A simple feature that I really wish I had.

[TorpX]

Originally Posted by BigWalleye

I'm not sure why you say that the sensor stations would be superfluous. ...

I don't mean to criticize your philosophy here. If you enjoy playing in this style, by all means do it. What I meant to say is that, if everyone just wanted to be the captain, and nothing else, there would be little need for most of the other stations. I don't think the captain was able to look over the shoulder of the radar or sonar operator as much in RL as happens in the movies. I'm not saying it didn't happen; I just don't think it occurred very often. I'll concede your point about the intercom, though.

If the sim were properly designed, the captain's job should be more than enough workload to keep me busy, anyway. To me, adding historically inappropriate tasks just to keep the workload high reflects weak design.

Well, this is a matter of opinion. I certainly disagree with the "historically inappropriate" part. Who says we must only play the part of the captain? Sure we can if we want to, but this would end up leading us to conducting almost the whole patrol, going between the charts and the periscope/ TBT.

As to the workload part, the game captain's workload is a good deal less than what a RL skipper would have. RL captains had to please their superiors, arrange for repairs, deal with replacing personnel, work out watch bills, handle any personality conflicts, and drill-drill drill... A captain had to do a lot of work just to make the boat ready for sea. Our game crews are more like cardboard cut-outs than living, breathing men, so this aspect of command is almost totally negated.

Of course, I realize many want to play your way. Fortunately, we have a choice (within limits, anyway).

[BigWalleye]

First of all, I have no argument with your main contention. We are each talking about what we expect from a game, and that's strictly a matter of personal taste. Can't argue that!


I do have to take exception to a couple of your statements, though, where I find our sources conflict. First is:

Originally Posted by TorpX

I I don't think the captain was able to look over the shoulder of the radar or sonar operator as much in RL as happens in the movies. I'm not saying it didn't happen; I just don't think it occurred very often.

My source here is Dick O'Kane. In "Clear the Bridge!" he frequently refers to visually checking the radar scopes to improve his SA, sometimes leaving the bridge during a surface approach to do so. (Obviously not during the final approach!) He seemed to find it a valuable tool which he personally employed, not relying entirely on verbal reports.

My second exception is one which I haven't seen mentioned before (although I haven't read through the years of back postings). In SH4, I believe the captain is far too involved with personnel decisions. On a USN vessel, personnel decisions are the responsibility of the XO. In fact, most of the tasks you mention

Originally Posted by TorpX

arrange for repairs, deal with replacing personnel, work out watch bills, handle any personality conflicts, and drill-drill drill...

were the responsibility of the exec and senior officers. The CO just outlined to the exec what his overall intentions were, and the officer cadre did the detail work. Watch bills, for example, were the special province of the Chief of the Boat, checked by the XO and approved by the CO. (Sources here are Dick O'Kane again, Ned Beach, and Kenneth Ruiz, all first-person accounts.) The captain did have to interface with his superiors (something we don't ever do in SH4: "Where's the feedback, sir?") and use the weight of his authority ("renown" was real, if not as carefully quantified) to get things done.

Just my personal style of play, but I'd like to be able to function in the game in the ways the real-life skippers functioned in their personal accounts. If a real skipper manned the deck-gun, then fine, I'll do that. On my boat, I don't use the guns at all, because my crew couldn't hit a barn if they were inside it, and if I went down and pointed the thing, Uncle Charlie would have a fit! I'd love to be able to motivate my crew - that was someting the CO really did (and that can be simulated in a game.)

So in the end, none of us gets everything they want from the game. Fortunately, with all the mods, we can tailor it somewhat. But I'll still bemoan its "shortcomings" and continue to seek the Grail. (It's just over there....)