way too hard!
 

I've played this game for years, I come and go when I get the bug and just recently came back. I've always loved SH4 for many reasons but I think I JUST NOW realized why. It's not insanely hard!

its a perfect balance of killing some juicy targets and barely escaping. But this game while im sure great in realism, is just way too hard!
It's 1942, yes the dd's are now improved and ready to kill me, but, I can NEVER survive!
if I see a convoy I know I will die, no matter what. I can maybe get a kill or 2, then dive to great depths, 200M or more, I run my motors at 50rpms, 5 degrees turning left and right, throw decoys out, time compress some, and dead.

Ok, try again, this time when I get the message of depth charges in the water, I change course harder, increase speed, it works a little, time compress.. DEAD!

No matter how hard I try, im always gonna die.
I've read many books, and even in 1942, skippers were still doing surface attacks in convoys(at night of course) ,you couldn't dare to in this game.

I can't even get close to the convoy let alone in the middle of one without getting detected. I try from the side surface, detected. From behind, detected, from the front, you guessed it.. Detected!

I try submerged with all angles, detected.
I dive to 220M and JUST SIT THERE in front of them.. before the convoy is even close "Enemy is pinging us"

ARRRRGG!G!G!G!G

:( I just wish there was a good balance, with the amount of great mods out there is there some how an easier one?

I'm running NYGM right now and the hard coded patches.

I mean, do I really have to take the real life 10 hours and not use time compression? is there a trick? or a mod?

thanks guys!

Late war attacks quite differ from the easy night surface runs against 1-2 usually inexperienced escorts. In 1942 destroyers and aircraft have radar so no surface attacks any more. You should have a radar-warning receiver (like Metox that is available from mid-42) with which you can get ahead of the convoy outside escort radar range (at least about 10-12 km, however they can detect you sometimes from 20 km).
For the attack you should always submerge and if you have Falke acoustic torpedoes, attack the escorts with them. Right after you fire your torpedoes dive immediately, you can follow your eels through your hydrophone, too.
If you previously played SH4, I advise you to start a career in 1940 to get used to the capabilities of your U-boat and find out the enemy's tactics.
Finally, should you still fail escaping escort after not so fruitful attacks, don't worry since in real life many U-boats were sunk even before having a chance to shoot their first torpedo. If stakes are against you, keep in mind that there always be a next convoy somewhere else in the ocean. :up:

I noticed you use timecompression in the heat of the moment. How do you fare if you let time run normal?

Well in game time it takes HOURS!!! That's my point, are you guys really playing this in 1xtc when avoiding chargers? I mean I couldn't do that. I slow down to 1x every so often to change course, adjust speed and general avoidance. But I do die when I'm advancing time, lol it happens fast, boom "dead" haha

I only use time compression to travel long distances, or sometimes to help just get me in range a little faster. Once the action begins TC is used to speed up the torpedo until it gets close enough to strike, then I slow it down to watch the ship get hit.
If I am the hunted, I almost never use TC, I do it 1:1 until they (hopefully) lose interest and go away.
A lot of real time can tick off the clock while you're evading an attack.
I played the in-game single mission "break through to gibraltar" twice, with different boats. The first was the type VII they give you (U-96 from das boot) and the second was a "let's try 'what if' " and I used the type XXI for the exact mission. In the type VII, I started it at 4pm (my time, real time), and by just after Midnight, (my time, real time) we pulled into La Spezia. I was so intent on avoiding the english fleet that 8 actual hours went by without my noticing.
That same trip in the Type XXI took 2 actual hours.
Above all, never use TC when being depth charged, too much happens too fast for you to react and it is almost certainly 'fatal'...

WAT!!! :stare:, I don't see how its possible, it can take HOURS and HOURS dodging charges during a huge convoy battle. How are you playing real time ? I mean I love this game too, but just sitting in the sub waiting 5-10 minutes each time for the destroyers to turn around ?

I can't see this being true!

Being the hunted is one of the reasons I love NYGM. I've sat right here many hours trying to sneak away. Some times I survive, some times not. When you do survive, it's such a thrill, it makes the time spent well worth it.

This is also one reason I sail in a Type IIa. At depth, the IIa leaves a smaller signature than the VII or IX. Maybe you should try the smaller U-Boat and see if that increases your chance of survival.

:salute:

It's true. Way back when I played Silent Service time compression was automatic for travel and it was a very fast 80,000x or so (one second was a day on the world map, and one second was a night), but I don't recall TC even being available in regular play. When I started playing SH1 back in 1998 I got discovered an irritating bug: If you went to any kind of TC while within sighting distance of a destroyer they would automatically turn around and come running right to your location. You had to wait until they were out of sight before attempting time compression.

The habit stuck with me in SH3, and I have spent many happy hours waiting for the escorts to finally decide I was gone. Of course I did forget that one time I was stalking a lone merchant in the fog. I was doing 32x when he rammed me. :dead:

This may really shock you: There have been players who did whole patrols in real time.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...al+time+patrol

Yea I remember reading that psycho's post :D

but I don't want to spend 5 REAL hours (if not longer) 1x-ing when I see a convoy

I don't mind an hour, but 5-10 hours? of real play time?

Besides I thought one of the golden rules was to never save submerged, or even in a convoy.

I think Im gonna make a new career, 100% realism, and start at 1939 and an IXB boat

by the way, sailor steve.. HOW ARE YOU!!! I've talked to you plenty back in the day! 2003/2004 days.

You're the one person I always remember on this forum, shoot probably everyone feels that way, lol

Are you really still playing SH3?

I have yet to play in 1942 situations. So I'm not saying I know how to avoid getting killed in that time frame. But it seems to me with time compression you are giving away every chance of responding in time to the actions of the enemy. Of course you know that if you increased speed the AI can detect that. And if you forget that while using TC, you give away plenty of time for them to notice it. Once they find you again they are as motivated to kill you as from the beginning. Don't give away your mistakes.

I don't know (and wasn't implying either) that using timecompression is like a "he's here!"-buoy popping up on the surface for the AI. Maybe it gives unfair advantage to the AI in this game, maybe and hopefully it does not. But in the interest of making it easier for yourself, and less easier for them, I suggest that you at least moderate the TC level. (you haven't said what level yet) Don't TC until you are sure that no depthcharges are dropped (or well behind you) and he is only searching. And then only use moderate TC levels until you are totally clear.

Hi,

it's very important to use silent running when close to escorts. Even at full stop (0 RPM) it makes a big difference. Your detection probability is much higher without silent running than with it.

Regards, LGN1

I'm surviving. Building models, playing music, and doing research for the 100 Years thread.

At the moment I'm not playing anything, since my nine-year-old single-core computer won't run IABL's Merchant Fleet Mod, and after doing years of work on my Ship Names mod which focuses mainly on the 70+ new ship types he creates I really want to see them in action. I keep thinking I'll get a new computer, and it keeps not happening. When I do I'll certainly be playing SH3 again.

ahh jesus!! We should start a donate thread! no serious member like yourself should be stuck with a a computer that can't even play SH3, lol

Absolutely yes.
I think it's suicidal to do otherwise (and a waste of fun :D).

I have my own "rules" on how to play the game and one of them is -- never use TC if my boat is in visual range of anyone --