K-4 (Veteran's Challenge K-Class Submarine)

Captains, Beware. A big, ancient, cursed submarine.

(Now comes in wrecked and clean versions. K-4R = "Restored")

Bored being a captain? Is commanding a submarine Europan-style not challenging enough? Welcome to a submariner's life aboard a cursed, built-to-scale British K-class submarine, 1917-style.

The most veteran captains will feel like total newbies.

Price: 10000 marks (You can start a campaign with it.) Cargo: 20 Crates Tier-2 Rec'd crew: At least 3 players. NPCs cannot help you navigate or move the sub.

There is no sonar, no reactor, no helm, and nothing's automated.

With only the addition of modernized Europan guns and a couple searchlights to help with navigation, this submarine has no helm controls, no junction boxes, and uses archaic units of navigation. You will need to coordinate with your crew (non-NPC friends) to move the sub where it needs to go by using the bridge's telegraph systems and carefully manage your power until the next station, as there is no reactor aboard.

Use the relay switchboard to enable and disable various power-hungry devices around the ship, yell at the ballast control man to keep the sub steady and learn what "neutral buoyancy" really means. Frantically repair the batteries as they all go bad at the same time--your life depends on it. If you're feeling extra capable, try all this with the headsets off. The captain is afforded a portable sonar and status monitor to help guide the submarine.

There's some hardpoints on the bottom for those daring enough to try a campaign with it.

Good luck.

Now for a theoretical FAQ:

**

How do I move it? **

Yell at the throttle man to manually adjust the engine output--or command them with the bridge's old-timey Engine Order Telegraph. There's no built-in control over the engine aside from the slider and the switchboard's power relays. Throttleman, you should confirm the captain's request from your end by pressing the corresponding button to let them know you've received the request!

**

How do I control the ballast? **

There's a switchboard on the wall with 5 buttons corresponding to each tank. The highest button on the wall empties the tank, increasing buoyancy. The lowest button on the wall fills it, decreasing buoyancy. Intermediate buttons are levels in-between. Every tank is a different size. Ordered from smallest to largest: A,F,B,D,E,C. Assuming a non-flooded configuration, neutral settings will make for neutral buoyancy. (This doesn't necessarily mean staying in place!) The ballast man will have to refer to the telegraph for the captain's commands, then mix and match water levels for precise control--or just get a feel for it through experience.

Hint: Use the smallest tank as a trim-tank.

**

How do I know where I'm going? **

Use the periscopes or gun sights to see outside the submarine. Supplement your directions with the handheld sonar, which gives a general direction to waypoints of interest. Ask the crew to report obstacles sighted from the guns!

**

How do I dock at the station? **

Coordinate with your crew to align the submarine properly. When the docking hatches are close enough, press the "dock" button in the bridge.

**

How do I fire the torpedoes? **

Assign a friend to handle the operation of the loader and hatches. To fire a torpedo, the loader must be full, the inner door closed, and the outer door open. (Flooded tube). When these conditions are met, simply press the launch button by the tube. When you go to load another, ensure you've closed the outer door before opening the inner door, lest you flood the front of the submarine. Yell at the switchboard operator to turn on the fore pumps when you're cycling the doors to keep a handle on water ingress.

**

Why are the batteries colored differently? **

The un-tinted batteries are slave batteries to the yellow-tinted main bus battery on each bus. If the main bus battery breaks or drains entirely, the entire net attached to it will lose power. Keep the batteries maintained--they have a tendency to start failing simultaneously.

**

What is the switchboard in the battery compartment? **

The battery compartment switchboard allows you to re-direct power from the RESERVE batteries to any of the main buses. Usually, you'll need to set R1-4 to B5, as B5 handles the oxygen generator, the most power-hungry device on the ship. If batteries are damaged or drained unequally, re-direct R1-4 to the damaged bus battery for a bandaid fix in a pinch.

**

Will I be able to play this single-player? **

If you really, REALLY want to, you can manage it. It's an incredibly uneasy feeling trying to navigate this submarine solo (blind) so be ready for that.

**

Why did you make this? **

I enjoy a good challenge. Don't you? I've beat the campaign with it, so I know you can do it, too!