New Player - not impressed so far....

[Der Kuenstler]

I'm in my first campaign playing SH3 with GWX Gold mod and SH3 Commander, 71% realism.

1) I find it extremely annoying when time compression stops and my lookouts holler "warship spotted!" or "plane spotted!" and I have to go investigate only to find it is another German. Wouldn't the lookout in reality know not to bother the captian about that?

2) I have made 9 patrols and typically there is a lot of rain and I only see a tugboat or small coal tender or coastal merchant every 3-4 days. I'm gaining only small amounts of renown.

3) It's mid-1940 and I'm still in the same boring Type 2a sub with no options to upgrade.

4) Dumb messages like "not enough men in the engine room, sir!" These men are professional sailors - don't they know what room they should be in without me telling them?


So far my general feelings while playing this game are are boredom and tedium - interrupted by an occasional small ship sunk.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Der Kuenstler

I'm in my first campaign playing SH3 with GWX Gold mod and SH3 Commander, 71% realism.

1) I find it extremely annoying when time compression stops and my lookouts holler "warship spotted!" or "plane spotted!" and I have to go investigate only to find it is another German. Wouldn't the lookout in reality know not to bother the captian about that?

Not if he can't make a conclusive ID of the ship at the given range. And especially in the case of ships, one needs to be aware of anything in the vicinity whether friendly or not, because if you're on a collision course with another ship it won't be any softer an impact just because it's one of yours.

OTOH if you are somewhere like a friendly harbor and willing to keep a close eye on things yourself, you can always send the WO to his bunk. If he's not on the bridge, you won't get alerted to anything.

2) I have made 9 patrols and typically there is a lot of rain and I only see a tugboat or small coal tender or coastal merchant every 3-4 days. I'm gaining only small amounts of renown.

Unfortunately being in a Type II, especially before any possibility of transferring to a French base, means the areas available to you for patrols are somewhat limited because of the range of your boat. I don't know if it's even possible to get into the major British shipping lanes and back in a Type II (never really played one). But there is traffic out there, and some good opportunities to take on the Royal Navy in April when the invasion of Norway begins. Those who have played extensively in Type IIs at the beginning of the war may be able to offer other tips on where to find the most targets.

3) It's mid-1940 and I'm still in the same boring Type 2a sub with no options to upgrade.

Try starting in the 2nd or 7th Flotilla. You'll get a VIIB right out of the gate.

4) Dumb messages like "not enough men in the engine room, sir!" These men are professional sailors - don't they know what room they should be in without me telling them?

In real life? Yes. In the game? Sadly, no. They only go where you tell them to go, when you tell them to go there. It requires the kind of hands-on micromanagement that would never be required of a real life commander. So you will have to assign them to the desired station, and unless you're using Commander's "no fatigue" option, move them from there to their bunks and back in order to simulate real life watch changes with the necessary rest periods in between.

My workaround for this is to put as many crew as possible aboard my boat after my first patrol, use "no fatigue," and assign every man to a duty station at the start of a patrol. Then he can just stay there indefinitely unless I decide to move him for some specific reason. That's not completely realistic either, but to me it's still more realistic to get on with the business of commanding the boat and pretend that routine watch changes are being taken care of without any handholding on my part.

So far my general feelings while playing this game are are boredom and tedium - interrupted by an occasional small ship sunk.

GWX was intended to increase realism and historical accuracy. Boredom and tedium with an occasional ship sunk were pretty much the standard for real life u-boat patrols. Not saying that there aren't ways to liven things up a bit, but what you're experiencing is by no means unusual.

But do try out one of the flotillas that will give you a VII right away. At least with those you have the range to get out into the Atlantic proper and patrol the Western Approaches to Great Britain. Not saying it's a shoot-fest out there either, but given the geography it's much easier to find targets when you can set up shop in one of the bottlenecks that all shipping has to pass through in order to reach a British port.

Perhaps it's not your game afterall ?

[Luno]

As a type II fan myself, I can say that you don't have the range to make it to the Atlantic and back. Just about the only traffic you're going to find are small single merchants going to and fro between GB and Norway. If you stay close to the shore you'll find more traffic, but on the other hand, you'll run into more aircraft and destroyers too.

This game is definitely not fast paced, and it has a steep learning curve. Patrols consisted of days and weeks of boredom and just hours or minutes of sheer terror. This game will try your patience (but that's half the reason why we play).

Lastly, bear in mind that this game is exceedingly complex and it has a lot going on "under the hood". Unfortunately, it was rushed out the door and support from the development team had to be dropped after a few patches. This could have been the perfect game if the team had been given enough time to work on it. Mods do a lot for the game but can't fix some of the core issues. Given the above, it's still the best WWII sub sim and the only real option for many sub fans.

Have fun, and sink them all!

[Mittelwaechter]

Patrol the British east coast southward from Aberdeen to Dover (within the 50 miles zone) and you'll find enough action and bait.

[papa_smurf]

Originally Posted by Mittelwaechter

Patrol the British east coast southward from Aberdeen to Dover (within the 50 miles zone) and you'll find enough action and bait.

Thats possibly one of the best patrol areas early on in the war, also try Northern Scotland, bound to sink a few ships there.

And another thing, this game is all about days of nothing suddenly been interrupted by ships/aircraft etc been spotted for you to sink/evade. If that does not suit you and you expect constant action, then this game may not be for you.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by Der Kuenstler

...
3) It's mid-1940 and I'm still in the same boring Type 2a sub with no options to upgrade.

...

Look at page 73 of the manual (PDF page count 86). In 1940 only the 2cm light flak C/30 Zwilling is offered as an upgrade. Not sure if it is even offered to Type II uboats, and if so, when.

And then the question is, how much good will it do to you?

[Angelo Cire]

Also, if you head up to the North-Eastern-most point in GB, there's 2 harbors you can find some action at. Just don't burn through all your petrol in transit and your patrol grid.

Type IID (I think - either way, the other type II) have a VASTLY extended range over the IIA. This will let you get into the meat of the Channel, if not the Western Approaches. Also, you can always dock at Wilhelmshaven (if that's the right name) for a refit and refuel.

I'm currently stuck with a Type VIIB, wanting an upgrade badly.

Not that I recommend this, but you can alter values for upgrades and costs in the basic.cfg file. That includes the years that subs are available. So you COULD start out with a Type XXI boat.... BUT that would only be fun for so long.

I'm also very new to the game, but I honestly ask that you give it another chance. I think it's worth it.


Cheers!

[Herr-Berbunch]

I think you need to read-up on using Commander, and do a search of subsim for best hunting grounds (usually BF-teens).

Weather in the North Sea and North Atlantic, especially in winter, are not renown for their calm, sunny days.

Don't give up

[GoDeep]

I'm currently on a very boring, long and tedious patrol. It's August 1941 and BDU has sent me to the middle of the North Atlantic, sitting on the convoy route to Casablanca. However, for the past two weeks that I have been in my designated patrol area, all I have seen are rain, fog, high seas, lightning or just smooth seas with almost no wind. In all that time, I have seen 1 other ship and she was a neutral which I found out after getting into firing position. Weather was really poor and fortunately I didn't have an itchy trigger finger.

Boring? Yes, at times. Realistic? Sure! U-boat crews went through days, sometimes weeks of boredom interspersed with moments of excitement and sheer terror. That's just the way it was. A submarine simulation is not a shoot 'm up game. You need patience and be prepared to be disappointed. Like when you have the perfect solution on that big tanker only to find out the torpedo you fired is a dud. For me, SH3 with GWX is a great game, though it has its quirks, like micromanagement of the crew.

[Jimbuna]

If your using Commander then why not start in a Flotilla that allows you the immediate option of a Type VII?

Quite frankly...if GWX doesn't impress you then why not give SH3 stock/vanilla a try?

[Osmium Steele]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Quite frankly...if GWX doesn't impress you then why not give SH3 stock/vanilla a try?

Well, personally, it's the aftertaste...

[Der Kuenstler]

Thanks for the tips, guys - I'm really interested in WWII and the Battle of the Atlantic so will continue with it. I will try the hunting areas you suggested and perhaps put in a transfer for a type VII.

[andwii]

its april of 1941 in my game, and I still have the U2 IIA. Cant get renown to save my life.

[Sailor Steve]

And I just started a new career in August 1939 with a Type IX.