TDC use in SH3 - can't get deflection right!
 

Hi guys,

Finally decided to move into SH3 and it's horrible. Some of this is just what you'd expect having come from years of nuclear boat simulators (the sensors are atrocious, the endurance is pathetic, the speed almost nonexistent, the armament feeble), and is fine with me. The crew management side is certainly interesting, and gives it a much more holistic feel than SC or DW. However, one thing is driving me almost insane, and that's passing the impossible exams. My problem here is that the TDC simply doesn't produce an even vaguely accurate solution; it constantly aims astern of where the ship will be, and on occasion even manages to aim astern of its target's present position when the range gets really close. I can even see, with the naked eye, that the solution the TDC throws out is just plain wrong - a cursory imagined line tells me that the torpedo will miss astern, and nothing whatever will persuade it to change except artificially changing the target bearing, not the AOB, to compensate, from the TDC screen. If I allow the TDC to go through with its supposed routine, a miss is almost inevitable.

This is homicide-inducingly frustrating, and I can honestly say I absolutely hate SH3 at this point, but I am hellbent on at least passing these exams. I only wish to know, therefore, what the hell I'm doing wrong. Currently I literally follow the procedure the game briefing gives, i.e., taking as our example the C2 Cargo in the Torpedo School tutorial:

1) ID and lock to target.
2) ID target type from incredibly clunky book, enter "C2 Cargo" into notepad
3) Estimate range with stadimeter. Around 1,800m.
4) Estimate AOB based on book and a good eye. In this case AOB isn't far off 90 Stbd, which is nice but ultimately meaningless. Enter into notepad.
5) Estimate speed using stopwatch and notepad. This consistently comes out at around 3-4kt, which is what Paulwasserman's manual method also gave me. Enter into notepad.
6) Send the lot to the TDC officer, who is presumably asleep.
7) Nip down to do his job myself, set a spread of two torpedoes: spread angle 1-2 degs, torpedo speed fast, depth 2m, magnetic pistol since it also functions as an impact device. Open doors. Fire.
8) Watch torpedoes miss astern.
9) Go back to TDC and realise that if I draw an imaginary line continuing the solution line, it intersects somewhere around the target's rudder post.
10) Feel a burning urge to visit great pain upon an otherwise blameless programmer.

The only solution I've found? Follow the process down to 6) Above, and then do as follows:

7) Disengage the lockout on the TDC.
8) Use range estimate knob to dial range out until solution line intersects target ship mark.
9) Carefully adjust Target Bearing until solution line intersects bows of marker.
10) Using own wristwatch, measure how far the ship's hull moves, in relation to the solution line, in the estimated travel time of the torpedoes (e.g. if the torpedo travel time is 34s, measure how far along the ship's marker the end of the solution line moves relative to said marker).
11) Mentally convert this to a fraction of the marker's length.
12) Add this fraction to the bow point of the marker at its present position, and aim the solution line at this imaginary point.
13) Fire and hope for the best.

I'd say that at short range (700m or less) this works about 60% of the time but it's 1) A blatant as all hell exploit, and 2) Ridiculously dangerous, since it means having your scope exposed for about two minutes.

At this point I honestly can't see what it is I'm entering wrong here, and I would like to enjoy what is widely considered one of the best subsims yet, so your sage counsel will be appreciated!

Hi.
in any mod/super mod before you enter data into TDC, at TDC station (default F6) you have to "unlock" TDC by pressing a switch (1/0) or by using combination ctrl+t.
After you enter data you lock the TDC back on. So when you move your scope, gyro angle moves accordingly. Did you do that?

Also when you enter data on scope view (F3) it is good to press a tick mark (v) on a notepad at lest two times. First click "approves" data you collected, and the second click updates the TDC.

When you have above steps done, you should aim the scope into a spot on the ship that you want to hit and TDC neddles should move accordingly.

When you set salvo spread, remember that torpedoes disperse radially from the spot you aimed.

So if you set 2 degrees, and fired two torps, they will hit 1 deg to the left and 1 deg to the right from chosen spot.

Also remember that at 1800 meters, 2 degrees mean arround 60 meters of dispersion and your target has only 150 meters. If you didnt' aim at the center, one of torpedoes may miss.

Remember about torpedo depth too.

And BTW install some mod which gives you TDC on attack scope and preferably some mod which offers U-jagd watch to measure speed by chronometer only.

Hi airhippo
Your Mod list??
You play with stock game?

Hi folks,

Yep, stock game... I'm getting a sense this may be a mistake on my part!

Yes this is THE mistake!!
You must prove modded game
And then.... you must have the patience to learn...
:salute:

The thing to do that you have not mentioned in those steps is to open the torpedo doors before firing. Not doing that before firing incurs a time delay while they open screwing up the solution. Often that is enough to make them miss aft of intended.