Two newbie Q's

[dfscott]

Hi all -- first time poster. I've dug around a lot, downloaded manuals and lurked here as well but there are two questions I can't find an answer for:

1) The community manual says "The renown needed for a promotion is not the cumulative renown you've gathered through your career, but rather your current amount of renown." So, does that mean if I spend renown to upgrade my boat, I'm delaying my promotion? And I guess the real question is: which is more important, getting promoted or upgrading my boat?

2) The GWX mods look pretty cool. However, I'm already into a career on the standard version. Will installing GWX restart my career? Does it just augment the existing missions, replace the old ones or add new ones?

1. Yep, you have the choice: upgrading or promotion. Upgrading your sub is vital. If you're sailing in '44 with a non-upgraded VIIB, you've got your virtual certificate of death in your pocket.

2. GWX ain't compatible with older saves. I haven't had a look in the missions, i've always done the campaign, so... no idea

[KL-alfman]

GWX should be installed on a fresh and patched SH3 (v1.4b)

welcome to the pack!

[Convycmg]

Another newb but this is what I've noticed so:

Haven't detected anything more than a boost to my vanity on being promoted whereas the boat upgrades are pretty much mandatory. I suppose it may have a tiny impact on crew morale and therefore fatigue levels but not so much that I've been aware of it.

The war will be over for your current stock crew if you install GWX as others have said. If you do switch though yes the original single missions are still there, along with many more GWX missions (more than double the ones that shipped with the stock game I think). Haven't expored these much as I'm in the campaign at the moment, which is also far improved from the stock game.

The radio traffic alone adds hugely to the immersion factor. You hear about ships reporting that they're going down after hitting a mine and later other ships reporting on picking up survivors, and other Kalauns radioing in saying their own boats have been damaged by premature torpedo explosions, or that they've taken a Finnish steamer as a prize and are escorting her to Kiel, etc etc. You hear too about the general progress of the war, which was the thing I liked least about the stock game: I felt like I was on my own out there.

[Jankowski]

lol in stock game they have only 2 radio messages in the whole war

[Paul Riley]

By installing GWX3 you are practically getting a complete game free of charge,it is that expansive.
Good luck to all the noobs (god I hate that word,we were ALL noobs once),and welcome to the pack!
Be patient and you will be racking good tonnage scores up in no time.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by dfscott

Hi all -- first time poster. I've dug around a lot, downloaded manuals and lurked here as well but there are two questions I can't find an answer for:

1) The community manual says "The renown needed for a promotion is not the cumulative renown you've gathered through your career, but rather your current amount of renown." So, does that mean if I spend renown to upgrade my boat, I'm delaying my promotion? And I guess the real question is: which is more important, getting promoted or upgrading my boat?

2) The GWX mods look pretty cool. However, I'm already into a career on the standard version. Will installing GWX restart my career? Does it just augment the existing missions, replace the old ones or add new ones?

You will be better served by upgrading before thinking about promotion.

Most of the upgrades cost differing renown values and promotion only occurs when a level of renown is achieved so it is possible to drop in rank when you upgrade a piece of equipment.

Alfman has answered your second question.

Welcome aboard

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Convycmg

Another newb but this is what I've noticed so:

Haven't detected anything more than a boost to my vanity on being promoted whereas the boat upgrades are pretty much mandatory. I suppose it may have a tiny impact on crew morale and therefore fatigue levels but not so much that I've been aware of it.

The war will be over for your current stock crew if you install GWX as others have said. If you do switch though yes the original single missions are still there, along with many more GWX missions (more than double the ones that shipped with the stock game I think). Haven't expored these much as I'm in the campaign at the moment, which is also far improved from the stock game.

The radio traffic alone adds hugely to the immersion factor. You hear about ships reporting that they're going down after hitting a mine and later other ships reporting on picking up survivors, and other Kalauns radioing in saying their own boats have been damaged by premature torpedo explosions, or that they've taken a Finnish steamer as a prize and are escorting her to Kiel, etc etc. You hear too about the general progress of the war, which was the thing I liked least about the stock game: I felt like I was on my own out there.

Welcome aboard




SINK EM ALL!!

[dfscott]

Thanks, all, for the info!

Sound like upgrades are the best path to surviving. Now that I've finished my second patrol, I have enough renown to upgrade to a IID. Considering all the enemy air I keep running into, shaving 10 sec off my dive time will be a nice upgrade.

I think I'll stick with the built-in campaign for a bit before upgrading to GWX -- stock SH3 is still "cool" for me, so when I finally do install it, it will be like getting an upgraded version of the game for free! Replayability FTW!

And thanks for the welcome. I was so glad to stumble on this site. I'd been fooling around with SH3 for a while, but had gotten frustrated because I could never seem to catch up with anything, much less sink it. Then I found "The Hunt" which illustrates how to intercept a contact. I love maps and math, so I loved doing all the plotting. And then it felt like magic when I got there and ta-da - there was my target! I'm still using automatic targeting and a lot of pausing to make sure I'm doing it right, but I look forward to when I can bump the realism levels a bit more.

So anyway, I owe a ton of thanks to everyone who contributed to this site!

[krashkart]

Looks like your questions are answered so I'll pitch in by saying: Welcome aboard!

[KL-alfman]

Originally Posted by dfscott

I think I'll stick with the built-in campaign for a bit before upgrading to GWX -- stock SH3 is still "cool" for me

exactly what I did.
nearly a whole year I tried to figure out about movements of the boat, navigating, tracking an enemy's course, intercepting, tactics of convoy-attacks, targetting.
after that I found this board and installed GWX.
my former practise was very useful. otherwise the more challenging level of GWX would have been frustrating, maybe.

glad, you could be helped.

[Paul Riley]

Would make a good UBoat emblem no?

[Sailor Steve]

WELCOME ABOARD, both of you!

Originally Posted by dfscott

So, does that mean if I spend renown to upgrade my boat, I'm delaying my promotion?

Not only that, but people have complained about getting promoted, spending renown on a new boat and finding themselves demoted again.

Not nice.

2) Will installing GWX restart my career?[/quote]
It might kill your whole game. It is strongly recommended to add GWX only to a fresh brand-spanking-new install of the game.

Does it just augment the existing missions, replace the old ones or add new ones?

Single Missions? It adds a whole bunch of new ones.

Training? Those are all rewritten, and are much tougher. The good news is that passing Navigation will give you the entire 1500 Training renown.

What it really does is rewrite the AI, making it more realistic - sometimes tougher and sometimes easier, as it was in real life. Corrects the flotillas, adds all kinds of new ships, new things in the ports, new aircraft, new everything. Changes the ship behaviour models to be much more believable. Changes practically everything.

Set aside a week or two the read the manual. You'll need it.

[gazpode_l]

Now THAT's an idea! I can make use of our copier at work, and print off the Greywolves manual for some excellent informative reading!

Will give me something to read over my cuppa tea during breaktimes, instead of being bored when people forget to bring in a paper!

Great suggestion sailor steve!

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by gazpode_l

print off the Greywolves manual for some excellent informative reading!

I hope you have some money to spare.