ok so here’s my attempt at depicting submarine introduction in WT and why it could work.
Went from a basic map layout that look somewhat like a map for naval WT currently :
Usually the spawn pattern looks like this. Sometimes BBs have multiple spawns, sometimes there is no island, but those are rarer. Usually, there is an island rich zone on one side (for PT boats and destroyers) and a more open area for BBs and Heavy CCs. Don’t pay too much attention to the island layout, it’s quite random and not that important here.
So where would the submarine spawn could go ?
I tried my best, and to me it could look like this :
Their main spawn would be the “S” spawn where they could perform torpedo runs against enemy battleships or defend caps. Regarding caps : i think submarines should only be able to cap or prevent a cap by being surfaced.
i also think submarines could spawn in the PT boat spawn, since they have similar weaponry : mines, torps, and small caliber guns. While they can dive, they are also much slower and less maneuverable, and in those shallow waters, i think they’d be far more fragile againgst CAS. In the patrol boat zone, they could lay mines in corridors between islands, try to torp, or engage fragile pt boats with their primary weaponry. Heavier submarines such as surcouf or I400s would be unable to spawn here.
Why would the submarine spawn be here ?
I tried to guess the areas where submarine would be more effective : ideally it would be a few km away from battleships. Since they are also quite slower than any other class of vessel, i think they should be closer to the battlefield. However, they also have to be counter balanced, which is why i offset them a bit near the destroyer spawn. Here’s the map with the different transit route each class could potentially use :
Note that in the arrows length isn’t randomly chosen : they roughly correspond to each class speed (roughly 30kph surfaced for subs, 40 kph for BBs, 60-70 kph for DDs). So the same time would be needed for a sub to travel from its spawn to the fighting area (arrow head) and for a DD to travel from its spawn to its respective fighting area (I hope the explanation was clear enough).
One problem i see here is that the DD could have a problem hunting subs, since they would need to operate not that far from enemy BBs. Smokes could help, cause it messes up with telemetry and it wouldn’t prevent them from chasing subs, since it’s mainly sonar based. I think they’d also be far enough to defend incoming rounds by aggressive maneuvering.
How to hunt subs ?
Imo there should be a sonar like what we can currently see for SPAAs in ground RB. This should be very accurate and display a bit more info the in the current event like depth for example. You could also get a passive sonar which only gives a heading. I’m not a fan of the current submarine highlight we have in the event, imo it gives too much information, such as heading, exacpt depth, etc.
I think the sonar interface should be separated from the main minimap however, that would be more inline with what we have in other game modes.
What would sub UI look like ?
Subs would only get access to passive sonar (for WW2 subs only), which could indicate the direction of enemy ships. The 3rd person view is not that much a problem imo, since its range is very limited and if a DD comes close enough to be seen, you are most likely dead anyway. Subs would also be vulnerable to heavy shells from BBs if at a shallow depth. The current (event) mechanic for torps and mine laying is fine by me. However, there is currently a glitch that makes it possible for a sub to go max speed while being submerged 4m. If subs are introduced, i think that kind of breaking mechanic should be removed.
Also personnal note : i’d love to hear the ping from enemy DD’s active sonar in my subs, just for the ambiance.
Anyway sry for the long post. Let me know what you think and if i missed anything or if you have any reason to think that wouldn’ work
