newbie question
 

Hi guys

Im playing in career mode and I'm based in the Asiatic fleet - Freemantle. I got a Gato class sub and was assigned to the South China Sea PZ, near the Luzon Straits. Thing is I cant get there - I reach half tank near Palawan in the Phillipines, so no way I'd get back to Freemantle without running outa gas. Is there anyway to reject a mission? Any help would be great tx!

JJ

What speed are you moving at? You can click on the button underneath the speed dial and select speeds slower than one third. Also, you can submerge and use batteries for a while and then surface and use fuel while recharging your batteries. lastly, you can enter a friendly port and fill up with gas.

Running out of fuel
 

You should have no fuel problems getting there so long as you stick to travelling 8-10 knots. If you try and go flank speed the entire way, you WILL run out of gas.

Real boats did not travel at high speeds for prolonged periods of time in the interest of fuel economy and saving wear and tear on the engines.

Traveling underwater may be needed due to enemy air patrols, but it won't save you any fuel in the long run since you use more fuel after surfacing while recharging your batteries.

As mookiemookie indicated, you should travel at the most fuel-efficient speed, around ten knots (you can set a speed directly by clicking under the telegraph to go from 1/3, 2/3, etc. display to an actual knotmeter). Miles-per-gallon drop off quickly as you go faster or slower.

If that's not acceptable than you will have to play with limited fuel off.

I've always thought the game doesn't give the player an accurate operational range at Standard speed, but I don't know for sure.

Along the same lines as other posts - best to cruise on the surface at 2/3rds (12 knots on a calm sea). Aircraft may force you to dive; click the tab below the telegraph dial and then set your speed to 2 knots. At that speed, you can stay submerged all day and surface again after dark (about an hour after sundown is good).

One other suggestion - don't chase after every contact you get while enroute to your patrol station, especially if they are on a diverging course (moving away from your direction of travel) or at extreme distance. Probably better to let it go because there will be others. Targets on a converging course, though....

Reading all these threads about players running outta gas makes me wonder how the US Navy got through the war without a Milch cow. Technically any sub well outside of Japanese air range could probably expect a tanker to show up if low on fuel. Kinda argues for the return of the much abused RTB button from SH3.

You can travel all the distance at the highest speed you want useing "Limited Fuel" and never run out of gas in one of the SH4 subs.


































Just don't try it useing Diesel. :arrgh!:

I've been thinking the same thing, and not as a "cheat." As far as I know, a real world boat could pull into Tacloban or Balikpapan or some other friendly harbor and top off - they obviously weren't limited by scripted bases. :) Without that ability in the game, if I miscalculate (which is my fault) - or worse, if I take damage and have a fuel leak (which isn't) - and run out of fuel, I'm stuck. I can hit the TC button and wait for the war to end or to get sunk by aircraft, but that's it. RTB is the easiest way around that, I think.

Thanks guys, Ive been pootling around at standard speed thinking it was the most efficient. As for friendly ports - would those be the ones with Anchor symbols or any port not occupied by the Japs? Was wondering because I tried stopping at Port Moresby once and nothing happened.

JJ

Wonder?
 

The reason you didn't read about the US Navy running out of fuel was that their lives depended on it and it was the primary job of the chief engineer to manage fuel.

In war, getting a tow or visiting your friendly neightborhood Milch cow was no better than asking to die. How many German Milch cows had long and fruitful careers? Mostly they died specatularly for the amusement of attacking bomber crews. If they were refueling a sub, they both died. Didn't work for them either.

Learning to manage fuel is just as important for SH4 skippers as it was in real life. Run out of fuel and say hi to St Peter. War is hell. Reality bites.:arrgh!: I'm on my 14th cruise without running out of fuel and many have run twice as many or more. So can you, jetjunky.

Check this thread out :yep:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=119507


RDP