A question about saved games?

[Systemlord]

I just finished War patrol 1 and have 15 saved game from that patrol, my question is can/should I delete those now that I am done with that patrol? The reason I ask this is because in SH3 whenever you deleted a saved game it mess things up, in SH3 you weren't supposed to delete any saved games cause that would affect things later in the game.

Thanks Systemlord.

[kylesplanet]

I just finished War patrol 1 and have 15 saved game from that patrol, my question is can/should I delete those now that I am done with that patrol? The reason I ask this is because in SH3 whenever you deleted a saved game it mess things up, in SH3 you weren't supposed to delete any saved games cause that would affect things later in the game.

Thanks Systemlord.

I always delete them and have never had any problems.

[-Pv-]

Deletes don't cause a problem unless you delete the one you need.

Those saves use a huge amount of space so if that matters, you should delete one or two once in a while. I usually keep one patrol's worth around. I have used the interface to delete as many as 20 at a time with no problems.
-Pv-

[Zero Niner]

The save game system is vastly improved from that used in SH3.
You can even delete prior saves from the same patrol with no issues.

[Systemlord]

Thats good to know, thanks guys! Hay which suds should I upgrade to that are better later in the campaine?

[Zero Niner]

That's subjective; some players like older subs 'cos of the additional challenges they face. Others want a Balao-class asap 'cos of the deeper diving depth. It's really up to you & how you play the sim.

FWIW, here are the classes of US boats in WW2 that appear in SH4, in chronological order of appearance (taken from Wiki & memory, E&OE)

S-class (SH4 models 2 different types of S-class).
Porpoise
Salmon
Sargo
Tambor (1st fleet boat with 6 forward tubes)
Gato
Balao

In general, the later boats are "better", in the sense that they carry more & better torpedoes, cruising range, crush depth, etc. But it is entirely possible to play a campaign using one of the earlier classes.

[Systemlord]

That's subjective; some players like older subs 'cos of the additional challenges they face. Others want a Balao-class asap 'cos of the deeper diving depth. It's really up to you & how you play the sim.

FWIW, here are the classes of US boats in WW2 that appear in SH4, in chronological order of appearance (taken from Wiki & memory, E&OE)

S-class (SH4 models 2 different types of S-class).
Porpoise
Salmon
Sargo
Tambor (1st fleet boat with 6 forward tubes)
Gato
Balao

In general, the later boats are "better", in the sense that they carry more & better torpedoes, cruising range, crush depth, etc. But it is entirely possible to play a campaign using one of the earlier classes.

That doesn't tell me anything more than the crappy manual, which subs carry better torpedos, cruising range, crush depth, etc..??? I'm using the Gar class sub with 6 forward tubes out of Pearl Harbor in 1941 on my second patrol. What I want to know is which subs are able to use bigger deck guns and bigger better flack guns. I have a question regarding the selections for my first sub's weapon choices (Deck dun & flack gun) early in the game, it says 4 50. cal deck gun then twin 20mm air guns. When I choose 4 50. cal deck gun it gives me a main gun (deck gun) that reloads really slow. I think the manual is plain crap in explaining this!! How can a deck gun have 4 50. cal guns on it? This game was clearly rushed into market.

[gAiNiAc]

[How can a deck gun have 4 50. cal guns on it? This game was clearly rushed into market.

4/50 does not mean 4 50 cal machine guns. It means the deck gun has a 4" projectile and the barrel is 50" long.

[tomoose]

As Gainiac says, it's not 4 x .50 cal, it's a 4-inch projectile with a 4x50 inch barrel (200 inches long which equals 16.6ft). Conversely the 3/50 inch gun = 3 inch shell with a 3x50 inch barrel (12.5 ft barrel length).
Go to this link and scroll down to the US section for a more detailed explanation of the gun designation.
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/Gun_Data.htm
Yes the loading time is slow but if you use one of the mods (i.e. TMO) the loading time is adjusted slightly but it is still a slow process (think about the real process, one up the spout, one shell being held ready by an assistant gunner, the rest being passed as required from below deck by hand).

Hope this helps. Bigger deck guns, bigger flak guns? I've used my deck gun only twice after many patrols and only then to finish off an already torpedoed ship. These are not your primary weapons, your torpedoes are.

Yes, the manual is crap, Subsim can answer most if not all your queries.:up:

[gAiNiAc]

As Gainiac says, it's not 4 x .50 cal, it's a 4-inch projectile with a 4x50 inch barrel (200 inches long which equals 16.6ft). Conversely the 3/50 inch gun = 3 inch shell with a 3x50 inch barrel (12.5 ft barrel length).
Go to this link and scroll down to the US section for a more detailed explanation of the gun designation.
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/Gun_Data.htm
Yes the loading time is slow but if you use one of the mods (i.e. TMO) the loading time is adjusted slightly but it is still a slow process (think about the real process, one up the spout, one shell being held ready by an assistant gunner, the rest being passed as required from below deck by hand).

Hope this helps. Bigger deck guns, bigger flak guns? I've used my deck gun only twice after many patrols and only then to finish off an already torpedoed ship. These are not your primary weapons, your torpedoes are.

Yes, the manual is crap, Subsim can answer most if not all your queries.:up:

Doh! Forgot to multiply!

[seafarer]

[How can a deck gun have 4 50. cal guns on it? This game was clearly rushed into market.

4/50 does not mean 4 50 cal machine guns. It means the deck gun has a 4" projectile and the barrel is 50" long.

err, not quite. The calibre is indeed 4" in diameter. The "50" means the barrel length is 50xcalibre - ie. 50-times-4" = a barrel length of 200 inches. The number in a naval rifle after the slash (eg. 6"/45, 14"/50, 16"/50, etc) is just the barrel length as a multple of the calibre.

[seafarer]

Thats good to know, thanks guys! Hay which suds should I upgrade to that are better later in the campaine?

Well, for suds, my preference is Guiness, but a nice Pale Ale will do in a pinch too :D

[banjo]

Ha! Seafarer, good one! I noticed that too.

As far as saves--I keep only 3 during each patrol--wp1, wp2, wp3. When I save I tell it to overwrite the oldest (bottom) one. I see no reason to keep more. I also keep the last AutoSaveLeavingPort save for each patrol. In case of corrupted saves, which can happen, this allows me to re-start that captain/career at the beginning of that patrol rather than having to create a new career.

[Systemlord]

Ha! Seafarer, good one! I noticed that too.

As far as saves--I keep only 3 during each patrol--wp1, wp2, wp3. When I save I tell it to overwrite the oldest (bottom) one. I see no reason to keep more. I also keep the last AutoSaveLeavingPort save for each patrol. In case of corrupted saves, which can happen, this allows me to re-start that captain/career at the beginning of that patrol rather than having to create a new career.

Something else I have noticed, the more saves you have per patrol the more has to be loaded. Lastnight "WP 2 Save 18" took forever to load, I almost thought it wasn't going to load at all. I sunk two Huge ocean liners 5000 apart from oneanother, I seem to be sinking a lot of Huge liners lately.:D When and how often should I be seeing battleships to sink? Third patrol and not one as of yet, does going deeper work better for you when the enemy is looking for you? When I first stike I'm already in "Silent Running" and don't go any faster than ahead 1/3. You would think one torpedo is enough to sink an huge ocean liner, I go for keel shot (1-3 feet below ships hull) and sometimes it seems side impact is batter. theres so many unansrwed questions about this sub sim. Thanks guys!

[Zero Niner]

Can't comment about the loading times. Mine appears ok to me, but then what's ok to me might not be ok to someone else.

When and how often you should be seeing battleships? Very rarely. If you think about it, navies do not send capital ships willy-nilly all over the ocean without a specific purpose. They are too valuable for that. Battleships don't go on patrol, they are sent out (with plenty of other vessels) on missions, such as engaging enemy ships, or as part of a task force. For instance, US BBs in the later part of the war did shore bombardment missions to support the invasions of various parts of Japanese-held territories. They did not cruise the Pacific looking for enemy ships to engage, unless there was specific intelligence which warranted the formation of a task force.

Now within the stock game (I think) such encounters are randomised. So it's pretty much down to luck, I'm not sure as I've spent most of my career patrols using the Run Silent Run Deep Campaign (RSRDC) mod. In this mod the entire campaign layer has been overhauled (the campaign layer is the information that tells the game when to spawn what units, what routes to take, etc) so as to correspond to historical records. As you can imagine this is really tedious work, but we have now is a good simulation (and similarity to history). With the knowledge that we have (hindsight) you should know where to patrol to maximise your chances of contacts.

The majority of tonnage sunk by US subs in WW2 is merchant tonnage. Firstly because there are more of them out there than capital ships, and also because task forces (where you will find those nice juicy CVs and BBs) have a speed advantage and unless you're lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time it's impossible to intercept them.

As an illustration, I think I've done about 10 or so war patrols spanning 3 careers. In all this time, I've only managed to sink 1 CVE, 3 CAs, 2 CLs in terms of capital ships. I've sighted 4 CVs and 2 BBs in a task force in my current career, but I had to let them go because I was unable to intercept them. And I spotted them because I was in the right place at the right time, which was north of the Solomon Islands in Aug 1942, which was where and when the Battle of the Eastern Solomons occured. Let's just say it was no accident that I happened to be patrolling the waters there... ;)

For evading DDs, going deeper is always good. But equally important (the way the game handles it) is your speed underwater. The faster you go, the more noise you make, and the enemy WILL hear you. Best is to go at 1 or 2 kts if you've not been detected. If the enemy is pinging it knows where you are (roughly) and it's best to use (judiciously) bursts of speed to get out of the line of his attack runs, then drop back to slow speeds to minimise noise.

[Systemlord]

For evading DDs, going deeper is always good. But equally important (the way the game handles it) is your speed underwater. The faster you go, the more noise you make, and the enemy WILL hear you. Best is to go at 1 or 2 kts if you've not been detected. If the enemy is pinging it knows where you are (roughly) and it's best to use (judiciously) bursts of speed to get out of the line of his attack runs, then drop back to slow speeds to minimise noise.

What I do is when the DD starts his attack run on me (dropping depth charges & moving fast) I go to ahead flank for a short time then drop down to ahead 1/3 silent running. I forgot that I can adjust my speed in knots rather than just 1/3's, 2/3's, when will I get a chance at a new better sub and which subs are at what ports? I like subs with two big flack guns with two big deck guns, I want all the bells and whistles. Also will I get to buy these new better subs and new class torpedo's or just change base ports to get them? This SH4 keeps getting intresting!:D

[-Pv-]

In the stock game, the appearance of very valuable ships appears to be what I would expect as approximates historical. Rare enough for it to be a special event. There is no such idea that after the third platform on level three you will get a battle ship then an aircraft carrier.

A lot of what you see in the game is dependant of being near major historical events near historical times, and there is still random factor(s).

If you stick with the stock compaign and don't request port changes or subs, and you constantly obey mission orders and sink a fair amount of tonage, the game will transition you evenly through all the historical subs as automatic upgrades. Pearl is a good port for getting all the later model subs and upgrades. There is a little bit more "romantic" feel to the game starting out with pig boats in the south early in the war. The boats were primitive, but so is the enemy.

The more often you return to port with torps expended and good tonnage, the more even and often will be your upgrades.

In this game, it's not just the boat you sail with, but the quality of the crew. Working them up to high ratings also requires you return to port often with high tonnage.

Build up your renoun. Don't waste fuel chasing ghosts all over the Pacific. Go for the sure thing and manage your risks carefully.
-Pv-

[Systemlord]

Is 238,000 thousand tons a good tonage to return to port with no hull damage and no deaths? I also shoot a fair amount of plains down as well, I always refit once every mission or twice per patrol mission. Why does my crew sound afraid and uptight when I give the order ahead flank vs ahead full?

[Zero Niner]

Tonnage is one thing, accomplishing assigned missions (ie meeting mission objectives) is also important to progress in you career.

Ahead flank is like an emergency speed. Use it sparingly, as your fuel consumption will increase dramatically. Important to keep in mind if you have limited fuel and limited batteries options enabled.

238,000 tons sounds like you went back for more fuel and torps a number of times. On a successful patrol I average 30,000 tons, but there was one where I lucked out and scored almost 60,000.

[Systemlord]

Tonnage is one thing, accomplishing assigned missions (ie meeting mission objectives) is also important to progress in you career.

Ahead flank is like an emergency speed. Use it sparingly, as your fuel consumption will increase dramatically. Important to keep in mind if you have limited fuel and limited batteries options enabled.

238,000 tons sounds like you went back for more fuel and torps a number of times. On a successful patrol I average 30,000 tons, but there was one where I lucked out and scored almost 60,000.
I find myself using two to three torpedos for the large cargo ships, if there by them lonely selves I'll blow balasts 700 feet from them and begin shelling them if the keel shot does do them in. I have never had to use more than three torpedos per ship no matter the size and I only refit once per mission. Last patrol I sunk seven huge liners (18,000 tons), thats a little bit over 100,000 tons right there. I always finish the mission objectives.

[Rockin Robbins]

You can fix that bug with Run Silent Run Deep plus Trigger Maru Overhauled. 30,000 tons is a good successful patrol. 200,000+ is impossible because it should be impossible. Later in the war when you are up to your eyeballs in the @#%$#$%!$ subchasers, tonnage will (ok, should) be difficult indeed. as they seem to be possessed by Satan himself!:sunny:

[Systemlord]

You can fix that bug with Run Silent Run Deep plus Trigger Maru Overhauled. 30,000 tons is a good successful patrol. 200,000+ is impossible because it should be impossible. Later in the war when you are up to your eyeballs in the @#%$#$%!$ subchasers, tonnage will (ok, should) be difficult indeed. as they seem to be possessed by Satan himself!:sunny:

If you sink six huge liners thats a little over 100,000 tons right there, and if you just use one torpedo then shell it til it sinks, you've just sunk 18,000+ tons times six. Do the math again, cause I refit twice per mission. Thats 48 torpedos, not at all impossible. I wouldn't waist my time (a torpedo) on anything smaller than a medium size cargo ship, 7000+ tonage. I go for the bigger fish, small ships are last priority. If you tell me how to take snap shots using FRAPS without having to pay for it, I'll post them.

[Rockin Robbins]

You can fix that bug with Run Silent Run Deep plus Trigger Maru Overhauled. 30,000 tons is a good successful patrol. 200,000+ is impossible because it should be impossible. Later in the war when you are up to your eyeballs in the @#%$#$%!$ subchasers, tonnage will (ok, should) be difficult indeed. as they seem to be possessed by Satan himself!:sunny:
If you sink six huge liners thats a little over 100,000 tons right there, and if you just use one torpedo then shell it til it sinks, you've just sunk 18,000+ tons times six. Do the math again, cause I refit twice per mission. Thats 48 torpedos, not at all impossible. I wouldn't waist my time (a torpedo) on anything smaller than a medium size cargo ship, 7000+ tonage. I go for the bigger fish, small ships are last priority. If you tell me how to take snap shots using FRAPS without having to pay for it, I'll post them.
You're not going to find six of those puppies in the same convoy in RSRD/TMO. It you do and its the last half of the war they'll be guarded by a swarm (six in the case of the convoy I'm attacking now. I have five ships sunk for just over 12,000 tons and still one lousy subchaser is on top of me keeping me from getting to the main convoy again.) of @#$@# subchasers that you will have to waste torpedoes on in order to get to the convoy. If you surface to take out a wounded duck you'll find the duck fighting back, shooting two shells for every one you fire and a lot more accurately. You'll only do it once. When you do finally get to the main convoy, you'll have about five torpedoes left, if you are lucky.

Actually that's not totally true. I have penetrated to the main convoy twice, sunk two merchies and then been swarmed by the killer bees.

Real life ala TMO/RSRD is muich tougher than a huge liner shooting gallery. You might enjoy it!:up:

[Systemlord]

I have only found huge liners either traveling some distance apart or with a smaller large to medium liners traveling together. In one patrol I did sink 4 and 6 of them and lots of large modern cargo ships equaling 7000+ tons each. I sink a lot more large modern cargo ships than the smaller cargo ship, sometimes I don't bother to sink the little fish. You always want to sink the bigger fish first, then engage the smaller ships if you want to.