V1.07D Update Thoughts

shipkiller1 · 08-31-17, 04:19 PM

The new interface is nicely done. The HMI is well thought out. A lot of work went into the changes.
I have played a couple of user built scenarios (no campaigns) and jotted down my observations.
Here are my thoughts on more updates down the road if you feel they are worth the time and effort.

History:
The 'order history' on the right side is nice, especially the ability to hide it to free up screen space.
You may want to change the colors for some of the reports. Anything that you really need to know right now, eg: loss of the wire, torpedo in the water, ship is cavitating, etc. should be in RED to get your attention. These reports may get lost or not heard when attempting to do multiple things at once and you concentration is on something else.

Own ship Functions:
I like the OS functions on the left. Big enough to be very user friendly but small enough not to distract.
The two biggest things that I like are setting a depth and forgetting about it. I do not have to monitor it. Just let the Diving Officer of the Watch (DOOW or Dive) do his job. The other is the dynamic CQO function on the main display, just like Torpedo changes. Set it and go. I do not feel need for any type of ‘waypoint’ navigation being added later on. Would not be used in real life anyway.

Periscope Depth:
Even though I very rarely ever go to Periscope Depth (PD), (I do not need to see the target to kill it) the addition of the ESM signal strength meter is very welcome.
I also like the ‘Emergency Deep’ button. Very useful. Emergency Deep (ED) is a code worded action where specific actions are performed without the Officer of the Deck (OD) or Approach Officer ordering each action. One thing that should be automatic is the lowering of all Masts and Antenna’s. In my first test I left the scope up while doing an ED and of course it was damaged… The lowering of all masts and antenna’s is part of the code worded actions.
Along with that, I assumed that the ship would dive to the ‘Escape Depth’ detailed in the specific units configuration file (600ft for the 688). The boat just kept going down until I stopped it at 1100ft so I would not kill myself and continue testing.
If you really want to be realistic, then the boat should go to 150ft unless ordered deeper or you could have a settable evasion depth setting in the UI. This last one may be too much trouble to implement.

EMBT Blow:
I move my EMBT blow action to ‘Shift B’. The default button would get activated sometimes in the hurry to do something else. It sucked trying to maintain depth while running fast with a 10 degree down to keep some semblance of depth control with the bad guys out there.
You changed the EMBT blow after actions of the AI so after 2m 25secs (yes, I timed it, twice) you can regain depth control or dive. This is a great change.
In all actuality, if you were on the surface, you do not need to recharge your EMBT Blow banks to dive, and if submerged you would just vent the ballast tanks…

Target AI:
The AI seems more aggressive (this I like) after they evade. Instead of running for 10 or more minutes, as soon as they hear the explosion or determine it is safe, they slow and turn towards the last bearing of incoming fire. I would still like to see more ‘blind’ counter fire shots down the bearing of the incoming torpedoes. This is more realistic, for a number of reasons.
Evading submarines also use more countermeasures than before. This is definitely better.

MK-48 AI:
The weapon tab with the weapon control buttons is a nice add on.
In the individual weapon UI, I would like to see the tubes reordered. Tubes one and three should be on the starboard side and tubes two and four on the port. I would also like to see a ‘Command Shutdown’ button, to shut down the selected unit if you need to, provided the wire is still good. Not sure if it should be on the tube bar or in the weapon tab.
MK-48’s do not self-destruct at end of run.
Additionally, with the way the warhead arming is performed, the MK-48 would never detonate if it struck the bottom.
One thing I noticed right way, before 1.07d, each and every target countermeasure would break active homing. Now, depending on the target to torpedo range (and maybe aspect), the MK-48 performs more realistically and it may just ignore the countermeasure and run to detonation…

Although I have only played the 1.07d update for about two hours, I really like the updates.
It make for better game play for the ‘point and shoot’ people and you can still use the keyboard for us old gamers.

08-31-17, 04:19 PM	#1
shipkiller1 Electrician's Mate Join Date: Jun 2017 Posts: 136 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	V1.07D Update Thoughts The new interface is nicely done. The HMI is well thought out. A lot of work went into the changes. I have played a couple of user built scenarios (no campaigns) and jotted down my observations. Here are my thoughts on more updates down the road if you feel they are worth the time and effort. History: The 'order history' on the right side is nice, especially the ability to hide it to free up screen space. You may want to change the colors for some of the reports. Anything that you really need to know right now, eg: loss of the wire, torpedo in the water, ship is cavitating, etc. should be in RED to get your attention. These reports may get lost or not heard when attempting to do multiple things at once and you concentration is on something else. Own ship Functions: I like the OS functions on the left. Big enough to be very user friendly but small enough not to distract. The two biggest things that I like are setting a depth and forgetting about it. I do not have to monitor it. Just let the Diving Officer of the Watch (DOOW or Dive) do his job. The other is the dynamic CQO function on the main display, just like Torpedo changes. Set it and go. I do not feel need for any type of ‘waypoint’ navigation being added later on. Would not be used in real life anyway. Periscope Depth: Even though I very rarely ever go to Periscope Depth (PD), (I do not need to see the target to kill it) the addition of the ESM signal strength meter is very welcome. I also like the ‘Emergency Deep’ button. Very useful. Emergency Deep (ED) is a code worded action where specific actions are performed without the Officer of the Deck (OD) or Approach Officer ordering each action. One thing that should be automatic is the lowering of all Masts and Antenna’s. In my first test I left the scope up while doing an ED and of course it was damaged… The lowering of all masts and antenna’s is part of the code worded actions. Along with that, I assumed that the ship would dive to the ‘Escape Depth’ detailed in the specific units configuration file (600ft for the 688). The boat just kept going down until I stopped it at 1100ft so I would not kill myself and continue testing. If you really want to be realistic, then the boat should go to 150ft unless ordered deeper or you could have a settable evasion depth setting in the UI. This last one may be too much trouble to implement. EMBT Blow: I move my EMBT blow action to ‘Shift B’. The default button would get activated sometimes in the hurry to do something else. It sucked trying to maintain depth while running fast with a 10 degree down to keep some semblance of depth control with the bad guys out there. You changed the EMBT blow after actions of the AI so after 2m 25secs (yes, I timed it, twice) you can regain depth control or dive. *This is a great change*. In all actuality, if you were on the surface, you do not need to recharge your EMBT Blow banks to dive, and if submerged you would just vent the ballast tanks… Target AI: The AI seems more aggressive (this I like) after they evade. Instead of running for 10 or more minutes, as soon as they hear the explosion or determine it is safe, they slow and turn towards the last bearing of incoming fire. I would still like to see more ‘blind’ counter fire shots down the bearing of the incoming torpedoes. This is more realistic, for a number of reasons. Evading submarines also use more countermeasures than before. This is definitely better. MK-48 AI: The weapon tab with the weapon control buttons is a nice add on. In the individual weapon UI, I would like to see the tubes reordered. Tubes one and three should be on the starboard side and tubes two and four on the port. I would also like to see a ‘Command Shutdown’ button, to shut down the selected unit if you need to, provided the wire is still good. Not sure if it should be on the tube bar or in the weapon tab. MK-48’s do not self-destruct at end of run. Additionally, with the way the warhead arming is performed, the MK-48 would never detonate if it struck the bottom. One thing I noticed right way, before 1.07d, each and every target countermeasure would break active homing. Now, depending on the target to torpedo range (and maybe aspect), the MK-48 performs more realistically and it may just ignore the countermeasure and run to detonation… Although I have only played the 1.07d update for about two hours, I really like the updates. It make for better game play for the ‘point and shoot’ people and you can still use the keyboard for us old gamers.