jPlay plays Silent Victory - Part 1

[@farpointgamingdirect]

Of course war is not a good thing, but playing conflict simulation games stirs parts of your brain that just aren't stimulated by worker placement or other types of simulation games; using your own words against you, "Keep in mind: it's just a game."

[@bhekking]

Love the Lego dice tower!

[@realjplay]

Thanks, Bret. We really put a lot of love into it :-D

[@NefariousKoel]

The transit zones on your sub display, and those same spaces on the map, give you the option to use either to track your movement during a patrol. If you just use the one on your sub display, then you don't even need to use the separate map display. In other words, it saves table space at the expense of visual fluff.

[@realjplay]

Understood - thanks for confirming this as I couldn't really tell the difference but makes sense! It seems "fluff" is nothing a war gamer is craving for ;-)

[@VonChoker]

@@realjplay You'd be wrong since the visual maps were the most requested addition to these games

[@michaelstearnesstearnes1498]

Enjoyed your playthrough. I understand that all crew injuries while submerged are automatically light wounds. This can also be applied to The Hunters and Hunted. Happy that you were able to finally escape the escorts. Subscribed.

[@realjplay]

Thanks so much, Michael! Have you also looked into Wolfpack? Looks intriguing too...

[@wollewotz]

This game may be a dice fest - just like The Hunters or The Hunted - but still it gives you the feeling that your decisions matter. And sometimes it is absolutely ok to play a game where you don't have complete control. Be happy about some lucky dice rolling and desperate about the bad rolls and enjoy the story that the game tells :-)

[@realjplay]

Actually I really agree with you - sometimes it's ok to just rely on some dice rolls. Control is an illusion anyway ;-)

[@dennissvitak148]

Remarkable result with the Taiho! Well done!

[@realjplay]

Thanks, Dennis. I guess this was sheer luck! ;-)

[@dennissvitak148]

@@realjplay - No, it wasn't. You shot ten torps. Mathematically, three are hits, and you needed two damage each. Call it a 50% chance to kill...and you did, with the last hit.

[@joelcole161]

Hej, Markus - Happy Silvester, my friend! ( ... do you think we will start calling this 'Benedictus' soon? I wonder...) Ah, Silent Victory! I enjoy watching (and probably re-watching) playthroughs of this while I work I feel like I've been waiting on this (and "The Hunters") forever... both of my orders are still in the P500 queue from GMT, and pretty far from completion. I know these games almost fall into the "flip a coin and see if you won" category - lol - but I like the developing narrative, even if I don't really have any control over meaningful decisions.

[@realjplay]

Hey Joel - yeah, not completely unlikely. When he became the Pope the headline on a lot of tabloids here was „We are Pope“… I was lucky as I got my copy from the last P500 they did for this but I can relate ;-) Need to check where to get the „Space Empires“ expansions from 🫣

[@Phoneyjoker]

22:30 it didn't matter on the roll, but you did it at +2, isn't it at +3? surface night attack +1, capital ship +1, and previously detected +1?

[@crasher303]

nice play through, you have helped my mind up, I shall be sticking with Gato leader from DVG. I do have compass games Silent War gathering dust on my shelve.

[@realjplay]

Thank you! I believe Gato Leader has a different scale as you command not just one sub, right? Silent War also seems interesting.

[@Phoneyjoker]

14:31, you say 8 is an hit, at medium range it says 7 to less or hit, don't you get a -1 modifier for night surface attack and a +1 for firing at other warships/capital ship since it is a capital ship? Those even out and you need a 7 or less to hit, right?

[@cjsloki9717]

Thanks for this playthrough. I am learning Red Storm by GMT games.

[@realjplay]

And thank you for your comment. Pretty sure "Red Storm" is way more sophisticated (rules-wise) than this one.

[@cjsloki9717]

@@realjplay True.

[@Tombonzo]

Love this game! Yes, there is a lot of dice rolling (doesn’t bother me) but as some say it’s “Luck” .... I don’t agree. The charts are made in “Probability” (I.E. what’s likely to happen). On patrol in certain areas - Rolls reflect the likelihood of “Spotting ships” Damage rolls - The likelihood of what/who gets damaged THEN the probable chance to fix the damage! This game is not luck based at all. There’s mitigation based on the chances of your torpedoes hitting (are they duds)? Chances of being detected or not, how many hits, etc. Not luck based. Great game!!

[@realjplay]

Great insight, Tom! And yes, there are definitely ways to mitigate too much (bad) luck in this one but ultimately you are still rolling a ton of dice :-D (which is fine for me though).

[@NefariousKoel]

Watch out for the random Mine event in this one. If you roll as poorly as I do, it can be a campaign ender!

[@jeromyfisher297]

Great video, if you like this game you should definitely check out GMT P500 listing Wolfpack. It is a simulator placing you in charge of a single submarine/leader of a solo game or four player co-op Wolfpack. I placed my order last month and the game already moved to final out work and development.

[@realjplay]

Thanks so much, Jeromy! Just checked the P500 and it looks intriguing; definitely different enough!

[@michaelorourke399]

Great looking game. Wish I could find a one!!!!!

[@realjplay]

Thanks so much, Michael! I believe I got mine from the usual P500 but haven’t checked if it’s hard to find these days…

[@A._J_.]

Easier to find a Japanese carrier in the Pacific Ocean than to find the rule you're looking for in a GMT Rulebook.

[@realjplay]

Haha - try "Navajo Wars" :-D I really hear what you're saying but this one seems "ok-ish" ;)

[@A._J_.]

@@realjplay Refreshed my vague memory on what Navajo Wars is about after looking at some review videos. Never mind complicated, it looks boring (civilization building games just don't have the punch of apocalyptic games.) Planting corn ugh

[@s.kelling1839]

Teil 2 Herr KaLeun. Schnell, Schnell!!

[@realjplay]

Haha :) Wird auch wieder mal Zeit für Jürgen Prochnow und Martin Semmelrogge in ihren Paraderollen ;-)

[@Phoneyjoker]

26:56 should of been +3 and a +1 to depth charge damages.

[@realjplay]

Thanks for you all your comments, Joshua! I am pretty sure I misinterpreted a lot of those tables during my playthrough but thanks for catching those :)

[@WulfCorbett]

Sound level really low. I think it was on the last few videos too.

[@realjplay]

Hm, is it... During editing I didn’t notice anything unusual but thanks for the feedback, will ask some others too.

[@NefariousKoel]

@@realjplay - Your voice audio is low. Turned it up, but the sonar ping sound effect gave me quite a shock.

[@realjplay]

Need to be silent on a submarine ;-) No, will definitely look into this.

[@WulfCorbett]

@@NefariousKoel I listened with headphones. And regretted it...

[@thelastmotel]

I'd love a good WW2 submarine game, but these Patrol'n'Write games just don't appeal to me.

[@realjplay]

I really hear you! Have you tried the app-driven one? Personally I didn't really enjoy it, so I am also still searching ;-)

[@thelastmotel]

@@realjplay I don't do app games. People rave about Infernal Machine and Atlantic Chase, but they sold out faster than a newly elected politician. I wish GMT didn't do that P500 thing, and just reprinted games normally.

[@realjplay]

True that! I do understand why they are doing this though. Others use Kickstarter or Gamefound for the same reasons…

[@thelastmotel]

@@realjplay I have never kickstarted a game. I can't bring myself to do it. I prefer to buy something retail, once it has come out. I'm just old and old-fashioned, I guess lol

[@WulfCorbett]

This really is just an endless dice fest. Just exactly the kind of solitaire wargame that puts me off solitaire wargames... Try something by Dan Verssen Games instead...

[@NefariousKoel]

I suppose this series of games is okay for short & easy solitaire play, but you're right. There are far more interesting decisions to be made in DVG games such as the "Leader" series. Probably Hornet Leader or Phantom Leader to start with. This one just kinda drags you along for a randomized ride, and there are only a few spots where the player is making a call. At least it's easy to break it out for short stints and pack back up in between.

[@WulfCorbett]

@@NefariousKoel Haven't played this one, but it's just a wet version of B-17. Maybe a great simulation of the randomness and lack of control of warfare, but not many actual decisions to make. I really have to have a go at Pavlov's House & Castle Itter.

[@NefariousKoel]

@@WulfCorbett - Yes, much like B-17 and Target For Today in regards to a lot of rolling adding up to a narrative experience. Although I think those bomber games provide a lot more detail in what's happening than this one. If you want one a bit similar to B-17/TfT, but with more player decisions and a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' style encounter book, I'd recommend checking out the game "Ranger" by Omega Games. For squad leadership behind enemy lines. It has a more recent updated version, including expansion pack, on their site (last I looked).