When do I get a new boat?

[RogerDodger1946]

Its now Nov. 1, 1942. This is my 6th patrol in the S-23, my 5th to the Java Sea Area. Admittedly, my first four patrols were a bust, not much besides Sampans and Junks. Nothing spotted, nothing sunk. The 5th Patrol was better, about 16K tons, several merchants, a sub chaser and minesweeper, and completed BOTH Patrols (Java Sea + Makasar Strait).

20 days out on my 6th Patrol, I've rearmed/refueled at Exmouth Gulf, Australia, and heading back to the Java Sea for more. 6 Freighters sunk, 23K tons, 11 torpedoes expended. Jave Sea Patrol assignment has been satisfied.

So do you think I'll be offered a new boat when I get back, or did I get stuck in the 'Repeating Mission Bug.' A year in this old bucket has been challanging, to say the least, but I think its about time I got something a little less obsolete.

Do I need to accumulate a certain number of 'Renoun Points' to get the offer of a new boat? I've been spending mine on upgrades for my antique, and only have about 500 points remaining.

I'm using TM 1.5. If offered a new boat at the end of this patrol, will I be offered 'New Construction', or will I have to start a whole new Career to get that?

BTW, I've noticed that since at least Sept, 1942, Lombok Strait is being heavily patrolled by at least two sub chasers, sometimes a minesweeper added. Skippers BEWARE! These guys are pretty good at detection, and VERY tenacious.

Run Silent, Run Deep

[tambor198]

I don't the criteria that determines when and where you would be offered a new command, but from my experiences sofar after three patrols where I have a good amount of success I've always been offered a new command. Thanks for the warning about the Lombok Straits, will keep it in mind. http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/25.gif

[RogerDodger1946]

I decided to jump the gun and start a New Career at New Construction. I got the prototype of the Gato Class submarine. Here's a couple of pics of her heading out from Mare Island for Sea Trials. (I finally learned to snapshot the screen). http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/typing.gif Still working on S-23's 6th Patrol.

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb239/RogerDodger1946/Gato8.jpg

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb239/RogerDodger1946/Gato10.jpg

[zembee]

Umm... with pre tm1.5 (no mods) I got the boat change after the third patrol, was steady increasing tonnage starting at 27k then at 42k after the 3rd patrol so the reknown was close to 9000.

I now have tm1.5 and on first patrol and with the drop in the number of ships to sink I'm figuring the reknown will be tougher to obtain. I'm thinking reknown is what decides the boat change,but I may be wrong. See what happens after the patrols. Don't think there was any tm1.5 adjustments made to reknown factors...

Btw, tm1.5 is great. After reading all the posts, I had to try it, especially with the fuel adjustment. The graphics are better and ... I could go on.

[DRAGONFIRE-AWG-]

Hey after your done with your sea trials let me know what your torpedo loadout is. I did my frist patrol from mare and I was 4 torpedos short. My Gato ony had room for 20 fish!! After I finished the patrol and transfered to Pearl I was back to 24 fish. The question is: Was this a bug or purpose built into the new construction start??

[RogerDodger1946]

Originally posted by zembee:
Umm... with pre tm1.5 (no mods) I got the boat change after the third patrol, was steady increasing tonnage starting at 27k then at 42k after the 3rd patrol so the reknown was close to 9000.

I now have tm1.5 and on first patrol and with the drop in the number of ships to sink I'm figuring the reknown will be tougher to obtain. I'm thinking reknown is what decides the boat change,but I may be wrong. See what happens after the patrols. Don't think there was any tm1.5 adjustments made to reknown factors...

Btw, tm1.5 is great. After reading all the posts, I had to try it, especially with the fuel adjustment. The graphics are better and ... I could go on.

I started with SH 4 v1.2 with no mods. I was awarded a Gato Class boat after the 3rd patrol and sinking much tonnage.

Right after that, Patch 1.3 came out, so I installed that and started over (with another S-Boat, Asiatic Fleet). I also installed TM 1.3 at this time, but didn't notice much in the way of scarcity of shipping. Again, I was awarded with a new boat after my 3rd Patrol. I was never able to install TM 1.3A without crashing my system, so I gave up on that one.

Shortly, TM 1.4 was installed, and I started another career (S-36, Asiatic Fleet). I noticed a lack of shipping during the first couple of Patrols, but still managed to get transferred to a new boat after my 3rd patrol. Shipping picked up noticably during that patrol.

When TM 1.5 was installed, I started a new career (S-23, Asiatic Fleet). This time, shipping was not only scarcer, but the 1st Patrol was missing altogether. I only sank two Sampans. 2nd Patrol was not much better. Each patrol got a little better for shipping. Now on Patrol 6, I've sunk a total of 27K tons, re-armed at Exmouth Gulf, Australia, and am going back for more. If tonnage is what it takes, I'll make it to a new boat this time.

I haven't been keeping track of my Renoun Points, and tend to spend them upgrading my boat and crew. After my 5th Patrol in the S-23, I was left with 700 RPs after I 'bought' the Surface Radar.

The upgrades to TM have steadly added much to the game, including realism. Jap shipping through the Java Sea in early 1942 was scarce, but steadly improved as shipping lanes were developed. By late '42, the Java Sea area is getting pretty busy.

I've also noticed that the escorts have greatly improved, but they simply weren't that good. tambor198 has donated an excellent overview of the Japanese Destroyer fleet (Overview . . . Imperial Japanese Navy . . . DD http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/6421019045/m/6601067385). The Japs were pretty good at protecting their capitol ships, but the merchant fleet played second fiddle for much of the war. I really don't think the Japs would protect a two old merchant convoy with three DDs. On top of that, their ASW equipment and techniques were far behind ours for quite awhile.

There is a reason why we're called 'The Silent Service'. As soon as I figure out how to do it, I'm going to dumb down those troublesome Jap escorts to a more realistic level.

Run Silent, Run Deep

[RogerDodger1946]

Originally posted by DRAGONFIRE-AWG-:
Hey after your done with your sea trials let me know what your torpedo loadout is. I did my frist patrol from mare and I was 4 torpedos short. My Gato ony had room for 20 fish!! After I finished the patrol and transfered to Pearl I was back to 24 fish. The question is: Was this a bug or purpose built into the new construction start??

It took six fish to finally down Ensign Dilbert's (whatever) tincan. I always fire two fish at a time at warships. That tincan must have a flat bottem and only draws five feet of water. The first spread were perfectly aimed, but BOTH went under his ship. He started a zig-zag just as I fired the next two, and both sailed by a few feet ahead of him. The next two fired were set as shallow as possible, and both hit, sending the tincan to the bottem. So six fish fired, one tincan sunk.

When I transferred to Pearl, I checked my loadout, and was indeed missing those six torpedoes. My loadout is six in the forward tubes + 10 on the racks, and 4 in the after tubes + 4 spares, total of 24 torpedoes. Seems like I was fully loaded at Mare Island. I know I checked, but don't remember for sure.

Now, I'm on my way to Honshu. I was surprised to be sent there since there was a big to-do going on right then in the southern islands (Coral Sea, I thnk), and the intro was asking for help from the subs for that one.

I'm going to put my Gato in mothballs for awhile, and finish up my 6th Patrol in my S-Boat. I'm dying to see if Ducimus included the option of New Construction when I get awarded a new boat. Like a choice of taking the SS Kornblatt or New Construction.

BTW, Thanks Ducimus for the New Construction. It was a hoot!