How do you target specific ship parts in SH4?

[xboxer]

In SH3 they had those little boxes on that leather book. So it makes it very easy to target the fuel or ammo bunker and score a 1 hit kill. I know.... I play on easier settings........ :oops:

What about SH4? Still there? Because when I tried to sink some kind of Jap freighter the boxes just don't show up.

[TDK1044]

While using the deck gun, you have icons at the bottom of the screen that offer 'aim for weapons', 'aim for waterline' etc. Is that what you're referring to?

[wetwarev7]

The only way I know of is to adjust the angle on the PK + or - however many degrees you guesstimate the specific point to be.

Realistic or not, this is one of the few things in SH4 that just kinda sucks IMO.

[XLjedi]

Realistic or not, this is one of the few things in SH4 that just kinda sucks IMO.

:yep:

[Prof]

The only way I know of is to adjust the angle on the PK + or - however many degrees you guesstimate the specific point to be.There's no 'guesstimation' required. If you lock the target in the periscope the torpedo should hit where the crosshair lies on the ship. Note the bearing at this point, then unlock the scope and move to the point you want to hit. Again note the bearing. The difference between the two bearings is the number you should put in the spread angle dial.

Realistic or not, this is one of the few things in SH4 that just kinda sucks IMO.How does it 'suck'? What do you suggest as an alternative?

[xboxer]

While using the deck gun, you have icons at the bottom of the screen that offer 'aim for weapons', 'aim for waterline' etc. Is that what you're referring to?
I was refering to torps.... :rotfl:

[xboxer]

The only way I know of is to adjust the angle on the PK + or - however many degrees you guesstimate the specific point to be.

Realistic or not, this is one of the few things in SH4 that just kinda sucks IMO.

Sorry but I don't understand.

And it doesn't say anywhere where the fuel tank or ammo bunker is going to be..... So it is kind of hard to guess, I think..

[simonb1612]

Hey Prof,

thanks for the great tip :)

I have normally just selected the "zone" to shoot for, set the torp and fired, I will try your suggestion next time the IJN wanders into my crosshairs :arrgh!:

[simonb1612]

It is just a matter of trial and error. I have learn't a lot about vunerable areas from this forum (ie below a smoke stack or a gun turret) as well as results from actual encounters. To begin with I would fire a torp at a target and follow it in with the external cam. If I got a good hit with resulting explosions I would use the cam to locate where the torp hit and remember that position on the particular ship as well as the depth of the torp.
Happy Hunting

[TDK1044]

While using the deck gun, you have icons at the bottom of the screen that offer 'aim for weapons', 'aim for waterline' etc. Is that what you're referring to?
I was refering to torps.... :rotfl:

Too early in the morning when I read the post!:D

[XLjedi]

How does it 'suck'? What do you suggest as an alternative?

As previously discussed (http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=112326), a mark button I think would help a lot. :yep:

This would give you a way to adjust the bearing without messing up the AoB, it would in effect allow you to advance your solution to the next target (or aiming point on a target) without the tedious re-entry of AoB and distance.

To me it was a disappointment not to have this feature...

[Sailor Steve]

In SH3 they had those little boxes on that leather book. So it makes it very easy to target the fuel or ammo bunker and score a 1 hit kill. I know.... I play on easier settings........ :oops:

What about SH4? Still there? Because when I tried to sink some kind of Jap freighter the boxes just don't show up.
I could be wrong, but as I recall SH3 didn't have the boxes either; they came with a mod. In either case I'm sure they didn't have them in real life.

[xboxer]

In SH3 they had those little boxes on that leather book. So it makes it very easy to target the fuel or ammo bunker and score a 1 hit kill. I know.... I play on easier settings........ :oops:

What about SH4? Still there? Because when I tried to sink some kind of Jap freighter the boxes just don't show up.
I could be wrong, but as I recall SH3 didn't have the boxes either; they came with a mod. In either case I'm sure they didn't have them in real life.
SH3 definitely has it. I use it all the time without any mods.

Just get a good 90 degree lock and open up the manual to the right ship.

[Sailor Steve]

Hmm.:hmm: I probably have it backwards then; using a mod that removed it because it wasn't real...:dead:

[XLjedi]

Hmm.:hmm: I probably have it backwards then; using a mod that removed it because it wasn't real...:dead:

I think it's something you see at lower difficulty settings...

Essentially it's not a question of whether targeting reticles appeared in the scope in real life. I think it's intended to be more of an aid in the sense that you're getting a visual cue in-game of what the captain had stored in his head.

[Nightmare]

In SH3 the "Targeting Boxes" were selected out of the ID manual when you were within a specific distance and playing with auto targeting. I’ve only played with auto targeting maybe once or twice in SH4, but I believe it does not have this functionality.

One could also argue that targeting a specific area on a ship is unrealistic. The reason why you generally aimed for the center of the target is because of targeting was not an exact thing. Errors can easily be introduced via range errors, bad AOB calls, or the speed estimate being off. You get as close as possible to minimize how much those errors play a factor. This way if your solution is off by a little bit you’ll hit a little forward or a little behind where you were aiming.

It’s like the same question I hear from people that have never fired a firearm before. When talking about police having to shoot someone I hear, “How come they just don’t shoot the guy in the leg or shoot the gun out of his hand?” The answer is it’s a lot harder to hit a smaller target like that and it’s much easier to miss entirely. That is why you aim for center mass as it is a larger target (area), which means it’s easier to hit.

[wetwarev7]

The only way I know of is to adjust the angle on the PK + or - however many degrees you guesstimate the specific point to be.There's no 'guesstimation' required. If you lock the target in the periscope the torpedo should hit where the crosshair lies on the ship. Note the bearing at this point, then unlock the scope and move to the point you want to hit. Again note the bearing. The difference between the two bearings is the number you should put in the spread angle dial.

Realistic or not, this is one of the few things in SH4 that just kinda sucks IMO.How does it 'suck'? What do you suggest as an alternative?

If you don't have a manual to tell you where the sweet spots are, then you have to guesstimate.

It sucks because I'm used to SH3 where the scope can be used to point to where I want my shot to land. This is what I would suggest as an alternative.

Again, this is just an IMO(In My Opinion)

[sergbuto]

One could also argue that targeting a specific area on a ship is unrealistic.
Yes, indeed. The same goes for targeting with deck gun "below the water line" and similar stuff.

[wetwarev7]

One could also argue that targeting a specific area on a ship is unrealistic. The reason why you generally aimed for the center of the target is because of targeting was not an exact thing. Errors can easily be introduced via range errors, bad AOB calls, or the speed estimate being off. You get as close as possible to minimize how much those errors play a factor. This way if your solution is off by a little bit you’ll hit a little forward or a little behind where you were aiming.

It’s like the same question I hear from people that have never fired a firearm before. When talking about police having to shoot someone I hear, “How come they just don’t shoot the guy in the leg or shoot the gun out of his hand?” The answer is it’s a lot harder to hit a smaller target like that and it’s much easier to miss entirely. That is why you aim for center mass as it is a larger target (area), which means it’s easier to hit.



I dunno. The military is usually rather picky about knowing the best way to blow up something. Granted, military equipment is not allways top of the line, but sailors and soldiers generally get trained on how to use the equipment at hand to the best effect.

Even though it is much easier to hit a large target than a small one, police are trained to aim for two points if they ever have to discharge thier weapon - the heart, and right between the eyes. It's more an attitude of 'you don't discharge your weapon unless you have to kill them' rather than it being easier to aim for the chest than a leg.

[Nightmare]

I dunno. The military is usually rather picky about knowing the best way to blow up something. Granted, military equipment is not allways top of the line, but sailors and soldiers generally get trained on how to use the equipment at hand to the best effect.

Even though it is much easier to hit a large target than a small one, police are trained to aim for two points if they ever have to discharge thier weapon - the heart, and right between the eyes. It's more an attitude of 'you don't discharge your weapon unless you have to kill them' rather than it being easier to aim for the chest than a leg.
It’s true that the military receives the best training possible with their equipment. However, we are talking about 65+ year old technology here. Targeting and torpedoes of this area were not sniper weapons where the captain specified where he wanted them to strike. If this were the case history would show that captains aimed for where they’d get a 1 hit 1 kill as to not waste torpedoes.

In reality, salvos of 2-3 torpedoes (sometimes more) were fired per target. This was done to ensure at least one or more would hit. Like I mentioned in my previous post, the stadimeter was never exact on getting range and it could be off due to mast height not matching current info. AOB is rarely exact and speed could be off by a knot or two depending. This why submarines got in as close as the could to fire a salvo as to minimize any mathematical errors to ensure a hit.

To continue using the police example, you are right that if they have to fire their weapon then they are shooting to kill. However if they could guarantee hitting the heart or the brain they’d only have to fire one shot. No police shooting to my knowledge has ever been like that. From what I’ve been told by my cousin who is an officer and from articles I’ve read, they continue to fire until the suspect goes down. In most cases they just empty the clip.

[Prof]

In reality, salvos of 2-3 torpedoes (sometimes more) were fired per target. This was done to ensure at least one or more would hit. Like I mentioned in my previous post, the stadimeter was never exact on getting range and it could be off due to mast height not matching current info. AOB is rarely exact and speed could be off by a knot or two depending. This why submarines got in as close as the could to fire a salvo as to minimize any mathematically error to ensure a hit.WWII skippers were guided by the torpedo firing doctrine of the time. Here's how many torpedoes it was suggested to fire at a class of target in 1939 and 1944:

Class 1939 1944
BB/BC 9.3 14
Large CV 6.7 10
Small CV 3.6 6
CA 2.0 4
CL 1.7 3 or 4
Merchant 1.3 2
DD 0.7 3
SS 0.4 3

Quite how they expected skippers to fire 0.4 torpedoes at a submarine I don't know, but that's how the numbers are presented! The 1944 numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.
Note that these are the suggested number of torpedoes to fire, not how many hits should sink the target.

[nomdeplume]

It sucks because I'm used to SH3 where the scope can be used to point to where I want my shot to land. This is what I would suggest as an alternative.

If you use automatic magical targetting, the torpedo will hit the target at precisely where the periscope is pointed. You don't need to be "locked on", you just need the triangle denoting the target to be displayed.

Provided that the target doesn't change speed or course after you fire, of course. You also want to make sure the tube is open before you fire.

[XLjedi]

It sucks because I'm used to SH3 where the scope can be used to point to where I want my shot to land. This is what I would suggest as an alternative.

If you use automatic magical targetting, the torpedo will hit the target at precisely where the periscope is pointed. You don't need to be "locked on", you just need the triangle denoting the target to be displayed.

Provided that the target doesn't change speed or course after you fire, of course. You also want to make sure the tube is open before you fire.

...but what fun is that? I feel his pain. There's no link between the TBT and the torpedo gyro calculator. And getting info into the PK is clunky at best. I would've really liked to see the PK dials available for direct adjustment on the Attack Map similar as to how the TDC dials appear on the attack map in SH3.