Winning Strategies for Gameplay

[GoldenRivet]

This thread is about suggestions related to gameplay, not strategy for evasion, approach, etc. more focused on how to amass reputation, budget, etc.

A strategy i use frequently on my first mission is pretty simple:

FIRST: Because you start out with so few points, everything you encounter on patrol should be sunk if you can. obviously, however one point i will make is - regardless of your thoughts on the historical accuracy of it - ALWAYS take on the max number of survivors the first mission or two. and always give out as much food to lifeboats as you can afford to be rid of. the early patrols are in the north sea, so this shouldnt be tough, and it rapidly increases your reputation score.

this does a couple of things for you, firsty, when you return to port and release 8 survivors (the max you can take aboard) you are getting $2-300 per officer, and $100 per enlisted sailor you capture. it can be an easy $1,000 in budget. (this also goes for crews of downed aircraft)

SECOND: always loot, i seriously doubt uboats pillaged crates left floating on the water from a historical standpoint, but in this game it is essential to do this in the interest of rapid progression early on. I looted some crates containing tires - took them back to port at the conclusion of my mission and sold about $2,000 budget points worth of tires to the warehouse keeper

THIRD: ALWAYS check wrecks you come across. I came across a wreck recently, clearly not sunk by me, but by an AI boat some time earlier in my patrol. and i searched it... nearly $50,000 budget points worth of Gold ingots

by adhering to these strategies i was - by the start of patrol 3 able to...

1. maximize my crew to 7 officers
2. completely deck out my storage with food, spare parts, ammo, etc.
3. Fill my fore storage with coffee, rebreathers, rifle, explosives etc.
4. Gain skill points for at least 3 of my officers
5. have a budget in excess of $100,000 budget points by the end of patrol 2 (mostly through looting, and selling it back to the warehouse / releasing prisoners / sinking ships)

i get that looting, and taking survivors may not appeal to some, but waiting several patrols to even get one or two added officers, and be able to afford good equipment, food, ammo, torpedoes etc. does not appeal to me, and after i have maxed out my officers and put my budget at six figures, i go full historical from there on in.

[ReallyDedPoet]

Nice thread GR

[Shadowblade]

@GoldenRivet - nice info