Upgrading Your Boat?

[The Fishlord]

Hey everybody I just got SH4 a week ago and I'm having a blast with it. An average patrol so far is about 4 times what other "aces" have sunk so far in their careers. It's a great game for the WWII geek like me.

Anyways I've been moving through the career so quickly that it's already almost November 1942.

In the manual the appearance (and configuration of deck guns, etc) changes as years go by. I've got the USS Drum, a Gato class sub, but it's still stuck as the "1941 model". Do I have to somehow upgrade it myself in my office? Should it automatically upgrade at the end of 1942? What's going on? My old sub looks wimpy compared to the cool screens I see :down:

Thanks for any replies.

[Mush Martin]

Welcome to subsim matey.
You use prestige points to buy upgrades when your in base
click on the submarine in the captains desk to pick upgrades
and click on the crew picture to pick your crew and promote
or train them.

[The Fishlord]

Welcome to subsim matey.
You use prestige points to buy upgrades when your in base
click on the submarine in the captains desk to pick upgrades
and click on the crew picture to pick your crew and promote
or train them.

I already know all about that. I've looked through all the possible upgrades.

Where do I find an upgrade that switches it from Gato-1941 to Gato-1942?

If you read the manual you would know what I'm talking about. Under the classes of US submarines, there are usually at least three different years that a sub matures through. Mine isn't.

[Q3ark]

Where do I find an upgrade that switches it from Gato-1941 to Gato-1942?


I'm not 100% sure on this but as far as i know you get a pop up that tells you when a sub upgrade (conning tower, new sub etc) is available and you can accept or refuse the upgrade.

As i say not too sure on this as i have never had the chance to finish a career.

[tennozan]

I've been curious about this as well. Specifically, once I have a sub do I keep that sub until war's end (or being sunk) or can I replace the whole enchilada?

[Mush Martin]

If you read the manual you would know what I'm talking about.

Thats Funny:nope: nice second post.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=128825



@ Q3ark ....
thats correct.

[Q3ark]

I've been curious about this as well. Specifically, once I have a sub do I keep that sub until war's end (or being sunk) or can I replace the whole enchilada?

Yes if you're good enough the big wigs at pearl will offer you a brand new boat:yep: Or you can refuse the upgrade and keep the old one.

If you accept a new boat the old crew come with you. You dont have to start with a green crew again.

[The Fishlord]

Yes if you're good enough the big wigs at pearl will offer you a brand new boat:yep: Or you can refuse the upgrade and keep the old one.

So you mean "upgrade" as in an "improved conning tower", not "upgrade" as in new ship?

[Sailor Steve]

The Fishlord, WELCOME ABOARD!:sunny:

[Charlielima]

Welcome aboard M8. I skipper the S boat. As time and patrols pass, new radars and guns are made available to me to purchase with renown points. I've been offered a new boat a couple of times after a patrol but haven't taken it. Those fleet boats are too big. The speed and range is bitchin' tho. If they offer me a Super S Boat, anechoic coated albacore hull, snorkel, ships' force with 30 and 50 cal small arms for pesky gunboats and troop ship survivors. I'll take it. Well Doggies! yah right. Maybe in SH-X. CL

[The Fishlord]

It's now November 1942 and it still shows no way to upgrade the ship itself. Yes, I see to upgrade RADAR, AA guns, and the deck guns, but not the conning tower. I haven't been offered an option for it...I'm still confused.

I got some pictures if you're having trouble understanding. How do I turn a sub with this conning tower...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/USS_Gato%3B0821235.jpg/415px-USS_Gato%3B0821235.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/USS_Gato%3B0821235.jpg)

Into a sub with THIS conning tower...?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/USS_Paddle%3B0826305.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/USS_Paddle%3B0826305.jpg)

Do I actually need to buy the sub in that year to get this version? If so, I think this is quite unrealistic because in real life subs would be ripped apart and put back together again with totally different looks.

[DrBeast]

Judging from older threads dealing with this issue, it's a touch and go thing. You might get offered a conning tower upgrade, or you might not, no matter how well you perform. There was a post about how to "force" the game to choose an upgraded conning tower somewhere in Subsims, but it's been a while. I'll do some digging around and see if I can find it. It's a simple change in one of the saved game's .upc files, but details elude me right now.

[DrBeast]

Amazing what you can do with a shovel and some patience! ;)
I found the thread I was refering to, it's over here (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=123857). Therein is discussed the mechanics behind the conning tower upgrade offer.
The fix to "force" the game to use an upgraded tower can be found in this post (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=673988&postcount=13). Just replace any references to Salmon with Gato (that's the boat you're using, right?).

[Q3ark]

Yes if you're good enough the big wigs at pearl will offer you a brand new boat:yep: Or you can refuse the upgrade and keep the old one.

So you mean "upgrade" as in an "improved conning tower", not "upgrade" as in new ship?

As far as I am aware, both. New conning towers and new boats are offered to you in this manner.

[The Fishlord]

Amazing what you can do with a shovel and some patience! ;)
I found the thread I was refering to, it's over here (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=123857). Therein is discussed the mechanics behind the conning tower upgrade offer.
The fix to "force" the game to use an upgraded tower can be found in this post (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showpost.php?p=673988&postcount=13). Just replace any references to Salmon with Gato (that's the boat you're using, right?).

Does this also change the positioning of the deck gun?

When I look in the manual, the Gato 1942 class has the deck gun on the bow instead of the stern. Will it also cause that to be moved or will I have to look for that myself?

[LZ_Baker]

The deck gun you do yourself in the upgrade window. You should get options like
3" gun (FWD)
3" gun (AFT)
4" gun (FWD)
4" gun (AFT)

[Captain Vlad]

And of course which placement of the gun is better has been heavily debated.:D

[Rockin Robbins]

Hey Fishlord. Those aren't sugar boats!:rotfl: One is a Salmon/Tambor class and the other a Gato. You can't turn one into the other, you must be issued a new boat from construction for that to happen.

Upgrades are offered on a merit basis, but there is a random character to it. Some great perfroming skippers aren't offered because of a bad roll of the dice. You can maximize your chances of being offered upgrades by NEVER refitting and continuing the same patrol, unless you're just extending your range to get back to base.

The more patrols you take, the higher the chance you'll be offered the new construction or rebuild options.

Have you given up on the sugar boat? If so, I don't blame you. The Gatos and above are sweet boats. If the sugar boats were so great they never would have built something better.:arrgh!:

[Fincuan]

Hey RR those are both Gato class boats. The upper one is Gato herself, and the lower one is Paddle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Paddle_(SS-263)). :up:

[tennozan]

Well, it's 1943 and after 8 patrols I return to Pearl and get message from command that they are offering me a new boat. My choice to take her or not. I do and she's a beaut - Balao class. Reading the specs on the boat classes I can't see much difference over my Gato but gee don't she shine? :) Now to give her a proper shakedown cruise...

Update: well, yes there is a difference. She crash dives in about half the time my Gato did. She's a keeper.

[Rockin Robbins]

Well, it's 1943 and after 8 patrols I return to Pearl and get message from command that they are offering me a new boat. My choice to take her or not. I do and she's a beaut - Balao class. Reading the specs on the boat classes I can't see much difference over my Gato but gee don't she shine? :) Now to give her a proper shakedown cruise...

Oh my gosh, take her and run before they change their minds!

@Finquan: Most interesting. I should, perhaps, learn to read the captions?:damn: I just assumed that my Gato didn't have the same tower as my Tambor so the conning tower was part of the model! Wonder in an unlabeled pic of Gato how you would identify the class? They were so close in appearance. Love my Balao though! I'm 21% hull damaged and still have a great performing boat! (stupid deck gun at escort tricks)