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Aces of the Deep cheats / Aces of the Deep hints / Aces of the Deep faqs / Aces of the Deep solutions Aces of the Deep hints How To Have A Long And Lethal Career In ACES OF THE DEEP ________________________________________________________________________________ TAKEN SCENARIO BY SCENARIO, ACES OF THE DEEP IS A GREAT U-BOAT SIMULATION. BUT WHEN YOU STRING the U-boat scenarios into an entire career, then you truly get to experience what separates ACES OF THE DEEP from its contemporaries. An ACES career accurately depicts the rise and fall of the U-boatwaffen in WWII with an attention to historical detail that borders on the obsessive. Once you've started in the U-boat heyday, stealing candy from the naive Allied navy, and then felt the heavy hand of Allied anti- submarine tactics slowly press upon you, you cannot help but walk away with a better understanding of the war as fought on and under the Atlantic. The career, once begun, will start the player in a small, Type IID U-boat based in Bremen in 1939. This is the first of the eight time periods depicted. As you move through these time periods, you'll see the development of the convoy system, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tactics, and the effects of the U.S. entry into the war. It is important to monitor time periods, as it will enable you to understand what is going on in the war and, more importantly, what to expect at sea. Once the decision to start a patrol is made, the coordinates for the patrol area are given. But before leaving that screen, it is critically important to take the time to select the level of realism. The level of realism is basically a level of difficulty selection. If I could only impart one piece of advice, it would be to start easy. Careers are very long, and there is ample time to make the game more and more realistic. The first patrols should be considered a shakedown cruise. Learn the interface and the capabilities of the U-boat without the added pressure of high levels of difficulty and the game will be much more enjoyable. Besides, the next career can be played from start to finish at the highest level of realism, which is as close to actually being there as possible without a commission in the Kriegsmarine. The realism options affect difficulty in two ways: making the enemy more capable and making the U-boat less automated. I would suggest that you increase the two proportionally. Having the enemy at expert level, but the boat at the absolute lowest level of realism, or vice-versa, will yield a skewed game. A balanced approach is the most effective way of enhancing the learning process and getting on the right side of the learning curve. Spend the first patrol learning how to dive the boat and operate the interface. As confidence builds, put more and more of the realism options into play. I'd recommended limited fuel, battery, and torpedoes as the first options you explore, as it's important to learn how to ration these assets early in the career. Dud torpedoes add a level of realistic frustration, as a perfect attack can be thwarted by a weapon that will not perform as advertised. As the boat leaves the slip, it's time to start thinking about the Big Picture. The Big Picture is a term I use to describe the mental framework you must be in to succeed as a U-boat skipper. The Big Picture encompasses knowledge of the platform, the enemy, and strategy. Knowledge of the platform includes knowing the max speed, battery and fuel performance, crash dive lag time, and other characteristics of the boat. Knowledge of the enemy would include its ASW advancements and capabilities, and as much about their attack methods as possible. Strategic knowledge would include knowing the basic tenets of submarine warfare, like the tactics of convoy attacks, how to set up and use the stern tubes, and surviving a depth charge attack. But more important to the Big Picture is knowing what is going on all the time. There is nothing more frustrating than setting up a great second attack on a large convoy, only to discover that the torpedoes from deck storage were never loaded. There is nothing more dangerous than ignoring the damage control reports during a sustained depth charge attack. Ignoring radio reports of convoy movements from other U-boats creates missed opportunities. The Big Picture means acting like, and thinking like, a U-boat captain. A good example of the importance of the Big Picture is knowledge of the depth under keel--the distance from the U-boat's keel to the mud on the bottom of the ocean. There are times when the depth of seawater is less than 150 meters, which means that any crash dive will land the U-boat on the bottom of the sea, stuck in the mud. (There are times when sitting on the bottom of the sea is a good idea, but while diving to do so, make sure that the U-boat has no forward motion). LAST ONE TO SPOT THE ENEMY DIES As the boat exits the harbor, it is time to plot a course to a patrol area. Plotting a course is done by setting up waypoints. Early in the career, all the patrol areas will be centered around England. Simply plot the easiest, fastest way to the patrol area. The trick to transiting is not in plotting the course; the trick is simply to keep a close watch as the transit is taking place. Keeping a close watch while transiting is the key to finding easy, unescorted targets, as well as the key to seeing aircraft and escorts first. In the submarine service, the saying is, "He who is found first, dies first. " Remember that stealth has always been the submarine's primary advantage. Once that advantage is given away, the tables will completely turn. The best vantage point from which to oversee a transit is not from the bridge, as some rookies assume, but the "geo plot." The geo plot is my name for the overhead screen with the red ring that denotes visibility range. Aircraft and ships will appear on the geo plot long before they are sighted by the lookouts. Transiting is usually done in high time compression (unless you've got a lot of time to kill), and I advise that when transiting the following rules be followed. First and foremost, never leave the geo plot while in high time compression. Instead, go to 1X time compression and do what needs to be done, then return to the geo plot and crank up the compression again. Throughout the patrol, radio reports of convoy sightings will be coming in. I recommend that the patrol area and the surrounding areas be memorized or written down. That way, there is no need to come out of the geo plot to find out if the reported convoy is in range. Another method is to use the fine chart that is supplied with the game. Simply spread the chart out, put a dime where the patrol area is, and look to see if the spotted convoy is within reach. Meanwhile, always listen to the radio reports. Whenever I am transiting, I keep an eye on the geo plot, with my finger on the the Whenever a plane or a ship is spotted on the geo plot, simply hit and buy some time to think. Once the patrol area is reached, there is no need to advise headquarters. Simply patrol in a pattern of your choosing within the patrol area. Should boredom set in, new orders can be requested, but are not necessary. At any time, at the captain's discretion, the patrol area can be left. Early in the war, I thoroughly recommend that the fledgling submariner take to the west coast of England, particularly the area from the southwest corner of England to the end of the channel between England and Ireland to the north. Convoys galore arrive and depart from this area, making for a bountiful tonnage harvest. After 1941, avoid this area like the plague, as the depth is confining and the ASW assets are plentiful and deadly. FORGET CHIVALRY, THIS IS WAR! With any luck, the patrol area will yield some unescorted merchants, and hopefully a convoy will wander through. The patrol areas are assigned based on actual shipping lanes, and I recommend that patrol areas not be abandoned prematurely. This is especially true later in the career, when mid-Atlantic patrol areas are not uncommon. There is one common mistake that is made when a convoy is encountered and attacked. Having spoken to a number of new ACES players, I have found that they all want to sink the escorts. Nein! Ze denial of shipping to ze enemy is der primary mission! Nothing else should be considered. Keep chivalry in the closet with your other outmoded ideas and feel no shame in sinking unarmed merchants. Besides, the game awards no tonnage or extra credit for sinking escorts, and tonnage is the key to a successful career. Should you decide to attack a convoy, and the escorts have closed and forced your U-boat into submerged evasion, there are some key things to remember. First of all, watch the geo plot. At the easy levels of realism, the escorts will be visible, as will their sonar pulses. Watch the red lines that spread out like wheel spokes; these denote bearing to a pinging escort. At high levels of realism, the red lines are all that appear. Now watch how the escorts attack. Having located the U-boat with active sonar, the escort will close on the target. As the escort closes, but before the depth charges are dropped, the pinging of the radar will suddenly stop. At this time, turn 90 degrees off the base course in either direction. The deeper you are, the more time the depth charges will require before going off, and the more time to clear the area. While playing at high levels of realism, wait until the red spokes suddenly seem to change direction 180 degrees. This means a direct pass over the sub. The end of the pinging, along with the change of direction of the red spokes signifies the time to make a fast move. An increase of speed can be used to get clear, but remember to limit the time of the burst. Whenever possible, maintain heading pointing directly at, or away from, an escort (red spokes). Should one escort be moving more than others, it is closest to your boat. Pointing the boat at the escort limits the available cross section that the sonar ping has to return on. Should more than one escort be close aboard, simply keep moving, changing direction and depth. When enemy sonar is no longer getting a return, get away from the area. The speed available will seem dead slow, but silence is golden and stealth is the only defense. Getting brave and coming to periscope depth to fight back will result in the untimely demise of the U-boat, especially in high realism. Don't get in the habit at low realism. DAMAGE CONTROL There's one thing that submariners are especially good at, and that separates them from other sailors: their damage control ability. When a submariner is awarded his dolphins, this signifies a comprehensive knowledge of the whole boat and the systems that comprise the boat. A machinist mate is going to know the Trim and Drain system as intimately as his own genitalia, but a sonarman with dolphins will, in addition to his own special knowledge, be able to draw the Trim and Drain system from memory, and show which valves are where. Why this level of "cross training"? A submarine is a very small place, and flooding can happen in a real hurry, sending you to a watery grave even faster. Should the sonarman discover flooding, there isn't enough time to run and find a machinist mate or look up the system in a book. The sonarman must isolate the flooding and do whatever is necessary to keep himself and his companions from dying. To the detriment of many ACES careers, damage control is the most neglected and misunderstood portion of the game. Should damage occur on the boat, it is critical that you immediately evaluate the damage and react accordingly. There is no damage greater, or of more concern, than water in the "people tank." Any water that is not where it is supposed to be should be of more concern than any other casualty. The second most significant casualty is chlorine gas, which is caused by the seawater getting in the battery well and mixing with the lead-acid cells, but this is ultimately because water is in the people tank. Download Screenshot (22.9 KB JPEG) SHE CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE! After tangling with several escorts, this boat is in rough shape. Only the most skilled and lucky captain could nurse her back to port. (22.9 KB JPEG) Should damage occur during a depth charge attack, the watch officer will inform you. The damage control screen will show where the damage has occurred and help you evaluate its severity. Should the damage occur to one of the non-essential systems such as the radio, count yourself lucky. Should the damage occur to the torpedo launching equipment, the patrol will be shortened, but not your career. Should the damage occur to one of the systems that keeps water out of the people tank, find out if the damage is minor, moderate, or critical, and the time needed for repairs. The speed at which water leaks into the boat is directly proportional to the boat's depth. Whenever water is leaking, stay out of the red zone of the depth gauge. At that great of depth the bilge pumps will not work against the water pressure, and some leakage in a U-boat is inevitable. Once in the yellow range, keep a close eye on the depth. If the depth starts to decrease due to no action on your part, immediately move up to the green range. These actions will slow the leaking of water and buy some much-needed time. The speed of the boat is another important factor in an emergency. The planes, which help maintain control, are more effective the faster the boat is traveling. Should the boat be traveling at 2 knots, the planes are going to have a minimal effect. Should that speed be increased to 7 knots, the planes will have much more effect. But the problems that result from increased speed should render acceleration a last resort to stay alive. As speed is increased, your sonar effectiveness goes out the window, leaving the boat relatively deaf. An increase in speed also means an increase in noise, and submarine rule number two clearly states that "Noise is bad!" Should the damage be controlled and you survive the depth charge attack, wait until all systems are back on line before attacking the convoy again. Should the planes or the torpedo launching equipment (tube doors and torpedo tubes) be damaged, I advise heading for port and calling in a patrol. As much as I hate returning to port with unexpended ordnance, I hate losing a U-boat more. UPWARD MOBILITY As the career progresses, awards and promotions will be offered. The awards and promotions are based on four criteria: tonnage, tonnage, tonnage and realism. The more tonnage sunk and the higher the realism, the faster the promotions and awards will arrive. You will also gain the ability to skipper newer classes of boats. These new boats will have inexperienced crews, but they will be more capable. One big advantage in accepting a new command is the opportunity to have a home port in France, which means that transiting the English Channel can be avoided. These French ports also make transiting to any patrol area in the Atlantic (and eventually the Caribbean) much easier, and less time- and fuel-consuming. At some point in the career, a staff job will be offered. This means that your career has ended, and it will be placed in the record books as it stands. There is no penalty for turning down a new boat or a staff job, although I recommend that any new class boat be accepted. The career emulation in ACES OF THE DEEP is fascinating, addicting, and educational. You'll find yourself jumping when an escort makes sonar contact, and cursing the Allies for putting dings in your boat. You'll find yourself elated as a convoy is successfully penetrated, and relieved that a patrol has come to an end. As your abilities increase and you take on higher levels of realism, you'll feel a profound sense of accomplishment--not because of your hand-eye dexterity, or because the secrets of the game have been found, but because now you possess the Big Picture. Other Aces of the Deep cheats hints faqs solutions: 1. Aces of the Deep cheat codes 1. Aces of the Deep hints |