Mods to fix sonar and allow me to sit on the seafloor without taking damage?

[Rambler241]

CjStaal enquired:

Also, how can I have a view of my sub underwater? The freeview just puts my camera at the surface.

Hit F1 to get a list of keyboard controls. The controls and keyboard layout are also in SH3_QRC_EN.pdf (EN = english) in the
C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\documentation folder.

When in freeview, use numpad (NUMLOCK on) 7 to raise, and 1 to lower the camera. In freeview, "." and "," cycle through visible units - hit "." once and you'll see a side view of your boat. Use navigation keys (arrow keys) to move view up/down etc. Also, if there's sufficient light, raise the observation 'scope a little, and tilt the view to see the seabed. In some areas, the seabed is stony or rocky - bottoming on that in RL at any speed would inevitably cause some damage, in SH3 it's fatal. Remember the quote from Das Boot? "The gods left a shovel full of sand to keep us up".

The key to bottoming out successfully is low speed - 1 knot or less (less is more!), levelled out before issuing a lower depth command, or you'll hit the seabed bow down, as many SH3 fans know to their cost. When ready to rise off the bottom, call for a higher depth with motors stopped, or you'll just scrape along, and leave more than just hull anti-fouling paint on the seabed. Once you're a few metres up, off you go again.

Incidentally, it's the crewman on the right of the planesmen in the control room (with all the valves and pipes) who controls buoyancy, and so allows the boat to rise or sink with no speed on. I doubt it makes the slightest difference in SH3, but I ensure an experienced man is at that post.