I'm sure these are very good noob questions:

[jasondef]

OK vets, here's your chance to show off your knowledge and answer some noob questions for the hundredth time. Medals of Valor (me drinking a beer in your name) go to those who can answer the fastest!

1. Is there any reason why I would want to outfit my sub with the Mark 10 torps? In the sub outfit screen in the office of career mode, it looks like I can buy them with renown or something I guess, but their stats seem inferior than that of the Mark 14 torps that automatically are outfitted to your sub at the start of every mission. If they are inferior and cost money, and the better ones come for free on your sub, than why have them as an option?

1 & 1/2. Also when in the office, on the desk, there's a picture framed of a dude (is that me??) that lights up when my mouse hovers over it, but when I click it nothing happens. What's that about?

2. What do the crew medals do? Is there a reference somewhere that explains each one, what they do and how you get them? And knowing that information, what then are good strategies as to which crew members to award them to?

3. I keep reading in different posts that people are radioing in contact reports and patrol updates, and HQ issues you new commands in reply etc. I've tried this and nothing happens. I'm surfaced, no other contacts around. I go to the captain's clipboard and click the two different buttons, one for radioing in a contact report, and another for a patrol update. But I get no indication that it got sent, and nothing ever comes in reply. And this is after I have significant contact info and patrol happenings to report. So how do I do this?

4. I get war updates occasionly about the battle for the Phillipines in the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, etc. Do these happen in the game realtime, i.e. if I'm in the right place at the right time, will I see this action unfold, and possibly lend the support of my sub?

5. I get crew promotions easy enough, it seems that I'll have all captains for a crew by the time the war's over. I remember the best mod for SH3 was a career mod (dang what's the name) that would take members of your crew away (due to transfers, bar fights, etc) randomly, thinning out your ranks, making it more realistic. Is there anything like this yet for SH4?

OK, thanks! That's all for now, though I'm sure there will be more...:yep:

[Taurolas]

1. No there is no reason why you would want to outfit your sub with MK10's not unless your an S class sub (Mk14's were the standard torp for the rest of the fleet so thats why they come as standard).

1.5. If we knew the answer to this one we'd tell ya!

2. crew medals are just pretty things to put on ya dress uniform! apart from that i'm not sure if they improve morale or efficiency, if you have medals to award then i always give em to those that either got injured or did a good job.. like the guns crews shooting down planes. in other words "BE MORE AGGRESSIVE" and you'll get more medals.

3. Check your message board to see if its set to receive messages only... you may also only get replies if there is anything interesting to report to you.
status reports are usually expected at a set time so they may not even be listening out for you if you send em at just any old time... Contact reports are used if you spot ships etc and want to pass on that info.

4. these things happened on the dates specified... i'm not sure if you will actually see a battle, this may also depend on what mods you use and if the layers have been altered. I do however think Lurker with his RSRDC mod has implemented this to some degree but in smaller battlegroup sizes due to frame rate death with lots of ships on screen or in the area at the same time.

5. Believe that was SH3 commander and i believe there is a mod in SH4 that gives a realistic crew configuration.

E&OE 2008

[Seadogs]

As a side note, if you are wanting more realistic shipping, battles, etc. Head over to the mods page and check out RSRD. ;)

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=123467

[capt_frank]

5. I get crew promotions easy enough, it seems that I'll have all captains for a crew by the time the war's over. I remember the best mod for SH3 was a career mod (dang what's the name) that would take members of your crew away (due to transfers, bar fights, etc) randomly, thinning out your ranks, making it more realistic. Is there anything like this yet for SH4?

Is there a MOD for this?, I couldn't find one listed in the 1.4 Compatible MOD list.

[John W. Hamm]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jasondef

5. I get crew promotions easy enough, it seems that I'll have all captains for a crew by the time the war's over. I remember the best mod for SH3 was a career mod (dang what's the name) that would take members of your crew away (due to transfers, bar fights, etc) randomly, thinning out your ranks, making it more realistic. Is there anything like this yet for SH4?


Is there a MOD for this?, I couldn't find one listed in the 1.4 Compatible MOD list.

My Uniform Mod at my signiture fixes this, Aside from the crew getting rank insignias that are correct for their rank, the 1.0 version will end promotions at sea, and the crew will only be promoted when you promote them at base

[capt_frank]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jasondef

5. I get crew promotions easy enough, it seems that I'll have all captains for a crew by the time the war's over. I remember the best mod for SH3 was a career mod (dang what's the name) that would take members of your crew away (due to transfers, bar fights, etc) randomly, thinning out your ranks, making it more realistic. Is there anything like this yet for SH4?


Is there a MOD for this?, I couldn't find one listed in the 1.4 Compatible MOD list.

My Uniform Mod at my signiture fixes this, Aside from the crew getting rank insignias that are correct for their rank, the 1.0 version will end promotions at sea, and the crew will only be promoted when you promote them at base

Will your MOD do this: "...a career mod...that would take members of your crew away (due to transfers, bar fights, etc) randomly, thinning out your ranks, making it more realistic..."?

It's not so much the promos at sea but the crew being transfered/AWOL/whatever so there are empty slots that need to be filled back at base.

[jasondef]

1. Thanks for the torp info, that explains it.

1.5. Nobody knows if the picture on the desk is anything? Maybe you can customize it (like a mod) with your own picture or something?

2. I've seen rumors that the medals actually do boost certain traits of your crews, but the descriptions I've found have been very vague and general. Anyone out there know where I can get the detailed info of these medals? Maybe I contact ubisoft as last resort on this if nobody knows for sure.

3. I finally got confirmation that my radio message got sent. Would you say its rare to get a reply, new orders, etc? I still can't get anything back from HQ.

4. Has anyone run into the battles in the game that knows for sure if you can lend your support?

5. Yes! SH3 Commander was the name, what a great mod that was. We need a mod like this for SH4! Not to make this a one-way relationship, I'd volunteer any help, though I know nothing about modding, hell I'm still building up the courage to install mods.

Quote:My Uniform Mod...the 1.0 version will end promotions at sea, and the crew will only be promoted when you promote them at base John, wait, what? The stock game the crew gets promoted when I promote them at the base, not at sea. Could you explain what your mod does differently?

Thanks Taurolas, for the prompt and thorough response. For being first I'll drink an Arrogant Bastard Ale in your name!

[Powerthighs]

1.5. It is customized by various mods. While it does highlight when you mouse over it has no function beyond that.

2. You will only hear back after sending a patrol report if you have completed your mission, and have enough torps and fuel to be assigned another. Otherwise you won't hear anything.

4. The major historical battles are often incorrectly modeled or don't exist in the stock game. Campaing layer mods like Run Silent Run Deep have done a better job of making these happen. It is difficult to control though since you have to rely on the AI for the surface-to-surface action.

In the stock game Seamen can get promoted at Sea. However to get above Seamen you have to award them a promotion back at base.

[jasondef]

OK, that clearly answers those questions, thank you Powerthighs. Although not being first to reply, that's worthy of at least a Rainier, so I'm gettin' one out the fridge and toasting you. Cheers mate!

The answer to the historic battles question makes me wonder about something else. There are lots of enemy as well as allied task forces running around. Do these to entities ever run into each other and duke it out? Anyone ever see this happen during a patrol? Not in a historic battle setting, but just randomly during a patrol/mission?

[Seadogs]

Anyone ever see this happen during a patrol? Not in a historic battle setting, but just randomly during a patrol/mission?

Extremely rare but possible.

Promotions at sea, think of the major navy enlisted rank grouping "Seaman E-1 to E-3" "Petty officers E-4 to E-6" "Chiefs E-7 to E-9". A seaman will auto promote to E-3 but you must make him a PO. The PO will promote to E-6 but you must make him a chief. etc.etc

Messages generally do not give a response until 1. It's a contact report "must have at least 2 ships visible" or 2. You have completed your mission objective and send a status report where you will either recieve another objective or orders back to port.

[imbiginjapan]

Messages generally do not give a response until 1. It's a contact report "must have at least 2 ships visible" or 2. You have completed your mission objective and send a status report where you will either recieve another objective or orders back to port.
Contact reports only work when you're surfaced and looking at multiple ships. This is kind of weird since you have to be surfaced and radio your positition. Way to be stealthy there!
In addition sending a contact report might result in getting a mission to sink targets. If you don't you end up with an Incomplete mission... this can be annoying when you're at in an S-class doing all of 10 knots, and you're expected to somehow chase down a convoy moving in at 15 knots.
For those reasons I don't generally use the contact reports.


In regards to #5 there are mods to configure the crew more realistically but nothing to take crew away in port. I just roll some dice and take the random crew off the boat after awarding medals. It takes a bit of time, but is at least somewhat realistic.

[capt_frank]

In regards to #5...but nothing to take crew away in port. I just roll some dice and take the random crew off the boat after awarding medals...

I hadn't seen anything MOD wise either that auto rotated crew members off the ship after a patrol.

Would be nice, though.

[jasondef]

Seadogs, thanks for the crew promo breakdown, I now fully see the picture there. So now I see that capt. John's mod that ends promos at sea would greatly slow down how fast these guys promote, which is not a bad thing, worth considering. I don't necessarily disagree with these fast battle field promotions, as long as they can transfer out onto other boats to fill in the ranks of other boats, either new or just to replace other lost crewman etc. We'll have to work on that mod!

And the clarification on the contact reports finally lit the light bulb of understanding above my head. I was reporting contacts well after I was out of sight of them, thinking it would be like the contact reports I get over the radio for someone else, some AI allied sub out there. Doesn't sound like its much use reporting in contacts. Great job, a little later than the others, but I'll force down a shot of rum and toast "to Seadogs!" as it goes down the hatch.

Imbiginjapan, could you clarify what you mean by taking random crew off the boat after awarding medals?

[jazman]

Messages generally do not give a response until 1. It's a contact report "must have at least 2 ships visible" or 2. You have completed your mission objective and send a status report where you will either recieve another objective or orders back to port.
Contact reports only work when you're surfaced and looking at multiple ships. This is kind of weird since you have to be surfaced and radio your positition. Way to be stealthy there!
In addition sending a contact report might result in getting a mission to sink targets. If you don't you end up with an Incomplete mission... this can be annoying when you're at in an S-class doing all of 10 knots, and you're expected to somehow chase down a convoy moving in at 15 knots.
For those reasons I don't generally use the contact reports.


In regards to #5 there are mods to configure the crew more realistically but nothing to take crew away in port. I just roll some dice and take the random crew off the boat after awarding medals. It takes a bit of time, but is at least somewhat realistic.

I pondered this at length, and even sketched out a small database with interface to do this. The dice thing is a lot easier. I just roll a 10-sided die, 1-3 and they're gone (with some other rules such as I can't lose more than one man from each column in the display). The pain is these lost men go back into the pool; if you don't write their names down, you'll find you're recruiting them back...so the writing down is a pain.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

With regards to your SH3 Commander question, JScones had already said he wouldnt be working on a version for SH4, which is a damn shame. That little program was an immense help when it came to joining online SH4 Campaigns :cry: