7 votes

Looking for a very specific kind of submarine video game

Maybe you guys can help me out since I found a lot of games that are kinda like this but not quite.

It doesn't need to be a full-blown simulation, but it needs to be convincing.

What I want is a game that puts me inside a submarine, looking at screens full of radar and sensor information, and letting me control the sub in a realistic manner, only with the information provided in the control room. It's okay if the game jumps to an external view just to show the ultimate consequence of conflict, but mostly, I should be in the sub looking at screens.

Is there such a game?

Ideally, I play on the Xbox. My laptop is a potato, so it's only good for very old or otherwise lightweight games (technically speaking, this could easily be a command line game... like naval htop). Other kinds of naval simulation are good for this thread.

Thanks!

26 comments

  1. [17]
    streblo
    Link
    There’s Silent Hunter III which you can probably play on your laptop. There’s also Wolfpack which is in early access, although I don’t know how well it does on older computers. Both of those are...

    There’s Silent Hunter III which you can probably play on your laptop. There’s also Wolfpack which is in early access, although I don’t know how well it does on older computers.

    Both of those are simulation type games.

    6 votes
    1. Akir
      Link Parent
      I used to love playing the Silent Hunter series, even though I was never particularly good at them. I haven't played them since I was a child. I should go dump through my old boxes because I think...

      I used to love playing the Silent Hunter series, even though I was never particularly good at them. I haven't played them since I was a child. I should go dump through my old boxes because I think I might have a boxed copy of one of them.

      5 votes
    2. lou
      Link Parent
      Silent Hunter III is not officially available for Linux, but it's Platinum on ProtonDB and it's basically free in my region. It's being downloaded. It comes with a 30-page PDG manual, which I'm...

      Silent Hunter III is not officially available for Linux, but it's Platinum on ProtonDB and it's basically free in my region. It's being downloaded. It comes with a 30-page PDG manual, which I'm sure is not nearly enough :P

      And it has mods!

      2 votes
    3. [14]
      lou
      Link Parent
      I think I know why the game is cheap... there's a bug that will start every mission on PAUSE and it's impossible to unpause it. Several people complaining for years. No solution. What a shame. I...

      I think I know why the game is cheap... there's a bug that will start every mission on PAUSE and it's impossible to unpause it. Several people complaining for years. No solution. What a shame. I can't start the training mission.

      2 votes
      1. [13]
        cfabbro
        (edited )
        Link Parent
        https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=176726

        https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=176726

        sh3 stuck on pause?

        when I get to the opening screne on a mission in any catagory the screen in the controll room is on pause. I hit backspace bar and it still is on pause but moves ahead about one frame at a time. Think its in the disc? or am I just not doing something correctly. I can hit a command key at the same time I push the backspace bar and the scene changes properly, and if i keep hitting the bar it moves ahead frame by frame. Wonder if this has happened to anyone else.

        This is caused by a corruption of the main.cfg file in either the SH3 folder in My Documents or the main.cfg file in SilentHunterIII/data/Cfg. What usually happens is this section is missing in one of them.

        [TIME COMPRESSION]
        TimeStop=0
        RealTime=1
        LandProximity=128
        CriticalDamage=1
        CrewEfficiency=1
        AirEnemyDetected=1
        SoundEffects=2
        CharacterAnim=4
        EnemyDetected=8
        RadioReport=8
        Particles=32
        PrayState=8
        HunterState=32
        3DRender=32
        Maximum=1024

        The fix is to copy the good one and paste it over/replace the bad one and save.

        3 votes
        1. [12]
          lou
          Link Parent
          Thanks, buddy, but I've seen that, it didn't work ;) I only have 18 minutes of in-game time, I believe Steam allows refunds up-to 2 hours. I'll keep trying until I am near the 2 hours. Seems like...

          Thanks, buddy, but I've seen that, it didn't work ;)

          I only have 18 minutes of in-game time, I believe Steam allows refunds up-to 2 hours. I'll keep trying until I am near the 2 hours. Seems like a great game indeed.

          I mean, it was incredibly cheap, but that's a matter of principles.

          1 vote
          1. [11]
            cfabbro
            Link Parent
            https://steamcommunity.com/app/15210/discussions/0/618453594739326655/

            https://steamcommunity.com/app/15210/discussions/0/618453594739326655/

            I put the lines in the MAIN.CFG in the MY DOCUMENTS folder first and it did not work, I then put the (updated) lines in the MAIN.CFG in the Steam folder (steamapps\common\Silent Hunter 3\SH3\data\cfg) and tried again, it worked then.

            I don't know if you need the line in one or both MAIN.CFGs but try the Steam one first.

            It needs be changed in the both folders. my folder in "my documents" even didnt have that lines. i just have put them under [SETTINGS]. thanks for help

            3 votes
            1. [9]
              lou
              Link Parent
              Oh, I see why I didn't do that. Because I'm on Linux, and that's a Steam game, I don't have an equivalent to "My Documents" in my system that relates to where Steam installs games. Maybe there is,...

              Oh, I see why I didn't do that. Because I'm on Linux, and that's a Steam game, I don't have an equivalent to "My Documents" in my system that relates to where Steam installs games. Maybe there is, but I don't know where it is. If Steam has the equivalent to a Wine Prefix, its structure is not something I recognize :/

              3 votes
              1. [5]
                vord
                (edited )
                Link Parent
                Good news is, if you're installing via steam, it should be somewhere in your home. cd ~ find . -iname "main.cfg" Good luck! Edit: On most systems, you could probably narrow to the .local directory...

                Good news is, if you're installing via steam, it should be somewhere in your home.

                cd ~
                find . -iname "main.cfg"
                

                Good luck!

                Edit: On most systems, you could probably narrow to the .local directory first. Especially useful if you have git repos in your home.

                Edit 2: PCGaming wiki to the rescue: <Steam-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/15210/pfx/

                6 votes
                1. [4]
                  lou
                  (edited )
                  Link Parent
                  Dude! You're a champ! The find command did it! I had to change this file: /home/$USER/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/15210/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/SH3/$USER/cfg/main.cfg It...

                  Dude! You're a champ! The find command did it! I had to change this file: /home/$USER/.local/share/Steam/steamapps/compatdata/15210/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/Documents/SH3/$USER/cfg/main.cfg

                  It worked, 100%!

                  I actually copied the setting from the own game's main.cfg instead of the one on the internet -- just one different line, probably due to some change made by the person sharing.

                  Shared it in the Steam forum for posterity.

                  I may need to keep monitoring one main.cfg to copy settings to the other main.cfg, since it is possible that things in that file change with the game's progression.

                  Thank you so much!

                  I really should learn how to use find... I've been using Linux for so many years and someone always saves me so I never had to learn it :P.

                  5 votes
                  1. [3]
                    vord
                    Link Parent
                    tldr pages changed my life.

                    tldr pages changed my life.

                    4 votes
                    1. [2]
                      lou
                      (edited )
                      Link Parent
                      Oh, I will learn the mystical ways of find and become a better person eventually. Up until now, I've been going by with a bastard combination of locate and half a dozen grep statements. I am a...

                      Oh, I will learn the mystical ways of find and become a better person eventually. Up until now, I've been going by with a bastard combination of locate and half a dozen grep statements.

                      I am a rare breed: a non-IT person that uses a shell for a lot of things without really knowing anything.

                      In other words, I'm like a regular person that knows how to use a computer in 1979 but is not in the computer science department. A well-informed fool :P

                      4 votes
                      1. vord
                        Link Parent
                        I know plenty of English/history majors in IT for similiar reasons. An analytical mind can learn the tools...even if they reach for the hammer most of the time ;-)

                        I know plenty of English/history majors in IT for similiar reasons.

                        An analytical mind can learn the tools...even if they reach for the hammer most of the time ;-)

                        3 votes
              2. [3]
                cfabbro
                Link Parent
                Ah. I am not familiar with the Linux/Proton file structure for Steam games either, so I can't help you with that. Sorry. :(

                Ah. I am not familiar with the Linux/Proton file structure for Steam games either, so I can't help you with that. Sorry. :(

                1 vote
                1. [2]
                  lou
                  Link Parent
                  @vord saved me ;)

                  @vord saved me ;)

                  2 votes
                  1. cfabbro
                    Link Parent
                    Awesome! Glad you got it working!

                    Awesome! Glad you got it working!

                    1 vote
            2. lou
              Link Parent
              I will try that as well. Thanks ;)

              I will try that as well. Thanks ;)

              1 vote
  2. [4]
    DanBC
    Link
    Sometimes going to archive.org is useful because they have a large collection of very old shareware and compilation CD Roms. I haven't played either of these, but perhaps these fit the requirement...

    Sometimes going to archive.org is useful because they have a large collection of very old shareware and compilation CD Roms.

    I haven't played either of these, but perhaps these fit the requirement for "in the submarine", looking at screens?

    Ocean Conquerer: https://www.mobygames.com/game/ocean-conqueror

    and

    Silent Service: https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/silent-service/screenshots

    6 votes
    1. [3]
      DanBC
      Link Parent
      So, here's a list of games that may suit: https://archive.org/details/classicpcgames?query=submarine In particular, these have a lot of detail: Submarine:...

      So, here's a list of games that may suit: https://archive.org/details/classicpcgames?query=submarine

      In particular, these have a lot of detail:

      Submarine: https://archive.org/details/Submarine_1020

      BATFISH Submarine simulator: https://archive.org/details/BATFISHSubmarineCombatSimulator_1020

      Under the gulf: https://archive.org/details/UnderTheGulf_1020

      SubHunt: https://archive.org/details/SUBHUNT_ZIP

      Doesn't fit, but Nuclear Sub adventure may be interesting: https://archive.org/details/NuclearSubmarineAdventure_1020

      3 votes
      1. [2]
        lou
        Link Parent
        That looks wonderful, but I will need a manual! Maybe an old gamefaqs?

        Submarine: https://archive.org/details/Submarine_1020

        That looks wonderful, but I will need a manual! Maybe an old gamefaqs?

        3 votes
        1. DanBC
          Link Parent
          The archive.org page allows you to either play in the browser, or to download a zip file. That zip file has something called "sub.hlp". That's a plain text file that gives instructions. It does...

          The archive.org page allows you to either play in the browser, or to download a zip file. That zip file has something called "sub.hlp". That's a plain text file that gives instructions.

          It does look to be a complicated simulation!!

          4 votes
  3. [3]
    SheepWolf
    Link
    This might be stretching it but, does Iron Lung count? Set entirely within a claustrophobic one-man submarine nicknamed the "Iron Lung," ...you have to navigate purely via an incomplete map,...

    This might be stretching it but, does Iron Lung count?

    What I want is

    1. inside a submarine,

    Set entirely within a claustrophobic one-man submarine nicknamed the "Iron Lung,"

    1. looking at screens full of radar and sensor information,

    ...you have to navigate purely via an incomplete map, proximity sensors, sound, and a primitive external camera which can be used to take the pictures you need to complete your mission, or to get a grainy low resolution visual of what's happening outside.

    1. and letting me control the sub in a realistic manner, only with the information provided in the control room.

    Experimental minimalist gameplay, where your senses are limited and anything could be lurking around you
    Glimpse your surroundings through the lens of a grainy still camera and navigate using an incomplete satellite map and proximity sensors

    1. Ideally, I play on the Xbox. My laptop is a potato, so it's only good for very old or otherwise lightweight games

    System Requirements
    Minimum:
    Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    OS: Windows 7/8/9/10
    Processor: Any made within the last decade
    Memory: 1 MB RAM
    Graphics: Any made within the last decade
    Storage: 200 MB available space
    Sound Card: Any
    Additional Notes: You can run this

    6 votes
    1. [2]
      lou
      Link Parent
      That looks great, actually. I usually avoid horror, but I can make an exception for an awesome submarine game. Do I really get to pilot the sub, though? Kinda sounds like a puzzle game. Thank you!

      That looks great, actually. I usually avoid horror, but I can make an exception for an awesome submarine game.

      Do I really get to pilot the sub, though? Kinda sounds like a puzzle game. Thank you!

      6 votes
      1. SheepWolf
        Link Parent
        I'm not sure what piloting a normal sub is like, but I do know the Iron Lung is controlled by a very, extremely simple ("minimalist" according to Wikipedia) panel with buttons you click to change...

        I'm not sure what piloting a normal sub is like, but I do know the Iron Lung is controlled by a very, extremely simple ("minimalist" according to Wikipedia) panel with buttons you click to change the direction of the sub ("the submarine's heading and forward velocity") and not through keyboard or mouse controls.

        I don't consider it a puzzle game of the type like Portal or other typical puzzle games, but there is a mystery and exploration I think is the main feature of the game.

        The game is very short so it probably won't be your main submarine game, but it might slightly scratch the itch.

        5 votes
  4. [2]
    cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    That's unfortunately not a very popular genre, so most of the ones I know and have actually played myself are getting quite old now. UBOAT (gameplay vid) seems like the most modern game that is...

    That's unfortunately not a very popular genre, so most of the ones I know and have actually played myself are getting quite old now. UBOAT (gameplay vid) seems like the most modern game that is close to what you're looking for though, and is in early access. It's PC only, but the system specs are quite low so even your potato laptop might be able to handle it. And simply due to the restrictive nature of playing games on controllers, and the nature of the platform itself, I highly doubt you will find a very realistic sim on console, especially for such a niche genre.

    5 votes
    1. lou
      Link Parent
      I will try. I'd really like it if someone made this as an ultra-retro ASCII-art game. Just as I described, naval htop. It might attract some "hipster" attention at least :P

      I will try.

      I'd really like it if someone made this as an ultra-retro ASCII-art game. Just as I described, naval htop. It might attract some "hipster" attention at least :P

      4 votes