Always the same boat
 

I've noticed that I always seem to draw the USS Drum when I get a Gato-class boat, and always get the USS Balao when I get one of that class. Only once did I get the Gato. So far, I've never started my career with either a Gato-class or Balao-class boat. Usually I start out with an S-Boat in the Asiatic Theater, and work my way up from there when I 'earn' a new boat. So, I rarely get a Gato-class sub until around mid-42, sometimes later. The Balao-Class boats are not available until after 1 Jan, 43.

I've looked through data\roster\american\submarine\boatclass.cfg and found:

Gato-Class: there are UNITS 1 through 10, all with a DOC on or before 19411231. 73 total UNITS. The USS Drum is UNIT 1

Balao-Class: there are UNITS 1 through 7 with a DOC of 19430101. 116 total UNITS (some with a DOC at the end of the war, even later). The USS Balao is UNIT 1.

Isn't the program supposed to select your boat randomly (subject to dates of availability), or does it just pick UNIT 1 'most' of the time?

Can the order of the UNITs be changed before starting a career? Like exchange any of the other 9 available boats (Gato) in the UNIT 1 position?

Inquiring minds want to know.

yeah...happened to me, i also got the USS Balao and the drum when i updated my boat...

Tired of USS Drum?

Here's how to select any boat - courtesy of Beery:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...82&postcount=5

(be sure the dates are correct)

Happy Hunting!

Art

CO USS Drum (SS-228)
"The DRUM can't be beat" <<--- DRUM's real slogan

Here is Berry's reply for all those interested:

The easiest way to do it is before you start a career - alter the Data\Roster\American\Submarine\SSGato.cfg file so that it only has one unit entry. The file should look like this:

[UnitClass]
ClassName=SSGato
UnitType=200
AppearanceDate=19411201
DisappearanceDate=19450902
DisplayName=US Gato
[Texture 1]
TextureName=data/Submarine/NSS_Gato/NSS_Gato_T01.tga
LightmapTextureName=data/Submarine/NSS_Gato/NSS_Gato_O01.tga
StartDate=19411201
EndDate=19421231
Frequency=1
[Texture 2]
TextureName=data/Submarine/NSS_Gato/NSS_Gato_T02.tga
LightmapTextureName=data/Submarine/NSS_Gato/NSS_Gato_O01.tga
StartDate=19430101
EndDate=19450901
Frequency=1


[Unit 1]
Name=USS Wahoo (SS-238)
DOC=19411201
DOD=19450902

That will give you the USS Wahoo every time you choose a Gato in a career.

This partially answers my question, at least I can choose my boat this way. I would, though, prefer more of a surprise as to which boat I get assigned. How can the program be made to choose for me more randomly, rather than [almost] always giving me UNIT 1?

If all but one can be eliminated from the roster, couldn't JUST the Drum be eliminated, or placed further down in the list? Of course the UNITs would have to be renumbered to maintain consistency, and the UNITs from UNIT 38 on (DOC after 19430101) also be eliminated to save a little time in renumbering the UNITs.

Has anyone ever been assigned to the USS Muskallunge (SS-262) or the USS Corvina (SS-226) or any of the other 68 UNITs besides the Drum or the Gato?

The game does give you different boats.

I suspect the trouble is you might get one before its out there in numbers (a few months before the boat type enters duty) and since nothing is available in the roster at that point, you keep the default boat name.

Just a theory for now.

@Roger,

Panthercules created a small JSGME-ready mod to change your Sub's name to whatever name and number you want prior to to start of your career.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...97&postcount=6

It's an easy way to do just what Beery suggested; edit the date that a submarine is eligible for service to ensure you get the Sub you want (or don't want) when assigned a new Submarine.

-Scott

Here's what I did: I added one year to the DOC of both DRUM and BALAO. That should put them out of range when I get my assignment (if it works like I think it does).

I've started a new career on the Nautilus (Norwhale-class), so it will be awhile before I can see if it works.

Run Silent, Run Deep

from: Estacada, OR

I'm going to look at that utility mentioned above someday when I get a chance ... looks interesting.

I just installed 1.5 yesterday and am fine tuning things today but out of several careers I have started during this procedure I have not had the same boat twice.

It appears the Dev's must have addressed this 'same command' issue in the add-on? So far I am liking 1.5 a lot... Thanks Dev's :-)

Happy Hunting!

Art

Well, as I type, this is how many different boats skins we have for each class over at battleflags.net.

• Balao - 20
• Gar - 3
• Gato - 20
• S-18 - 5
• S-42 - 1
• Salmon - 5
• Sargo - 7
• Tambor - 8
• Tench - 1

So, either everyone using a killflags skin is selecting their own boat (I don't think so), or the game does assign different boats. And almost all of these boats were "built" before version 1.5.

Of course. The boat you are assigned depends on the date you start your campaign. In the upcoming release of RFB all of the submarine names correspond to when that particular boat began its first war patrol (unlike the default system, which uses the date of the boat's commissioning).

Luke, that's a great idea.

Ah, so! So since I always start my career on Dec. 6, 1941, I'm always going to get the USS Drum (Gato) or USS Balao, no matter when the reassignment takes place.

I have noticed that when I play one of the Single Patrols or Missions, I get a different boat. Probably because that particular boat is 'assigned' to that mission.

I haven't looked at how they did it in the game files but a GATO class shouldn't be available in the War until Apr-May 1942 and a BALAO class not until Jul 1943.

This system would really be great !! Looking forward to it.

Happy Hunting!

Art

i noticed that the texture 1 and two were assigned to a specific tga....
could we make a pack for all the boats that have been made, could we add the tga's to the high res folder and have it look there?

I have started several careers in Oct. 1943 at Freemantle and I get a different boat every time. Last time was the Billfish and this time I got the Batfish. :rock:

Exactly! I should have mentioned (if I didn't before) that I start my Career on Dec. 6, 1941, usually in an S-Boat. I spend several patrols (9 months was my longest) in the S-Boat, then I am given a Gato (almost always the Drum). It would be at least April or May when I get my new boat. There are 10 Gato-class boats with a DOC before 1/1/'42, with the Drum (Unit #1) having a DOC of 11/1/'41. I'm not given a Balao-class boat until they are available in 1943. 7 Balao-class boats have a DOC of 1/1/'43, and the USS Balao is Unit #1.

I'd really like the program to show a little more randomness when it makes the choice of which boat I get assigned to.

Right me too, and also be historically accurate or close to it. It would be nice to use 'first patrol' data from a source like: Clay Blair Jr's "SILENT VICTORY" although I have read posts where some aren't happy with Blair so I won't waste my time. lol

However just for example here are the first few GATO's:

212 GATO Apr-42
213 GREENLING Apr-42
214 GROUPER May-42
215 GROWLER May-42
228 DRUM Apr-42

and on... I have all the Pacific data - it is just a big project getting it into the SH4 files. I wonder if RFB is doing this already?

Art

Edit: It looks like they are:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...&postcount=285

Reading the comments above led me to wonder, so I had a look here http://www.fleetsubmarine.com/

According to their submarine lists, Drum was commissioned in November '41 under Commander Robert H. Rice, and as was pointed out, didn't make her first patrol until April '42, under that same CDR Robert H. Rice! My point is this: perhaps it's unrealistic to move from an older boat into a modern fleet boat without first doing a full work-up; and perhaps if I were to have a Gato as early as April 1942 I shouldn't have a career until then, as I was probably on the East Coast preparing that boat for service when the war started.

That's pretty much the way "New Construction" by Ducimus works. I think it would be just great if when you get a new boat for the first time, you get sent to New Construction, and give your new boat, and new crew, their sea trials before taking it to Pearl. Its a great mod, and gives you a 'good feeling' about your new boat, but you have to start your Career at New Construction.