Crew Management

[Johnny Bax]

Howdy guys,

I purchased SH4 the day it was released, but then I got side-tracked with real life(tm) and now I'm finally getting back to playing. I've got the TM mod installed, and I'm going to start doing manual targeting as well.

I've been trying to figure out the crew management, and I'm still not quite sure how it works. Is it like SH3, where you have to rotate guys and send them to their bunks lest their fatigue level get too high? I hated that part of SH3, and just modded the fatigue right out of my SH3 config files.

I don't see any rest areas on the crew management screen, so how do I know when a crew member is "on duty" and when he is "resting".

Is there a way to assign a dedicated DC team, that will automagically run to their assigned DC party when I give the order, and then go back to their normal stations when the crises are over?

Finally, is there a mod available that eliminates or reduces the fatigue factor, so that one doesn't have to micro-manage the crew?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

You can more or less leave the crew as they are. Except when in base I either pick and install new members with skills. At sea you don't have to worry either. They rest when they need to all by themselves (they have zzzzzz on their icons). No fatigue to worry about either as the game automatically regulates it. Neat, huh? If there's action stations then just press all hands man the battle stations button and everyone's ready. One thing do not keep the deck crew and AA crew in their slots. They will get injured or killed if you're depth-charged. Don't ask me why this happens- just one of the quirks of the game or they wear scuba gear all the time. Just place them with the repair crew and all's ok.

[Major Johnson]

This is an excellent question!! And one that I've been struggling with as well!! As far as the damage control team go, can you just pick who you want and leave them in the damage control squares and not the squares in location of the sub stations that they are in when not performing repairs?? I've seen threads where guys were left on damage control and their health went down to nothing. I took this to mean that they were never moved from the damage control team to their respective regularly assigned stations. Personally I would rather not worry about this part of the game, like in SH1, when there's damage, someone starts working on it. Although I can see the purpose of being able to assign which repairs need priority. I was going to search the forum myself but does anyone know off the top of their head if there's a thread about crew management?? Like "Crew Management For Dummies??" :p

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Damge Crew can be activated/deactivated by using the button assignment. I leave 5 crew member in the danage team slots and when there's need of them just activate the 'spanner' icon button. This isn't that hard to manage.

[snakeyez]

One thing do not keep the deck crew and AA crew in their slots. They will get injured or killed if you're depth-charged. Don't ask me why this happens- just one of the quirks of the game or they wear scuba gear all the time. Just place them with the repair crew and all's ok.

Do you know if this problem was addressed in v1.5? It seems my deck gun/AA crew never gets injured by depth charging UNLESS the deck gun or AA gun takes damage from the depth charge. It always ticks me off.

[Major Johnson]

I leave 5 crew member in the danage team slots This isn't that hard to manage.

See, this is what I mean. You specify 5, but there's are more slots. I thought they all had to be filled. Is there any purpose to cycling different crew members in and out of those slots?? Like do they get higher mechanical/electrical repair ratings over time?? This is level of training I need, 2+2=4, not e=MC2. :oops: And no, it's probably not that hard to manage, if you know what you're doing. Not all of us are intuitive enough to figure things out that are easy for others.

[longam]

At the begining of my career I just purchase a couple of high rank sailors and fill the rest with the lowest rank, seem to workout ok.

[Scurvy]

One thing do not keep the deck crew and AA crew in their slots. They will get injured or killed if you're depth-charged. Don't ask me why this happens- just one of the quirks of the game or they wear scuba gear all the time. Just place them with the repair crew and all's ok.

Well I just learned something new. Thanks, DJFL!

[theluckyone17]

Do you know if this problem was addressed in v1.5? It seems my deck gun/AA crew never gets injured by depth charging UNLESS the deck gun or AA gun takes damage from the depth charge. It always ticks me off.

Nope. I got bombed/DC'd by A/C, just as I was submerging (darn early war boats, without enough renown to pick up radar). The deck gun got nicked, and so did my deck gun crew... even though they weren't at stations. This was after 1.5 was installed, no mods.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

I'm not sure about 1.5 since I don't have it. I placed 5 in the crew repair slots since most of the time the deck and AA crew will fill up the 3 empty ones making it 8. But you're free to place as many as you like. They will advance through time like ranks. If you have the renown you can advance them back at base. As for cycling the game does that. Sometimes you hear "Relieve the Watch!" and the conning tower crew and some others change. I'm not too sure if the Damage Crew gets recycled though.

[Major Johnson]

So I guess the work around for the AA and Deck Gun crews to not get injured by colateral damage from depth charges, you have to move them out of the AA and Deck gun slots. Not a problem, but it would be nice if that could happen automatically upon diving.

And I can see how men would advance in experience etc in their regular stations over the course of time. Following that logic, it would make sense to cycle different guys through the damage repair slots, as they would get better at repair work over time.

But I never see the men in the damage repair slots in sleep mode, which leads me to believe they have to be put back in their regular slots to get rest. Now I could be wrong about that, and someone please correct me if I'm wrong. But that just seems like way too much micro-managing for me. The way I would think the game should work is, you assign crewman to damage control, but even though they are in the damage control slots, they should, in reality, still be at their regular stations on their regular sleep cycles, until you activate the damage control team to do repairs.

With that said, I can see the fun, as it were, in the down time of the day, to go into the crew management and move people around, sort of like assigning them to do this and that. But there has to be a nice balance to where it's not too much on the micro-management side. I can also see how someone can forget to do that, where as you run into the problem of low health. It would be nice to have a fail safe notification of some sort.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

No, the damage crew do rest I've seen them. Just make sure the button is turned off. And yes the AA and Deck Gun Crew do not change positions during diving. I usually do not change around crew members. That way they get experience in that particular station. But you can assign skills at base to make them more versatile. It's up to the player what they want to do. Even when injured over time they get healed by themselves (no, no medic on board). Except for pyschological incidents where a member may be shaken all through the patrol (where is Dr. Phil when you need him?). I handle this by replacing him back at base.

[Major Johnson]

No, the damage crew do rest I've seen them. Just make sure the button is turned off.

Ahhh, thanks for clearing that up! Admittedly, the learning curve, along with life's ups and downs, has kept me from playing as much as I normally would. As I peruse the forum, I am picking up tidbits here and there that are making things easier to understand. Thanks! :)

[Syxx_Killer]

I'm still getting used to the crew management of this game, too. In my previous patrol, when I click battale stations, the AA guns would be manned but not the deck gun. It never seemed like I had enough people. There was no people in the damage control, either. This annoyed me, so next time in port I recruited more crew to fill the damage control, deck gun, and AA gun slots. Was that a good idea? I notice they don't cycle through the watches.

[DavyJonesFootlocker]

Here's what to do. In base get at least 5 low-level Bilge Rats for the damage control team. Then get 2 for the Deck Gun and 1 for the AA gun, assuming you're in a porpoise-class boat. Then place all in the damage control team which makes the total to 8. When you need either the deck or aa guns manned just go place them in the appropriate slot. Otherwise keep them in the damage control team.

No problem. That's what we're here at SubSim for. Helping out.:yep:

[Major Johnson]

So then what you're doing is adding 8 extra crew members to the original number you receive when first starting a career?? And you are doing this after you complete your first mission and you've returned to base, right??

Wouldn't 5 low level bilge rats be rather inexperienced at repair work??

[Major Johnson]

Ok, so last night I'm on a patrol, I assign some crew members to the damage control slots. Left it that way for days. I noticed Zs by crew members in their regular slots, but never saw the Zs by the crew members in the damage control slots. I could have missed it I guess, but I kept checking in on it from time to time. Would they not have the same sleep period as the other guys from the area that I pulled them from?? Because there was at least one guy I know which cycle I pulled him from. His buddies were sleeping in there regular slots, but he was in a damage control slot, and apparently wide awake.

[Powerthighs]

The damage control slots are usually not activated, by default they are only activated when you are at battlestations. You can also click a button on the command taskbar to activate damage control yourself.

A station is active when it has a darker background. If not activated, the crew can sleep when they want and will go forever without getting tired.

[SuperCavitation]

Wouldn't 5 low level bilge rats be rather inexperienced at repair work??

When in port, look above the roster on the left. You'll see a box labelled "rank." That's actually a drop-down selector. Make it display by "skill" and look at the "mechanical" sailors. You'll see they will vary from the insane to low-40s. I usually try to get a few rats (cuz they cost zero reknown) with the highest mech skill. That particular skill seems to serve best in Dmg Ctrl.

Also, I never get sailors before my 1st patrol... instead, I go to crew management, do the drop down thing, and look at what I have available (who's the top gunner? he's usually in a torp room believe it or not) then make my adjustments at sea. When I return to port, that's when I recruit based on my need. Bear in mind you cant see who your best sailors are in port (that list is the recruits NOT on your boat) unless you feel like clicking on all 40-odd of them and memorizing names.

His buddies were sleeping in there regular slots, but he was in a damage control slot, and apparently wide awake.

When you move someone, you wake them. At least, that's what I've always seen.

never saw the Zs by the crew members in the damage control slots.

They do sleep. They just do it when they feel like it. :p Kidding. I'll post a pic since I'm on patrol now...

[SuperCavitation]

http://www.jediforest.com/images/dccrewsleep.JPG

Here you are, MJ, and everybody else... Note the fatigue level to the left, and then note Willis' Mechanical, Leadership, and Guns skill. This is why you want gunners to be in DC when they aren't shooting at anything. The sailors with the highest Leadership in their compartment/shift should always be in the leftmost square.

Also note the two other guys with the Torps icons. Like I mentioned before, sometimes your best gunners arent even in the gun slots when you start Patrol #1. One is my AA gunner and the other is the loader for Willis.

Yes, I'm missing a rat; I forgot to get one in port. :dead:

[Major Johnson]

If seeing is believing, then call me a "Monkee" cause "I'm A Believer". :p Ok, I know, you're all thinking "he just didn't", but it's cheese music at it's best!! Plus in my other life I'm a musician.

Thanks for that screen shot SC! This whole crew management thing is getting clearer, although I have yet to play the game long enough to return to port to purchase/recruit/shanghai other crew members. I may have other questions at that time! :hmm:

[jazman]

When I had guys manning the deck gun station, and I've been submerged suffering a depth charging or a bombing, I notice that if the deck gun takes damage, they get wounded. Then, because of some damage repair issues, where I can't repair the gun at all (even though it's 0.017 or some such low amount), if I re-man the deck gun station they start accumulating wounds.

So I ended up using Damage control and put the gunners there, so they're out of range of the Deck Gun o' Death.

Also, I've been reading Spadefish, and on the last patrol they had nine officers and 75 enlisted men (going by memory here, although I'm pretty sure it added up to 84). (One was a Warrant Officer, which isn't the same as a CPO.) If you look at all the slots on a Balao, if you fill out the whole thing, that'll get you about there. So it's not unrealistic, as far as total crew count, to have the whole Damage Control station packed out with men.