Roles: How to manage the fire control

[Onkel Neal]

In my preview, I speculated that the natural division of duties would be Captain, Navigator, Engineer, and Radio. That was based on the tutorials, where the Map was one of the four videos. However, it now seems like the “Navigator” should also be manning the TDC. From what I know, in actual submarines in WWII, the captain made observations and called out the range, AOB, etc for the Fire Control officer to input in the TDC.

In the game, this seems like the best arrangement too, so the Captain does not have to take his eye away from the scene on the surface so often. After playing, should the role be called First Officer…? Both players could consult the map, but this would deepen the teamwork between players, I think.

[Usurpator]

In my preview, I speculated that the natural division of duties would be Captain, Navigator, Engineer, and Radio. That was based on the tutorials, where the Map was one of the four videos. However, it now seems like the “Navigator” should also be manning the TDC. From what I know, in actual submarines in WWII, the captain made observations and called out the range, AOB, etc for the Fire Control officer to input in the TDC.

In the game, this seems like the best arrangement too, so the Captain does not have to take his eye away from the scene on the surface so often. After playing, should the role be called First Officer…? Both players could consult the map, but this would deepen the teamwork between players, I think.

The role can definitely be called first officer, since the player will be in charge of fire control, but also act as navigator. The procedure of firing torpedoes is indeed most effective when the captain uses the periscope and forwards the information to the first officer at the TDC.

A very important update that is in the works is manual navigation. This means a lot more work for the first officer, who will have to update the position of the sub and other ships manually on the map. A new station in the control room with the sufficient tools and equipment for navigation will be added as well.

[Onkel Neal]

I got the chance to work with a very good crew tonight and successfully attacked a German destroyer! Yes, having someone to feed the TDC while the Captain makes the observations and calls out the range, speed, & AOB works great, man,it make the fire control setup pretty exciting, especially when you have three other guys counting on you!

:Kaleun_Applaud:

[Cpt-Maxim]

I got the chance to work with a very good crew tonight and successfully attacked a German destroyer! Yes, having someone to feed the TDC while the Captain makes the observations and calls out the range, speed, & AOB works great, man,it make the fire control setup pretty exciting, especially when you have three other guys counting on you!

:Kaleun_Applaud:

Neal was on periscope and gave us the terminology of "Fire Control" for the TDC operator.. and then we realized there are really five important positions or roles.. but only 4 players per sub..

[Chromatix]

Certainly I was running around like a one-armed paper hanger when playing solo. Being able to assign an AI officer to the more routine stations will be very helpful even for multiplayer crews.

Unlike in SH, the periscope doesn't have an azimuth readout within the optics, and there's no way to rotate the periscope without your eye to it, so it's quite hard to visually locate a contact detected by other means.

But once the target was in sight, I was able to set up a range, then point the scope just *ahead* of the target's actual position, so that by the time I could check the TDC's generated bearing, it would be on target again. Otherwise the lag between taking the bearing and checking/entering it on the TDC would cause the fish to miss astern.

It is perhaps not a coincidence that I did *very* well at Maths at school. :know: