[WIP] Wolves of the Kaiser:1914-1918 Mod

[iambecomelife]

Originally Posted by Admiral Von Gerlach

Though Capital ships some of them did have Torpedo launching equipment in practice it was almost never used. They were just too slow to be able to use them effectively and were not considered in tactical planning. So it is not really necessary for them to have them added to the mod if the maker does not want to.

The nets were somewhat more effective but not as useful as first thought and were very cumbersome and vulnerable to damage when at sea. The North Sea is very rough at times and often the nets were damaged on ships of all sizes that carried them. They were also very vunerable to the effects of weather and seawater over time and were a constant source of work for the crews and worry for the officers and non commsioned officers.

Right, as usual! The only major Royal Navy ship I can think of that had the nets for a long time was the "Queen Mary" - she still had her net & net cranes on the hull when she was sunk in 1916.

The nets were ineffective against most modern torpedoes of the time, which were fitted with net cutters on their noses.

They were also dangerous to the ship and its crew. At Jutland one German battleship had her propellers fouled by her own net - she was lucky not to come to a dead stop on the battlefield. When "HMS Triumph" was torpedoed, most of the crewmembers who died were drowned in her net after jumping overboard. If she hadn't been carrying it, almost nobody would have been killed in the sinking.

To sum it up, torpedo nets of WWI were an unnecessary encumbrance more likely to kill a ship's sailors than to kill enemy torpedoes! Effective nets for ships were developed in WWII, but they slowed a ship to a crawl (well under 10 knots).

As far as the game goes, I tested torpedo nets for ships in SH3 but couldn't get them to work. I would like to try them again in SH4 - unfortunately, no guarantees they can be made to function.

[Jawohlherrkaleun]

Finally i managed to get my wallpaper accepted! Here it is :
http://eng.hebus.com/image-358423.html

@IABL : will there be merchant ships from "minor nations" like Brazil, Canada, Japan, Uruguay, Tunesia...?

[iambecomelife]

Originally Posted by Jawohlherrkaleun

Finally i managed to get my wallpaper accepted! Here it is :
http://eng.hebus.com/image-358423.html

@IABL : will there be merchant ships from "minor nations" like Brazil, Canada, Japan, Uruguay, Tunesia...?

Yes. Most ships will be from the nations which were most commonly seen, or which suffered the most attacks during the war. Great Britain, France, Norway, Denmark, Italy, Greece, etc. However, you will see other countries' ships sometimes.

More modeling/texture work on merchants; here is an example sailing loaded and in ballast (with the red anti-fouling paint out of the water):

[Admiral Halsey]

Pretty ship. I can't wait to blow her to smithereens.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by iambecomelife

To sum it up, torpedo nets of WWI were an unnecessary encumbrance more likely to kill a ship's sailors than to kill enemy torpedoes! Effective nets for ships were developed in WWII, but they slowed a ship to a crawl (well under 10 knots).

I'm surprised I didn't see this before. I just wanted to agree, and add that the original intent was for aggravated peacetime, not war. The nets were to be lowered when at anchor in foreign ports. For the same reason every ship of cruiser size and above had torpedo rigs for certain of their steam launches, which would be lowered to patrol in the same situation. The nets were never meant to be used at sea.

[Wolfar]

What is the time range for this to be released? I see so many good projects founder....

[Admiral Halsey]

Originally Posted by Wolfar

What is the time range for this to be released? I see so many good projects founder....

I believe IABL has stated that he'll release it when it's ready. Also He's been working on this for four years so I doubt he'll stop working on it unless something major comes up.

[Wolfar]

Originally Posted by Admiral Halsey

I believe IABL has stated that he'll release it when it's ready. Also He's been working on this for four years so I doubt he'll stop working on it unless something major comes up.

I see so an indefinite time frame got it.

Thank you,

[Admiral Von Gerlach]

In this case there is a steady hand at the helm and the course is plotted true and sound. I have every confidence that this project will see launch and be a success. Join us for the devel if you wish. No need to worry here.

[Harmsway!]

Originally Posted by Admiral Von Gerlach

In this case there is a steady hand at the helm and the course is plotted true and sound. I have every confidence that this project will see launch and be a success. Join us for the devel if you wish. No need to worry here.

I'm not worrying either. I have been watching this project with great anticipation and excitement for four years. But please I have to pull over and pee.

[Sailor Steve]

You should have gone before we left!

[iambecomelife]

For the record, I am setting a tentative release date of May 7th, 2015 - the 100th anniversary of the "Lusitania". Keep in mind that this project has often had to take second to various things: law school work, studying for my state's bar exam, and the other odds and ends life likes to throw at you (or that you throw at yourself). Development was completely suspended for much of 2010 - 2011.

I have reasonable work hours for now but I may be continuing my education in early 2014. Regardless of what's in store, I will keep everyone informed.

[Harmsway!]

That's all we can ask. This is a great project that is well worth the wait. Thank you.

[Admiral Halsey]

Originally Posted by iambecomelife

For the record, I am setting a tentative release date of May 7th, 2015 - the 100th anniversary of the "Lusitania". Keep in mind that this project has often had to take second to various things: law school work, studying for my state's bar exam, and the other odds and ends life likes to throw at you (or that you throw at yourself). Development was completely suspended for much of 2010 - 2011.

I have reasonable work hours for now but I may be continuing my education in early 2014. Regardless of what's in store, I will keep everyone informed.

Well if you can't me that deadline there is always the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.(Or as me and Ferdinand Foch like to call it a twenty year truce.)

[iambecomelife]

Another merchant night...! AFAIK, the first vessel for any Silent Hunter game with real cargo holds inside the undamaged hull object - not just an empty 3d shell. More work is still needed on crewmembers, cargo, and the interior. The plan is for attacks on merchant ships, particularly with the deck gun, to be more entertaining than they are with standard SH4.