Honestly i dont remember. 600-700? It really wasnt that much. I didnt play for very much longer after that so i dont know if it would ask me again or not. I went in and out of base 3 times or so to see what it would do, and i dont recall anything specific. I run alot of test careers so my memory might be fuzzy. In the end i deleted that career game because i wanted to start over after a mod revision so i cant give you a more positive answer. But ya, it gave me the option to continue.

edit: It just occured to me that boat type might have alot to do with if you get the option continue or not. Not all boats are covered by the flotilla files to last the duration of the war. Theres an exit date for some boats.

[/quote]How is this a bug? Please clarify. It seems to me it works as intended. Now if you are given the option to continue on, this would be a feature. Now please clarify how this is construed as a bug.

Seems to me if it is something you do not like is it shelved as a bug. Very odd.....[/quote]

Its like watching Bill Clinton take the stand...

"It depends on what your definition of 'is' is."

Exactly why those captians who want that option should have it. Part of that whole realism settings menu, I would imagine.

Alright - I am gonna jump in here. There is no "FORCED" retirement in SH4 - as intended at least. The game does ask you if you want to retire or not - if not you take a renown hit but keep going. However - there IS a bug in this - if you start the war in a boat that wont make it to the end - even if you get a new one - when your first boat class is retired - so are you. THAT is a bug that does need to be fixed.

In essence - the devs attempted to give us the option - and rather well implemented in an immersive way vs a "checkbox" - but it simply doesnt work right... yet. Perhaps in 1.3?

In the meantime - we can stop arguing because we all agree the option should be there - and thankfully it is. :arrgh!:

Good Hunting
Captain Haplo

Very interesting.

I guess I havent run accross this yet because quite honestly it takes me two or three days to complete one patrol let alone 5.

Insightfull post though thanks :up:

No problem, Steamwake. Although I cant take credit - this has been confirmed well before I ever saw it. The good thing is - the devs are aware of it - as noted by Onkel Neal - http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...23&postcount=2 - so I would expect this would get attention in 1.3 - which I am becoming more and more confident will be a reality.

Good Hunting!
Captain Haplo

My sentiment exactly. Play it in real time and you'd be happy just to go out for 4 to 5 patrols. :lol:

Why, for post count of course! And yes, having it as a realism option is good.

So you are saying the possibility of a "realistic career length" option exists? I checked that link, but who is the person making the comment? Is someone trying to sell me a bridge in Brooklyn?

Should the next patch allow an open ended career path, Id start playing SH4 again.

Sadly, we never got a straight answer from Bill either. How do you contend that having your career terminated at 5 patrols is a bug?

I've read through the millions of 'forced termination' threads and posts and seems
that there is a great deal of confusion on this issue/non-issue/many issues.

My understanding is :

#1a The intended funtionality is that the game retires you at a certain point in keeping with realism. This is fine, though the consensus is it should be an option. This is not a bug.

#1b In case of 1a, you should be offered the chance to opt to stay in the war, at the cost of some renown. Some players have stated this is around 700 renown. This again is not a bug.

#2 There appears to be a bug reported by some poeple whereby you are retired if the boat class you started the war with ( irregardless of which class of boat you have now) is retired from service. This can be confused with point #1a, as it will appear to the player to be arbitrary and not have anything to do with performance. This is a bug.

In short, it seems to me many people who are experiencing point #2 (which is a bug) are confusing it with point #1 (which is not). I think what is fuelling the confusion is that we have no idea at which threshhold the game decides you are to be retired.

Assuming my observations are correct, it would be great to get from the devs some idea of which factors are considered in this whole retirement business.

Well, the skipper sim may include some aspects of being a Captain of a boat - managing the crew between patrols etc.

The pure sub sim would just be operating the sub and nothing else.

A slight difference I know, but a subtle one that I think makes the difference...


Are we simulating simply operating a submarine in WW2, or are we simulating being a WW2 skipper in the US Navy, with the constraints that went with it.

I personally prefer the latter option, but just as with the targeting - we should have the option to play with less realism if we want.


But if you do patrols on full realism, it's a relief to make it through four patrols and get a (safe) desk job, knowing you beat the system.


I would agree, however, that you should be able to carry on if you want to - but I do appluad all design decisions that make the game more realistic, and this is one of them.

Now, if they only fix the 'wound' medal award... :)

Strictly speaking a pure sub sim would entail becoming the sub; not one I'd care to play, I think.:lurk:

I don't know. A "self-aware" submarine might be pretty cool.

The Terminator!:o