Medals awarded do not make sense

[CaptainMattJ.]

well, youll be offered new boats if you do well. S boats are absolutely terrible and should never be started out with if your new. Mark 10 also suck, and the best torpedo is the MK18 i believe. its a much upgraded MK 14. the balao is the best sub available, but only available in uhhh 1944 i think. and destroyers find you to easily in stock even with the thermal. mods do an excellent job.


and btw Welcome to the SubSim Forum

[Stealhead]

Are you thinking of the Mk.23? Which is basically a Mk.14 that has only the fastest speed setting and 4,500 yd range?

I disagree that the mk.10 is bad early war it is the most reliable torpedo you can use.

The S-boats are not terrible you just have to learn how to use them to good effect like any weapon.

You can get a Balao class sub in 1943 and in some mods you can get a Tench class sub as well but not until some time in 1944.

I'd agree that mods make the thermal layers more effective but they also make DDs and other enemy ASW vessels far more dangerous and difficult.A surface battle against a DD in TMO is pretty much suicide which it should be.Hell even a submerged battle against subs is nerve racking in TMO at times. Mods are a huge step they do make the game much better but they are also a huge jump in over all difficultly and anyone considering them should take this into account.You should fell fairly comfortable with the stock game before hand.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

Are you thinking of the Mk.23? Which is basically a Mk.14 that has only the fastest speed setting and 4,500 yd range?

I disagree that the mk.10 is bad early war it is the most reliable torpedo you can use.

The S-boats are not terrible you just have to learn how to use them to good effect like any weapon.

You can get a Balao class sub in 1943 and in some mods you can get a Tench class sub as well but not until some time in 1944.

I'd agree that mods make the thermal layers more effective but they also make DDs and other enemy ASW vessels far more dangerous and difficult.A surface battle against a DD in TMO is pretty much suicide which it should be.Hell even a submerged battle against subs is nerve racking in TMO at times. Mods are a huge step they do make the game much better but they are also a huge jump in over all difficultly and anyone considering them should take this into account.You should fell fairly comfortable with the stock game before hand.

I actually prefer the MK-14 over all the others, exclusively due to the dual range settings. I find the electric torps too slow and range limited, the cuties a waste of tube space (personal opinion) and the Mark-23s a restricted version of the 14s.

I have to concur about playing the stock version, I played it for almost a year and when I switched over to the Mods (also almost a year now), I found the transition was facilitated by my experience with stock. I have to try playing an S-Boat. I gotta get some experience with it. How else can I expect to make admiral?

[CaptainMattJ.]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

Are you thinking of the Mk.23? Which is basically a Mk.14 that has only the fastest speed setting and 4,500 yd range?

I disagree that the mk.10 is bad early war it is the most reliable torpedo you can use.

The S-boats are not terrible you just have to learn how to use them to good effect like any weapon.

You can get a Balao class sub in 1943 and in some mods you can get a Tench class sub as well but not until some time in 1944.

I'd agree that mods make the thermal layers more effective but they also make DDs and other enemy ASW vessels far more dangerous and difficult.A surface battle against a DD in TMO is pretty much suicide which it should be.Hell even a submerged battle against subs is nerve racking in TMO at times. Mods are a huge step they do make the game much better but they are also a huge jump in over all difficultly and anyone considering them should take this into account.You should fell fairly comfortable with the stock game before hand.

yes i was talking about the MK23 (mixed them up),
2: Mark 10s are awful in terms of speed and , i cant recall exactly, they either had 10% more or less power then the Mk14, i think they had less. cant remember
3: thats also why i said you shouldnt START with an S boat. although its a pretty balanced argument. if noobs pick it as their first theyll learn the hard way not to dive to far, to avoid DD, and the rest. but starting in a better boat helps them experience more without being destroyed. like how to aim, when to fear and when not to fear aircraft, how to evade destroyers, when to surface when to dive, except you dont have to reload. but mainly, its the speed and range and firepower. an S boat can only hold MK10, and it goes so unbelievably slow. half the time catching up to a convoy is extremely lucky. and even then using the MK10 its not a very good way of teaching if he rarely experiences convoy situations. its also louder and takes on ALOT more damage. also cant really teach how to evade DC if you keep getting critcally wounded on the first runs, then sinking.

some poeple can be taught that way and others like to start out easy and get harder.


4: getting a balao in 1943 is only available in pearl, which is also a terrible place to start, cause journeys are INSANELY long and patrols are quite short if you have limited fuel. plus sailing back to midway just to resupply is a chore. Australia takes less time, less fuel which means more patrol time and it isnt that far back to a friendly base to resupply. of course this depends sometimes, but usually it settles closer and if not, early in the war theres manila, though you do have to throughly check your plot for islands more then pearl. and if your caught by DDs in java sea your pretty screwed.

5: that depends on the mod. there are the cheat mods, then there are the serious mods. like subnuclear deck gun and TMO. and stock dds are quite......easy sometimes. theyll dc you a few times and if your alive and took necessary action, he'll most likely keep scanning and give up.

[Stealhead]

5: that depends on the mod. there are the cheat mods, then there are the serious mods. like subnuclear deck gun and TMO.


I am confused are you saying that TMO is a cheat mod? I think you are giving each as an example though never mind.

I was not trying to pick on you MATTJ but you did say that the S-Boat "sucks"(well you said it was terrible) which I don't think is a fair judgment.Of course some on here love the Pig Boat and others hate them that can be fairly said.Supposedly old sub guys said that you where a true submariner back in WWII if you wanted to be in subs after having been abroad an S-Boat or you where nuts.

Also the mk.10s do have less explosive power(497lbs of tnt) but in the early war time period if you are playing either mod (RFB or TMO) with duds on the mk.14 can be nearly useless until 1943(I have had patrols where only 2 or 3 actually worked correctly) in fact with duds on you basically have use only the slow setting on mk.14s anyway which is the same speed as the mk.10 though greater range on the other hand 1943 and later the mk.14 is the best option once its bugs are mostly gone and it then gives you the widest range of flexibility.

The Mk.23s are more reliable but they have the weakness that you can not attack a target outside 4,500yds which is a disadvantage when you get a good ship but she is outside mk.23 range and you are not able to close range or during later war patrols where the asw is so intense that you are better off attacking from greater range.

I agree with Vonntop on the mk.27 they are not all that useful most times so I rarely carry them.But I have seen some hilarious DD kills caused by cuties.

Overall the best bet is to carry a mix of different fish when they are available anyway.I most times carry a mix of mk.14s and mk.18s. Unless you are using an S-boat in which case your only option are the short ranged but insured to bang! mk.10s.

Personally the right time to go "super mod" is different each person some feel the need to complete the entire war in stock first.I myself just ran a few careers in stock for a few months then after getting over the concern with the increase in difficulty I went in.Some guys I am sure pretty much just jumped in head first and loaded up a super mod right away.

[CaptainMattJ.]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

5: that depends on the mod. there are the cheat mods, then there are the serious mods. like subnuclear deck gun and TMO.


I am confused are you saying that TMO is a cheat mod? I think you are giving each as an example though never mind.

I was not trying to pick on you MATTJ but you did say that the S-Boat "sucks"(well you said it was terrible) which I don't think is a fair judgment.Of course some on here love the Pig Boat and others hate them that can be fairly said.Supposedly old sub guys said that you where a true submariner back in WWII if you wanted to be in subs after having been abroad an S-Boat or you where nuts.

Also the mk.10s do have less explosive power(497lbs of tnt) but in the early war time period if you are playing either mod (RFB or TMO) with duds on the mk.14 can be nearly useless until 1943(I have had patrols where only 2 or 3 actually worked correctly) in fact with duds on you basically have use only the slow setting on mk.14s anyway which is the same speed as the mk.10 though greater range on the other hand 1943 and later the mk.14 is the best option once its bugs are mostly gone and it then gives you the widest range of flexibility.

The Mk.23s are more reliable but they have the weakness that you can not attack a target outside 4,500yds which is a disadvantage when you get a good ship but she is outside mk.23 range and you are not able to close range or during later war patrols where the asw is so intense that you are better off attacking from greater range.

I agree with Vonntop on the mk.27 they are not all that useful most times so I rarely carry them.But I have seen some hilarious DD kills caused by cuties.

Overall the best bet is to carry a mix of different fish when they are available anyway.I most times carry a mix of mk.14s and mk.18s. Unless you are using an S-boat in which case your only option are the short ranged but insured to bang! mk.10s.

Personally the right time to go "super mod" is different each person some feel the need to complete the entire war in stock first.I myself just ran a few careers in stock for a few months then after getting over the concern with the increase in difficulty I went in.Some guys I am sure pretty much just jumped in head first and loaded up a super mod right away.

i believe i posted a thread concering one such cutie kill. Short story was, i was in java sea and a task force of 2 dds picked me up. in java iif your caught y dds your screwed. i had 1 cutie left. i fired it at the first dd, but no dice. he came over me and DCed me. The second one comes and im defensless soo i turn, but it wasnt enough. lucky thing is though, my periscope bashed it and killed it ( at the time). then the oher 1 came around and DCed again. 85% hull damage or something, then hes ABOUT to come finish me when BAM "torpedo impact" (at the time my expression was this: :haha ::woo t:) the cutie hadnt given up (bless its soul) and impacted on the side of the destroyer, and he capsized.

[WernherVonTrapp]

Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.

i believe i posted a thread concering one such cutie kill. Short story was, i was in java sea and a task force of 2 dds picked me up. in java iif your caught y dds your screwed. i had 1 cutie left. i fired it at the first dd, but no dice. he came over me and DCed me. The second one comes and im defensless soo i turn, but it wasnt enough. lucky thing is though, my periscope bashed it and killed it ( at the time). then the oher 1 came around and DCed again. 85% hull damage or something, then hes ABOUT to come finish me when BAM "torpedo impact" (at the time my expression was this: :haha ::woo t:) the cutie hadnt given up (bless its soul) and impacted on the side of the destroyer, and he capsized.

That is a hilarious story. The funniest part was picturing it happening in my mind while I was reading your account of it. I have tried them in the past and I do believe their maximum range (probably due to the low speed) is somewhere in the vicinity of 12,000yds.

[Stealhead]

I witnessed a DD get hit by a mk.27 I had fired once while I was being chased by 3 DDs the thing ran for some time and I was tracking it on the sound gear with great disappointment as it was way off track from any of the DDs so I stopped tracking it.

Suddenly after a very close and nasty DC run on me a minute or so later I hear boom! "torpedo hit sir shes going down!" My guess is that the loud noise of the depth charges going off must have attracted the sound seeker inside the Mk.27 and turned around and pegged onto one of the DDs killing it.

What makes the cutie so weak is the low speed sometimes they get a good track but just cant keep up so they work best against a searching ASW vessel who is varying his speed to attract the cutie but he is turning and slowing down enough that the cutie can hit.

Funny as the USS Barb did get a medium sized merchant in WWII with a Mk.27 though they had fired it a almost 90 ft and it came up under and hit the bottom of the ships hull other wise I doubt a cutie alone would be able to sink anything larger than a DD.