Pacific Aces 10 year anniversary

[yubba]

It was fun,, right up to SH 4.. still have the subsim super mod cd from that long ago..

[horsa]

[ReallyDedPoet]

Just remembered that this came on the SUBSIM Super DVD I got way back when :-)

[MadMike]

I still play SH2 and PA, great game much improved by Subsim's amazing modders!

Yours, Mike

[Major Johnson]

All this talk about PA has got my blood going! I have SH2 but could never get into it, and I always longed for the return to the Pacific. Somehow I missed the release 10 years ago!! But I became a contributing member just so I could download PA and give it a try. Going thru the Uboat training missions now, just to get used to the interface. Look out Pacific theater, Major Johnson is on the way!!

[horsa]

Let us know how you get on

[Major Johnson]

Originally Posted by horsa

Let us know how you get on

Oh man!! So after some install difficulties I finally start a campaign and I'm assigned to the North Japan waters. On my way there I have a radar contact. It's dark and rainy. I change course towards the contact, and it's a lot closer than I expected, like 2000 meters close. When I get visual contact it's a sub, but I don't know if it's friendly or not, then BAM!!! I start getting hit with shells and the thing sinks me!!! Now I did raise my vulnerability percentage to 100% realism, but man it only took like 4 or 5 hits to sink me!! I'm guessing was a Jap sub!! Not a good way to start my career!!!

[horsa]

Sounds like you have run into the fairly typical problems of being a sub commander

[Major Johnson]

Originally Posted by horsa

Sounds like you have run into the fairly typical problems of being a sub commander

My 2nd try didn't go any better. On route to my patrol zone I come across an unescorted oil tanker. I fire 2 fish at less than 2000 yards, only one hits, the tanker must have seen my scope and comes at me. I lower the scope, and set the depth to 100 ft. The sub didn't dive as fast as I thought and the tanker rams me!! I'm taking on water so I surface figuring the tanker was unarmed and my deck gun could finish it off. I no sooner get the deck gun manned when all of the sudden I'm lit up like it's daylight and the tanker starts shooting at me!!! Needless to say it didn't end well!!

But this is truly what I wanted SH1 to be like. The external view really adds to the immersion!

[horsa]

So commander, you've lost two of our subs

Those upstairs are expecting better things of you on your next patrol.

[Hitman]

Looks like a submarine trap ship. Welcome to the pacific

[Major Johnson]

Just an FYI, I started a career in earnest, being a little more careful, and so far I have a Jap sub and Slow Cargo Ship painted on my conning tower!! Although I don't know how I've missed a destroyer with 3 torpedoes, all at a range of less than 2000 meters!! It's like they passed underneath. I'm not allowed to change the torpedo depth with the auto targeting, like it lets you do in SH1. I have a feeling the torpedoes are running too deep. I do have the realism set for "No Dud Torpedoes".

[aanker]

2,000 meters .... I'll convert that to roughly 2,200 yards.
2,200 yards is approx 1,000+ feet over a mile, and imo that is too far to shoot and expect to sink a DD. Even if they don't spot the wake, their sound man would pick up the torpedo, its heading, and their quick thinking Skipper would have plenty of time to maneuver toward safety.

Back when I sunk DD's, I liked to get a lot closer than that.... around 500yds - 750yds to almost 'guarantee' a hit, being careful to allow enough time to arm. You did sink a SS & a slower Maru so I don't think that your torpedoes are running too deep... he is probably happily dodging & weaving his way toward you : )

Happy Hunting!

[Major Johnson]

I may have mis-spoke about the unit of measure, for the Americans it was yards. But even the SH2 manual says the optimum firing range is 2000 meters or less for early war torpedoes, and I just pulled out my SH1 manual, and it says 500 to 1000 yds was the preferred shooting distance. 500 to 750 ft is way too close. You never want to get that close to a DD. The torpedo wouldn't even have a chance to get to it's set running depth (should the game actually be that detailed. You must mean yards.

The SH1 manual also states the preferred depth setting for DDs is 6-8 ft. In PA the auto setting is over 10. I know that because I wanted to set it lower than what it was, but would have had to have gone full manual for that, and I'm just not good at manual targeting.

[aanker]

Originally Posted by Major Johnson

I may have mis-spoke about the unit of measure, for the Americans it was yards. But even the SH2 manual says the optimum firing range is 2000 meters or less for early war torpedoes, and I just pulled out my SH1 manual, and it says 500 to 1000 yds was the preferred shooting distance. 500 to 750 ft is way too close. You never want to get that close to a DD. The torpedo wouldn't even have a chance to get to it's set running depth (should the game actually be that detailed. You must mean yards. .....

The main thing is to fire close to the DD if you're going to fire at one at all so he doesn't have time to react. Down the throat shots at 600 - 650yds with a zero gyro is about the only other way I could do it in PA. If I could get them to approach from 180d as a group in SH1 they would be easy to pick off with torpedoes or the deck gun at night; typically ports would only have 1 - 3 DD's.

None of this was realistic and I wouldn't try it in real life. I haven't wasted my torpedoes on DD's in SH1, SH2/PA, or SH4 while on patrol for years, not enough tonnage and not 'true-to-life'.

You're right, I meant yards - approx 600 of them.... lol