What rules you have in SHIII?

[AlanSmithee]

I play DiD, though I make exceptions for when the game "cheats" - for example, when I collide with a ship or get unrealistically jumped by a ship or aircraft due to high TC.

I never use the deck gun in stormy conditions. I also never reload external torpedoes when the weather is bad enough that waves are washing over the deck.

My one random rule: I don't sink trawlers and fishing boats. I feel bad for those guys.

[bsalyers]

Originally Posted by DeepSix

You mean you don't go "rollin' in yo Type VII"?

No, Dog - Kapitan don't roll dat way.

[tycho102]

I don't engage airplanes, let the crew take a bath every three or four days (surface and kill engines for a couple hours) if conditions permit, and make sweeps with the periscope for aircraft. I don't reload external torpedoes unless the seas are very calm, and I'm completely stopped.

However, I have modified the "neutral" ships to give me normal reknown. If the ship is traveling in an escorted convoy, it's fair game, regardless of it's cargo or nationality.

[JSalinger]

Well, when I do finally get my copy (grr...I ordered it three weeks ago!), everything is fair game, including hospital ships (only if I feel like it...Onkel Karl might realize the political implications lol).

I'm just going to be a cruel Kaleun towards the Allies.

[Salvadoreno]

Though i dont use food supplies and all that. I do have a view realistic rules.

1. Dead is Dead
2. Hydrophone Checks
3. If no contacts for a few days, gramophone goes on
4. My latest knew rule is i actually traverese the Bay of Biscay in 1943-1945 with no TC, and i am on lookout.
5. I caclulate speed, direction of a boat, and usually spend 1-2 hours just getting in a good firing position
6. Convoys get at least 3-4 contact reports to simulate huff duff then attack.
7. aircraft=dive

[CWorth]

Originally Posted by Threadfin

I play DiD, let the crew shoot the gun, always return to base (career ends if I can't make it back due to fuel or damage), dive on all air contacts. If I intend to transfer I sail to the base I will transfer to (but not close enough to get Dock at: option) I play with MCU enabled, all other settings checked (manual targeting, no externals, etc).

Passenger liners were not off limits to uboats

http://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/643.html

http://uboat.net/special/biggest.htm

Hitlers own Directive #5 specifically states...And this is a direct quote from the document..Take note of highlighted area.

"Trade War will in general be waged in accordance with Prize Law with the following exceptions:

Merchant ships and troopships definitely established as being hostile may be attacked without warning.

This also applies to ships sailing without lights in waters round England.

Merchantmen which use their radio transmitters after being stopped will be fired upon.

Attacks on passenger ships, or large ships which obviously carry considerable numbers of passengers in addition to cargo, are forbidden."

[DeepSix]

Originally Posted by AlanSmithee

I play DiD, though I make exceptions for when the game "cheats" - for example, when I collide with a ship or get unrealistically jumped by a ship or aircraft due to high TC.

I never use the deck gun in stormy conditions. I also never reload external torpedoes when the weather is bad enough that waves are washing over the deck.

My one random rule: I don't sink trawlers and fishing boats. I feel bad for those guys.

I guess I have rules after all.

- No reloading external torpedoes if the weather's too rough for the deck gun. Also, I stop engines when I move them.

- Deck gun is for coup de grace and for "I fart in your general direction because all my torpedoes were duds" engagements.

- Dead is Dead except for TC collisions (especially in rain and fog when you're dead before you even know what killed you ).

- Liners are ok after U.S. joins the war (after all, they were used as troop ships. I just hope I don't deep six the one my grandfather shipped out on.

- No hospital ships.

- No trawlers or fishermen for me, either. I feel bad for 'em, too. Add to that list small coastal vessels (which are what, exactly?).

- Tugs and aircraft... it depends.

- Random hydrophone checks - not regularly because it's a pain to move Adolph back to the bridge every time I surface. I mean that dude's just not pulling his weight. It's tough to avoid a "cheat" with the hydrophone because whenever I'm cruising along under TC, the frame rate starts to hiccup if there's a convoy nearby. I confess, I usually give in. No, no, it's not taking advantage - my kaleun just has a sixth sense....

- And of course my favorite: no rap music (although it's tempting sometimes ).

[Threadfin]

Originally Posted by CWorth

Hitlers own Directive #5 specifically states...And this is a direct quote from the document..Take note of highlighted area.

"Trade War will in general be waged in accordance with Prize Law with the following exceptions:

Merchant ships and troopships definitely established as being hostile may be attacked without warning.

This also applies to ships sailing without lights in waters round England.

Merchantmen which use their radio transmitters after being stopped will be fired upon.

Attacks on passenger ships, or large ships which obviously carry considerable numbers of passengers in addition to cargo, are forbidden."

Very good, and true, you know your stuff. Directive 5 was from September, 1939, and this policy was rescinded by November of 1940. So I'll grant you are correct for that one year period, but I read your previous statement as off limits alltogether, which simply isn't correct. Unrestricted submarine warfare was in effect from fall of 1940 onwards.

In the political arena, u-boats were required to operate under the pre-war maritime Prize Rules, the international agreements which governed the conduct of war at sea. Merchant ships had to be stopped and searched before they could be sunk - but only after the crew had been safely evacuated on lifeboats. The u-boat commanders viewed this as an unnecessary threat to the attacking boats and were eager to move toward unrestricted submarine warfare. By September 23rd, u-boats were allowed to sink immediately any merchant using its radio after being stopped by a u-boat. October 2nd saw the lifting of restrictions of attacking darkened ships off the British and French coasts. By October 17, u-boats were allowed to attack all hostile ships and by November 17, to attack all ships including passenger liners. The only restriction governing u-boats was that they were not allowed to attack neutral vessels.

http://www.uboataces.com/boa-opening.shtml

[CCIP]

-DiD

-Always travel on lower TC in high air-threat areas; dive and submerge in these whenever possible

-Dive and travel mostly underwater during storms, use only 'slow ahead' during stormy weather

-Use Schnorchel on 'slow ahead' only

-"Move" between compartments by mouse clicks (in my 'prime' WaW careers, change stations by moving through the boat with the Shift+F2 camera only)

-Never fight aircraft "to kill", only when cornered

-Attack targets at night and on surface whenever possible (I do allow use of WO targeting for high-speed night attacks)
-Only manual targeting through periscopes (no WO help there)

-Reloading external torpedoes only in calm weather and with engines off

-Never hunt for escorts or patrolling warships

-And, perhaps the funkiest rule of all - I make many decisions and add unpredictable variation to my game by tossing coins to determine certain circumstances and courses of action (e.g., changing patrol area, taking a riskier or a safer course, delaying WO's target calculations etc.)

Great times

[Heibges]

1. Per the Uboat Commanders Handbook, regular hydrophone checks only at dawn and dusk.

2. Per the Uboat Commanders Handbook, fire 2,3, or 4 torpedoes at all targets.

3. Per Uboat Commanders Handbook,use Ahead Slow as default patrolling speed.

4. Per Uboat Commanders Handbook, use one of 3 prescibed methods for conducting a gunnery raid. Maximum range for deckgun is 1100m.

5. Dead is Dead.

6. Move external torps to inside ship only in calm weather.

7. Submerge to reload all topedo tubes in rough weather.

8. Stay submerged in Heavy Fog.

9. Break off contact and re-establish after every attack. No hiding under convoy to reload torpedoes.

10. Try to get within 1000m for all torpedo shots.

11. Never attack convoy escorts even if attacked. Evasion only.

12. 56 Days Maximum at sea for Type VII. 63 Days total for Type IX, accept for long range IXD Patrols which may last for 135 or more days.

13. No sinking of hospital ships.

[Nedlam]

Some of my rules:

1. No TC above 128 (and my crew fatigues at that TC)

2. I do not transfer external torpedoes unless the winds are at 6 m/s or less. I also only use my schnorkel in these conditions.

3. Speaking of schnorkels 1/3 speed is the fastest I travel with it extended while I'm sumberged and in "hostile" waters which is pretty much everywhere about the time they come out. I keep my Obs. scope up while the schnorkel is up.

4. Hydrophone checks every four hours.

5. When I am submerged and I have my periscope up (either one) I only travel at slow speed (3 kts)

6. In severe weather I try to stay submerged as much as possible. and I have to research this but I read that attacking in severe weather (heavy seas) was damn near impossible. I might have to make a rule up about that.

and after reading this thread I have a few more new rules.

I have a question. First, my definition of a hydrophone check is to dive to 30 meters stop for awhile, run for a short time submerged, go to periscope depth and check before you surface again. Then surface. The whole process usually takes me 1/2 hour (game time). My question is: Is that what a hydrophone check is? Because as Heibges quotes from a Uboat commanders handbook:

"Per the Uboat Commanders Handbook, regular hydrophone checks only at dawn and dusk."

What did they do for the rest of the day? Just run on the surface looking for ships?

[mike_espo]

Mine:

1. Crash dive when aircraft spotted.
2. Run snorkel at 8kn max.
3. TC max and Crew fatique at 512x
4. 4 hour watches for bridge and 6 for others.
5. G7a only contact pistol
6. If I have to use G7e, set magnetic pistol for draft of ship
7. Always signal "Onkel Karl" when I contact a Steamer.
8. Don't fire on Neutrals. ( My career is in 1940)

Thats it

[zombiewolf]

(3) No rap music on the gramaphone.


Thats the only rule I have .

For the rest of my life also.

(3) No rap music on the gramaphone.




(3) No rap music on the gramaphone.

[Ducimus]

1. DiD (see sig)

2. I never travel above "ahead slow" unless im trying to intercept a contact. Since i do primarly long range patrols, Fuel is too precious to waste.


3. When leaving bay of biscay, and while around the operating area, i am submerged by day, and only surface between 0:00 and 0100 local time and submerge at 0500 to 0600 local time. (at 1/4 battery, and 50% O2, i have to surface )

4. Snorkel to recharge batteries or to ventilate the boat, and never above "ahead slow" see pt 2 and 3.

5. Two fish per target, excepting coastals or other small mechants which only require 1 torpedo. If the target requires more then 2 torpedo's and is unprotected, the deckgun shall be employed.

6. Torpedo expenditure priority (or, which ones i like to get rid of first)
aft external -> Fore external -> Aft internal -> Forward Internal.
Bow tubes are only used first if there is more then 1 target.

7. Man flak guns only when aircraft is detected at short range and am unable to dive in time.

8. I do not operate in shallow water.

9. Occasional hydrophone checks, Soundman doesnt report everything thats audible.

[Dutch]

1. Don't waste the trops.....

2. First Priority Reach Destination

3. Second Priority Convoys

4. Third Priority Lone Merchants, takes Frist Priority if within Range while onroute to Destination

5. Conserve Fuel

6. Never save during a attack run, be it single or convoy, that way I can't miss and reload to get a different shot, if I miss I miss.

7. Rely on crew unless under the most life threatining situations. Exceptions for Sonar, which is to be manned by myself in order to locate shipping.

8. No stupid manuvers, surfacing to attack destroyers.

9. Use DG only after mortally wounding a ship.

10. While DCs go off I have apx. 20 secs to run on Std speed before they can propurly detect me (not documented or implimented, just my thing. Usually works pretty well.)

11.After locating convoy, attack and pursue untill most merchants are sank, or you can no longer carryout an attack ie no trops or battle wary/damage.

12. Upon locating Convoy situate for the center of the convoy 1st pri Hvy Cargo 2nd Med-small 3rd Escorts.

13. Don't waste trops on Escorts save element of surprise for the merchants

14. try to have 2 firing solution for two ships (1 for each) and fire for maximum effect.

15. Neve put yourself or your men in a helpless situation, does not entail not taking risk.

16. Come back home in one piece.