SH3 Commander-The Complete Super Deluxe Thallium Commander's Special Ultimate Edition

[Gryffon300]

Well, its back to a noobie question, i'm afraid.
Trying to get my head around Crew Management.
Should I use SH3C ('THE' Commander) exclusively for crew management, or continue to go to the Barracks etc from my 'office' pre or post-mission within SH3 GWX3.0? Or both?

There are some significant restrictions from within SH3, which in some ways seem more believable. For example, SH3 only lets me add one qualification per patrol. This means I really have to be on my toes re crew exhaustion v. compartment efficiency, whereas SH3 lets me give everyone in the whole crew multiple qualifications from the first cruise or two. Was this intended? This seems to give me a MUCH better crew than I deserve.

In addition, I, as the commander, seem able to pass out as many awards as I like to the whole crew (after their first patrol with me), whereas, SH3 severly limits the number of awards (seems more like it), though allows the commander to assign who they go to. Again, is this what SH3C intended to do? Would virtually the whole crew really have got Iron Crosses after a successful mission if The Old Man was in a particularly generous mood (or had visited Munich during Oktoberfest while deciding)? On this point I admit to being historically bog ignorant (but am curious).

[rowi58]

Hi Folks

who never ever played SH3 with the SH3_Cmdr - he (or she) is realy missing somthing.

Nevertheless - i will never ever play SH3 without SH3_Cmdr. SH3_Cmdrr with all of it's possibilities? That's the best ever!

Greetings
rowi58

[Gryffon300]

Maybe I didn't quite get it, but I notice that in the GWX3.0 sticky thread they emphatically advise that, "For SH3 Commander users:
PLEASE ENSURE that you run SH3 Commander WITHOUT the 'Sabotage and Malfunctions' option enabled."

Is this still the case? - I am running 'malfunctions' (but not sabotage - MY crew would never betray the Fatherland!), and it seems to be going fine. (On the previous cruise I had 'vaseline' all over my attack scope. And in this cruise, when I select 'ahead flank', Engine Telegraph and Speed drop to zero - it made chasing down a whale factory ship doing between 8 & 11 knots in bad weather, when I was only able to get from 6 - 10 knots out of the ol' girl on full, a real interesting exercise in patience and tactics. I LIKE it!

The reason I hadn't noted this before, is that I DL'd and installed GWX some weeks before I decided to DL SH3 (for the first time).

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Gryffon300

Maybe I didn't quite get it, but I notice that in the GWX3.0 sticky thread they emphatically advise that, "For SH3 Commander users:
PLEASE ENSURE that you run SH3 Commander WITHOUT the 'Sabotage and Malfunctions' option enabled."

Is this still the case? - I am running 'malfunctions' (but not sabotage - MY crew would never betray the Fatherland!), and it seems to be going fine. (On the previous cruise I had 'vaseline' all over my attack scope. And in this cruise, when I select 'ahead flank', Engine Telegraph and Speed drop to zero - it made chasing down a whale factory ship doing between 8 & 11 knots in bad weather, when I was only able to get from 6 - 10 knots out of the ol' girl on full, a real interesting exercise in patience and tactics. I LIKE it!

The reason I hadn't noted this before, is that I DL'd and installed GWX some weeks before I decided to DL SH3 (for the first time).

I run Malfunctions with no problems, at least none that I've ever noticed. Sabotage (for me at least) is for the French ports, where the local dockworkers might be partisans.

[JScones]

Originally Posted by Gryffon300

Maybe I didn't quite get it, but I notice that in the GWX3.0 sticky thread they emphatically advise that, "For SH3 Commander users:
PLEASE ENSURE that you run SH3 Commander WITHOUT the 'Sabotage and Malfunctions' option enabled."

Is this still the case? - I am running 'malfunctions' (but not sabotage - MY crew would never betray the Fatherland!), and it seems to be going fine. (On the previous cruise I had 'vaseline' all over my attack scope. And in this cruise, when I select 'ahead flank', Engine Telegraph and Speed drop to zero - it made chasing down a whale factory ship doing between 8 & 11 knots in bad weather, when I was only able to get from 6 - 10 knots out of the ol' girl on full, a real interesting exercise in patience and tactics. I LIKE it!

The reason I hadn't noted this before, is that I DL'd and installed GWX some weeks before I decided to DL SH3 (for the first time).

That message is old news, loooong superceded by the availablility of updated config files.

[Gryffon300]

Yes, JScones, I had assumed that that was the case (from the fun and quirky things that are now happening - latest is after a while had ded slow on run silent speed magically creeps up to 4 or 5 knots, thus making me detectable - if I survive this current pounding, I'm going to have the Chief Engineers hide for sloppy engine management!). Thanks a lot, you mad genius!!!

So, could I suggest that the GWX team edit the GWX installation instructions to remove the loooong outdated warning?

[Gryffon300]

Hi, mates.
Just a further little tweak-type question for crew mangement.

I am happy with the better flexibility and options within 'Commander' (particularly for assigning multiple qualifications).

However, I am curious as to how people handle the new crew in a new profile, or new campaign. There are always 5 or 6 crew slots empty (1 officer, a few each pettys & sailors). Do you run first cruise with existing crew or use SH3's barracks (and spend some renown) to fill the empty slots? Or do you do it on later cruises. Is it possible/desirable to increase crew level from within Commander?

Thanks.

[fitzcarraldo]

Originally Posted by Gryffon300

Hi, mates.
Just a further little tweak-type question for crew mangement.

I am happy with the better flexibility and options within 'Commander' (particularly for assigning multiple qualifications).

However, I am curious as to how people handle the new crew in a new profile, or new campaign. There are always 5 or 6 crew slots empty (1 officer, a few each pettys & sailors). Do you run first cruise with existing crew or use SH3's barracks (and spend some renown) to fill the empty slots? Or do you do it on later cruises. Is it possible/desirable to increase crew level from within Commander?

Thanks.

I use to complete the slots in barracks, with - if it´s possible - "0" value crewmen. I don´t spend renown, and I have a complete crew. Ever I need fresh crewmen in torpedo rooms, for the recharge of fishes. With fatigue in torps rooms, the recharge is toooooo sloooowww.

Regards.

Fitzcarraldo

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Gryffon300

Hi, mates.
Just a further little tweak-type question for crew mangement.

I am happy with the better flexibility and options within 'Commander' (particularly for assigning multiple qualifications).

However, I am curious as to how people handle the new crew in a new profile, or new campaign. There are always 5 or 6 crew slots empty (1 officer, a few each pettys & sailors). Do you run first cruise with existing crew or use SH3's barracks (and spend some renown) to fill the empty slots? Or do you do it on later cruises. Is it possible/desirable to increase crew level from within Commander?

Thanks.

Since my first patrol is usually a short shakedown cruise, I run it with just the crew I got handed when I started the career.

After that I will add crew to fill out my roster as needed. Typically I add as many as the game will allow from the in-game "barracks" and unless I'm really in need of someone with a particular qualification (and there's a qualified officer or NCO available) I don't spend renown on adding crew. You can always get a cadet, junior PO, or Matrosengefreiter for 0 renown. Early on I figure I've got time for the n00bs to gain experience on my boat instead of paying extra for the experience they got elsewhere.

If you dismiss a crewman in Commander it will give you the option to replace him from within Commander as well, and IME it always costs some renown, but AFAIK there's no way to add extra crew except from the crew mgmt screen in the game.

[Sailor Steve]

I go straight to the Barracks Screen and fill all the slots. Always '0' level crew and officers. I never dismiss crew. If Commander removes one I replace him in the Barracks Screen, unless he's killed while ashore, in which case I roll a die to determine when it happened. It may be that it happened the night before we sailed, in which case all I know is that he missed ship's movement and we're one short.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Gryffon300

Well, its back to a noobie question, i'm afraid.

How dare you interrupt yet another stupid joke session to be serious?

Trying to get my head around Crew Management.
Should I use SH3C ('THE' Commander) exclusively for crew management, or continue to go to the Barracks etc from my 'office' pre or post-mission within SH3 GWX3.0? Or both?

I stick with SH3C for all management duties, except of course when first starting the career.

There are some significant restrictions from within SH3, which in some ways seem more believable. For example, SH3 only lets me add one qualification per patrol. This means I really have to be on my toes re crew exhaustion v. compartment efficiency, whereas SH3 lets me give everyone in the whole crew multiple qualifications from the first cruise or two. Was this intended? This seems to give me a MUCH better crew than I deserve.

The way SH3 does it is much more difficult than real life. The fact is that there is no such thing as an 'unqualified' petty officer. The very nature of the navy (any navy) is that by the the time you reach the equivalent of an E-4 rank your career path is set, and you have been studying that skill set for a couple of years at least.

I always start a career with a 'false patrol'. I sail out into the harbor, look at the sights, and dock again. This ensures that my first 'real' patrol will not start on the first of the month, and it lets me go into Commander and pass out the quals.

Just remember that POs can have more than one, but only the first one will work. On a submarine everyone cross-trains, but each man only has one real specialty. With officers you can have two.

In addition, I, as the commander, seem able to pass out as many awards as I like to the whole crew (after their first patrol with me), whereas, SH3 severly limits the number of awards (seems more like it), though allows the commander to assign who they go to. Again, is this what SH3C intended to do? Would virtually the whole crew really have got Iron Crosses after a successful mission? On this point I admit to being historically bog ignorant (but am curious).

Yes, Commander is meant to make all aspects of the game more realistic. The key to handing out awards is to limit yourself to what you feel is real. I only give out medals if I feel someone truly deserves them.

One side-note: Keep a note of anyone who's wounded. The stock game is weird in that if the Sani (medic) heals a wounded man that man is no longer wounded, and you can't give him a wound badge. SH3C lets you give out the badges, but you need to remember who it was who got hit.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Gryffon300

Well, its back to a noobie question, i'm afraid.
Trying to get my head around Crew Management.
Should I use SH3C ('THE' Commander) exclusively for crew management, or continue to go to the Barracks etc from my 'office' pre or post-mission within SH3 GWX3.0? Or both?

There are some significant restrictions from within SH3, which in some ways seem more believable. For example, SH3 only lets me add one qualification per patrol. This means I really have to be on my toes re crew exhaustion v. compartment efficiency, whereas SH3 lets me give everyone in the whole crew multiple qualifications from the first cruise or two. Was this intended? This seems to give me a MUCH better crew than I deserve.

In addition, I, as the commander, seem able to pass out as many awards as I like to the whole crew (after their first patrol with me), whereas, SH3 severly limits the number of awards (seems more like it), though allows the commander to assign who they go to. Again, is this what SH3C intended to do? Would virtually the whole crew really have got Iron Crosses after a successful mission? On this point I admit to being historically bog ignorant (but am curious).

It's up to you and how you want to play.

From what I've learned here, it's unlikely that any NCO would be an NCO had he not been qualified in some area of special training. So typically after a first patrol I will give a qualification to any petty officer who doesn't already have one.

Also, even if you award qualifications to all your enlisted men (which Commander will let you do), it has no effect on game play as the game itself doesn't recognize it. But it can be helpful to use the feature if you want to assign crewmen to particular areas of duty, which would be realistic as even among the enlisted men on a u-boat the crew was divided between "technical" personnel (engine room, torpedo mechanics, etc.) and those whose primary duties were more traditionally "nautical" in nature - navigation, watchkeeping, etc.

As far as awards go, it did sometimes happen in RL that an entire crew would receive an Iron Cross after a successful patrol, and the game does not allow for this. Even if you feel 4 guys should get a medal or 3 guys deserve promotion, if the game says you can only award 2 medals and 1 promotion, that's what you're stuck with.

SH3 Commander simply intends to give you more options than the game does. How you use them and whether or not you do use them is up to you.

[Gryffon300]

Thanks, SSteve & The Frau(line). That helps a lot.