8 KM vs. 16 KM Thoughts and Reality

[Lanzfeld]

I have been playing NYGM with the 16 km visibility for awhile now and I notice that I can spot, on a clear day, the smoke from ships even farther out then 16 km. So this suggests to me that even though it is a 16 km mod you can see just a bit farther.

After reading from two different sources ("Type VII U-Boat" by Stern and "U-Boat Commander" by Cremer) that visibility from a Type VII tower, on the best day, was between 10km and 12 km (seeing tops of masts) I am seriously thinking of switching to the 8 km version when I start playing GWX. This makes even more sense if you can actually see a bit farther then the 8 km (like seeing a bit farther in the 16 km mod) so as to simulate the realistic 10km-12km visibility. Plus it seems that with the 16 km mod on a clear day or night my crew sees things that are really far and almost impossible to see and my crew is blind when visibility drops to "light fog" as I can see things way before they do.

What do you guys think of this? What mod do you use and why? Reality may suggest that the 8 km mod is more realitic.

[Corrupt_File]

Seeing the tops of masts maybe, but it's the smoke cone a WO will look for, which in reality, on a clear day etc... you could see from +16 km (depending on the ship).

[Venatore]

8km for me. It's my PC setup that dictate's this.

[tommyk]

I like 16km... I gives me less feeling of sailing in a small bubble and feels right for me...

[melnibonian]

8Km as Venatore said. My computer cannot handle more than that

[AVGWarhawk]

Sailor Steve said 16km is more realistic. I would have to go with Steve's assessment as I believe Sailor Steve is or was a sailor. Lets look at it this way. If you listen to the weatherman ofter they will state 'visability at....2 miles,' etc. On clear days the weatherman statement will say "visability at 10 miles or sometimes more. Seeing mast tips and tall columns of smoke very far away with binoculars is a very real thing. I believe the 8km mod was created for computers that have trouble generating the broader spectrum for field of view. I myself am lucky my rig can handle the 16km and I use it

[Lanzfeld]

Sailor Steve may be a sailor but so was Cremer. Remember that you are only 5 meters above the water in a type 7.

Just because visibility is reported at 10 miles doesnt mean you can see objects that far.

[irish1958]

The earth is round, and the curvature limits visibility distance. Smoke in the distance can only be observed under ideal conditions.
I suspect seeing smoke at 18 or 20 Km would be a very rare event.
Radar, of course, changed everything; even then, the horizon and the three mile limit (aprox 5Km) limited detection.
I use the 8 Km as I suspect it is more realistic.

[Jonte]

I'm using NYGM which doesn't have an optional 8km mod? My system stutters a bit with the 16km mod and if 8km could be as realistic I want to change the visibility. How can I do this? With SH3MiniTweaker?

Or should I use GWX instead? Is it as realistic as NYGM?

[tommyk]

http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/explain/a...r/horizon.html

take 60 feet for the height of smoke an imagine you sit on water...

distance to horizon (miles) = sqrt [ 7 × h (feet) / 4 ]

I don't know how it is in real naval conditions but I feel 16km suits me better...

[Bill Nichols]

Having actually served in submarines and spent many hours on the bridge while surfaced (of course!), I find the 8-km setting an acceptible compromise between daylight sighting ranges and nighttime. Put another way, I mainly I use the 8-km setting to prevent my watch officer from making too many impossible sightings at night.

[tommyk]

ah, thanks bill!

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Lanzfeld

Sailor Steve may be a sailor but so was Cremer. Remember that you are only 5 meters above the water in a type 7.

Just because visibility is reported at 10 miles doesnt mean you can see objects that far.

True, we are 5 meters above the water but the masts and smoke are very high(on calm weather days for smoke columns). If visibility is reported at 10 miles I would venture to guess that what is being said is with the human eye un-assisted can see 10 miles....unobstructed by fog, humitity, particulates in the air. Picking out individual objects....probably not. With assitance of strong binoculars, I would say yes. I can not say for sure. It would probably be best for an answer from Sailor Steve and his take on this question:hmm:

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Bill Nichols

Having actually served in submarines and spent many hours on the bridge while surfaced (of course!), I find the 8-km setting an acceptible compromise between daylight sighting ranges and nighttime. Put another way, I mainly I use the 8-km setting to prevent my watch officer from making too many impossible sightings at night.

Bill,

I see you find 8km as an acceptable compromise for SH3 and prevention of the WO being Eagle Eye GI Joe and see things that could not be seen. I take this as for game play. In your professional opinion and experience, (real data you have experience on the submarine) calm day, no haze, no fog, few particulate matter in the air, could one with assistance of binoculars see to 16km? Meaning smoke columns and masts? I would suspect at the very least smoke column, dark black belching stacks pumping thick black smoke against a blue sky could be visable with assistance of binoculars. These coal burning vessels make quite column of smoke. What is your thoughts on this?

I agree with the night vision within the game. The watchmen are a little to good. But in retrospect I believe the developers are at a fine line between having an enjoyable experience as oppossed getting a little impatient looking and waiting.

Let me know your thoughts on the real experience data you possess through your service in the forces. No one can beat the real deal!!!!

What submarine did you serve on?

[Hartmann]

The best compromise could be a 10 km mod (or 12 maximum) a more than stock but no as big as 16 km :hmm:

but it could need a lot of work....

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