Getting a bit tired of not finding any ships on the open seas.

[Admiral Halsey]

I was wondering if anyone knows the hotspots for shipping traffic in the game. I use TMO+RSRD+RSRD Patch. Right now my sub is based out of midway so most of missions are around mainland Japan.

[Armistead]

I was wondering if anyone knows the hotspots for shipping traffic in the game. I use TMO+RSRD+RSRD Patch. Right now my sub is based out of midway so most of missions are around mainland Japan.


They're numerous threads, try searching "finding ships RSRD"

Most the traffic early war starts around the Philippines. You may want to start there first. The IJN heads south taking Borneo, Java, etc. Lot's of action and battles in the Solomons in 42.

[Webster]

simply google ww2 shipping lanes and take note of the dates since they change during the game. this is where you will find the ships when using RSRDC

the simple answer is to get rid of the RSRDC mod which as its main goal is to eliminate most of the shipping traffic in the game.

TMNO doesn't need RSRDC and is a great stand alone mod and by getting rid of RSRDC you return to the random shipping and finding targets everywhere just like in the stock game

[HertogJan]

Under 'Misc' select the radio and pull it with your mouse, there's a map attached to it wich gives you the shipping lanes.
Obviously you'll need to figure out when those lanes go active.
For example, you won't find any cargo vessel or convoy en route to Singapore before the Imperial Navy take it, same goes for Manilla, Java and so on.


One tip: after ending a patrol, when starting a new one, you get a full map cut-scene with IJN movements. If a area has bin taken you'll find traffic a few day's / weeks after on those shipping lanes.

[Bubblehead1980]

RSRD's traffic is mostly historically accurate, there is a lack of convoys in areas where there were plenty of them but its prob 90% accurate and an impressive piece of work. I've added some myself and releasing it in an upcoming mod. The way I learned RSRD traffic way back was to open up the campaign files via the mission editor and see the shipping lanes.For example, want to know the convoy routes in 42, open up the campaign files...42_Jap_convoys.

Much as in RL, convoys are fairly rare from 41-42, starting in Feb 43 or so start seeing a lot more, but they are convoys by IJN standards...2-3 ships and an escort.They grow and are better protected as get into late 43 and many more of them.Summer of 44, plenty of large, well protected and frequent convoys if in proper areas.So your patrols are much like it was in RL in early war, few convoys, mostly singles and not as much flowing, as war kicks in, more traffic, more convoys, more of a challenge.I just wrapped up a patrol in Luzon Straits in RSRD in September 1944, encountered 7 convoys (one I put in but 6 i attacked were RSRD) From August 30, 1944-September 16, 1944. Sunk six ships, one DD(ambushed an Aklzuki on patrol with wakeless torpedoes) and damaged another large tanker.(Last saw it listing but underway, while had to go to get away from torrent of depth charges)

Can also open up the task force layers and see the big battles are scripted, so can be present.

TMO traffic isnt bad, much better than stock but after playing RSRD, just cant go back.Stick with RSRD, you wont regret it.

[Admiral Halsey]

RSRD's traffic is mostly historically accurate, there is a lack of convoys in areas where there were plenty of them but its prob 90% accurate and an impressive piece of work. I've added some myself and releasing it in an upcoming mod. The way I learned RSRD traffic way back was to open up the campaign files via the mission editor and see the shipping lanes.For example, want to know the convoy routes in 42, open up the campaign files...42_Jap_convoys.

Much as in RL, convoys are fairly rare from 41-42, starting in Feb 43 or so start seeing a lot more, but they are convoys by IJN standards...2-3 ships and an escort.They grow and are better protected as get into late 43 and many more of them.Summer of 44, plenty of large, well protected and frequent convoys if in proper areas.So your patrols are much like it was in RL in early war, few convoys, mostly singles and not as much flowing, as war kicks in, more traffic, more convoys, more of a challenge.I just wrapped up a patrol in Luzon Straits in RSRD in September 1944, encountered 7 convoys (one I put in but 6 i attacked were RSRD) From August 30, 1944-September 16, 1944. Sunk six ships, one DD(ambushed an Aklzuki on patrol with wakeless torpedoes) and damaged another large tanker.(Last saw it listing but underway, while had to go to get away from torrent of depth charges)

Can also open up the task force layers and see the big battles are scripted, so can be present.

TMO traffic isnt bad, much better than stock but after playing RSRD, just cant go back.Stick with RSRD, you wont regret it.

I found about the battles being scripted when I sank two carriers during the Battle of Midway. I also have seen a couple of convoys now but they were either sampans of fishing boats. I just now got to 1943 so if your right I should finally see some convoys.(I downloaded the TMO+RSRD convoy routes mod so that should help me find them.)

[Bubblehead1980]

I found about the battles being scripted when I sank two carriers during the Battle of Midway. I also have seen a couple of convoys now but they were either sampans of fishing boats. I just now got to 1943 so if your right I should finally see some convoys.(I downloaded the TMO+RSRD convoy routes mod so that should help me find them.)


Yep and Midway is just the tip of the iceberg, Guadalcanal in 42, the engagements are scripted rather accurately.Savo Island, Santa Cruz, Eastern Solomons, Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal Naval I and II. Minor engagements are scripted as well. The Solomons campaign through 43 is scripted also, Battle of Empress Augusta Bay was one I recently saw for first time, was pretty intense.Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf as scripted nicely as well.Although I need to make some adjustments to the Samar Battle on morning on 25 October, the IJN does not engage the small carrier force way it should due to distance.

Yes, a lot of convoys in 43, stick with it. Palau-Wewak(New Guinea) and Truk-Rabaul lanes are quite busy in 43, really picks up around April and May.A lot of Ultra come in directing you to convoys in that area. The home islands to Truk via Volcano Islands/Mariannas is quite busy as well.Of course East China Sea has some traffic also.

Study the map but best idea is to open up the layers and see the lanes, will give you an idea .

[Admiral Halsey]

I plan on doing so as soon as my patrol in the Sea of Okhotsk is over.(I have found a surprising number of merchants and even spotted a cruiser.)

[Bubblehead1980]

I plan on doing so as soon as my patrol in the Sea of Okhotsk is over.(I have found a surprising number of merchants and even spotted a cruiser.)

A cruiser? Nice. Never see it there.Had a few good patrols there but mostly because of traffic I added in 44 and 45.Not sure about earlier, never sent there before 44.

[Admiral Halsey]

A cruiser? Nice. Never see it there.Had a few good patrols there but mostly because of traffic I added in 44 and 45.Not sure about earlier, never sent there before 44.

I finally get reports of convoys heading to the home islands and guess what? I had expended all my torpedoes and had just started heading back to Midway.:/\\!!

[Bubblehead1980]

I finally get reports of convoys heading to the home islands and guess what? I had expended all my torpedoes and had just started heading back to Midway.:/\\!!

Yep lol that happens or youll get a report of a tf or convoy that is just out of your reach, meaning even at flank speed you wont be able to get there in time since they were only able to give you 24 hours notice, then sometimes you get an ultra about something few days ahead of time or it shows up after of before, not exact time they specified(usually withing 72 hours or time date specified) Definitely will try your resolve but once you figure it out, its great.However, it will still throw you a curveball at times.

[Admiral Halsey]

Yep lol that happens or youll get a report of a tf or convoy that is just out of your reach, meaning even at flank speed you wont be able to get there in time since they were only able to give you 24 hours notice, then sometimes you get an ultra about something few days ahead of time or it shows up after of before, not exact time they specified(usually withing 72 hours or time date specified) Definitely will try your resolve but once you figure it out, its great.However, it will still throw you a curveball at times.

Well I think the game wants me dead. Why do I think that? It wants me to enter the SEA OF JAPAN!

[troopie]

Sooo, Where is repeat where is the surface shipping? The world wonders. :har:

[Admiral Halsey]

Sooo, Where is repeat where is the surface shipping? The world wonders. :har:

The world shall wonder no more. All the merchants are in the Sea of Japan.(I nearly ran into a mine three times but the tonnage I found was worth it.)

[les green01]

you gave the secret away now some big mouth congressman will shoot off his mouth and the japs will move the merchants and you will have to look all over again.

[Admiral Halsey]

you gave the secret away now some big mouth congressman will shoot off his mouth and the japs will move the merchants and you will have to look all over again.

The May incident right?

[les green01]

yep lol people like that should be line up and shot or hang.i read book that one of the code breakers wrote that we didn't break one of the codes that japan use not even to this day to bad we couldn't get our hands on them papers and break the code. I have always done good in the sea of japan and area 7 is always good.

[Admiral Halsey]

yep lol people like that should be line up and shot or hang.i read book that one of the code breakers wrote that we didn't break one of the codes that japan use not even to this day to bad we couldn't get our hands on them papers and break the code. I have always done good in the sea of japan and area 7 is always good.

I hate the fact May come from my home sweet home of Kentucky.

[JoeCorrado]

RSRD's traffic is mostly historically accurate, there is a lack of convoys in areas where there were plenty of them but its prob 90% accurate and an impressive piece of work. I've added some myself and releasing it in an upcoming mod.

I can hardly wait for your increased traffic MOD for RSRD. I love the fact that RSRD includes the naval engagement, I have been a fan for years.But the lack of merchant traffic is a real downside.

I have been tempted to remove all together, I recently removed TMO and am sticking with just RSRD for now. Like you said; Once you're hooked (on the historical naval traffic/battles aspect) - you're hooked. A MOD that adds a bit more merchant traffic to the mix would (for me anyway) improve the game play aspect and make it just about perfect. :sunny:

[Bubblehead1980]

I can hardly wait for your increased traffic MOD for RSRD. I love the fact that RSRD includes the naval engagement, I have been a fan for years.But the lack of merchant traffic is a real downside.

I have been tempted to remove all together, I recently removed TMO and am sticking with just RSRD for now. Like you said; Once you're hooked (on the historical naval traffic/battles aspect) - you're hooked. A MOD that adds a bit more merchant traffic to the mix would (for me anyway) improve the game play aspect and make it just about perfect. :sunny:
Well glad there is anticipation for the mod.

Hmm what year and area are you patroling? RSRD has no overall lack of traffic, just have to be in correct time and place(with few exceptions, thus why i am trying to mod to solve that) but some areas has less than others per history.

Well my mod adds traffic in areas that should have more convoys than they do and it will also add missing convoys(Take Ichi, HI-81, tanker convoys running from indochina east of hainan island through luzon straits to home islands) but I removed singles after June of 44 except for a few running the coast etc because japanese stopped letting valuable merchants run solo across open ocean by that point.

Let me know what year/area you are on patrol in and I will try to suggest where to find the traffic.

[Rockin Robbins]

Part of the problem with RSRD is that unless there is some kind of semi-official record of traffic, then it didn't exist. Early in the War, 1942 and most of 1943 that was a Japanese ocean and OF COURSE they didn't register their ship movements through US channels so we could make future games accurate. They didn't even bother to give Ubi headquarters a phone call!

So because we had no decent monitoring ability in the Japanese Ocean, and after war records there tended to be destroyed, altered and lost, we just assume that no information means no ships? YES!!!! And so we have nothing to find in the early war.

It's no coincidence that after we had some success and could operate in larger parts of the Pacific we had more knowledge of deployments and suddenly our game traffic blossoms.

There are so many problems of making a purely "historical" campaign mod. Yes, it's fun to check out the Tokyo Express coming down the Slot, but I wonder if we give up too much for the thrill. Thinking back, my most memorable encounters in SH4 have happened without RSRD.

The other aspect of RSRD is that it emphasizes the operations of warships. The one lesson of WWII in the Pacific was that our subs were next to useless against warships. They were four times faster than a submerged sub and so the chance of getting a shot was poor. Add that to the negative consequences of reprisal, being forced down long enough for all targets to be in a position from which you can no longer attack them IF you survive. Warships were not profitable targets for our submarines outside of lucky encounters where the warship decided to pose compliantly while we sent presents their way. That didn't happen often. The best warship target out there was a destroyer.

[Dread Knot]

Part of the problem with RSRD is that unless there is some kind of semi-official record of traffic, then it didn't exist. Early in the War, 1942 and most of 1943 that was a Japanese ocean and OF COURSE they didn't register their ship movements through US channels so we could make future games accurate. They didn't even bother to give Ubi headquarters a phone call!



To make matters worse, not only did the Japanese not register with us. They often didn't register with themselves.

The authority to direct shipping was divided among stubbornly noncooperative Navy, Army and civilian agenices. Responsibilty for escorting and protecting shipping was even more dispersed among numerous naval districts with inadequate personnel and resources. Since there was no central authority early in the war to organize convoy traffic, most ships sailed singly and without escort to and from their destinations.

The ugly rivalry between the Japanese Army and Navy was such that Army began creating its own amphibious infantry units and running ships and submarines including submarine chasers, the Navy meanwhile would end up creating its own paratroop force.


The upshot was that when an Army transport decided to up anchor and leave port under Army orders, it often didn't bother to inform the Navy and vice versa.

[JoeCorrado]

Let me know what year/area you are on patrol in and I will try to suggest where to find the traffic.
Early war- patrolling where I would expect to find tons of traffic.

First patrol was East China Sea Patrolled along the area North and East of Formosa where the RSRD-TMO convoy route map showed two routes converging- went the entire patrol with not a single ship spotted. Sonar appear to be working OK because as my fuel ran short, I decided to attack one of the Okinawa ports the patrol craft were detected properly.

Ditto for the second Patrol except I was tasked with Paroling the shipping lanes to the East of Formosa. I hung around the Southern Tip of the Island patrolling southward approx. 80 miles and along the shipping lanes running to the NE. Again, nothing. Very frustrating to creep into a port and make a raid there. Feels like I am admitting failure to find my stated target- merchant shipping.

Of course I would have been pleased to bump into a task force or something but so far as shipping goes- I am all alone on the sea. Plenty of aircraft - in my second patrol, I felt that I was def in the right spot- had to dive a total of 15 times to avoid enemy air patrols.

Not sure what is up- I had been away from the game for an extended period and have just begun playing again- the reason I deleted TMO and did a fresh instal of SH4 was because I got to feeling like something was broken. All equipment works properly if I test it with a single mission with known targets.

All patroling and no engagements makes Joe a dull boy. :rotfl2:

[Bubblehead1980]

Early war- patrolling where I would expect to find tons of traffic.

First patrol was East China Sea Patrolled along the area North and East of Formosa where the RSRD-TMO convoy route map showed two routes converging- went the entire patrol with not a single ship spotted. Sonar appear to be working OK because as my fuel ran short, I decided to attack one of the Okinawa ports the patrol craft were detected properly.

Ditto for the second Patrol except I was tasked with Paroling the shipping lanes to the East of Formosa. I hung around the Southern Tip of the Island patrolling southward approx. 80 miles and along the shipping lanes running to the NE. Again, nothing. Very frustrating to creep into a port and make a raid there. Feels like I am admitting failure to find my stated target- merchant shipping.

Of course I would have been pleased to bump into a task force or something but so far as shipping goes- I am all alone on the sea. Plenty of aircraft - in my second patrol, I felt that I was def in the right spot- had to dive a total of 15 times to avoid enemy air patrols.

Not sure what is up- I had been away from the game for an extended period and have just begun playing again- the reason I deleted TMO and did a fresh instal of SH4 was because I got to feeling like something was broken. All equipment works properly if I test it with a single mission with known targets.

All patroling and no engagements makes Joe a dull boy. :rotfl2:


Early war is different.The Japanese are expanding empire so a lot of invasion forces on the move.A lot of traffic in Luzon Straits, off Philippines, Java Sea, Karimata Straits, little bit from Truk to Rabaul, Celebes Area, East China Sea. Not as much off home islands as would think but from early patrol reports I have read it appears correct.

Once the initial "expansion" quiets down and conquests are made, routine system of shipping kicks in around summer of 42 but mostly singles since Japanese didnt take ASW serious at this point and convoys were pretty rare, you start seeing more of them in late 42.

[Bilge_Rat]

There is a map which shows the shipping lanes, I believe it is integrated in TMO although it may be an add-on mod.

If you stay close to those lanes/ ports and/or choke points where many lanes meet, you will usually run into something.

[TorpX]

To make matters worse, not only did the Japanese not register with us. They often didn't register with themselves.
...

I had suspected something of this nature might be the case. There is a very large discrepancy between claimed tonnage and JANAC tonnage.

If I were to attempt to construct a SH4 traffic campaign, I think it would be better to use the overall number of Japanese ships/tonnage and lay down patterns accordingly, than to try to recreate every convoy the Imperial Japan formed (or recorded).

[JoeCorrado]

I had suspected something of this nature might be the case. There is a very large discrepancy between claimed tonnage and JANAC tonnage.

If I were to attempt to construct a SH4 traffic campaign, I think it would be better to use the overall number of Japanese ships/tonnage and lay down patterns accordingly, than to try to recreate every convoy the Imperial Japan formed (or recorded).


I think that a more accurate guesstimate of shipping traffic for Japan would be to basically mirror that of England during the war. I would expect that the two countries had similar requirements and capabilities; each being island nations dependent upon shipping to fill their wartime needs. Japan may actually have exceeded the shipping capacity of England in the early years of the war.

[Rockin Robbins]

However you figure it, it's not possible to posit the empty ocean of RSRD 1942 and early 1943. I usually have to raid Rabaul harbor to get enough tonnage to keep my command.

[Admiral Halsey]

However you figure it, it's not possible to posit the empty ocean of RSRD 1942 and early 1943. I usually have to raid Rabaul harbor to get enough tonnage to keep my command.

Do you have the RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1?

[Armistead]

However you figure it, it's not possible to posit the empty ocean of RSRD 1942 and early 1943. I usually have to raid Rabaul harbor to get enough tonnage to keep my command.

42's a great year for battles and invasion groups. 43 I hang in the Truk to Home Waters lane. The Singy/Borneo is always a great shipping lane.

[Admiral Halsey]

42's a great year for battles and invasion groups. 43 I hang in the Truk to Home Waters lane. The Singy/Borneo is always a great shipping lane.

Once the resupply ship arrives off Tulagi I don't even leave Guadalcanal until after the Battle of Tassafaronga unless I lose too many crew members.

[Armistead]

Once the resupply ship arrives off Tulagi I don't even leave Guadalcanal until after the Battle of Tassafaronga unless I lose too many crew members.

Yea, you can walk on TF in 42 in the Solomons. Have you caught the Battle of Santa Cruz, that ones fun, decent zigs and 19 kts, It spawns just east of Ontong Java.

Sometimes ships so thick in Solomons, I resupply at Tulagi submerged with DD's chasing me......:haha:

[Admiral Halsey]

Yea, you can walk on TF in 42 in the Solomons. Have you caught the Battle of Santa Cruz, that ones fun, decent zigs and 19 kts, It spawns just east of Ontong Java.

Sometimes ships so thick in Solomons, I resupply at Tulagi submerged with DD's chasing me......:haha:

I doubt the resupply ship crew likes that very much. And yes I have caught the battle of Santa Cruz but only to watch it.

[Dread Knot]

I think that a more accurate guesstimate of shipping traffic for Japan would be to basically mirror that of England during the war. I would expect that the two countries had similar requirements and capabilities; each being island nations dependent upon shipping to fill their wartime needs. Japan may actually have exceeded the shipping capacity of England in the early years of the war.
Although Japan and Britain were both island nations, they went in diametrically opposed directions in regards to their shipping.

In 1939, Britain's merchant fleet was the largest in the world, with 33 per cent of the total tonnage. Japan had the third largest merchant fleet in 1939 numerically (not in tonnage) . It was barely adequate to their needs.

When war broke out, the British merchant fleet was put under the control of the Ministry of Shipping, later part of the Ministry of War Transport. The Ministry decided which ships would go where and what they would carry, making merchant shipping effectively another arm of the state. Control of Japanese shipping was divided among the Army, Navy and the Transportation and Munitions Departments, who often weren’t working off the same sheet of music.

Japan needed 7 million tons of shipping just to manage its pre-war 1939 economy and sustain its Army deployments in China. On 7 December 1941, Japan's access to shipping immediately dropped by 3 million tons when foreign merchant ships ceased to be available. However, Japan was able to make up the deficit somewhat by trimming it's civilian needs and capturing some Allied cargo ships during their initial phase of conquest. However, that only put off looming problems. Britain, on the other hand, saw it's merchant fleet size swell when the cargo ships of nations defeated by Germany gave their services to the Allies. Norway, with the fourth largest merchant fleet in the world at the time was a nice addition in particular.

[Rockin Robbins]

Do you have the RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1?
Yup I have that patch working. The problem with attacking warships is that the detect me every time from amazing range (I haven't installed the two detection patches yet). If I'm decks awash the closest I can get is 4 miles before they sink me with their first salvo.

If I'm submerged I get 3,000 yards from them below the layer, running silent and the dinner bell goes off. Then I have four DDs above me dropping Valentines Cards on my head. They haven't been difficult to survive, but getting to the surface, getting to an attack position just isn't possible with stock RSRD AI settings. As Lurker has the thing set, attacking warships when escorts are around is not in the menu.

I'm still going to play with it a bit before I load up Armistead and Bubblehead's two AI patches, but I can sure see why they made em! How many depth charges do these friendly guys carry? :rotfl2:

[Admiral Halsey]

Yup I have that patch working. The problem with attacking warships is that the detect me every time from amazing range (I haven't installed the two detection patches yet). If I'm decks awash the closest I can get is 4 miles before they sink me with their first salvo.

If I'm submerged I get 3,000 yards from them below the layer, running silent and the dinner bell goes off. Then I have four DDs above me dropping Valentines Cards on my head. They haven't been difficult to survive, but getting to the surface, getting to an attack position just isn't possible with stock RSRD AI settings. As Lurker has the thing set, attacking warships when escorts are around is not in the menu.

I'm still going to play with it a bit before I load up Armistead and Bubblehead's two AI patches, but I can sure see why they made em! How many depth charges do these friendly guys carry? :rotfl2:

My normal tactic is to try and get ahead of the convoy or TF dive to around 250-350 feet and go to silent running. Then when the lead escort passes over me I do an emergency blow and at a hundred feet hit the the periscope depth button. That normally gives me enough time to figure out what i'm attacking and shoot it before the DD's even notice me.

[Rockin Robbins]

The bad thing is that there isn't a single real attack that went anything like that. After all that means that you'd have to be in a VERY NARROW range of AoB to be able to attack the convoy at all. Odds of even being in a position to make it happen approach zero.

Then the thing of waiting at depth for the lead escort to pass over and then emergency blow to get to periscope depth in attack position just never happened. Ever. It turns simulation into a cheap quarter video game. And blowing all those tanks in real life would make enough noise that EVERYBODY would instantly know where you are.

I'll still give it a go if I get lucky to be well ahead of a convoy when I sight it. Man, I liked TMO 1.9 and previous version of RSRD a lot better. Difficulty is not the same thing as realism. I have Japanese destroyers in October 1942 with abilities end of the war allied destroyers would have died to have. Difficulty is much greater than SH3/GWX. The game has become unescorted merchies only can be attacked. You might plug a DD if you're lucky for a couple hundred tons...

[Admiral Halsey]

The bad thing is that there isn't a single real attack that went anything like that. After all that means that you'd have to be in a VERY NARROW range of AoB to be able to attack the convoy at all. Odds of even being in a position to make it happen approach zero.

Then the thing of waiting at depth for the lead escort to pass over and then emergency blow to get to periscope depth in attack position just never happened. Ever. It turns simulation into a cheap quarter video game. And blowing all those tanks in real life would make enough noise that EVERYBODY would instantly know where you are.

I'll still give it a go if I get lucky to be well ahead of a convoy when I sight it. Man, I liked TMO 1.9 and previous version of RSRD a lot better. Difficulty is not the same thing as realism. I have Japanese destroyers in October 1942 with abilities end of the war allied destroyers would have died to have. Difficulty is much greater than SH3/GWX. The game has become unescorted merchies only can be attacked. You might plug a DD if you're lucky for a couple hundred tons...

All of what you have said above is true but it doesn't really effect me as I go after the juiciest targets only. So if a TF has two Fleet Carriers and two Escort Carriers I only aim for the Fleet Carriers.

[Rockin Robbins]

Yeah, I'm creeping out the the Rabaul area right now to go do my original assignment. DDs aren't worth the topedoes.

[Admiral Halsey]

Yeah, I'm creeping out the the Rabaul area right now to go do my original assignment. DDs aren't worth the topedoes.

What year are you currently in? If it's 42 just wait till November and have some fun off of Guadalcanal.

[Rammstein0991]

Raiding harbor's isnt so bad, I have in the course of two war patrols (same career) hit Saipan, Tinian, Yokosuka, Yokohama and accounted for over 100K tons in those two patrols (including BOTH Shokaku carriers) and many merchantmen, doesnt matter HOW you sink those merchant ships as long as you put them on the bottom my friend. :arrgh!: