Quote:
Originally Posted by Lymark1
Hi there!  I've recently come back to SH4 , my last play was like 7~8 years ago. Luckily, I could still recognize most of the game mechanics and It wasn't too difficult to get myself up to speed. That said, this would be my first time going for a full 100% realism with TMO+RSRD mod(Esp. without map update+ cam view, i learnt to use manual targeting back then).
Now, to my problem. I started my career at early war and I find myself having a very hard time plotting an accurate intercept course to a convoy without the aid of radar. During the day, I'd stay around 10k~15k yards(~5nm), using hydrophone to find out the range, but the readings are very inaccurate(+1-3000yards difference each ping) most likely due to them being to far out and too close together(mixed up sounds). At night, I could get closer(~8k yd), eyeball and guesstimate the course. I'd risk getting detected by dds using active sonar, even If I do, the readings would be,again, inaccurate and mixed up. Not to mention, they seem to change course once in a while, thus my math would be useless by the time I figured out their general direction.
The large convoy(12cargo+3 DDs) I'm facing right now is even more troublesome, they'd literally start shooting at me while i'm ~10k yd out in daylight. I have no idea what to do since I can't plot their exact course, tho I know that they're located east of Singapore and is headed toward east of Sumatra.
I have no problem plotting and intercepting a single or a few ships, but when it comes down to a decent sized convoy, I'm clueless.
I've spent 4 hours trying different approaches with no avail, Any advice? |
Yep, 100 realism esp with contacts off(and cams too, esp when evading DD's) can be challenging, more challenging than should be because of the limited visual aids we have. One thing that could help is the get vicker's different smoke mod, merchants will have the long black plumes of smoke, which makes them easier to track from distance. Given the visibility, can see them at 8-10 miles in the sim. This was one way subs in real life located and tracked enemy merchants, at times lookouts seeing the smoke before radar detected them.
Do you not have radar yet or just trying not to use it?
Yes, RSRD's default visuals for enemy ships are a bit much. There is a mod by Tater that tones them down. Believe it's called TMO visuals for RSRD. I created a Realistic IJN radar mod, it's in the download sections, does not nerf their radar but does make it behave in a more realistic manner since many escoerts later in war have. I've been able to pull off night surface attacks(as skippers did) on convoys with radar equipped escorts.All about keeping range from that escort limited and if come close keeping profile to the radar beam low. Sometimes I get away with it, sometimes I don't. Convoy you are tracking now, escort may have radar so in conjunction with their hawkeye visuals tough to get in , by default in RSRD IJN radar is on par with allied radar.
If playing without contacts. I would definitely get the above mentioned mods, all are available here at subsim.
Once get going, you'll find visual tracking in daytime easier due to the smoke and can help figure out their course.
I play with cams off all time now, contacts about 50/50 depends on how much time and patience have at start of patrol lol. I prefer contacts on and find more realistic, as crew would plot and update, and with TMO RSRD not given the information like in stock.However, contacts off is more of a challenge for sure.
So...
Get he different smoke for merchants and warships mod by vickers
Get TMO visuals for RSRD
Get my IJN radar mod
Would also suggest my "new depth charges" mod. Depth charges behave in a more realistic manner. See description in the downloads section.
Unfortunately, youll have to start over and enable these mods while in port, cant do it while at sea.