Upgrading Your Boat?

[The Fishlord]

Hey everybody I just got SH4 a week ago and I'm having a blast with it. An average patrol so far is about 4 times what other "aces" have sunk so far in their careers. It's a great game for the WWII geek like me.

Anyways I've been moving through the career so quickly that it's already almost November 1942.

In the manual the appearance (and configuration of deck guns, etc) changes as years go by. I've got the USS Drum, a Gato class sub, but it's still stuck as the "1941 model". Do I have to somehow upgrade it myself in my office? Should it automatically upgrade at the end of 1942? What's going on? My old sub looks wimpy compared to the cool screens I see

Thanks for any replies.

[Mush Martin]

Welcome to subsim matey.
You use prestige points to buy upgrades when your in base
click on the submarine in the captains desk to pick upgrades
and click on the crew picture to pick your crew and promote
or train them.

[The Fishlord]

Originally Posted by Mush Martin

Welcome to subsim matey.
You use prestige points to buy upgrades when your in base
click on the submarine in the captains desk to pick upgrades
and click on the crew picture to pick your crew and promote
or train them.

I already know all about that. I've looked through all the possible upgrades.

Where do I find an upgrade that switches it from Gato-1941 to Gato-1942?

If you read the manual you would know what I'm talking about. Under the classes of US submarines, there are usually at least three different years that a sub matures through. Mine isn't.

[Q3ark]

Where do I find an upgrade that switches it from Gato-1941 to Gato-1942?

I'm not 100% sure on this but as far as i know you get a pop up that tells you when a sub upgrade (conning tower, new sub etc) is available and you can accept or refuse the upgrade.

As i say not too sure on this as i have never had the chance to finish a career.

[tennozan]

I've been curious about this as well. Specifically, once I have a sub do I keep that sub until war's end (or being sunk) or can I replace the whole enchilada?

[Mush Martin]

Originally Posted by The Fishlord

If you read the manual you would know what I'm talking about.

Thats Funny nice second post.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=128825



@ Q3ark ....
thats correct.

[Q3ark]

Originally Posted by tennozan

I've been curious about this as well. Specifically, once I have a sub do I keep that sub until war's end (or being sunk) or can I replace the whole enchilada?

Yes if you're good enough the big wigs at pearl will offer you a brand new boat Or you can refuse the upgrade and keep the old one.

If you accept a new boat the old crew come with you. You dont have to start with a green crew again.

[The Fishlord]

Originally Posted by Q3ark

Yes if you're good enough the big wigs at pearl will offer you a brand new boat Or you can refuse the upgrade and keep the old one.

So you mean "upgrade" as in an "improved conning tower", not "upgrade" as in new ship?

[Sailor Steve]

The Fishlord, WELCOME ABOARD!

[Charlielima]

Welcome aboard M8. I skipper the S boat. As time and patrols pass, new radars and guns are made available to me to purchase with renown points. I've been offered a new boat a couple of times after a patrol but haven't taken it. Those fleet boats are too big. The speed and range is bitchin' tho. If they offer me a Super S Boat, anechoic coated albacore hull, snorkel, ships' force with 30 and 50 cal small arms for pesky gunboats and troop ship survivors. I'll take it. Well Doggies! yah right. Maybe in SH-X. CL

[The Fishlord]

It's now November 1942 and it still shows no way to upgrade the ship itself. Yes, I see to upgrade RADAR, AA guns, and the deck guns, but not the conning tower. I haven't been offered an option for it...I'm still confused.

I got some pictures if you're having trouble understanding. How do I turn a sub with this conning tower...


Into a sub with THIS conning tower...?



Do I actually need to buy the sub in that year to get this version? If so, I think this is quite unrealistic because in real life subs would be ripped apart and put back together again with totally different looks.

[DrBeast]

Judging from older threads dealing with this issue, it's a touch and go thing. You might get offered a conning tower upgrade, or you might not, no matter how well you perform. There was a post about how to "force" the game to choose an upgraded conning tower somewhere in Subsims, but it's been a while. I'll do some digging around and see if I can find it. It's a simple change in one of the saved game's .upc files, but details elude me right now.

[DrBeast]

Amazing what you can do with a shovel and some patience!
I found the thread I was refering to, it's over here. Therein is discussed the mechanics behind the conning tower upgrade offer.
The fix to "force" the game to use an upgraded tower can be found in this post. Just replace any references to Salmon with Gato (that's the boat you're using, right?).

[Q3ark]

Originally Posted by The Fishlord

So you mean "upgrade" as in an "improved conning tower", not "upgrade" as in new ship?

As far as I am aware, both. New conning towers and new boats are offered to you in this manner.

[The Fishlord]

Originally Posted by DrBeast

Amazing what you can do with a shovel and some patience!
I found the thread I was refering to, it's over here. Therein is discussed the mechanics behind the conning tower upgrade offer.
The fix to "force" the game to use an upgraded tower can be found in this post. Just replace any references to Salmon with Gato (that's the boat you're using, right?).

Does this also change the positioning of the deck gun?

When I look in the manual, the Gato 1942 class has the deck gun on the bow instead of the stern. Will it also cause that to be moved or will I have to look for that myself?