Upgrading VII-B to VII-C?
 

Is it worth it, game-wise? And why?

Thanks. :)

No way man, not at all.

Wait for an IXB.

I upgraded almost everytime i could on my first patrol. Mistake.


This time i started out with a VIIB, and im going to spend all my money on making it the best meanest sub there.

The only time ill switch will be when the IXDs come out. And by that time, ill have heaps saved up and i can outfit it with the best stuff right away.

If you plan to stay in the VII series (for instance, you don't want to patrol to America and back), then the VII-C is the way to go. You get more torpedoes, access to more advanced sub technology, and, for me anyway, the bridge looks better -- it's got that spike to the side upon which you may impale the heads of your victims, or post-it notes, depending on your level of bloodthirstiness.

Yeah, and call me crazy, but does'nt the type VII have a shorter dive time?
Which could be a factor later in the war, but I suppose if you have a snorkel it might not matter so much because you can run decks awash.


MeeBit

In a VIIC I dont get amazing tonnage but I survive for a very long time.
In a IX however I get fantastic tonnage but have a limited lifespan ;)

Re: Upgrading VII-B to VII-C?
 

It is. For example, all those conning tower upgrades are only available for VIICs.
You will never have heavy flak on a VIIB, the best you get is that super-ugly dustbin on the deck with a 20mm. With a VIIC, you can ultimately upgrade to 2x37mm and 4x20mm on the conning tower, which packs quite a punch.

I cannot comment on things like upgraded listening devices, snorkel etc. because I have always upgraded to VIIC quite early, but I dont think you will get them on a VIIB.

If you want you can upgrade to a VIIC-4 cunningtower with 3 x twin 37mm flackguns but that is a little bit to much flackpower:)
http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/4...08596ci.th.jpg

That looks like way too much firepower... Since my experience fighting planes has never been good, I prefer to not go all out on flaks... just enough for those times when diving is not a good option and you're forced to duke it out on the surface with the pests. And that senario happens like never so...

Yep it is much firepower, shot down several B-24's with it but against smaller planes it's no option because they crash on your sub if you shoot them at long range:)
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8...sehrohr9ka.jpg

I think all the heavy duty flak guns are a waste in later years.

Yes the best way is to dive, but once in a while I like to shoot down a B-24 just to see the gunners at work:)
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/8...sehrohr9ka.jpg

I had a VIIC-4 tower once, but I changed it back to 2 after that patrol, it just wasn't nice to look at :(
I find the VIIC-2 tower to be the most astheticly pleasing in the game ;)



Back to the topic but....
I would definatly recommend getting the VIIC as soon as possible if you want to stay with the VII class. If you want to eventualy own a IX or such I would put a few upgrades on your B (KDB hydrophone and cheap engine upgrade) to keep you going easily until you can afford it.

Holy **** where is your deck gun?

No deck guns for the U-Flaks :P

Trowed the deckgun overboard:) Finish badly damaged ships with the heavy flak:) The screenshot you see is from a VIIC with a model 4 cunningtower, there is only room for 3 heavy flak emplacements (2 after and 1 in front of the bridge). You can choose between 20 or 37mm heavy flaks in different configurations. Every attacking plane will be killed immidiatly, even 3 or 4 at once! But always let the gunners fire at close range against small planes, otherwise they crash on your sub:)
But remember, challenging planes is risky, maybe it's best you keep your deckgun and dive ASAP if you spot a plane:)

Holy Cow!
 

That is some serious topside weaponry! Are you sure you don't want to try the surface navy? Wow!

Here's a question: Would you be willing to use flak to take down a wayward Coastal Merchant? Would it take as long or longer to take it down with flak than with a deck gun? How do you aim all your guns? Can you switch between emplacements?

First rule of anti-aircraft war. There's NEVER too much firepower. :rock: :arrgh!:

Re: Holy Cow!
 

You can switch between emplacements with keys F, T, G.
My impression when shooting at surface (and air) targets with flak was that all guns shoot at the target you choose for your emplacement.
I had no luck taking down a merchant with 20mm - read somewhere that it works with 37mm, but it sure takes longer than the deck gun.

Re: Holy Cow!
 

I can only use 1 flak at a time against a ship because the flak crew only sees a plane as a possible target. But I only use the heavy flak if all my torpedoes are gone and the target ship still isn't sunk, a torpedoed small merchant mostly takes about 40 heavy flak gun hits before it sinks.
Not as good as a deckgun but it's better then trowing rocks at the damaged ship:)

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/9...lshaber6un.jpg http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/111...negroot8fx.jpghttp://img57.imageshack.us/img57/166...temblem3gk.jpg

If that's what you have...
 

I suppose if flak is all you got...

Submariners always make it happen... even if its a little unorthodox.