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 Many
naval war game simulations are available to the modern day
enthusiast. I have, for better or worse, taken a crack at most of
them. SSI's Silent Hunter is one of those games that I have
personally found to be tremendously addictive. Since its' initial
release, there have been a myriad of games to hit the shelves of a
similar genre. The fact that Silent Hunter is a frequent topic of
conversation on the naval war games newsgroup and the various
message boards is a tribute to this game's staying power. In short,
this old DOS dinosaur still manages to keep a dedicated legion of
devoted fans.
Part of the lure of Silent Hunter for me is the realization that its
underlying theme centers around a subject of particular personal
interest. Silent Hunter's focus, obviously is that of World War II,
specifically the submarine war in the Pacific. This global conflict
was the defining event for a generation. Boys became men overnight,
families lost sons, brothers, fathers, and
husbands. Nations were torn
apart. Without a doubt, this global struggle had a tremendous impact
on the generation of its day, and for those that followed. It is
with the deepest respect and admiration for the many souls who
unselfishly gave of themselves during this time, that I approach
Silent Hunter. It is out of this respect that I have attempted
to acquire a much fuller understanding and a greater
appreciation for what they have achieved.
I
believe that it's beneficial for the user to have an understanding
about what the game is attempting to portray. Certainly, Silent
Hunter can be played with little or no background knowledge of WW II
submarine warfare, but then Silent Hunter just becomes another
(albeit great) computer game. I'd venture to say that most of the
serious SH fans I've been in contact with are World War II submarine
enthusiasts, and well versed in their history. They may not have all
started out that way, but Silent Hunter has a way of sparking a
desire to learn more about the war, the boats, the men aboard them
and the history they created.
 The
information that I have included on this site is a collection of the
strategies and tactics that I have found helpful while playing
Silent Hunter. There are many great sources and reference pages
available on the web providing excellent game play tips for Silent
Hunter. Among the most notable of websites specializing in naval
simulations of all flavors is Neal Stevens'
SUBSIM Review . SSR is loaded with game reviews, an excellent
users forum, detailed troubleshooting hints and informative sections
with tips and tactics devoted to naval warfare sims past and
present. Another "must see" site is Ed Howard's
SubSoWesPac site (the HQ for the online Silent Hunter Campaign,
Pacific Thunder). Ed host's Hawk's famous Silent Hunter utilities on
the
downloads page, where you can get some
truly awesome programs specifically designed and developed to
enhance the stock version of Silent Hunter. Hawk's online Silent
Hunter
bulletin
board is still up and running and is an extremely productive forum for skippers to share
ideas, troubleshoot glitches, spin tales and basically stay in
touch. It promises to be a very popular spot.
Also included in the Wardroom, is a brief history of US submarines
during the war in the Pacific. As a WW II naval history buff, I
find Silent Hunter to be very accurate from an historical
perspective. Taking into account that certain allowances must be
provided the game's developer to have the freedom of license to
produce a playable sim. Many of the tips and ideas contained on this
site have been recorded over the years from other gamers. The
purpose behind developing this site was to provide an archive for
these contributions. What follows does not pretend to be the
definitive textbook of game play tactics for Silent Hunter,
nor is it a "how to book" of WW II submarine warfare. It is
however, an account and description of what has been proven over the
years to be successful. Time, hours of game play experience and a
bunch of lost subs will provide the best lessons.
Having been a frequent visitor to the previously mentioned message
boards, it is obvious that there is a tremendous wealth of
information and knowledge circulating on the web about this sim. I
invite anyone who would like to share their favorite Silent Hunter
tip, tactic or strategy as well as any WWII submarine trivia, to
e-mail them to me. I will gladly post them on the appropriate
Wardroom page and credit the author. While you're at it, you might
want to subscribe to the Wardroom's
newsletter and stay on top of what's new
and who's doing what with the great sub sim.
Be
sure to stop back often. This site will certainly be a "work in
progress" and I will be updating, and adding to it on a regular
basis as information is received.
Good hunting!
The BASICS |
