[REL] FOTRS Ultimate Project

[torpedobait]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

It does seem that there is no happy medium between surface ships shooting the big guns at each other (which they still don't do correctly), and not seeing a submarine so easily from 5200 yards. Similarly with a night surface attack. If you set sensors up for that, you lose the distance vision of the AI. What gets me, is that if you make an AI submarine that can sit below the surface of the water, the AI on the surface ship "sees" them, and shoots their guns at them, while starting their depth charge run. I don't mean shots from the fore guns, just to keep the sub honest about its periscope use, I mean it's like the sub is on the surface, and they're giving it broadside after broadside, as they "weave" their way in. From what I can recall from my reading, they would come straight on practically, Ahead Flank, with the occasional slight change in course as an anti-torpedo measure, to get to the submarine's "targeted" location ASAP, and drop the boom-boom on them. Drive them deep, so they're ineffective.

There's just gotta be some way to get a better balance... maybe...

I really appreciate the effort and time you are putting into this. I can confirm that they were Judys based on visual IDs through the periscope on some of those occasions where the bombs hit home. I do use Map Contacts ON, so I can also just click on the icon that shows on the Nav Map to get an ID, on the assumption that my crew was good enough to make the ID from the size of the blip. Those are almost uniformly Judys near Bungo Suido. I presume they were also Judys that bombed me at 100' given it was night. I know the Bettys also come as Dive Bombers, but unless I was directly in their path I've never been attacked by one (that I know of!). I've now gone back to my old habit of diving immediately to at least 100' on getting a radar contact, increasing speed, and changing course. So far last night and today I have not been attacked, day or night. It is tedious (all the diving) but once away from the contact point I set the speed to 1 knot and just wait until dark. What the heck, I'm just listening for contacts anyway.

[merc4ulfate]

As long as I have been playing any sub sim yes that was even in the DOS days I have never had a patrol like this one.

I went searching for the Marianna's Task force. Well I found it it. I couldn't count the Destroyers ... I didn't have that great a death wish but I can tell you how many CV there were.

Six CV in two groups. I sank them all.

Taiho, Hiryu, and 4 Shokaku. Add to that CA Mogami, CA Furataka, and BB Fuso to round out 9 capital kills for a total of 213,900 tonnes in less than two hours with no time compression. I never once got splashed by a DD. They seemed to be more worried about the Dauntless bombers flying overhead.

I gave the crew my bottle of Scotch and let each one have a shot.

After setting at 300 feet or a while we came to periscope depth to find a downed pilot. With two DD setting 5000 yards off to the west in the night seas we surfaced and picked up the down pilot, submerged and went back to 300 feet and off to Midway for a great many beers.

I can not image ever topping this patrol.

FOTRSU is fun.

[divemonkie]

I'm really enjoying your campaign, but I'm having a problem with my belt fed .50 machine gun on my sboat. its proving to be near useless as an anti aircraft weapon. it has no elevation. even my crew cant use it unless the enemy is at sea level.

Is there anyway to increase elevation?

Oh! was just sunk for the second time off Guadel canal while on life guard patrol. Very tough mission. enemy aircraft thick as flies, very immersive.

I'd just like to be able to shoot back.

[zeus]

Is there a solution yo change the weather more often?

Ir usually takes a long weather yo change?

[merc4ulfate]

Originally Posted by divemonkie

I'm really enjoying your campaign, but I'm having a problem with my belt fed .50 machine gun on my sboat. its proving to be near useless as an anti aircraft weapon. it has no elevation. even my crew cant use it unless the enemy is at sea level.

Is there anyway to increase elevation?

Oh! was just sunk for the second time off Guadel canal while on life guard patrol. Very tough mission. enemy aircraft thick as flies, very immersive.

I'd just like to be able to shoot back.

Are you sure you are running the latest version? This got fixed in the last release.

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by divemonkie

I'm really enjoying your campaign, but I'm having a problem with my belt fed .50 machine gun on my sboat. its proving to be near useless as an anti aircraft weapon. it has no elevation. even my crew cant use it unless the enemy is at sea level.

Is there anyway to increase elevation?

Oh! was just sunk for the second time off Guadel canal while on life guard patrol. Very tough mission. enemy aircraft thick as flies, very immersive.

I'd just like to be able to shoot back.

Originally Posted by merc4ulfate

Are you sure you are running the latest version? This got fixed in the last release.

As merc says, in v0.81, you should not be having that. The download is listed in the First Page Post by RR. Also, the Guadalcanal lifeguard mission is a bit much, and while it won't be changed this next version (coming soon to a download location near you), I do hope to have the lifeguarding changed around for the next release after that. I had a hard drive crash a few weeks ago, and lost most of what was going to be in this next release, but I do have most of the research I had done, and can recreate most of what I had...

Originally Posted by zeus

Is there a solution yo change the weather more often?

Ir usually takes a long weather yo change?

The weather is a strange beast. Like a few other things in the game, the weather seems to be influenced by time compression, and also Saving and Exiting the game. If you play the game for one minute less than the interval for weather change chances, then the time starts over again at zero for the next chance to occur. Also, there are different settings in the game that can influence the "sync" between the sun / moon / stars cycles and the time of day, and the weather seems tied to all that. Several months ago, Front Runner did a write-up on what was happening and why, with the time-of-day. I'm trying to do a re-write-up on what all he found and how to set-up the computer and game for inclusion in FotRSU, and have it all make sense... I have thus far, failed... - but I'll keep plugging away at it.

[merc4ulfate]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Did you happen to have a chance to look at the Gar. The .50 is still the only option for AA offered even after multiple patrols. I ran into a Judy the other day doing an Agent Insertion up into Bungo Suido. At night they seem to be every where up there. I managed a slow battery recharge being forced down every hour by them and on one occasion I had my radar off tin hopes of avoiding detection by one got close and saw me.

The Judy dove on me but I made it to periscope depth and for some reason it did not drop bombs. It made a second pass and again did not drop anything on me. I guess I got lucky. At night they seem to be all over the place up the Bungo.

[propbeanie]

From what I can see in the files merc4ulfate, the Gar is a Tambor, like the S-42 is an S-18, and the Tambor files all look fine for the 50 cal to be replaced with a 20mm Single, after May 1, 1942 when the time period for it ends. However, gun replacements do not always follow the "schedule" as outlined in the equipment files, and you do have to be in-port for it to change... I will keep looking though merc... CapnScurvy did run through it again for the next release, and we'll see what happens when we get finished wrenching on it. If someone - ( ahem sorry) - hadn't missed a few things, it would have already been out, but hang loose all!

In the meantime, I'm more than a bit worried about these continuing "Judy" attack reports. I'll dig into that even deeper, and maybe figure something out...

[divemonkie]

Originally Posted by merc4ulfate

Are you sure you are running the latest version? This got fixed in the last release.

DOH!
Thanks guys. I'm using wrong version.

I really am enjoying FOTRS. I dont know how you did it but it has some of the most challenging AI I've ever played. Not taking anything away from TMO but I was racking up ridicules tonnage. Now I tred very carefully...There be monsters in those waters.

[merc4ulfate]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

From what I can see in the files merc4ulfate, the Gar is a Tambor, like the S-42 is an S-18, and the Tambor files all look fine for the 50 cal to be replaced with a 20mm Single, after May 1, 1942 when the time period for it ends. However, gun replacements do not always follow the "schedule" as outlined in the equipment files, and you do have to be in-port for it to change... I will keep looking though merc... CapnScurvy did run through it again for the next release, and we'll see what happens when we get finished wrenching on it. If someone - ( ahem sorry) - hadn't missed a few things, it would have already been out, but hang loose all!

In the meantime, I'm more than a bit worried about these continuing "Judy" attack reports. I'll dig into that even deeper, and maybe figure something out...

Last Patrol 177,379 tonnes
3 Merchants
10 Warships

3 CV
2 CA
multiple DD

By 1944 it is like shooting fish in a barrel. While I have yet to be sunk by a Judy I have ran into them up the Bungo. They love it up there at night. 25% damage is the worst I have received.

I have noticed that the escort are much more aggressive. I like that.

The Navy just gave me the Gato Sept. 1944. NO 20mm or 40mm option for AA only the .50 again.

I have also noticed the Specialist on board have descriptions that defy understanding. I'll get a list. The mouse over on them has weird descriptions. Might want to check those out before the next release to give them better descriptions like the normal ones have.

[propbeanie]

Right now, I'm testing v0.81, and I'm sitting on the surface off Bungo Suido, but no land in sight during the daytime - now at 2200, having sunk a "fishing" boat with deck gun about 1830, taking my time doing it too... they did shoot back with a machine gun, so we had to pull back a bit, so probably pushing 30 minutes worth of "action". Thus far, I've had a couple of Zero fighters, and a few float planes attack, but no Judy planes yet. I do have 32% damage, so I may not be able to withstand another near-miss, but I should still be able to identify the plane... Anyway, looking into that. CapnScurvy did go through the descriptions for this next release, so again, we'll see what they look like shortly.

You mention "shooting fish in a barrel". Are you seeing a lot of convoys, or a lot of big convoys, or a lot of single / doubles, or just a lot of everything? What is the escort ratio like? It should be slowing down by Spring to Summer of 1944, with targets getting somewhat scarce (for SH4)...

[merc4ulfate]

Originally Posted by propbeanie

Right now, I'm testing v0.81, and I'm sitting on the surface off Bungo Suido, but no land in sight during the daytime - now at 2200, having sunk a "fishing" boat with deck gun about 1830, taking my time doing it too... they did shoot back with a machine gun, so we had to pull back a bit, so probably pushing 30 minutes worth of "action". Thus far, I've had a couple of Zero fighters, and a few float planes attack, but no Judy planes yet. I do have 32% damage, so I may not be able to withstand another near-miss, but I should still be able to identify the plane... Anyway, looking into that. CapnScurvy did go through the descriptions for this next release, so again, we'll see what they look like shortly.

You mention "shooting fish in a barrel". Are you seeing a lot of convoys, or a lot of big convoys, or a lot of single / doubles, or just a lot of everything? What is the escort ratio like? It should be slowing down by Spring to Summer of 1944, with targets getting somewhat scarce (for SH4)...

Larger convoys. Normally three escorts
Double and sometimes triple Task Forces.

I ran into one yesterday that had CV's and then coming up behind them there was another group almost like the first it seemed and both had a huge number of DD. Then some hours later bam there is another but this had multiple CA and two Yamato with about 10 DD. The Task Force are heavy with DD but they are normally way out from the center mass which makes it easy to dive deep under them then come up behind them doing flank speed submerged to get into position.

I had four fish left after my last Task Force engagement ... I put them into one of the Yamato but it never brought her down below the main deck. Engine were out though. I wish I could have called in bomb strikes on it.

To bad the mod will not let the Gar and Gato have the 20mm or the 40mm.

[merc4ulfate]

Career: Battle of Leyte Gulf. Not a single mission. Oct. 25th 1944

Found Karita's Center Force coming up the San Bernadino Straits. 25 surface ships strong. Two Yamato, two Kongo, Fuso, CA and at least 10-15 DD.

325 feet of water did not hide me. Dead before I could get a solution on the Yamato.

[Immelmann]

Crazy ship rolling way too much. Wind speed was 8 m/s. See video for view of ship and when/where.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/430983921

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by merc4ulfate

Career: Battle of Leyte Gulf. Not a single mission. Oct. 25th 1944

Found Karita's Center Force coming up the San Bernadino Straits. 25 surface ships strong. Two Yamato, two Kongo, Fuso, CA and at least 10-15 DD.

325 feet of water did not hide me. Dead before I could get a solution on the Yamato.

Yes, Yamato, Musashi, Kongo, Haruna & Nagato BB, a bunch of CA, and 13 DD... I don't think I've looked at the make-ups of those groups, and probably should, since FotRSU has more capital ships to choose from now...

Originally Posted by Immelmann

Crazy ship rolling way too much. Wind speed was 8 m/s. See video for view of ship and when/where.

https://www.twitch.tv/videos/430983921

From what I can tell, it should be this group Immelmann:



which originates at Taipei Formosa as TaskForce008



That is the Okinoshima rolling about like that, and looks to be a bad spawn, as does the cruiser across from it, and the DD you open that video segment with... I'm putting the layer through the ringer now, to see if I can find something that would cause that many ships to do that, like driving across a nearby island or shoal, and I'll get back with you...