Q: Is Crash Dive a simulator?
A: Not really; it's more “Simulator Light”. It attempts to simulate a very specific portion of the WWII submarine combat experience, while mixing in enough arcade-ish action to keep the pace up for the tablet-player audience. There are plenty of hard-core simulators for the PC for players that want full immersion; this game is for those who just want to enjoy a tactical engagement anywhere, anytime.
Q: Why doesn’t Crash Dive have dud torpedoes, O2 tanks, crew rosters, <insert other hard-core simulator features here>?
A: See above.
Q: Can my device run Crash Dive?
A: Probably. It will run on any iOS device and any Android device running version 2.3.1 or higher. While you can play it on any screen size, it’s a complex enough game that the experience will be much better on a 7” tablet than on a 4” phone.
Q: What kinds of ships will I be fighting?
A: Transport ships are defenseless, lumbering targets. Heavy warships (Battleships, Battlecruisers) have deck guns that will fire at you on the surface, but have no way of attacking you when you’re submerged. Escorts have both deck guns and depth charges and will try to destroy you above or below the surface.
The full list of ships in the game can be found here.
Q: Why do I keep dying?
A: Probably because you're being too aggressive. Even against one or two escorts a single submarine is massively out-gunned; use your stealth to sneak in, take out one or two ships, and be gone before the escorts can reach your position.
Q: Will the Navy accept my Crash Dive experience as preparation for a real submarine command?
A: Probably not, but it couldn’t hurt to ask. Worst case, they say no; best case, they give you a submarine!