Wulfric Pinewood
Prophet
Great game, great child of Silent Hunter Legacy.
-
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KickStarter UBOAT - WW2 submarine simulator
- Thread starter Makabb
- Start date
Morkar Left
Guest
Looks pretty cool. Someone played the game? How playable is it already and what is planned regarding campaigns?
I grabbed this during the Steam sale since I've been interested since its initial launch but it seemed too barebones and saw they posted a roadmap and have been updating it (and just had a huge update) so decided to grab it because I am itching for a submarine game.. couldn't decide between this and Cold Waters so I got both....
The new patch is out of beta and has all the stuff mentioned in Luka-boy's post as well as:
in regards to Wolfpack, it looks interesting but the store page says it is co-op and uses bots for absent positions and that is a huge turn off for me.
The new patch is out of beta and has all the stuff mentioned in Luka-boy's post as well as:
B125 released!
Dear Skippers,
We are back with the next major update to UBOAT. This one is probably the largest update to the game so far. If you haven't tried it by now on the testing branch, then hopefully it will surprise you in a good way!
We already described the first features of this update when it hit the testing branch for insiders:
UBOAT AnnouncementWed, November 20, 2019
Version B125 hits testing branch
Hello! We are back with a major update to UBOAT. It just hit the "unstable" branch for testing. You can switch to this branch by going to "beta" tab in the properties of the game...
During the testing it became even bigger though, so let's discuss the new features one by one.
BRIEFING
Assignments are now selected in a new way that gives you a much cleaner overview of the objectives and area of operation.
MISSION CONTENT
You can expect new challenges like a battleship presence in the area of operation as well as some twist to existing missions. Sometimes a war correspondent will join your crew, while in other times you may be given a task to test experimental torpedoes.
Some of the objectives and rewards for existing assignments were also reworked.
DECORATIONS
All your officers will collect points toward decorations of various types. They are awarded for notable bravery in combat or veterancy.
MISSION SUMMARY
New mission summary presents a much more cleaner overview of completed objectives, collected rewards as well as a log from the patrol.
MODDING
Talented modders from the community already created mods that draw attention. Since this version is now going public, Steam Workshop now also becomes publicly available.
If you would like to start modding for yourself, check our guide on the game's wiki:
https://uboat.fandom.com/wiki/Modding
OTHER CHANGES
Aside from that, there was a few other notable additions:
- Sea near Bergen is now much more deeper and much closer to the real world bathymetry maps.
- It's now possible to move in FPP on the step at the front of the conning tower like the crew does, to clearly see what's in the front of the u-boat.
- Collision damage and sounds.
- German localization was updated (warm thanks to Ruby for providing it).
TROUBLESHOOTING
This update adds a considerable amount of new content and thus memory usage had to go up a bit. We implemented new optimizations to the game to offset that, but it's still going to be 10% - 15% higher than before. It probably won't affect most systems.
If your system is low on memory though or you use a software that consumes a large part of RAM you can increase the page file in Windows like described in this article to avoid problems (12 GB should be more than enough):
https://www.tomshardware.com/news/how-to-manage-virtual-memory-pagefile-windows-10,36929.html
Also, if you would experience any sort of crashes, please verify game files integrity in Steam by entering game properties, going to "Local Files" tab and clicking appropriate button there.
Yours,
Deep Water Studio
in regards to Wolfpack, it looks interesting but the store page says it is co-op and uses bots for absent positions and that is a huge turn off for me.
They are adding wolfpacks 
Dear skippers,
We are back with a new major update to UBOAT. We hope that it will bring you some quality recreation in this hard time.
Let's move straight to overview of the changes, but beware - it's going to be a long post.
This version is currently available only on the testing branch. If you haven't played on it before, but would like to, please follow the steps described in this post: link.
Realistic travel system
This version introduces a brand new travel system to the game. It doesn't simplify long distance travel, but instead adds new time compression tools that make long distance travel possible.
Wolfpack attacks
Headquarters now organize wolfpack attacks on convoys. You can join them during free roam and patrol assignments. Friendly u-boats now have a dedicated AI that works well in such scenarios. It's also possible to pass to them direct orders.
Configurable shifts
Configurable shifts is a new feature meant for the players that always wanted to set schedules for the crew and setup work priorities. It becomes especially useful when combined with the realistic travel system.
It also indirectly adds new features such as having a crew member at the valves at all times or delegating power switch jobs to regular sailors instead of the officers. Please keep in mind, that it's advanced feature that doesn't have to be used to enjoy the game. Default schedules are set reasonably well.
Minor improvements
Diving
Idle crew now runs to the bow compartment during crash dives for enhanced immersion.
TAB screen
TAB screen now supports lower resolution and any number of officers, in case that their number would be increased through modding. There are now quick shortcuts there for all devices on board to quickly order switching them on or off.
Convoy formations
Convoys now usually travel in formations with cargo ships inside the convoy and the escort around them.
Optimizations
We put a lot of effort into lowering the memory use and reducing occasional stutters. We also worked around quite a few crashes in the engine and ensured better error handling.
You can probably expect memory usage to be about 20% lower right after launching the sandbox, although exact number varies between quality settings and screen resolutions.
Aircraft
This update brings two new aircraft types onto the table, models for which were made by community member - talented Francis, also known as V11CU96.
On related note, there is now one more way for getting destroyed spectacularly, as some of the aircraft now use rockets (since 1943). Aircraft AI was also improved to behave more realistically, for example aircraft are now more likely to abandon attack in a bad weather and they now rush correctly.
Bristol Beaufighter
Bristol Beaufort
Ships
Our main focus for this update were new ship classes. Especially, it adds quite a lot of tankers to the game, which are a completely new category of ships in the game.
Dale-class tankers
Ol-class tankers
War-class tankers
Wave-class tankers
T2 tankers
Black Swan-class sloops
Tribal-class destroyers
River-class frigates
V-class destroyers
Dido-class light cruisers
County-class heavy cruisers
Full changelog is available at this page: changelog.
Yours,
Deep Water Studio
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2012
- Messages
- 9,421
https://store.steampowered.com/news...FUrwP0GcNq0N1n2Trqz1PDrMQLGZIYZUwPhTgu7FnByWA
A large update: B129 is ready!
Dear skippers,
Version B129 is now the new stable version of UBOAT. It's the largest update to the game that we made thus far and hope that you will enjoy it!
The list of changes is very long. We prepared a quick summary below and invite you to take a look. It's not a complete list, but some of the top highlights.
Campaign
The largest addition in this update is a campaign that adds a much needed variety to the usual u-boat's service of performing patrols.
During the campaign, your u-boat will have to travel all around the world and engage in special activities.
Most of the missions in the campaign are based on well documented operations that actually happened during World War II, some are based on stories and rumors that we found intriguing and one is a result of artistic liberty although it's also strictly rooted in history.
Prize rules and newspaper stories
From now on, your u-boat may sink all shipping that is headed towards the blockaded enemy ports. Also, some enemy ships are now flying a false flag as a deception. If you suspect that either of these things may be true, you can send your team to inspect a neutral ship and find out the truth.
Such less obvious targets are more likely to carry a very valuable cargo. If you manage to sink them, you may get an additional reward and maybe even appear in a newspaper.
Languages
This update brings a Portuguese and Czech translations into the game. They are a result of dedication and work done by Roliçonho (Portuguese) and Spid3rCZ (Czech) from the community.
There also were major updates to all of the existing languages:
Warm thanks guys!
Supply ships
Submersible supply ships of Type XIV also called "milk cows" are now part of the game. You can receive them as a reward for various campaign missions. They are an invaluable help, while performing missions near the American coast!
Bogue-class aircraft carriers
These carriers are used by U.S. Navy and Royal Navy and complement the existing Illustrious-class already present in the game.
New navies
This update adds Spanish, Portuguese, Argentine and Swiss navies with hundreds of historically correct ships.
We also added hundreds more ships to existing U.S. and British navies.
Quality of life improvements
Removed loading splash screens
The paused loading screens whenever u-boat enters a coastal area are now gone. Everything happens in the background instead.
Reworked radio
Radio was reworked from the previous list interface into a separate screen that is much more immersive and feels more appropriate.
New time compression level
Newly added 140x time compression level dramatically improves the flow of gameplay. You will be unable to live without this one once you get used to it.
Reworked campaign setup
Each update so far was adding new realism settings to the campaign setup. We felt that this screen needed an update to make it more pleasant and easier to use for the new players.
Optimizations
Despite adding a lot of new content, this version due to added optimizations is most likely going to have higher FPS and less stutter than any previous release. Enjoy!
Crew management
Immersive damage control
Sailors now autonomously react to leaks on board and try to block them on their own before an engineer arrives to make the final repairs. Everyone involved in the damage control now places various utilities around and stacks boxes to access a highly elevated damage.
These changes together make the damage control much more immersive and life-like in our opinion!
Discipline rework
Discipline was reworked in this update into a new system. From now on, discipline usually changes over long periods of time, while newly added stress may rise and fall much more quickly during the combat and spread panic on the ship.
These two mechanics are interlinked together, so if the discipline is high on your ship, you will likely not have to deal with stress effects in most battles.
Sailors working at the radio
Since this update, regular sailors work at the radio station when there is no officer present. This way, you will get notified whenever an incoming radio transmission appears and don't have to keep your radiomans at work 24/7.
Skill system overhaul
The skill system was completely overhauled. Many existing skills were reworked and there are numerous new ones added.
New leader skills:
Navigator, Gunner, Personal skills, Supporter.
New engineer skills:
Pyrotechnic, Engine specialist, Handyman, Torpedo Mechanic.
New radioman skills:
Propeller recognition, Radio usage practice.
New language skills:
English speaker, French speaker, Spanish speaker, Portuguese speaker and Linguist.
New personal skills:
Merchant, Thrifty, Runner, Thorough, Tough.
Simulation
Long-range hydrophone detection
Previously, due to technical limitations, only nearby propellers in the range of up to 15 km could be heard when hydrophone was used manually. This update has reworked many underlying systems to allow you to hear them from any distance from which hydrophone was historically able to pick them up.
Funnel smoke above horizon
Funnel smoke is now visible from a much higher distance than before, even when the ship emitting it is hidden behind the horizon.
Hydrophones dead zone
Previously, dead zone was present only when player was using hydrophone manually on the u-boat. This update ensured that AI is affected by it in the same manner.
Balance pass for device noise levels
Noise levels of all devices on board were reworked to make them more realistic and provide a more balanced gameplay.
Food management
Food management in the game is now optional. You can disable this module, while preparing a new campaign.
Graphical improvements
Crews on NPC ships
This update adds NPC crews on all ships and aircraft. They are looking much better than before, walk around the decks and do various work.
Volumetric lighting effect
Volumetric lighting is a fog-like effect that is most intense near the light sources as they light up particulate matter in the air. It's a quite mood building addition in our opinion.
Subsurface scattering effect
Subsurface scattering is a subtle effect that makes people appear more life-like by propagating the light through skin.
We first added this effect a long time ago, but certain rendering upgrades made it incompatible and we had to remove it before the first release of the game. This time we added a new, lightweight implementation that shouldn't have a noticeable effect on the performance.
Diesel exhaust effect
Torpedo overhaul
Animated torpedo launches
Torpedoes no longer appear in front of the launcher, but instead the torpedo launch sequence is now fully animated
FAT and LUT torpedo programs
Torpedoes now exist in FAT and LUT variants that have a built in program which in case of a miss start to steer the torpedo into a special zig-zagging pattern that increases a chance to hit another random target inside the convoy.
Magnetic and impact detonators
Before launching a torpedo, you will now have a possibility to determine, if you want to use an impact or magnetic detonator. They both have their strong and weak points, so choose wisely!
Reworked torpedo detonation effect
Torpedo detonations were completely reworked and are much more satisfying than before!
Map improvements
Paper-like skin
A new map skin was added that looks more paper-like than the others. It's now the default look of the map.
Spoiler-less markings
We removed all spoilers from the map markings and from other parts of UI. You will no longer know ahead what you are dealing with and experience that thrill of meeting the unknown vessels in the middle of ocean.
Miscellaneous
New items
This update introduces various new items for the purpose of simulating a more realistic shipping in the game. These items include:
- Iron ore.
- Coal.
- Tea.
- Tobacco.
- Grains.
- Rubber.
- Tire.
- Gold.
- Valuables.
- Lumber.
- Money.
- Karabiner 98k.
Prisoners of war
It's now possible to rescue survivors from sunk ships and shot down aircraft and carry them back to port for a reward. You will be especially rewarded for bringing back captains, first engineers and pilots.
Full changelog
If you would like to read the whole changelog, please follow this link: Full changelog.
Yours,
DWS
A large update: B129 is ready!
Dear skippers,
Version B129 is now the new stable version of UBOAT. It's the largest update to the game that we made thus far and hope that you will enjoy it!
The list of changes is very long. We prepared a quick summary below and invite you to take a look. It's not a complete list, but some of the top highlights.
Campaign
The largest addition in this update is a campaign that adds a much needed variety to the usual u-boat's service of performing patrols.
During the campaign, your u-boat will have to travel all around the world and engage in special activities.
Most of the missions in the campaign are based on well documented operations that actually happened during World War II, some are based on stories and rumors that we found intriguing and one is a result of artistic liberty although it's also strictly rooted in history.
Prize rules and newspaper stories
From now on, your u-boat may sink all shipping that is headed towards the blockaded enemy ports. Also, some enemy ships are now flying a false flag as a deception. If you suspect that either of these things may be true, you can send your team to inspect a neutral ship and find out the truth.
Such less obvious targets are more likely to carry a very valuable cargo. If you manage to sink them, you may get an additional reward and maybe even appear in a newspaper.
Languages
This update brings a Portuguese and Czech translations into the game. They are a result of dedication and work done by Roliçonho (Portuguese) and Spid3rCZ (Czech) from the community.
There also were major updates to all of the existing languages:
- Russian by Hard.
- Spanish by Tordo.
- Chinese by SparrowSHEN (Q:173678441).
- Turkish by tokyo.
- Italian by BeeTLe BeTHLeHeM.
- French by FvJ and Placebo.
- ...and of course German by Ruby.
Warm thanks guys!
Supply ships
Submersible supply ships of Type XIV also called "milk cows" are now part of the game. You can receive them as a reward for various campaign missions. They are an invaluable help, while performing missions near the American coast!
Bogue-class aircraft carriers
These carriers are used by U.S. Navy and Royal Navy and complement the existing Illustrious-class already present in the game.
New navies
This update adds Spanish, Portuguese, Argentine and Swiss navies with hundreds of historically correct ships.
We also added hundreds more ships to existing U.S. and British navies.
Quality of life improvements
Removed loading splash screens
The paused loading screens whenever u-boat enters a coastal area are now gone. Everything happens in the background instead.
Reworked radio
Radio was reworked from the previous list interface into a separate screen that is much more immersive and feels more appropriate.
New time compression level
Newly added 140x time compression level dramatically improves the flow of gameplay. You will be unable to live without this one once you get used to it.
Reworked campaign setup
Each update so far was adding new realism settings to the campaign setup. We felt that this screen needed an update to make it more pleasant and easier to use for the new players.
Optimizations
Despite adding a lot of new content, this version due to added optimizations is most likely going to have higher FPS and less stutter than any previous release. Enjoy!
Crew management
Immersive damage control
Sailors now autonomously react to leaks on board and try to block them on their own before an engineer arrives to make the final repairs. Everyone involved in the damage control now places various utilities around and stacks boxes to access a highly elevated damage.
These changes together make the damage control much more immersive and life-like in our opinion!
Discipline rework
Discipline was reworked in this update into a new system. From now on, discipline usually changes over long periods of time, while newly added stress may rise and fall much more quickly during the combat and spread panic on the ship.
These two mechanics are interlinked together, so if the discipline is high on your ship, you will likely not have to deal with stress effects in most battles.
Sailors working at the radio
Since this update, regular sailors work at the radio station when there is no officer present. This way, you will get notified whenever an incoming radio transmission appears and don't have to keep your radiomans at work 24/7.
Skill system overhaul
The skill system was completely overhauled. Many existing skills were reworked and there are numerous new ones added.
New leader skills:
Navigator, Gunner, Personal skills, Supporter.
New engineer skills:
Pyrotechnic, Engine specialist, Handyman, Torpedo Mechanic.
New radioman skills:
Propeller recognition, Radio usage practice.
New language skills:
English speaker, French speaker, Spanish speaker, Portuguese speaker and Linguist.
New personal skills:
Merchant, Thrifty, Runner, Thorough, Tough.
Simulation
Long-range hydrophone detection
Previously, due to technical limitations, only nearby propellers in the range of up to 15 km could be heard when hydrophone was used manually. This update has reworked many underlying systems to allow you to hear them from any distance from which hydrophone was historically able to pick them up.
Funnel smoke above horizon
Funnel smoke is now visible from a much higher distance than before, even when the ship emitting it is hidden behind the horizon.
Hydrophones dead zone
Previously, dead zone was present only when player was using hydrophone manually on the u-boat. This update ensured that AI is affected by it in the same manner.
Balance pass for device noise levels
Noise levels of all devices on board were reworked to make them more realistic and provide a more balanced gameplay.
Food management
Food management in the game is now optional. You can disable this module, while preparing a new campaign.
Graphical improvements
Crews on NPC ships
This update adds NPC crews on all ships and aircraft. They are looking much better than before, walk around the decks and do various work.
Volumetric lighting effect
Volumetric lighting is a fog-like effect that is most intense near the light sources as they light up particulate matter in the air. It's a quite mood building addition in our opinion.
Subsurface scattering effect
Subsurface scattering is a subtle effect that makes people appear more life-like by propagating the light through skin.
We first added this effect a long time ago, but certain rendering upgrades made it incompatible and we had to remove it before the first release of the game. This time we added a new, lightweight implementation that shouldn't have a noticeable effect on the performance.
Diesel exhaust effect
Torpedo overhaul
Animated torpedo launches
Torpedoes no longer appear in front of the launcher, but instead the torpedo launch sequence is now fully animated
FAT and LUT torpedo programs
Torpedoes now exist in FAT and LUT variants that have a built in program which in case of a miss start to steer the torpedo into a special zig-zagging pattern that increases a chance to hit another random target inside the convoy.
Magnetic and impact detonators
Before launching a torpedo, you will now have a possibility to determine, if you want to use an impact or magnetic detonator. They both have their strong and weak points, so choose wisely!
Reworked torpedo detonation effect
Torpedo detonations were completely reworked and are much more satisfying than before!
Map improvements
Paper-like skin
A new map skin was added that looks more paper-like than the others. It's now the default look of the map.
Spoiler-less markings
We removed all spoilers from the map markings and from other parts of UI. You will no longer know ahead what you are dealing with and experience that thrill of meeting the unknown vessels in the middle of ocean.
Miscellaneous
New items
This update introduces various new items for the purpose of simulating a more realistic shipping in the game. These items include:
- Iron ore.
- Coal.
- Tea.
- Tobacco.
- Grains.
- Rubber.
- Tire.
- Gold.
- Valuables.
- Lumber.
- Money.
- Karabiner 98k.
Prisoners of war
It's now possible to rescue survivors from sunk ships and shot down aircraft and carry them back to port for a reward. You will be especially rewarded for bringing back captains, first engineers and pilots.
Full changelog
If you would like to read the whole changelog, please follow this link: Full changelog.
Yours,
DWS
full release when
my agenda of wanting to play a finished game?
Beowulf
Arcane
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2015
- Messages
- 2,051
No - your question. I gave them my shekels during kickstarter and follow the development, but I'm only really interested in playing the full release. There seems to be nice mods already, like a TDC working similar to SH games
I hear a lot of the mods don't work because they haven't been updated yet to the new patch, which is normal.. digging around their News page on Steam it seems like they will have another major patch like this last one before releasing out of EA (I assume after some bug fixing of the final patch)
Beowulf
Arcane
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2015
- Messages
- 2,051
Yeah, that's why I'm waiting for some stable release. Haven't browsed their forums recently, thanks for the tip.
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2012
- Messages
- 9,421
Update: B130 arrives!
Dear skippers,
Today we are ready to release the next major update to UBOAT - B130. This time there won't be unstable version testing and the update shouldn't affect your existing saved game states. Our intention is to keep things this way moving forward as we get closer to leaving the Early Access.
To keep your expectations on a correct level, while this update adds a respectable amount of new content, it doesn't add new ports and submarine pens - we are working on them for quite a long time and plan to publish them in version B131.
Having that said, let's move on and discuss the additions of this update!
The war is over
We completely overhauled how the end of war looks like in the game. With this update, you will encounter historically-based messages from the high command during that time like the Rainbow Order (
Regenbogen-Befehl
) and surrender instructions on 8th May 1945.
Since you will receive conflicting orders, you will have a choice, if you want to scuttle and leave your u-boat or surrender to the enemy. Technically, nothing will stop you from ending things Rambo-style though.
When you leave your ship, you will now see a nice summary of your u-boat's entire service.
Fast mission completion
We decided to cut some travel time from the game and from now on, you will be able to finish your mission right after completing the main objective. The return trip will happen automatically with an immersive return cutscene.
If you prefer to live through everything in the game, you can disable this option in the settings, but we encourage you to give it a try. It makes the gameplay much more dynamic.
AOB tool
This update introduces AOB tool to the game. It's possible to switch between the regular course tool and AOB at any time and the angles will be converted accordingly! Both tools are now also updated in realtime to reflect bearing changes of your current target.
Reporting changes
We felt that there wasn't enough benefit from taking the risk and sending your reports on the sea. We wanted to fix that problem in this update. Right now your reports will loose some of their original value as the time goes on, since they become less relevant to the command with the passage of time.
There were also other related changes:
- When you dock in a port, all reports are handed in automatically without use of the radio.
- Regular sailors no longer can send radio messages. Radioman officer is required for such a task.
Damage model improvements
We reworked the damage model used for NPC ships to on average make torpedoes with magnetic setting (MZ) more effective than with the impact setting (AZ).
We listened to your feedback and did detailed testing, which confirmed that torpedoes with MZ setting were less effective than AZ ones, while it should be the other way around.
Our testing on medium GRT merchant ships indicated that MZ torpedo had a 65% chance to completely disable a ship, while AZ torpedoes had a 85% chance to achieve that. After this rework MZ torpedoes have a 95% chance to completely disable a medium GRT merchant ship, while AZ torpedoes have 70% chance, which should be much closer to reality.
Polishing
Since we are getting closer to the stable release of the game, our main focus was to polish the existing content and repair problems. Some of such changes include:
- There is now an intro movie played before a new campaign is started.
- New loading hints and backgrounds.
- Crewman's hair now appears under a cap in a fitting way instead of disappearing. There is a model adjustment prepared for each cap-hair pair.
- Many changes to the content added into the journal to improve its readability and organization.
- Balance pass of experience points and Iron Cross points gained for various tasks.
- Added an integration with rich presence feature in Discord.
- Fixed a problem that the music played through the radio wasn't detectable to the enemy hydrophones.
- And much more!
Full changelog
You can read the full changelog of this update here: FULL CHANGELOG.
Yours,
DWS
Dear skippers,
Today we are ready to release the next major update to UBOAT - B130. This time there won't be unstable version testing and the update shouldn't affect your existing saved game states. Our intention is to keep things this way moving forward as we get closer to leaving the Early Access.
To keep your expectations on a correct level, while this update adds a respectable amount of new content, it doesn't add new ports and submarine pens - we are working on them for quite a long time and plan to publish them in version B131.
Having that said, let's move on and discuss the additions of this update!
The war is over
We completely overhauled how the end of war looks like in the game. With this update, you will encounter historically-based messages from the high command during that time like the Rainbow Order (
Regenbogen-Befehl
) and surrender instructions on 8th May 1945.
Since you will receive conflicting orders, you will have a choice, if you want to scuttle and leave your u-boat or surrender to the enemy. Technically, nothing will stop you from ending things Rambo-style though.
When you leave your ship, you will now see a nice summary of your u-boat's entire service.
Fast mission completion
We decided to cut some travel time from the game and from now on, you will be able to finish your mission right after completing the main objective. The return trip will happen automatically with an immersive return cutscene.
If you prefer to live through everything in the game, you can disable this option in the settings, but we encourage you to give it a try. It makes the gameplay much more dynamic.
AOB tool
This update introduces AOB tool to the game. It's possible to switch between the regular course tool and AOB at any time and the angles will be converted accordingly! Both tools are now also updated in realtime to reflect bearing changes of your current target.
Reporting changes
We felt that there wasn't enough benefit from taking the risk and sending your reports on the sea. We wanted to fix that problem in this update. Right now your reports will loose some of their original value as the time goes on, since they become less relevant to the command with the passage of time.
There were also other related changes:
- When you dock in a port, all reports are handed in automatically without use of the radio.
- Regular sailors no longer can send radio messages. Radioman officer is required for such a task.
Damage model improvements
We reworked the damage model used for NPC ships to on average make torpedoes with magnetic setting (MZ) more effective than with the impact setting (AZ).
We listened to your feedback and did detailed testing, which confirmed that torpedoes with MZ setting were less effective than AZ ones, while it should be the other way around.
Our testing on medium GRT merchant ships indicated that MZ torpedo had a 65% chance to completely disable a ship, while AZ torpedoes had a 85% chance to achieve that. After this rework MZ torpedoes have a 95% chance to completely disable a medium GRT merchant ship, while AZ torpedoes have 70% chance, which should be much closer to reality.
Polishing
Since we are getting closer to the stable release of the game, our main focus was to polish the existing content and repair problems. Some of such changes include:
- There is now an intro movie played before a new campaign is started.
- New loading hints and backgrounds.
- Crewman's hair now appears under a cap in a fitting way instead of disappearing. There is a model adjustment prepared for each cap-hair pair.
- Many changes to the content added into the journal to improve its readability and organization.
- Balance pass of experience points and Iron Cross points gained for various tasks.
- Added an integration with rich presence feature in Discord.
- Fixed a problem that the music played through the radio wasn't detectable to the enemy hydrophones.
- And much more!
Full changelog
You can read the full changelog of this update here: FULL CHANGELOG.
Yours,
DWS
Full release before the end of the year, or so they say. More playable uboat types confirmed.
We are back to share with you what we are working on now and what is happening in the world of UBOAT.
New voiceover
We're excited to announce that UBOAT is receiving a major audio update that will take your submarine simulation experience to the next level! The new voices will add more to the realism and depth to the game, bringing the characters and their stories to life.
We've hired additional actors for each language (English and German). We've incorporated a wealth of new dialogue, reactions to situations, private conversations, sailors' reflections, and commands into the script. Generally, the crew will be much more talkative. We have improved the areas that received the most player complaints, bugs, and simplifications. For instance, the famous "Schneller! Schneller!" will no longer existWe've added specific speed change commands for each gear. The conversation with the officer in the port will also undergo changes, offering more variants depending on the specific situation and the stage of the campaign the player is on. Cutscenes from Headquarters have also received a voiceover - an officer commenting on the situation at the front.
We hope that you'll like the new voices and that they will enhance your engagement and immersion in the game. For us, the game has gained a richer and more enjoyable atmosphere.
You can listen to the new voiceover in the attached video, although please note that this is still a work in progress. For instance, in the final version, there will be even more actors and the sailors will lower their voice to a whisper during a silent run.
Other content
The game is continuously evolving on the technical front. We regularly update the engine to the latest versions and incorporate advanced technologies, such as NVIDIA DLSS, to make UBOAT a modern game at the time of release.
We have made a significant number of improvements to the gameplay and interface. We have added references to historical material in the mission descriptions for those who are particularly interested in a specific event, or who want to verify whether it actually took place in history.
Furthermore, we have included an easily accessible manual for certain devices on the boat. We have refined the campaign and side missions to enhance their technical quality and interest level, with the additional dialogues mentioned earlier playing a significant role in this process.
We are constantly adding new ports to ensure you never again encounter the 'Coming Soon' sign or an isolated bunker instead of a port. You'll be surprised at how much these locations have transformed.
Full release
We are highly motivated to leave Early Access this year. Since the last patch, we have been working tirelessly on UBOAT. We actively listen to suggestions from players, read forums, and gather tips from people around us. We are constantly adding new content. Although we still have some ideas that we want to implement and a few areas for improvement, we can already see the finish line. We are looking forward to meet you there with the finished game.
Now, we invite you to watch a new video which may make the wait more enjoyable.
More U-boat Types
We are proud to announce that the final release update will bring one of the most anticipated features to UBOAT - taking command of other U-boat types, in addition to Type VIIC. At the release day, we plan to include the following U-boats in the game:
If you start the game in 1939, you will get a satisfying opportunity to progress through all these U-boats in a single playthrough, unlocking them one by one. Each next type is usually slightly larger and brings various improvements over a predecessor.
- Type IIA
- Type IID
- Type VIIB
- Type VIIC
- Type VIIC/41
We worked the entire summer on this feature. We tell you about it just now, because we wanted to be sure first that we can pull it off. It was a great challenge, since we had to backtrack on a lot of earlier work. Most of the game code had to be adjusted, which also means, that most scripting mods will probably require considerable updates after this release. Sadly that's the cost of progress here.
After the full release, aside from the U-boat types mentioned above, we hope to work on Type IX and possibly also fully electric Type XXI. Type IX is large, while Type XXI is complex, so we plan to release them as separate DLCs. Aside from that, there will be of course free updates to the game, as always.
AMD FSR 2
We are happy to announce that AMD FSR 2 is also going to be an option in addition to NVIDIA DLSS, as you requested in the comments section to our previous dev log. For various reasons, it took more work to integrate it. We develop our own render pipeline for the game, while AMD FSR 2 is not natively built into Unity and we had to work this out by ourselves. It was well worth it though, in our testing it works very well in the case of UBOAT, on par with NVIDIA DLSS.
If you are not familiar with the term, AMD FSR means a AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution. It's a technology that serves two purposes:
You can read more about it on AMD's website.
- It's an AI upscaling technology that dramatically improves the performance. It's especially the case in UBOAT, since it improves rendering performance. UBOAT was always optimized to avoid CPU bottlenecks and performance usually depends on rendering the effects that you choose to enable, like the water effects.
- At the same time, it also fixes sharp edges and replaces classic anti-aliasing effects, making them no longer necessary.
Steam achievements
Next update will also bring Steam achievements to UBOAT. Your efforts, most impressive accomplishments will be rewarded in a pleasant way. Some of these achievements are going to be a great challenge to obtain, achievable only for the best skippers out there.
Polishing
There are also various minor improvements in the pipeline, and sometimes it's the minor things that matter the most. Many of these things are done upon direct requests posted on the game forum.
- Helmsman now works in the control room for most of the time, rather than in the conning tower.
- We overhauled the bow waves effect for the player's U-boat to make it more realistic.
- There is now a dedicated silent running mode, separately from blue lighting. When it's toggled, officers won't maintain torpedoes and all devices that make noise will be automatically disabled by your crew.
- Sailors no longer clean the boat during alarms or silent runs.
- It's now possible to destroy propellers and rudders of enemy ships.
But wait, there is more!
We have much more to share and will soon. For example, there are simulation upgrades, mission changes, world enhancements and more, which we will share with you in the upcoming dev logs soon as these features get into their final shape.
We still don't know how much time it will take us to complete this update. For example, we are still finishing models for the interiors of new u-boats. We also gather feedback on the forum, so if you have something you always wanted added or changed, feel free to post. It's important to us, to make you satisfied with the upcoming release.
More realism options, including TDC.
Dear skippers,
We are back with another dev log. This time, we will dive into several upgrades that are meant to expand selected simulation aspects of the game.
Our goal with these changes is to accommodate more playstyles, but without forcing them in any way. If such technical things are not your cup of tea, don't worry as everything discussed here is going to be fully optional as it was always the case in UBOAT.
Torpedo calculators
We know that this is a #1 wish of a vital part of the community and thus we are very happy to announce that the next update will bring a very realistic simulation of TDC to the game!
What is TDC? The abbreviation stands for Torpedo Data Computer and in a context of German U-boats it was an electromechanical calculator that was responsible for computing gyro angle for the torpedoes, as well as several other attack parameters. The device was working entirely with the means of mechanical moving parts and electric motors.
Considering that it's going to be optional to use in UBOAT, we could take the liberty of pursuing absolute realism in this case, which means that our goal was to make it work just like the real life device, without introducing major simplifications.
Depth information rework
With the next update, the depth information will no longer be exactly known from the map to add some exciting uncertainty about it. The provided information will remain quite reliable near ports, since Kriegsmarine equipped U-boats with detailed maps for areas around them, but somewhat unprecise away from them.
Echosounder
Due to the rework explained above, the echosounder has become an essential device to use in the game, since it measures the seabed depth below the keel. For this reason, we've decided to give it more attention.
There are various quality of life improvements coming that make it more comfortable to use. It's going to be possible to quickly request single measurements from the crew using a TAB menu. Also, after the measurement is done, the sailor that performed it, reports the measured depth verbally, meaning that it's no longer necessary to look at the device to read the measurement.
We've also reworked how the echosounder works based on the authentic instruction manual. It's now possible to operate it fully manually in FPP and use all of its features, which may come handy in certain situations. The model was also reworked and is now much more accurate. Our previous version was based on a wooden replica from U-995, which has several differences with the original.
Crew reports log
The next update will add an optional crew reports log, which will no doubt be very useful on many occasions. Among other things, it will contain all contact reports with bearing.
Diesels upgrade
Diesel engines have also received some love. They now have an exhaust temperature simulated that can be read on the dials in the engine room.
Aside from that, when engines are too cold for the current speed and don't burn fuel completely, the smoke coming out of the U-boat will become much more black and visible to the enemy.
Engines now also consume additional fuel to load batteries and batteries cannot be loaded at all at the maximum speed as all available power is then used to run the propellers.
First person perspective improvements
We've also worked on making the first person perspective gameplay more enjoyable by implementing various technical improvements that contribute to feeling that the movement in this mode is smoother and more pleasant.
There are also various quality of life improvements, for example, we ensured that the camera doesn't switch to TPP from FPP when it's not necessary.
Special thanks
- We couldn't do all of this without a website created by Maciek Florek, tvre.org. We had an honour to work with Maciek during the early years of UBOAT until he passed away after a long illness. It's currently the most accessible compendium online about TDC and he put a lot of love into making it. If you are interested in learning more about this subject, we encourage you to visit and read!
- TDC mod team for support and inspiration to bring TDC into the base game. We have to pass very special thanks to Ruby for making countless sounds of various gears and switches for TDC and to Freekoly for helping with research about this device and providing valuable feedback.
- Stosstrupp for sharing his extensive knowledge on TDC, being supportive along the entire way, helping us to figure out the echosounder and sharing historical photos from his many books.
- DECAFBAD for providing very accurate and detailed information about diesel engines and for helping to figure out the echosounder.
- Melonir, for providing a rare book explaining echosounder inner workings.
But wait, there is more!
We still have much more to share and will soon in the upcoming dev logs.
We still don't know how much time it will take us to complete this update. For example, we are still finishing models for the interiors of new u-boat types. We also gather feedback on the forum, so if you have something you always wanted added or changed, feel free to post. It's important to us, to make you satisfied with the upcoming release.
The beta version has released. Played it for a some time. Feels like an
. Finally fully functioning ingame TDC. Short review by Wolfpack:
I played the crap out of it - vanila and Grey Wolves mod and was very sceptical about this game, but it turned to be a decent game.
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2010
- Messages
- 19,379
I did, and thanks for coming back to a 7 year old post to rate me a faggot for stating that. How very Codexian of you
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2015
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- 20,998
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2015
- Messages
- 20,998
Tyranicon
A Memory of Eternity
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2019
- Messages
- 8,145
I just started this, is this one of those 8-year long development cycle games?
Seems pretty fun but lots of bugs. Tutorial got bricked because of an aircraft bug so I guess I know what to expect.
I mostly like just fucking around in first person.
Seems pretty fun but lots of bugs. Tutorial got bricked because of an aircraft bug so I guess I know what to expect.
I mostly like just fucking around in first person.
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