[Bosje]

my 2 cents:

not to bore you with SH3 but I remember reading that they increased ranges in the GWX supermod because the game does feature the authentic ranges but it doesnt take the shape of the earth into account

i'm not exactly sure how it works but it appears that the shortest distance between, say, pearl harbor and tokio is NOT a straight line drawn on some 2 dimensional map

the trip is taken across a sphere so in fact, taking a kind of long curve, covers a significantly smaller distance than the one you get when you draw a line on the map

so... historically the boats would be able to make the trips we are all assigned, but in the game you are forced to cover a lot more, ehm, water on the same mission

that's why in GWX 2.1 you get more fuel in your sub, which creates actual historical range

I too have had to refuel in darwin and then go all the way up again to Luzon to make it there with fuel to spare. results in a patrol lasting 3 months with maybe 3 interesting days where you get contacts etc. I love that feeling, dont get me wrong, but perhaps the modding community could look into this

edit: ps i currently start my missions by going to 10 knots and checking the range with the navigator, drawing some lines and doing some math. then i decide if i am going to make it. if i cant, i just stop by midway first thing, or take a long detour visiting the aussies, that helps with the current setup