But have the 'most important things' changed?

[Steeltrap]

I know I sound like a stuck record, but I'm curious to know if any progress has been made on an of the following (as they are the things that I find the biggest "turn offs" in terms of playing v SH3 - to the point I stopped SH4 some while ago):

- SD radar: anywhere you can get range? Are contacts announced as "SD contact" or "aircraft" or something? I found that the SD radar was pretty useless without map contacts 'on' as there was no way to 'see' what the contact was about. Also, map contacts on gives actual location, but SD was non-directional i.e. only gave range, never bearing. Given that radar was perhaps the single most important technical advantage US subs had over the Japanese, I find it really annoying it is so obviously 'wrong'.

- physics, partcularly depth changes. The ability to go up and down like an elevator without using any compressed air and irrespective of forward motion really screws things from the point of view of tactical reality. Why? Because you can go from PD to 280ft and back in the space of moments WITHOUT making noise. This means you can simply duck below thermal layers as DDs approach, get past them and come back to PD in time to attack. Totally unrealistic. Going deep meant, in almost every case, giving up the ability to attack, as it took quite a long time to come back up (see O'Kane in Wahoo and Clear the Bridge for details). As it is, I was NEVER attacked by escorts as I simply went quiet, ducked below layer, ran forward at normal speed (or hung around waiting) then popped back to PD, safely inside any escort screen. The difference between SH4 and SH3 in this respect is startling - you simply can't do that in SH3.

- AI. Do DDs still blow themselves up? Mill around like headless chooks? Do the 'one step forward, one step back' dance? Do convoys still stop when attacked? Standard doctrine in an ambush dictates you get OUT of the ambush zone ASAP - that applies on land or at sea. If these have not changed then no amount of graphics will matter to me.

OK, just curious. Until these things change I will continue to view SH4 as a case of "nice graphics, shame about the reality".

Cheers

[Peto]

Actually, a couple of those things are being worked on for upcoming mods (WIP). The problem with SD radar (IMO) is that it always picks up a contact. In actuality, it would seldom pick up anything under 1000 feet altitude.

I can't say anything about the physics as I have yet to install the patch. But I certainly agree with you on the time it takes to surface. To compensate for it I use my own rule: Once I go deep, I stay deep until the coast is obviously clear. I haven't had a convoy stop when attacked since I installed patch 1.3.

Keep thinking happy thoughts about more challenging escorts ;). I think I see a couple on the horizon now :hmm:...

Cheers!!!

[Radioshow]

I have had ships of all types recognise and try to avoid my torps so far. Tested on the NW of Manilla invasion fleet. This fleet also had a different makeup than in previous versions(all were the same before). Previously had 2 Mogamis CA's ,2 Agano CL's numerous DD's and the troop carriers. Now it has 1 Mogami, 2 Takao's lots of DD's and the troop carriers. Saved just before firing solution(+/- 1000 yrds) to test different shots at different ships. Tried shots with solutions and manual dead shots as well (I set AOB 90, speed 0 and click enter range, actual range matters not, on the bearing and fire).
They (the convoy) did not stop if one was sunk, and I sunk a Takao(1!! Torp in aft gun battery, lots of secondary's tho) and 2 DD's(single hits each, 1 fore, 1 aft). DD's turned and went to flank(well they sped up) to avoid a dead on(bow) shot.
DD's circled and hunted but could not find me very well even when at 2/3 although I was at 80m(262ft.) deep when above 1-2 kts. The experience level of the DD's make a big difference it would seem and earlier in the war they may not be as good either.

Also contact/influence switch works now and DD's showed no damage(no holes) when torps set to influence but "did" sink from said hits. Convoy did zig-zag as well but I am not sure if that was pre-planned or due to my detection. One of the Takao's took major evasive actions when fired upon.

I have not had the displeasure of ramming yet, never get that close to a DD at PD, so cannot confirm that issue. Sub does seem a little fast on the up and down though hehe. It is currently too easy to go deep and then come up last minute to fire then dive again.
I usually go for my shots then dive and leave. I dont hang around to get the crap blown out of me.:D

[seafarer]

The torpedo reaction by ships is one of the most obvious things I noticed too. And it seems to vary depending on time of day and sea state.

Example - near flat calm seas, and right near sunset with a blazing red sun sinking at the horizon. I fired on a medium modern freighter from about 2100yds (and with the setting sun behind the target, so my torpedo's were not coming out of the setting suns glare, but would have appeared in the clear), but it went into a hard turn into the fish while they were still a good 25-30 seconds out from it. Even to my eye with the god camera, the torpedo wakes were stark and clear!

Example 2 - a few nights later, with much rougher seas, and several hours after full sunset, I attacked another medium freighter from about 2300yds. It also went into a hard turn into the fish, but only when they were seconds away from impact. He took both fish, just a little forward of where they would have hit had he stayed on course. Still, the ship clearly responded to the torpedo wakes.

I see myself waiting a lot more for nightfall with 1.4, and even hoping for choppy seas :D

[Fincuan]

I see myself waiting a lot more for nightfall with 1.4, and even hoping for choppy seas :D

And electric eels :) Another option is, naturally, to just get close enough to stuff the torpedoes down their throat.

[LukeFF]

Nice to know that loading the tubes with electric torps now makes a worthwhile difference.