If there were no rusty u-boats, what about that photo danlisa used for the late war IXC? I think weathered U-boats really have a feeling for being in the late war, where the resupply and maintainance became more poor.

@ MRV

You are right, however, the photo used was from a boat after a loooong patrol. I think the issue with using rust as a standard skin is that, as correctly stated, they were all re-painted when in port.

Personally, I like the boats to be "weathered"

Me too. I'm running UWAC at the moment and my type VII looks too pristine for my taste. Probably not too far off the mark for Sept 39, the boats were quite new at that stage, but survival permitting, it might have to last me a fair bit longer. After a few patrols I'm sure I'll feel even more unhappy with it than I do now.

Weathering IMHO should really be subtle to be effective - unless there is a reason for it to be otherwise, like long exposure to the elements.....equatorial sun etc. Hope I don't embarrass you by saying it, but I think your type IXs have the just the right balance....they look used...but not decrepit. Do you have any plans to do the IIs and VIIs ?? Someone did ask this question on another thread but seems you didn't see it...or want to ;)

Sorry, Seth this is your thread and I'm going off on a tangent. Your rust technique is pretty darn good.:up: Absolutely great for hulks and blockships. If you ever do a couple of surface vessels ( tugboat, coastal merchant etc) you've one ready customer here...and quite a few others I suspect.

Green Waterline
 

Nice skin (although I prefer freshly painted ones myself). I actually like the green waterline (I like blue ones as well), but did German U-Boats ever have green ones during WWII? Actually, did any vessel ever have green or blue waterlines in WWII?

:hmm: Waterline, you mean the lower part of the german submarine?
If i,m correct they all where Dark Grey, but I can be wrong though

Dont worry about hijacking this thread, guys, i like a good discussion about the issues around this topic! No probs! :up:
The green "keel" is ment to be some seaweed and algeas ( maybe too much, though), and maybe there is a little too much rust. But this is an extreme version of a rust skin, and its ment to show what would happend if the uboat had been anchored up for a long time, only to be used as an AA-site, and the beeing taken out on patrol by Kaleun Bernard..:rock:

Great work, _Seth_! Really atmospheric boat!

I think it'd work great with those rusty torpedoes you've got in '45, and an "old engine not exactly running smoothly" SFX:).

You have been busy:up:

Would it be possible to make sunken U-Boats near/in ports (like the barricade ships etc) this skin would be ideal for this:hmm:.

I love this. :up:

I still strongly disagree. The problem is skin's in general are either A or B, you can't have A AND B, meaning if you could change skins in mid patrol that would be awesome. That way you'd be correct in both leaving port and returning to port, unfortunatly you can't. Since most of my time in SH3 is stayed far far far far away from port for a fairly long time im more inclined for rusty skins.

It comes down to this in my opinion, which state of being does the uboat exist the longest in? That fresh off the warf look, or that weathered been at sea look? In otherwords, how long would that fresh coat of paint last ? I'd wager not very long, or at least, not long enough to justify a boat looking newly painted for an entire patrol.

Sorry, i acutally like debating this issue for some reason. :88)


edit:

All said, the skin in the orginal post looks like the boat was on the seabed for last 60 years. ::D

Nice skin Seth you really are pushing the boundries of what is a useable sub skin. Also Steeds ones are really funky as well. I like it mate keep it up.:up: I would love to have a go at this but just about have enough time to play at the moment.:-?