[K-61]

I have survived to the end of the war a few times, but not with a 39-45 career. I always used SH3 Commander's randomized retirement option to add uncertainty, and also limit my careers to more historically realistic tonnage. There were a few of my own "house rules" I used to achieve these smaller, yet more satisfying career tonnage totals.

The first was to play "dead is dead." What I like about SH3 is that, when properly modded, it is not an arcade game. I try to pretend that my real flesh is on that virtual boat and thus I would not take risks that to a real life skipper would be unjustifiable, but are mere trifles to a virtual skipper who knows he can be instantly resurrected and do it again a different way. Wow, think how each of us would live our real lives if we had access to a magic "re-life" button. That chick I just lewdly propositioned and she slapped me in the face? Reset, and then don't say it but use a different line. The possibilities for abuse are endless. So, I don't reload killed careers.

Another rule was to treat each spotted aircraft as the harbinger of death, even if I had the uberest, coolest flak setup at sea. Historically, the U-flak trap only worked briefly and the Allied planes learned to simply swarm the surfaced U-flak boats simultaneously from multiple directions and divide their fire. If a single plane spotted a group of U-flaks sailing along on the surface, it stood off and called in reinforcements. In the interval, it circled around and kept its eyes on the boats. During this time the U-boat crews knew what was in store for them. If they dove, the plane did achieve a small victory, that of impeding the boats' progress. A submerged sub is much less likely to detect and track shipping. When Doentiz ordered the flak boats to fight it out, they enjoyed a number of kills on their hated enemies, the patrol planes, but as stated, once they changed their tactics the advantage of massed flak guns was eliminated. In a way, the flak group concept gave the Allies a bonus in the form of a target rich environment. Instead of hunting four individual boats, they found four they could attack at once. Boat losses increased and then Doenitz abandoned the concept and ordered individual sailings again. I also didn't use any mods or tweaks that made my shells more explosive, gave me more ammo, etc.

In real life, the U-boat was a fragile, vulnerable thing. Their skippers knew the advantages of their craft, but also knew their limitations. One lucky hit from a shell or bomb and they may never be able to submerge again. Knowing this, they didn't duke it out with planes unless they were caught by surprise and diving immediately was worse than staying up to fight. I once read in a book the number of aircraft that were shot down by U-boat flak guns. It was a surprisingly low number; thus, I do not feel it is my mission to compete with General Galland's Luftwaffe fighter boys to destroy the enemy's aircraft. I also don't employ what I call "gamy" tactics, wherein you take advantage of weak game coding or quirks in the game's A.I. It may be fun to stay surfaced and get into gunnery duels with destroyers and frigates, but in real life it was almost always suicide.

Just my way of playing. Sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings, it is certainly not my intention to deride another player's style. Simply sharing how I used to do it and hoping to again soon, once I have my game up and running again.

With such rules, each ship destroyed, each ton sunk was savoured. To then have my skipper sent ashore or retired with as few as four or five patrols added to the thrill of uncertainty. What I would do then, to experience the whole gamut of the war, was begin a new career with a fresh boat and crew at the time of retirement or death of the previous captain. By this means, I did go from 39 to 45 a few times, but always over the course of several different lifetimes. We all like the Happy Times, but the real challenge to a skipper is to bring home the boat from a mid to late war patrol, and any successes were bonuses. Those mid to late war patrols always made me more paranoid. Like the tank crewmen in Normandy, I was always having a sore neck from looking at the sky and an itchy feeling when planes were nearby. What a great game, to give the player such an immersing experience. I wonder how many marriages and friendships broke up over the years because we were always at sea? My wife used to call herself the founding member of the "Computer Widows Club."