Is SH5 worth the purchase right now for my U-Boat sim, or I am better off just sticking with SH3?

It won't hurt to wait. A patch is scheduled to fix major issues and the mod community has been in full swing. I predict that in several months SH5 will be ready for those that are hesitating because of its unfinished state.

The requirement for persistent internet connection and no offline gameplay is a show stopper for many. Unless Ubi relents on that, I don't see a major shift for those who don't buy SH5. That seems to be a bigger issue than a buggy game release many people have come to expect these days.

may be tempted seeing as a certain web retailer has on sale for £12 (you know the one named after a famous river)

Yes, I completly agree and I'm one of those "many people".

I bought and own Silent Hunter 1 and SH1 Commanders Edition, SH2 (and DC as well), SH3 and SH4+U-boat (resuming all Silent Hunter series) but I wont buy SH5 until Ubisoft drops it's ridiculous DRM "protection system", which BTW was already cracked!

There's a web retailer called Chattahootchie?

I'm one who would rather mod my SHIV than get SHV. This stuff just gets crazier.

Deacon

I love SH3 and SH4 but I agree, I'm going to be watching from the sidelines to see how this pans out. If we lose the DRM I'll get it for sure but otherwise, no sale. I play Silent Hunter when I'm traveling and do not often have internet connection so there's just no point.

That is a big reason for hesitation on my part.

I think Rise of Flight has (or is going to) remove the requirement for an internet connection. Maybe Ubi will follow suite?

Even after they remove the DRM (I'm almost certain that they will), I still don't know if I'll buy SH5. Personally, I think giving Ubi any money at all just rewards them for being jerks. Better to see them go bankrupt (not likely) and sell the SH name to someone who will release a good, DRM-free product.

That's of course your choice, but I generally don't make buying decisions based on whether or not I want to "punish" or "reward" a company, but on whether or not they make a product of a quality I want. A game that requiures constant internet connection is more of an inconvenience than it is worth for me. Take that out, and I'd probably have fun playing it, making it a smart buy at that point.