Quote:
Originally Posted by gap
Based on your findings, this is my proposal for crew ranking calculation:
lesser than 12,500 tons sunk: Poor
12,500 - 24,999: Novice
25,000 - 37,499: Competent
37,500 - 49,999: Veteran
50,000 and more: Elite
Commander's ranks would contribute to the total tonnage sunk with the following additional factors:
Fähnrich zur See: 3,125
Oberfähnrich zur See: 6,250
Leutnant zur See: 9,325
Oberleutnant zur See: 12,500
Kapitänleutnant: 15,625
Korvettenkapitän: 18,750
Fregattenkapitän: 21,875
Kapitän zur See: 25,000
As you can see, the "Poor" ranking would be extremely unlikely, being applied to commanders with not tonnage sunk whose rank was lower than "Oberleutnant zur See" (the most common rank of U-boat commanders, according to uboat.net). "Novice" would be the most common in-gane ranking applied to medium-high rank commanders at the beginning of their careers. Getting promoted to the "Elite" level would take 37,500 tons sunk to an Oberleutnant and 34,375 to a Kapitänleutnant; respectively 25,000 and 21,875 for the "Veteran" level, and 12,500 - 9,375 for the "Competent" level. On the other hand, the maximum rank which a Kapitän zur See could attain having sunk lesser than 12,500 tons, is "Competent" (which is also his starting ranking); but it is extremely unlikely that such an high-ranked officer would have been given the command of an U-boat anyway.
What do you think?  |
Your system is much more elegant than mine. I like it, except I think it might give us too many novice commanders at the beginning of their careers. Even when placed in an ideal position against a totally unguarded convoy, novice AI is not very good. My concern is that, if forced to intercept a guarded convoy from a greater distance, novice commanders would be almost useless.
Also, I wonder if there should be a bonus to prewar U-boat commanders. Many of these captains had been the beneficiaries of extensive training programs while the U-boot arm was being built up. A number of them also participated in interdiction patrols during the Spanish civil war and conducted simulated wolfpack attacks beginning in late 1936 in the Baltic and in the Atlantic proper. This is why I was inclined to make "competent" the default setting. Then again, I might just have difficulty calling Prien, Lüth, etc. novices...
Quote:
Originally Posted by gap
Wouldn't better ASW sensors and AI be enough to realistically decrease the performance of our virtual wolf pack mates, at late war? 
Moreover, the assignement of many unexperienced commanders to U-boat's command during late war, would further decrease their performance... |
Good points
Although I did not record any instances of destroyers sinking AI U-boats with depth charges, their very presence was often enough to allow the convoy to escape.