Thanks for the pictures! I would love to see this. I was lucky enough to visit the USS Bowfin, a Balao class submarine, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and I was struck with the same impression of having barely enough space to move around, even though I’m not a big guy.
Silent Service was fantastic. I see Atlantic ‘41 with a similar disjointed pace. I think like you say, relatively long quiet periods can help for build up and immersion. The only trick is to make sure that there’s just enough to do to retain interest in these moments. But properly implemented, this odd rhythm should be an asset rather than an issue.
That contrast of feelings is common, and not just in submarines. There’s variants of that same quote in many military fields from Pappy Boyington, the famous WW2 ace who flew F4U Corsairs in the Pacific theater. He said: “Flying is hours and hours of boredom sprinkled with a few seconds of sheer terror.”
Glad you like the project so far and thank you for your support. I should extend the customary “Welcome aboard.” :)