I think i finally figured out the IX boat appeal

[Ducimus]

Over the last few days i was working feverishly to put together the 3rd flotilla in UC. I figured, if im gonna try a VIIC boat career, im gonna do it right. I wanted to recreate U-333, primarly because i liked the philopshy of the skipper. "Everythign is little fish". ( goes back to the old say, "theres two rules in life. "Dont sweat the small stuff, and Everything is small stuff").. personal appeal thing, but thats beside the point.

To get to the point, I am on my first patrol in a VIIC uboat, and i already am bored to tears. Now i've done type 7 careers before, a long time ago, but.. ive played for 4 hours now, and i think id have already accomplished more in a type IX. After recollection...

1.) Passage of time and distance as a sense of accompllishment.. Even if I don't see much in shipping, i still feel like i accomplished something by virtue of having made a long trip. In a type 7 this sense of accomplishment is lacking to me.

2.)In both boats your going to have this really dull period where your searching or waiting for shipping. However, in a type 9 you typically patrol areas where shipping patterns are alot easier to guess, and you often have more chockpoints which shipping must pass through that you can use to your advantage. In a type 7 i find myself sitting around AM54 or there abouts waiting for a convoy. And well, it takes a long damn time.

For example, a week in a type 7 goes by alot slower because your submerging, checking hydro's, periscopes checks and surfacing ALOT more. In a type 9 the same week goes by with alot less hassel, and i could cover ALOT more ocean which increases my chances of finding shipping.

3.) The allure of foreign ports is a perk unto itself.

4.) Type 7's were meant to operate in wolfpacks. Type 9's were meant to operate independatly. Operating independatly is all you do in SH3, there are no wolfpacks. Theres no point in shadowing a convoy. No sense of being part of the whole. In a type 9 this is the norm, your far far from home.

5.) More fuel and torpedo's is an undeniable perk.

6.) Somethign about seeing your bow and front of your boat cut through the ocean as you stand on the bridge. I dont see that in a type 7 as much.

7.)Different ambiance. Its hard to put my finger on. Maybe im just making this up in my mind, but theres something different about long range patrols in far off enemy waters that has this adventurous appeal. Perhaps its best summed up in this poem, which admittidly is about US fleet subs, but I can't but think their are simularities to an IX boat career in SH3. ALl you need to do is change a few names of the places and its about the same thing.

I'M THE GALLOPING GHOST OF THE JAPANESE COAST

By Constantine Guiness, MOMM 1/C, USN

I'm the galloping ghost of the Japanese coast.
You don't hear of me and my crew
But just ask any man off the coast of Japan.
If he knows of the Trigger Maru.

I look sleek and slender alongside my tender.
With others like me at my side,
But we'll tell you a story of battle and glory,
As enemy waters we ride.

I've been stuck on a rock, felt the depth charge's shock,
Been north to a place called Attu,
and I've sunk me two freighters atop the equator
Hot work, but the sea was cold blue.

I've cruised close inshore and carried the war
to the Empire Island Honshu,
While they wire Yokahama I could see Fujiyama,
So I stayed, to admire the view.

When we rigged to run silently, deeply I dived,
And within me the heat was terrific.
My men pouring sweat, silent and yet
Cursed me and the whole damned Pacific.

Then destroyers came sounding and depth charges pounding
My submarine crew took the test.
Far in that far off land there are no friends on hand,
To answer a call of distress.

I was blasted and shaken (some damage I be taken),
my hull bleeds and pipe lines do, too
I've come in from out there for machinery repair,
And a rest for me and my crew.

I got by on cool nerve and in silence I served,
Though I took some hard knocks in return,
One propeller shaft sprung and my battery's done,
But the enemy ships I saw burn.

I'm the galloping ghost of the Japanese coast,
You don't hear of me and my crew.
But just ask any man off the coast of Japan,
If he knows of the Trigger Maru.

Damn i can't wait for Silent Hunter 4 :rotfl:

[CCIP]

I love the big boats!

I don't know if it's exactly as you describe; in some way, it's also the fact that SHIII simply suits the IXs better. I never sneak into ports, too, but I still get a lot of enjoyment out of sailing these things.

And yea, I'm getting the feeling I'll love SHIV, too, for that same reason.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by CCIP

I love the big boats!

I never sneak into ports

I do. One little Gem is this harbor:


St. Helina, do pay it a visit if your ever in the vacinity.

Curroco's another favorite. And theres a couple others who's names escape me.

[Der Eisen-Wal]

cool poem! i'm writting in for a transfer!

[CybrSlydr]

I love the IXC. Give it some upgrades and I'm happy.

Someday I'll try the XXI.

[Enigma]

i command an IXc after a long career in V boats...All I wanted was more torps and more speed, and thats ehat the IXC gives me. I wish she turned like a V boat, but you cant have it all....

[JSalinger]

I'm in the middle of a patrol in the North Sea in a Type VIIB, but believe me, once I get back to Kiel, I'm transferring someplace to get a IXB just so I can experience all the things Ducimus likes about them.

::writes down St. Helena on his list of ports to visit:: There was a good one in Norway, too, I thought...couple of big tankers.

And Curacao, that's in the Carribean, right?

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by JSalinger

And Curacao, that's in the Carribean, right?

Yaaaaarrrrr!!

[bigboywooly]

Curacao is great early war as loads of tankers and not much in the way of warships

Had a couple of good hunts down there

[r_wagner]

Hey Ducimus, just out of curiosity how high do you set time compression?

As recommended in the NYGM user manual I don't go higher than 256 which makes long trips REALLY long, I'm even bored sailing from Greenland to Bergen on that TC...

[Enigma]

Sailing for Curaco now.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by r_wagner

Hey Ducimus, just out of curiosity how high do you set time compression?

As recommended in the NYGM user manual I don't go higher than 256 which makes long trips REALLY long, I'm even bored sailing from Greenland to Bergen on that TC...

Trans atlantic, 2048. Theres not much in between there anyway. Takes like 20-25 game days to make the trip.

If im in theater or around my area of operations, if im submerged 1024, if im surfaced recharging batteris 512. If the game acts sluggish ill kickit down to 128, as theres obviously something BIG nearby :rotfl:

I should add that long range patrols arent for everyone. If your in a hurry to get back to port to start your next patrol, you might not be happy. If your in a mindset of "whats my hurry, im just gonna run right back out here again anyway", then you might like it. :P

[r_wagner]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Trans atlantic, 2048. Theres not much in between there anyway. Takes like 20-25 game days to make the trip.

If im in theater or around my area of operations, if im submerged 1024, if im surfaced recharging batteris 512. If the game acts sluggish ill kickit down to 128, as theres obviously something BIG nearby :rotfl:

I should add that long range patrols arent for everyone. If your in a hurry to get back to port to start your next patrol, you might not be happy. If your in a mindset of "whats my hurry, im just gonna run right back out here again anyway", then you might like it. :P

What is your mod setup? Have you encountered problems with aircraft attacking and destroying with high TC?

[Ducimus]

You can change your time compresson setup in your main.cfg in your mydocuments/sh3 folder.

The reason why NYGM recommands no time compression beyond 256 is because things can get skipped over, or dropped right into your lap. I honestly, havent had much of a problem with it at all.

If your running a 16K visual distance mod, aircraft (your number 1 enemy) really arent that hard to avoid, even at 1024. I drop it down to 256 or 516 when i know im in a aircraft heavy area just to be safe. After 1942 when you get your first Radar warning receive, on top of 16K ( or even 10K) visual distance, i still detect aircraft where i have time enough to crash dive 9 out of 10 planes that make a run at me.

If a plane ever catchs you were you can't crash dive in time and (in the case of improved airpower mods) get below 40 meters in time, then your best bet is to go to flank speed, turn hard to port or starboard, (man the flak guns), and the INSTANT the plane(s) have made their first pass, straighten your rudder and crash drive. Circling around for another pass takes them a little bit.

[JSalinger]

Okay, requipping with a IXB now (transferred to St. Nazaire)...got tired of my speed demon. LOL ::hoping Onkel Karl sends him to the Carribean and not Freetown area:: After that last patrol...::cringes:: Let's just say that I went and picked on England's fishing fleet with my deck gun and flak gun. LOL

How's the intel re: enemy naval activity in the Carribean and West African coastal areas in August of 1940? ::thinks those are the two places he might be sent:: And another dumb question, how do the convoy lanes look around the Iceland/N. Norway/N. Russia area look? Any PQ or QP convoys?