68. Segmented "liftable" centre deck-plates
I'd be interested to know if this in fact exists of the centre deck-plates along which we walk in the two torpedo rooms, currently some 25 feet long, were in fact made of more, shorter plates. Underneath these was the storage for spare torpedoes and (I think!) access to the bilge, battery compartments (probably under the messes?) and the aft thrust block and engine shaft glands. Taking these one at a time, eventually I can see having these liftable and segmented o aid same, would be great for:
Torpedo spares access: attaching cables/chains for lifting new torpedoes as part of a player operable reloading sequence. Lifting and replacing the deck-plates being the beginning and end of that sequence, allowing for more of the submarine to be seen and accessed.
Bilge access: allows for damage control tasks to pump or move water from one area of the bilge to another. (as in Das Boot)
Thrust block access: ditto. These glands were a vulnerable area for leaks in a submarine under depth charge attack, and allow for the boat to commence sinking by the stern, or to allow it to become out of longitudinal trim, adding content for both a damage-control party but also the dive-officer to have to offset said longitudinal trim change by pumping water forward. Said change (addition of longitudinal trim) would also add (optional?) difficulty for the dive officer to need to control longitudinal trim not just for the scenario of water ingress at the glands, but to need to offset weight loss due torpedoes being fired, especially at PD....
Battery access:
This models a new part of the hull, allows for strapping (isolating) damaged battery-cells as a damage control task, but if the bilge is also filled, for the whole problem of chlorine generation to occur if salt-water meets battery acid from cracked cells. This in turn implies that the overall current storable by the battery can be reduced due to batteries being damaged. Not to mention the player having to don a gas-mask with limited field of view, fogging lenses, darkness as they slide along the battery compartment on the "trolley". Above this would also imply the need for breathing-bottles/masks, and not being able to talk for more than a few seconds at a time, NPC's coughing etc etc.
In conclusion, much interesting, if occasional content, could be added were these underfloor areas accessible and or viewable. In order to make sense of the deck-plates, imho they need to be broken up into shorter lengths for easier removal and stowage?
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