Convoys
 

Full disclosure.......I'm not yet playing this game, and my comment is based on having watched a bunch of videos, but it always looks like the ships that are targeted and sunk are just sitting there, and are not actually moving? That, combined with the fact that there is no sign of life on any of these ships, makes it less atmospheric than the SH series in my view. I realize that U Boat is not meant to be the next incarnation of SH, and that it offers much that SH didn't, but I hope that the modders can help U Boat in the area of atmosphere and realism during an attack. Right now, it feels like the convoys have been placed there to be sunk, rather than convoys on their way to a destination to provide much needed supplies and trying not to be sunk. My observation anyway. :)

Ships, both freighters and warships, move and maneuver. It's very early days yet for sailors scuttling about the deck, but, I have no doubt that will come. For an EA game UBOAT is as about as polished as I could have wished for, and, gets better with every update. Pretty soon we will have the crew rushing forward for a crash dive.....I hope:Kaleun_Cheers:

Sounds good. I've purchased it, but I'm waiting for the real modding to be done before playing it. I lived the nightmare of patch/mod mania with SH3, and I have no desire to repeat that. I'll wait a few months and then give it a try. :)

While we are talking about convoys, just attacked my first OB convoy today. What was very disappointing was the destroyer reactions! It was escorted by 2 destroyers however they both did not engage me. They just continued on their merry way without any maneuvering :/. Totally killed immersion.

I've seen that in a couple of videos. It feels like the convoys are simply there to be sunk.

I have seen several instances of convoys breaking up and maneuvering

some ships move in the predictable old school SHIII zig zag pattern, others see the torpedo coming and order all stop drifting while the torpedo barely misses the bow.

Interestingly, some of the ships will maneuver so as to avoid crossing your bow if they have you spotted and you are on the surface. In SHIII you could just reposition your boat down range and re-intercept them and fire at the predictably zig zagging ship... in Uboat, the ship will go out of its way to stay out of your line of fire.

others accelerate to flank speed and leave the convoy in the dust.

as far as life on the boats, there are sailors, some will be seen on the rail smoking a cigarette, right down to the stogie and the smoke. others are watching through binoculars.

sometimes the crew will abandon the ship prematurely. Though eventually i think you will see animations of crew rushing to abandon ship etc.

You'll have to keep in mind that explosions in game ruin the acoustics rendering destroyers blind, so within a few minutes following a torpedo strike - you are not very detectable.

I have felt completely ignored by escorts, then suddenly one makes a Bee line right for me at flank speed.

it no doubt needs work, cant wait to see where this is in six months

Destroyers and corvettes need to make search based on guesses as if they don't detect you they do nothing. Well, I will cry out loud on Steam forum, developer will add it for sure ;)

Your observation is also my observation.The model of the ship is very cartoon. Like toy boats。

Ships do not "just sit there".. They travel on their programmed route at 5-7 knots. I noticed sometimes once they are hit their props stop immediately, then resume. I also noticed no measure of evasive maneuvers are taken by the other merchants or even the merchant that was hit, they just continue :/.

And I've yet to see a destroyer try and detect me once their escorted convoy is hit. They just trot along their merry way. We all know that's not realistic, the destroyer would break off and make an educated guess based off the direction the ship was hit, and start their observations...