So ive Discovered the true SH 3.

[Packerton]

Yeah been playing GWX for a while at 80% realism (auto targeting and external view allowed) and the game started getting boreing uninteresting.


Read up on manual targeting and practiced then started a DiD career with it.

Wow its like a whole new game I feel so satisfied when I perfectly aim a torpedo and blow ship up in one good critical hit.

Its like every shot is a personal vendetta.
100% Realism forever!!! :rock:

[Alyebard]

:|\\ welcome to the 100 % realism club :ahoy:

[Maraz]

Agree!!! :up:

Manual targeting is a whole new game...

Maraz

[dcb]

I've been playing with manual targeting for a year. Now I found an even more interesting feature - doing manual targeting without the lock function, as there was no lock target in WW2 TDCs. The key here is learning how to estimate the range to target, as AOB and speed are easy to "guesstimate". Finding the range without locking is however the hardest challenge, especially in heavy seas.

[Jimbuna]

I've been playing with manual targeting for a year. Now I found an even more interesting feature - doing manual targeting without the lock function, as there was no lock target in WW2 TDCs. The key here is learning how to estimate the range to target, as AOB and speed are easy to "guesstimate". Finding the range without locking is however the hardest challenge, especially in heavy seas.

You set the bar to a new height kaleun :arrgh!: :up:

[ReallyDedPoet]

Agree!!! :up:

Manual targeting is a whole new game...

Maraz

Someday I have to get into this :yep:

RDP

[Hitman]

Once you fell into the dark side there is no return, young padawan :arrgh!: Muahhhhhaahhah

I loved AOD and consider it the best subsim ever done, but once I got hooked by the manual targeting I could no longer return to AOD. This thing is addictive, and it even got me started in doing wiz wheels and such.

BTW Packerton, I really recommend you to build one of the availables, it really gives you that feel that is the ice on the cake.:up:

[ronbrewer]

If after a number of patrols you find that manual targeting starts getting a little redundant, the next immersion step would be to add manual navigation. Turning that on a few months ago made this game look brand new again after playing it for almost two years.

I'm really enjoying the "GWX - 100% - manual targeting - manual navigation - DiD" combo of the game and feel that $29 I spent back in summer '05 was one of the best transactions ever made!!

[Jimbuna]

My next move/wish is to sail in a real WWII U-boat (if I can find one) :arrgh!:

[ronbrewer]

Yes, I agree that sailing in a real U-boat would raise the immersion factor a bit, but it would probably come in at a price tag well above $29. :D

[Steel_Tomb]

Lol yeah, how cool would that be? Can imagine Bernard yelling ALLLAAARRRRMMM when he sees an airliner lol.

[btaft]

Please excuse my ignorance....but what is DiD?

[Jimbuna]

Dead is dead :up:

[Corsair]

DiD means Dead is dead... you don't reload saves so kind of makes you nervous sometimes...:-?

When manual targeting will get boring, try manual navigation, this is another new game...:D

[btaft]

DiD means Dead is dead... you don't reload saves so kind of makes you nervous sometimes...:-?

When manual targeting will get boring, try manual navigation, this is another new game...:D


Thanks, it takes discipline but I agree that it certainly adds to the suspense. I find myself listening very carefully to where the depth charges are exploding.

I take it the manual navigation essentially gets rid of your sub icon and you have to manually plot your heading/speed/time?

Doesn't sound like this would be for me (I spent my at sea time in the engine room) but I can certainly appreciate the added dimension....perhaps one day

[ronbrewer]

That's right, your sub icon no longer appears on the map (transparent .tga file) when using manual navigation.

What I realized when doing manual navigation is that is was easier for me to sail from Willyshaven up close to Norway and then west to the Atlantic above the Shetlands. I no longer wanted to chance going between the Orkneys and Shetlands since you never know when the weather will turn bad and you no longer have a good fix. Then I picked up "Iron Coffins" again by Werner and it had a map on the inside front cover showing the same exact sub path used during WW2. It was a neat revelation that corresponded to my in-game experience.

One other really nice immersion factor I should mention is that I now just configure manual targeting from the TDC in the conning tower. It feels more realistic to turn those dials on the 3D screen instead of using the 2D notepad from the periscope screen. The downside is when the weather is rough the conning tower really rolls with the waves!.

[XanderF]

Nice bump in realism for me was picking up a circular sliderule at an antique shop and using that for targetting (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=112765). It's really very easy, actually - just get two bearing + range readings, and you've got AOB and speed from the sliderule!

RE: not using the 'lock' capability...unfortunately, that's the only way to get the range from the stadimeter, and they DID have that in WW2. I rationalize this as simulating the captain just keeping the scope on the target to have the range read back. I don't use it for the speed calc as - see above - sliderule handles that.

RE: 'manual navigation'. Sounds great, but it also sounds like something another officer on the crew would handle, no? I rely on waypoints to cover the LONG travel times, as having the manually navigate the Kiel canal....*shudders*....

[Corsair]

I must admit for the Kaiser Wilhelm Kanal I use the auto plotting mod and sometimes also use the waypoint system (like for crossing the atlantic high speed to the US coast) But the rest of the time I like to do it manual, keeps me busy in bad weather (and because I like it as I have been navigator on racing sailboats for many years..:D)