Best Fuel economy?

[Commander Gizmo]

Originally Posted by irish1958

This was a concern in developing GWX. The ranges of the U-boats were tuned to be (on the average) the normal ranges for each boat at ahead standard. Sea state has a major effect on fuel economy. (and in real life, so does wind, ocean streams and circulation, quality of oil, state of the engine, etc.)
Using the battery doesn't help, as recharging requires one engine to run to supply the energy to run the generator. I am not sure of this, but I suspect it would worsen markedly your range as pushing an U-boat against the resistance of sea water as opposed to air should increase the forces necessary to move the boat.

I had tested this in GWX2.1 and can definitely say that what you say makes perfect since for real life physics, but isn't modeled in the game. I could not get the range needed to make it back to port no matter the speed setting once and made it there with a quarter tank by running very slowly submerged till 25% battery and then recharging on the surface while running slow. Can't recall the weather at the time, but it was consistent the whole trip home. I remember because I was watching it closely for changes.

I think the main reason for this is that the batteries do not seem to recharge at much of a different rate when the engines are at flank or at slow. Checking the RPM gauges revealed the charging engine to always run at a particular speed I believe, though I can't recall for sure.

[Sailor Steve]

It has long been noted that submerging and recharging is the most effecient method of travel in SH3. Not so in real life, and it was fixed for SH4, but in SH3 it works, cheating though it certainly is.

I always use Ahead 2/3 in GWX, and it feels pretty right to me. Ahead slow will use less fuel, and is great while patrolling, but while transitting to and from the patrol grid it takes forever to get anywhere.

[PappyCain]

Sailor Steve is a better man than me! In most seas you will take water over the sail unless near flat. I have swallowed enough water to know! Besides, the smell of upchucked pigs feet below is bad. Oh yes, I have an immersion bucket of water and a pickled pigs feet spray aerosol can for sub simming. Jimbuna sells them.

[irish1958]

Originally Posted by PappyCain

Sailor Steve is a better man than me! In most seas you will take water over the sail unless near flat. I have swallowed enough water to know! Besides, the smell of upchucked pigs feet below is bad. Oh yes, I have an immersion bucket of water and a pickled pigs feet spray aerosol can for sub simming. Jimbuna sells them.

He would do anything for a buck