Silent Hunter IV is official! Sim fans rejoice!

[Spino]

http://www.subsim.com/ssr/sh4/sh4_interview1.php

Lengthy interview and fan Q&A section with the developers. I've quoted a few select passages...

Subsim: Back in June 2005 CNN quoted the NPD Group’s April sales numbers at 26,600 units. Is that accurate? What does Ubisoft claim for sales numbers for SH3 to date?

SH4 Dev Team: The best thing about a simulation title is that the amount of sales tends to remain constant each month. SHIII sells well even one year after its release. We estimate Silent Hunter 3 sold over 300,000 copies worldwide.

Subsim: Now, I know that actual work on the game is in the early stages so there may be features that are planned but do not make the game. With that in mind, what new features are you planning for SH4? Additional compartments? More engineering functions? New crew interaction and management activities?

SH4 Dev Team: First of all, crew management will have a different approach. We’ll go into detail on another occasion but it will require much less babysitting while still providing interesting choices and give depth to the men "powering" your submarine. It’s based on three watches system, a simplified version of what was in theory taking place onboard US fleet boats of the time.

There are many other features to be discovered but one of the most important we think will be the addition of a new multiplayer mode. We are very excited about it and believe this will boost interest in online games immensely.

Last, but not least, we’re aiming for a different campaign experience. Special objectives, events and many little (or not quite so little) things will serve to make each patrol memorable and unique.

Subsim: So, what's the main improvement planned for multiplayer?

SH4 Dev Team: The addition of an adversarial multiplayer mode – escort’s commander vs. player wolf pack – will greatly enhance the competition feeling and the online appeal. Also, we feel that multiplayer will be more stable overall.

Subsim: The original Silent Hunter included special missions such as pilot rescue and reconnaissance. Are these type of objectives planned for SH4?

SH4 Dev Team: SH4 will have both lifeguard duty and photo recon missions. And these will not be the only special missions in the game. You can expect commando insertions or supply drops to be required by HQ.

Subsim: SH3 was roundly criticized for the paucity of varied radio messages and traffic. Players familiar with the history of the US sub campaign in the Pacific will expect to receive Ultra messages and occasional directives from HQ. How is this being addressed in SH4?

SH4 Dev Team: The radio will be much more active this time around and the radio interface will be better, too. Players will be able to tune their radios to different stations (Tokyo, Moscow, Washington, etc), listen to music and receive news when the time is right. Concerning patrols and interaction with COMSUBPAC, we’re developing a mechanism to ensure feedback and directives from HQ without resorting to heavy scripting. We expect no one will feel alone at sea anymore.

Subsim: Which class of US subs are planned to be included?

SH4 Dev Team: The main types of subs we’re putting in are P-class, Salmon, Tambor and Gato. Obviously, the variations of these classes will be represented in detail, as with SH3.

Subsim: Describe the campaign feature. Will SH4 have the same style dynamic campaign that was successful with SH3?

SH4 Dev Team: No, of course not. We’ll have a much better campaign this time. We’ll do this, among other methods, through more varied patrol objectives and constant interaction with COMSUBPAC and special events that serve to keep you on your toes even in the middle of nowhere.

Subsim: There are geographic aspects of the Pacific war that are distinctly different than the U-boats Atlantic war, such as numerous shoals and reefs, uncharted areas (marked on the maps as "dangerous ground", etc.), and countless islands. Describe how SH4 will capitalize on these areas.

SH4 Dev Team: You can’t have most of the special missions without wading in shallow waters, where there is not much room to dive into when trouble comes! The game will take players close to land on many occasions, especially, but not only, in the SUBSOWESPAC command area.

Subsim: Will the player begin the game on Dec. 7, 1941 in Pearl Harbor?

SH4 Dev Team: Pearl Harbor is the start line of SH4. It is not decided at this moment whether we’ll allow the player to go on patrol a few days early – as it would be historically accurate.

Subsim: Unlike the German U-boat war, the US Navy was involved in a number of large-scale naval engagements, such as Midway, Battle of Coral Sea, Battle of the Philippine Sea, the Okinawa Invasion, etc. To what degree with major battles be a part of the SH4 Single Missions and Campaign?

SH4 Dev Team: All the major battles in pacific theater of operations will be represented and player may have a role in them. We’re not forcing him in the area in any way, but very successful players may receive orders related to those operations.

Subsim: What target release date has Ubisoft set for Silent Hunter IV?

SH4 Dev Team: Q1 2007

[UglyandHasty]

I would have buy the #3 of the series, but Starforce was coming with it. Do you know if the #4 will have Starforce ?

[CBR]

I think Ubisoft dropped StarForce earlier this year.


CBR

[Geoffrey S]

Sounds great. I loved what I saw of SH3, but now it crashes every time I start it. I'll sort that out some time.

[Navaros]

I too shall not rejoice until it is 100% confirmed that part IV won't have Starforce. Never touched part III for that reason, won't touch anything with Starforce with a 10 ft pole.

[Kraxis]

I never knew of the Starforce issue before I bought it, and SHIII gave me so many cool monets it is downright unfair for the competition.

I love the inclusion of special missions, naval battles (who wouldn't like to intercept the Japanese fleet on its way to Leute Gulf? Or Midway for that matter?) and the MP aspect.

I don't like that it is the Pacific. I have nothing against the US subs or their achievements, but with no convoys it is bound to be less intensive when hunting merchants.
Also, the Japanese merchant marine was way smaller than the British, so contacts will be rather far apart. I somewhat hope that contacts will be unhistorically upped a bit.

Love the radio! Could be fun to listen to Moscow in the early game, good old communist propaganda can't be beaten for amusement.

Dislike the current sublist. Where is the Tench, the Baracuda, the Narwhal, the S-class... Ok so the last three were rather marginal boats, but the Tench was a serious adition. And it saw plenty combat.
I wold love to play the Narwhal with it's two 6' deckguns. Beware destroyers! But it is actually fair it isn't represented (three boats I think).

No mention of Japanese boats... That was something I kind of missed in SHIII. And no mention of AI boats either (running into or rendezvous with them on patrol, joining attack on ports, whatever...). I guess they still haven't managed to create a credible sub AI.

I'm kind of reserved in regards to the new crewmanaging. Sure the old system was heavy and not terribly great most of the time. But I got a special kind of satisfaction when I saw that my Flak specialists reloaded and aimed a lot better. My work had payed off and that guy I had nursed along to become a good specialist was now repaying my attention. Splendid!

I wonder if the MP escort commander will control from a ship (and if sunk shift to another?)... If he is, then it is potentially possible for modders to create a surface version of SHIV. That would be cool.