I don't understand this sim. Help me.
 

Now that I've got your attention, let me explain. Ok, so I DO understand the sim. I've played 688i all the way up to Dangerous Waters. Every version. I've played SH 3 to 4 and now to 5 so I understand what's going on and everything but these are some things that have me scratching my head:

Ok, so I have NO MODS intalled...just the 1.2 patch. I started a new campaign and did the training mission. No problem. I went and docked (I think at Kiel?) and talked to the captain, got promoted myself to captain, yada yada.....

I saved the game at this point and applied the MO mod. Went back in and talked to the fixer upper dude, and I upgraded the hydrophone. So then I talk to the other dude and got my orders and I requested the Merchant mission and then I said "Let's go."

So right off the bat I have to spend an hour just about getting out of Kiel and taking the shortcut through the river...and that was WITH TC!!!!! Yep, for nearly an hour of real time all I did was navigate. Not fun.

1) Is there a way to change what dock you launch from? Because I'd be all for this. Lol. Put me closer to where I need to be to start with. Sheesh.

Then I finally make it to the patrol area and I cruise up and down the coast for another hour with TC on....and at times I do see some contacts pop up on the nav screen but it seems to be hit or miss. Seemed like there wasn't nearly as many ships as I thought there would be. They were downright hard to find.

It just seems like you spend 95% of your time, managing TIME via TC. What is fun about that?? Am I missing something?

i do not think that you can change the location where you start your patrols related to the years

your tc is droping near land, contacts etc because of the setings from main.cfg

But you can contract time by enabling the travel mode

then your TC will stay at higher values

they are many methods to find easy contacts - patroling near shiping lines, near harbors etc

i use scripts made by trevally when i patrol my area to fiid contacts and it help me a lot

here are the auto scripts made by trevally:
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...=174400&page=8

cheers

Starting at Kiel is a pain in the arse, however, in about two or three weeks you'll get transferred to Willhemshaven (sp)

Trevally has made a harbour pilot mod, where you select the port you are leaving from, and the pilot automatically takes you out to sea. He has added all kinds of other automated skripts also, that make being the skipper a lot easier.

See here http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=174525

Or just change the time compression setting for when you're near land in the main.cfg file in the same way as you could in SH3 or SH4.

One way to avoid the Kiel canal is to go around Denmark through the straits of Skagerrak. It is about as long and requires less micro-management.

regarding TC, I believe "travel mode" allows you to have high TC near land.

Attitude
 

All those advisory points are good, but the real problem is your attitude. To be a submariner takes patience. The sim is trying to give you the experience of being there, for real.

Subs would hunt for weeks between contacts. You have to be a hunter.

If you want instant action, play the separate missions. The campaign is about hunting and will take longer.

This is not an arcade shooting game. It is a test of your hunting ability, which includes figuring out the best places to find enemy shipping and then avoiding the escorts that will be around.

If you are a veteran of 688i then you should be much happier with this sim as you can actually see the interior and crew. You can go up top and see and hear the waves and weather.

Get some of the gramophone/radio mods and listen to period music or your own music as you ply the ocean. Get into the spirit of 'being there'. It's called ambiance.

This is true. SH is a chillout game that demands a LOT of patience and strategy. When Im going crazy for action, I play some mmo's like WoW or Rift, but when I need some real chillout I go for SH. In musical term, is like jumpin between Slipknot and Jan Garbarek.

Magnum is correct; submarine simulations are not about immediate gratification; you need to work for your fun. Personally, I always take the Kiel Canal, as it saves an enormous amount of fuel. Since I always go north through The Gap (historically, the English Channel was mined in sufficient numbers to eliminate the possibility of transiting it submerged, and doing so surfaced would be tantamount to suicide), every drop of fuel counts.