Dear captains,
We are back with the next dev log for the upcoming Full Release update. This time, we'll delve into details on how you'll progress through new U-boat types, discuss new mission content, and highlight other improvements.
U-boat progression
As we announced previously, the Full Release update will bring several new playable U-boat types to the game. We've heard your questions about the differences between individual U-boats, and now that we've worked out the details of the progression system and how to obtain these vessels, let's dive in!
If you choose to, you will be able to start with the Type IIA. It's a small and cozy U-boat with a limited range, sufficient to perform patrols around the British Isles in 1939 - 1940. The big upside of these U-boats is their smaller size that makes them harder to spot on the surface or detect with sonar under water. They also have more compact engines and less numerous crew, which emit less noise and make them harder to detect for enemy hydrophone operators.
Type IIA lacks a UZO and a deck gun capable of sinking ships, but once you upgrade to Type IID, it's going to be a quite decent variant, equipped with UZO and a range nearing that of the Type VII.
Type VIIB is going to be a familiar territory, if you played the game before. It's much more heavily armed than Type II, with one additional launcher on the bow, one on the stern, much larger torpedo capacity and a deadly deck gun. It can also dive much deeper than Type II.
Type VIIC is a similar experience to its predecessor, but it has a better conning tower and supports more upgrades. It's also equipped with a much improved T. Vh. Re. S3 torpedo calculator that will make your torpedo solutions more accurate. That new TDC, in contrast to C/37 present on the older models, adjusts torpedo solutions for your own course changes in real time, as well as allows you to launch torpedoes during a turn.
The last U-boat, Type VIIC/41 is the one you may be familiar with from real-life as U-995 in Laboe is of this type. The main upgrade of this U-boat is its much higher pressure resistance than its predecessors, but it also starts with heavily armed Turm IV conning tower by default.
All these U-boats can be unlocked with the newly introduced ship upgrade points that are granted for completing certain campaign objectives.
Alternative map mode
We also have a good news for all simulation lovers. We've added a new gameplay mode that doesn't have the integrated 3D view on the map, but instead, the map is always presented in a 2D paper-like style.
To make such mode practical, we've also ensured that ports are now drawn directly on the map. As you may have noticed, previously port wharfs weren't present on it and only after approaching the port it was possible to see them in 3D.
New missions
For the next update, we've added several new historically-based missions. For example, there is a new mission where you will land a demolition team to sabotage a railway near Alexandria. These new missions belong to two new multi-stage campaigns, one for the Atlantic and one for the Mediterranean.
We've also reworked most of the old missions present in the game to make them more historically accurate and interesting to play. For example, missions about landing a spy now take place at historical locations, while regular patrol assignments have been enhanced with a few new side missions and endings to add variety.
All missions in the game now include a list of historical sources on which they are based on.
Lookout crew
It's a small feature, although it's something that was often requested and is actually very aesthetically pleasing. The officer assigned to the lookout crew no longer sits all day near the UZO but uses binoculars like the rest of the watch crew. He goes to the UZO only when ordered to prepare a torpedo solution.
Beta testing
While we've finished the content that we planned, as things stand there is clearly still work left with bug fixes and prepping the final release.
For this reason, we've decided to organize beta testing before we leave the waters of Early Access. Doing this will let us work together to finalize this update and finish this last phase faster. It will also be a chance for the modding community to adjust the mods to the base game changes.
We plan to run this testing for about a month and everyone who already owns the game will be able to participate. We will provide you with more details in a separate announcement, as soon as we have all the details ready!
We can't wait to show you what we've been working on. While it's still the same UBOAT we all know, it now feels more fleshed out and different in many ways. We hope to see you soon back on the Atlantic.
Yours,
DWS