Submarines

# Overview

Submarines variant of Ships, they are water-based vehicles used to travel underwater on navycraft minecraft servers. They are generally used in combat to sink enemy Ships while not being seen underwater. However, they are used for convey cargo that can not be mined from world easily. They can act in other roles as well.

## How it Works

The Sub is designed no unlike a Aircraft or Submarine, where the user while using Submarines Vehicle Control Sign (typically called the Submarine sign) can direct it which way they want it to go. This includes up and down, side to side and even sliding sideways if desired like Aircraft and Helicopters except only on and in the water.

The submarine depends on number signs to fully work and couple choice blocks. Principle minecraft block needed is Endstone. These blocks are coded to act like water tanks when fitted on a submarine. These blocks also very durable, but ugly. Usually they are covered over or hidden. Submarines depends on using special Engines signs (Diesel, Motors, or Nuclear) to fully work underwater. The Subdrive sign is also needed to switch the submarine from working on top of the water to sailing underwater water, effecting the engines.

Last item need is the Ballasttank sign, which switch the submarine's water tanks (endstone) bring in water so it may remain underwater. Without this sign and endstone combination the submarine would float to the top the water or refuse to dive underwater.

Optional items a Submarine should use is the Periscope so to view things on top of the water and weapons such as the Torpedo Launcher or Missile Launcher.

### Parts of a Submarine

* Bow - Front of the Submarine (This is likely where your front Torpedoes will be placed)
* Stern / Aft - This is back of the Submarine (torpedoes can be placed there or other stuff.)
* Hull - This is the skin of the Submarine, which keeps water from coming in.
* Deck - This is name of the floor you walk on inside any ship.
* Bulkhead - This is the roof of the room in a ship or submarine.
* Endstones - This is placed somewhere inside the submarine, so the submarine can drive. This does not need be visible to be used.
* Sail - This is usually the one and only Superstructure found on Submarine that looks like a dorsal fin on a Shark or Dolphin. The Sail is used to pilot the ship when it's on top the water. It's sometimes called the Conning Tower.
* Torpedo Room - This is Essentially a special space where your firing Torpedoes from. They are traditionally placed bow and the stern, however sub wide enough on the sides.

## How to Drive a Submarine

* Spawn the Vehicle / Launch the Vehicle - The following instructions are assuming you haven't build your submarine in Survival (some servers do not have shipyards), you will spawn your vehicle from the copy found in the Shipyard world.

* Active the Submarine's Vehicle Sign -
Click the Submarine Sign to turn on the vehicle. The submarine will move exactly same as a Ship, needing a player to Change Gears [1] to [2] holding down the SNEAK BUTTON at the SAME TIME as you right click your Mouse's button. Then right click increase speed.

* Dive Underwater (Step 1) -
While optional, a user can dive the submarine as soon it's turned on. First look down with control sword (Gold Sword) click downward, message "Down Bubble" (navy term) will be announced and the submarine will begin want move down.

* Dive Underwater (Step 2) -
Click the "Subdrive" Sign, to change engines for underwater use.

* Dive Underwater (Step 3) -
Click the Ballasttank Sign, and click it repetitively until it says "Flood". This means the vehicle is getting heavier in the water, virtual water tanks are filling up. On this sign shows animated scale "E to F" how much "water" is filling in the vehicle's tanks. This ideally want click the sign again when the indicator show it in the middle. Once the vehicle reach right depth (how far underwater you want to go) click the Ballasttank sign again changing it to "Equalize". Then Click right up ONE TIME to stop going down.

* Dive Underwater (Step 4) -
To rise out of the water or just go up close to the surface. You need to click the Ballasttanks sign until it says "Blow". This will begin process of lightening up the ship, blowing out the virtual water out of the ship's endstone tanks. Then you click one time while looking UP with the control sword. Watch the Ballasttank sign's indicator or use a Periscope to determine if you risen enough. Once you have gotten to the desire height in the water, click ONE TIME DOWN with the control sword and click the Ballasttank to Equalize. The submarine will stop moving up. If you are going to completely get out the water, keeping blowing the water and don't stop going up.

* Steering Underwater (Step 5) -
Submarines will operate same as aircraft except you need follow instructions in Step 3 & 4 if you wish to go up or down while underwater. Side to side (port or Starboard) you will be turn without using any additional signs. Just click direction, facing that direction (Left or Right), the vehicle will go that direction. Remember 1 Click will slide the ship, while facing forwards (or whatever direction you are going.) more than one will complete turn the ship.

* **Pro Tip on Driving Submarine** : Pay attention where you are in the water. Minecraft has a special function you can access to determine which level character currently standing on. By pressing "F3", you will get alot information. You want to focus on XYZ which is your physical place in the world. Y is level your currently standing on. By using Y or a Nav Sign, you can tell how deep in the water you are. If your too low, you will crash ultimately damage or destroy the submarine. It's Heavily recommended to get a Mini-Map (if allowed on your server) so you can determine where you are physically in the world so you won't get lost. A Minecraft Map is not most stable means finding yourself, especially if the vehicle is prone to being destroyed.

## How to Build: A Submarine

Submarines are waterproof ships, they are built in exact SAME plot as Ships are. If you are using a shipyard remember that size of the ship limits what you can and cannot fit in your vehicle. This is especially true if its built in the shipyard world. If built in the Survival (the wild), you have no issues with size. However all vehicle have minimum and maximum amount of blocks they can be built from.

* **Remember**: Any vehicle is effected negatively by Illegal Blocks. Remember to go over the list before you build. The vehicle will malfunction and not work or worse!

* Submarines have the minimum size/dimensions in length of Blocks; 5 width, 15 length.

* Any design can be done except for one that are illegal per your server's construction rules. Having a vehicle shaped like a box or rectangle are usually frown upon.

### Stuff you Need to build a Submarine

While there is not restrictive what to make your submarine out of, there are basic things you do need so it does work. Typically Submarines are made out iron, cobblestone, or terracotta blocks (for color).

* Signs (Important!) - Submarine Vehicle Control Sign, Subdrive Sign, Ballasttank Sign, Engine signs (Diesel, Motor or Nuclear), Sonar Sign
* End Stone - This is needed to be placed in hull to act as a watertank so the Sub can drive.

### Steps to Build a Submarine

The following is step by step instructions to tell you how build your Submarine in the Shipyard World. Note this is for a traditional World War II Style Submarine in the Shipyard World.

* Picture Out What You Want (Step 0) -
So you have no clue? Get picture of historical vehicle or something that resembles what you want. Old Ship Pictures are best for this work.

* Know which way the boat is pointing (Step 1) -
Like all vehicles, you want get idea what your doing. Remember the back of the ship is where the Plot signs in a Ship plot and the floor of the Shipyard is where your vehicle's main floor should be or slightly block or two above. Fly above the plot (to almost ceiling) then you seen how shape of the side of the ship should be.

* Lay down a Frame work (Step 1) -
Start making outline of the ship's sides will be. So when fly upwards, you can see shape of the ship once your done. This so i to help know where to put what.

* Laydown the Keel (back bone) (Step 2) -
So from front of the ship, you will build what will be bow or the front of the submarine. On real submarines & ships, this called the Keel. But you are only going make only single line blocks from starting front frame you just built to the back.. Making outline of what submarine's shape will be going into the water.

* Optional - Add Torpedo Launchers (Step 3) -
A this point if your going add torpedoes, this would be best time to do so. So you won't wreck your submarine as you go, you can see where stuff goes. Read the Torpedo Launcher articles for further details how to make one. A starting point for the torpedoes is to put down pair clay blocks with one block gap between them (if this twin launcher). This clay block is outside torpedo door. This will allow you best guess where the torpedoes will fire from once you resume building.

Start fill out the hull and add floors inside (Step 4) -
Depending on how big your submarine is, you will want to have decks (floors) in your submarine. You will need to make sure you or your crew can climb and walk around to stuff they need to use such as weapons or fix holes that causing water come in and sink your sub. This would be good time to determine where you need place your engine signs and where Submarine's control room should be.

* Finish filling out the hull (Step 6) -
Once your done with adding your vehicle & equipment signs and weapons inside the hull of the Submarine. You want make sure it's sealed against water.

* Add the Sail and anything mount on top the outside weather deck (Step 7) -
Now time to add superstructure, where you will likely want place top part of your Periscope (if you want one) or sealed bridge where you can place a Helm, so you can drive the ship. Also you can place guns AA-Guns or TnT Cannons out here. Note that sometimes water will clear off levers and buttons from a submarine that can drive. This is time to also add any cosmetic stuff make the submarine to look good.

* Test the Submarine (Step 8) -
This is most important part...will it sink right.. For testing you will want to mount a Buoyancy Sign. This will tell you how heavy or light your vehicle is. This helps you monitor how ship is doing. Also the /ship command will also supply you with weight. See Trouble Shooting for further details if you have problems.

### Tips on Building Submarine in Survival Mode

Building a submarine in the wilds of Survival mode is possible, but not easy. You need make sure vehicle stays water proof (no holes) and no hostile mobs arrive occupy it and ultimately damage it, such as Creeper can. **Its assumed** this is not in Creative mode your building the submarine, but survival. A player can use schematic and load a vehicle into the Survival if full control of the server. However, remember do not build the vehicle in a river area. Rivers on most part are too shallow unless your vehicle is tiny. There is limit to size a vehicle can be.

* Option - Build a cotter dam
Before building the submarine, its you can make your own dry dock. While this is not easy feat, it makes most sense especially if you can't fly. So how does this work? You dig a pit like a Drydock, next to ocean or water that deep enough for your submarine sail out. You need to make the length of this drydock slightly longer than length of submarine your building (maybe 5 blocks on front sub and back, to allow you to work.) Then you need wall that next to the water side as think as one block thick and make it floor deep enough hold your sub, but it has to be able to deep enough able cruise out of the dock. When your done building your submarine, you need to use alot buckets of water and splash it on the submarine. The vehicle will refuse to move if you do not. Also make sure the walls of the drydock are also splashed with water until there bridge water between SeaWall (wall you made for the dock and where your building your sub. When you go to sail, you will need break the seawall up completely so the sub can sail out. Remember, don't DIVE until your in water deep enough.

* Option - Build a on top of the land next to water but...
A slightly riskier method of building a sub (or a ship), is to build it on level land. Remember that water it needs to enter MUST BE deep enough to handle vehicle. This may require you to dig some of the water way. Its recommended to put a fence with torches around the area your building to keep Creepers and other hostile mods away. So once it's built, Add a Tank Sign and Tank Engine signs to the vehicle, simply drive the vehicle INTO the water. Once it's in the water do /release ship, and click on the Submarine sign. This will transform the vehicle from a Tank into Submarine. Its not recommended keep this combo signs and drive out water. It's very difficult, ships tend to explode once they hit land.

### Trouble Shooting Problems with Submarines

* Submarine won't drive!
Did you remember all the steps your suppose to follow? If YES, then your submarine may not have enough end stone to weight down the submarine. Adding additional end stone will resolve this issue, also adding couple heavier blocks on the submarine will increase it's weight, the Ballast. Also, unlike most vehicles, you may have too many air pockets inside. These aren't necessary on a submarine. Make sure there no big gaps.

* Submarine keeps sinking to the bottom of the ocean!!
This maybe case your submarine maybe TOO heavy. Make sure there not too many Obsidian (Heaviest block in the navycraft spigot) if your using it to weight down the ship. Make sure you have enough gaps for air.

* I can't See where i'm going or I can see where i'm Shooting!!!
Do you have a Sonar Sign? Do you have Periscope? These things help you zero in on active vehicle to sink on and below the water. If you decided without periscope, the alternate way is to put glass on top each of the torpedoes tubes from outsider hull of the sub to the launcher itself. While it's not easy to see distances, you can get idea how aim your torpedo per tube. Remember this isn't best way to use them, due to danger of not able see the target clearly and exposing your ship on surface if you try fire it while on top of the water.

* My Submarine keeps disappearing when i TURN! -
Usually when this happens, it turns out there illegal block on board your submarine. Typically Spruce Doors or "newer" doors added to Minecraft 1.8 or newer are known to mess up and cause vehicle to "despawn" or disappear. Banners also can do this same problem, be mindful which version of navycraft spigot your using! If you are good at java, you may add these missing blocks to navycraft version you have.