How will health/damage be modelled ?
 

How will health/damage be modelled ?
Multiplayer and single player .

We have discussed damage control but have not decided on exactly what and how.

What about just some simple flooding inside the sub . The more damaged the sub gets the harder it is to use the controls (controls are underwater and hard to see)/ controls don't work . Sonar/hydro room controls don't work for example while under water . Flooding would go chest height and it would have blur effect so difficult to find things / use things . You could have 2 bilge pumps operated either side of the sub in the engine room . So 1 pump operated by 1 guy gives half speed pumping out or have 2 guys , 1 on each pump to pump the water out faster . Bilge pump is linked to electric engines and uses electric stored power . Engine room operator would have to keep a very careful eye on the battery level . Another idea about the flooding is keep the water horizontal but tilting the boat down or up could raise the level forward or aft . Just gives the person in control of the dive controls something to think about . If the sonar/hydro room controls dont work then he might as well be pumping out water in the engine room via the bilge pump switch . Controls should work when clear of water . I am just thinking about what you said about people only playing between 1 and 3 hours which is true . You wouldn't want something destroyed and unrepairable or having a timer for damage . I cannot see how health would need to be modelled . The flooding water could have some weight affecting buoyancy . You wouldnt need visual damage apart from flooding and smoke imo . Sitiing on the bottom of the sea would be enough incentive not to get hit by shells / bullets / depth charges lmo . CO2 ? maybe as CO2 builds up you could have vapors like in the engine room currently so that it eventually gets too much too see anything inside the sub .
Neal : someone man the pump , the waters knee high .
Neal : Hydro , is the Hydro still operational .
Hydro : Yes sir .
Neal : depth charges close , the water is rising .
Neal : is the hydro operational
Hydro : No sir
Neal : Hydro , go man the second pump .

Do you imagine pumping as crew activity as pushing pump button by mouse button or moving handwell to the top and back, again and again?

IMHO the better way is simulation of damage effects (especially that campaign is linear missions based):

Leaks: increase weight on sub, problems with trimming, speed, manoeuvering (higher inertia of sub), solved by noise pumping on.

No oxygen: screen is going to be darker and darker, solved by surfacing

Equipment malfunction: a simple brain-game to connect wires between point A and B.

I was thinking multiplayer when I typed it . Wouldn't work for single player . Not too keen on the black screen . 64 bit game should have the best visual and sound effects imo .
Ok , I agree the hand pumping of the bilge is a bit lame . But the bilge pump should be modelled and extra battery consumed .
How would you have it work ?