Silent Hunter III
Encyclopedia
Silent Hunter III is a submarine
simulation
developed by Ubisoft Romania
and published by Ubisoft
. It was released for the PC
on March 15, 2005. Like Silent Hunter II
, it places the player in command of a German
U-Boat
during World War II
and the Battle of the Atlantic. It sought to address many of the complaints leveled against its predecessor, specifically the lack of a dynamic campaign.
s, destroyer
escorts, and task force
s are automatically generated by the simulation engine. How the mission proceeds and what targets are attacked is left totally up to the player. In addition to being a more accurate representation of WWII U-Boat warfare, the dynamic campaign significantly improves the game's replay value
, as the campaign plays out differently each time.
A stated goal of the developer
was to fully immerse the player. The game featured a fully 3D U-Boat control room, allowing the player the freedom to move about the interior of the submarine. Unlike other submarine simulations, where the crew is often heard but not seen, Silent Hunter III allows the player to see and interact with crewmembers. The game also tracks the stats of individual crewmembers, such as rank, experience, morale, and decorations, between missions.
In addition, the game provides ten historical single-player missions. These include saving the Bismarck
, sinking the Royal Oak in Scapa Flow
, attacking a task force as the first Type XXI U-boat
, and passing through the Straits of Gibraltar (in a nod to Das Boot
, the player commands U-96 in the Gibraltar mission).
Players can upgrade their U-boat's anti-aircraft gun(s), deck gun, diesel engines, batteries, radar, and sonar, and install special features such as a radar detector and anti-radar and -sonar coatings. Many different enemy vessels and aircraft are included.
While the dynamic campaign goes a long way to addressing the criticisms of the previous Silent Hunter titles, some gameplay issues still remain such as destroyers/escorts depth-charging at slow speeds, which in real life would normally result in critical damage to the destroyer. The Starforce
copyright protection used for Silent Hunter III has also been criticized for installing incompatible device drivers.
Crew members can also be promoted based on combat experience. The various ranks listed in the game begin with basic sailors, followed by "Warrant Officers" (in reality Chief Petty Officers), and then officer ranks. A midshipman rank also exists, which is viewed in the game simply as another officer position. The various game ranks for enlisted sailors (as well as their real world Kriegsmarine
equivalents) are:
Although the lower sailor ranks are referred to in the game as "Seaman", the game figures in fact wear the rank of Petty Officer; there are no actually seaman characters available (the rank of Matrose
) nor is there a rank of basic Chief Petty Officer (Matrosenfeldwebel) since the warrant officer figures begin with a one pip shoulder strap insignia. It is also not possible to promote sailors between the various "caste
s", such as advancing a seaman to warrant officer or commissioning a warrant officer as an officer.
Available officer ranks are:
Midshipman rank is shown as a silver cord with two pips; lower midshipman grades are not used in the game.
, an 8.9 out of 10 ("Great") from GameSpot
, as well as a 5 out of 5 by GameSpy
. It is the highest-rated installation of the Silent Hunter series.
several times by the developers since its release date with most issues having been addressed. The current version is v1.4b.
after release, with thousands of improvements and features added by various users of the game.
Installers should note that certain versions of the DVD ROM game, when installing will also use StarForce as its DRM
tool.
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
simulation
Simulation
Simulation is the imitation of some real thing available, state of affairs, or process. The act of simulating something generally entails representing certain key characteristics or behaviours of a selected physical or abstract system....
developed by Ubisoft Romania
Ubisoft Romania
Ubisoft Romania was founded in October 1992 and was the first production studio established by Ubisoft outside France.- History :Starting with only 4 programmers and 2 graphic artists, in time, the Bucharest studio has grown to around 800 people working in different fields of activity, in 2010, and...
and published by Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
. It was released for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
on March 15, 2005. Like Silent Hunter II
Silent Hunter II
Silent Hunter II is a WWII U-boat combat simulation from Ubisoft for Windows 95/98/ME. It was originally being developed by Aeon Electronic Entertainment, the developers of Silent Hunter, but they had to leave the project unfinished, and Ultimation Inc. finished it...
, it places the player in command of a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
U-Boat
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Battle of the Atlantic. It sought to address many of the complaints leveled against its predecessor, specifically the lack of a dynamic campaign.
Gameplay features
Silent Hunter III features a fully dynamic campaign. Instead of giving the player a specific set of objectives for each mission, Silent Hunter III simply assigns the player a certain patrol grid, and appropriate naval traffic, such as convoyConvoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
s, destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
escorts, and task force
Task force
A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...
s are automatically generated by the simulation engine. How the mission proceeds and what targets are attacked is left totally up to the player. In addition to being a more accurate representation of WWII U-Boat warfare, the dynamic campaign significantly improves the game's replay value
Replay value
Replay value or replayability is a term found in combination with video games, but it may be also used to describe other kinds of games, movies, music, or theater plays. In video games, the term replay value is used to describe the entertainment value of playing a game more than once...
, as the campaign plays out differently each time.
A stated goal of the developer
Software developer
A software developer is a person concerned with facets of the software development process. Their work includes researching, designing, developing, and testing software. A software developer may take part in design, computer programming, or software project management...
was to fully immerse the player. The game featured a fully 3D U-Boat control room, allowing the player the freedom to move about the interior of the submarine. Unlike other submarine simulations, where the crew is often heard but not seen, Silent Hunter III allows the player to see and interact with crewmembers. The game also tracks the stats of individual crewmembers, such as rank, experience, morale, and decorations, between missions.
In addition, the game provides ten historical single-player missions. These include saving the Bismarck
German battleship Bismarck
Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...
, sinking the Royal Oak in Scapa Flow
Scapa Flow
right|thumb|Scapa Flow viewed from its eastern endScapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom, sheltered by the islands of Mainland, Graemsay, Burray, South Ronaldsay and Hoy. It is about...
, attacking a task force as the first Type XXI U-boat
German Type XXI submarine
Type XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
, and passing through the Straits of Gibraltar (in a nod to Das Boot
Das Boot
Das Boot is a 1981 German epic war film written and directed by Wolfgang Petersen, produced by Günter Rohrbach, and starring Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Klaus Wennemann...
, the player commands U-96 in the Gibraltar mission).
Players can upgrade their U-boat's anti-aircraft gun(s), deck gun, diesel engines, batteries, radar, and sonar, and install special features such as a radar detector and anti-radar and -sonar coatings. Many different enemy vessels and aircraft are included.
While the dynamic campaign goes a long way to addressing the criticisms of the previous Silent Hunter titles, some gameplay issues still remain such as destroyers/escorts depth-charging at slow speeds, which in real life would normally result in critical damage to the destroyer. The Starforce
StarForce
StarForce is a software copy protection mechanism developed by Protection Technology, which claims that products protected with StarForce are difficult to reverse engineer.- Product families :Currently known official versions of StarForce include:...
copyright protection used for Silent Hunter III has also been criticized for installing incompatible device drivers.
Playable U-boats
The stock version of the game (often referred to as "vanilla SH3" by players) includes the following playable U-boats. The player enters the war with only a limited choice of U-boats if they choose to start in 1939. However, the types of U-boat available to the player can vary greatly depending on the year during which the player wants to start their career in. To transfer to another U-boat, the player has to spend "renown" (points awarded to the player every time a patrol is completed). U-boat costs can vary from 500 to 30,000 points depending on the type of U-boat chosen.- Type IIGerman Type II submarineThe Type II U-boat was designed by Germany as a coastal U-boat, modeled after the CV-707 submarine, which was designed by the Dutch dummy company NV Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag and built in 1933 by the...
A & D Variants - Type VIIGerman Type VII submarineType VII U-boats were the most common type of German World War II U-boat. The Type VII was based on earlier German submarine designs going back to the World War I Type UB III, designed through the Dutch dummy company Ingenieurskantoor voor Scheepsbouw den Haag which was set up by Germany after...
B, C, C/41 & C/42 Variants - Type IXGerman Type IX submarineThe Type IX U-boat was designed by Germany in 1935 and 1936 as a large ocean-going submarine for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. Type IX boats were briefly used for patrols off the eastern United States in an attempt to disrupt the stream of troops and supplies bound for...
B, C, C/40 & D2 Variants - Type XXIGerman Type XXI submarineType XXI U-boats, also known as "Elektroboote", were the first submarines designed to operate primarily submerged, rather than as surface ships that could submerge as a means to escape detection or launch an attack.-Description:...
Awards, qualifications, and promotions
Throughout a player's career, it is possible to obtain promotions, awards, and qualifications, both for the player and members of the U-Boat crew. U-Boat crew members can be "enlisted" and "dismissed" at will, meaning that, decorated sailors can be rotated out with "green sailors" with no decorations or qualifications. Crew members can also be enlisted at any rank, although any new crew member who joins will have no awards and only officers may be recruited with pre-existing qualifications (enlisted sailors must earn their qualifications underway on the U-Boat).Crew members can also be promoted based on combat experience. The various ranks listed in the game begin with basic sailors, followed by "Warrant Officers" (in reality Chief Petty Officers), and then officer ranks. A midshipman rank also exists, which is viewed in the game simply as another officer position. The various game ranks for enlisted sailors (as well as their real world Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
The Kriegsmarine was the name of the German Navy during the Nazi regime . It superseded the Kaiserliche Marine of World War I and the post-war Reichsmarine. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches of the Wehrmacht, the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany.The Kriegsmarine grew rapidly...
equivalents) are:
- Seaman (Matrosengefreiter)
- Able Seaman (Matrosenobergefreiter)
- Veteran Seaman (Matrosenhauptgefreiter)
- Warrant Officer (Matrosenoberfeldwebel)
- Senior Warrant Officer (Matrosenhauptfeldwebel)
- Chief Warrant Officer (Matrosenstabsfeldwebel)
Although the lower sailor ranks are referred to in the game as "Seaman", the game figures in fact wear the rank of Petty Officer; there are no actually seaman characters available (the rank of Matrose
Matrose
Matrose is a German term for sailor. It may also refer to:* Matrose, the lowest enlisted rank in the German Navy* Matrose, a rank in the Kriegsmarine* матрос, an enlisted rank in the Bulgarian Navy* матрос, an enlisted rank in the Ukrainian Navy...
) nor is there a rank of basic Chief Petty Officer (Matrosenfeldwebel) since the warrant officer figures begin with a one pip shoulder strap insignia. It is also not possible to promote sailors between the various "caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
s", such as advancing a seaman to warrant officer or commissioning a warrant officer as an officer.
Available officer ranks are:
- Sub-Lieutenant (Oberfahnrich)
- Lieutenant, Jr. (Leutnant)
- Lieutenant, Sr. (OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
)
Midshipman rank is shown as a silver cord with two pips; lower midshipman grades are not used in the game.
Reception
The game was critically praised, receiving a score of 8.8 out of 10 from IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, an 8.9 out of 10 ("Great") from GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, as well as a 5 out of 5 by GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
. It is the highest-rated installation of the Silent Hunter series.
Patches
SH3 has been patchedPatch (computing)
A patch is a piece of software designed to fix problems with, or update a computer program or its supporting data. This includes fixing security vulnerabilities and other bugs, and improving the usability or performance...
several times by the developers since its release date with most issues having been addressed. The current version is v1.4b.
Modifications & bugfixes
The simulation has been extensively modifiedMod (computer gaming)
Mod or modification is a term generally applied to personal computer games , especially first-person shooters, role-playing games and real-time strategy games. Mods are made by the general public or a developer, and can be entirely new games in themselves, but mods are not standalone software and...
after release, with thousands of improvements and features added by various users of the game.
Installers should note that certain versions of the DVD ROM game, when installing will also use StarForce as its DRM
Digital rights management
Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
tool.
See also
- Silent HunterSilent HunterSilent Hunter is a World War II submarine combat simulation for MS-DOS, developed by Aeon Electronic Entertainment and published by Strategic Simulations in 1996. The game takes place in the Pacific War during World War II, the player commanding a submarine of the United States Navy. Most...
, released in 19961996 in video gaming-Notable releases:*January 29 — Duke Nukem 3D, successor to the simple side-scrolling originals, and a genre-redefining title for first person shooters....
. - Silent Hunter IISilent Hunter IISilent Hunter II is a WWII U-boat combat simulation from Ubisoft for Windows 95/98/ME. It was originally being developed by Aeon Electronic Entertainment, the developers of Silent Hunter, but they had to leave the project unfinished, and Ultimation Inc. finished it...
, released in 20012001 in video gaming-Events:* Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame...
. - Silent Hunter 4Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the PacificSilent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific is a computer submarine simulation for Windows developed by Ubisoft Romania and published by Ubisoft in 2007. It places the player in command of an American submarine during World War II and takes place in the Pacific theater...
released in springSpring (season)Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
2007 - Silent Hunter V, released in 20102010 in video gamingThe year 2010 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games, including several new titles.-Events:-Game releases:List of games scheduled for release in 2010 in North America....