TC and close contact?

[MarkShot]

Is using low levels of TC 2-8X a big "no-no" when close to the enemy? (SH3/GWX2)

The SH4 crowd seems to think so ... that it makes the AI sensors more likely to home in on you. I have been using TC just because I don't want to run a whole attack and evasion in real time which could 3-5 hours.

So, should TC be avoided? Do you use low levels of TC when in close contact with the enemy?

Thanks.

[GoldenRivet]

i use any time compression i deem required for the situation personally.

if you stay at the outer edge of the visual detection range (16km if using the 16km atmosphere mod) you can pretty much use whatever TC you want at dusk, night and dawn. however as daylight becomes brighter you risk detection regardless of TC level.

the issue in SH3 with TC is that during high TC values you might miss a contact that you would have otherwise noticed in a lower TC environment.

512 is the max recommended TC... with 256 being about average.

[ToySoldier]

Hello out there!

To be honestly .... for me it depends on situation!

To get in close range I use betwen 8x - 64x, if the Way to the Contact may be last 10 hours it will be greater :D

Becouse Frau und Kinder would kill me if I block 10 h the Computer!!! ;)

In close range it is the question what you doing ... get closer and watching? No TC!!!
Get the right ankle to the prey? between 2x - 4x!
And I think it´s no sin to do so!
Because we are all siting in front of a screen on a confortable seat and real life goes on, smoking, eating chips, trink a nice cold drink (or coffee) or other things and a noise background is around ...
Me personally is not reanecting U-boot war sitting 21 days on patrol :D

In diesem Sinne
Gott mit Uns
Frank B. aus K.

[MarkShot]

Let me phrase this differently. Does increasing TC from 2-8X while attempting to evade escorts increase the chance that they will find you? Has anyone actually done any testing or analysis of this?

Some SH4 players are positive of this. They put it that "the AI takes shortcuts in computations during time compression and said shortcuts improve the sensor capabilities of AI platforms". Thus, do not TC when around the enemy.

Most likely if they are right for SH4, then it is probably true of SH3 as well.

Of course, they may actually be right or there are two other possible explanations I can think of:

(1) The AI always appears to be heading straight for you as a matter of psychology and it always seems to be coming faster when TC is greater than 1:1.

(2) Among sub players over the years, I have noticed a belief held that when you TC while evading that the AI is keyed into where you are. Generally, the player only TC's when he thinks he has succeeded already. Many PC gamers know that it is common for game developers to build little cheats into AI to make it perform better. Thus, this is a common belief that I think resurfaces with every sub game.

(3) At 1:1, the player tends to make regular and minor course corrections. At TC greater than 1:1, those minor corrections tend not to be done. Perhaps it is this subtle factor that makes a difference.

Comments?

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In most of my games, I like to use some TC to get into a shooting situation in 10-15 minutes as opposed to hours. When evading, if I think I have broken contact, I tend to like to use TC to exhaust the enemy's efforts in 10-20 minutes as opposed to a few hours.

Generally, in AOD and SHCE, this hasn't posed a problem. In SH3, I haven't played enough to be sure. One thing I can say for sure is that unlike the other games, visual maps updates take a drop as soon as you go into TC. For that, you need to be careful, since TC causes a reduction of awareness and you need to pop out of it and do full sweeps to rebuild that.

A final interesting note: In some other games, TC can actually save you as opposed to harm you. For example, it is common knowledge that if you TC through a surface gun battle or air attack in AOD, you stand a very good chance of surviving. Of course, initially TC will drop to 1:1 upon sighting. Why? At TC greater than 1:1, AI aim is severly reduced.