[jarlemag]

I'm not convinced by that argument. Assuming bots do get implemented, you could just have the bots man the engines for convenience, or human crew for maximum realism and the ultimate "sim" experience. Also, I'm not convinced that the engine station needs to be so deathly boring. There are both diesel and electric engines that need to be switched over for example, where the timing can be critical, so an attentive and effective engine crew could mean life or death if a crash dive is needed. The engine could also need addition of lubricating oil and other maintenance tasks to keep optimal performance and/or or to avoid engine stops.

Furthermore, if torpedo rooms are implemented, the engine crew would be close to the aft torpedo tube so could potentially double as torpedo crew.

Edit: Here is a video showing how to start up a WW2 submarine diesel engine:

Doesn't look like these guys are doing "nothing"! I count at least 6 gauges to watch and 6 valves to operate. And there are *two* such engines, plus the electric engines.