General question....Boat upgrade?

[drakkhen20]

how do you or even if you can upgrade to another sub. like if you started out with a tambor class and you eventually wanted to get into a gato or a gar class how would one go about this. does the game offer you after a period of time or is it based on how many "good" patrols your earn or both? or what?

[Dogfish40]

how do you or even if you can upgrade to another sub. like if you started out with a tambor class and you eventually wanted to get into a gato or a gar class how would one go about this. does the game offer you after a period of time or is it based on how many "good" patrols your earn or both? or what?

Hello drakkhen20,
Yes, you,ve got a lot of it correct. If you're starting out in '41, several classes of boats are not available yet. They haven't even rolled off the assembly line so there's an order in which the boats become available.
If you start in '41 and have a good patrol or two, they'll offer you a Gato (usually) and as the war progresses you'll have the opportunity to transfer now and then and this will put you in different boats as well. Or, as you know, you can start the game later in the war and have some of these subs available right away. Also, early in the war you'll have to wait for upgrades like surface radar and various conning tower figuration's. Anyway, I'm sure you know the rest, take that Gato when it comes up and go get 'em!
Good Hunting
D40:salute:

[commandosolo2009]

depends on;
- year you're in
- career achievements

IIRC, when I was in 42, I had sunk me an Takao, and that was on my 6th patrol after alot of skinny merchants were bed-ridden. When I returned to port, I had a new command of a Gato class. She was a beauty.

[drakkhen20]

thanks guys. figured that but i was wonering about it. does tmo even have merchants in it cuz i always go to the patrols as ordered and i never find anything for like any of my patrols and it gets alittle boring. ive tried fotrs mod and ato mods like om. the only one that i found exciting is om but i would rather stick with the fleet boats but i posted before about this. am i doing something wrong or do i just suck at playing the fleet boat side?

:salute:

[commandosolo2009]

thanks guys. figured that but i was wonering about it. does tmo even have merchants in it cuz i always go to the patrols as ordered and i never find anything for like any of my patrols and it gets alittle boring. ive tried fotrs mod and ato mods like om. the only one that i found exciting is om but i would rather stick with the fleet boats but i posted before about this. am i doing something wrong or do i just suck at playing the fleet boat side?

:salute:

In order to simulate real life skippers, the chances of running into a convoy or a ship , and by virtue, merely intercepting it, that frequently, is reduced. Unlike today's "everywhere a ship", back in the days it was a blessing to pop one can down to the bottom after so many days of wild goose chases, false radar contacts, and certainly reverb wooshes. Dont rush the game, and enjoy it while you can. Remember, fleet boats were merely scouts for the surface fleet pre-war, dont grow desperate and if you do, hit a port to get your ego up a little.

regards,
CS2k9

[drakkhen20]

yes. thank you for that. just making sure it wasn't something gone wrong.

[Dogfish40]

If you're playing any of the big mods, they are going to be a little more historically accurate than the stack game. I remember a skipper on this forum that said to hang out at the patrol area longer and "they'll show up" a lot of the time. Use that merchant route map that comes with the game (or you can find it posted around here all over), that route map will get you in to the shipping lanes. If you still get bored, try peeking into some harbors at night, things could get very exciting very quickly.
Good Hunting Mate!
D40:salute:

[Rbaker1989]

Truk is normally a good place to go when harbour raiding I normally take a trip to Truk with TMO on the way home approach from the north and have never encountered a patrol the island to the SW of the harbour of truk normally has arships at achour near it