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In 1983, it was GATO (Apple IIe). In 1987, braces, pimples, and Silent Service (Amiga). 1993, U-boat (Mac). I've had a PC for the past 6 years and yet somehow in all that time I've managed not to acquire a good submarine sim. I know of some titles, but don't know anything at all about them.

What current game is the "best" and why -- please help, I am in withdrawal![;)]

If it helps -- the game has to run on a 2.4 Pentium with 1 gig RAM and a GeForce 4600. I don't think that'll be a problem, but you never know....

Thanks very much!

[Edit: I'm really only interested in WWII subs, btw....]

Well Silent Hunter III is just gone Gold, so it will be available soon. If it´s any good, who can tell yet [;)]?

http://www.silenthunteriii.com

Ooooh, the screenshots look good. I know SHII is perhaps the most popular title to date, but I never bought it because I kept hearing about how it wouldn't run on XP. Also that the multiplayer/DestroyerCommand feature wouldn't work or was never implemented. At any rate, I decided to hold out. This looks promising, though... and what great timing (due out 3/15). Looks like my withdrawal symptoms may be fate. [;)]

Thanks much!

With the WW2 limitation, the soon-to-be-released SH3 is really your only option. The only other game that's even half current is its predecessor SH2, which while nowhere near as bad as some suggest certainly wasn't out of the top drawer either. Aces of the Deep (a somewhat older title) runs OK under XP (I think), but would be tricky to get hold of.

If you stray outside of WW2 you only really have one option - Dangerous Waters, which despite a few rough edges I would strongly recommend. The only other titles are its direct predecessors, Janes 688(i) and Sub Command, so you are much the same position as with Silent Hunter. Sub Command was actually a much better game than SH2, but regardless its pointless buying that over DW unless you are on a really tight budget.

If you want good subsims already out, and graphics are no problem, I highly reccommend Silent Hunter (the first one) and Command Aces of the Deep. There are no external views, but both can be either fairly easy or quite challenging. Definately first rate games, that almost 9 years after their release I still play them.

FYI on SH2/DC, it is "not supported" in XP, but it runs perfectly fine. The multiplayer is a blast (the only real redeeming thing about the sim IMO). Be warned though, if you have an Nvidia card had the newest drivers (necessary for WitP) then you cannot play it.

As to the multiplayer, here is a funny AAR of my best multiplayer game.

It was an interop game, the English Channel mission. It was me in the A.M. Sumner vs 2 Type XXI U boats. I had to protect a convoy. Well, I stayed with the convoy for the first 15 minutes, until I got a Huff/Duff contact (when U boat people chat, it sends a radio message that Allied direction finding can pick up.) So, I sounded GQ and headed at full speed. I saw the enemy (he was surfaced) and opened up with my 6 5"/38s. The game lagged (his fault), because he didn't dive and I punctured his hull, so when he submerged he sank rapidly.

So, now it was a 30 min cat and mouse game with the other sub. He had sunk an escort carrier, and I had thought I saw him when suddenly he torpedoed me. The torpedo destroyed a lot of stuff, and reduced my speed to 10 knots. I was also burning badly and flooding rapidly. I stopped my engines and did a chat to all "I think you got me, Im going down and everything is busted."

Here is what happened next. He types "Good game", and surfaces. not 1200 yards off. So, I order all ahead flank and charge at him, with a 12 degree list and going down by the bow. He chats "Wtf are you doing, are you crazy!?" (I was goin to try and ram, a la Enemy Below). He turns sharply, ad at the last minute, I go hard a port, and at about 20 yards (yes 20) and hit him with a full 4 5" (the torpedoes explosion had KOed Mount 51). I then ordered my crewe to keep firing, and I manned the quad 40 and opened up. Then, as he came astern, I set my K guns to 50 feet, and fired. A 4 pattern DC right under his keel. As he cleared my stern, he had a 30 degree list and I was rewarded with "Target destroyed".

For single player both games are downers, but they are extremely fun in multiplayer.

ORIGINAL: Tankerace

Here is what happened next. He types "Good game", and surfaces. not 1200 yards off. So, I order all ahead flank and charge at him, with a 12 degree list and going down by the bow. He chats "Wtf are you doing, are you crazy!?" (I was goin to try and ram, a la Enemy Below). He turns sharply, ad at the last minute, I go hard a port, and at about 20 yards (yes 20) and hit him with a full 4 5" (the torpedoes explosion had KOed Mount 51). I then ordered my crewe to keep firing, and I manned the quad 40 and opened up. Then, as he came astern, I set my K guns to 50 feet, and fired. A 4 pattern DC right under his keel. As he cleared my stern, he had a 30 degree list and I was rewarded with "Target destroyed".

For single player both games are downers, but they are extremely fun in multiplayer.

ROFL. Guess he got reacquainted with the idea of turning into the threat. Anyway, yeah, SH3 looks like the only logical choice. I was sorely tempted with 688i but in the end -- I dunno, something about modern naval combat... too much emphasis on blips and push-button warfare. It's not that there aren't enjoyable challenges to that, it's just that those aren't the combat situations I really enjoy. Never really took Wolfpack (isn't that the name?) seriously, though it may have been pretty good.

[:(]But now I see I shall have to add a DVD drive before reaping the rewards of SH3. What a downer that is. Good thing I'm half-cocked and smoking a good cigar and can't worry about this until tomorrow. Thanks very much for the replies... so now this thread must become "can somebody recommend a decent (and fairly cheap) DVD drive?"[:D]

[Edit: Unfortunately, I missed out completely on Aces of the Deep, and now that there are bigger/faster/stronger things like SH3 forthcoming....]

On DVD drives, I got a refurbed Compaq one off of ebay for 10 bucks. Not the greatest thing in the world, but it playus DVD movies pretty good, and DVD games flawlessley. Cost me about 25 USD with shipping and all.

Hey, $10 is ok with me! I'm not likely to sit at the computer to watch movies, so all it has to do is make a game disc spin at the minimal required speed.[;)]

ORIGINAL: Marc Schwanebeck

Well Silent Hunter III is just gone Gold, so it will be available soon. If it´s any good, who can tell yet [;)]?

http://www.silenthunteriii.com

Agreed [&:]

I will be hanging back a few to check the REAL reviews on this one.

I sure hope this one is a classic

I'll tell you guys about it when I get it then.

Of course I might suggest going to the subsim.com forums, the people who got to play the gold version of the game all day on Saturday were very pleased and impressed. They said the AI was exceptionally good (To paraphrase, they don't ram each other anymore, in fact they will turn out of the way of larger ships), and that depthcharge attacks were conducted with good preceision (not the 1 DD uber Depthcharge of SH2, but 3 DDs working in concert) and that inside the sub, it was particularly frightening. They also posted some photos too.

hey Sarge have to say I share your view,seen a lot of game companies spoutoff about their own product before they let the REAL play testers touch it. RT

ORIGINAL: Tankerace

they don't ram each other anymore

Yaaaaaaaayyy![:D]

BTW saw a 16x Lite-On DVD on eBay for $20-25 -- didn't bid though, as I didn't have time to read up on it sufficiently before doing so. I don't want to end up with a "bargain" that has no software or manual, etc. But it *is* probably time to upgrade.... I have a CD-ROM and a CD-RW. The latter works quite well and in fact I try to avoid using the former because it has gotten to the point where it seeks constantly. So even if I don't get a $20 bargain, it'll still be ok.

ORIGINAL: Tankerace

On DVD drives, I got a refurbed Compaq one off of ebay for 10 bucks. Not the greatest thing in the world, but it playus DVD movies pretty good, and DVD games flawlessley. Cost me about 25 USD with shipping and all.

My DVD drive was a mere $16 NEW

Just didn't come with any DVD "movie player" software...

That was over a Year + ago, now a bare bones DVD drive new would be around $10-12 new

Yea sadly there haven't been many lately.

asas

Cold Waters is on a Steam sale currently

I think Silent Hunter is the only one.......

But there is a new sub sim in the making, U-boat.

Wolves in the Pacific is pretty good too, too bad I cannot play on the Japanese side