boat wrongly changes its heading when in reverse

[Rockin Robbins]

Absolutely none. That's a question for the developers. I guess I'm just lucky that I had always controlled the rudder directly when I backed up. I never even noticed the change until your post. Wish I had a working version 1.4 to check it out!

[peabody]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

No Webster, that's in my video and the boat doesn't flip 180 at all. It just backs up, which is really strange. I left it in reverse for quite awhile in my video. It kept heading south, even in reverse. Only when I ordered a new course did it flip 180º.

Yes, that's the way I have noticed it too. As long as you are on a straight course and hit reverse, it just backs up. It is when the rudder is turned that it happens different than 1.4. In 1.4 if you were heading north and clicked on East the bow would head starboard toward east, if you reversed before you reached east, the rudder would reverse to continue the turn toward east until the bow faced east, you would just be going backwards.
In 1.5 if you turn to the east and then reverse engines before you finish the turn, the bow will go back toward north but continue around until the stern faces east. Like a real boat would if you didn't make any changes in the rudder.

So, I see the difference as the helmsman not changing the rudder to compensate for the fact that you are going backwards. Right or Wrong? Depends on your point of view. One way the helmsman is making a correction the other way he is not, so it acts like a real boat would if you didn't turn the wheel.

After using 1.4 for a while it took me by suprise. For example if you sneak into a harbor and by the time you are almost lined up for the shot, you discover you are too close and you hit reverse. The old way the bow continued to come around for the shot, but now the boat goes the other way. Just took me by suprise the first time it happened. And a little unlearning like when you are docking and going just a bit to fast (misjudged a bit) so you put it in reverse and it goes the opposite of what I was used to. In Real life If I was docking the boat myself I would have made the correction by turning the wheel which happened automatically in 1.4, now you have to make the correction yourself.

So I guess what changed is "who's driving the boat".

I think the devs planned to make it more realistic, but I think it is just the opposite. For example if you are coming into Pearl and make a right turn toward BB Row and there is a BB coming at you. You are going to hit reverse AND reverse the rudder so you back up away from him. You're not going to hit reverse and do a 180 and back into him. Of course you can make the change yourself, but in 1.4 the helmsman did it. But like you commented you always did it yourself anyway. And you wouldn't notice the difference unless you were in a forward turn when you started backing up and didn't turn the rudder.

Either way it works is ok by me, like I said just took me by surprise the first time it happened.

Peabody

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

Absolutely none. That's a question for the developers. I guess I'm just lucky that I had always controlled the rudder directly when I backed up. I never even noticed the change until your post. Wish I had a working version 1.4 to check it out!

im still a little unsure if the capt really had to micro manage every detail like that without at least having some audio warning about collision course alert. (game limitation reasons im sure)

im agreeing with you that he probably did do all these things but what are all those other guys there for? if they arent helping me to drive the boat then i want nurses in bikinis on my bridge!

my point is i think you are right that this was intentionally "fixed" because it may have been acting "wrong" the whole time and we just got used to it that way.

i still think it feels like the captain is "missing" the help and imput he would normally have and in real life it would be a team effort not requiring such a high level of micro management.

as for 1.4 i have the data file on disk if you want me to upload a file for you.

@ peabody - you explained it much better than me, thank you.

the biggest thing i get in trouble with are avoiding sudden traffic like inside a port or the middle of convoy when ships scatter and cross your path. one wrong turn can ruin any chance at lining up another firing opportunity.

EDIT - i often like to drive my sub into a docking bay for the added chalenge only in attempt at stopping my forward drift i slam my bow into the pier. (not the best way to dock )

[Doolittle81]

From a non-sailor, layman's point of view, it seems to me that a sub would only be in reverse for minor adjustments of position, for very small changes in bearing....mostly to make minor adjustments tieing up to a dock or a stationary support/supply ship....perhaps backing off of a reef or sandbar unfortunately encountered. I would think, therefore, that the 'Orders' would be simple 'left' or 'right 'rudder or Amidships....rather than compass headings.

In a sense, it's like driving a car or giving directions to a driver of a car. You might/would say head 'Northeast' or 'North on HiWay XXX'...or 'go two blocks, then turn right on such-and-such a cross street'. But, when backing up to park or extricate oneself from a tangled situation (fender-bender, ice-slide, boxed-in tight parking situation,etc), the norm would be something like "turn the [steering] wheel left...good...more...okay straighten out...good..easy...now right just a bit...etc" Make it a car with a trailer attached and it becomes even more difficult giving backing directions.

Again, just a thought from a non-RealLife submariner.

[Rockin Robbins]

Bullseye Doolittle! In tight quarters, the captain's orders to the helmsman are on the order of "20º right rudder. Ahead 1/3." He would never order a compass course while maneuvereing in tight situations.

At sea where there are no immediate obstacles the captain orders compass courses, meant to be held for extended lengths of time.

we will just have to learn to adjust our driving skills now that it is working a little differently