Frostyvegi
10-02-07, 10:22 PM
Okay, so I'm inching into Yokohama port for a bit of photography practice (still on my second mission.. this has turned into a marathon!), managed to get past the pesky DD on guard duty at the mouth of the entrance to the large bay that houses about 5 ports, Tokyo being one of them. Taking a wide swinging path to come up to the indicated spot to take the recon photos from the south east, almost scraping the bottom as I slink at 1/3 to 2/3 speed on electrics, but still some blasted minesweepers pick me up and come over to investigate.
Some, meaning 3!
They all did exactly the same thing.. drive almost directly towards me, zigzagging with about 10 degrees bearing change every 20 seconds while I sit at all stop as low as possible, they made a run and dropped DC's about 30 meters off one side of my boat and then just circle slowly.. shining their lights mostly on the water above where I'm sitting, or just swinging the lights around willy nilly. So after this happening to all three, I feel like a surfer surrounded by 3 sharks afraid to come to close to the surface.. they have no more DC's left, so as long as I stay under they can't shoot me.. and their hulls are just too shallow for my torps to actually hit if I go for a shot.. not to mention too close before they will arm! :damn:
So I say to myself, "I guess I'll have myself an armed convoy to do my mission.. sweet".. go over to the area, raise my scope as they try in vain to shoot it.. (lolz), take a couple of happy snaps for the family photo album and then scratch my head. My crew are beginning to hold their breath due to being under for so long.. I can't raise up due to the pesky minesweepers trying to avoid each other as they circle.. battery power is running lowish.. and I'm sure the guys at Pearl Harbour won't really appreciate me bringing some friends home for dinner.
Then I have an idea.. I wonder how dumb the AI is in SH4..
I turn slightly to port and drive for one of the sea walls surrounding the Yokohama port. I get as close as possible.. watching through my periscope as they continue to circle. I was waiting to see the outcome.. it was either one of three things..
1 - They could be dumb AI all crash into the sea wall.. ending the problem.
2 - They'll stop before hitting the sea wall and I could 'try' and shoot them with torps or maybe just turn and drive away because they can't reverse from their position; or
3 - They'll smartly avoid the wall and continue circling me
The middle option was the winner. I quickly realised, however, that they can indeed reverse if I try to move too far away.. so it was down to 'shooting fish in a barrel' so to speak. Pulled a little bit away from the first one who was circling anti-clock wise and was almost docked at the pier.. set torp depth to as shallow as possible and let loose.
I'm still not sure if I had impact or if the magnetic head did the job.. but whatever it was.. the bugga imploded! Woot, I thought to myself..
Repositioned on the other side of the wall, reaimed and fire!
But of course, with my menuvering, the second minesweeper moved backwards himself and deftly danced out of the way of my torpedo.. "grumble grumble".
Tried again allowing for any last minute movements he might make and got him.. another under the stack implosion.. very fun to watch!
The third one was a little more testing as he had ended up way down the pier, parked almost parrallel with the wall. I had to do alot more moving around to get him lined up, and this gave him the room to move from against the wall and start circling again. So I closed back in with the wall and he got 'stuck' almost at the same place as the second sunkee was.. but actually hit the wall (I thought he was going to go down.. but alas).
Dispached him with a perfect ammo bunker shot.. heard the screams of pain from the crew.. watched as the ship first capsised.. then came back up and then sunk straight to the bottom of the deep blue.. all 20 meters of it.. :rotfl:
Finally got some fresh air into my tub as I motored away from the port.. trying to get my distance before something big and nasty came over to wonder where all this smoke was coming from (and night was fading fast). Almost out of the bay when I came across Mr DD Guard Dog.. but this time he was alot smarter and actually picked me up somehow.. did exactly the same thing as the last 3.. but due to the slightly deeper water I was under almost got me with the DC's, but then did nothing but circle my stationary boat.
I groaned as I thought I'd have to take him back to the port to get him to sit still for me.. but thought I'd give it one more go.
Raised to periscope depth.. waited until he was broadside of me before going full reverse to give my torps more range to activate.. entered the details into the TDC and prayed!
Well, I got my first DD kill in either SH3 and SH4.
So far this mission: 1 Huge European Liner, 1 old medium merchant something or other.. 3 minesweepers and a DD (can't remember the exact class).. 24,000 tonnes or something.. still got 1 aft and 3 forward torpedos to go.. :smug:
I can't wait to get home and finish this bugga of a mission off!
Some, meaning 3!
They all did exactly the same thing.. drive almost directly towards me, zigzagging with about 10 degrees bearing change every 20 seconds while I sit at all stop as low as possible, they made a run and dropped DC's about 30 meters off one side of my boat and then just circle slowly.. shining their lights mostly on the water above where I'm sitting, or just swinging the lights around willy nilly. So after this happening to all three, I feel like a surfer surrounded by 3 sharks afraid to come to close to the surface.. they have no more DC's left, so as long as I stay under they can't shoot me.. and their hulls are just too shallow for my torps to actually hit if I go for a shot.. not to mention too close before they will arm! :damn:
So I say to myself, "I guess I'll have myself an armed convoy to do my mission.. sweet".. go over to the area, raise my scope as they try in vain to shoot it.. (lolz), take a couple of happy snaps for the family photo album and then scratch my head. My crew are beginning to hold their breath due to being under for so long.. I can't raise up due to the pesky minesweepers trying to avoid each other as they circle.. battery power is running lowish.. and I'm sure the guys at Pearl Harbour won't really appreciate me bringing some friends home for dinner.
Then I have an idea.. I wonder how dumb the AI is in SH4..
I turn slightly to port and drive for one of the sea walls surrounding the Yokohama port. I get as close as possible.. watching through my periscope as they continue to circle. I was waiting to see the outcome.. it was either one of three things..
1 - They could be dumb AI all crash into the sea wall.. ending the problem.
2 - They'll stop before hitting the sea wall and I could 'try' and shoot them with torps or maybe just turn and drive away because they can't reverse from their position; or
3 - They'll smartly avoid the wall and continue circling me
The middle option was the winner. I quickly realised, however, that they can indeed reverse if I try to move too far away.. so it was down to 'shooting fish in a barrel' so to speak. Pulled a little bit away from the first one who was circling anti-clock wise and was almost docked at the pier.. set torp depth to as shallow as possible and let loose.
I'm still not sure if I had impact or if the magnetic head did the job.. but whatever it was.. the bugga imploded! Woot, I thought to myself..
Repositioned on the other side of the wall, reaimed and fire!
But of course, with my menuvering, the second minesweeper moved backwards himself and deftly danced out of the way of my torpedo.. "grumble grumble".
Tried again allowing for any last minute movements he might make and got him.. another under the stack implosion.. very fun to watch!
The third one was a little more testing as he had ended up way down the pier, parked almost parrallel with the wall. I had to do alot more moving around to get him lined up, and this gave him the room to move from against the wall and start circling again. So I closed back in with the wall and he got 'stuck' almost at the same place as the second sunkee was.. but actually hit the wall (I thought he was going to go down.. but alas).
Dispached him with a perfect ammo bunker shot.. heard the screams of pain from the crew.. watched as the ship first capsised.. then came back up and then sunk straight to the bottom of the deep blue.. all 20 meters of it.. :rotfl:
Finally got some fresh air into my tub as I motored away from the port.. trying to get my distance before something big and nasty came over to wonder where all this smoke was coming from (and night was fading fast). Almost out of the bay when I came across Mr DD Guard Dog.. but this time he was alot smarter and actually picked me up somehow.. did exactly the same thing as the last 3.. but due to the slightly deeper water I was under almost got me with the DC's, but then did nothing but circle my stationary boat.
I groaned as I thought I'd have to take him back to the port to get him to sit still for me.. but thought I'd give it one more go.
Raised to periscope depth.. waited until he was broadside of me before going full reverse to give my torps more range to activate.. entered the details into the TDC and prayed!
Well, I got my first DD kill in either SH3 and SH4.
So far this mission: 1 Huge European Liner, 1 old medium merchant something or other.. 3 minesweepers and a DD (can't remember the exact class).. 24,000 tonnes or something.. still got 1 aft and 3 forward torpedos to go.. :smug:
I can't wait to get home and finish this bugga of a mission off!