My eight year old also plays SH3. (I introduced him to it. Me, the perfect Dad!) He knows his way around a U-boat, let me tell you. I sometimes have him come up to my office and take her down to 25 meters and check for sound contacts. While there he plays the music on the gramaphone and switches guys out to rest and write letters home to galfriends while the next watch goes on duty. After an hour he brings her back up and puts her back on course using the diesels.

He's a big help. I'm gonna miss him when he goes back to school!! :rotfl:

:rotfl: :rotfl: AWESOME :arrgh!:

No, TC isn't realistic either, but I've never claimed it is. I'm arguing with people like Codmander insulting the rest of us:
Also I have a question: If you're gone all day and miss a convoy, how is that better than missing one at high TC?

I'm not knocking playing at 1x; I just take exception to people who knock those who don't.

That's what's great about this sim : with all the mods around and the different ways to play it, each one can find what he likes and no way of playing is better than others, as long as the player is satisfied with what he does (even if other players think the guy is nuts...)
There was recently a nice article on "hardcore flight simmers" at Sim HQ, worth reading.

I agree people shouldn't be knocking other people who use TC or vice versa. To each his own, that's my motto.

Sailor Steve has a really good point.

Personally I love 1x TC... for the sake of "realism."

HOWEVER, practically speaking... it isn't very "realistic" when you have a real life to live.

Leaving your PC running also causes wear and tear... that many cannot afford to fix... I am often in that boat.

Computer parts are like light-bulbs... they wear out. If my processor gave out today... I'd be down for at least a month.

No one should knock people who use TC.

Honestly, the worst thing about TC is the problems the SH3 engine causes in respect to lack of detection... The computational lag versus detection problem is roughly doubled with each level of TC...

... but until we all have time for nothing but playing SH3... and/or exorbitantly expensive super-PC's...

Ya do what you can.

1x TC does change everything in a sort of good way though. I think everyone should try it at least once... just to experience the feeling... even if it is a short range coastal Type II Duck out of Kiel in 1939. (Doing exactly that in GWX can be breathtaking... our guys built a full, living, breathing world that is indescribeable... I'm just as much a tourist in this respect as anyone else... because the campaign team did this work with little input from me.)

Whatever mod you use... it does really change everything. It gives you a sense of distance and isolation that you just don't get using TC.

Yes it is time intensive in a way... but ya gotta try it at least once... and for the hours that nothing is happening... you can be productive around the house. (This is why I bought the baby monitor!)

I want to do a reeeallly long trip in a type IX eventually... maybe sail to Penang the hard way... or sail in Operation Drumbeat...

Decisions decisions! :doh:

Man, you're not kidding. Running at 1x along a convoy route at midnight while the moon is flying behind scudding clouds....you really get that sense of isolation. I like that a lot.

Stray thoughts:

1) Short periods of water sounds make one want to run to the bathroom.

2) Long Bridge watches in fair weather... SLEEEEEPY TIME... HARD TO STAY AWAKE!!! :o

3) Rechargeable baby monitor- $30... 1x TC voyage experience at least once- PRICELESS!!! :rock:

Tc or no TC: reminds me of when some people were up in arms during the development of SHIII because they didn't want anyone to be able to save games just because they thought it was wrong. :rotfl:

Really, I think most of the people on here talking about no TC being the 'real' SHIII are just joking, but I do get annoyed at all the threads berating 'vanilla' SHIII. The only mod I use is to correct eh crew fatigue to a normal level and I have no qualms about this game. Of course, I have a background playing things like Silent Service and SHI, so I'm easy to please.

I personally like to man the bridge under 1x for a while to immerse myself in the sights and sounds, then I leave it running while I read something naval-related (not belly buttons). But when i'm running under the surface during the day I crank up the TC to 64x to pass some time; otherwise I would still be on my first patrol!

HAW! I didn't know there were people who didn't even want to save the game...oh, well, it just goes to show you it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round.

Naturally, I played vanilla when it first came out, but soon I caught on (hey, even a blind hog can dig up an acorn every now and then) to the fact there was a sub community out there doing round the clock work to make a good game great...and I never went back to vanilla.

I don't have anything against vanilla SH3, but I must admit NYGM or GWX makes the 1x a lot more enjoyable to play....for me anyway. Eh, to each his own. So far I'm liking 1x but, yeah, the "I play more realistic than you" silliness is well, silly.

Once again...my two yen.

For those who like to keep a log and/or diary, x1 gives one plenty of time to get that job done without having to place the sim on pause...

...but, thinking on this dilemma and reading and re-reading some of the replies--I've come to the conclusion that everyone who plays, plays the sim at x1 everytime a combat situation presents itself, don't we? ...and realism while playing a game--is fantacy. (My George Carlin moment)

Realism is having to save a game 'cuz the wife wants to go shopping. :D

Best to all in this new year,

well i did my first patrol in 1x today and it took forever:down: think im gonna stick to tc but i wondered if anyone can suggest a tc scale so that i dont miss too much along the way??

Yes indeed, there was a thread from some people advocating the game be released without the possibility of saving at all while on patrol. I personally have the problem of cruising around for hours with nothing happening, and just when I finally decide to go to bed, or have to get ready for work, sure enough..."Convoy sighted, Captain!":rotfl: :dead:

Because of the "missing aircraft" problem and because I like to look around myself sometimes, I think when I can play again I'm going to try to limit myself to 128x, just to see what happens.

i've started my first 1x in GWX,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it is a great sunny day and i've been playing the music which i didn't in my other careers.....that in itself is great

Try 64x for crowded areas and 256x for long Atlantic crossings.