[WIP] Psuedo Narwhal class Fleet boat

[Ducimus]

Simply put, this is my feeble attempt to put the much requested Narwhal class boat into SH4. Since the addon/expansion isn't going to do it, i guess its up to us. Its my hope that eventually, someone will do better then i am doing with this. I cannot do 3d/wireframe modeling, so my capabilties are limited. Hence, this is a "Psuedo Narwhal". Im using the Sargo as a base. Ive instantiated a new object, and have created a deck gun setup, specifically for the Narwhal , twin 4" 50's. I know the real Narwhal had bigger guns, but im limited to whats useable/crewable by subs. Maybe i can get them to take a larger caliber round. Ill look into that later.

At any rate this is a WIP. When i have accomplished a few more things, ill post it if someone wants to try it out.

List of things to do:
1.) Remove tubes 7 and 8, as the Narwhal had 4 forward, 2 aft. (game is stubbonrly still having them, despite my best efforts to remove all refrences of these tubes in the UPC file.)

2.) Adjust the dat file for
a.) slower dive time
b.) Top speed of... i think its 17 kts
c.) Adjust surface endurance, to be in the neighborhood of 18,000 NM @ 10 kts. (this tub, had some range to it)



Known issue:
1.) Current use of dat file (rather then inheirting it)is causing a CTD in the musem, arguably because i have a 2nd dat file with duplicate nodes (sargo).


IF,
This CTD is limited to the musem with no other issues
THEN
ill just let it go.

If
This Issue is causing huge saved game file sizes
THEN
I'll wait tell after patch 1.4 and try and go and rename each and every "sargo" in the dat file to "narwhal" to eliminate the duplicate node names.

Ive done this before with the gar, and it seemed to work ok.



2.) Forward deck gun is uncontrollable by the player, so you'll have to rely on your crew for the forward gun. (rear gun is controllable) This is due to hardcoded limitations on control access. While the game has a "cycle AA gun" functionality, it doesnt have "cycle deck gun" functionality.


Oh yeah, i guess screenshots would help....


Musem. If i select Sargo after this, it will CTD. Presumably because its loading the same dat with nodes again, game doesnt like that. Note, twin guns.


Guns, manned and ready.


Note, their not 5'25 guns, but 4'50's. I used them because they look bigger, and the Narwhal's guns were freaking huge.


Im using the Porpoise interior because i think it fits.


That and theirs only torpdo lights for 4 forward, 2 aft tubes, which is my goal. Hopefully i can get rid of tubes 7 and 8, if not, ill have to let it go. The porpoise, i think is just too small for this.



Ats all i have for now, bed time.

[Hitman]

GREAT

Many thanks for your efforts

Some quick observations:

1.- You would need the older conning tower, AFAIK the Narwhals didn't switch to the cut-down profile during the war.

2.- I take it you will modify tonnage and maneuverability to better values? Narwhals were slow and bad handling, plus increased tonnage would also affect the ASDIC profile

Cheers

P.S. Do you need pictures or more info? I can look for some stuff in my archives and around the web

[ReallyDedPoet]

Nice Ducimus


RDP

[Peto]

Maybe you can get around the torpedo tube problem by limiting reloads. I believe the Narwhal & Nautlis had 2 external tubes forward and aft which couldn't be reloaded. :hmm:

Nice job Ducimus! Can't put 6" guns on her huh?

[Ducimus]

1.- You would need the older conning tower, AFAIK the Narwhals didn't switch to the cut-down profile during the war.

Thats not a problem. I'll go find some picture on navsource to be sure.

2.- I take it you will modify tonnage and maneuverability to better values? Narwhals were slow and bad handling, plus increased tonnage would also affect the ASDIC profile

If i can continue to use a renamed sargo.dat file, then yes i will change all the values. Im concerned with large filesize game saves occuring, i need to test that.

Can't put 6" guns on her huh?

Do we have 6 " deck guns useable by player subs? Honest question, id much rather use those, then 4"'s. The only way around this is to increase the shell damage somehow, and then use a specific shell the other guns do not. Not sure if this is possible yet, its just an idea.


edit:

I love it when a plan is coming together.


I forgot to test the deck guns against an acutal target. I did that after i tweaked the crew positions on the fore deck gun to get better effeciency out of them. Parkers Tincan was an excellent test subject since he doesnt fire back. lol.

[Peto]

Not sure about the 6" guns being available but I think your ammo idea for the 4" is a good one. Easier than making a new gun!

Looking Good!!!!

[ReallyDedPoet]

Dam, that looks pretty good Ducimus


RDP

[Ducimus]

I have to wonder if im using the wrong boat model.

Can you tell which is which?



How about from this angle?


I just assumed the porpoise was smaller. And well, it is, a *little* bit, but it's also a little bit wider as well i think.


I used the sargo; pimarly because of asthetics.


I like the lookouts up in the periscope shears, but if you check here:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08167b.htm
You'll see that the Narwhal's shears weren't that high. I could try using the Porpoises conning tower i suppose. I also used the sargo, because i like the ammunition stores being modled, i dont think any other boat model does this.


Another astheric reason i picked on the sargo was because of the aft main deck.

I just think it makes the boat look a bit more special - not neccessarly historically correct. Also, the sargo has the rear netguard for the propellers, the porpoise doesnt, sort of a pet peeve.


There main reason for my examining the porpoise more closely, is because i can't get rid of tubes 7 and 8. The tubes are a data array in the sim file, and i can't edit them out. So i do some micky mouse BS with tubes 7 and 8, or i switch to the porpoise for the historically correct torpedo tube arrangement.

[Hitman]

edit:

I love it when a plan is coming together.

Looking very good

The main difference that gave the Narwhal away was, aside from the bigger size (Really huge), the deck gun platforms. So yes, I think the Sargo looks overall more appropiate, but then again the torpedo tube layout is not correct. Given that I play without external views normally, I think I personally would prefer the Porpoise as base, but that's only my opinion :hmm:

[Ducimus]

Heres some more screenshots. I was going to make this a poll, instead, ill just ask readers to post either Porpoise, or Sargo.

(Please view the pictures in this url before posting a response
http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08167b.htm )

-----------------------------------------
PORPOISE AS A MODEL:
Pros:
- conning tower shears more accurate
- seems about a foot or two wider
- torpedo layout historically correct for narwhal

Cons:
- A couple feet shorter in length then Sargo
- No ammunition stores modeled in late war tower
- No netguard


Porpoise early war with duel guns:


Porpoise Late war with duel guns:


-----------------------------------
SARGO AS MODEL:
Pros:
- A couple feet longer in length
- aft main deck features make it look a bit more distinctive
- external shell storage modled on late war tower
- has netguard, which the Narwhal also had

Cons:
- Torpedo tube layout, historically incorrect (2 extra aft tubes that need to go bye bye)
- Periscope shears, i think are a bit taller then the narwhales

Early war Sargo with duel guns:


Late war Sargo with duel guns:



Lastley, a two close ups of both side by side.

Sargo in foreground:


Porpoise in foreground



Again, a top down view:

Porpoise on top, sargo on bottom:


Sargo on top, Porpoise on bottom:





Post which one you'd prefer. Porpoise or Sargo

[WilhelmSchulz.]

Sweet cant wait!

[Peto]

Originally Posted by Hitman

The main difference that gave the Narwhal away was, aside from the bigger size (Really huge), the deck gun platforms. So yes, I think the Sargo looks overall more appropiate, but then again the torpedo tube layout is not correct. Given that I play without external views normally, I think I personally would prefer the Porpoise as base, but that's only my opinion :hmm:

I'll 2nd this opinion since I also disable external view. I also like the "bulkier" appearance. Makes it easier setting up the tubes too. Now--can you stretch it about a hundred feet ?

[Ducimus]

Porpoise 2
Sargo 0


Vote dammit. I need other peoples opinions here. I want to have enough to be able to arrive at a decsion, so that when i get home from work, i can hit the the box running, and slam this puppy up with a D/L link tonight.

[Torps]

Sargo

Awesome you started working on this.

[DeerHunter UK]

I vote for the Porpoise, it just looks bigger than the Sargo IMHO.