[bookworm_020]

Has any thought be given to what aircraft should be included? I know this could cause some debate, but it might need airing :hmm:

[DeepSix]

My personal preference would be for U.S. subs only (including the 'S' boats and the older fleet boats like Argonaut) and not for playable Japanese subs. I say this because I think it's better for a game to do one thing really well than several things half-@ssed. If we assume that there will have to be a limit to what's included, my vote is to limit the playable inclusions to U.S. subs. That may not be a popular opinion, but that's my preference. I'm not trying to discount the significance of British or Dutch subs, just casting my view of where the limits should be.

As for aircraft - some models are already present in SH3 so there shouldn't be much problem there. Other Allied types should maybe include the F6F Hellcat, the F4U Corsair, the SBD Dauntless, the TBF/TBM torpedo bomber, the B-17... maybe some Brewster Buffalos in the SW Pacific. As for Japanese planes - I dunno.... Zeros, B5 Kates, D3 Vals, G4 Bettys or G3 Nells, and some search planes. I know I'm leaving some types out, but I would think the above are the more common types.

Last thought, though - it's anybody's guess. It depends on how much of the "periphery" is included in the game. In other words - how much the player will see of surface/carrier action, how much the player will be involved in observing air to ground attacks (e.g. lifeguard missions), etc.

Just some thoughts.

[DeepSix]

[Double post deleted]

[Torplexed]

All this speculation about Japanese ships, planes and possibly having a grandstand seat on a carrier battle made me load up UbiSoft's Pacific Fighters again just to get a periscope level look at some Japanese 3-D ship models. Imagine this baby coming into view in your periscope on a fine morning in June 1942.....

[DeepSix]

Man battle stations!!! Mr. O'Kane! Give me a solution!

[Torplexed]

Hee..hee. My sentiments exactly DeepSix!

Now if Japanese sub control is included here's your Long Lance ticket to immortality.

[bookworm_020]

I love to get me hands on a long lance torpedo If there was a mod to add them to my XXI I would be in heaven, as well as a lot of mechant crews!

[DeepSix]

Hate to burst the bubble, because the "Long Lance" was indeed an excellent torpedo, but I think it was only used in surface ships. The submarine torpedo was the Type 95. Both models were driven by compressed oxygen (hydrogen peroxide) and travelled at 45-50 knots, IIRC.

But, heck yeah, Long Lances could ruin anybody's day.

[SilentOtto]

I recall reading the long lance was 23" and used by aircraft mostly... the 21" wich fitted german subs and was used by Monsun boats was inferior quality...

[Wulfmann]

Not one Jap sub had the LL 24inch fish. Every warship built from 1925 on had 24 inch (how did you arrive at 23inch???) except the small Tomozuru (650ton) and Otori (95otons) torpedo boats.

With all the models in this game I do not see making a single Jap boat and one less US sub as anything but a big increase in interest, ergo sales and profits.
I would prefer less but netter sub models and would be happy with an S Boat and then any common later Gato type and one fine I-Boat; the B1 (I-15) class would be my choice because it could start the war and end in it and was a decent boat.

The Jap boats looked good on paper but were poor to maneuver, slow to dive and weak hulled compared with US and German subs.
If done accurately they would sink easily to minor depth charge attacks that US and German subs would survive.
Wulfmann

[AG124]

What about merchant ships? If the US is primarily the primary side, then a good variety of Japanese merchants will be needed. They should be smaller than in the Atlantic too, as Japanese merchant vessels seemed to have a tendency to be smaller than their Atlantic counterparts. I think we really need at least:

Four classes of tankers. One very small class around 1,000 GRT, one medium class (~5,000 GRT), one large-medium class (~7,000 GRT) and one rare and very large class (10,000+ GRT). If Whale Factories are to be classified as tankers, then a 17-19,000 GRT one will do fine as well.

Four classes of freighter. One under 1,000 GRT, two between 2,000 and 5,000 GRT, and one around 7,500 GRT.

Three types of passenger vessels. One small passenger/cargo combination (~3,000 GRT), one transport (5-6,000 GRT), and one larger passenger liner (~15,000 GRT).

Several types of auxiliaries, including seaplane carriers, sub depots, and destroyer tenders.

At least three or four types of coastal crafts - sampans, regular fishing boats, tugboats, etc.

As someone else said, the SHIV dev team should check out this thread and others, as advice from their consumer base could prove to be at least a little helpful.

[AG124]

Some pictures of Japanese auxiliaries, similar to regular merchants:







Strange looking tanker :







This tanker looks more like a light cruiser :



So does this one:











I could post more, including some strange-looking landing craft, but these will be enough. It should be noted that a lot of these auxiliaries are larger than most of their mercantile counterparts, especially the tankers (the ones pictured are mainly over 14,000 GRT).

[DeepSix]

That all sounds good to me. I think the converted whale factories should go in the tanker category as well.

(Were any of them used for other purposes? I'm thinking they were all used as tankers.)

[AG124]

Some whale factories were indeed converted to tankers. And some tankers were converted to whale factories.

I hope SHIII and SHIV ships will be interchangeable. It would help if they could be combined, and would give us a larger roster. :hmm:

[ssn756]

In case anyone is curious :

#1 is the Mamiya, a refrigerated stores ship (17,500 tons).

#2 is the Soya, an ammunition ship (3,800 tons).

#3 is the Chogei, a submarine tender (8,600 tons).

#4 is the Akashi, a repair ship (10,500 tons).

#5 & #6 are Shiretoko class oilers (15,450 tons).

#7 is the Sunosaki, an aviation gasoline tanker (4,700 tons).

#8 is the Tsurigisaki, a submarine tender (13,000 tons). All of you would know her better as the light carrier Shoho. This is what she looked like before conversion.

#9 & #10 are armed merchant cruisers - either Aikoku Maru, Hokoku Maru, or Gokoku Maru (10,438 tons).

#11 is a seaplane tender of the Kamikawa Maru type (6,853 - 8,407 tons)

#12 is labeled Shinshu Maru. The real Shinshu Maru was a landing ship that looks nothing like the ship in the drawing. The closest to an identification that I can make is a hospital ship, except for the obvious gun mounts. The silhouettes are very close though.

Does anybody have any other ship pictures?

If you would like me to try to ID them, please post them.