Modded Mk16 and Mk37 for '68 campaign

[CaptainCruise]

For the heck of it, I experimented tweaking around with the weapons.txt file that control how the torps work. I was curious if any changes I made would affect how the Mk16 and Mk37 perform. We all know the issues with these two beasts. The 16 is dumb as a stump, and the 37 is slow as a dog. So I tried some things and they seemed to work. The Mk16 is now wire guided, has a passive seeker only, no active, and can run a snake pattern. I tried to resist turning this thing into a super-weapon, so that why I left it as passive only....basically a wake-homing torp, with a fairly weak seeker range. It's only about 400/450 yds. and is not very agile. Also, it does not have a good range...only about 13000yds or so. I need to test the passive seeker and see if that works. The wire guide works....I was able to steer the torps after a ship and got hits, but its not very realistic that way. I could use the 3D view and steer the torps on target every time. That's why I wanted to make it passive homing on its own, weak or not and if it loses the lock and can't turn hard enough to reaquire, then its loses the race. We'll see tomorrow.

The Mk37 now at least has a chance to get in the race and actually catch a target. I bumped up the attack speed to about 34kts. It still is a swim out torp at about 20/24kts so be careful you're not going too fast when you launch it. It'll still run slow to target before it enables, but when it does it kicks in the NOS and runs a bit faster. There are still a few ships and subs that can out run it, but at least now its a foot race. Range is a bit less to balance for the extra speed and fuel used.

This was just a spur of the moment attempt at some minor tweaks. I did it mostly for fun and to see if I could, and I'm sick of how those torps perform. If everything seems to work and you guys want the file, maybe I'll upload it. I dunno, this really ain't my thing, but if you just wanna try it, lemme know.

"CC"

[CaptainCruise]

Everything worked. It was pretty cool. The passive seeker on the Mk16 had to get in pretty close to get a lock, but it did at about 400yds. I may lower that even more to make it less capable and more like a 1968 torp.

The Mk37 came out slow, then kicked in the gas when it went active. It took awhile, but it ran down a 32kt sub and 34kt ship. Even tho, I was thinking of slowing it down a bit to maybe 30kts and let it try to lead or lag its way to a target.

Just playin'

[ETR3(SS)]

I think this is the reasoning for KFG adding the MK 45 with the MK 37's warhead and guidance package. Works pretty good for surface and subsurface contacts.

[CaptainCruise]

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

I think this is the reasoning for KFG adding the MK 45 with the MK 37's warhead and guidance package. Works pretty good for surface and subsurface contacts.

I've never seen the Mk45 in the campaign, or the game unless I missed something. Is it included with one of the mods, or maybe a air dropped?

From what I saw in the text file, there is a Mk45 there but it looks like its not enabled. it has "//" before the text.

Like I said, I'm not doing this as a serious mod, just tinkering on my own mostly to see if I could do it and what would happen. Its just for my fun.

[ETR3(SS)]

Originally Posted by CaptainCruise

I've never seen the Mk45 in the campaign, or the game unless I missed something. Is it included with one of the mods, or maybe a air dropped?

From what I saw in the text file, there is a Mk45 there but it looks like its not enabled. it has "//" before the text.

Like I said, I'm not doing this as a serious mod, just tinkering on my own mostly to see if I could do it and what would happen. Its just for my fun.

That's cool I get that, I do a lot of tinkering myself. When 1.08 came out it had the MK 45 enabled. It was a new weapon for the game and made in response to the drawbacks of the MK 16 vs surface contacts. It also worked better against the November and Victor I due to it's higher speed over the MK 37.

In reality the MK 45 was a nuclear torpedo, but it was feasible to remove the nuclear warhead and replace it with the guidance package and warhead like that used in the MK 37. In fact after the development of the MK 48, the MK 45 was withdrawn from service and several were converted to the conventional warhead I just mentioned, to my knowledge they weren't used by anyone then.

But if you want, you can reactivate the MK 45 by removing the // marks and add it to your 1968 boats.

[GeneralGamer]

Originally Posted by CaptainCruise

For the heck of it, I experimented tweaking around with the weapons.txt file that control how the torps work. I was curious if any changes I made would affect how the Mk16 and Mk37 perform. We all know the issues with these two beasts. The 16 is dumb as a stump, and the 37 is slow as a dog. So I tried some things and they seemed to work. The Mk16 is now wire guided, has a passive seeker only, no active, and can run a snake pattern. I tried to resist turning this thing into a super-weapon, so that why I left it as passive only....basically a wake-homing torp, with a fairly weak seeker range. It's only about 400/450 yds. and is not very agile. Also, it does not have a good range...only about 13000yds or so. I need to test the passive seeker and see if that works. The wire guide works....I was able to steer the torps after a ship and got hits, but its not very realistic that way. I could use the 3D view and steer the torps on target every time. That's why I wanted to make it passive homing on its own, weak or not and if it loses the lock and can't turn hard enough to reaquire, then its loses the race. We'll see tomorrow.

The Mk37 now at least has a chance to get in the race and actually catch a target. I bumped up the attack speed to about 34kts. It still is a swim out torp at about 20/24kts so be careful you're not going too fast when you launch it. It'll still run slow to target before it enables, but when it does it kicks in the NOS and runs a bit faster. There are still a few ships and subs that can out run it, but at least now its a foot race. Range is a bit less to balance for the extra speed and fuel used.

This was just a spur of the moment attempt at some minor tweaks. I did it mostly for fun and to see if I could, and I'm sick of how those torps perform. If everything seems to work and you guys want the file, maybe I'll upload it. I dunno, this really ain't my thing, but if you just wanna try it, lemme know.

"CC"

Yeah I would like to try it. I ran the 68 campaign and watched in vain as the enemy simply turned and outran my torps. That's not fun lol

[CaptainCruise]

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

That's cool I get that, I do a lot of tinkering myself. When 1.08 came out it had the MK 45 enabled. It was a new weapon for the game and made in response to the drawbacks of the MK 16 vs surface contacts. It also worked better against the November and Victor I due to it's higher speed over the MK 37.

In reality the MK 45 was a nuclear torpedo, but it was feasible to remove the nuclear warhead and replace it with the guidance package and warhead like that used in the MK 37. In fact after the development of the MK 48, the MK 45 was withdrawn from service and several were converted to the conventional warhead I just mentioned, to my knowledge they weren't used by anyone then.

But if you want, you can reactivate the MK 45 by removing the // marks and add it to your 1968 boats.

That's a thought. I'm looking at the .txt file now and I see the Mk45. Wasn't it called the "ASTOR" or something like that when it was a nuke torp? I think I remember some of that stuff about the 45. The only thing I see in the .txt that I'm not so sure about is this version of the Mk45 is not wire guided. If they gave it the same or similar guidance package as the Mk 37 shouldn't it be wire guided? Much less range than the Mk 37 also. 23000 compared to 15000 for the Mk 45. Everything else looks the same....warhead size, sensor ranges, etc. The speed is 30kts at launch, 40kts when active. That's not bad. I guess with a 30kt run to enable speed, it would help to be as close as you can before going active, and give that 40kt burst of speed a chance to run the target down with that limited range. I suppose I could give it a similar range as the Mk 37....close to 23000 yds. Or split the difference and try 19000. I dunno, lots of options to play with. Should be fun....

"CC"



**As a goof, I gave the Mk 37 a shot of nitrous oxide and ramped up the top speed to 80 kts. It swam out of the tube at 20 kts, then when it enabled.....I swear I could hear tires squealing as this thing took off like a bullet. In the UK there are some jealous Spearfish torps right now...**

[CaptainCruise]

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

USS Kentucky SSBN 737 (G)
Comms Div 2003-2006
Qualified 19 November 03

Yes I was really on a submarine.

Very kewl......

[ETR3(SS)]

Originally Posted by CaptainCruise

That's a thought. I'm looking at the .txt file now and I see the Mk45. Wasn't it called the "ASTOR" or something like that when it was a nuke torp? I think I remember some of that stuff about the 45. The only thing I see in the .txt that I'm not so sure about is this version of the Mk45 is not wire guided. If they gave it the same or similar guidance package as the Mk 37 shouldn't it be wire guided? Much less range than the Mk 37 also. 23000 compared to 15000 for the Mk 45. Everything else looks the same....warhead size, sensor ranges, etc. The speed is 30kts at launch, 40kts when active. That's not bad. I guess with a 30kt run to enable speed, it would help to be as close as you can before going active, and give that 40kt burst of speed a chance to run the target down with that limited range. I suppose I could give it a similar range as the Mk 37....close to 23000 yds. Or split the difference and try 19000. I dunno, lots of options to play with. Should be fun....

"CC"



**As a goof, I gave the Mk 37 a shot of nitrous oxide and ramped up the top speed to 80 kts. It swam out of the tube at 20 kts, then when it enabled.....I swear I could hear tires squealing as this thing took off like a bullet. In the UK there are some jealous Spearfish torps right now...**

Yep MK 45 was known as the ASTOR. It also had wire guidance as its only form of guidance when it was in service. The wire served a two-fold purpose, it allowed you to steer the torpedo towards the target using ownship sonar as reference and it allowed positive control of the nuclear warhead by only detonating when a command signal was sent down the wire.

After my initial scathing review of the MK 45 for the game, I took a step back and reevaluated its inclusion after talking with one of the devs. I had brought up the point of keeping the wire guidance since that would likely remain and was a part of the MK 37 Mod 1 anyways. The conclusion was one of gameplay difficulty. By keeping the wire guidance intact it may have removed some challenge from the 68 campaign. But since that is a modable part of the game, the player could simply add it themselves if they wished.

Something to consider for the max range is the max range at both speeds. By looking at the game behavior it doesn't go into detail in dividing pre-enable speed/range vs enabled speed/range. Case in point the MK 37 pre-enable is 17kts/23,500 yds. Enabled it is 26kts/10,000 yds. The longer you run at pre-enable speed the less range you're going to get out of your enabled run due to draining the battery.

[CaptainCruise]

Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)

Something to consider for the max range is the max range at both speeds. By looking at the game behavior it doesn't go into detail in dividing pre-enable speed/range vs enabled speed/range. Case in point the MK 37 pre-enable is 17kts/23,500 yds. Enabled it is 26kts/10,000 yds. The longer you run at pre-enable speed the less range you're going to get out of your enabled run due to draining the battery.

This is true. It doesn't give you the option to enter a range for pre-enabled speed and a different lower range for attack speed. I guess the only thing we can do is try to split the difference and enter a honest range that is fair to both.

Or just flip a coin..........

[CaptainCruise]

Originally Posted by GeneralGamer

Yeah I would like to try it. I ran the 68 campaign and watched in vain as the enemy simply turned and outran my torps. That's not fun lol

Maybe I will upload it if you guys wanna try it with the '68 campaign. I want to try a few more things first, then when I'm happy with it and if there are no objections to me uploading the file, I'll do it. I want to ask Neal if I'm crossing any lines here by tweaking and uploading a file someone else already tweaked. There is no name on the file so I have no idea who has modded it already.

"CC"