Missing Crewman Fix

[JScones]

Originally Posted by kapitanfred

By the way SH3Commander selects the crew, I believe it presumes you are a KptLt so the program will select an officer with a rank higher then what you are. I just demote the officer below my own rank and disallow the move to another boat. I use v2.6 though

Not that I am criticising your approach (frankly it's of no concern to me), but let me explain why the SH3Cmdr "Realistic" crew list is composed the way it is...

In WWII there were two general streams of U-boat officers - "Line" and "Engineering" (and "Medical" in the later years). In some instances the LI (Engineering stream) would actually outrank the Commander (Line stream) either in seniority or rank (look at U-516 for example, at one stage near the end of the war the Commander was an ObLt whilst the LI was a highly decorated KptLt). And it certainly occurred where a newly promoted ObLt U-boat Commander (such as all of us every time we start a "new" career) would be "outranked" by the existing ObLt LI.

Of course though, I wouldn't be happy if another Line officer was of higher or more senior rank than me because that would never have happened. Indeed, from a look at U-boat crew lists, in most instances the next senior Line officer was one rank below the Commander.

The SH3Cmdr "Realistic" crew list replicates the above by providing an ObLt LI, but limits the rank of all other officers to no higher than the player's starting rank of Lt (which becomes ObLt after the first patrol anyway, if you are running RUb or any derivative mod).

I should also point out that if something happened to the Commander at sea, it would be the next highest Line officer (ie the IWO/Exec) that would take over command, even if the LI was higher ranked (there are *many* instances where the Commander was an ObLt, the LI was an ObLt and the Exec was an Lt).

Of course, if this appraoch doesn't suit you, simply select the "Already in SH3" crew when you start a new career and SH3Cmdr will use whatever crew is already in the game (and it has no control over this crew - so if it is RUb based, you'll end up with the same or similar makeup anyway!).

Apart from the above, the only other way a crewman will get a higher rank than you is if *you* promote him or "buy" him yourself!

[GT182]

KptFred, what you were saying was completely different and had nothing to do with the missing officer/crewman. I had an idea that you didn't catch what I was saying. Maybe I didn't get it across quite right in the my fist explanation. Glad you now see what I mean and how it works now to get a 5th Officer back in the crew. I know a few had lost theirs too, as I did, and it was frustrating not being able to have him where he belonged.

JS, thanks for the great explanation on "Realistic Crew" in SHIII Commander.

[JScones]

Yes, sorry for sidetracking your thread GT182, but I thought it appropriate to explain.

[GT182]

No problem here JS, glad you did it. It helps explain things some of us don't realise or know about SHIII Commander, and the real way things worked in command on U-boats. You did good so don't worry about it... it wasn't a hyjacking as far as I'm concerned.

I only started this as some of the guys were missing that 5th Officer and the only way anyone found to get him back was to go back to a previous patrol. Tho I can't get him back as some would like, I did find by accident how to replace him and get another who show's up for a patrol. LOL If it wasn't for your SHIII Commander, it wouldn't have been possible. If you want you can add how to solve the problem to your readme, I don't mind.

[JScones]

Re the lost crewman, has anyone analysed when it occurs? I mean, I know one of the contributing factors is when an officer is left in the Repair station when docked, but are there any other criteria that contributes?

I ask because:

a) I just tried to replicate the problem in a IIA and VIIB and couldn't - my officer (and crew for that matter) was moved from the Repair station to a spare officer slot every time I reloaded the career, and
b) If I can find a pattern I may add to the SH3Cmdr Crew Manager the ability to "reclaim" any officer found in the Repair station in between patrols. I mean, when it occurs, why should the player suffer through what appears to be an SH3 bug?

But I just need to know under what situations the officer disappears...and also, is it just the officer that disappears or any crewman left in the Repair station as well?

[GT182]

JS, I've only seen the missing Officer from the Repair section. In my case he was left in the Repair section upon returning to base by mistake. All the crewmen left there showed in the fore and aft bunks when leaving for the next patrol. Same for all subsequent patrols with crewmen. I've only just aquired the new Officer recently and made sure he was not in Repair when I docked. He's now on his 3rd patrol.

BTW, I only picked the 5th Officer while in a type IX/B. New one is in a IX/D2.

[MothBalls]

I had it happen to me.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears to only happen in the IX and XXI.