Getting SERIOUSLY fed up with the poor damage model of the sub!

[Tracer63]

I was having a brilliant time today (forgot about the bugs situation for *once*)
was patroling down the Celebe sea and getting wave upon wave of convoy traffic up that -quite-narrow channel. Yes it was good! (but didn't last..)

So i have shot down approx 5-6 Bettys (not one hit from any of them) I find myself slap bang in the heart of rich picking tankers! It's HEAVEN! I expend every torp i have (inc reserves) at peri depth, sinking 6 definate and leaving another 3 wallowing, burning.
So the 2 destroyers start 'sniffing' and getting close. Soooo i dive to approx 170ft and the next thing it's popping bloody rivets! Everyone is screaming; "Bow tubes damaged,batts damaged, radar, periscope, diesel engines ,etc,etc,etc..........."??????? and that's it SUNK!
No damage *AT ALL* sustained prior to engagement and none whilst engaging convoys.
So i reload and try again, as soon as i dive to approx 170ft it's the same-old http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif
I've read peoples posts on the tech help forum, saying weird things about subs 'just sinking' I thought, obviously the sub had sustained previous damage and it didn't show up (yeah i know about that one..)
But now i BELIEVE exactly what some of them had said. SH4 damage model is a time bomb, unpredictable is the word.

WTF!! Come on! I mean this is rediculous. I'm no where near the seabed,mines etc.

I want the original 100% damage model from SH3 implimented in SH4!! This is just too rediculous for it's own good.
How the hell you supposed to TRUST the sub if it falls apart at the slightest bit of rust.... http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/compsmash.gif I say rust because that's the ONLY thing it could be! Maybe it was the continuous 'shock wave' of firing my torps structuraly weakend it, or was it someone opening a hatch for fresh air....Come on, this is seriously not funny.
Untill i get a percentage scale on this, i'm NEVER going to trust what this 'bucket of rust/sub' is liable to do. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_mad.gif
Talk about 'Gameplay KILLER'
...sigh, not a happy bunny.

[Fangore]

I feel your pain that one time you don't hear the crewman saying 'pressure hull damaged sir" you get in a sitation if you don't dive your dead... And sure enought shortly after persicope depth Glug glug glug... To Davy Jones Locker with you... It's a load of um digest that the guys can't weld a patch over a hole so that you can atleast dive to persicope depth. Are you sure you have the latest patch and didn't take a bit of fire from one of the planes? Cause it doesn't take much. You also have to realize test depth is 250 feet on the's American Boots and crush is 375. Also if your useing time compression and you have engaged Silent Running they turn off the bilge pumps! So you will finde the extra Drippage at 170 feet will soon overwelm the boat and cause you to sink. So unless your at real time and Really jiggy on that blow ballast button your better to move around at 1/3 with silent running off. I only use silent Running if a Destroyer is bearing down at me and I know for sure he's got a good lineup to Drop some Charges. Then I go to silent running and alter course.

Thats juts my two Cents hope it helps some!

[yngvef]

This sounds very strange indeed. Are you sure you weren't damaged by any of the planes earlier? and...

Are you sure you're running with imperial units? Diving to 170 meters could be dangerous in most subs in the game. Could be worth checking this out, as sometimes the settings don't "stick" properly (according to some reports).

Besides, the damage model has some flaws, but usually you have taken some damage to cause that behaviour.

I hope you figure it out http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Antrodemus]

yngvef, I've experienced exactly the same thing that Tracer describes, and it's incredibly frustrating. In my case, I had traversed half the Pacific, about 800k's offshore of Honshu, no planes or shipping sighted at any point in the journey, and decided to go through a few routine dives to "get in the swing". I made sure I was in deep water, which was the case; over 1000 feet clear from keel. Ordered a dive to 80, 100, then 150 feet. As soon as I passed 120/130 feet, I got the same result... a cacophony of emergency alarms and crew shouts, and descended to the bottom in rapid time. Luckily, I had saved just as I left port, as the save I'd made just prior to the dive tests had the same result every time. The port-save was OK, I just had to re-sail to destination. The biggest problem with this is it's apparent randomness. It just happens, for no obvious reason. http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_confused.gif

[yngvef]

Ofcourse, it could be yet another bug related to imperial units in the game. The original was only metric, and I don't think the developers have been able to implement imperial units properly quite yet. The reason I believe it is that most people reporting strange behaviour seem to use imperial, while I play at metric and don't experience the same problems.

[[]_---_[] KITT]

Historically US skippers in Gato class(and that of other since they are actually a progressive minor evolution) dived to max depth of 100feet or about 90m. So i say dive to max 100-110m if you do not want your sub sinking. The sub is not made of Krupp steel http://forums.ubi.com/images/smilies/16x16_smiley-tongue.gif. But i agree the damage warning is....a letdown

EDITL Yep sorry typo(The culprit was actually a nominally functioning brain..been relaxing for quite some time) it's 300feet later boats are capable to dive safely up to 400feet. Yea 170feet should be fine.

[yngvef]

Uhm... 100 feet is about 30 meters. You probably mean 300 feet? Which shouldn't be a problem for the thread starter who only dived to 170 feet (about 50 meters).

[Tracer63]

When i was being attacked by the Bettys, they dropped bombs, easily, 100's metres away from the sub (blind japs http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif ) Plus i was jinking to make a hard target.
I also shot them all down before their rear gunner could fire back (like even if one did return fire, MG isn't exctly going to perforate the sub!)
The DD's couldn't even find me, and were not near me when i decided to dive to 170ft. (well within the safety markings on the dive meter i might add)
They hadn't even dropped *one* depth charge.

Basicaly i sneaked in and was sneaking back out, then the rivets blow etc,etc.
I've lost trust now, since without any damage indication whatever I just don't know what the sub will do next.
I just want a visual damage indicator -ala SH3, then i'll be happy -hopefuly.

One for the bug list i'm afraid

Thanks anyway guys!

[vasilios1970]

I've calculated the maximum depths that you can safely operate a stock sub.

S-18 82m-270ft
S-42 82m-270ft
Porpoise 102m-330ft
Salmon 102m-330ft
Sargo 102m-330ft
Gar 102m-330ft
Tambor 102m-330ft
Gato 132m-340ft
Balao 165m-550ft

However, when you command a Balao, using Imperial units, you can dive up to 450ft. If using metrical you can dive to 165m, that's 550ft! I believe 100+ feet is a serious reason to use metrical when using a Balao.