Actually I think renown by itself is fine for awarding medals, since historically it was not necessary to complete X number of patrols to earn them if what you accomplished during your patrols (or even only one patrol) was deemed worthy of a decoration.

But I was just thinking today that using # of patrols completed (which would bring in more of a "passage of time" variable) in conjunction with renown for successes while on patrol would be a cool way of giving out promotions.

WEST of Gibralter, consarnit.

Well, somewhere in that vicinity!:D

Yeah, and I'm always in the middle of a patrol when some new mod comes out. That's why I just left Wilhelmshaven on August 19, 1939 for my brand-new shiny career. For the gazillionth time. Maybe this time I'll actually do something.

But I doubt it.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds is the highest award you can get in Silent Hunter III. Is there a mod out there that will award you the Silver U-Boat Clasp, the German Cross in Silver, the Grand Cross and the Star to the Grand Cross?

-Matt

@frau kaleun:

Did you ever figure this out?

AFAIK there is no way to add additional medals into the game, if anyone knows otherwise feel free to elaborate on how this is done.

I can see why adding the U-Boat Front Clasp in silver would be an interesting idea, at least from what I know of it... even though very few men would've lasted long enough to merit getting it. In RL very few of them appear to have been awarded either version when compared to the number of ICs (and its various "upgrades") that were awarded. Just getting the bronze version probably took a lot - it seems to have been a decoration for extended or unusually exemplary performance in combat. It wasn't even introduced until 1944 (bronze in May, and silver in November).

According to uboat.net, the German Cross in silver was only awarded to non-combatants - combatants would receive it in gold if the award was merited at all. So adding that as a possible decoration for a combat commander would not be historically accurate anyway.

IIRC the only person awarded the Grand Cross after its reinstitution in 1939 was Herman Göring, in recognition (ostensibly) of the outstanding performance of the Luftwaffe during the German offensives up to and including the successful occupation of France. Considering that he was also awarded a special rank at that time, one created just for him so he could outrank pretty much everyone else in the Wehrmacht, it seems unlikely that a comparatively low-ranking u-boat commander would ever get his own Grand Cross. I think the award itself was originally intended only for the most successful generals (or high-ranking leaders) of the German military and its various branches.

According to Wikipedia, the Star was only awarded twice in its entire history - once to some guy who led German armies to victory over Napoleon, and then to Paul von Hindenburg in WWI. In other words: not an award that would be handed out for anything other than leadership, service, and/or success at the very highest level. When it was reinstituted in 1939, it was only to be awarded after Germany won the war and then to only one man, her most successful general of the entire conflict.

Obviously there was no victory and it was never awarded. In terms of historical accuracy, there would be zero chance of a u-boat commander ever getting this blingy pinned to his uniform.

I thought the ranks for the game were as follows:

Seaman
Senior Seaman
Chief Seaman
Warrant Officer
Senior Warrant Officer
Chief Senior Warrant Officer
Sub-Lieutenant
Lieutenant Jr.
Lieutenant Sr.

However, after my last patrol, I was promoted Lieutenant Commander. Has anyone gone higher than this? What's the highest rank in the game without any mods or the like?

-Matt

Kapitan zur See is the highest rank in the en_menu.txt file, but the basic.cfg file seems to provide for only four ranks, the last being "Kaleun" (Lieutenant Commander).

I've been modded up so long that I cannot remember what rank I achieved playing stock, but I am pretty sure "Kaleun" was the highest.

This thread may help you further:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=174120

I would like a mod that would award me the Knights Cross is I sunk something exceptional. Even if It's my first patrol.

Like a Battleship or Carrier.

I should have made my question more specific.

Did you ever figure out the meaning of the SCORE lines in Basic.cfg that relate to promotion? You had determined that they did not correspond to current reknown.

160=Matrosengefreiter
161=Matrosenobergefreiter
162=Matrosenhauptgefreiter
163=Bootsmann
164=Stabsbootsmann
165=Stabsoberbootsmann
166=Oberfähnrich z. S.
167=Leutnant z. S.
168=Oberleutnant z. S.
169=Oberleutnant z. S.
170=Leutnant z. S.; Oberleutnant z. S.
171=Oberleutnant z. S.; Kapitänleutnant
172=Kapitänleutnant; Korvettenkapitän
173=Korvettenkapitän; Fregattenkapitän
174=Fregattenkapitän; Kapitän z. S.

You can add the 4th rank....see below:

[PLAYER_RENOWN]
AcademyBonus=1000
RankLevel0=0; SCORE
RankLevel1=1499; SCORE
RankLevel2=7999; SCORE
RankLevel3=14999; SCORE
RankLevel4=29999; SCORE

Where do you add it at? Wish there was a way to promote NCOs to officers and enlisted to NCO...my Sonar Operator and my Engineering NCO sure deserve commissions, and my senior sonar operator deserves to be an NCO!

-Matt

Only way I know of to go from enlisted to PO, or PO to Officer is by editing the crew_config files directly.

If he is going to do you any good in the sonar room, he has to be an NCO... sailor qualifications don't affect efficiency.

Correct - you can through SH3Cmdr or direct editing of the files give Quals to enlisted, and they will show in the crew management screen, but it is eye candy. I use them to place the appropriate personnel in the appropriate compartment for historical/RPG reasons, but the game engine ignores them completely.