Depends upon the mod. Some mods negate the effect of the thermocline, others accentuate it. Some give the escorts superman hearing, others make them deaf. The settings for Elite, Veteran, Competent, etc for the crew skill, is also influenced by CFG files. A whole bunch of variables that can be adjusted. "Silent Running" really isn't so silent. The older the boat, the more noise it made, and you might have a shaft bearing going bad, or Bernard is back in the galley banging on the pipes,
Gertrude the mascot cat just sneezed... If you're still in Ralles Mod Pack, add-in that Tokko's Revenge that CaptainScurvy put in with his OTC, and you'll really find the escorts now have x-ray vision from 16,000 yards, and not just 11,500...
