FaT - still puzzling me

[Grayson02sept1980]

ok ok ok

I know that FaT is rather useless... at least that is the impression I have right now.

From the idea this torp was meant to run straight as any other torp and then make a 180° turn after 800/1600m etc.

In the game the torp runs till the set distance... then makes a *whatever* turn so the pattern becomes perpendicular to... hmm... I guess the N/S - E/W and then runs its pattern...

This is puzzling me

[Umfuld]

There is a way to adjust the pattern so it runs in the direction you want it - but I don't remember how :oops:

[Letum]

I love em.

You dont need to get the aiming as precice, just set the range and initial turn direction and launch well ahead of the convoy.

Not much use if you use auto-targeting tho.

[Umfuld]

How do you set the initial turn direction, Letum?

[Grayson02sept1980]

How do you set the initial turn direction, Letum?

yeah... same question... I cannot change the initial turn....

[Graf Paper]

Use F6 to go to the TDC and set it to Manual Input by clicking that little black button near the bottom.

Select your target and then set the run for your eels. Your firing solution may change when switching targets if you have auto-targeting enabled, so keep an eye on that. Weapon Officer assistance has its advantages and drawbacks.

[Grayson02sept1980]

I use OLC.... no auto targetting ;)

still I do not get it.... when I set the torp to run I clit on the FAT button and then the sttings for the FaT can be put in
I can chane the initial distance
the pattern distance and
what turn it makes first (left or right)
but not the angle of the initial turn...

stupid things can be made then... I once had a torp run 1000m straight... then make a 90° turn left ... then pattern

the same torp I just needed to move the scope by 90° left and it ran like I would expect for a FaT ... straight... then still straight make a 180° turn into its pattern....

this FaT thing seems not be done good in Sh3 or am I missing something - blind and stupid as I seem to be :88)

[Tessa]

The FaT pattern running torpedos do work, agreeably the configuration is not the most intuitive until you dumb down the game settings to show the pattern. Once you hit the little FaT button on the F6 screen you get 4 more dials to set that probably seem to do nothing as you play with them. The duh light went on finally when I got a (useful) radio report about the SL convoy at BE 78, my boat was ~ 20km NE of the convoy so just sat and waited for them to pass in front of me and do (saved) trial and error tests.

After opening the FaT settings it should have showed the pattern to be a perfect zigzag in the middle, instead nothing at all. The default settings are really screwed up, first thing found was that the pattern was way out of range,it would run the pattern, just do so 3 or 4k away from the intended area. Pattern was also inverted so would run down instead of up (aiming in the middle). Just put the game settings on easy, find a convoy and play around with the settings and fire a few off. Once you see the torpedo path plotted on the map and can play with the dials it should come together on how to set them up, which really isn't all that hard. When they're configured correctly they do run like they describe and will usually hit something in the convoy.

[Grayson02sept1980]

ok ok Tessa you're right but the thing I am really getting confused is when I see the pattern.

The torp is meant to run straight till the first (pattern!) 180° turn
Instead in the game the Torp runs till the set distance (FAT setting) and then makes some turn... and then after 1/2 of the set running lenght of the pattern makes his first 180° turn backwards and that is not what I want... I want to be able to change the first turn.

In the GWX manual on page 90 the graphiks show the ideal run... in the game it is totally different

For the LuT there is a 2nd Gyro angle... is this the first turn before the... or better when the pattern starts.

Whatever... but I will not give up... the biggest drawback is the fact that for every trial I spoil a FaT which is worth 100renown... :shifty:

need to do some testing with a TESTING career I guess

[Keelbuster]

I love FaT. Last night I had a convoy switch directions on me, and what would have been a perfect shot at 1000m turned out to be a 5km long shot. I thought about it, then decided it was worth two T1 FaTs. I roughly guessed range with the stadimeter, and sent one torp with a run-to-enable at 5km, and another with a run-to-enable at 4km. They both had 1600m pattern widths. Five minutes later, I'm watching one of my FaTs course through the convoy. My shot was way off (the radio report said 7 kts, and maybe it was more like 9 now). But sure enough, one of the FaTs cycled back in its pattern, and on the return swing it nailed a Composite Freighter in the bow section. The other torp missed and eventually ran out of steam. Oh well - one hit for two ain't bad. Especially when it was from such an incredible range. T1 FaTs are where it's at - the steam torpedo gives it a really long life and hence it can fill out more of its pattern. With T2s, the life is so short (5km I think) that you only get a couple of turns out of the FaT pattern before the torpedo dies. I'm thinking of trying a really long shot with four T1 FaTs in a spread, with alternating range settings. Like barely even aim at the convoy, just get a rough speed and fire in 4 pattern torps. Could be cool - it's a different sort of attack strategy, but it might be the way to survive in the later war.

[Hakahura]

Grayson...

In the F6 screen press the "Fat" icon above the tube you wish to shoot,
Then when you get the new dials,
90deg Red for initial left turn,
90deg Green for initial right turn.

Good luck and good hunting!

[Grayson02sept1980]

ok

ok

Just to make it absolutly clear... and I found the problem!

My PRoblem is that instead of running straight into its pattern the Torp makes - at the set running range in the FaT settings - a small "turn"

I do not mena the 90° left/right as Hakahura said (thanks for the help anyway) cause this just sets wether the pattern is et left or right of the initial run...

NO! this little diversion from the straight run is the problem..

Do this:

Set up your FaT and then turn your scop 90° left or right of the initial position and watch the pattern. For me the pattern stays the same but is shifted, not turned....

The pattern seems to be set perpendicular to the BOAT not the initial straight run of the torp.

I will make some screenshots now and post them...

cya soon


UPDATE:

ok here are the screen shots:

this one is at 0° angle of scope:
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/99/4919499/400_3433303665633564.jpg
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/99/4919499/1280_3433303665633564.jpg
everything fine

then I switched the 90° to left:
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/99/4919499/400_3034346637636536.jpg
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/99/4919499/1280_3034346637636536.jpg
So far so good.

hen I moved the scope left ~45°:
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/99/4919499/400_6533316130383435.jpg
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/99/4919499/1280_6533316130383435.jpg
and here it has puzzled me so far... but now I think I have an explaination.

The Torp has to make a turn once it leaves the tube. as the Gyroscope used in the torp is just a mechanical controlling device it "remembers" this turn and has to compensate it once the torp reaches its "no pattern! Run straight till here" range:
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/99/4919499/400_6661313639323038.jpg
at least this is my way to explain it cause till now I though the FaT was just like a straight torpedo till it reached that range to start the pattern and then run straight - make a 180° turn left or right (initial turn 90° setting - the 90° in OUR case mean compared to the course of the boat! not the angle the torp was fired.... :roll: )

This was my problem. now I get it. I have to set up my boat 90° to the course of the convoy to get the pattern run right.
This imho is wrong but I do not know how in reality the FaT worked... my explaination above could be the solution... could be that the programmers simply set it this way.

this is how the pattern shifts and turns when I turn the boat:
http://foto.arcor-online.net/palb/alben/99/4919499/1280_3233663437393661.jpg

I guess this is STOCK/hardcoded and therefore not changable + it makes sense to be able to fire the torp at a different angle and still have it run its pattern parallel to the course (the 90° setting left/right mean this)

Thanks for your patience and your kind help... by thinking over how to ask my question right I found the answer. Thanks again for all your effords.

[Letum]

No, that is correct and historial.

The torp assumes you are attacking the convoy from 90* intersection from your course
and the convoy's.

It does this, because if it only made the 180 degree turn and you where attacking a
convoy with a 90* intersection between your course and the convoy's, with your peri
angle at 45*, then the torp would make it's up-down runs at 45* to the convoy
heading. This would increace the chances of a dud.

[Grayson02sept1980]

No, that is correct and historial.

The torp assumes you are attacking the convoy from 90* intersection from your course
and the convoy's.

It does this, because if it only made the 180 degree turn and you where attacking a
convoy with a 90* intersection between your course and the convoy's, with your peri
angle at 45*, then the torp would make it's up-down runs at 45* to the convoy
heading. This would increace the chances of a dud.

ok. then I got it wrong.

Thanks again...

Now it's time to let lose some havoc on some convoys