100% Realism Help

[WeeBubba]

hi there

i am going to start playing SH3 next week. Im playing with the GWX mod and 100% realism. im gonna start my career in 1939 and see how far i get. ive downloaded the help documents from the "For noobs" sticky including 'The Hunt' etc.

as it stands, i havent got a clue about manual targetting, plotting etc. So im welcoming any advice here from the pros! in particular, is there any bearing tools and plotting tools etc i should consider downloading? what do you guys use?

i think you should expect many more posts from this one!

many thanks!

[joegrundman]

I bet we do!

My honest opinion is that much as I admire your desire to play at 100% (I also do), i think you are making life unreasonably hard on yourself if you expect to be able to do this straight away.

This is a very deep game and it will take a certain amount of time to master even the simplest forms of manual targetting.

The game can basically be divided into the following areas:

1) The Navigation Level
Use of correct speed to control the consumption of fuel to insure that you always have enough to get there and back and still have an effective patrol. Understanding how allied shipping routes and air cover affect your decisions about where and how to hunt.
2) The detection and approach level
How to optimise your chances of detecting targets in different kinds of weather, how to plot an intercept course, and how to plot an approach that will get you into a firing position inside a convoy without getting detected by escorts.
3) The data gathering and fire control level
On manual this is a non-trivial issue and involves mastering dozens of different techniques if you always want to be able to deliver a successful attack, even in situations which have become less than ideal.
4) Avoiding detection, exfiltration from convoy and evasion after detection
In GWX, this is also a very big part of the game and requires a detailed understanding of how sonar works in the game at teh various stages of the war.


So, my overall suggestion for someone who is keen to be playing at 100% as soon as possible is that you play your first campaign with certian cheat modes enabled to represent your training course. After all a real submarine captain typically had a lot of submarine experience before being let loose on the high seas.

So I suggest you play with Weapon OFficer assistance on. This will save you a lot of stress at the beginning because really you will have your hands very full dealing with points 1,2 and 4 above.

Once you are more comfortable with handling the sub, you can start practicing getting solutions and comparing results with the WO, and once you see you are getting reliable results, then it's time to move on to 100%

Gute Jagd

[WeeBubba]

I bet we do!

My honest opinion is that much as I admire your desire to play at 100% (I also do), i think you are making life unreasonably hard on yourself if you expect to be able to do this straight away.

This is a very deep game and it will take a certain amount of time to master even the simplest forms of manual targetting.

The game can basically be divided into the following areas:

1) The Navigation Level
Use of correct speed to control the consumption of fuel to insure that you always have enough to get there and back and still have an effective patrol. Understanding how allied shipping routes and air cover affect your decisions about where and how to hunt.
2) The detection and approach level
How to optimise your chances of detecting targets in different kinds of weather, how to plot an intercept course, and how to plot an approach that will get you into a firing position inside a convoy without getting detected by escorts.
3) The data gathering and fire control level
On manual this is a non-trivial issue and involves mastering dozens of different techniques if you always want to be able to deliver a successful attack, even in situations which have become less than ideal.
4) Avoiding detection, exfiltration from convoy and evasion after detection
In GWX, this is also a very big part of the game and requires a detailed understanding of how sonar works in the game at teh various stages of the war.


So, my overall suggestion for someone who is keen to be playing at 100% as soon as possible is that you play your first campaign with certian cheat modes enabled to represent your training course. After all a real submarine captain typically had a lot of submarine experience before being let loose on the high seas.

So I suggest you play with Weapon OFficer assistance on. This will save you a lot of stress at the beginning because really you will have your hands very full dealing with points 1,2 and 4 above.

Once you are more comfortable with handling the sub, you can start practicing getting solutions and comparing results with the WO, and once you see you are getting reliable results, then it's time to move on to 100%

Gute Jagd

this makes a lot of sense. in fact, it makes so much sense, this is what im gonna do.

ive got a follow up question. re point 1, when i have gone on patrols before (1939) in a type VIIB, i am finding that once I have done my mission 24 hour patrol, its pretty much time to return to base fuel wise. I am sticking to optimum (I think) speed for that boat when travelling to mission sector (8 knots) so i presume this is just down to the u-boat being an older type and ive got to wait for renown to change u-boat?

thanks

[joegrundman]

It sounds like you are doing everything right, i.e. cruising at 8kts to the patrol zone.

But in that case your fuel should not be an issue so i think there are two areas that should be noted.

Firstly, is the weather rough? If it is, speeds are reduced or fuel copnsumption is greatly increased to maintain a speed. In rough seas, optimum speed is probably more like 6 knts

Secondly it's possible that once contact is made you are using flank speed for too long. For me flank speed is only ever used for emergencies as it will consume your fuel like i consume beer.

If it's neither of these points, you'd better wait for someone else to come along :up:

Good luck

[Jimbuna]

Just a short piece of advice.

1. Tick the boxes in the realism section by just one or two at a time. Get used to the game then tick one or two more until you feel competent.
Before long you'll be competent at full realism.

2. If your using GWX read the manual that came with it. You should find it a great help to you in your gameplay :up:

[minute]

ive got a follow up question. re point 1, when i have gone on patrols before (1939) in a type VIIB, i am finding that once I have done my mission 24 hour patrol, its pretty much time to return to base fuel wise. I am sticking to optimum (I think) speed for that boat when travelling to mission sector (8 knots) so i presume this is just down to the u-boat being an older type and ive got to wait for renown to change u-boat?

thanks
One thing regarding fuel: if you can (depending on your base and assigned grid), make sure you are using the Kiel Canal instead of using the Kategatt/Skagerakk route, it saves a good deal of time and fuel.

[WeeBubba]

i couldnt wait for next month so i started my first patrol this evening.

i unchecked manual targetting, gods eye view for maps and the weapons officer to start me off. i think it was around 80% realism.

my first mission was a sector off ireland. so i made the mistake of trying to take the shortcut between the scottish mainland and scapa flow. :damn:

my watch officer spotted a cruiser and i submerged. unfortunately we'd been spotted and i found myself getting pinged by 3 cruisers in shallowish water. i wasnt sure what to do??? i figured silent running and 1/2knots speed was not going to do me any favours because i was only in about 60 metres deep water. so i went full ahead, making full turns as they approached. this helped for a while. but guess what. my first patrol and i ended up in an iron coffin (im reading the book iron coffins atm). guess i do got a lot to learn! :yep:

i take it next time i should ignore teh shortcut and sail north past scapa flow. ?

lol thanks

im thinking that

[mbabbs]

Throw yourself in at the deep end ! I did and you will learn very quickly although it'll be a bit frustrating at first.

Some essential tips

1: In areas where you think air attack is possible, don't go over x256 time compression while surfaced.

2: Don't save and exit the game while under water.

3: If you are near the English coast, be careful of those mines.

4: Night and rough seas are your friends. Heavy fog can be deadly.

5: Learn to sail 'decks awash' (set depth to 7.5 meters).

6: Make sure your tubes are open before launching torpedoes.

7: Launching at targets between 400 - 1000 meters is best but never less than 400 meters.

8: When detected, get deep quickly and then worry about being quiet.

9: As you know already, avoid shallow waters.

And most importantly the old proverb - There are old captains and there are bold captains, but there are no old, bold captains.

Good luck !

[andylegate]

You can sail between Scapaflow and Scotland just fine (sector Am14, right?) as long as you take some precautions:

Stay submerged during the day time, unless the weather is really bad. This will keep planes from spotting you.

Get through there as quickly as you can, but watch your fuel.

If you're surfaced, have a good watch crew on deck! It's important that they spot any ships as soon as possible, so you can take action.

Dive once in a while and see if you hear any ships (especially warships) that your watch may not be able to see. Adjust your course to avoid them.

Shallow water + Detected by Destroyers = Dead U-boat!

Once you're detected, your only hope is to try and become a hole in the water. That's impossible to do if you can't dive deeply. 60 meters and going flank is like saying "Here I am! Over here!"
Remember, some of the destroyers are capable of speeds up to 36 knots!! You will never out run a DD while submerged.
Basically, your situation was hopeless once you had 3 ships after you. So try to make that situation not happen again.

Good luck! :up:

[Canovaro]

more tips:

read this forum using search

try search and type any part of the game.
ie hydrophone / officers / depth / daylight anything you come up with.
There's a lot of wisdom to be read

[XLjedi]

Also... there are two variations of 100% for GWX users.

You can play with map updates turned on and it won't penalize you.