Silent Hunter Online Game Manual

[BB_Wolfberry]

Like the real U-boat war, our game is also a complex business that will give you plenty of scope to make your own decisions. So, if in doubt, please feel free to consult our manual.

• General information
  • Welcome to Silent Hunter Online
  • Game universe
  • Game objective
• Strategic map
  • Elements of the strategic map
  • Essential steps
  • "Course laid in, Captain!" – Navigate on the strategic map
  • "Let the hunt commence!" – Select and start a mission
  • Dynamic campaigns: structure and progress of the campaign
• Fleet management
  • Bunker
  • Depot
  • Shop
• On board your U-boat
  • Your instruments
  • In pursuit of enemies
  • Wolfpack tactics
• Multiplayer options
  • Add friends
  • Mails
  • Invite players on missions
• Your individual game progress
  • Experience, prestige and new technologies

[BB_Wolfberry]

Welcome to Silent Hunter Online!

The SHO team would like to thank you for taking part in such an important phase in the development of this game.

You are warmly invited to make full use of our forum to report bugs or any errors you encounter in the game. A bug is an error in the game that can affect the function, graphics or sound output. Remember, your feedback is priceless to us! If you would like more information on bug reporting, please read more here.

We would, of course, be delighted to receive any suggestions you may have on how to improve Silent Hunter Online! Please let us know if you already have any comments you would like to make; for this we would ask you to use the forum exclusively, and not the support team. Please also bear in mind that we will not be able to implement your suggestions for improvements immediately.



Game universe

Silent Hunter Online is set during World War II and focuses on the conflict for supremacy in the Atlantic. The Allied naval forces will therefore confront the German Navy, and both sides will use authentically reproduced technologies from the WWII era. In the role of German fleet commanders, the players must drive the enemy forces out of the Atlantic, sector by sector. The later stage of the game is a mystery, and may be altered by dynamic campaigns by the players themselves.



Game objective

All the players must work together to liberate the Atlantic from the Allied forces. Any achievements you attain, either individually or jointly with other commanders, will also help to influence the course of the war to your advantage. Who knows what challenges await you on the choppy high seas?
Your main task will be to build up your U-boat fleet, and during your career as a commander you will gain more experience and influence, as well as enter battle with new technologies. Use them wisely to make your fleet larger and more powerful.

However, the best U-boats alone cannot guarantee success; you will have to act strategically and tactically to complete the numerous campaigns. On board your U-boats you will learn how to act as a true Captain. Become a hunter of the deep and strike fear into the enemy convoys, while ensuring that you yourself don’t become the hunted!

A lone wolf will find this conflict tough going, so make sure you cooperate with other commanders and, as wolf packs, ensure that the waters remain a dangerous place for the Allies. HQ wishes you rich pickings, Captain!

[BB_Wolfberry]

Strategic map

Here you will make your strategic decisions and have a permanent overview of the current course of the war.


Elements of the strategic map



1. Entrance to the base
This is a quick link to your base. If you click the image that represents your base (here, 'Wilhelmshaven'), you can manage and enlarge your fleet and your supplies in the bunker and depot.

2. Time Compression bar
Here you can see how many Time Compression points you still have available. These points will help you cover long distances quickly. They are also automatically restored over time.

3. U-boat menu
In the fleet tab you will see a status overview of all the U-boats in your fleet (on patrol, in the bunker, in combat, course is set, etc.) and are able take command of them.

What can I do here?
Click on a U-boat icon to jump aboard the relevant U-boat.

4. Wolfpack menu
If you are participating in a multiplayer mission with other players, click the wolfpack tab to view the members of your wolfpack.

What can I do here?
Left-click one of your U-boats to jump to the selected U-boat. You can only jump aboard U-boats that belong to your own fleet.

5. Campaign overview
Here you can see all the campaigns in the game, who dominates which campaign, and which campaigns are already unlocked. The communal progress of all players determines when new campaigns will be unlocked. Click a campaign to focus the strategic map directly on the relevant war zone.

Only one campaign at a time can be displayed on the map.

Above the campaign overview, you can see the map controls. You can use the map controls to enlarge or reduce the view, and center the map on your currently selected U-boat.

6. Naval ports and bases
You can travel to bases (big blue icons) marked in blue to move your U-boats into the bunker so that they can gain access to the depot, where you can equip them with additional items. Red ports (small icons) are always enemy ports, while blue ports (small icons) belong to your allies.

7. Campaign tree and secondary objectives
Here you can view the campaign you have currently selected and all the associated missions. Bear in mind that only one campaign and its secondary objectives will be visible. Additional campaigns and secondary objectives will be unlocked over time. You will find more information below on the structure of the campaign system and on how to unlock new missions.

What can I do here?
If you hold the mouse pointer briefly over a mission icon, you can view information on the mission: the type of mission (search and destroy, special target, etc.), a description of the objectives you must achieve, and the reward for their successful completion. You can start an available mission with single U-boats, or invite other players on a mission (see Multiplayer). See below for detailed instructions on starting a mission and information on the available mission types.

8. U-boat icons on the strategic map
The U-boat icons indicate the position of your U-boats on the map (U-boats in the bunker are not shown). If you hold the mouse pointer briefly over a U-boat icon, the most important data on the U-boat will be displayed: torpedoes, crew and the amount of diesel on board, the battery status and the remaining travel time if the U-boat is set on a course.

What can I do here?
Here you can set the course of your U-boat and move it over the map. You will find more information below.

9. Chat
You can chat to other players here. There is a global channel, a whispering channel and a channel that is solely for the members of your wolfpack.

10. Avatar
This is the portrait of your avatar, including information on your current level. The Experience points required for the next level-up will be displayed in a tool tip when you hold the mouse pointer over the portrait. Around the portrait you will find options to log out, add friends, access your mailbox, and also find help and the global settings.

11. Time compression icon
When none of your U-boats are actively engaging an enemy in a mission, the game will be sped up by a factor of 16x and this icon will be displayed. A clock with two crossed swords, however, indicates that one of your boats is fighting the enemy and that there is no time compression.

12. Shop
You can buy equipment in the shop, which will cost either credits or Prestige points. Click here for more information on the shop.



Essential steps

In Silent Hunter Online, you are the Commander of your own U-Boat combat group. Along with many other players, you can change the course of the war in the Atlantic. In the following section you will find all the important information an aspiring commander should know about the planning and execution of a mission.



"Course laid in, Captain!" - Navigate on the strategic map

To set the course for your U-boat, click the U-boat icon on the map and select the “Set course” option. Select the target point, and the course and the travel time will automatically be calculated and shown on the strategic map. You can then choose if you want to travel to the target in real time, or use Time Compression points to jump straight to the target coordinates. The corresponding costs for fuel and Time Compression points, where appropriate, will be automatically calculated and listed before you make your decision.

If you travel to the target in the normal way, you will only have to consider fuel consumption under “Diesel”.
However, if you want to invest Time Compression points to jump straight to the target, you must take account of the other costs rather than diesel consumption alone: “Diesel” indicates how much fuel you will need for a Time Compression jump. “TCP” however, indicates the “Time Compression points” that will be deducted for the jump. Time Compression points will also be automatically restored over time.



"Let the hunt commence!" - Select and start a mission

You will find missions on the strategic map.



There are three different mission types, each with different victory conditions:

• Search and destroy: you must sink a certain number of enemy ships (freighters and/or warships).
• Special target: you must identify and destroy a particular ship.
• Reconnaissance: you must identify an enemy convoy without being detected, and then send a report to HQ.

To start a regular mission, you must travel to it with one or several of your U-boats. To do this, click your U-boat and set a course on the mission icon on the map. Further navigation is carried out in broadly the same way as the general navigation on the strategic map. You can move your U-boat to the target in real time or use Time Compression points to cover long distances instantly.

With standard navigation, the only exception when traveling to a mission applies to the indicated routes: unlike fixed targets, as mission targets move on the map, two routes will appear when you set the course on the map: the blue course is the interception course to the target, if you decide to travel to it in real time. The course marked by dashes is the distance you would immediately cover in a jump using Time Compression.

However, please note that there are also hidden missions in the game which will appear if you navigate closed to them on the strategic map. This feature is currently implemented in an early iteration, but we will expand on the concept of hidden missions in the future.

You can also attempt the mission with friends.



Dynamic campaigns: structure and progress of the campaign

In dynamic campaigns you will experience the ups and downs of the war in the Atlantic. All the players will play their part to achieve a common objective: military control of the Atlantic. Your global achievements on the server will also have a real impact on your individual progress.

Each campaign consists of several secondary objectives that also contain missions. Every successful mission will earn you Victory points that you can use individually to unlock more secondary objectives. To achieve a secondary objective, you must complete several missions that fall within that objective. The missions in the relevant secondary objective will be shown by icons that are linked by connecting lines to the main campaign objective.

To enter a new campaign, you must fight your way sector by sector to the key targets. Many campaigns will consist of several objectives, but bear in mind that every main objective only leads to a new campaign, so choose your path carefully.

The points of all players on the server will be added globally to the Victory points you yourself have earned individually, and this total will reflect the extent of the German U-boat fleet’s dominance. When the players have accumulated enough Victory points, new campaign phases will be unlocked for all players. However, the enemy may regain supremacy in the previously played campaign phases, which will have game consequences for the missions in this and subsequent campaigns. So you must always take part in missions in campaigns you have already played. If you don’t do this, the enemy may be able to reinforce his presence in the relevant maritime areas, and all the subsequent campaigns will be much more difficult to fight!

Moreover, you should always bear in mind that your individual progress is subordinate to global progress. You may be a decisive success factor in the war, but you are not waging this war single-handed. Even though you personally may have fulfilled all the conditions to unlock a campaign, it could be that the added global progress of the other players on the server does not yet match your personal progress, in which case you will be denied access to these campaigns. This is why you must take part in campaigns you have previously played to increase your joint dominance in these zones.

[BB_Wolfberry]

Fleet management

If you click the 'Wilhelmshaven icon' on the strategic map, you will arrive at the bunker or depot screen. Here, you can manage your fleet, which is an important part of your duties as a fleet commander. On the top right you can toggle between the bunker and the depot.


Bunker

As well as displaying the U-boats that are permanently available and the queue, the bunker section is divided into several sub-sections: Overview, Officers and Crew, Resources and Torpedoes, Repairs and Modifications. All these elements are explained below.

1. Bunker/depot buttons
On the top right you can toggle between the bunker and the depot.

2. Available U-boats
Here you will see the available U-boats in your fleet and their current status (in the bunker, on patrol, etc.). Any free depot slots available for additional U-boats will also be shown. You can also view any depot slots that are not yet unlocked here. You can access the list of the available U-boats in all the sub-sections in the bunker, so you can toggle between U-boats at any time.

What can I do here?
If you want to increase the maximum number of your depot slots, you can click on a blocked depot slot.

3. Overview
Here you can view the U-boat you have currently selected, and obtain an overview of its technical details.

What can I do here?
You can decide to order the selected U-boat to leave the bunker, but the U-boat must of course be seaworthy before it can put to sea. This means that there must be sufficient crew, all the essential parts and enough diesel on board.

You can also decommission your U-boat and scrap it if you want to construct a new and better model!

4. Officers and crew

4.1 Officers
Here you can see the officers on board the selected U-boat, and their individual experience levels. You can obtain information on their tasks and skills by moving the mouse pointer over one of the officer portraits. Click on the portrait to see how many Experience points the relevant officer requires to advance a level.

4.2 Crew
In this section you can also see how many crew members are on board and their experience levels. The average experience level and the efficiency value of your crew indicate how well they perform in combat situations.

Tip: Every time you take officers or crew members on a deployment with you, they will gain experience and become more efficient. The more experienced an officer or a crew member is, the more quickly and effectively they will carry out their actions in a combat situation. Take good care of your crew, as long-serving veterans are valuable!

What can I do here?
You can use “Transfer to depot” to remove officers from the U-boat. Click “Manage crew” to increase the number of crew members on board, reassign them, or transfer them to the depot.

5. Resources and torpedoes

5.1 Torpedoes
Here you can see the torpedoes on board that have been installed in the U-boat’s torpedo tubes.

What can I do here?
If you have selected the option “U-boat <> Depot” on the top right, you can transfer the torpedoes in a particular torpedo bay between the depot and the bay. To do this, click the name of the bay. If you have selected “Internal”, you can transfer torpedoes from one tube to another, for example from the fore torpedo tube in the front reserve. Then click on the torpedo you want to transfer, and then on the target torpedo tube. Which torpedo is loaded next, and which torpedoes are available for loading may be crucial in a combat situation.

5.2 Supplies
An overview of the supplies of consumable resources, i.e. the quantity of diesel on board, as well as flak and deck gun ammunition in the U-boat you have selected.

What can I do here?
When you select the option “U-boat <> Depot” on the top right, you can click the relevant icon to transfer resources back and forth between the depot and the U-boat.


6. Repairs

6.1 Repair
Here you can check to see whether or where your U-boat has sustained damage. The U-boat is divided into several sections (compartments), e.g. bow, aft and deck. The damage value for each section will be indicated as a percentage. Click on a section of the U-boat to see which sub-system and items of equipment are damaged in this section. Some systems may be shared by several compartments (e.g. the pressure hull), and when you repair the system in one compartment, it will also be repaired in all the others.

What can I do here?
You can use the “Repair” button to repair individual elements, but this comes at a cost. You can also use the “Repair all” button to order a complete overhaul, but this option is only available in the base.

Tip: A U-boat should always put to sea fully overhauled. You can carry out emergency repairs when at sea, but you won’t be able to repair all the systems when you are out on patrol.

7. Modification

7.1 Modification
This menu displays the various items of equipment in your U-boat. You can click on a particular part to view its modification level and any other useful details. You can also see any damage.

What can I do here?
You can install any available item of equipment, provided an upgrade is available. You can, for example, modify your dive cells to enable your U-boat to dive more quickly, or upgrade your diesel engines to increase your speed on the surface. You can also dismount individual parts and store them in the depot or install another item.

Bear in mind that you can only install certain items in the U-boat selected; for example, a Type II U-boat cannot be equipped with Type VII parts. Moreover, some items of equipment for your U-boat are optional (snorkel, deck gun, etc.), whereas others must be installed to enable you to pursue the enemy; a U-boat without an engine wouldn’t get very far!

Tip: If you ever decommission a U-boat, it may be worth keeping the modified parts and storing them in the depot to reuse them on another U-boat. You should therefore think carefully before you decommission a U-boat!

8. Queue
Each U-boat in the bunker has its own queue for any work that is currently being carried out on it (purchase, repairs, upgrade of individual parts, etc.). This work will be carried out from top to bottom by your crew. The time remaining time for completion of each task will be indicated. The U-boat cannot leave the bunker until the processes are completed. The queue will always be displayed while you are in the bunker or the depot.

What can I do here?
You can invest credits to either complete particular processes or end all processes immediately if required.



Depot

1. Store
All the items of equipment, crew members and consumable resources you own, but which have not yet been transferred to your U-boat, are stored here, and each item occupies a slot in the depot. The number of free slots is limited, but can be increased to allow you to store more items. Click on an occupied slot to view a description of the item and additional options.

2. Shop queue
In the shop queue you will see all the orders you have placed at the shop. Here you will see only those items you have paid for by redeeming your Prestige points. All the upgraded items you have purchased with credits will immediately enter your depot with no waiting time.

What can I do here?
To gain a better overview, you can use the button on the left to opt to show all the items or a particular category only (e.g. officers). You can also use the Stack button on the top right to group all the items of the same type. To gain a better overview, you can use the button next to it to sort the items shown by criteria, such as their value, consumption rate, etc..

You can remove an item from the depot at any time by clicking the Remove button. However, the item will then be permanently lost!
Click the Shop button if you would like to add more items to the stores in your depot. Here you can acquire all the items that are currently available to you. However, some items will only be available at a later stage of the game, e.g. if you reach a new experience level or once you have achieved certain objectives in a campaign.



Shop

You have a wide range of items to choose from in the shop. There are permanent items of equipment, such as officers and consumable resources, i.e. torpedoes. Some of these items can be purchased with Prestige points, others using credits.

What can I do here?
If you buy an item using Prestige points, bear in mind that the items will not be immediately available, but will first move into the queue in your depot. The item will only be available to you for further processing after the time indicated.

If you are patient, you can also acquire items that you can buy with credits without investing any premium currency. This takes slightly longer, so investing credits basically speeds up certain sections of the game.

[BB_Wolfberry]

On board your U-boat

On board your U-boat, you have numerous actions available for navigation, reconnaissance and of course for hunting enemy units. Remember that this screen may look slightly different depending on the U-boat type you have selected.



Your instruments



1. Officers

Officers use their skills and abilities to serve you, and can execute tasks for you when you issue the relevant order. Every officer will gain experience over time, and will act more effectively. Click the officer’s portrait to select an order. Bear in mind that for many orders, certain conditions must be satisfied before they can be carried out. Some orders for example will only be available when the U-boat is submerged. If you are unsure of what conditions apply and the precise effects an order will have, briefly move your mouse pointer over the relevant option to view a short description of the relevant information. A response to your order will be shown under the officer’s portrait.

What can I do here?
Here you can issue orders to your officers; each officer type has its own area of activity and relevant skills.

The weapons officer can identify the type of target you have selected and calculate the distance to the target, its speed, and the relative steering angle of the torpedo. Once all these steps have been carried out, he can use the torpedo data computer (TDC) to fire a programmed torpedo, if you have activated a torpedo tube beforehand.

The role of the watch officer is to track the target, and he can also inform you about the home port, the ship’s name and the year of construction. This may prove to be vital information during missions that have specific targets!

The chief engineer can, at your request, issue the order to crash dive to escape from enemy attacks. He can also charge the U-boat’s batteries or switch to silent running mode. He will also send a repair team to contain any urgent damage if the U-boat takes a hit.

The navigator will help you plan your route. He will automatically set the course for you to your home base, resume the course should the original course be interrupted, or guide your U-boat to pursue the selected target at a safe distance. Apart from setting courses, he will also inform you of the current route and your U-boat’s navigational capabilities.

The sonar operator sometimes provides you with information on the position and route of enemy ships that will determine your combat strategy. He can use either the sonar or the hydrophone report to do this. You can use the information gleaned from this to assess the distances of enemy ships more effectively when you are submerged.

The radio operator can send a weather report or enemy contact report to HQ. He can use the on-board radar system, if one is installed, to locate enemy units.

2. Periscope

The periscope is at the core of the U-boat view. You can use this vital tool to observe the environment and to fix potential targets. You can adjust the periscope view angle with the mouse wheel. Click the left mouse button to change the view direction in the periscope view and hold the mouse button down to drag the view in the direction required.

What can I do here?
There are various periscope setting options available:

• On the top left you can use two rocker switches to retract and extend the periscope, and change to attack mode if required.
• Under the periscope view window you can adjust the zoom levels or use the switch next to the periscope to extend or retract it again.
• The Papenberg instrument is to the right of it and you can use the green tube to gauge the U-boat’s position relative to the surface of the water.

This is helpful if you want to check how far your periscope can extend at your current submerged depth.

Various torpedo setting options are available in the periscope view window:

• You can use the () button directly above the view window to fix the ship you are targeting.
• Use the buttons above it to turn the salvo mode and the magnetic detonator for your torpedoes on and off.

Before you can fire, you must activate one or several torpedo tubes for the torpedo solution. Torpedoes that are marked red are ready to fire, and you will see the firing button immediately to the right of them.

You will also see a button under it to set the torpedo speed and depth.

3. U-boat Management

The U-boat management contains most of the information that you can also view in the bunker screen. So, if you require a status overview, you can obtain all the relevant information on the U-boat you have selected by simply clicking the image of the U-boat. On the top right you will also see the weather and time of day displayed. This information is very useful for ascertaining your U-boat’s visibility.

Immediately below you can check the visibility of your U-boat; here, red indicates that the enemy can detect your U-boat more easily!
You can also view your current fuel and diesel reserves.

What can I do here?
Here, as with the bunker, you can transfer torpedoes between the individual tubes, and carry out repairs. When you are at sea however, you cannot transfer resources or items of equipment between the depot and the U-boat.


4. Navigation tools

On the bottom right you will see three instruments for navigation at sea: the depth gauge, the propulsion indicator and the compass. You can use these to regulate the dive depth, speed and the course of your U-boat. Above them you will see a switch that will take you up to the bridge, but this is of course only possible when you are surfaced!


What can I do here?
Click the instrument to set the value required; the current value (e.g. depth in meters) will be shown under the relevant instrument. You can fine-tune your settings using the buttons on the left and right. The compass and the depth gauge have a separate display for the rudder direction or a larger depth range. Next to the depth gauge you will see three more buttons that you can use to initiate a crash dive, surface or go to periscope height.

5. Tactical map

Here you can view your immediate surroundings, including any important additional information that will be crucial for stalking and attacking enemy units. Many factors determine what information is available to you.

Information on your allied and enemy ships and your torpedoes is also marked on the map, as well as the position and direction of your U-boat.
You can also follow your periscope view angle using a lighter colored angle that emanates from your U-boat, so you can therefore scope your current field of vision in your periscope more effectively.

Fixed targets are clearly marked but, unlike other enemy ships, they appear in white and not red on the map.

Once you have fixed an enemy ship in your sights and have selected a torpedo tube that is ready to fire, the torpedo’s gyro angle from your U-boat will be displayed. This represents the current torpedo solution.

Circles around enemy ships indicate their visibility radius; the further away you are from the perimeter of this radius, the less likely they will detect you.

While you are surfaced, for example, or when you no longer have the exact position of enemy ships once sight contact has been made, you will have to rely on the information from your hydrophone under the water. The hydrophone lines indicate the approximate position of enemy ships, but not their precise location.

What can I do here?
In addition to the information already supplied and described above, you can also enter your own markers and information on the map. For this, you have a ruler, a marker, a pair of compasses and a protractor. You can add radii, distances and angles, and can then incorporate this data into your planning and calculations.




Locate Your Prey

The correct positioning of your own U-boat is one of the first steps in any attack, and may be key to success or failure; initiative is extremely important when dealing with protected convoys.

Once your U-boat has arrived in the mission zone, try to make the first contact. Here, it is vital to know the relative position of enemy ships and their approximate course on the strategic map.

To do this, it may be useful to dive at regular intervals to listen out for them with the hydrophone. For this, the U-boat must be submerged and the periscope retracted. Even in bad weather, this is often the best way of locating the prey, as the sound of the propeller under water can be heard over great distances.

Contacts are then shown as lines coming from your U-boat on your U-boat’s tactical map, and which point in the direction of the hydrophone contact, but without indicating a precise distance. Your sonar operator can use the action “Sonar report” to enable you to obtain more accurate information on a contact by carrying out the action in the Officer menu, and then clicking one of the hydrophone contact lines on the tactical map. The tactical map will then be displayed briefly at the position where your sonar officer believes the ship to be located, based on his experience with hydrophone contacts. You may well have to adjust the zoom level on the tactical map to see the contact; this is always along an extension of the hydrophone contact line.



Arrival at the Firing Position

As the U-boat can only achieve low speeds under water, and the battery charge only enables it to cover a very limited range, you should surface again after locating the position, and continue the deployment on the surface.

A good tactic is to navigate the U-boat ahead of the convoy, so you should plot a course parallel to the convoy, but in so doing move slightly towards it to reduce the distance over which to establish visual contact.

You needn’t be too worried if you are detected by a single ship without an escort. Unarmed single ships are generally easy prey which, after sighting your U-boat, can only respond with a zigzag course as a countermeasure. A torpedo hit will be slightly more difficult here, but you can usually travel close enough to your target to land a good shot.

If you are sighted by several ships with escorts, you should remain at maximum distance initially. Owing to their minimal silhouette, U-boats are hard to detect on the horizon at long range, so you can pursue the enemy ships along the horizon as you overtake the convoy on a parallel course and position your U-boat several thousand meters ahead of it.



Attack

Once you have overtaken the convoy, it is time to man the dive stations. Plot a course at right angles to the target’s course, and move at top speed to the interception point. The best firing position is an attack on the broadside of the target, i.e. at a 90° angle at a distance of under 1,000m. The weapons officer is very useful here, as he can calculate the range of the relevant target in the periscope for you.

To reduce the chances of being detected, you should then set your periscope height to just above the water line, but only if strictly necessary, to navigate and for the actual shot.

When the convoy then passes your position, it is time to strike. Flood your tube and select a target. If you don’t want to plan the target solution yourself, you can order your weapons officer to calculate it and fire the torpedo. The screenshot below shows a very good firing position.

If you have several targets to choose from, you will have to calculate a torpedo target solution for each ship individually and fire the torpedoes at each target. If you have enough expertise, you can of course estimate a “snapshot”, and fire manually, without using a firing solution. To help you, you can enter the angles, radii and ranges on the tactical map. Targets that are further away must be dealt with first, as the torpedo’s travel time will of course be longer. This way, you can time your shots as closely together as possible, allowing the convoy no time to react.

If the convoy is protected by warships, you should expect a counterattack, so return to the deep immediately after firing the torpedoes, and set a course that takes you well clear of the danger zone.



Wolfpack Tactics

A particular tactic that was used ever more frequently in the later stages of the war was the wolfpack. If a single U-boat spots enemy ships when it is out on patrol, it immediately alerts other U-boats nearby, and these then all set a course for the enemy convoy. Together they pursue the enemy convoy in quick sprints, taking turns to attack over a longer period or launching a powerful joint attack. This happened regularly, even when the U-boats were surfaced, as on the surface they were much faster and more maneuverable.

Wolfpack attacks can be carried out either by one player with several U-boats or by various players in a multiplayer mission.
You have a range of approaches available here; if the target is heavily protected in a convoy, a single U-boat could act as a decoy, which could scatter the protecting vessels or entice them to the bait. The unprotected convoy would then be an easy target for the remaining U-boats, that will strike quickly and then dive down to safety.

A joint strike against a convoy that is not well protected can have a devastating impact. The escorts cannot pursue all the U-boats under water simultaneously, which means that there will always be a few U-boats free to attack the merchants.

Some wolfpacks will carry out fairly aggressive attacks by moving along the surface into the middle of a convoy under cover of night, and use their torpedoes and deck guns to subject the merchants to heavy fire at close range.

[BB_Wolfberry]

Multiplayer options


Add friends

Like all other games, competing with friends is also more fun in Silent Hunter Online. If you would like to play with friends, you must first add them to your friends list. You can add friends using the “Friends” button under your avatar portrait. Your friends will then be sent a corresponding invitation that they can accept.


Mails

You can of course send mails using the Messages menu.

Call up the menu by clicking the envelope icon on the bottom right of your avatar portrait. In the Messages menu you will see an inbox for messages from other players, system notifications and news on the game. Use the “New message” button to compose a message to another player.


Invite players on missions:

The multiplayer experience is one of the most important features of Silent Hunter Online, and the multiplayer aspect plays a correspondingly significant role in the course of the game.

You can play every mission with up to three extra players by inviting them to join before the start of a mission. To do this, click the mission on the strategic map and select the option “Invite friend”. Now select up to three friends to whom you want to send an invitation. Note: the players you invite must already be added to your friends list to be able to put to sea with you.

Once you have invited your friends on your mission, your U-boats will appear on your map to enable you to coordinate attacks more effectively. You will not be able to use time compression when playing a wolfpack mission with your friends. However, the presence of more commanders will generate countless new tactical possibilities.

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Your individual game progress


Experience, prestige and new technologies

During your career as a fleet commander, you will increase your experience and influence with HQ by completing successful missions. Your career will be represented in the game by Experience points and Prestige points.

You receive Experience points by successfully completing missions, and you will advance a level once you have accumulated a sufficient number of them. You may also be promoted to a new military rank. New levels will unlock new technologies to enable you to construct ever better U-boats. You may also be rewarded with new technologies in certain missions.

You will also be awarded Prestige points for successful missions. These both reflect your reputation at HQ and serve as currency you can use to buy equipment for your fleet at the shop.

Credits are another currency you can receive through certain in-game events (such as level ups). At a later point in time, you will be able to purchase with real money.