A few new ideas

Fidd · 05-07-24, 05:41 PM

151. Beards.

Each mission you survive, your avatar very gradually goes from clean-shaven, to fully bearded over 40 games or so. Every time you're killed during a game, back to being clean-shaven you go!

Amusingly, since posting this and mentioning this particular "silly" idea, this one really seems to have caught player's imagination, and I've had universally positive feedback on it!

Fidd · 05-09-24, 05:30 PM

152. "Pencil" or ability to point finger at instruments/controls.

It would be useful, when teaching or watching a new player, if there was the ability for a player to point to a specific instrument using a pencil or a pointed-finger, in such a way that the person under instruction can clearly tell to which instrument you are directing his attention to. It's sort of doable with the torch, but that usually covers several instruments or controls. This comes I think into the category of "nice to have but not essential"?

In both cases, the finger or pencil should be directed to the centre screen white dot, and for a 3rd person viewer, be pointed directly at the same instrument.

Fidd · 05-14-24, 09:33 PM

153. In order to add some realism to the re-charging process, and to replicate, to a point, the actual methods employed, as well as provide some much needed extra tasks for the engine room crew, I suggest:

That recharge rates be staggered:

0-6Kah half-speed 340 rpm, 700A parallel/parallel
6-8.5ka half-speed 340 rpm, 400A parallel/parallel
8-9.3kah half-speed 340 rpm, 200A parallel/parallel
9.3kah and above 0A

If the amperage is exceeded, the battery eventually begins to vent hydrogen, requiring ventilation of the boat. The hydrogen level is simply rendered as a % report in text. If a given value is reached, the boat is lost. ? The risk of this can be mitigated by using the appropriate charging regime, and ceasing recharging at 9.3kah; also keeping the air intake and exhaust hull-valves open, and of course the main-hatch.

This will add to the complexity of recharging, and to the need for careful management of recharge rates, as well of other techniques (such as using the e-motor in recharge to moderate shaft rpm when convoy speed matching).

By having a requirement for variable-rate recharging, and a severe penalty for allowing the batteries to vent hydrogen in excess, it will require more "thinking ahead" by both captain and engineers/machinists to ensure the boat is well recharged - and ventilated - for when it is needed. Additionally by having the main-hatch more routinely open, it allows for some extra complexity for the dive-officer and others.

I suggest that "hydrogen danger" be a configurable setting for the lobby. By making the % of hydrogen a simple text report, citing the value, minimal extra coding would be required, other than tying the recharge rate in amps to the rate at which hydrogen gassing occurs. The suggested figures are fairly arbitrary, the point is there should be a system whereby the charging regime has to change the nearer one gets to 9.3kah, and the rate of charge must diminish within certain limits, as the overall Kah rises?

Fidd · 05-15-24, 06:29 PM

154. Double-ranked escorts

As the war progressed, circa 1942 onwards, the availability of corvettes. sloops and destroyers improved to the point where escorts could be placed in two concentric circles around the convoy. The inner one consisted of corvettes, and the outer one usually of destroyers and sloops (Tribals and Bitterns). The latter were preferentially sent out to attack located U-boats, either reported positions from aircraft, HFDF bearings or visually seen, or detected by radar. These ships would range out to about 25nm (circa 50 or so km), because they could recover to the convoy at a good speed.

During the day, the function of the outer screen was to frustrate the efforts of U-boats to accelerate past the convoy at a range where they could remain - just about - in visual range of the convoy, and so help prevent their being able to overtake and prosecute a night time attack later.

During the night, dependant on the ranges from the convoy, a U-boat would have to penetrate at least the outer screen, and possibly also the inner screen, in order to have a reasonable prospect of hitting targets. That suggests to me that the inner screen of corvettes was about 1200m distant from the nearest merchant, and the outer screen was circa 3.5km to 5km distant. (A 5km shot would be considered a pretty long low percentage shot at the time.) It was the advent of these double screens that impelled the development of the Lut I and Lut II torpedoes (for which we will need changes to our current TDC) and the acoustic "zaukoenig" (?) types. The latter were swiftly rendered useless to attack destroyers by the use of "Foxer", (essentially a towed clapper that attracted the acoustic torpedo) although I can imagine the latter were not popular with hydrophone operators!

As we move to the type VIIC/41, and from 1941 into later years, it is I think worthwhile considering having some, or most, or all, convoys protected by an inner and outer escort screen. This is I think crucial to being able to extend the difficulty level of play, and variety of game experience and outcome, for experienced players, so that over-repetition and burnout is avoided. Player retention being very nearly as important as acquiring new players?

Fidd · 05-17-24, 09:13 AM

155. 3 axis movement and wave/swell action.

I am not particularly nautically minded, so feel free to differ, but it seems to me that whilst we have roll and yaw about the longitudinal and normal (vertical) vertices, we do not have any noticeable pitch for either wave action, or that of a swell.

This is greatly needed, as they confer the ability to do all sorts of things:

It makes maintaining periscope depth more problematic, as any pitch of the boat inclines or depresses the thrust-line of the prop, making depth keeping more dynamically unstable. The action of a swell is less to cause a pitch-change of the boat, but is going to cause the boat to rise and fall relative to the horizon. This would make ranging more difficult.

The ability to have major pitch changes would allow for more dynamic instability of the boat, if, for example, the bow is lifted relative to the stern by a DC going off under it. Sliding loose objects, objects falling out of lockers would be a nice touch here?

Some means of steadying the avatar to some degree would be helpful, especially in the engine room, where the ability to brace oneself to tune a flame would be most welcome!

If vertical control of a u-boat is degraded or lost - perhaps by an unequal distribution of weight, of DC attacks, then the ability of the u-boat to take on a steep pitch change could lead to the need for large changes of trim, of power, of 'planes to arrest an unwanted ascent of decent? It raises the spectre of completely losing control, and having difficulty regaining it before crush depth, or inadvertently surfacing!

There's a lot of atmospheric external sound that could be added, from the "slap" of the hydroplanes hitting the water if the boat pitches down onto the back of a wave, the creak of the u-boat's structure and so forth, in rough weather. Bots and players could be caused to sway and move in concert with the wave/swell action?

3 axis movement does have draw-backs, for example it may cause sea-sickness, seeing one movement but experiencing no movement, so probably best to make this a lobby, or a personal setting??

In sum though, I think there's a great deal of positives in helping to graduate the game experience from simple to really hard, which is needed to help prevent burnout and with player retention.

05-07-24, 05:41 PM	#1
Fidd XO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 437 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	151. Beards. Each mission you survive, your avatar very gradually goes from clean-shaven, to fully bearded over 40 games or so. Every time you're killed during a game, back to being clean-shaven you go! Amusingly, since posting this and mentioning this particular "silly" idea, this one really seems to have caught player's imagination, and I've had universally positive feedback on it! Last edited by Fidd; 05-17-24 at 09:26 AM.

05-09-24, 05:30 PM	#2
Fidd XO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 437 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	152. "Pencil" or ability to point finger at instruments/controls. It would be useful, when teaching or watching a new player, if there was the ability for a player to point to a specific instrument using a pencil or a pointed-finger, in such a way that the person under instruction can clearly tell to which instrument you are directing his attention to. It's sort of doable with the torch, but that usually covers several instruments or controls. This comes I think into the category of "nice to have but not essential"? In both cases, the finger or pencil should be directed to the centre screen white dot, and for a 3rd person viewer, be pointed directly at the same instrument.

05-14-24, 09:33 PM	#3
Fidd XO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 437 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	153. In order to add some realism to the re-charging process, and to replicate, to a point, the actual methods employed, as well as provide some much needed extra tasks for the engine room crew, I suggest: That recharge rates be staggered: 0-6Kah half-speed 340 rpm, 700A parallel/parallel 6-8.5ka half-speed 340 rpm, 400A parallel/parallel 8-9.3kah half-speed 340 rpm, 200A parallel/parallel 9.3kah and above 0A If the amperage is exceeded, the battery eventually begins to vent hydrogen, requiring ventilation of the boat. The hydrogen level is simply rendered as a % report in text. If a given value is reached, the boat is lost. ? The risk of this can be mitigated by using the appropriate charging regime, and ceasing recharging at 9.3kah; also keeping the air intake and exhaust hull-valves open, and of course the main-hatch. This will add to the complexity of recharging, and to the need for careful management of recharge rates, as well of other techniques (such as using the e-motor in recharge to moderate shaft rpm when convoy speed matching). By having a requirement for variable-rate recharging, and a severe penalty for allowing the batteries to vent hydrogen in excess, it will require more "thinking ahead" by both captain and engineers/machinists to ensure the boat is well recharged - and ventilated - for when it is needed. Additionally by having the main-hatch more routinely open, it allows for some extra complexity for the dive-officer and others. I suggest that "hydrogen danger" be a configurable setting for the lobby. By making the % of hydrogen a simple text report, citing the value, minimal extra coding would be required, other than tying the recharge rate in amps to the rate at which hydrogen gassing occurs. The suggested figures are fairly arbitrary, the point is there should be a system whereby the charging regime has to change the nearer one gets to 9.3kah, and the rate of charge must diminish within certain limits, as the overall Kah rises?

05-15-24, 06:29 PM	#4
Fidd XO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 437 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	154. Double-ranked escorts As the war progressed, circa 1942 onwards, the availability of corvettes. sloops and destroyers improved to the point where escorts could be placed in two concentric circles around the convoy. The inner one consisted of corvettes, and the outer one usually of destroyers and sloops (Tribals and Bitterns). The latter were preferentially sent out to attack located U-boats, either reported positions from aircraft, HFDF bearings or visually seen, or detected by radar. These ships would range out to about 25nm (circa 50 or so km), because they could recover to the convoy at a good speed. During the day, the function of the outer screen was to frustrate the efforts of U-boats to accelerate past the convoy at a range where they could remain - just about - in visual range of the convoy, and so help prevent their being able to overtake and prosecute a night time attack later. During the night, dependant on the ranges from the convoy, a U-boat would have to penetrate at least the outer screen, and possibly also the inner screen, in order to have a reasonable prospect of hitting targets. That suggests to me that the inner screen of corvettes was about 1200m distant from the nearest merchant, and the outer screen was circa 3.5km to 5km distant. (A 5km shot would be considered a pretty long low percentage shot at the time.) It was the advent of these double screens that impelled the development of the Lut I and Lut II torpedoes (for which we will need changes to our current TDC) and the acoustic "zaukoenig" (?) types. The latter were swiftly rendered useless to attack destroyers by the use of "Foxer", (essentially a towed clapper that attracted the acoustic torpedo) although I can imagine the latter were not popular with hydrophone operators! As we move to the type VIIC/41, and from 1941 into later years, it is I think worthwhile considering having some, or most, or all, convoys protected by an inner and outer escort screen. This is I think crucial to being able to extend the difficulty level of play, and variety of game experience and outcome, for experienced players, so that over-repetition and burnout is avoided. Player retention being very nearly as important as acquiring new players?

05-17-24, 09:13 AM	#5
Fidd XO Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Blighty! Posts: 437 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	155. 3 axis movement and wave/swell action. I am not particularly nautically minded, so feel free to differ, but it seems to me that whilst we have roll and yaw about the longitudinal and normal (vertical) vertices, we do not have any noticeable pitch for either wave action, or that of a swell. This is greatly needed, as they confer the ability to do all sorts of things: It makes maintaining periscope depth more problematic, as any pitch of the boat inclines or depresses the thrust-line of the prop, making depth keeping more dynamically unstable. The action of a swell is less to cause a pitch-change of the boat, but is going to cause the boat to rise and fall relative to the horizon. This would make ranging more difficult. The ability to have major pitch changes would allow for more dynamic instability of the boat, if, for example, the bow is lifted relative to the stern by a DC going off under it. Sliding loose objects, objects falling out of lockers would be a nice touch here? Some means of steadying the avatar to some degree would be helpful, especially in the engine room, where the ability to brace oneself to tune a flame would be most welcome! If vertical control of a u-boat is degraded or lost - perhaps by an unequal distribution of weight, of DC attacks, then the ability of the u-boat to take on a steep pitch change could lead to the need for large changes of trim, of power, of 'planes to arrest an unwanted ascent of decent? It raises the spectre of completely losing control, and having difficulty regaining it before crush depth, or inadvertently surfacing! There's a lot of atmospheric external sound that could be added, from the "slap" of the hydroplanes hitting the water if the boat pitches down onto the back of a wave, the creak of the u-boat's structure and so forth, in rough weather. Bots and players could be caused to sway and move in concert with the wave/swell action? 3 axis movement does have draw-backs, for example it may cause sea-sickness, seeing one movement but experiencing no movement, so probably best to make this a lobby, or a personal setting?? In sum though, I think there's a great deal of positives in helping to graduate the game experience from simple to really hard, which is needed to help prevent burnout and with player retention.