Silent Hunter 5

[Chizzy101]

I am a big fan of SH3 and had been looking forward to this one for a long time, but I think I'll be holding on to my money for a while longer. Judging by the posts over at the Ubi forums, there are a large number of people being affected by the connection requirement.

 

I have a number of Ubisoft titles that I have been very happy with in the past (particularly sims like IL2, LOMAC, SH3), but I'll be steering clear of them in the future. I think that the DRM model Ubi are proceeding with is a big mistake. Whilst I do not condone piracy, this method seems to just make legitimate customers suffer. I hope they drop it for a more reasonable method of protection on the future (i.e. customers can actually use the product they paid for). Until then, I won't be buying anything from Ubi :(

[diveplane]

think ubi just shot themselves in the feet , cant walk anymore.

 

all sounds great at board meetings and on paper , planning DRM over coffee and cookies.

 

sadly, in the real world this is not the case..., timmy down the road has a offline version.

Edited March 10, 2010 by diveplane

[coolts]

Well, My SH5 will sit on the shelf in disgrace. No instructions, just a pamphlet and the .pdf was the same. For a game this complex we need an ED sized pdf at least, that someone can print / bind, etc.

 

Not fussed abou the DRM as I will just install a no-cd crack once one came out. UBI can bugger off as I bought the game so I want to play it when I want, not them. I paid for it.

[Pilotasso]

Things like this have killed off entire studios, at the very least shutting down the genre for that editor. the saddest part is that everyone gets the idea its the genre itself not good enough when it was just bad decisions behind the fail.

 

IRL they are not alone. Budget cuts and smart ass solutions that only work on paper are being adopted by all sorts of companies, not just gaming. Its getting crazy.

[coolts]

Too right. Look at MS axeing Aces Studio. The biggest and longest running franchise going (i think). CLassic short term thinking to hit interim budgetary targets. which were themselves created optimistically before the recession bit down hard.

[-Bazong-]

Have been holding off on getting this game because of the DRM. I'm sad to see there have allready been problems :(

I'll probably get the game sooner or later though (when I'm in a U-boat mood and the urge gets too strong).

I've had alot of trouble with steam (wireless connection is all I can get at home) as well.

 

I must say - allthough I was sceptical at first - I have found DCS new starforce thing to be acceptable (never had anything to do with the infamous "old" starforce)...

[Feuerfalke]

Have been holding off on getting this game because of the DRM. I'm sad to see there have allready been problems :(

I'll probably get the game sooner or later though (when I'm in a U-boat mood and the urge gets too strong).

I've had alot of trouble with steam (wireless connection is all I can get at home) as well.

 

I must say - allthough I was sceptical at first - I have found DCS new starforce thing to be acceptable (never had anything to do with the infamous "old" starforce)...

 

STEAM is nothing like this DRM. You can simply switch STEAM to offline mode and still play any game you want anytime and regardless of internet connection. The only games you can't play offline with STEAM are those games with additional DRM. That again has nothing to do with STEAM.

[Icarus2]

I only play Single Player and I have been bounced out in the middle of campaign games several times losing my kills, and sometimes I can't even connect. Server problems for SP play is a disgrace.

[Stickers]

I have been playing since launch day and have had 0 problems with the new DRM. I have been pretty busy with school though, so I am not on as much as others.

[Icarus2]

I have been playing since launch day and have had 0 problems with the new DRM. I have been pretty busy with school though, so I am not on as much as others.

 

Ya, that's what I said at first, but the more I played the worse it got. The DRM sometimes works ok, but not always. And for a single player option, to not be able to play it because of a DRM log on, is a disgrace. I have other games with server DRM's and you can get in always. DRM server needs fixing pronto.

 

Also, now campaigns are crashing semi-regularly and weird things happening like a battleship anchored that all my torpedoes go right through it like it was a ghost or something. Also saw a carrier group coming toward me so I turned toward it and the entire group disappeared as I got within range.

 

Oh ya, the lack of a serious manual for a sim like this is also a pretty unforgivable. This thing has potential, but it needs serious work. I like it, but it has some real problems. Patches should be frequent or people will lose interest fast.

[ScEBlack1]

Let's see, I had SH4 and the day was like this: start game at 11:00 in the morning, cross lot's of Ocean, see a convoy on map, race to convoy to see it's not there, find a small tanker, sink her, look at the clock and it's 3:00pm in the afternoon!!!!!1 wtf.........boooooooooorrrriiiinnnnggggg, good if your not married, definately don't have kids and the weather outside is always crappy.

[asparagin]

Let's see, I had SH4 and the day was like this: start game at 11:00 in the morning, cross lot's of Ocean, see a convoy on map, race to convoy to see it's not there, find a small tanker, sink her, look at the clock and it's 3:00pm in the afternoon!!!!!1 wtf.........boooooooooorrrriiiinnnnggggg, good if your not married, definately don't have kids and the weather outside is always crappy.

 

Later you learn to go after convoys that are "reachable" and then you find the time machine button which let's you accelerate time X 5000.

[ScEBlack1]

Yes I know about the time acceleration button, just didn't want to spend my whole day time accelerating around each time I go somewere or go at a snails pace either to get there, it's a "pretty" game but quite boring for me, just my 2 cents that's all.

[asparagin]

Life on submarines is 95% boring.

If you like submarine action and don't mind old graphics (and I mean old) I suggest Dangerous Waters. There you go straight into the action part of the mission and don't have to cross half the ocean.

[coolts]

I had the same issue with IL-2.

1. Take off,
   
2. Point in right direction
   
3. Autopilot
   
4. Time compression to max
   
5. Panic
   
6. Turn compression off
   
7. Game begins.
   

Basically 95% of war/life is boring. Luckily the front lines are always close in FC!

[ScEBlack1]

I salute those gents who were stationed on submarines, it must have been real boring being couped up like that and then super scary when being hunted, I respect them all.

[ARM505]

Actually its not really 'boring' at all - a sim, even the best ones, contain almost NO detail. In reality, you're busy studying manuals towards watch keeping certificates etc (there are a LOT of machines/systems onboard, some not very exciting, but definitely needed, like fresh water evaporator for example!), doing maintenance, talking %$^ with your buddies. The sim is so utterly task focused (kill the enemy!) that the rest just doesn't exist - hence, no combat = boring. Same with IL2 - in reality just flying around is great! But again, no combat and things start to get boring. It just shows the gulf between pc and reality.

[JG14_Smil]

Have to be fair and retract my earlier post about SH5, where I was sorry I bought it. The first tutorial, with it's missing items had me buggared, but after getting through the first patrol and then getting some mods, I am liking the sim again, bugs and all.

 

Sims start out as a labor of love, get ^%$#'d by the big money companies, then are rescued again by labors of love from the modding community and patches. We better get used to it. I am sure it will be a great sim in time.

 

My dad volunteered for sub duty back in WW2 but had a growth spurt and became too tall. And yes, being cooped up under water for all that time would be boring. I sure would not want to do it. :)

[M31]

I have SH 3 and the Grey Wolves mod and still play it from time to time, was interested in SH 5 upon its release as it deals in the same era, but after reading the review on Sub Sim I'm going to wait until it matures with patches and mods before buying.

 

I hope it gets the above treatment, apparently it has not sold well, Amazon have it for sale new at £12.98.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B002U0KBT8/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1270644935&sr=1-1&condition=new

 

EDIT: Recently watched Das Boot on DVD again and thoroughly enjoyed it, pure atmosphere.

[asparagin]

I have SH 3 and the Grey Wolves mod and still play it from time to time, was interested in SH 5 upon its release as it deals in the same era, but after reading the review on Sub Sim I'm going to wait until it matures with patches and mods before buying.

 

I hope it gets the above treatment, apparently it has not sold well, Amazon have it for sale new at £12.98.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B002U0KBT8/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1270644935&sr=1-1&condition=new

 

EDIT: Recently watched Das Boot on DVD again and thoroughly enjoyed it, pure atmosphere.

 

In a couple of months it will be 10€, by then the first patch will also be out..:D

[jctrnacty]

I just bought sh5 just to support ubi romania and genre. i am quite dissapointed that they messed it up so much.

 

I didnt have time to play it yet, just hope they will have a lot of sales.

[M31]

I don't think its UBI that needs the support? They are the publisher who push small company's like whoever it is that made SH5 by saying "it WILL be released on xx:xx:xx date ready or not" at least that's what I've heard.

 

Its a pity this happens.

 

I'm going to keep my eye on SH5 though, from what I last read at Subsim it does have potential once its patched properly, a few community mods would be nice too ;) meanwhile I'm still quite happy with SH3 and Grey Wolves mod.

[Erdem]

Though it's sad that if SH5 fails (which it did reviews-wise), Ubisoft will just pull the plug from this project. I don't think anyone is going to develop another subsim of this caliber again.

[asparagin]

Though it's sad that if SH5 fails (which it did reviews-wise), Ubisoft will just pull the plug from this project. I don't think anyone is going to develop another subsim of this caliber again.

 

That may indeed be true. But it's UBI itself, which now doesn't identifies with sims anymore. they will keep publishing their mainstream stuff. I hope that in the future some publishing firm will show up that will focus only on sims and encourage developers to continue working on such.

[ARM505]

Surely niche developers MUST now walk the path of independance? Like DCS? Having to go through Ubi to publish hardcore sims seems to doom something like this to failure before it's even released...

 

Buying it doesn't support the actual developers, it seems to just support Ubi, who are the ones making all the bad decisions.