Planes, and being attacked by them

[Littlealx]

Hey everyone, longtime sh3 player here and i'm well underway into my sh4 career having done a few patrols in the brand new Gato.
(altho its got nothing on the typ 21 :rock: )

anyway, the crossing from pearl harbour to Japan and back is becoming a real bore real quick. It would be bearable if the time compression would just stay up, but unfortunately every contact, sea or air slows it down and i'm constantly having to put it up again.

Which brings me to the point of... the number of air attacks i'm sustaining is unreal. I swear i've shot down half the Japaneese air force. I know its what it was really like for the real captains back in the day, but can you understand where i'm coming from? I'm counting in excess of a hundred attacking me (or flying past and returning home), especially on the way back from a patrol. Its infuriating, especially when they don't even attack and in the end just results in me cranking the TC back up, only to have it knocked down 20 seconds later.

My question is, is there any relief in sight? no schnorkel? Is there any way to reduce the number of the planes? Mods? Any insight would be very appreciated guys, it's kinda ruining the game for me.

[Ducimus]

theres a bug in the stock game with carrier groups, and their aircraft still spawning long after CV has gone.

[tater]

And before they appear, too.

[Littlealx]

oh okay... i can tell from your 'tone' that maybe you're both a little dissillusioned with this too?

Currently, are there any possible fixes available?

[Zero Niner]

Try looking into one of the supermods - Trigger maru I think tones it down, but makes them more deadly.

[Rockin Robbins]

Yes, in Trigger Maru, which I love to curse but couldn't live without, the planes make much more sense. Since I layered Run Silent Run Deep, it seems like I get more planes but they still make sense. You can run in the open ocean without interruption as long as there isn't a carrier group nearby.

As a tradeoff, you just MIGHT be attacked by a plane while you're at periscope depth. No warning, just boom, boom, "we're taking damage, sir," do not pass go, do not collect $200. The effect is seldom fatal, but never welcome. My solution is just don't do that!

I'm on the surface at all times unless I have detected a plane. When the plane is 5 miles away, I submerge to periscope depth and commence using the observation scope. If the plane is going to pass anything close to overhead, I dive to 150' for three minutes, come back to radar depth and on the all-clear, or planes moving away I surface again. Wasting time underwater during the day not only denies you targets but it's dangerous now. Don't do it. Stay on the surface. Use the radar. Live to see tomorrow.

That's the news from Kraken. Still working out the wrinkles of the new patch. Seeing lots more heavily escorted groups using RSRD. Two this cruise, and am currently seeing if I can fight four merchies with 5 DD dancing partners. Have sunk one DD (terrible waste of torpedoes, but how else am I going to get close?). Four still out here and I still can't close on the targets. Escorts seem to be better than before, but that may just be the luck of the draw. At night they charge my periscope from a mile away, zigging all the way. Hitting them is nastily difficult. This feels much more realistic, but of a realism that won't attract too many FPS players!

[Snuffy]

At one time TM included the airbase location mod package (by tater?). Not sure it's 1.4 compatible as yet.

I use the compass and draw a 500nm radius from every airfield shown on the map and try to plot my courses away from those circles.

Also in the mid North Pacific, there is an invisible invasion fleet for the Midway campaign. Try steering a more south westerly route of that area about 600 - 800 nm from Midway. Then dogleg back to your assigned patrol area designation at about 1400nm.

After the Midway campaign closes those aircraft will stop showing up after a while.