MICROPROSE'S SILENT SERVICE II Comments from the programmer/designer (Roy Gibson) and designer/project leader (Arnold Hendrick) (Both:) Thank to everybody who took the time to comment on Silent Service II (SS2). We hope to answer some of your questions. But first, Roy would like to ramble on some about the project. (RG:) First the people. Four people are chiefly responsible for SSII, Roy Gibson, Kim Biscoe, Arnold Hendrick and Bruce Shelley. Kim, who is British, did the artwork (anybody with an Amiga may have seen the work he did on Pirates). Bruce was the original project leader but was replaced by Arnold when his other ongoing project (Railroad Tycoon) went into hyperdrive at the beginning of 1990. Arnold and Roy designed the game. Arnold (an American) did his usual quality job on the manual while Roy, another Brit, did the programming. (RG:) Other people who greatly influenced the project include the entire playtest group, programmers Dave McKibbin and Scott Spanburg (this was my first IBM project so I asked these poor guys many many questions) and of course the sound department. (RG:) Next the history. Bill Stealey wanted SSII because the original SSI did poorly on the IBM and because he felt that we could do a much better job nearly 5 years after the original C64 version of the game. I had written many games for 8-bit machines and wasn't eager to do more. When I heard about this project, I grabbed at it. I was able to prove the viability of digitized ships approach fairly quickly and the project was a "go". (RG:) And almost as quickly it ground to a halt because we had problems finding a source for ships to digitize. The original test graphics were taken from a page of an official US Navy WWII ship identification manual. Unfortunately a comprehensive set of these pictures proved impossible to find. Bruce and I started calculating how long it was going to take to build all the plastic models we would need. Then Bruce solved the problem by finding (via the Naval Academy Museum) Don Montgomery. He had a model of every Japanese ship of WWII. (RG:) Roy, Bruce and Kim moved forward with the project until Bruce's other project caused him to be replaced with Arnold in January. About April we started making the difficult feature decisions, which caused problems with the packaging. The software was completed (457.01) just before the end of July 1990. (AH:) The Silent Service II box was completed in January 1990, long before the software was finalized. Management had a very optimistic release schedule (they wanted the game for April or May '90), and therefore began printing the boxes in February to meet that hypo- thetical deadline. In hindsight, that decision looks unwise. But back in February Roy was saying "Replay? Sure, no problem. I have these great ideas, see..." It wasn't until June that we realized memory space would be THE big problem that forced many unpleasant decisions. By then $50,000 worth of boxes were piled up in the warehouse. We couldn't afford to throw out fifty grand, so we had no choice but to say "Sorry 'bout that" in the technical supplement. The box is now in reprint, and we have adjusted the box back copy appropriately. (AH:) Incidentally, at MicroProse the box covers, front and back, are under the complete and total control of the marketing department. They create the art, text, etc. They consult with us, but don't always take our advice or suggestions. On the other hand, the game components inside the box (disks, manual, maps, overlays) are controlled and produced entirely inside MPS Labs, by the same group which creates the game itself. Enough of the background. Now the answers to some questions: *1: New Versions (AH) A revised SS2 - version 457.02 - is now in playtest here at MicroProse. We're still trying to confirm whether one reported bug really exists. We already have made a number of fixes requested by you, our customers, are present, as well as a couple things we found after release. Call MicroProse Customer Service starting 10/2/90 for availability (the phone number and appropriate calling times are in the Technical Supplement that nobody seems to read). *2: Game Speed (does SS2 run too fast?) (RG:) The game runs at 2:1 of real time if your machine can run fast enough. On a slow processor/graphics combination you may not acheive this speed. This was chosen to improve game play, unfortunately on very fast machines this may be too fast. To solve this problem we have added a "slow down" key to version 457.02. This key is documented ONLY in the "Read.Me" file for that version. (AH:) I feel a 2:1 speed is actually quite realistic. In real life a sub skipper must manage his crew, and gains much of his information (which we portray on various screens) by asking questions or relying on their talents (such as charting). All this takes time and attention. In the game you get the information magically. Those of you who have had to rely on teamwork (rather than just yourself) in a high-pressure situation will surely agree a 2:1 decision time adjustment is appropriate. Meanwhile, tests with 386/33 and 486/25 machines at here MPS Labs indicate that the game speed is about the same as on a 386/20 or 25. Roy's "built in" speed limit code appears to work just fine. I feel the "slow down" key in 457.02 is a "cheater" included to molify a vocal minority. *3. Comparison to SS1 (is SS2 inferior to SS1? too close to SS1?) (RG:) SS2 was written from scratch as a new game. However we kept many of the excellent ideas from the original. Needless to say, we had many more ideas than made into the published product. (AH:) Of course SS2 is similar to SS1. The original was a fantastic game. What we tried to do was keep all the good parts (the game concept and the core game play experience), but greatly improve all the surrounding details ("chrome"). I didn't want us redesigning too much and ruining the game! You can debate some features back and forth - what to add, what not to add - but overall I believe our choices are sound. *4. Memory usage (SS2 had problems with insufficient memory). (RG:) About 592,000 bytes free RAM is required for the VGA+Digitized speech+Non-IBM-sound option. The main reason for this high memory usage is to cut down on disk access during game play (which would make the game very clunky). The game runs in 512k on most EGA systems, especially with IBM or Tandy sound. The VGA ship graphic data (compressed) is over 250k, while EGA is about half that. This accounts for most of the difficulty. I use QEMM with DOS 4.x on my 386. I hear that QRAM is very good for 286 owners, giving you about 600k free on a machine with 1MB. (AH:) I amazed by how many people don't read the Technical Supplement, where we WARNED you about memory, told you what to look for, and noted what options you might wish to drop. Note that "Their Finest Hour" (Lucasfilm) and "Harpoon" (ThreeSixty) struggle with similar issues. We decided to give you the choices, rather than forcing certain options while disabling others. In retrospect this may have been unwise, since all people did was complain about being unable to use ALL the options without revising their system configurations. We're also including more memory warnings in 457.02. *5. Ship ID (you identify the ship correctly, but are told it's wrong). (RG:) There is a bug in the first edition of the manual. The pictures of the large and small freighters (pg 121) were reversed at the printer. The small freighter has it's stack closer to the bridge, the large freighter has a noticeable gap between the bridge superstructure and the single stack. The manual has already been fixed for subsequent printing runs. Games with the revised manual will start arriving in stores this October. (AH:) This was a big goof on our part. Sorry. Also, running under DOS 2.x may cause ship ID problems. You'll need version 457.02 to solve them. *6. Torpedo bugs. (RG:) There are two bugs here: The first is whenever you refit in port, you get historical torps (even if you initially selected flawless). You'll need 457.02 for a fix. The second is more dangerous, but can be avoided. If you fire a torpedo when (a) your view bearing and the enemy's course are the same, while (b) the torpedo is out of range (i.e., cannot overtake the target), then internal calculations go wild, causing unpredictable and generally fatal results (i.e., a game crash). 457.02 fixes this. (AH:) When playing 457.01, always check your view bearing against the enemy's course. If they match, change your course until they don't match. This is one more thing to remember when conducting "up the stern" shots. *7. Ships sinking (do they sink too fast? can it hurt me?). (RG:) The ships do sink faster than is realistic. We found that slowly sinking ships slows down the graphics speed. This slows down the game. We believe most games sold are played on slower machines, and we wanted to help those people. (RG:) The other question I've heard is about colliding with sinking ships. Under the right (or wrong) circumstances a sinking ship can collide with a submerged submarine. That's the way I wrote it - BE CAREFUL DOWN THERE. (AH:) Right on, Roy. In real life large ships often took 2 to 8 hours before they sank. All that fire and smoke would consume enormous amounts of graphics processing - more than micros have right now. Incidentally, fast 386s and 486s don't help that much. The limiting factors are moving around lots of graphic data, which is limited by graphics system design, bus size and bus speed. *8. The screen layout (why isn't everything on one screen?) (RG:) The organisation of screens is deliberate and is intended to maintain a feeling of being in a submarine. The split of screens represents the various individuals with whom you can communicate on a submarine. (AH:) The screen layout concept was an SS1 feature we decided to keep. A single combined screen has many, many disadvantages. Just look at Wolfpack. *9. Periscope rotation (why doesn't the scope rotate faster?) (RG:) Originally we felt the rotation speed was adequate. The shift modifiers for 10 degree increments, plus the 'n' and 'm'key options would cover all eventualities. However, enough people have commented that we added a special key for a 180 degree rotation in version 457.02. Again, it's documented in the "Read.Me" file. *10. Dud torpedoes (those duds are the a real pain) (RG:) Read the manual closely. Most of the Mk 14 flaws can be reduced to manageable proportions if you understand how the problem works. Also note that the S-class boats carried an inferior but reliable Mk 10 torpedo. I feel the Mk 18-1 is a waste of time. In fact we almost forced those on the player because we thought nobody would choose them otherwise. The Mk 18-2 is fine until you're spotted, then its slow speed will make you wish for those old MK 14 workhorses. (AH:) Check out page 98 in the manual. If you think duds are a pain, imagine what the Tinosa felt like. They had 12 Mk 14s, fired 11 into a juicy target, and got all duds. They took the last one back to Pearl Harbor for examination. Talk about frustration! *11. Visibilty while in reverse (you're less visible moving backward). (RG:) This was may mistake - fixed in 457.02. I fed a negative number into the visibility routine and behold!, smaller numbers resulted. I should have absoluted the throttle value before using it. This may be the only bug fix in 457.02 that people don't like. (AH:) Playtest here at MPS Labs was mortified by this bug. They felt they should have caught it. Well, in over 12 weeks of testing they did catch about fifty million other problems! Meanwhile, realism fans should NEVER go in reverse. *12. Torpedo hit effects (some complain about their variability) (RG:) Every torp hit has a small chance hitting the target's propellers, therefore stopping it without causing serious damage. In addition, hits can set a ship afire. Depending on the ship, this can be more destructive than a torpedo, especially if the fire burns for a long time. Merchant ships have quite variable crew morale. Sometimes they abandon a damaged ship, and sometimes they man their guns to the last. Surface on a damaged ship at your own risk! Note that merchant ships may be unarmed in the first year of the war. (AH:) Improved and more realistic damage results are one of the big improvements in SS2. This means far more variable results, both on your sub and on target ships. Remember the Bismarck, crippled by a freak torpedo hit to her rudder? You can't always predict what a torpedo will do when it hits. Sometimes you can nail a CV with just two or three, sometimes you need a half dozen or more. *13. Snorkelling (why don't US subs have them?) (RG:) US fleet boats in WWII did not have this capability, it was invented by the Germans and deployed only in the closing stages of the Atlantic campaign. (AH:) Somebody out there believes US WWII subs had snorkels ??!!?? *14. Points scoring (how does it work, it seems unfair, etc.) (RG:) Points are awarded for all ships sunk. However TARGETS are given extra points depending upon the number and quality of ASW ESCORTS. This means that in a convoy with a single TARGET and 6 ASW ESCORTS most of the points are gained by nailing the TARGET. As the war progresses watch out for ASW sweep groups, these usually consist of a CL and 4+ DD's. They contain few points (no TARGET) but are very dangerous. (AH:) The "targets" Roy refers to are all merchantmen and all large warships (cruisers, battleships, carriers). When in doubt it always helps to read the manual (pgs 56 and 57)! *15. Deck gun ammo (why isn't the ammo limited?) (RG:) First don't use the deck gun for anything except clean up of abandoned ships. Second the average number of rounds carried was 3000 and frankly I didn't feel it important to track 3000 presses of the space bar. The only possible exception to this is the NARWHAL class which carried 2 6 inch guns and can therefore fire rapidly. (AH:) We discovered during our research for SS2 that US subs carried more deck gun ammo than we ever dreamed possible. I suspect some subs left part of their ammo behind to make room for things like ice cream makers, food freezers, etc. In SS1 enemy warship guns are generally pretty putrid, but in SS2 they're pretty good, which means surface gun duels with destroyers or cruisers are suicide. *16. Patrol contacts (who do I find the enemy?) (RG:) You increase the chance of contacts by staying in your patrol zone, by cruising close to enemy ports/bases and by being in historically active locations. (AH:) We included lots of material in the manual about this. Check out pages 81-87. We also included the brief history of the Pacific War (pgs 87-92) to give you ideas about where to find enemy warships. If you want to be a hot sub skipper, do your homework! *17. Destroyers (target priorities, etc.) (RG:) At the end of 1943 the US Navy changed the priority list under which skippers operated. DDs were placed after tankers and major warships, and ahead of normal merchantmen. This caused a number of skippers of deliberately pick fights with DD's. Some initial successes were scored but long term it caused the loss of several boats. (AH:) The US Submarine Service histories greatly overrate the effect of US subs on Japanese destroyers. Most of the "destroyers" sunk were small ASW craft too slow and too weak to function with major warships. In the game these are PCs and DEs. A real 30+ knot DD is a formidable opponent, as many of you have probably discovered. *18. Confidence. (RG:) Players who start 12/7/41 will find that as they get more confident, usually after 5-6 patrols or early 1943, the enemy improves dramatically. The quality of IJN sonar operators is at its best in this time scale as is the quality of escorts assigned to convoys. You will not find any more un-escorted tankers, you will find ASW sweeps. A lot can happen to the quality of the enemy while you pick up a new boat or leisurely re-fit in Pearl. (AH:) We adjust many factors by historical date. Convoy routes change; areas of warship activity move dramatically; enemy sonar operators improve in quality (which greatly improves their ability to detect you), the probabilities in encounters change as more and more DEs and PCs appear in later years. The list is almost endless. The only redeeming feature of 1944-45 is that many PCs and DEs are newly commissioned, often with green crews (and therefore poor sonar operators). 1945 is especially tough. Most of the Japanese merchant marine is now sunk. Finding targets is really hard! *19. Historical Play. If you want to add your own "house rules" for greater realism, try the following: * TORPEDO ARMAMENT (RG & AH): Whenever you have a choice of torpedoes, roll a six-sided die. "1" means you must take Mk 14s, "2" means you must take Mk 18-1s, "3" means you must take Mk 18-2s (if available, otherwise Mk 18-1s), while "4" through "6" means you have a choice. Various torpedoes were in short supply. Sometimes skippers didn't have a choice of armament. * DEBRIS (RG): Don't use debris - it never really worked. * FIRING DEPTH (RG & AH): Don't fire torpedoes below 100'. At deeper depths the tubes could not be safely opened and the torpedoes ejected. * CONTACT PROBABILITIES (AH): Whenever you get a contact that has an "Y/N" option before you fight, draw from a deck of cards. On 2 through 10, or an Ace, you MUST say no (N) to the contact. If you get royalty (K,Q,J) you can make the choice noramlly. Reshuffle after every patrol. This reduces sub-initiated contacts to realistic levels. It's also very frustrating. * INITIAL SUBMARINE CLASS ASSIGNMENTS (AH): For your initial sub on 12/7/41, draw from a deck of cards. A,K = Old "S"; Q = Barracuda; J = Narwhal; 10,9 = "P"; 8,7,6 = New "S"; 5,4 = "T"; 3,2 = Gato. * INITIAL BASE/COMMAND ASSIGNMENTS (AH): For your initial base on 12/7/41, you are assigned a base depending on the name of your boat. If you have a "T" or "Gato" class you MUST start at Pearl Harbor. If you have an "old 'S'" or "new 'S'" class you MUST start at Manila. In all other cases you can select Pearl or Manila, as normal. Sealion Special: If you get this boat (a new S), you must leave Manila and immediately return, avoiding all contacts. When you return, go to new construction. This is because in real life the Sealion was destroyed at the dock by air attack, before she could put to sea. * DOUBLE-BARRELLED PATROLS (QUICK TURN-AROUND PATROLS) (AH & RG): If you're allowed to immediately go back on patrol when you return (without the normal repair and refit time), take it ONLY if you have an improved Gato class or Tench class boat. In other cases minor mechanical problems usually forced a refit. * SKIPPER EXHAUSTION (AH): After five war patrols, skippers were encouraged to go back to the USA for "new construction" (i.e., take command of a new boat). In ComSubPac it's mandatory. If you finish your fifth patrol in a boat there, you must take command of a new boat. In ComSubSoWesPac it's optional after five patrols, mandatory after the sixth.