New player

[Some guy on the internet]

Hello everyone
I am new here...I just bought SH4 on steam yesterday and I am really enjoying it...
I heard about this community , so maybe some of you guys can help me with some questions regarding the gameplay...
1) When you engage lone merchants , the AI is capable of calling in for help from nearby warships and airplanes?
2) What is the difference between pasive and active methods of detection?
3) What is the thermal layer? When I submerge I often hear a voice saying "Passing thermal layer"
4) Is there any disadvantages or dangers if you run the submarine at very big depth?
5)After I finished my second patrol I tried to upgrade my porpoise class with a surface radar , but there was no option for it..I was only able to get an air radar
6)Is crew managment important?
7) Is possible to get attacked by enemy submarines?
8) Is there any way to stop the time compression reset when you receive radio messages? I can be very annoying sometimes
That would be everything for now...Thank you
And I am sorry for any typos..English is not my native language..I am trying my best

[Aktungbby]

Some guy on the internet!

[mikesn9]

to all your questions....

take time to look through the 'sticky' notes.

LOTS (and lots) of good info, tactics, etc.

And welcome aboard

Quickie: Backspace takes you to pause

[cdrsubron7]

Welcome aboard. Happy to have you with us.

[propbeanie]

My opinions and observations:

1) When you engage lone merchants , the AI is capable of calling in for help from nearby warships and airplanes?
- I'm not sure about "stock", but some of the mods sometimes simulate that, but the "help" has to be about 30" away, unless it's airplanes, then the enemy sticks to you like glue. Don't be seen...

2) What is the difference between pasive and active methods of detection?
- Passive means techniques such as listening on hydrophones or looking through binoculars. Active means to "ping" with sonar or sweep with radar.

3) What is the thermal layer? When I submerge I often hear a voice saying "Passing thermal layer"
- The thermal layer comes about from the sun heating the surface of the ocean, raising its temperature above the underlying "layers". The area of the temperature "swing" from warm to cold is the thermal layer. It is not always present, not always at the same depth, and sometimes not very strong, though when it is, it can have a tendency to "bounce" or distort sound waves, making sonar more difficult to use, helping a submarine "hide".

4) Is there any disadvantages or dangers if you run the submarine at very big depth?
- You'll be crushed worse than a cockroach if you go too deep, especially too fast. You do also incur damage as you stay below a certain depth in your boat, generally a good bit below the "crush depth" of the boat. The newer the boat model, the deeper you can go. The stock game has a red line on the depth gauge to show where the "test depth" is, and won't let you "D" key dive below that, but you can click on the gauge to go below...

5)After I finished my second patrol I tried to upgrade my porpoise class with a surface radar , but there was no option for it..I was only able to get an air radar
- "Upgrade" items are available in a timely manner similar to what they were available in real life during WW2, so you don't have good air and surface search radars available right away.

6)Is crew managment important?
- Not particularly. However, if you take care of your crew, they will at times take care of you. The one thing to check for is proper crew assignment, especially the watch crew. As an example, the game has a knack of assigning nearly blind men to the bridge, so look for a crew member's "Watchman" ability...

7) Is possible to get attacked by enemy submarines?
- I've never been attacked by one, but that's not to say it hasn't happened to others, but I've seldom seen one in-game anyway. I have sunk one though. Long time ago. I have no definitive answer...

8) Is there any way to stop the time compression reset when you receive radio messages? I can be very annoying sometimes
- Yes, but at the cost of your "life" in-game if the detection is an enemy entity... You'd "mod" a configuration file with a text editor, but I can't remember which one off the top of my head... If you have radar, turning if off can help, but the Porpoise boat and all above it have the SD radar by default (and you can't control it), and that's usually the one that does it. Most folks playing SH4 have "+" (plus) keys on the number pad that are worn-out from all the tapping...

Welcome to SubSim, and be sure and read some of the "stickie" threads up top of all the sections here, but especially THEBERBSTER's and Rockin Robbin's, two of the most helpful people around.

[razark]

Welcome Aboard!

Short answers below. As mentioned, look through the stickies. Also, find a post by THEBERBSTER, such as this one, for some links to get you going.

1) Yes, it is.
2) Passive is peeking out the window to see if you see anyone. Active is turning on a spotlight and shouting "Is anyone out there?" Active is much more likely to get you noticed than passive.
3) It's a depth at which water temperature changes drastically. These layers do funny things to sound, which means that the enemy is less likely to hear you if you are below the layer.
4) Go too deep, and your boat will be crushed.
5) Certain technologies are time-dependent. The empty slot still appears, even if the device is not available. It also depends on your home port. Pearl Harbor gets new technology faster than the Australian ports.
6) The skills are important, and the fatigue level. If you forget and leave the crew at battlestations, they'll tire out after a while and refuse to do anything.
7) Depends on what mods you are running, I believe.
8) I think so, but I don't remember which file controls it.

[THEBERBSTER]

A Warm Welcome To The Subsim Community > Some guy on the internet
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2) What is the difference between pasive and active methods of detection?

You can Google this for a more accurate answer.

[getbac]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

My opinions and observations:

1) When you engage lone merchants , the AI is capable of calling in for help from nearby warships and airplanes?
- I'm not sure about "stock", but some of the mods sometimes simulate that, but the "help" has to be about 30" away, unless it's airplanes, then the enemy sticks to you like glue. Don't be seen...

2) What is the difference between pasive and active methods of detection?
- Passive means techniques such as listening on hydrophones or looking through binoculars. Active means to "ping" with sonar or sweep with radar.

3) What is the thermal layer? When I submerge I often hear a voice saying "Passing thermal layer"
- The thermal layer comes about from the sun heating the surface of the ocean, raising its temperature above the underlying "layers". The area of the temperature "swing" from warm to cold is the thermal layer. It is not always present, not always at the same depth, and sometimes not very strong, though when it is, it can have a tendency to "bounce" or distort sound waves, making sonar more difficult to use, helping a submarine "hide".

4) Is there any disadvantages or dangers if you run the submarine at very big depth?
- You'll be crushed worse than a cockroach if you go too deep, especially too fast. You do also incur damage as you stay below a certain depth in your boat, generally a good bit below the "crush depth" of the boat. The newer the boat model, the deeper you can go. The stock game has a red line on the depth gauge to show where the "test depth" is, and won't let you "D" key dive below that, but you can click on the gauge to go below...

5)After I finished my second patrol I tried to upgrade my porpoise class with a surface radar , but there was no option for it..I was only able to get an air radar
- "Upgrade" items are available in a timely manner similar to what they were available in real life during WW2, so you don't have good air and surface search radars available right away.

6)Is crew managment important?
- Not particularly. However, if you take care of your crew, they will at times take care of you. The one thing to check for is proper crew assignment, especially the watch crew. As an example, the game has a knack of assigning nearly blind men to the bridge, so look for a crew member's "Watchman" ability...

7) Is possible to get attacked by enemy submarines?
- I've never been attacked by one, but that's not to say it hasn't happened to others, but I've seldom seen one in-game anyway. I have sunk one though. Long time ago. I have no definitive answer...

8) Is there any way to stop the time compression reset when you receive radio messages? I can be very annoying sometimes
- Yes, but at the cost of your "life" in-game if the detection is an enemy entity... You'd "mod" a configuration file with a text editor, but I can't remember which one off the top of my head... If you have radar, turning if off can help, but the Porpoise boat and all above it have the SD radar by default (and you can't control it), and that's usually the one that does it. Most folks playing SH4 have "+" (plus) keys on the number pad that are worn-out from all the tapping...

Welcome to SubSim, and be sure and read some of the "stickie" threads up top of all the sections here, but especially THEBERBSTER's and Rockin Robbin's, two of the most helpful people around.

great comeback..... you helped another noob!

[getbac]

Originally Posted by Some guy on the internet

Hello everyone
I am new here...I just bought SH4 on steam yesterday and I am really enjoying it...
I heard about this community , so maybe some of you guys can help me with some questions regarding the gameplay...
1) When you engage lone merchants , the AI is capable of calling in for help from nearby warships and airplanes?
2) What is the difference between pasive and active methods of detection?
3) What is the thermal layer? When I submerge I often hear a voice saying "Passing thermal layer"
4) Is there any disadvantages or dangers if you run the submarine at very big depth?
5)After I finished my second patrol I tried to upgrade my porpoise class with a surface radar , but there was no option for it..I was only able to get an air radar
6)Is crew managment important?
7) Is possible to get attacked by enemy submarines?
8) Is there any way to stop the time compression reset when you receive radio messages? I can be very annoying sometimes
That would be everything for now...Thank you
And I am sorry for any typos..English is not my native language..I am trying my best

Welcome someguy.... these people are a great source of learning. I keep reading and reading and I get more and more questions. I'm a noob to so understand your dilemma, but in a short time you'll be skipperin along and wham you'll realized "dang, I should dived" cause a bomber did it for ya!

didn't know there was a favorite language, I have to look into that cuz I beat the heck outa the one I'm supposed to be good at

[Some guy on the internet]

Thanks for the help...
Another question...When I use the hydrophone , I always hear sound at 180 degrees ...Its that actually the sound of my own engines?
Also , when the game soundtrack changes to an aggresive song , that means I got detected?

[razark]

Originally Posted by Some guy on the internet

When I use the hydrophone , I always hear sound at 180 degrees ...Its that actually the sound of my own engines?

Yes, that's your own noise. It also means you won't ever detect anything behind you. If you get a destroyer circling you, you'll see that he disappears a for a short time when he is almost directly behind you.
The submariner term for this area behind you is the "baffles".

Originally Posted by Some guy on the internet

Also , when the game soundtrack changes to an aggresive song , that means I got detected?

Don't know on this one. It's been years since I played with the stock music.

[Some guy on the internet]

Originally Posted by razark

Yes, that's your own noise. It also means you won't ever detect anything behind you. If you get a destroyer circling you, you'll see that he disappears a for a short time when he is almost directly behind you.
The submariner term for this area behind you is the "baffles".

So , this means the enemy warships also cant detect me if I am coming from behind them?

They can detect your ass if your are behind them but with limited range. And it depends on crew skill and many more factors.

[Some guy on the internet]

Btw..How long can be batteries last when submerged?
Also , what happen if they ran out? Same with fuel..Its game over?

[razark]

Originally Posted by Some guy on the internet

How long can be batteries last when submerged?

Specific times are going to vary by what mods you may be running.
The best I can say is that the higher your speed, the less time they last. You should be able to get quite a few hours (maybe a day) out of very low (1-2 knots) settings. Maybe an hour at high speed.

Originally Posted by Some guy on the internet

Also , what happen if they ran out? Same with fuel..Its game over?

In game, if you run out of battery power, you stop moving. You can surface and recharge them, so you're not permanently stuck.
If you run out of fuel, it's game over.

Fuel usage also varies by speed, but not quite the same as batteries. You'll get more mileage from running at a medium speed than you will from high or very slow speeds.