Should I get the Type XXI

[Karl von Kevinhausen]

So I've been trying to decide whether or not to get the Type XXI for the past 3-1/2 hours, it's August 1944, I have 44k renown to my name, kinda on the fence about this one, I'm not too keen on giving up my twin M42, though, could I get any advice? Thanks

I royally screwed up, and corrupted the Type XXI when I tried to make it available in 1939, and now the conning tower doesn't show on damage control, and it has no flak, in that career, anyway, so stuck with the VIIC/42, which I have heard is somewhat okay, gonna make it more OP with U Flak

[JuanLiquid]

Around that year, trying to shut down planes is like playing roulette. If you want to be real and suffer, keep your current uboat, if you don't mind experiment and feeling overpowered, go XXI!


Usually when I go XXI after suffering hard, I tend to play like a dumbass, since I feel quite superior, so... to things happens: I do not enjoy too much, and I usually get sunk

[Karl von Kevinhausen]

Though I have noticed that as soon as I get into the XXI, I end up returning to base due to damage from those damned Sunderlands, but at least my IXD has killed two Hunter Killer groups, apparently that's possible in Stock SH3

[Aktungbby]

Karl von Kevinhausen!

[Rhodes]

I normally get the XXI when doing a late/almost end war campaing. Normally try to get it March/April 45 and do a little rpg, in being the first to get one operational and do one or more patrols with it.

But no surface, after exiting the fiords, it is like a true sub, always submerge.

Did have some fun in attacking destroyers with the acoustic torpedoes and evading the rest with the fast speeds.

I think it is up to you and what do you want to do with the game. More real life simulation/emulation; rpg or just play a game and have fun. Have a type XXI in 44 and try to win or sink everything and show that you have a uber sub.

[Schnee]

The planes are a serious PITA -- I am crawling across the North Atlantic about to turn south to the Caribean be it seems like the damn planes are almost spooky in their ability to pick up my schnorkel (which I don't believe is at all realistic).


But I'll push on to wars end then start over again and start with another Type IIV. Can only play so many games of Shells of Fury lol

[Gerald]

I would upgrade to IXC with good air gun cannons.

[BristolBrick]

I just got mine, there is a bug with the batteries that they never fully charge, and they chrage slowly when almost full. That and the problem that at periscope depth (16m) in heavy seas you WILL keep bumping up and down from 10m (decks awash) way down to 25m, which is very annoying to me, means half the time I can't see out the periscope, and the engines keep switching to electric and back again, so if you are trying to run standard propulsion you have to keep clicking the button or it'll revert itself to recharge.

Still though it's a superb boat, and I managed to find a small convoy in seas flat as glass, 3 escorts, torpedoed them, and sank every single ship in that convoy, as well as a couple loners I bumped into on my way home.

I 'fixed' the battery problem by just turning off the difficulty option of limited batteries, and then just pretending to recharge them. (Running snorkeled through night mainly) But really, if I didn't care so much for realism I'd play it as a nuclear attack sub, in fact I probably will load a save and do just that, 0% realism will be interesting for sure....

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Rhodes

I normally get the XXI when doing a late/almost end war campaing. Normally try to get it March/April 45 and do a little rpg, in being the first to get one operational and do one or more patrols with it.

But no surface, after exiting the fiords, it is like a true sub, always submerge.

Pretty much what I used to do

XXI sure is amazing! Every spec of it is far superior to everything you've used to and in that sence makes the VII- and IX-line feel like submersible surface boats rather than submarines.
Speed both surface and underwater, diving speed and depth, torpedo loading speed, camo capabilities... All amazing and nothing like before. Plus the best little gizmos German scientist came up like schnorkels and RWR, you name it you got it!


Then again it's late war and there's only so little single kaleun can do to sunk enemy ships and still survive. While having the ability to launch six acoustic torpedoes and reload all tubes in ten minutes or so, attacking convoys is pretty much a no-no. At least unless you're a very seasoned veteran and no excatly how to avoid the finest ASW devices aboard those destroyers.


In 1945 I believe U-boats stuck close to shores protecting fatherland rather than tried to sink merchants in Atlantic or Arctic ocean. While you most certainly can, the massive convoys are extremely dangerous to attack, and then again sinking rogue merchants on the coasts of England doesn't feel the same anymore at that point. The amount of airplanes protecting the seas north and west of British Isles is huge and makes the trip around boring since you have to (and should!) dive all the time.


XXI is a u-boot to experience of course, but would I take it on next time I play the war, I'm not so sure anymore. The feel of overpower makes me recless and attacking convoys recklessly late-war is a sure way to get sunk, excatly like JuanLiquid said! Then again this is in no way XXI's fault

[THEBERBSTER]

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[BristolBrick]

Originally Posted by Mussalo

XXI sure is amazing! Every spec of it is far superior to everything you've used to and in that sence makes the VII- and IX-line feel like submersible surface boats rather than submarines.

The feel of overpower makes me recless and attacking convoys recklessly late-war is a sure way to get sunk, excatly like JuanLiquid said! Then again this is in no way XXI's fault

I don't have that last problem, I did have it in other games. (Mount and Blade - I would get overconfident and recklessly die immediately in battles, so before very battle I would swear to myself even if the odds were massively in my favor - it worked a charm)

My one problem with the XXI technically is the depth keeping in rough seas, if you set it to periscope depth in 15m/s wind, you will unintentionally surface, and half the time the periscope at full extension will be submerged. I shot my planes-man with a luger after surfacing momentarily in the middle of a hunter-killer group I had gotten into by sneaking in, their sonar is terrible in heavy seas. My recommendation is to set depth to 24m if you want to be able to look through the periscope soon, but not right now.

Originally Posted by BristolBrick

My one problem with the XXI technically is the depth keeping in rough seas, if you set it to periscope depth in 15m/s wind, you will unintentionally surface, and half the time the periscope at full extension will be submerged. I shot my planes-man with a luger after surfacing momentarily in the middle of a hunter-killer group I had gotten into by sneaking in, their sonar is terrible in heavy seas. My recommendation is to set depth to 24m if you want to be able to look through the periscope soon, but not right now.

Yes, I have the same problem. XXI slowly rises towards surface from periscope depth. While I understand launching a torpedo decreases the mass of the sub thus increasing the buoyancy, this happens even without launching torpedoes and certainly wasn't a problem with VII or IX.

I think it could be related to other behaviour I witness with XXI: my good old CE, who is a veteran on controlling my subs, has now problems with hitting the target depth with XXI, always exceeding it by dozen meters or so. I guess his internal PID controller is not tuned to underwater speeds over 10 knots..