Defining the undefinable: The type IX addiction

[Ducimus]

So there's this little cliche of players who are generally under the umbrella of "IXoholic's anonymous" or the "IX Club" or whatever somebody decides to call it. Im not sure how it started (although i wonder if i had a hand in it :hmm: ), but i think it maybe i'd post about it to help eliminate some confusion.


First, a concession.

The type 7. It IS sleek, it is visually appealing, it is manuverable, and as a submersible underwater it outperforms the type9 in every respect. It was the perfect combination of endurance, weapons payload and manuberablity. What's more, its an icon of an era in history. When people think of german Uboats, they immediatly think of a type 7 with a netcutter on the bow.

So why then would anyone want a boat that is slower to dive, slower in underwater manuverablity, and in general isnt like the type 7?


The reasons are many, and im sure i wont list them all.

- some like the fact that you can see the bow while you stand on the bridge.

- some like the fact that it has more torpedo's and has better surface performance in a type 7. During early war, this is a big big big perk.

- some like the fact that it has more fuel, enableing them to travel faster, or longer, or reach places they'd like to check out. The sirens call to feel like your going someplace exotic.

- Some just like certain theaters of war for whatever reason. Maybe its because its closer to where they live, maybe they like the tonnage or the shipping routes , but for whatever reason, they like to go to certain far away places.

- Some feel that north alantic is dull.

- some like being that lone wolf hunter. This is what a type9 was really meant to do, it wasn't really meant as a wolfpack uboat like a type 7.

- for some their true love was a gato submarine, and a type9 is the cloest thing to that.

the reasons are many, and im sure others could add a few more.

But it doesnt stop there. Its also about gameplay in context to a career game. Generally speaking you get a patrol grid, do your 24 hours, and then move on to where you know you'll find traffic. The patrol grid, im wagering, for most is nothing more then a formality to obtain renown. In both a type 7 and a type 9 you do this. Go to grid, do 24, move on. The difference here is that to a type9 career game, a patrol grid isnt just a formality, it represents an entirely different theater of the war.

-If you get a grid to GR, you know your going to the south atlantic and possibly even the indian ocean fuel permitting.
- ED? You know you'll be around port of spain in the carribean.
- CA or DB? you know you'll be off the US east coast.

And now im going to make one assumption but im pretty sure im right. For the most part, i think all of us play the game to
a.) sink ships
b.) survive as long as possible, hopefully even the war.

The second part is key here. If ones goal is to survive for a few years, or even the war, there isn't a better way to do that then in a type 9, for the simple reason that your at sea, per patrol, for a very long time compared to a type7. Your patrols usually go at a 60 day minmum, to as long as 120+ days, and you usually get around only 4 or 5 patrols a year. The crux of this is passage of time as a feeling of accomplishment, and the passage of gametime in a type7 is feels much longer in real world time as compared to a type 9 where the passage of game time is feels much quicker in the same amount of real world time by virtue of having to travel far to reach your grid.


Anyway, im out of time. thats all i got i guess.

[AVGWarhawk]

Good post! Last night I tried the VIIC and she is a very nice boat! Mostly I like the many torpedos of the IX and the mileage she gets on a full tank of fuel. Other than that, if I had to pick on looks alone, VII for sure. I believe your right that when uboat is brought up, people think of VII.

[Kpt. Kozloff]

That's ironic. Last time i mentioned the iconic status of the VII type boat i got torpedoed to bits on one of the threads.
Good read Ducimus, you got me thinking of a Caribbean cruise.

[Hartmann]

I´n not adicted to Ix boats but i rarely use tipe VII boat.

more torpedo load
more torpedoes tubes
more surface speed
more range.
more interesting patrols....

[Brag]

Ducimus,

Good article!
I also think the variety of conning towers available has something to do with it. Having a new view after an X number of patrols is refreshing.

[stabiz]

Ducimus ... again?!

:rotfl:

Oh, and:

- Some feel that north alantic is dull.

Who?

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by stabiz

Ducimus ... again?!

:rotfl:

Oh, and:

Who?

I did

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...3&postcount=30

[Spray]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

So there's this little cliche of players who are generally under the umbrella of "IXoholic's anonymous" or the "IX Club" or whatever somebody decides to call it. Im not sure how it started (although i wonder if i had a hand in it :hmm: ), but i think it maybe i'd post about it to help eliminate some confusion.


First, a concession.

The type 7. It IS sleek, it is visually appealing, it is manuverable, and as a submersible underwater it outperforms the type9 in every respect. It was the perfect combination of endurance, weapons payload and manuberablity. What's more, its an icon of an era in history. When people think of german Uboats, they immediatly think of a type 7 with a netcutter on the bow.

So why then would anyone want a boat that is slower to dive, slower in underwater manuverablity, and in general isnt like the type 7?


The reasons are many, and im sure i wont list them all.

- some like the fact that you can see the bow while you stand on the bridge.

- some like the fact that it has more torpedo's and has better surface performance in a type 7. During early war, this is a big big big perk.

- some like the fact that it has more fuel, enableing them to travel faster, or longer, or reach places they'd like to check out. The sirens call to feel like your going someplace exotic.

- Some just like certain theaters of war for whatever reason. Maybe its because its closer to where they live, maybe they like the tonnage or the shipping routes , but for whatever reason, they like to go to certain far away places.

- Some feel that north alantic is dull.

- some like being that lone wolf hunter. This is what a type9 was really meant to do, it wasn't really meant as a wolfpack uboat like a type 7.

- for some their true love was a gato submarine, and a type9 is the cloest thing to that.

the reasons are many, and im sure others could add a few more.

But it doesnt stop there. Its also about gameplay in context to a career game. Generally speaking you get a patrol grid, do your 24 hours, and then move on to where you know you'll find traffic. The patrol grid, im wagering, for most is nothing more then a formality to obtain renown. In both a type 7 and a type 9 you do this. Go to grid, do 24, move on. The difference here is that to a type9 career game, a patrol grid isnt just a formality, it represents an entirely different theater of the war.

-If you get a grid to GR, you know your going to the south atlantic and possibly even the indian ocean fuel permitting.
- ED? You know you'll be around port of spain in the carribean.
- CA or DB? you know you'll be off the US east coast.

And now im going to make one assumption but im pretty sure im right. For the most part, i think all of us play the game to
a.) sink ships
b.) survive as long as possible, hopefully even the war.

The second part is key here. If ones goal is to survive for a few years, or even the war, there isn't a better way to do that then in a type 9, for the simple reason that your at sea, per patrol, for a very long time compared to a type7. Your patrols usually go at a 60 day minmum, to as long as 120+ days, and you usually get around only 4 or 5 patrols a year. The crux of this is passage of time as a feeling of accomplishment, and the passage of gametime in a type7 is feels much longer in real world time as compared to a type 9 where the passage of game time is feels much quicker in the same amount of real world time by virtue of having to travel far to reach your grid.


Anyway, im out of time. thats all i got i guess.

You contradict yourself, you go on to say how the type 7 outclasses the type 9 in every retrospect. Maybe add an accept for Surface Speed, Torp Tubes, Range, Firepower, Torpedoes. Im sure there could be some others out there. Just correcting an error mate. Now one sec I attempted jumping across the barbed wire and it seems to have cut me all over. Ill be right back with bedadine for any other IXB users who attempted the same thing.

[STEED]

[Spray]

Originally Posted by STEED

Bigger is better :rotfl:I woulda thought ladies would hate IX captains :rotfl:.

[Ducimus]

You contradict yourself, you go on to say how the type 7 outclasses the type 9 in every retrospect.

NOoooo i did not , i said.

as a submersible underwater it outperforms the type9 in every respect.

Bold part highlighted to improve reading comprehension. In submarine terms a submersible is a ship capable of going underwater.

So let me rewrite this sentence for you in smaller words.


"as a ship capable of going underwater, while its underwater it outperforms the type 9 in every respect."

[g8rk0k]

I am so used to the type VII that when I went to a type XIV I was killed during my first patrol.

It just seems that once a destroyer has your scent it is really very very hard to shake him off and you are pung repeatedly. Plus the XIV just turns so slow. Even at moderate depth of 40-50 meters in the type VII, and if I can keep the hunters behind me more or less, I rarely, if ever get hit with a sonar ping (this has changed recently for me - as it is late '43 in my campaign and the allies have developed some uber type of sonar that is just evil).

I played the XIV in a previous campaign and stuck to areas way out in the Western BE or BD areas, sometimes going to the coast of Florida or down around Curacao. I went in to the gulf of Mexico once but air cover was horrible.

In my new patrol I like to stick close to England and brave places I would never try with the type XIV - like camping out at 15 meters within 25 km of Merthyr or penetrating the Irish strait and laying in wait for ships.

[Spray]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

NOoooo i did not , i said.

Bold part highlighted to improve reading comprehension. In submarine terms a submersible is a ship capable of going underwater.

So let me rewrite this sentence for you in smaller words.


"as a ship capable of going underwater, while its underwater it outperforms the type 9 in every respect."

Thats an edit I swear but the IXB still beats the Type 7 as a submersible under water having a higher torpedo capacity so it doesn't have to surface to load up the externals.

[Linavitch]

Good post Ducimus. Thoughtful and well written.

I have used type VII in all but one of my campaigns, and the only type IX campaign lasted one patrol with GWX. Admittedly it was my own fault for trying to take on convoys with the same tactics as I'd used with the VII.

I have just upgraded my PC and reinstalled and have just started a new career with a IX. Just saved 200km out of port for SH3Gen at bedtime ready for extended play this weekend. Hopefully I've learnt enough no utilise this big boat to the max. Wish me luck.

[Spray]

Originally Posted by Linavitch

Good post Ducimus. Thoughtful and well written.

I have used type VII in all but one of my campaigns, and the only type IX campaign lasted one patrol with GWX. Admittedly it was my own fault for trying to take on convoys with the same tactics as I'd used with the VII.

I have just upgraded my PC and reinstalled and have just started a new career with a IX. Just saved 200km out of port for SH3Gen at bedtime ready for extended play this weekend. Hopefully I've learnt enough no utilise this big boat to the max. Wish me luck.

Which IX boat are you using is it the IXB? When I switched the only difference I noticed was 3 times more torps. :rotfl: