My spotted convoy messages are WAY-WAY off !

[XenonSurf]

I'm playing with my modlist below. This may also apply to TWoS.

This subject has been treated many times in the forums, I've searched and read them all, but no precise answers were given so I want to restart this discussion. (Maybe TL;DR, sorry, but my English has its limits...)


Currently I'm playing East Costal Waters of England campaign, and all I get (with 1 good exception) are plenty of convoy reports in my Captain's Log which are located in the Mediterranean Sea where there is a 'firework' of warships going in all directions with 15 knots, I can see all the icons on the map, and the information is quite precise. Very well, but WTF...I'm East of England, and sometimes I see merchand symbols or symbols starting from English ports which are NOT reported, but very interesting for me anyway. There is no way to estimate course, speed of these symbols, they stay there once spotted (by a friendly plane I guess), but that's it, they wont' move and fade away after some time, no more information. I can guess where they go and try to intercept, but: this won't answer the fact that all reports from BDU are way, way offroad for me


Now, it's ok when I simply take note of this and figure out that the game has its limits or doesn't make it too easy for the player. I'm fully ok with that. However I wonder if this behavior of the reported convoys can be changed, namely: I wonder if I'm doing the wrong things, and therefore I'm not getting the right reports

One thing I could do correctly, is: using the sent radio reports of my radio guy correctly, but here the confusion remains: There are 3 main radio reports, and for me it's still a mystery what they do in the game exactly.

1-- Report Contacts
2-- Send Contact Report
3-- Send Patrol Report

The 1st one is total mystery for me and I would be very happy if someone could explain!

The 2nd one will get friendly airplanes (and maybe ships and AI subs) close to you to support you, if friendly airports are close enough. Exact? And it seems only to work with convoys, that is: not working with single ships.

The 3rd one is very obvious (apparently), but what are its consequences exactly? It must do something or it would not be in the game.


In all cases, and even if you are using the 'safe communications', some stations can intercept radio messages and direct planes to attack you, so this answer won't help me because more than obvious
But everything else, thanks very much to point it to me if you know


Here my modlist - should this help:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Generic Mod Enabler - v2.6.0.157
[C:\Games\SilentHunter5\MODS]

Accurate German Flags
No_Damn_Bubbles_No_Damn_Halo_Mod_ADJUSTED
Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_byTheBeast
Equip_Upgrades_Fix_1_4_AFFOE_151
Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_Patch_1
Equip_Upgrades_Fix_1_4_Patch_1_AFFOE_151
#Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_Patch_1_HotFix
Equipment_Upgrades_Fix_v1_4_Patch_1 (available by date) V9 by sober
EUF_UBoat_FX_v0_0_3_ byTheBeast
FX_Update_0_0_22_ByTheDarkWraith
FX_Update_0_0_22_Torpedoes (modified for torpedoes failure patches)
FXU_0_0_22_Ship zon Files v2
NewUIs_TDC_7_5_0_ByTheDarkWraith
NewUIs_TDC_7_5_0_Sjizzles_Charts for NewUIs from TWoS
NewUIs_TDC_7_5_0_FIX_Message_English_XOTDC_Auto_Ma nual_TDC
NewUIs_TDC_7_5_0_New_radio_messages_German
Automation Scripts for Stock Game
IRAI_0_0_41_ByTheDarkWraith
IRAI_0_0_41_Inertia_Damage
R.E.M_by_Xrundel_TheBeast_1.2
R.E.M_by_Xrundel_TheBeast_1.2 - no hyd on surface - NewUIs-IRAI compatible
OPEN HORIZONS II v2.5
OH II v2.5 Grid Request fix Patch SH5
Trevally Harbour & Kiel Canal Pilot v3.1
STOCKGAME_ADJUSTED_Stormys DBSM SH5 v1.3 Basemod
STOCKGAME_ADJUSTED_Stormys DBSM SH5 v1.3 additional crew sounds beta6
TDW_No_Contact_Colors_1_1_0
TDW_No_Contact_Tails_1_1_0
TDW_Waypoint_Contacts_No_Symbols_1_1_0
Map_Tools_ADJUSTED_from_TWOS
IO_StrategicMap_7_5_0_for_TDWv750_ADJUSTED
IO_MapCourseLine_normal pencil_mod
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Thanks,

[XenonSurf]

I just want to report that I found the solution. The 3 reporting messages you can send above are obsolete, a remaining of the NewUIs TDW 7_5_0 which is not updated any longer.



The 1st one, 'Report Contact' is non-functional and does nothing in the game therefore. It should have been taken out, but it was not.


The 2nd one 'Send Contact Report' does exactly what I say above (also in TWoS).


The 3rd one is now called 'Status Report' in TWoS and increases BDU convoy spotting reports in your zone (or it should as for my info).


In TWoS there are only the 2nd and 3rd, the first is gone so it should not make any confusion anymore. If you don't play WoS just make sure not to use the 1st, it does nothing.

[bstanko6]

@XenonSurf..,

Send contact report is used when you spot a convoy. Your watch crew will advise “multiple ships sighted” and you can send this report to BDU where Doenitz will advise if a wolfpack can assist you. Early war the Wolfpack’s are non existent and you will get lot of “use own discretion” messages.

The status report is so Doenitz can update his massive wall map of all boats at the Lions den.

Weather report is a “just for fun function”.

To be historically fair, if a uboat fires all torpedoes and had a lot of fuel, it would remain in zone and act as a weather boat. So if you are a true subsimmer, nerd to the fullest, you will stay in zone and send those weather reports!

[XenonSurf]

What you say is my 2nd above, bstanko6, not the 1st one. As I have researched: the 1st does nothing, more precisely: TDW wanted to do something with it but then, nothing. In some versions the tooltip will state "not functional". I only get these 3 I mention with my modsoup.

My 1st above is not in WoS anymore. There are only 2 : send patrol report which does what you say (my 2nd one above), plus send status report.


Problem was: the names were very similar and confusing, but that's now history...it can only confuse those players which play their own modsoup, most of us play TWoS anyway


And thank you for your description, it completes far better what I guessed above. It's good to know!

[bstanko6]

That’s strange. What version are you using?

I’m 2.2.10.

If you are using older than I see why you have issues!

[XenonSurf]

Currently I have TWoS 2.2.10, I didn't yet update to 2.2.11 which is the latest.


In TWoS, if I go into the officers icons (lower screen where there are the 6 officers), I chose radio man, then the first white icon, I get a series of reports I can send. There are basically 2 reports: See this screenshot of my Radio Man menu:


https://ibb.co/vPvNNmQ


The 2 first are from left to right:


"Send Contact Report" . That's what you describe and is equivalent to my 2nd above in the first post. Works in my mod soup above and in TWoS.

"Send Status Report". This corrisponds to my 3rd above and correctly works in my mod soup and in TWoS.


As you see, no 3rd one (the 1st in my post above which gives so much confusion to me before I realized that it's non-functional), the other icons are not for reports to the BDU, AFAIK. Also In my mod soup, there is the same Send Status Report in my Captain's Log, this is gone in the current TWoS.


Following your advices above, I understand that: if I meet a convoy with more ships I use the first one of the screenshot to send to BDU. If I meet a single ship I can also use it, but maybe BDU will not support me, or just send me a plane.
For the 2nd one in the screenshot, I can send a status report which BDU may ask me sometimes, or I do it from my own initiative , and this would increase (but not dramatically) the convoy reports I receive in my captain's log concerning my patrol zone. Right?


Thank you very much to tell me if from my screenshot you think that my TWoS install is OK. I highly appreciate your intervention here!