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View Full Version : Another GWX question - Esc key to end patrol?


panthercules
12-29-06, 02:22 AM
Was out on my first GWX patrol in March 1944 and got bushwhacked by a Catalina about 380 km west of St. Nazaire. I planned to take evasive action on the surface while my flak crew (in my newly up-gunned Type VIIC) spewed up enough lead to maybe at least throw the bomber's crew off it's aim, and then crash dive. However, for some reason my crew ignored my order to fire (still trying to figure out where I went wrong there, but I'm pretty sure it was user error as I hardly ever try to fight it out up top) and I got pretty heavily damaged before I could dive.

I managed to stay below and work on the flooding for a couple of hours but then it started dragging me down so I had to blow tanks and surface. My repair crew kept at it, and for a while, it looked like I might limp back to port. Unfortunately, I was soon spotted by another plane (not sure what it was - maybe a Wellington). My flak crew managed to get off some shots and got him on fire and smoking enough to make him leave, but his bombs killed all 6 of my flak crew and wrecked my remaining flak guns, as well as doing some additional damage and flooding to the boat. I had limped along a little while longer when my watch crew called out a ship sighting and I could see that she was heading pretty much straight for us. I thought I was a goner, and got ready to scuttle and abandon my boat at the first sign of hostile fire from the approaching ship.

However, it turned out to be a Vichy French tug-like boat in company with small French freighter - perhaps diverted my way in response to the radio report I had sent to BdU before the second plane destroyed my radio antenna. At that point, I decided to be "rescued" by the French ships, and assume that they had taken me and the crew back to safety after we abandoned ship. Therefore, while surfaced and out of immediate danger, I tried to hit "Esc" expecting that I could use the magic "end patrol" function to get back to base. Once there, I figured I would transfer to another flotilla and select a different type of sub, to simulate having lost my own boat and having to wait for another one to become available.

BUT - as it turned out, the only choice available when I hit "Esc" was to return to the patrol or end my career :( Did GWX mod something to remove the "magic carpet ride" back to base? Or is this a stock game thing of it not working if your boat is damaged? (While I had a lot of stuff broken, my diesels/props/rudders etc. were still OK and I was making about 5 knots on the surface with plenty of fuel left to get back to port, so I wouldn't have thought the game would assume things were hopeless at that point). I know it's not "realistic" and I never use it for normal operations, but in this instance it seems like it would have fit the bill quite nicely and I'd like to get it back if possible. Can someone tell me where/how to tweak this back so that this "esc" back to port function could be restored under GWX?

BTW - I'm loving what I've seen of GWX so far, despite my not-so-successful first outing with it - great work :up:

The Munster
12-29-06, 02:50 AM
Hi, if you are in the midst of a conflict or a lot of action, then you are not given this option; best time to hit ESC is when you're out in open sea with little or no activity in the vicinity.

Vikinger
12-29-06, 03:39 AM
And if your sub is so crippled so the hydrophone dont work you wont get any map update. Only update you will get is from visual sightings. But however if a ship is in your hydrophone range (even if its broken) You wont get the option to return to port. And it is like the above poster said. You are consider to be in an engagement.

Just set up an course that take you away from the boat and speed up the time.
Then try again to hit esc key.

Corsair
12-29-06, 06:17 AM
And the "magic carpet ride" is a big cheat...:lol:

bigboywooly
12-29-06, 08:19 AM
The esc function isnt altered
You cant end patrol in the circumstances you mentioned

The guns not firing may be due to the stock bug
To get them to work cycle through the guns then end up on the bridge
Or man each one in turn then make sure you end at bridge view
That usually cures it

panthercules
12-29-06, 08:38 AM
The esc function isnt altered
You cant end patrol in the circumstances you mentioned

By "the circumstances" do you mean the fact that there were neutral ships within sensor range?

If it's that, I did save before I tried this so I could try sailing away farther from the ships and trying the Esc thing again.

If it's some other damage-based thing, I guess I'm just hosed because I don't think I'll be able to repair things in time before another plane eventually spots me (though there don't seem to be any nearby at the moment, I guess there could be something lurking nearby out there that my guys just haven't spotted yet).

Oh well - at least I discovered the option in SH3 Commander that lets you convert your Kaleun from killed to "surrendered" - too bad it doesn't seem to have an option for "rescued and returned to base" - maybe a suggestion for version 2.8? :D

Thanks for the quick replies folks :up: