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View Full Version : auto targeting; promotions; medals, etc.


I'm goin' down
10-23-08, 11:23 PM
A few quick one's:

1. My torpedo crew fired and missed four shots with the sub at 90 degrees/1,000 yds. to the enemy's course while operationg from a Porpoise class submarine at zero percent realism. All torpedoes passed the bow.of a huge, old liner, but not by much. They fired when the auto targeting light was green for all torpedoes. What is their problem? (Note: They did not use a protractor to measure the angle of our boat to the liner's course, but eye balled it, and may have been 1 or 2 degrees off. ) http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/images/icons/icon5.gif

If my crew cannot hit a huge ship at zero percent realism, they ought to join the army. They thought they sunk the Bismark with the deck gun late last night, but it turned out to be a big sampan! What a bunch of turkeys!):roll: :x


2. What is the point of promotions?http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/images/icons/icon5.gif
3. What is the point of medals?http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/images/icons/icon5.gif

Is it any wonder why "I'm goin' down"?

I'm goin' down
10-24-08, 12:13 AM
That was an interesting reply. I understood about half of it. I did not fire when the enemy ship was at 90 degrees to my boat. I lined up to the enemy's course at 90 degrees to my boat, sat and waited for the enemy to cruise within distance, and fired when the auto targeting light was green. I thought that was the O'Kane method, but maybe I do not understand it.

I will try to figure out what your reply recommends and I appreciate the help.

Orion2012
10-24-08, 12:31 AM
That was an interesting reply. I understood about half of it. I did not fire when the enemy ship was at 90 degrees to my boat. I lined up to the enemy's course at 90 degrees to my boat, sat and waited for the enemy to cruise within distance, and fired when the auto targeting light was green. I thought that was the O'Kane method, but maybe I do not understand it.

I will try to figure out what your reply recommends and I appreciate the help.
After I re-read your post I understand what you mean. You did fire with the targeting triangle, when I initially read your post, I thought you meant you fired when the Gyro-Angle was at 0 degrees with you being at the 90 degree AOB (Angle on Bow). Regardless of the color it had. When you fired did you lock the target? Did you use the spread angle? I'm assuming they were the wet-heater type torpedo (leaves the visible wake?) What was the targets speed when you fired and how badly did you miss, and are you sure they didn't go under the target?


In regards to the first post...LOL I just ended a 12 hours shift, sorry for it's unclarity and any time wasted. I'm going to delete it for the fact that it wasn't any help, and would take to long to edit it into legible english.

I'm goin' down
10-24-08, 04:07 AM
Darn, I was just figuring out what your message might have meant! Another year long mission down the drain....

The last ship I fired on had their crew members hang their bare butts over the side and wagged them at us, probably because they knew our "fearsome" reputation.

Diopos
10-24-08, 07:23 AM
Did you have the position keeper on?

SteamWake
10-24-08, 09:09 AM
Couple of things..

When using 'auto target' make sure you LOCK the target by pressing L first, if you wish to aim at the bow/stern lock it first then unlock and move the crosshairs.

Dont forget to open the tube doors before you fire (select the tube and press Q) although that typically causes a miss aft.

Easiest way with auto target is to lock the target before it gets in the 'green zone', open the tube doors, adjust the depth, when the thingy turns green fire.

Now on occassion the freighters will spot the steamwake of the torpedo and bear away or alter course causing a miss. Best way to avoid this is to get close 1,000 yards is good. Choose the 'fast' setting on the torpedo thus not giving them enough time to bear away.


What is the point of medals... Well honestly mostly for the 'role play' factor, although I understand they do increase the morale of the sailors a bit (allows them to stay on station longer with higher efficency).

Promotions are similar to medals but effects their 'performance' signifigantly more. Load torpedos faster, spot further, dive faster, that kind of thing.

banjo
10-24-08, 09:15 AM
If you have PK on in auto-target you will most likely miss. Leave it off. It is used in manual targeting. With it off your torpedos will hit close to where you had the cross hairs when you fired. All locking does (in 1.5) is pre-set your torpedo depth for the ship you have locked up, and makes tracking the target a little easier. I don't use lock much. I like to select where on the ship the torpedos will hit.

Orion2012
10-24-08, 09:52 AM
Darn, I was just figuring out what your message might have meant! Another year long mission down the drain....

The last ship I fired on had their crew members hang their bare butts over the side and wagged them at us, probably because they knew our "fearsome" reputation.
Sorry!

Basically it was this:

When you are coming up to fire and the ship is roughly at a bearing of 340-0 or 20-0 depending on left to right or right to left movement of this ship you should fire. It's important to remember that your solution is for the moment of impact. What I do is first, raise the scope and get a triangle, but do not lock the target or engage the PK. Now notice your TDC has a range, speed AOB and gyro angle information. You can use the gyro angle to determine which bearing the target should be on before you fire. (I.E. The target is at bearing 330, you check the gyroangle and it says the current course to impact is 355, you know that the target need to move another 5 degrees before you have a 90 degree AOB shot)

You can get the same info from the PK, I just feel it's easier not to fool with it. When firing you do not want to move the scope. fire on the same bearing as the ship crosses the bearing, moving the scope will change the gyro-angle, thus not giving you a 90 AOB shot.

Lastly, firing on a perfect 90AOB for me seems to cause more duds then firing at a 87 or 93 AOB shot. The important thing is being close to 90. If you have any more problems post here or PM me, and I'll try and clarify anything confusing. English isn't my native language and sometimes I butcher it, like last night.

I'm goin' down
10-24-08, 06:26 PM
I kept the postion keeper off, and I when the arrows that display the arrows on my ship and the target matched, I fired. I had a couple hits and a few misses, but some the of the misses were on a sampan, and the torpedoes may have gone under its shallow keel. I will let you know how things turn out as I try your recommendations. Thank you all.

Orion2012
10-24-08, 07:48 PM
I kept the postion keeper off, and I when the arrows that display the arrows on my ship and the target matched, I fired. I had a couple hits and a few misses, but some the of the misses were on a sampan, and the torpedoes may have gone under its shallow keel. I will let you know how things turn out as I try your recommendations. Thank you all.

Sampans are almost impossible to hit, and are really not worth the waste of a torpedo for the amount of renown you receive. Are you using any mods or playing stock?? Some mods can have run depth errors of up to 12 feet.

I'm goin' down
10-25-08, 04:37 AM
I turned off the position keeper, as recommended, and sunk a large old passenger liner with three shots. Hmm. Maybe I received sound advices?! I saved the game to that point, and then resumed it so I could replay it again if I was sunk before I could return to port to complete the mission. That proved a wise decision because I was repeatedly sunk as I tried to escape the sunken ship's three destroyer escorts--sunk like ten times! (The destoyers were bent on revenge even though I graciously let another passenger liner escape. I was out of torpedoes but did not tell them.) Finally, I decided to stay at periscope depth and not move. I fast forwarded the game, and the destroyers hung around FOREVER (a REALLY LONG GOD DAMN TIME!), but I was FINALLY able to slink away at 1/3 speed using silent running. Whew!

Now back to the story. On my next mission, I was given a new boat and a medal for successfully completing 7 missions (More like seventy missions if you count the times I was sunk, ran into land, and abandoned by my crew when they mutinied forcing me to drop them off at Pitcairn Island [didn't they make a movie about that once?].) :nope: Mission No. 8 took me to the Marshall Islands, where I came upon a convoy of 5 ships -- two passenger liners and three destroyers. I shot three torpedoes at each passenger liner, leaving the PK turned off as recommended. I guess that is called the point and shoot method. The first three torpedoes were at 1200 yds. with my ship lined up at 90 degrees to the liner's course, and all torpedoes had impact on the target I aimed at. The liner sunk--glub, glub, glub, gurkle, gurkle (sounds a ship typically makes when drowning!).

The next three torpedeos were fired at a modern passenger liner at 1600 yds. range, but not at the recommended angle. Two had impact. The sonar man did not report the third torpedo, or if he did, I missed it while eating Ray's Famous New York Pizza (ordered flown in from NYC by Robert Downey while perfecting his Ironman creation at his Malibu mantion in the movie!) in the crew's celebration. The firing angle was not terrible. The shots that had impact hit the bow and sunk it (YIPPEE!).

Six shot, five impacts! Two liners sunk. My first double kill in the same attack. And I escaped, as the destroyers' crews were undoubtedly exhausted after chasing me around FOREVERs in mission no. 7.

I feel much better about auto targeting. I have had good luck with passenger ships. I may make a go of this game yet.

Where might I find enemy combat ships? Is it worth attacking destroyers? Those little bastards are like a bees. You do not want to piss them off, plus they are quick and deadly.

Anyhow, it is 0305 hrs. and I am exhausted. Fight for my country, go to a high school football game, eat a burger and have a beer, return to the ship, fight some more, have a slice of pizza, and then write this report.

Thanks for all of your help. IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!

Trivia: Original Ray's Famous NY pizza on 6th Ave. (Avenue of the Americas to all but New Yorkers) and 11th Street earned its reputation in the 1980's when some American students in London raised $800 in airfare, plus $60 in pizza money, from fellow students, so three of them could fly to Manhatten, pick up the pizzas, and return to share them with their fellow students who could not stand British food. They made the trip and the rest is history. The place has been around since the mid 1970s, and is probably got its name from the old Rae's pizza near Coney Island. "Rae" in Sicilian means "King", i.e. "King's" pizza. Legend has it that the original Ray's at the 6th Avenue location went out of business because they were involved in racketeering (laundering mob money) and were partly owned by Henry Hill featured in Goodfella's. There are now too many Ray's pizzas in NYC to count, many of them claiming to be the "original. " When I lived in NYC in 1975, people would line up outside to get a slice of Ray's pizza on 11th Street. Ironman paid tribute to Original Ray's Famous NY Pizza on 6th Avenue by having the camera pass over the pizza box in a scene during the movie, which I thought was a class move and it did not go unnoticed.

Orion2012
10-25-08, 12:16 PM
When it comes to engaging destroyers, it can be a little tricky. They're fast and manuver well making it very difficult to hit them if they have any clue you've fired or are around, on the other hand, 1-2 torpedos will sink them.

When you engage a convoy, preferably with the lead DD ahead of you, try and go for a larger combat ship like a CL. If the only shot you have is on a DD try and take the shot from close range 500-700 yards, and immedeatly dive when you fire. He will trace the wake of your fish back to you and begin dropping DC's like a mad man.

Glad your finding better luck, won't be lone till you can try manual targetting:p