I'm sure these are very good noob questions:

[imbiginjapan]

Originally Posted by Seadogs

Messages generally do not give a response until 1. It's a contact report "must have at least 2 ships visible" or 2. You have completed your mission objective and send a status report where you will either recieve another objective or orders back to port.

Contact reports only work when you're surfaced and looking at multiple ships. This is kind of weird since you have to be surfaced and radio your positition. Way to be stealthy there!
In addition sending a contact report might result in getting a mission to sink targets. If you don't you end up with an Incomplete mission... this can be annoying when you're at in an S-class doing all of 10 knots, and you're expected to somehow chase down a convoy moving in at 15 knots.
For those reasons I don't generally use the contact reports.


In regards to #5 there are mods to configure the crew more realistically but nothing to take crew away in port. I just roll some dice and take the random crew off the boat after awarding medals. It takes a bit of time, but is at least somewhat realistic.