SILENT HUNTER was first described as ACES OF THE DEEP, only in the Pacific with the US Sub Service, and in high resolution. While that is more or less true, SILENT HUNTER is also a class in itself.

In SILENT HUNTER the player commands an American diesel submarine in WWII. Starting with the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor, hunting season for Japanese warships and merchants opens in the South Pacific. The general idea of the simulation is to sink as much tonnage as possible without ending up on the Still on Patrol list at the end of the war. The historical faithfulness of AOD is renowned, and SILENT HUNTER hit the same mark for accuracy, employing the services of William "Bud" Gruner, who was the technical advisor for the game.

The Simulations Group at SSI/Mindscape is now at work on several projects for the new "DCS" (Digital Combat Series) line of products, including Harpoon IV and Luftwaffe Commander. Bill Becker, president of Aeon Entertainment and SSI Simulations Producer Rick Martinez, form the nucleus of the Silent Hunter II collaboration. Executive Producer Carl Norman, (producer of the original Silent Hunter), is now heading up the SSI/Mindscape Simulations Group. Recently we had an opportunity to speak with all three men about where this new simulation will take us.

CSIM: Lets start with some history. Silent Hunter was a fantastic entry into the genre, keeping my attention in a way that AOD never did. Tell us a bit about the conception of Silent Hunter and what you were attempting to accomplish.

The subject of the American submarine force in the pacific had been neglected for quite some time. In fact, Silent Service II (1990) was the last significant game on the subject. We had talked for quite some time with SSI about doing the next generation of WWII sub sim and in early '94 the timing seemed right. From the start our goal was to create the most realistic sub simulation to date using the latest technology and the best graphics in the business.

CSIM: SILENT HUNTER II simulates the German untersea service. How did this decision to simulate the other side of the war experience come about?

The battle in the Atlantic was very different from the American experience in the Pacific. There were many interesting elements that we wanted to explore: the "technology war" between the Germans and the Allies, the large convoys and sophisticated tactics used by the allied escorts, the German Type XXI electric boats, wolf-packing, and the list goes on. The subject matter is intriguing and that's why people keep coming back to it over and over again. Silent Hunter II will simulate U-boat operations in the Atlantic between 1939 and 1945.

CSIM: Its hard to imagine a graphics environment beyond that of the first Silent Hunter. What are your goals graphically? And will Silent Hunter II be written for Glide (3dfx)?

Silent Hunter achieved its "look" by getting everything we possibly could out of the technology available. For example, through careful selection and reuse of colors we were able to squeeze every last ounce out of the 256 color palette, creating a vibrant and dynamic look that belied the actual capabilities of the hardware. With the new 3D cards available, a lot of these limitations have been removed allowing for far more realistic visuals than we could even imagine when developing Silent Hunter over 3 years ago.

Even though Silent Hunter was internally a "3-D" game, its visual representation of ships and aircraft using sprites locked us into viewing from one "plane". This was realistic in that real sub crews were limited to this perspective as well, but it wasn't as satisfying to players who wanted to see the action from a variety of angles. Silent Hunter II will be fully 3-D, giving the player many more views from which to enjoy the action.

The 3-D engine we're using supports Direct3D and OpenGL. Whether we support a chipset specific API like Glide (3Dfx) really depends on the market at the time of the game's release. We're certainly designing the game with that possibility in mind.

Click for larger photo.

CSIM: I remember the first time I went up to the bridge on a moon-lit night in the South Pacific. WOW! I remember thinking later that if a seal had crawled to the side of the boat I wouldn't have been surprised! Will there be this much attention to the environment in SH II? Will we see weather?

There will the same level of attention to detail. We'll be upgrading most of the effects from Silent Hunter while adding a quite a few new ones. Silent Hunter II will use 16-bit color, allowing far better color effects.

We plan on completely revamping the visibility and hazing routines to allow for realistic low visibility weather conditions. In Silent Hunter, under low visibility conditions, ships would simply "pop" into view. The larger palette and better hardware available now makes it possible for us to create a smooth and realistic transition from non-visible to fully visible. Ships will slowly appear out of the haze. This is but one example of the improvements we plan on making to the original graphics engine.

CSIM: An area that could have been more developed in the original was the use of radio. Will we see more in SH II?

The lack of realistic radio communications is one of the issues we are addressing. A much more complete and powerful communications package will be included with Silent Hunter II, allowing for both reception and transmission of radio and beacon signals. For the Kriegsmarine, this is especially important because of their heavy reliance on communications when operating in wolf-packs. This also adds an additional element of danger since these transmissions were often intercepted by the Allies.

CSIM: The wolf-pack was a German innovation. What will see in terms of joint operations in SH2?

The German's use of the wolf-pack is legendary and will be an integral part of Silent Hunter II, both in the single and multi player game. This cooperative element is perhaps the biggest difference between the original and the sequel. In the single player game, fellow U-boats will be under computer AI control. However, things should really get interesting in multi player action during a coordinated attack on a large convoy. The game is being optimized around this very scenario.

CSIM: What kinds of missions will the skipper be tasked with in SH II?

Quite a few additional special missions will be added to Silent Hunter II in additional to typical convoy attacks. Mining, primarily using the TMB "seabed" mine, will be popular early in the war. Transport, supply, escort, surveillance, photo recon, and harbor attack missions are also planned.

CSIM: In the first patch for Silent Hunter we had the additional task of rescuing downed pilots. It seems to me that areas like that could be greatly expanded, both in operation and in graphics, animation and effects. Will we see this kind of development in SH II?

We intend on improving these missions by adding more variety, realism, and visual payoffs. For example, harbor defenses in the original Silent Hunter were weak and the ship AI had trouble with shallow water, causing them to run aground. This lessened the challenge of harbor attacks. We're improving the AI and shore defenses to make these types of missions more challenging. We're also adding more obstacles like channels, minefields, and blockships. Using full 3-D, the overall look and realism of the harbors should be greatly enhanced.

CSIM: Accuracy in weapons and systems is a hallmark of the original. What advances are being made in this area for SH II?

Our intent is to pick up where Silent Hunter left off in the area of accuracy. The Germans and Allies continually were creating new and better weapon systems in an attempt to neutralize the others advantage. This is one area where the war in the Atlantic was more interesting than the Pacific. Allied advances like the hedgehog, squid, "Huff-Duff", and Fido will be modeled. The Kriegsmarine will counter with new and experimental torpedoes (FaT, LuT, T5), radar, Metox, and some other, more obscure weapons. The onboard systems will be modeled with the same attention to detail as the original Silent Hunter. CSIM: In Silent Hunter we interacted with a wide range of opponents. What will SH II bring us?

Silent Hunter II will carry on the tradition by allowing the player to interact with a large number of enemy ship classes and types. We'll model over 50 different ships and subs and over 10 different aircraft from Great Britain, the U.S, and Germany. A few examples include: King George V and Scharnhorst class battleships, Town and Benson class destroyers, and Flower class corvette.

CSIM: With the release of the first patch convoy AI stepped up a notch. Have there been any advances in opponent AI for Silent Hunter II?

We'll be upgrading the opponent AI in general by adding additional allied tactics, supporting new weapon systems, and filling in some gaps and flaws in the original game that could be exploited by the player. However, at no time will we improve the enemy response by "cheating". (Giving the enemy information that he would not have had in real life). As stated earlier, the other major area of AI improvement is enemy response around coastal areas and harbors. AI will be improved to allow ships to handle these special conditions better. This should make sneaking into harbors and shallow waters as risky in the game as it was in real life.

CSIM: This past year has brought us some large advances in both ballistics and physics modelling in military sims. Will we see this effect in SH II?

We intend on upgrading all of the modeling with both realism and performance in mind. The physics in Silent Hunter II will be as realistic as we can make it with the current hardware limitations. As was the case in the original game, we will have several levels of modeling from easy to ultra realistic so that the game remains accessible to the novice as well as the hardcore sim fan.

CSIM: Damage modeling is another area of growth in PC sims. What is the modeling like in SH II?

I know some users have expressed a desire to have more control over the repair process while others think the abstract system used in the original game is fine. We're looking into offering more control over repairs. However, whether it makes it into the final release is dependent on how much fun it is in the prototype stage.

CSIM: I don't recall ever having random failures in Silent Hunter other than torpedos, but I imagine that in the real submarines engines and systems like radar would break down. Will we see any of this in Silent Hunter II?

This feature was planned in the original game but was left out because it was felt that it might be too frustrating for the player. However, we've altered our views on this after seeing the number of people who would have liked to see random failures included. This will be included as a realism option in Silent Hunter II.

CSIM: Many players want to see more dynamic AI, even a dynamic campaign option. What kind of campaign system will we see in SH II, and if it isnt' dynamic how will you give it a dynamic feel?

We will be redesigning the system to increase realism and play-balance. The world will be more "active", including friendly and enemy operations that are independent of the player's actions. There will be interaction with other U-boats and aircraft as well. This type of "dynamic world" has been tried before, but never to our knowledge in a submarine simulation.

CSIM: The original Silent Hunter included footage from WWII that really added to the sense of being there. Will we see more of this for Silent Hunter II? Silent Hunter II will include a full multimedia reference, complete with interviews, sub tours, film footage, diagrams, and plenty of historical information. We're already talking to actual U-boat commanders and scholars about working with us on this online reference.

CSIM: Sierra did an excellent job with Aces of the Deep, and some would say no one could surpass that effort. How do you intend to prove them wrong?

Aces of the Deep is a great game, a real benchmark in submarine simulations. Silent Hunter was influenced by it and so was every other sub game that came after. However, we've always felt that Silent Hunter can stand toe to toe with Aces. They're both great games. To be honest, there is no excuse for not substantially surpassing both games. We have a great game to build on, we have the knowledge of the subject matter, and we've had a chance to see where mistakes were made the first time. We feel that we're in a strong position to create one of the finest combat simulations in any genre.

CSIM: Silent Hunter simulated the Allied side of the experience. What are key differences in approach in simulating the other side of the conflict? For example, in attack strategy, risk factor, etc.

The biggest difference is in the implementation of wolf-packing. The level of coordination between the U-boats and BdU is much greater than that used by the Americans. Many of the new features are necessitated by this close coordination of wolf-packs. There is also a much greater range of mission difficulty depending on the time period. Obviously, during the "happy times" attacks will be fairly easy while later in the war almost any attack will be suicide. Maintaining the proper balance at each stage of the battle is another major difference between the two games.

CSIM: What are the unique challenges to creating a simulation of the uboat experience?

Perhaps the biggest challenge is in keeping the game entertaining even when fighting for the losing side. By 1943, U-boat missions had become suicidal. Losses were staggering. How do we balance the game to keep it fun while offering the realism that the hardcore gamers demand?

Play balance is the most difficult issue in any game, even when realism levels are offered. It is especially difficult with the Battle of the Atlantic. Another big challenge is to cut through the hype and the myth to offer a truly realistic experience. The U-boat mystique is especially strong. Even to this day there are strongly polarized opinions regarding U-boats and the level of the threat they represented to the allies. The facts are easy to research… Interpreting them is far more difficult.

CSIM: Have you been able to find ex U-boat captains to add the same video interview and instruction dimension that was part of Silent Hunter?

We are talking to some U-boat commanders, including surviving top aces, about being involved in the project. We can't name names yet, but there will surely be contributions made by recognized U-boat commanders and scholars.

CSIM: What feature most excites you about SH II?

There are so many, its hard to pick just one, but the addition of multi player wolf-packing and the new 3-D engine will have the greatest impact on the game.

CSIM: With SH2 being the first instalment of the historical naval portion of the Digital Combat Series, is it your goal to create an interoperable simulation of the surface side of the battle?

Yes

CSIM: So your hope is to build a destroyer sim or something similar to allow a multiplayer experience in the same theatre defending against the U-boats?

Yes, thats what we would like to do. The Digital Combat Series is intended to allow this kind of interoperability. Our direction is to create combat simulations that can be networked together. This is certainly the most fun and challenging environment for the player.

CSIM: (Large smile on face)...When can we expect to see SH II?

The summer of 1999

CSIM: I can't wait! Best of luck to the SSI and Aeon crews!