The Groginati Sales Thread

[JasonPratt]

Just how stable and unbuggy are the Silent Hunter games nowadays?

[Nefaro]

Just how stable and unbuggy are the Silent Hunter games nowadays?

As good as they'll ever get.

SH5 still has at least one or two issues but the only one of concern has a workaround fix.  That would be the torpedo speed throwing off the firing solution accuracy if you've raised the torpedo buff skill on your weaps officer.  I believe the fix just nullifies any speed adjustment, but keeps the rest.  It's one of the linked mods in the Beginner's Modding thread at subsim. 

SH4 runs well for the most part, especially with the U-boat add-on (which included the final update).  As with SH3, you can still run into problems loading up a game that was saved while you were submerged.  Bugged and/or dead boat serious problems, sometimes.  That's the only biggie I recall off-hand.

SH3 also has a couple other annoying issues.  My big complaint, other than the submerged saves bug, was that once you hit a storm at sea - it would last months.  That drove me so nuts, I'd end up rage-quitting after a short time.  Every patrol became a raging high-seas storm the whole time.  I've heard that there's an extra add-on program that can be manipulated to give you a workaround of some kind, but it sounded like too much tinkering so I never bothered (especially after SH4 came out).  Another small bug was that your NCOs in the electric engine room wouldn't automatically switch over to the diesel room when you surface (as they should).  So your engine room would be undermanned unless you remember to go in and drag them over manually.  IIRC, this could happen with some of your watch or gun crew when you order a dive, too.

I think SH4 is probably in the best all-around shape comparing vanilla versions.  I highly recommend using mods with them all, though, especially 3 & 5.  I've enjoyed 5 despite the annoying Ubi bullshit. Even though they don't require you to be constantly online anymore, you still have to run their craptastical DRM program every time you run the game, and you need to specifically turn the option off.  SH4 had it's Fade-style DRM removed in one of the earlier updates because it was giving false positives and messing up legitimate owners' games.  Some publishers never learn, huh?  ???

[Huw the Poo]

Another small bug was that your NCOs in the electric engine room wouldn't automatically switch over to the diesel room when you surface (as they should).  So your engine room would be undermanned unless you remember to go in and drag them over manually.  IIRC, this could happen with some of your watch or gun crew when you order a dive, too.

Eurgh!  I can't stand that crew management crap even when it works.  What a half-arsed pile of bollocks getting in the way of a good game.

[steve58]

Matrixgames Weekly Deal #2:

From 6th to 12th of May, Steel Panthers - Generals Edition will be sold at $29.99/$39.99 (Digital/Boxed version) and Uncommon Valor will be sold at $19,99/$29,99 (Digital/Boxed version), which is a discount of up to 57 %!

http://www.matrixgames.com/news/1068/The.Deal.of.the.Week,.part.two!

[FlickJax]

Matrixgames Weekly Deal #2:

From 6th to 12th of May, Steel Panthers - Generals Edition will be sold at $29.99/$39.99 (Digital/Boxed version) and Uncommon Valor will be sold at $19,99/$29,99 (Digital/Boxed version), which is a discount of up to 57 %!

http://www.matrixgames.com/news/1068/The.Deal.of.the.Week,.part.two!

yeah but steel panthers doesn't work on windows 7 + apparently

[steve58]

^There seems to be a tweak/fix that works for many: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/fb.asp?m=2452605

[Staggerwing]

Note that the Version of Steel Panthers in the Matrix 'Generals' set is different that the one that Camo Worksop maintains at Shrapnel Games.

[JasonPratt]

Uncommon Valor: good choice, that opens the door to War in the Pacific (regular or extra crispy version). :)

I wonder how many people picked up one of last week's Civil War games? Each deserve a home, but FoF especially.

[JasonPratt]

In other news, Just Cause 2 is still 75% off at Steam for the next 17 hours. Ridiculously good sandbox 3PS value there!

Gamersgate will be running a Simulation Sale this week (they call it midweek even though midweek hasn't started yet); a bunch of those weird foreign "simulator" games are part of the sale (not including the woodcutter sim I want though!), as well as a lot of the Tropico games (held over from the Spring sale). Rollercoaster Tycoon Gold (the first game + expansions) is up for a buck and change (I got that); as well as Microprose's B17 Mighty Eighth game (annoyingly buggy when I bought it at original release, but at this price I can hope for unofficial mod patching). Battlestations Pacific, the (reportedly improved) sequel to Battlestations Midway is part of the sale but not the Midway game. (The game selection for this sale is rather odd. ;) ) The new Bridge construction sim/game is on sale, too; I already picked it up during GG's Spring Sale though.

[Nefaro]

Speaking of sims on sale at gamersgate...

I saw Steel Armor: Blaze Of War going for $8 on this sale.  It's basically Achtung Panzer: Op Star based in a few cold war era conflicts and it includes another tank sim layer so you can get your M-60 & T-62 sim on if you want.  The interface is similarly odd as AP:OS, of course.

[Greybriar]

Amazon is selling a Codemaster Action Pack for $12.49 U.S. It provides Steam Online Game Codes for Clive Barkers Jericho, Damnation, Maelstrom: The Battle for Earth Begins, Overlord 2, Overlord: Raising Hell, Overlord, and Rise of the Argonauts.

Does anyone know how to use this forum's Amazon PC Games Link--> http://www.amazon.com/mn/search/?_encoding=UTF8&bbn=11846801&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1342981750&rh=n%3A468642%2Cn%3A!11846801%2Cn%3A229575&rnid=11846801&tag=grogheads-20 <--with this offer?

[Staggerwing]

I could be wrong but I think there has to be a specific link to the item in question for GH to get credit. LB will know more since he is the GH-Amazon Linkmeister. :D

[Gusington]

I think that is correct. If you use GH as a portal to Amazon, that should be all that is necessary.

[Greybriar]

Newegg is selling Mass Effect 3 for $10 AND offering a $10 rebate making the game FREE! There is also free shipping to addresses within the U.S.

Edit: Venetica and Rollercoaster Tycoon 3: Gold Compilation Pack are also offered for the same price and rebate--both are FREE!

[JasonPratt]

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(My cousins were easily amused once upon a time. ;) )