[Dogfish40]

I'm going to chime in here , as I don't necessarily disagree with anything that has been said, I am only giving my experience. I have never paid renown for any special crew abilities however, on my last patrol before I had to start a new career, I looked in my crew roster one day and found two of my engine crew had been upgraded to clovers (experts). I made sure the two were on separate shifts and also noticed an overall boost in the performance of the boat at all times, and since I didn't pay for it I certainly enjoyed the change. As far as being unrealistic?! There were a lot of crew members that brought along their special talents and some boats benefited from just these personnel. As you know, these boats were in a constant state of repair while on patrol and some mechanics had much more talent than others, electricians, even crew members with a knack for guessing the enemys whereabouts. So, I think the system for special abilities has some merits here, I just enjoy it as another small perk to give my boat an edge over the enemy like any Skipper would do in a desperate time.
Good Hunting Mates
D40