The S-Class Submarine: How I stop worrying and love the S-class.
 

As you know, I started to play SH4 after I bought it from the steam three months ago. So, I played it for while until I found out this game have the good community and I found this forum. I registered it and you know the rest. :haha: I downloaded Game Fixes Only mod to get rid of the bugs and some skins for the subs. Honest, I've never tried the highly recommended mods like TMO, RFB, and FOTRS, which I'm very much regretted for not trying them out. In the game, I did tried out all the subs, included the german u-boats. However, there was one sub that I didn't try out is the S-class submarine. I figured it out much that I was like, "eh, forget it." A month ago, I uninstalled this game because I got bored. :zzz:

In this month, I was lurking around this forum and my eyes caught a thread in the SH4 board. The thread was called, "Advice for Noobies" and I read it. This guy, CaptainMattJ, posted this thread in full rage mode about a specific submarine as known, the S-Class. I was like, "Whoa, what kind of a noob decided to post this thread and trolled about a S-Class?" So, I read more the rest of the posts and I was amazing that you guys showed your love that much about the S-Class. I saluted to you guys for counter-troll him. :salute: CaptainMattJ failed to troll harder and lost the GAME.

I've never felt so much motivation to make me reinstall SH4 and try out the S-Class. But, my question to you guys:

LOL... I think this is hilarious! Dude slams the S-Class and tells everyone not to use it, and it causes everyone to do the opposite! :haha:

I've never used it, myself. But now I think I want to try it! :har:

How good? It's desperatingly bad :damn: it's slow to run, slow to dive, has less punching power and can't go as far as the later fleet boats

yet....

-it is as quick under water as all fleet boats

-it has reliable torpedoes at the start of the war

-it can handle low-depth scenearios (Gulf of Lingayen) like no fleet boat can

And, besides what the cold numbers say, it packs a lot of romanticism in it, the tale of David vs. Goliath, and if you love manual targetting you can even practice shooting the real way S-Boats did: Without TDC at all!!

I definately like those little pesky pig boats :yeah:

Slow to dive?

I found them to be one of the fastest diving boats around. :hmmm:

I agree with SteamWake, I've found the S-boats to be very quick divers. The sub has definite limitations, but I'll admit I do kinda like them. I've used them as career start in the Asiatic fleet. I do like that the torpedoes are fairly reliable and while lower powered (explosive) and shorter range it is a challenge.
I also feels it introduces some frustration elements that no doubt happened in real life, such as: I find March 1942 a pair of cruisers (Takao I think) steaming at 16 knots in line and unescorted. I'm ahead but off to the side and found to my frustration that there was no way to achieve a realistic firing opportunity simply due to the lower range of detection (visual only) and limited surface speed. I hated to let 2 sweet targets go unmolested but I had no choice, just as I'm sure real life skippers faced the same.
Fuel is a major issue with these--my last patrol on one of these I had to get back to Brisbane and could not quite get the fuel to stretch...I ran out 148 miles out but still had a full battery. By submerging to ~ 32 feet (shallow depth) and nursing the speed at ~ 0.75 knots and surfacing every 12 hours to get fresh air, I did eventually make it back to port to complete the patrol but that was way too close.
I wouldn't want to do the entire war in S-boats but they are a lot of fun. And having never played the U-boats I'm told the S-boat is closer to the "real" u-boat experience (someone else would have to confirm).
I'd say give them a try!

its like that ugly dog you fall in love with

it aint pretty but its loyal and scrappy and has its own unique qualities you'll enjoy.

you will need to change your playing style somewhat so switching from fleetsub to s-boat (pig boats) will be a little bit of a transition. what they lack in firepower they make up for with stealth.

Rgr that. You won't be chasing anybody in an s-boat. But historically, they are important, and that's why I like them. You are a total underdog in an s-boat.

you talkin 'bout me?:haha:

That describes them to a "T":salute:

Sorry guys I meant it is slow compared to U-Boat standards :D, of course it is quick within the silent service, but I'm currently playing a quick career with a Type VIIB to test some things, and the diving times jumped to my mind :O:

Well the RFB S-Boats at least are real dogs when it comes to diving... diving and everything else that is :D

Which is exactly why I love them. They're maddening enough to keep me on my toes all the time!

Signed, Captain Bernard G. Wreck, USS-39

I keep a dutch Harbor S-class campaign in my install of SH4 no matter what supermod I am running. it is very fun to be part of the "what the hell are these things doing here?!" Flotilla

Yeah! When I first saw one I thought it was just butt ugly.
But now I think it has a grace and charm all of it's own.
It's nice to have torpedoes that actually work.
And when command give you a fleet boat you'll REALLY appreciate its increased capabilities.
Gotta love the S Boat :DL

1 Fuso, 2 Kongo's - thats what i sunk with my S-18, in just one night.

That was with patch 1.5 (stock) - without any mods, on 80% realism.

Wonder if with TMO i will ever come to get such shots again ...

cheers
morph

I'm gonna try out the S-Class, but what is the different between S-18 and S-48 (correct me if I'm wrong)?

Going to reinstall.

P.S.: I'm quite surprised that no one haven't notice my thread title as a movie reference.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057012/

The quote was a little off but I got it.