New Player - not impressed so far....

[Der Kuenstler]

I'm in my first campaign playing SH3 with GWX Gold mod and SH3 Commander, 71% realism.

1) I find it extremely annoying when time compression stops and my lookouts holler "warship spotted!" or "plane spotted!" and I have to go investigate only to find it is another German. Wouldn't the lookout in reality know not to bother the captian about that?

2) I have made 9 patrols and typically there is a lot of rain and I only see a tugboat or small coal tender or coastal merchant every 3-4 days. I'm gaining only small amounts of renown.

3) It's mid-1940 and I'm still in the same boring Type 2a sub with no options to upgrade.

4) Dumb messages like "not enough men in the engine room, sir!" These men are professional sailors - don't they know what room they should be in without me telling them?


So far my general feelings while playing this game are are boredom and tedium - interrupted by an occasional small ship sunk. :shifty:

[frau kaleun]

I'm in my first campaign playing SH3 with GWX Gold mod and SH3 Commander, 71% realism.

1) I find it extremely annoying when time compression stops and my lookouts holler "warship spotted!" or "plane spotted!" and I have to go investigate only to find it is another German. Wouldn't the lookout in reality know not to bother the captian about that?

Not if he can't make a conclusive ID of the ship at the given range. And especially in the case of ships, one needs to be aware of anything in the vicinity whether friendly or not, because if you're on a collision course with another ship it won't be any softer an impact just because it's one of yours. :DL

OTOH if you are somewhere like a friendly harbor and willing to keep a close eye on things yourself, you can always send the WO to his bunk. If he's not on the bridge, you won't get alerted to anything.

2) I have made 9 patrols and typically there is a lot of rain and I only see a tugboat or small coal tender or coastal merchant every 3-4 days. I'm gaining only small amounts of renown.

Unfortunately being in a Type II, especially before any possibility of transferring to a French base, means the areas available to you for patrols are somewhat limited because of the range of your boat. I don't know if it's even possible to get into the major British shipping lanes and back in a Type II (never really played one). But there is traffic out there, and some good opportunities to take on the Royal Navy in April when the invasion of Norway begins. Those who have played extensively in Type IIs at the beginning of the war may be able to offer other tips on where to find the most targets.

3) It's mid-1940 and I'm still in the same boring Type 2a sub with no options to upgrade.


Try starting in the 2nd or 7th Flotilla. You'll get a VIIB right out of the gate. :up:

4) Dumb messages like "not enough men in the engine room, sir!" These men are professional sailors - don't they know what room they should be in without me telling them?

In real life? Yes. In the game? Sadly, no. They only go where you tell them to go, when you tell them to go there. It requires the kind of hands-on micromanagement that would never be required of a real life commander. So you will have to assign them to the desired station, and unless you're using Commander's "no fatigue" option, move them from there to their bunks and back in order to simulate real life watch changes with the necessary rest periods in between.

My workaround for this is to put as many crew as possible aboard my boat after my first patrol, use "no fatigue," and assign every man to a duty station at the start of a patrol. Then he can just stay there indefinitely unless I decide to move him for some specific reason. That's not completely realistic either, but to me it's still more realistic to get on with the business of commanding the boat and pretend that routine watch changes are being taken care of without any handholding on my part.

So far my general feelings while playing this game are are boredom and tedium - interrupted by an occasional small ship sunk. :shifty:

GWX was intended to increase realism and historical accuracy. Boredom and tedium with an occasional ship sunk were pretty much the standard for real life u-boat patrols. Not saying that there aren't ways to liven things up a bit, but what you're experiencing is by no means unusual.

But do try out one of the flotillas that will give you a VII right away. At least with those you have the range to get out into the Atlantic proper and patrol the Western Approaches to Great Britain. Not saying it's a shoot-fest out there either, but given the geography it's much easier to find targets when you can set up shop in one of the bottlenecks that all shipping has to pass through in order to reach a British port.

[PapaKilo]

Perhaps it's not your game afterall ?

[Luno]

As a type II fan myself, I can say that you don't have the range to make it to the Atlantic and back. Just about the only traffic you're going to find are small single merchants going to and fro between GB and Norway. If you stay close to the shore you'll find more traffic, but on the other hand, you'll run into more aircraft and destroyers too.

This game is definitely not fast paced, and it has a steep learning curve. Patrols consisted of days and weeks of boredom and just hours or minutes of sheer terror. This game will try your patience (but that's half the reason why we play).

Lastly, bear in mind that this game is exceedingly complex and it has a lot going on "under the hood". Unfortunately, it was rushed out the door and support from the development team had to be dropped after a few patches. This could have been the perfect game if the team had been given enough time to work on it. Mods do a lot for the game but can't fix some of the core issues. Given the above, it's still the best WWII sub sim and the only real option for many sub fans.

Have fun, and sink them all! :arrgh!:

[Mittelwaechter]

Patrol the British east coast southward from Aberdeen to Dover (within the 50 miles zone) and you'll find enough action and bait.

[papa_smurf]

Patrol the British east coast southward from Aberdeen to Dover (within the 50 miles zone) and you'll find enough action and bait.

Thats possibly one of the best patrol areas early on in the war, also try Northern Scotland, bound to sink a few ships there.

And another thing, this game is all about days of nothing suddenly been interrupted by ships/aircraft etc been spotted for you to sink/evade. If that does not suit you and you expect constant action, then this game may not be for you.

[Pisces]

...
3) It's mid-1940 and I'm still in the same boring Type 2a sub with no options to upgrade.

...
Look at page 73 of the manual (PDF page count 86). In 1940 only the 2cm light flak C/30 Zwilling is offered as an upgrade. Not sure if it is even offered to Type II uboats, and if so, when.

And then the question is, how much good will it do to you?

[Angelo Cire]

Also, if you head up to the North-Eastern-most point in GB, there's 2 harbors you can find some action at. Just don't burn through all your petrol in transit and your patrol grid.

Type IID (I think - either way, the other type II) have a VASTLY extended range over the IIA. This will let you get into the meat of the Channel, if not the Western Approaches. Also, you can always dock at Wilhelmshaven (if that's the right name) for a refit and refuel.

I'm currently stuck with a Type VIIB, wanting an upgrade badly.

Not that I recommend this, but you can alter values for upgrades and costs in the basic.cfg file. That includes the years that subs are available. So you COULD start out with a Type XXI boat.... BUT that would only be fun for so long.

I'm also very new to the game, but I honestly ask that you give it another chance. I think it's worth it.
:)

Cheers!

[Herr-Berbunch]

I think you need to read-up on using Commander, and do a search of subsim for best hunting grounds (usually BF-teens).

Weather in the North Sea and North Atlantic, especially in winter, are not renown for their calm, sunny days.

Don't give up

[GoDeep]

I'm currently on a very boring, long and tedious patrol. It's August 1941 and BDU has sent me to the middle of the North Atlantic, sitting on the convoy route to Casablanca. However, for the past two weeks that I have been in my designated patrol area, all I have seen are rain, fog, high seas, lightning or just smooth seas with almost no wind. In all that time, I have seen 1 other ship and she was a neutral which I found out after getting into firing position. Weather was really poor and fortunately I didn't have an itchy trigger finger.

Boring? Yes, at times. Realistic? Sure! U-boat crews went through days, sometimes weeks of boredom interspersed with moments of excitement and sheer terror. That's just the way it was. A submarine simulation is not a shoot 'm up game. You need patience and be prepared to be disappointed. Like when you have the perfect solution on that big tanker only to find out the torpedo you fired is a dud. For me, SH3 with GWX is a great game, though it has its quirks, like micromanagement of the crew.

[Jimbuna]

If your using Commander then why not start in a Flotilla that allows you the immediate option of a Type VII?

Quite frankly...if GWX doesn't impress you then why not give SH3 stock/vanilla a try?

[Osmium Steele]

Quite frankly...if GWX doesn't impress you then why not give SH3 stock/vanilla a try?

Well, personally, it's the aftertaste...

[Der Kuenstler]

Thanks for the tips, guys - I'm really interested in WWII and the Battle of the Atlantic so will continue with it. I will try the hunting areas you suggested and perhaps put in a transfer for a type VII.

[andwii]

its april of 1941 in my game, and I still have the U2 IIA. Cant get renown to save my life.

[Sailor Steve]

And I just started a new career in August 1939 with a Type IX. :sunny:

[Herr-Berbunch]

And I just started a new career in August 1939 with a Type IX. :sunny:

If you need any help Steve, just ask! :know:

[Sailor Steve]

If you need any help Steve, just ask! :know:
Oh my goodness, I don't understand this game at all! How do I make my boat go? :O:

[Herr-Berbunch]

Are you patched correctly? Have you turned it off and on again? Do you meet minimum specs? Does your PC meet minimum specs? Are you in the right thread? Have you tried the helpful guys at Ubi.com? Have you followed the tutorials? What mods are you using? Are you using Commander? If so have you used the GWX/Commander config thingy? What resolution are you using? Is your keyboard plugged in? Have you removed program, cleaned registry, and reinstalled? Have you pressed every key on the keyboard?

Is it working yet? :hmmm::hmmm:

:03:

[Jimbuna]

And I just started a new career in August 1939 with a Type IX. :sunny:

I'm suprised your not using the XXI in 39 mod :03:

[soopaman2]

:)1. Yeah, time compression stopping for friendlys is annoying, but when you run into one of your own because of time compression you will see why it was implemented as it was. Subs are fragile, why do ya think destroyers rammed!

2. As said above, east coast of Britain.. The garbage weather makes using your deckguns a pain, I understand. I am a deckgun kinda guy myself. As for the renown, try raiding english ports. As long as you stay away from Scapa and Dover (early war) you will not find much resistance. I went into one of the ports on the east coast and sunk a c3 and a t2 tanker sitting in moorings. Easy money, just have to have some cojones. Just be careful of Scapa and Dover, they are naval bases.

Real men raid Scapa, but I am a wimpy boy, so I got for Portsmouth instead.

3. Get yourself SH3 commmander. and start jan of 1940, you can roll with an IXb if you pick the proper flotilla. Sh3 commander is an essential for SH3 IMHO:)

4.Crew fatigue. This is a simulator. once again SH3 commander, you can turn it off so you can concentrate on learning the other aspects, also search around here there is ways to tweak your files to turn off fatigue that the kind folks around here figured out.


This is a sim. Real sub life was periods of tedium and boredome, followed by moments of excitment, fear and apprehension. You will die...alot.

Das Boot put it best, 40000 men set out, 30000 never made it back. Your odds are not good, and it is well represented here.

Good luck, andstick with it. it does get easier.

[frau kaleun]

:)1. Yeah, time compression stopping for friendlys is annoying, but when you run into one of your own because of time compression you will see why it was implemented as it was. Subs are fragile, why do ya think destroyers rammed!

There's also Commander's "start at sea" option. You lose all the purty eye candy of sailing all the way in and out of the pens but if getting alerted to tons of friendly traffic is a real pain you can avoid a lot of it that way.

But watch out for those little patrol boats that run around just outside the harbor entrance, they are fast and I'm pretty sure I hit one or close to it coming up to Wili in too high a TC once. I assumed because it was friendly it wouldn't be a problem but I can't imagine what else caused the sudden drop in my hull integrity between there and the pens. :damn: :O:

[Sailor Steve]

I'm suprised your not using the XXI in 39 mod :03:
1. The XXI just never appealed to me.

2. As we all know, the Type IX was available from the start of the war with the original Flotilla Hundius, later absorbed into the 2nd, along with Flotilla Saltzwedel's Type VIIs. A also run a Type VIIA with Wegener and a IIB with Weddigen.

[Nerazzurri]

:)1. Yeah, time compression stopping for friendlys is annoying, but when you run into one of your own because of time compression you will see why it was implemented as it was.

Slight hijack.............

What do people think is a 'safe' maximum tc in operational areas? If I remember correctly, if set too high you can get 'jumped' by aircraft or even enemy ships.

[Herr-Berbunch]

Just be careful of Scapa and Dover, they are naval bases.

One of my greatest successes was in Dover went in just before the war started proper (sorry Poland) I sailed in and waited for the war, then submerged fired at (I think) a troop ship and a med. cargo - one from the stern, one from the bow, a DD was sat tied up by the entrance also received my attention, but could only return deckgun fire, and then the best thing happened, a corvette (again, I think, it was a long time ago) came steaming in and DC'd me, but in the very shallow water merely sunk himself. :arrgh!: Escaped all the RN in the channel and came home for tea and medals. :yeah:

I think I was a marked man after that as I never again had that much luck, or fun. :o

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Quite frankly...if GWX doesn't impress you then why not give SH3 stock/vanilla a try?

Cheers Jim.

Individuals who are just now getting SH3 and immediately patching it with GWX or other supermods... seriously have no idea where things were, before years of work done by the modding community.

They'll drive ya ta drinkin' they will! :damn:

[Laufen zum Ziel]

Well said Kpt.

Cheers

[Fish In The Water]

Slight hijack.............

What do people think is a 'safe' maximum tc in operational areas? If I remember correctly, if set too high you can get 'jumped' by aircraft or even enemy ships.

The general rule of thumb is don't exceed 128 TC, else you'll have little to no time to react to enemy planes. :sunny:

[Nerazzurri]

The general rule of thumb is don't exceed 128 TC, else you'll have little to no time to react to enemy planes. :sunny:

Roger that.

Hijack over :oops:

[Sailor Steve]

Roger that.

Hijack over :oops:
Not quite. :D Too high TC will keep you from encounters, not make them worse. Part of the problem is what it drops too, which is 8x. You don't drop to real time, and they're shooting at you before you know what happened. I use SH3 Commander to make sure that 'Enemy Detected' is set for 1.

[Nerazzurri]

OK mate, that's a change I'll need to remember next time I'm in port.

[PapaKilo]

The general rule of thumb is don't exceed 128 TC, else you'll have little to no time to react to enemy planes. :sunny:

Safe maximum TC is x256, you gonna put the guy into deep depression with lower than this :haha:

[Fish In The Water]

Safe maximum TC is x256, you gonna put the guy into deep depression with lower than this :haha:

Not so safe for me. I've been turned into Swiss cheese @256 before I even had a chance to touch the keyboard. :wah:

[PapaKilo]

Not so safe for me. I've been turned into Swiss cheese @256 before I even had a chance to touch the keyboard. :wah:

This is sad. How did it happened ?

I never had incidents if TC < 256

At that time when thera was no SH3 Cmdr yet and I had no idea that high TC is dangerous. I used to patrol at 512 or 1024 that was max so yeah I sometimes ended my carrer because my crew spotted aircraft almost above our boat :)

[Fish In The Water]

This is sad. How did it happened ?

Just the usual, it was nothing special. One second they're telling me 'aircraft spotted' and the next I'm full of holes. Like Steve said, they're shooting at you before you know what's happening. :06:

[Jimbuna]

This is sad. How did it happened ?

I never had incidents if TC < 256

At that time when thera was no SH3 Cmdr yet and I had no idea that high TC is dangerous. I used to patrol at 512 or 1024 that was max so yeah I sometimes ended my carrer because my crew spotted aircraft almost above our boat :)

The 128 rule is about events and aircraft spawning (see Steves post above).

Whilst developing and testing the game engine over a number of years (and I'm talking about a few dozen testers and thousands of man hours) it was found that aircraft in particular would spawn only on occasion if at all.

As for reaction time, x128 would make it impossible for the player to react quick enough, hence the game engine by default drops to x8 which IMHO is still unrealistic.

Better to use Commander and manually set the tc to x1

[flag4]

I'm in my first campaign playing SH3 with GWX Gold mod and SH3 Commander, 71% realism.

1) I find it extremely annoying when time compression stops and my lookouts holler "warship spotted!" or "plane spotted!" and I have to go investigate only to find it is another German. Wouldn't the lookout in reality know not to bother the captian about that?

2) I have made 9 patrols and typically there is a lot of rain and I only see a tugboat or small coal tender or coastal merchant every 3-4 days. I'm gaining only small amounts of renown.

3) It's mid-1940 and I'm still in the same boring Type 2a sub with no options to upgrade.

4) Dumb messages like "not enough men in the engine room, sir!" These men are professional sailors - don't they know what room they should be in without me telling them?


So far my general feelings while playing this game are are boredom and tedium - interrupted by an occasional small ship sunk. :shifty:


...hello Der Kuenstler and welcome aboard.

your expectations of the this complex and immersive simulation are very high. but your experience of it -it seems - is very low.

it will take a long time to fully intergrate expectation with experience and find a balance that suits you.

therefore, im afraid, you will have to develope patience along with a gradual learning curve.....nice and slow. ask lots of questions here and read the GWX manual.

you never know, you may end up loving it.....

good luck:salute:

[Madox58]

I'm suprised your not using the XXI in 39 mod :03:
I've been watching the Type XXIII done in 3D Rad myself.
:D
http://www.3drad.com/forum/index.php?topic=7554.0

[Jimbuna]

Type XXI Jeff :03:

[Madox58]

You and I know that.
:)
I don't think he does.
:har:

[Jimbuna]

You and I know that.
:)
I don't think he does.
:har:

Aye :hmmm: