Malfunctions and their effects

[Paul Riley]

I thought I would just create a small post on malfunctions,what sorts there are to be found,their immediate effects,and how to deal with them.

1: Engine problems.I seem to be experiencing this in my current patrol,because as soon as I was able I set speed to flank to test the engines,and they barely managed to reach 10-11kts (IXC),in calm seas with both engines engaged and not recharging mode.Straight away I knew this was either a clutch problem,or simply that the engines lack the rated power,due to poor manufacturing etc (I have problems imagining engine problems with the Germans,given their strong tradition making them).The crew is also very 'green' and we lack a machinist or helmsman,so the engineer and engine crew may in fact be struggling to achieve my desired speed?.

2: Electrics problems.Again,I also seem to have been given faulty electrics,as I can barely attain 2kts at 1/3.
Battery problems are also a possibility with the Commander add-on,and I imagine this would slow down the charge time,and at worst not even charge?!

3: Lens problems.I don't have any problems with the optics just yet.Can anyone tell me exactly what is affected,what to look out for,and a possible workaround?.I imagine some sort of fogging over the scopes?.

4: Fuel leaks.This sounds elementary,and thank god I don't have one.Again can someone explain exactly what happens in the game,how it is rendered,and the signs to look out for (other than the fuel display going down quicker).

5: Valve problems.I imagine this is linked to the compressor system?,effecting the amount of compressed air being fired into the tanks,and the rate?.

I would finally appreciate a basic list of all other possible faults that could occur with uboats in this game,how they are caused,and what can be done about them,other than aborting if you feel the situation demands that.
And,are all these effects generated before you leave port,or can they be generated randomly during a patrol?.I think it would be better to conduct system tests as early as possible,identify possible faults,document them and produce a possible workaround,than having to risk a random fault mid patrol and finding yourself in the s**t! :o

Cheers for your info :up:

[Cezbor]

Interesting idea, but I'm not sure malfunctions option included in SH3 Commander is in common use. I don't use it though I thought of that a few times :hmm:
Another thing is malfunctions as an effect of combat.

[Kielhauler1961]

Hi Paul,

I knew there was a thread here that list all or most of the possible malfunctions;
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=140613&highlight=malfunctions

I had a nightmare with malfunctions/saboutage on two patrols with different kaleuns. One was driving a brand new Type XXI that wouldn't go faster than 4kts and, after returning to base to get that fixed, when I tried to leave the bunker on the next patrol I got the message "Diesel engines destroyed, sir!" I gave the boat back and asked for a refund.:-?

The other was with a Type IXC: the 37mm flak would't train, elevate or load, even though it was fully crewed. The other flak and deck guns were fine.

SH3 Commander randomises the possibility of malfunction when you start a new patrol or reload an in-game save. Check that alll the bits on your boat are working the moment the game has loaded-up. As for a workaround, if the problem is safety-critical then you have to abort, just as they did in RL.

[Jinmei]

I it NYGM 3.0 manners I use it but I noticed it that it SH3 Commander does not modify those files that the wrong function and would model the sabotage down,concerned for example the thermal the modeling of layer not function.
Should overwrite it AI_Sensors.dat,CAMERAS.dat files between many people but this does not occur. I use it it NYGM is necessary to a manner Commander files.

[Paul Riley]

Hi Paul,

I knew there was a thread here that list all or most of the possible malfunctions;
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=140613&highlight=malfunctions

I had a nightmare with malfunctions/saboutage on two patrols with different kaleuns. One was driving a brand new Type XXI that wouldn't go faster than 4kts and, after returning to base to get that fixed, when I tried to leave the bunker on the next patrol I got the message "Diesel engines destroyed, sir!" I gave the boat back and asked for a refund.:-?

The other was with a Type IXC: the 37mm flak would't train, elevate or load, even though it was fully crewed. The other flak and deck guns were fine.

SH3 Commander randomises the possibility of malfunction when you start a new patrol or reload an in-game save. Check that alll the bits on your boat are working the moment the game has loaded-up. As for a workaround, if the problem is safety-critical then you have to abort, just as they did in RL.

Cheers for that KH,I will go and check out those notes on malfunctions,im sure it will help.
Regarding the problems I was experiencing,they seem to have gone now.I was thinking to myself (not sure if the game implements this) ,maybe they arent defective or damaged,maybe...they are old and worn?,resulting in irregular speeds and the possibility that they may have been clogged?,just like can happen with car engines.All engines seem to be normal now :shifty:
I also decided to test the crush depth at 200m,which we managed and successfully held.Also,I noticed there may be a fault with our compressor system,because I ordered 2 blasts on the tanks and it shot down to just under 25%!.Is that a normal rate of use?.If not ,then I suspect loose valves somewhere :hmm:
As for sabotage,I dont use this,I dont really like the idea of someone tampering with the equipment,I mean come on,who on earth would sabotage their own boats?,unless they were Commies of course! :stare:

Still,it all adds up to a more realistic position to be in,im sure the real captains had real headaches with some of their faulty equipment.

Thanks again.

[Kielhauler1961]

Saboutage was a very considerable RL factor, especially when it became obvious that Germany was losing the war. The U-Boats operating from French and Norwegian bases were maintained by a mixture of German and foreign labour. Native, skilled, German dockyard workers were in short supply as most of them had been drafted into the army . No U-bootsmann is going to saboutage his own boat but a crafty Frenchie might stick some bolts in the diesel piston-heads. Also, 'slave labour' was increasingly used as the war went on for the original manufacture of the boats themselve and the complex parts that went to make them up. The boat may have been saboutaged even before it was delivered!