Originally Posted by phantomkira
Necro-thread!
What I wanted to know was: "How best to use sprint and drift simply as a transit tactic?" You're not hunting anything/anyone in particular, but you know that you'll be blind if you go too fast, but won't get anywhere anytime soon if you go slowly enough that you can effectively use your sensors all the time.
I've found that in DW anyway, a usable variation on the aforementioned tactics is thus:
Find your maximum range of your most effective, and preferably passive, sensor. Preferably this will be long ranged enough for you to hear them before they hear you. Find out how far it can hear. Cut that distance by some amount, I used "roughly" 50%. Now, using less than your maximum sensor range, use the Drawing Tool (in mission, right click on anywhere there isn't a unit in the map screen), select "Range Circle", move the cursor over Player unit, left click when the 'four-points' compass-ish pointer shows, and drag out until you have some distance less than the maximum of your sensor capability range. The distance displays in the lower left corner in degrees (where the arrow is pointing) and nautical miles. I use OnlineConversion.com for quick and easy Yards to Nautical Miles, etc. conversion. This circle will now move with the player unit, constantly displaying the set range in a circle around the unit.
Now you just use the ENTER key to put down + marks at the edge of this distance, and move to the mark, knowing it's roughly 50% of your sensor range per mark. When you get there, slow down, take a listen (with the mentioned S turns, your blind spots are 60 degrees total for Spherical and Towed arrays each, as I recall), and when satisfied that you're alone, sprint to the next mark.
Personally, I've had mixed success. I usually do 100% of the sensor distance, and just fudge the percentage to put the mark. Unfortunately, this has led to more than one occasion of coming barreling in on a Kilo. My first indication of unfriendlies after slowing being "Torpedoes in the water!!!"
On other occasions, I've been able to pick up a slight variation on slowing, and nail a Ming on the Towed Array at 68,000 yards. Pretty much dependent on how careful or impatient you are.
On the subject of the Towed Array, I've discovered something. You know how the hydrophones on the TA will give you two lines, one your contact, the other a "false positive". How do you determine, with just the TA, which is the real contact? Turn 30 or so degrees , making sure that both contacts stay on the display (don't lose one in a blind spot until you know what you're doing with this tactic). Watch the lines closely. One of the lines will go WAAYYY out of wack, huge variations. The other one will stay nice and clean, with only a cute little bump in the line for your turn troubles. Cute little bump = TARGET! That's the side your contact is on, the out-of-wack side was a ghost, false positive, etc. Ignore it.
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