Sorry; I argued with Steed (because it's so much fun) but I didn't address your question directly.
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Originally Posted by mangaroca
But getting to the point... I was wondering if the Renown are something that really existed - a table of scores on Doenitz's desk that was rating a Captain not only by the tonnage he had sent to the bottom but also by other aspects, such as e.g.: the number of days he had spent at the sea, the regions he had patrolled, the fire/hit ratio etc.; or are the Renown simply the game's invention, something to keep us away from the "goodies" (although we all get them as soon as they are available)?
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Everybody's least favorite answer: Yes and No. No, there was no points record that governed executive decisions. Yes, commanders then and now keep an eye on their men. Fitness reports, patrol records and yes, tonnage scores, all influenced the commanding officers' choices. Not only how well the captain did, but how his fellow officers percieved him. That last one is tough, because captains who were disliked by their men could sometimes still get ahead if they got the job done. A very good example of this is Herman Wouk's
The Caine Mutiny (not the movie, though it is one of my favorites, but the book, which follows up on the careers of the main characters in the aftermath of the court-martial). Sometimes doing the right thing will get you into more trouble than just going along with the flow.
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If the latter is true, how many of you don't pay attention to the Renown and use some sort of a cheat to switch them off? Is switching them off at all possible??
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It's very possible. NYGM shuts the renown off altogether and uses straight tonnage scores. Also you can change renown awarded for various tasks.
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Again, if the Renown never existed, what was the major factor making one Kaleun get his XXI, VII/41 or whatever else he was after during the WWII???
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The major factor in real life was actually renown, just not like it is in the game. I think game renown would work perfectly if it was hidden, i.e. you don't know how much you have or how much you need; you only know that every now and then you get offered stuff.