Noob Questions
 

SH4w/Uboat...RFB 2.0w/patch...RSRDCw/patch...100% realism.

First campaign and first patrol...

1. Setting up my American Campaign I chose "normal" for the level of difficulty...what factors/settings are different between nornal/hard/etc.?

2. Under Captain's Log screen...what are "Captain's abilities"?

3. On first patrol have successfuly completed both my first and second mission objectives. I was told after completing the second objective to..."then process via the Luzon Straights to Manila."...I have plenty of fuel and torps left...can I freelance for a while or do I have to return to base immediately to successfully complete my patrol?

4. Under Crew Management Screen...have 9 seamem/sailor slots not filled...how do I fill them? RFB manual says crew size remains the same through out the war... O/WO only? Can I swap out one officer for another someway/somehow?

5. I've read a ton of threads on sonar usage...when trying to find new targets, do I dive to periscope depth, stop boat go to the sonar room and actually have to make a command request of the operator to do a sweep...or does the sonar man do this continuously "automatically?...ie., can I do TC for say an hour and expect the sonar man to do the sweeps and report any contacts? Any advice in using sonar while on patrol to find targets day/night?

TXS

PS-sunk a 12,500 ton Heavy Jap Cruiser at night...put 4 torps into her side from 800 yards...got the she's going down message in about 2 minutes!...however, in the same convoy, missed two Jap transports wasting 4 torps when attempting stern shots.

Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but:

1) If you're referring to the difficulty at the start of the career, I have no idea how RFB handles that. I've set it on hardest. :O:

2) Once your crew members start gaining special abilities, you will see them there (and those that are active).

3) Yes. There is nothing stopping you from doing so. :)

4) Have you played stock game before trying RFB? I highly suggest that you search this forum (and look it up in the RFB manual) for a term: Hogan's Ally. There are differences on how RFB and TMO implemented it.

In short - once you dive, you need to move (one for each watch) the officers from the deck to the conning tower, (2 for each watch) two seamen to the control room so you can see people manning the dive planes, and the remaining crew into the Hogan's Ally.

Of course, you don't need to do that every time. But it is highly recommended if you're expecting to get DC-ed...

As for the damage crew and deck gun / AA crew - each time you want to use them you need to move someone from the crew to occupy the required slots.

5) Awww.... Currently the latest patch has a bug with the 'deaf sonar guy'. During normal play, the sound man will report contacts once he hears them, once they are in range. Right now, with this latest patch, my sonar guy is completely deaf. We're all waiting for Luke to fix this.


About ship damage models. Only merchants and DD's have been given the treatment of real flooding and such. Large capital ships are still on the to-do list. ;)