So whats next?

[Bosk]

Originally Posted by iambecomelife

Interesting ideas. So, for instance, you are arguing that one officer might know how to repair radios & sonar but be unfamiliar with how to fix a wrecked deck gun, etc? That's logical - I expect that implementing this would (realistically) produce a lot more aborted patrols & lower tonnage scores.

I think it makes sense that officers with the Repair qualification would have different levels of skill and expertise. An especially skilled one might be able to scavange parts about the sub to jury rig a repair for a critically damaged system for example.
Similarly, it would be great if a highly skilled Machinist officer was able to squeeze and extra 0.5 knots out of the engines at flank speed.
Maybe a highly talented sonar operator would be able to detect ships at longer ranges, and be better at designating Warship or Merchant more accurately.

These are just a few examples of my thinking. I really do believe that highly skilled and talented Officers should be a submarine's best asset.
In some situations they should literaly be the difference been making it home alive or not. I'm sure that was demonstrated time and again during the war by the actual brave men who crewed the boats.

Originally Posted by iambecomelife

I have a couple of screen captures from the opening scenes of "Das Boot" that I reworked to look like oil paintings. I would like to use them as a replacement for the recruitment and/or equipment interface to give more of a Nightclub ambience. I am not sure how we'd be able to implement the popular rumors & information a la "Aces of the Deep".

Maybe if the game game could be altered to automatically launch a seperate program when the player arrives in port, that program could then give the player a graphical representation of a nightclub with options like Rumors, Drinking, Fornication, Gambling, Recruiting. The program could modify the player's configuration files in real time so that when the player goes back to SH3 all their relevant details would be updated.

I know that SH3 Commander already has something like this (its better than nothing) but I was imagining a more complex interface with more options.
Giving the player a way to "blow off steam" between patrols (realistic when you think about it) would work really well. It could also be a way to serve the player with news of the war.
Spending Renown on interesting experiences with those French ladies would be kinda nice too.