Crew suddenly developes undocumented third 'local ability.'
 

I've just returned from my third patrol and noticed one of my rear torpedo room guys now has a third ability, a 'local ability' named 'increased surface speed.' And one of my engine room crew also suddenly sports a third ability that says 'increased torpedo speeds.'

This one is completely new to me! I've searched the forum about it, but nothing came up.

The manual doesn't mention this. No more in-game info available either. So, okay, the abilities speak for themselves, but what about the term 'local ability?' It could suggest such a crewmember needs to be in a specific compartment for his ability to work (i.e. increaded torpedo speed guy should be in a torpedo room for that ability to work).

From what I gathered on seeing this, the crewmember has worked in that certain compartment long enough that he has gained skill in an area. What I mean is, that if John Doe works in the Torpedo room long enough, he will gain a local ability for torpedoes. I guess this represents well trained crew members.

But that is just my hypothesis...

How can a crewmans skill make a torpedo faster ?

Maybe they mean reload times.

There are 7 local abilities

4 for the torpedo dept. and 3 for the engine dept.

Read the following for the details, it's copied and pasted from the game folder (UPCCrewdata)

N.B.
There are also 2 global abilities (Increase Fanatical Chance and Reduce Broken Chance)

************ Torpedo ************

[SpecialLocalAbility 1]
ID=LAbilTorpSpec1
NameDisplayable= Torpedo Crew Leader
AbilityType= SLA_ReduceTorpedoLoading
AbilityValue= -25 ;%
AbylityActsIn= SternTorpedoRoom, BowTorpedoRoom
Image=1
SkillRequiredLeadership= 0.4
SkillRequiredMechanical= 0.5
SkillRequiredElectrics= 0
SkillRequiredGuns= 0.2
SkillRequiredWatchman= 0

[SpecialLocalAbility 2]
ID=LAbilTorpSpec2
NameDisplayable= Torpedo Detonators Specialist
AbilityType= SLA_ReduceTorpedoMalfunctions
AbilityValue= -50 ;%
AbylityActsIn= SternTorpedoRoom, BowTorpedoRoom
Image=1
SkillRequiredLeadership= 0
SkillRequiredMechanical= 0.6
SkillRequiredElectrics= 0.2
SkillRequiredGuns= 0.6
SkillRequiredWatchman= 0

[SpecialLocalAbility 3]
ID=LAbilTorpSpec3
NameDisplayable= Torpedo Engine Specialist
AbilityType= SLA_IncreaseTorpedoSpeed
AbilityValue= 20 ;%
AbylityActsIn= SternTorpedoRoom, BowTorpedoRoom
Image=1
SkillRequiredLeadership= 0
SkillRequiredMechanical= 0.6
SkillRequiredElectrics= 0.4
SkillRequiredGuns= 0.2
SkillRequiredWatchman= 0

[SpecialLocalAbility 4]
ID=LAbilTorpSpec4
NameDisplayable= Torpedo Warhead Specialist
AbilityType= SLA_IncreaseTorpedoDamage
AbilityValue= 50 ;%
AbylityActsIn= SternTorpedoRoom, BowTorpedoRoom
Image=1
SkillRequiredLeadership= 0
SkillRequiredMechanical= 0.2
SkillRequiredElectrics= 0.5
SkillRequiredGuns= 0.6
SkillRequiredWatchman= 0


************ Engine *************

[SpecialLocalAbility 5]
ID=LAbilEngineSpec1
NameDisplayable= Surface Propulsion Specialist
AbilityType= SLA_IncreaseSurfaceSpeed
AbilityValue= 20 ;%
AbylityActsIn= PropulsionRoom
Image=1
SkillRequiredLeadership= 0
SkillRequiredMechanical= 0.6
SkillRequiredElectrics= 0.4
SkillRequiredGuns= 0
SkillRequiredWatchman= 0

[SpecialLocalAbility 6]
ID=LAbilEngineSpec2
NameDisplayable= Underwater Propulsion Specialist
AbilityType= SLA_IncreaseSubmergedSpeed
AbilityValue= 20 ;%
AbylityActsIn= PropulsionRoom
Image=1
SkillRequiredLeadership= 0
SkillRequiredMechanical= 0.4
SkillRequiredElectrics= 0.6
SkillRequiredGuns= 0
SkillRequiredWatchman= 0

[SpecialLocalAbility 7]
ID=LAbilEngineSpec3
NameDisplayable= Propulsion Specialist
AbilityType= SLA_IncreaseOverallSpeed
AbilityValue= 200 ;%
AbylityActsIn= PropulsionRoom
Image=1
SkillRequiredLeadership= 0
SkillRequiredMechanical= 0.5
SkillRequiredElectrics= 0.5
SkillRequiredGuns= 0
SkillRequiredWatchman= 0

I REALLY hope that..
does mean reload speed - what with the 'fast' setting not actually delivering the correct torp speed the last thing needed is an extra boost :D

Assuming it's reload, and similar extras are in the game (not seen anything myself yet) then it's a nice little touch.... might even shave a second or two off a reload.

Odd... lost a lump...try again - from the post above by Luke it might well be making faster torps - hope the code includes a section to ensure this doesn't make 'em miss as a result of decreasing the travel time !

It could be the cross-training that occured was because those crew were in a compartment that isn't their prime ability for a while. Something to avoid if you want local abilities to make sense later on.
-Pv-

I don't know about that. One of my sensor guys in the conning tower seems to have learned to load torpedos faster. Just saw it last night, didn't make any sense. His ability and specialization is sensors, and he's never set foot in the torpedo room.

Maybe he studies in his spare time.

I know, that's no answer, but who knows what they programmed into the game?

It does say something about crew studying in the manual :sunny:

"..I don't know about that. One of my sensor guys in the conning tower seems to have learned to load torpedos faster. Just saw it last night, didn't make any sense. His ability and specialization is sensors, and he's never set foot in the torpedo room..."

Does he have torpedo as secondary skill?
-Pv-

I had a guy with 4 abulities in my crew, he was the senior ranking officer but it was my first patrol so I assumed it happened a lot... They were all leadership related... Sorry I don't have a picture...

It seems to be working in this way:

As an example, when a crewman becomes CPO, SCPO or MCPO there's 25%, 30% or 35% chance that he gets Increase Torpedo Speed local ability ONLY IF he has these minimum values

Skill Mechanical= 0.6
Skill Electrics= 0.4
Skill Guns= 0.2

In general, the crewmen need a minimum requirement of 3 skills to get the local ability.

Check my previous post for the correct values, in this way you can assign people with the required values in the correct dept. and there will be a chance to develop a local ability when the promotion comes.

He winds up the propeller elastic band real tight?

Now this local ability term...I suppose that means he has to be in the compartment to take advantage of it?

I have several of these local abilities but I have noticed for example I have a guy in the engineroom with increase torp loading skills....when I switch him with someone in the torp space my effectiveness in both spaces go down. Does anyone have any ideas?

I don't know...

Increase load speed is ok, training makes you better.

Reduce torpedo malfunctions is ok too, if you take better care of them, they will work better.

But, the two other sound very arcadish. You just don't increase the speed or damage of a torpedo just like that, on board ship.