UBOAT News

Dear captains,

There is a new patch ready for the beta version of the game.

Localization:
- French localization update by FvJ and Placebo.
- Czech localization update by Spid3rCZ.
- Portuguese localization update by AlexShuma.
- Italian localization update by BeeTLe BeTHLeHeM.

Ports:
- Fix: All ports had too few defence guns in 1939.
- Fix: Norwegian, Canadian, USSR, Netherlands, Irish, Portuguese and Spanish ports didn't had any defence guns.

Missions:
- Fix: Side-mission about counting defence guns in a port now asks to find a lower number of AA guns.

Tutorial missions:
- Fix: It was possible to send crew onto the second merchant ship in tutorial #3 before the tutorial has asked for this and break the mission script.
- Fix: If a tutorial with a custom weather state was completed, and then another such tutorial was started right away, the custom weather from the next tutorial wasn't applied and there was no restrictions about the weather for its duration.
- Fix: Tutorial missions #2 and #3 weren't working when started from Marseille.

UI:
- Toolbar for switching between combat stations is no longer displayed for binoculars.
- A confirmation popup now appears, when player attempts to launch a salvo, before the gyro angle is set on the torpedoes.
- Fix: After clicking on a help button in the echosounder view, a wrong page of the manual was opened.
- Fix: It was possible to break the intro cutscene by pressing the keyboard shortcut for toggling a free cam mode.
- Fix: HQ task requirements were missing in the UI.
- Fix: Play as skipper mode is now correctly marked as experimental. Previously this suffix wasn't visible.
- Fix: Missing translation for the action displayed on the screen when looking at the torpedo launch lever from FPP.

Quality of life:
- Game is now paused when manual is opened.

Map:
- Fix: Circles drawn with a compass tool weren't visible, if motion blur was disabled and either FSR or DLSS were enabled in the graphics settings.

Graphics:
- Fix: Portraits could render completely white at night near ports.

Hydrophone:
- Fix: Keyboard shortcuts for increasing and decreasing volume were having reverse effect. It was possible to set the volume below 0% or above 100% with them. They were also too slow.

Type II:
- Fix: Compressor wasn't being automatically disabled by the crew after filling the compressed air tanks.

Yours,
DWS

Hello,

There is a new version up. It fixes the most apparent issues that we've noticed after publishing the initial release. Changelog:

Localization:
- Italian localization update by BeeTLe BeTHLeHeM.

General:
- Fix: Parts of UI could disappear after opening radio view from map, going back to map and then switching to the view orbiting around the U-boat.
- Fix: It was possible to switch to UZO view on IIA, even though it didn't had UZO. There were many problems present after doing it.
- Fix: Hours hand on clocks wasn't moving.
- Fix: The Happy Time cutscene was adjusted for English version of voiceover.

Tutorial:
- Fix: Random events, such as tuberculosis, could happen during tutorial.

AI:
- Fix (regression): Aircraft no longer attack during storms.

Graphics:
- Update to Type II interiors.
- Fix: Corrected antenna position on Type IID and fixed texture on its container.
- Fix: Wrong texture on ventilation in Type II engine room.

Simulation:
- Rudder indicator in Type II conning towers wasn't working.

Launcher:
- Fix: Added text wrapping to version name label.

Yours,
DWS

Dear Captains,

The day has arrived! We announce the start of beta testing of the UBOAT game. This is the result of many months of hard work and the contributions of many people who have helped us. Many of the elements included in this update are based on player feedback, reflecting their vision of how the game should look and what can enhance the gaming experience.

All UBOAT owners are welcome to participate in the testing. We hope we have met your expectations.

Please remember that the release of a beta version is primarily a preparation for the full release. We want to know your opinion on the changes. There will still be bugs, things to fix and add. When you find something troubling, report it to us and we will fix it.



You can install the beta version by right-clicking on UBOAT in the game list. In the opened window of properties, in the "Betas - Beta Participation" you must select "unstable" and download beta version of UBOAT... and have fun!



Below is an quick list of new features; more details will be available in the changelog that we will publish in a few days.

• New playable U-Boats: Type IIA, IID, VIIB, and VIIC41
  
• New and upgraded ports
  
• Updated visuals for the Type VII U-Boat
  
• Contact system overhaul
  
• New realism settings and related features
  
• New features in the TAB menu
  
• Improved night battles
  
• New voice reports
  
• Camouflages and emblems
  
• Improved First-Person Perspective (FPP) mode
  
• Ship and aircraft improvements
  
• Added random events on ships
  
• Fixes and graphical improvements
  
• Manual
  
• New items
  
• Improved simulation
  
• New starting scenarios
  
• Improved performance (FSR and DLSS effects)
  
• New cutscenes on the map
  
• Improved missions of various types
  
• Updated audio
  
• New mission types
  
• Dive schedule
  
• Different headquarters modes
  
• Improvements to explosion physics
  
• Interactions with shipwrecks
  

..and many more

Yours,
DWS

Dear captains,

We're thrilled to announce that the Full Release update is now ready for beta testing, starting on May 27th, 2024!

All players owning UBOAT are invited to participate. We will post an announcement at the mentioned date once the update is ready to download.

We can't wait for you to experience all the new features and refinements we've been working on. This is a major milestone for us, and we're incredibly excited to invite you, the UBOAT community, to join us on this final leg of the journey. Your feedback and insights during this beta phase will be invaluable and together, we can make this the best U-boat experience yet!

Using this opportunity, we will also delve into some final changes... welcome to our dev log #8! ⚓


The Full Release introduces camouflages, which you can swap in any port's upgrade mode. Additionally, conning tower emblems are now possible to obtain in various ways during the game. Joining flotilla will unlock its associated emblem, and you may even encounter painters offering unique designs for a fee.




This version will introduce a simple skill system for the regular sailors. Each sailor will be able to gain specialization that contributes to better overall stats of the boat like faster diving.




We are also introducing a new way to play the game, where you play in first-person perspective as the skipper. While playing in this mode, once you pause the game, the camera transitions into the section view to give a quick overview of the situation and let you pass orders to your officers.

We plan to keep this mode marked as experimental for several months, independently of the full release. We want to gain feedback from FPP players and polish it over time.




We've also implemented numerous smaller enhancements, including:

• Smooth transitions between all views.
  
• Audible buzzers when telegraph values change.
  
• Reworked Type VII engines with historically accurate models.
  
• Historical Kriegsmarine clocks.
  
• Net cutters on the bow of certain U-boat types.
  
• If you play with map mode without revealed circle of sight (fully paper map), you will hear sounds around you, like you would be still in the boat.
  

Yours,
DWS

Dear captains,

As the wait for a beta test continues, we've decided to release another dev log, to give you a heads up and also use this opportunity to present a few major features that are coming soon with the Full Release Update.

Without further introduction, let's proceed.


We've created various random events that may happen on your U-boat or around it.

These events mirror the real challenges faced by U-boat crews. Injured crewmates might need land-based recovery, overtaxed engines could demand extra grease, or tensions aboard might flare into a brawl. But with each challenge comes opportunity e.g. complete a daring mission, and you might find a personal gift from the admiral stashed in your storage.


We've prepared many such events to make your patrols feel more unique and immersive. They won't disrupt the core gameplay, but instead will remind you that life at sea is full of surprises. Most of them are inspired by the authentic struggles found in books and U-boat KTBs.


Using this opportunity, we've also improved missions with a war correspondent. We've greatly expanded his pool of questions and made interactions with him more user friendly.




Another addition, is that warships and aircraft deploy flares to illuminate the surrounding area when they know that submarines are around. You will also be able to use flares yourself, if you want to. Being close to deployed flares, increases your sight range, but also makes you more visible.


All warships in the game now also carry functional searchlights that aid them in searching for U-boats lurking in the darkness. They keep them disabled when they travel in a convoy and use them only when they go into battle stations mode.




There are now Vickers Wellington bombers in the game. These aircraft start to appear in the game in 1942 and will attack your U-boat without any warning at night using a combination of ASV radar and a Leigh Light. These attacks look quite spectacular and starting with 1943 sometimes include rockets.


We've also recreated effective counter-measures to employ against this danger, that may ensure the safety of your U-boat. We've added diving schedules, with which you can set your U-boat to travel underwater at a specific time of day (in the discussed case - at nights).



Another, even more effective counter-measure are radar waves detectors, which we improved to work more consistently and we made it easier to understand what their purpose is for new players.


We've ensured that attacks from the surface during moonless nights now work properly, especially if you sneak with electric engines. It was a very common tactic employed by many skippers and we felt that we had to make it effective in the game too.

By employing this tactic, you will be able to avoid the risk of detection by the sonars while sneaking into a convoy. Once the enemy illuminates the area, you can then quickly dive and escape, before being spotted.




We've added several ports to the game that have Arabic architecture in the cities. It's a massive boost for immersion on the Mediterranean, which previously lacked ports in general. New ports include Tobruk, Haifa and Tunis. Existing ports of Alexandria and Malta were improved. There is also new port of Marseille and Salamis naval base, both of which can serve as your home base.




While we've maintained this state during Early Access for variety of reasons, we've always intended to change this for the Final Release. Starting with this update, you will face a much more curated selection of missions offered by the command, and there is also a mode, in which you don't get any selections at all, and simply carry out with the orders as they come from the command.

While setting up the campaign, you will also be able to determine the type of missions that will be offered - varied or more centred on routine patrols.




At this time, we expect the beta testing to commence in a few more weeks. It's taking a bit longer than we hoped, but not overly so and hope to reach the stable version soon.

We still have to work out several things that could otherwise make for a frustrating experience and hope for your patience and understanding.

Once everything is done, we will announce the start of the beta testing with a week in advance to give you time to prepare.

Yours,
DWS