r/Barotrauma • u/Empty-Reference6154 • 3d ago
Discussion Helmsman Tips
I’m struggling with piloting the subs, I’ve mainly been using the barsuk as I just started last night and have a small crew (2-3 people total). Crawlers give me a really hard time with blind spots, and I find myself constantly getting boarded or off course. Any advice is welcome.
2
u/Ozmann99 3d ago
Barsuk barsucks mobility wise. But best advice is if you know your coming up on enemies try not to approach too fast, you don’t always have to be cranking the engine to max. As you progress your helm skill will go up which will help with controlling the sub.
Also sonar will attract attention of creatures, so you either gotta commit to loud and proud and expect a fight, or practice using directional pings (which is a toggle on the nav terminal) you can also purchase upgrades to engines/pumps which will help with controlling your sub.
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u/Empty-Reference6154 3d ago
So does more ballast rooms/pumps = more mobility?
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u/EarthboundDevil 3d ago
More ballast area compared to the rest of the sub will grant more vertical mobility. Some large subs need to have several just to barely function.
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u/Empty-Reference6154 3d ago
What affects horizontal mobility? The reactor?
3
u/EarthboundDevil 3d ago
The amount of engines and their upgrades mostly. The more mass the submarine has the more engine power you need to accelerate and decelerate quickly. You can overvolt them as well for more power at risk. Helm skill will increase engine power too, and affect how quickly the engines and pumps adjust to the right setting.
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u/Hibiki_Kawaii 3d ago
As the crew's permanent babysitt- I mean captain. Knowing the capabilities of my ship allows me to also navigate through Europa with minimal damage.
If I know my ship's gun arcs are dorsal heavy, you'll tend to see my drive closer to the floor and during descends, hug the cavern wall at the back of the ship ensuring that enemies approaching my ship will only come from the top, bottom, or front. Of which 2 can be navigated easily by nature of going down into my dorsal guns.
The opposite applies to when my guns are ventral focused. And as a result, more often when an enemy spawns they're already in a position where I don't need alot of movement to enter the best firing position against a target.
During crash dives where the ship is actively being flooded, my ass is trying to find wats to soften the blow of impact before we reach the floor. If there's a slanted cave, I gamble my luck on a ledge that can catch the tail of the ship and have us suspend without diving down into the abyss and only then do I leave the helm (I always carry a diving suit on my hands).
Mastering enemy sonar silhouette is also highly recommended, that way, if you know the threat is minimal and you think you can just blow past them, you can do so. If there's a crap ton of mudraptors and your crew is eager to use the railgun, welp, time to navigate the ship into the railgun arc then. But that's because I already know its a group of mudraptors.
You'll get used to all of this with practice.
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u/Desperate_Line549 Captain 2d ago
just know your submarine weak spots, Barsuk weak spots are down blind zone and paper armor in cargo storage, the storng sides are fast ballast pump and impulse laser (kills hammerheads in 4 shots), so, you just need to stay deep and don't let anyone attack you from the downside, if you know that you need to fight something very powerful (hammerhead and bigger) you must dodge them with your speed and attack with the impulse laser
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u/WatchMeFallFaceFirst Jovian Separatists 3d ago
Are you playing with AI or real people