Silent Hunter 3

[Stuie]

Is nobody playing this? It looks and sounds incredible.

My installation is almost finished and then I can discuss...

[Kassiopeia]

I have been too damn busy playing it to post about it. I'll blatantly copy a post I made in another forum, with some screenies.

Never before have I played a submarine sim, but this one seems to be accessible enough to all. I have turned off the mode where you have to calculate your torpedo solutions yourself (I swear I'm going to try that myself sooner or later), but with the weapons officer's assistance I have already sunk nearly two thousand of tonnes of Allied shipping, and even a few warships.

My first patrol almost ended before it even started, though, the port of Lorient is designed so that if you take a direct navigational course to the open seas, you will crash the pier. I had 15% of hull integrity left...

I'll use screenshots to explain the game in detail. Observe.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_01.jpg

My U-Boot, a Type VIIB sub called the U-99, sets sail from Lorient. The dials etc. in the bottom allow precise control of speed, depth and course.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_02.jpg

The navigational chart. The boat is almost finished following a course I've plotted to take us out of the inlet that leads to Lorient. I'd suggest using St. Nazaire as a home dock, though, because you can navigate out of it quicker than out of Lorient so you won't have to wait 20 minutes before you are far enough from land to activate time compression.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_03.jpg

I can look around the insides of das Boot as well. This is the Chief Engineer/Helmsman, who reports on fuel, batteries and who orders speed and course changes. He can also make maneuvres for you, while you aim the deck gun or whatnot.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_04.jpg

The radio man. He gets reports on sighted convoys, delivers your own reports to the BDU (Befehlshaber Der U-Boote, the commander of the U-Boot fleet), etc. He also runs your radar, and he can turn on the gramophone - basically allows you to listen to your own MP3s. The soundtracks to Das Boot, Crimson Tide and The Hunt for the Red October fit the atmosphere, and the game's own soundtrack is also very Hans Zimmer-esque.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_05.jpg

The view from the sonar operator's eyes. I prefer to stop the boat every now and then, take the SO's chair and turn the microphone around myself. The AI Sonar guy is abysmal at detecting ships. I turn the mic 360 degrees and often enough I pick up a sound.

From its strength you can guess it's speed and relative direction, and from the sound of its propeller you can determine whether it's a merchant or a warship, even to the point of what type of warship it is (a torpedo boat and a Revenge class battleship sound completely different). I really love this part of the game, listening to the ocean is so soothing.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_06.jpg

Crew management. You get to enlist them, train them, give them promotions, etc. to make the perfect crew. It makes losing a sailor all that more dreadful. If you don't' feel like micromanaging, there are a few quick setting buttons that make the best of them.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_07.jpg

The Torpedo Data Computer (TDC). This is useful usually only when you do the required calcs yourself, but this also allows you to switch torpedo speed settings, triggers etc. I'm still getting the hang of these myself, but if you make a torpedo trigger not only from impact (I) but from the ships' magnetic field too (M), the torp may blow up under the keel of the ship (making much more damage than an impact hit), but it may also blow prematurely.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_08.jpg

A plotted course to my patrol area. Time compression allows you to play in real-time and to speed up the time up to 1024 times for longer voyages.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_10.jpg

The cheering people of Lorient send me away as the German national anthem plays (I kid you not).

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_11.jpg

The view from the UZO. It's a pair of high power binoculars on the bridge that allow you to target ships when surfaced (the preferred way of firing torps, actually). The notepad lists your relative angle, the speed of the target and its type.

The ESB icon in the lower left corner opens up a recognition manual where you can browse for the ship you've observed - this is automatic if you don't have torpedo solution calculating on manual, though, as the recognition manual is needed to get the length and the keel and mast depths of the ship for the calculations.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_12.jpg

The merchant ship, after three direct torpedo hits (lucky bastards!), sinks in flames.

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_13.jpg

A C-class destroyer hunting for me. I've allowed the use of the free view feature, which allows me to take a peek at the surface even if the boat is submerged and below periscope depth. A bit of a cheat, I admit. Otherwise I'd have to use the hydrophone to keep track of the hunting warship.

You can also buy a newer model of an U-boot, new upgraded equipment or better officers. This is all accomplished by spending renown, which you gain by sinking as much tonnage as possible and by succesfully completing patrols. I'm saving up for an XIB right now, it has more torp reserves and two aft tubes, and a larger deck gun.

The deck gun is awesome for taking down unprotected convoys, but to use it the sea must be calm or the gun crew would be washed away by the waves. There's also a flak gun but in early 1941 I have yet to see ASW planes, thank goodness. The only time so far I've used the flak gun was when a torpedo boat made a circle around me so close that the deck gun couldn't reach it and it was too close for my torps (you need over 300 to 500 meters of distance or the torps won't arm). So I just whacked the pesky boat with a flak gun.

Oh, and I after several patrols I have finally mastered the keel torpedo. The sweet spot is some half a meter below the ship's hull, i.e. set the torp's depth to the draft of the ship plus about 0.50.

This is what happens when you do it right:

http://kotisivu.dnainternet.net/anttinor/sh3/silent_hunter_20.jpg

[Skanky Burns]

The images don't seem to be working here as well.
I'm about to install this game and try it out too.

[Dis]

ooh, details please. . I didn't do subs when I was in the navy, but I love sub games.

I had this cheesy sub game for m C64, I played the hell out of it.

And then Aces of the Deep I played much of.

[DrSpike]

I'm not a sub game fan, but let me know if it is really good and I might take a peek.

[Skanky Burns]

Test

[Kassiopeia]

I didn't use img tags because it would have made the thread look screwy and it might have taken too much time to load the page for some. But now that you've messed up the page width (for the vast majority of us who have 1024x768 as desktop resolution), I might as well change the img tags to url tags.

[Stuie]

I've played most sub sims that have come out since Silent Sevice II, and I must say I'm having a blast with this. It's definitely got that Aces of the Deep (probably my favorite sub sim, followed closely by the first Silent Hunter) feel, only better!

The "reknown" system for rewarding the player makes a lot of sense. Sink lots of ships - you get better equipment/crew/u-boats. Don't sink ships - keep the same equipment/crew/u-boat until you do. Very well implemented and fun.

The realism settings are very scalable, so if you just want to hunt and line up shots and then let your weapon officer due the math and click fire, you can. Or you can turn off the WO and do the calcs yourself. Very cool... and very satisfying when you sneak into range, calc the shot and fire - a hit means that much more.

And the graphics... holy crap! They are just plain beautiful. The ocean surface is amazing, ships explode or break-up in so many different ways that I have yet to see two sink the same way, the storms are incredible to watch (right down to the bolts of lightning)... I could go on and on. The only graphic shortcoming might be your crew.... but at least you have crew on the ship. Subs in other sims have always been so empty and lonely; here you see your crew going about their duties and turning toward you when you give them orders. Very nice.

Anyway, back to the North Atlantic...

[Dis]

cool. Aces of the Deep was the last sub game I've played. But if it's like that, I'm definately interested.

[Stuie]

Originally posted by Dissident
cool. Aces of the Deep was the last sub game I've played. But if it's like that, I'm definately interested.

It's like that... but with more options and better graphics. The dynamic campaign is incredible!

Oh - and the AI is pretty good too, but not overpowering... very much reminds me of AoD in that respect. If you're smart and use good tactics, you CAN escape destroyers (at least early on...), if you're not, you'll get blown out of the water. Fun.

[Grandpa Troll]

Great

I played a sub game a few years ago maybe silent hunter 1??

anyhoo.like previously mentioned about the ports to leave from..I got pretty bored waiting 20 mintues to engage

Ok..Ill keep my eye on this one seems pretty neat so far

[child of Thor]

Silent Hunter was one of the first real simulators that got me hooked for ages on my 8bit atari. Incredible atmosphere and detail in another classic microprose title of the time

never played the second game, but the tension the first generated was amazing and if this is anything like that first one, then its got to be good.

[Dis]

This will be on my "to get" list. Though I doubt I will get it in the near future, but I'll eventually get it (unless I die in some accident first)

[Asher]

Just acquired, will play later. Looks great.

What I want is a "modern" remake of Great Naval Battles...great series.

[Stuie]

Originally posted by Dissident
...but I'll eventually get it (unless I die in some accident first)

Way to stay positive Diss!