What specialties do you assign to your officers?

[tycho102]

I absolutely agree with Duncan. Two radiomen, without question, first. Give them whatever medals you earn, too. Iron crosses and the works.

As far as officers, it really varies. I tend to think you need a machinist (I'm talking about starting in 1939, here) before anything else. You usually have a watch officer, watch monkey (petty officer) and three torpedomen, and that's enough. Two engine monkeys and an officer will give you an extra knot while you're on time-compression and cruising toward your destination. Even more important underwater on batteries.

After that, just about anything works. A medic will help out your enlisted personel, but you really need to cross-rate him with navigator or something, so he's useful when he's sleeping and on duty. I usually cross-rate my watch officer to torpedo, since I'm usually underwater when launching torps. However, having a watch/flak gunner will crank that green bar across like no other combination in the world.

Once you get a couple radiomen, and an officer machinist, the most important thing is the distribution of medals. You need to give your radiomen top priority, but your machinist and watchmen should come next, in that order. After that it's up for dibbs, except for the medical guys. Meds should get medals very last, because they are most useful in the bunks.

Cross rating all officers with medic is a good idea, because of the boost in regeneration.

[iambecomelife]

Originally Posted by tycho102

I absolutely agree with Duncan. Two radiomen, without question, first. Give them whatever medals you earn, too. Iron crosses and the works.

As far as officers, it really varies. I tend to think you need a machinist (I'm talking about starting in 1939, here) before anything else. You usually have a watch officer, watch monkey (petty officer) and three torpedomen, and that's enough. Two engine monkeys and an officer will give you an extra knot while you're on time-compression and cruising toward your destination. Even more important underwater on batteries.

After that, just about anything works. A medic will help out your enlisted personel, but you really need to cross-rate him with navigator or something, so he's useful when he's sleeping and on duty. I usually cross-rate my watch officer to torpedo, since I'm usually underwater when launching torps. However, having a watch/flak gunner will crank that green bar across like no other combination in the world.

Once you get a couple radiomen, and an officer machinist, the most important thing is the distribution of medals. You need to give your radiomen top priority, but your machinist and watchmen should come next, in that order. After that it's up for dibbs, except for the medical guys. Meds should get medals very last, because they are most useful in the bunks.

Cross rating all officers with medic is a good idea, because of the boost in regeneration.

To you guys who think radiomen are a priority - how much more of a difference do two radiomen make than one? Do you get a lot more hydrophone contacts?

[August]

Originally Posted by pampanito

Hey, August!
Where did you find these Officer images? And how did you manage to have different ones in the lower-left row and in the boat profile?

I use the 'Das Boot' officers downloaded from Subsim, but they just change the lower-left row.

The files you want to modify are in this folder.

C:\Program Files\Ubisoft\SilentHunterIII\data\Menu\Data\oface s

There are two files for each icon.

The single pic version (Off###.tga) is used in the attributes box when you click on an officers icon in the F7 screen, and the icon itself (Off###_0.tga) which is a "collage picture" with several images of the each face in their various states.

You'll also need to find out what index number your officers are using. See this thread for details:

http://www.subsim.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=41286

Here's a guide for matching oface files with index numbers. Note that the Das Boot ones aren't default pics :

[Damo1977]

Mostly coffins at the moment!!

[Apocal]

Does the helm qualification actually do anything? I have several officers and one petty officer rated for it, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

[August]

Originally Posted by Apocal

Does the helm qualification actually do anything? I have several officers and one petty officer rated for it, but it doesn't seem to do anything.

I kept two navigation rated officers only which seems to be more than enough, especially once they get enough medals to stay on duty for an entire patrol.

[Duncan Idaho]

Originally Posted by iambecomelife

To you guys who think radiomen are a priority - how much more of a difference do two radiomen make than one? Do you get a lot more hydrophone contacts?

I don't get more sonar contacts, nor has the range changed. Of course, my sonar guy gets the first qualification I give. Radio man gets the second, and what I do get is more map contacts. LOTS more map contacts. Radar appears to be better too, contacts called off at greater range.

To Apocal: I have noticed, (though it could be argued), that if I give my planesman and ballast guy helm qualifications, I seem to have better luck staying at or close to periscope depth in storms. But again, that could be completely subjective. I had the qualifications to pass out anyway, someone was gonna get them. They aren't a priority for me.