Active Radar & ESM

XenonSurf · 11-21-17, 03:46 AM

I understand that when being on periscope depth or a bit higher to compensate for rough sea, then you should barely spot any surface objects about 20-30 ky away when deploying your radar and ESM mast. Earth curvature is the reason of course, plus a little bonus or malus distance for wave interferences that you may also capture, or not capture in bad weather conditions.
For passive ESM I understand that only warships or airbornes activeley emmit radio signals, merchants and other unarmed ships do not for obvious stealth reasons.
As for the periscope, the distance you can see objects is further reduced due to its little height above water.

However, when I completly surface my sub, the picture should change drastically. Now with all masts deployed I should spot any ship at 30-60 ky away, all masts being much higher, and all other conditions remaining the same. Plus I could receive satellite transmissions showing me the last target's situation and course!

This increased radar and active ESM range when the sub is on the surface seems to be not modelled in the game, please developers add this.
Subs are very restricted for hunting their targets, so taking away a main physical mean to spot targets is restricting them even further.

Or is there something I oversee, and all is fine in the current state? What do you think?

Thanks,

Capt Jack Harkness · 11-21-17, 05:20 PM

The periscope is kinda faked as far as I can tell. It's not actually attached to the mast. I think part of it has to do with the break in rendering between above and below the surface.

XenonSurf · 11-22-17, 04:53 AM

If a target is reasonably close, I take the risk to raise the periscope and focus for that one target to decide its course, I have to know quickly if it's comming close to me or going away. If I see nothing, I would expect seeing it when hitting the ballasts-up key with "E" raising the sub a bit from 45 to 35.
Of course this put me at big risk to be detected, however up to now I haven't been successful detecting targets by doing so.

For the map to show the target's course you usually need to have a 60+% solution which takes a lot of time, so if you are already at periscope depth you should get this info faster.

11-21-17, 03:46 AM	#1
XenonSurf Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Germany, Italy Posts: 1,703 Downloads: 107 Uploads: 4	Active Radar & ESM I understand that when being on periscope depth or a bit higher to compensate for rough sea, then you should barely spot any surface objects about 20-30 ky away when deploying your radar and ESM mast. Earth curvature is the reason of course, plus a little bonus or malus distance for wave interferences that you may also capture, or not capture in bad weather conditions. For passive ESM I understand that only warships or airbornes activeley emmit radio signals, merchants and other unarmed ships do not for obvious stealth reasons. As for the periscope, the distance you can see objects is further reduced due to its little height above water. However, when I completly surface my sub, the picture should change drastically. Now with all masts deployed I should spot any ship at 30-60 ky away, all masts being much higher, and all other conditions remaining the same. Plus I could receive satellite transmissions showing me the last target's situation and course! This increased radar and active ESM range when the sub is on the surface seems to be not modelled in the game, please developers add this. Subs are very restricted for hunting their targets, so taking away a main physical mean to spot targets is restricting them even further. Or is there something I oversee, and all is fine in the current state? What do you think? Thanks, Last edited by XenonSurf; 11-21-17 at 04:19 AM.

11-21-17, 05:20 PM	#2
Capt Jack Harkness Samurai Navy Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 567 Downloads: 210 Uploads: 1	The periscope is kinda faked as far as I can tell. It's not actually attached to the mast. I think part of it has to do with the break in rendering between above and below the surface.

11-22-17, 04:53 AM	#3
XenonSurf Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Germany, Italy Posts: 1,703 Downloads: 107 Uploads: 4	If a target is reasonably close, I take the risk to raise the periscope and focus for that one target to decide its course, I have to know quickly if it's comming close to me or going away. If I see nothing, I would expect seeing it when hitting the ballasts-up key with "E" raising the sub a bit from 45 to 35. Of course this put me at big risk to be detected, however up to now I haven't been successful detecting targets by doing so. For the map to show the target's course you usually need to have a 60+% solution which takes a lot of time, so if you are already at periscope depth you should get this info faster.