Well I was commanding a fine Kriegsmarine Type IX U boat, that is why there was so much convoy rape.

Well there are many reasons why Japan did not got it right ... one was because the US Navy suffered about the same problems as the Kriegsmarine with torpedoes and they were not as aggressive as the Germans were in the Atlantic, by the time the Japanese had to react it was already too late.

 

[Lord Haw Haw]

How does Operation Monsun compare to SH3 with GWX? Seems a lot less complete at first glance. And is there an SH4 mod that allows for realistic targeting similar to OLC's GUI mod in SH3? I've come to realize that OLC's mod is just as essential as GWX itself -- I wouldn't be able to play "vanilla" GWX anymore because it doesn't modify the targeting system and the base game's system is mediocre.

As for playing with US boats in the Pacific, that has always come across as boring since Japanese ASW efforts remain weak throughout the period.

There aren't as many "little details" in the harbor scenery but the increased graphics make up for it imo. Frankly, a lot of the additional mods that have come out for GWX recently are nice little immersion adders but they use up too much memory (the full interior mod, and the raisable/lowerable kill flag/pennant mods, and animated phonograph, animated locks in the Kiel Canal, etc...) The main reason I play GWX the most is cause I prefer the interface over SH4's.

The KIUBM is like OLC for OM. I played OM blind without reading/watching tutorials on the KIUBM and was surprised at how OLC-ish it is. I actually enjoyed OM but it kept crashing whenever I traveled along a coastline (west above the Netherlands in particular). All this talk has piqued me into a reinstall, however. :D

I agree that OLC is essential to a GWX install. Another interesting periscope gui is Hitman'speriscope mod:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=167126

It really minimizes things with an emphasis on realism. I'm a bit on the fence about in comparison to OLC type guis though.

 

[trym88]

There are tons of mods for SH5 out now, has anyone tried them?

 

[titus]

There are tons of mods for SH5 out now, has anyone tried them?

Quilty